Juggling Workouts: Part II

Getting the mix right is the secret to success

By Hal Higdon
Author, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide

If you want to become a better runner, you need to learn how to train right. How many miles to run each day and each week? What kind of training to do on each of those days? And how to manage a training program?

Becoming a better runner, as I pointed out in yesterday’s blog entry, is knowing the answers to these questions and, most important, knowing how to juggle workouts to maximize performance.

Most critical when it comes to juggling workouts is how to mix hard days with easy days so that you recover to run hard again. According to Edward F. Coyle, Ph.D. of the University of Texas at Austin: “Recovery is related to how long it takes you to refuel your muscles with glycogen. This becomes especially important if the intensity of exercise is high.”

So which hard training sessions do you select and how much do you rest between them? Russell R. Pate, Ph.D, a 2:15 marathoner and past president of the American College of Sports Medicine, offers the following advice:

1. Think recovery first. Athletes do better when given adequate periods of recovery between extremely demanding exercise sessions. Know how much rest you need to retain quality in your schedule.

1. Decide what’s important. Identifying what workout does you the most good will focus your training. So whether it’s a long run or a speed session, plug your kingpin workout into your schedule first.

1. Identify your goal. Are you training for a marathon? Then your long run is your kingpin. Trying to nab a 5-K or 10-K personal best? Then an intense speed session is your kingpin.

1. Build around the kingpin. One or two other days a week, include hard workouts that complement the kingpin. Make sure to space these hard workouts a few days apart to allow for adequate recovery.

1. Fill in the gaps. On the remaining days, do some low-stress running, or cross-training, to contribute to overall base mileage. Don’t get hung up on numbers, but train consistently.

1. Monitor body signals. No coach can look inside your body. You need to recognize symptoms of overtraining and make adjustments.

“The patterns are the same,” advises Dr. Pate. “Only the specific training activities differ.” Learn to juggle your workouts properly, and you are on the way to success in your next race.

Hal Higdon is a Contributing Editor with Runner’s World and a consultant for TrainingPeaks. Visit his Web site at: www.halhigdon.com.

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