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Running Economy - blah!

nbrowne1 9 months ago

Ok, so from my reading, experience, and observations, the most important parts to running economy for distance running are as follows:
1 genetics
2 lots of aerobic running
3 workout running (intervals / tempos)
4= strides / hill sprints / gym work

So I've been pretty good at keeping away from the gym ever since I started running in 1999. But after some reading today I'm going to make use of my apartment building's gym for the next two months and see if I see any improvements. I'll follow the squat protocol in the first article below (3 days of 4x 4RM half squats) and be a bit more studious with my hill sprints and stride-outs (meant to be 2 sessions a week and usually only doing 1). I'll monitor progress recording half squat 4RM weights and see if I can notice any differences in training load perception / performance / HR.

Latest article I found that used the 4x 4RM half squat sets (2008): http://bit.ly/qVK6Z2

2006 article: http://bit.ly/d3MHfX
2002 article: http://bit.ly/r5H37V
1998 article: http://bit.ly/psQ6pO

Anyone else hit the gym regularly for this sort of thing? Experiences? Perceptions?

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Categories: general, Workout
Comments6 comments

 HamburgKiwi 9 months ago

You are right Marty if time is an issue, or there are not enough hills then the gym is useful. I find it most useful when you do a series of back to back exercises 3-5 before having a rest, as it get the heart rate up into the aerobic zone too. Plus it means you don't waste a couple of hours inside.

Martin Van Barneveld 9 months ago

I believe Gym is important. Think you guys have dismissed it to easily. Running speed = Stride Length x Stride Rate... Yes if you can run 160-200km a week then you gain a lot of strength from just running. But if you can't get in that many miles due to either other committments, injuries, swimming/biking then gym is a good option which can be very specific.

You can isolate muscles very well and load them up in a short period to produce wicked strength/power to help with your running form/economy/length. I personally find when I spend time building up to races in the gym doing very specific excerices followed straight away by pylometric exercise using the targeted muscle group that I get great benefits. It smashes me the first few times, but after a while body takes a liking to it. Feel as if I can really power through each stride, and am using my muscles to there best ability.
So many people don't know how to use the correct muscles and are therefore are being inefficent. I am not saying that I am the best at it, but feel that it helps me personally probably because I am so bad at it.
Also then feel that stretching is another aspect that a lot of people probably don't do enough of, so are not getting the range of motion that they need. So are being restricted ever time they lift there leg, and as fatigue kicks in they shorten up. Or at least I defnitely know that this is the case for me as I am the most unflexiable person ever!
Anyways I think it's a good idea brownie to hit the gym up. Be interesting to see your view on it. I think you should do several exerciese though.

Crossey 9 months ago

It actually goes:
1) Genetics
2) Lots of aerobic running including running up to threshold
3) More aerobic running
4) Intervals/reps faster than threshold
5) More aerobic running
6) the rest
Correct!! it pretty much is that simple.

HamburgKiwi 9 months ago

I've been in the gym on and off for the best part of 6 or 7 years, but apart from strengthening weaknesses I can't say I have noticed any difference in my running when I have been in heavy gym training or not.
I agree with Paul and think that if you spend some time on corework that is enough. The biggest difference I have noticed lately is being able to get consistent training in every week, and high quality intervals, and hill runs.

marders 9 months ago

Core work would be a better way to spend your time I feel. I didn't do any prior to 2010 but since then I've been doing it regularly and now do 30 minutes roughly every 2 days. In theory it increases lean muscle mass but probably more importantly it increases effeciency due to less energy potentially wasted (eg less rotation maybe). I just do basic stuff like planks(front, side, back), situps, some other thing I don't know the name for but is bloody hard and a good ab workout, and I've even started doing pressups at the end as I figured my arms weren't getting a workout so why not tone them a bit more and add some lean muscle mass. I'm well impressed that at the end of my core workout I can do 30 pressups/20 seconds rest/20 pressups/10 seconds rest/10 pressups.

Andrew Davidson 9 months ago

It actually goes:
1) Genetics
2) Lots of aerobic running including running up to threshold
3) More aerobic running
4) Intervals/reps faster than threshold
5) More aerobic running
6) the rest

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