Today marked my first "track workout" of the 2010-2011 season and there were a few things that were immediately apparent.  Before I jump into this though, I'll start with some brief, basic (laymen terms) physiology and a short background. Then I'll get into today's re-affirmation of a training aspect I learned long ago ...

Whether you believe in the physiological training principles of Daniels, Lydiard, Cruz, Dellinger, etc. There are a couple main components that transverse all theories.  First, training is broken down into four types: Aerobic, Anaerobic, Lactic and Alactic.  For the most part, every specialist in the field of running agrees on this basic concept.  Where the differences arise however, is in how to mix these 4 types to acquire the best results.  Now, the mix will certainly be different in dealing with an 800m runner vs. a marathon specialist, but the importance of having  all four types present is still just as important and training can be generally similar during certain periods of training.  Secondly, there are 3-4 periodization blocks in a training program.  In my opinion, there are really 4, but some tend to combine the first two as one block of training and others tend to combine the last two.  No matter which, periodization is definitely important when preparing for a specific "command performance" (the most important race of the season if there is more than one or your goal race if you are training for one specific endurance event).  It allows you to progress through your training and arrive at a peak just in time to feel fresh and ready for your goal performance.  Finally, there are two types of muscle fiber: Slow Twitch (Type I) and Fast Twitch (Type II).  Slow twitch muscle fibers are used in an aerobic capacity and while not able to fire as quickly, can last for longer durations.  Fast Twitch muscle fibers on the other hand function in an anaerobic fashion and can fire more quickly than slow twitch, but also fatigue much more rapidly.  The proportion of fast twitch to slow twitch fibers that a person has influences his/her ability to perform at different distances.  The greater the proportion of slow twitch fibers, the more suited a person is for longer distances.  It has been reported that large amounts of aerobic, endurance training can create a change in fast-twitch muscle fiber composition, causing them to act as a slow-twitch fiber, but not vice versa.  This is where my dilema has previously occurred.

Last year, I made the mistake (not my first) of becoming a mileage hoarder.  I was reading a LOT about the training that some of the greats like Boston Bill Rodgers, John Walker, Peter Snell, Frank Shorter, Jack Bachelor, Marty Liquori and others used to do.  One theme seemed apparent ... Mileage, and lots of it.  So in my opinion, what I needed to do to become like them was to hoard every mile I could put on my body for as long as possible.  In doing so, I felt strong as an ox and could run for days (or so it seemed).  The problem is, my race lasts less than 4min (hopefully!).  I had spent soooo much time preparing my slow twitch muscles to be able to handle hours of running at a time that I had failed to prepare my fast-twitch muscles for 4min of a screaming pace around the track.  So much so that some of them had even joined the other side and were acting as slow-twitch fibers in order to ensure my endurance causing the fast-twitch fibers that were left to be weakened in numbers and burnout even quicker than before.  When realizing this, I panicked and began doing speed session after speed session to "catch up" ... a dangerous spot to be in for a track athlete.  What resulted was complete and total fatigue and inconsistent performances.  Now, what I don't want to get misconstrued is the idea that I feel that intense speed and interval training is required all year to maintain fast-twitch muscle fibers and turnover capability.  This is not the case.  This would break down the body if administered year round, would cause possible injury and a racing peak far too soon ... if at all.  What I do feel though is that the closer your goal racing distance is to 800m, the more important it is to maintain speed, turnover and speed endurance (Type IIa Muscle Fibers).

Now onto my discovery ... errrr, re-discovery.  I once again found myself hammering back the miles, staying healthy and feeling strong this fall.  And, while I have been doing a little speed maintenance work early in my base phase during easier days of running, as the long aerobic workouts began, I found myself stepping back from those in order to ensure recovery form the long, aerobic workouts.  This led to a flat feeling coming over me a few weeks back.  I still felt healthy, I still felt strong, but getting up on my toes and pushing off felt awkward and forced.  Initially, I worried, thinking, "here we go again".  But, before forcing myself further into a corner this time, I thought about it.  How can I maintain upkeep of my fast-twitch muscles without lulling them to sleep, giving up my aerobic work or adding extra stress to my training program?

The solution.  Luckily, for a few months now, I have been incorporating basic drills and general core strengthening exercises into my routine.  Now that I have gained the initial fitness benefits from that, I decided I could ude that time to do extended bouts of more explosive strength work.  Therefor forcing those fast-twitch muscle fibers to continue functioning as they will need to further along in the season.  I began this work 3-4 weeks ago and immediately started feeling more "pop" in my step, stride and sprint.  Now, while I am not fully comfortable at my goal race pace yet for this coming spring, lets be honest I have a long way to go before I need to be race ready.  So today, after running 10 in/out 400's where the 10 "ins" started near 5k race pace and ended under 1500m race pace and the 10 "outs felt steady and smooth, I am feeling like I have found a good balance for this period in my training and a safe way to maintain my speed endurance while continuing to progress my aerobic ability.  The faster 400's by no means felt smooth today, but I was recovering quickly, did not tire physically and felt as if I could continue going as long as I got the 400m recovery at steady pace.  The closer I get to track season, the more comfortable those efforts will get, and it made me feel very positive about my abilities to string 4 of those quarters together smoothly by the end of the season. 

For now, I stick to the plan, learn from past mistakes, and look ahead to what's next ... the San Antonio Half Marathon on November 14th, 2010.  This is a major over-distance event for me, but one I look to compete very well in alongside my TeamROGUE Elite teammates Scott MacPherson (look for him to win), Erik Stanley, Kara June and Allison Macsas.  This will be my longest effort of the year and will begin a fall/winter season that will include USA Club XC Nationals and USA XC National Championships, two other events that don't fall under my strong suite, but are challenges I hope to tackle with success before moving onto the track this spring to focus on the 1500/3k Steeplechase.

Thanks for Reading!
db