Running Free
One of the
main reasons I was attracted to distance running was the fact it
was a sport I could do on my own and train whenever and wherever
I wanted. My previous sport of karate lost its appeal as I
eventually grew tired of having to be at a class at a certain
time.
Complete
control
Running
was/is something I can have complete control over. Your entire
training program can be a process of complete enjoyment which is
free of the ‘here we go again’ type attitude.
I finally
convinced one of my Canadian online clients to change his
training routine and to spend less time on the athletics track.
This is what Julian had to say:
I'm
beginning to really enjoy the timed efforts, much more than the
1K repeats. When I was doing the distance repeats I was doing
them on a track, simply because it was more convenient and I
could not get my hands on a meter wheel, until today that is. I
found the track great at first but then began to find it very
hard to run around and around in circles, knowing exactly where
I had to start and finish and having no one else there to share
the pain and nowhere to hide. I hope you can relate to this a
bit.
I now do the timed intervals on a wooded trail and I have a
start marker and that’s all and I feel really relaxed and
rhythmic when I am running there. I am running fast believe me,
but I feel very little mental pain compared to the track.
I was mentally
exhausted
Julian’s
words rang true to me. The way he felt about training on the
athletics track was similar to the level of anxiety I eventually
felt during my running career. The prospect of running lap after
lap, decades later, was something which I found repulsive.
One day I
finally took stock of the way I was training and came to the
realisation that if I didn’t enjoy the way I was training then
there is no way I was going to get the most benefit out of a
session. Rather than wishing the session away I transferred all
of my faster efforts to bush tracks and cycle paths.
You need to
get that HR UP
Science
tells us that if you wish to improve/run faster you need to
occasionally run quicker than your goal race pace in training.
It is essential to involve efforts over measured distances in
your training for this gives you a true indication as to how you
are progressing.
The
majority of people run because it gives them a sense of freedom.
Running efforts over measured distances such as 500m and 1km, to
a certain extent, takes away the freedom. You can however afford
to mix this type of training with a less accountable format.
Run fast - free of stress
Running
your faster efforts to ‘time only’ is what I believe to be a
fair trade off. An example being a session consisting of 4 X
4min with 45sec standing recovery (A-B-A). The session involves
starting at point A, running at a solid pace for 2min, turning
around and trying to make it back to point A before 4min lapses.
This is a simple concept and apart from removing the stress of
having to run at a predetermined pace it also allows you an
opportunity learn how to pace yourself efficiently via your aim
to arrive back at the start point before 4min.
Your
entire running program can be structured so that every time you
lace on your shoes you are relaxed and eager to make the most of
your opportunity. Changing your running venue and running your
faster efforts in a natural environment by ‘time only’ is a
great start.
You are not
assessed by the speed you run
You are respected by the effort you put in
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