Physical Aspects of Training Distance Runners - an Introduction

I may have slight bias here, but I think distance running is one of the hardest athletic endeavors. Racing requires each competitor to push their body and mind to the absolute limit and hold that effort for a long duration of time. I like to compare foot-racing to martial arts, however the goal is to subdue the opponent without even touching them; breaking them down from the inside-out.

Runners rely on every energy system and body system to propel themselves to the finish line, all while carrying roughly 2-2.5x their body weight on a single leg with each step they take. For someone that weighs over 100 pounds and averages 160 steps per minute, that’s a load of over 32,000 pounds that they need to support…each minute!

Not only do runners need to endure this physical demand for a long duration of time, but if they want to compete at a high level they also need to move at fast speeds.

---

How does someone prepare their body for such a grueling task?

One might say, ‘lose weight so you don’t have to carry such a high load’. And ‘one’ is definitely wrong if they tell you this!

The body demands an incredible amount of energy depending on duration and intensity of a race. If you don’t have adequate fuel (aka food consumption), you won’t do so well…let alone it can be very unhealthy to you as an individual. But that’s another topic for another time.

So what’s the trick?

Unfortunately, there is no ‘quick fix’ or ‘magic pill’. Since the body is an organism and not a robot, we need to give patience and persistence for the proper adaptations to occur. Reaching your potential as a distance runner requires consistent and specific training over a long period of time to build certain physiological and neuromuscular characteristics.

Below, I will briefly explain these important characteristics. Future blog posts will dive deeper into each aspect, explaining why each is so important and how to train for improvement. Don't let any 'fancy' terminology deter you. This will all seem much simpler in following posts where we can relate each aspect to certain paces and training parameters.

---

What to Train

Physiologically, runners need to focus on adapting:

-          Onset of Blood Lactate (OBLA)

-          Lactate Threshold (LT)

-          Maximum Volume of Oxygen (VO2max)

-          Maximum Velocity

OBLA is the velocity where lactate begins to increase in the blood stream. LT is the point where the body is no longer able to use that lactate as metabolic fuel. VO2max is the amount of oxygen that the body can functionally use to carry out aerobic tasks. Maximum velocity is the highest speed a runner is capable of achieving…to be fast at any distance, they need to be fast period!

Neuromuscular characteristics that need to be trained include:

-          General Strength

-          Speed/Explosive Power

-          Flexibility/Range of Motion (ROM)

-          Running Mechanics

General strength will allow a runner to carry their load over the duration of their event. Speed and explosive power will allow them to run at high velocities for the duration required. Flexibility/ROM and specific running mechanics will allow for proper force production and energy expenditure.

With all these aspects of distance running that need to be trained, it should be obvious that a distance runner needs to allow for training at different speeds as well as ancillary training that is not running specific.

This ancillary training should include:

-          Mobility

-          Flexibility

-          Core

-          Plyometrics

-          Strength Training

---

 Don’t Forget to Rest!

All of the hard work explained above can only be realized if proper recovery is allowed in training. Stress can only lead to growth if we allow the proper time for the body to strengthen and repair itself before it’s stressed again. Each hard session should be followed by 1-3 days of recovery depending on the specific hard session. Recovery doesn’t always mean sitting around doing nothing (although sometimes it absolutely can!). Active recovery in the form of easy running, taking walks, cross training, foam rolling, percussive massage, etc. can be very beneficial for helping the body prepare for the next hard session.

Intelligently designing an individualized, periodized training plan that accounts for maximizing the physiological and neuromuscular capabilities (and incorporating proper recovery!) will bring about the greatest improvement in distance runners.

It’s more complicated than aimlessly going for a run each day, but it’s simpler than it sounds!

Let us take the guess work out of it and coach you to reach your potential. Contact us today at info@arya-athletics.com

References

Daniels, J. (2014). Daniels’ running formula, third edition. Human Kinetics.

Dintiman, G. (2020). Essentials of next generation speed training. The National Association of Speed & Explosion (NASE). Healthy Learning.

Magness, S. & Stulberg, B. (2017). Peak Performance. Rodale.

NSCA. (2017, October 24). Repeated spring ability, with Ernie Rimer |NSCA [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbcK-nmC9Nw

Tanji, F. (2020). Investigation of a new evaluation method for economy by one-minute supramaximal-intensity running. International Journal of Sport and Health Science, 18, 10-15. https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=e0e5c72a-45ba-4081-8fc4-15e821d2f422%40redis

Sutton, B. G. (2022). Nasm Essentials of Personal Fitness training. Jones & Bartlett Learning. 

Thompson, M. A. (2017). Physiological and biomechanical mechanisms of distance specific human running performance. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 57(2), 293-300. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icx069

Yoshida, T., Udo, M., Iwai, K., Chida, M., Ichioka, M., Nakadomo, F., & Yamaguchi, T. (1990). Significance of the contribution of aerobic and anaerobic components to several distance running performances in female athletes. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 60(4), 249-253. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379391

---