May 2012
11:13am, 2 May 2012
145 posts
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DiscoSteve
Thanks Kenny - was hoping it wasn't too silly a question! Thanks all for the feedback
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May 2012
11:16am, 2 May 2012
146 posts
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DiscoSteve
Cheers Keefy, nice link
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May 2012
11:16am, 2 May 2012
2,589 posts
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sallykate
You run long distances slow to build endurance without stressing your body too much and develop your ability to burn fat as fuel as well as glycogen. You do speedwork on shorter distances to develop your cardiovascular system. On race day the two come together over your chosen distance.
No elite would ever train at target pace over long distances. LSR pace should generally be at least 45s per mile slower than target race pace. It's not a bad idea to run the last few miles of a LSR at target pace though.
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May 2012
11:19am, 2 May 2012
4,079 posts
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Lyra OK
@Autumnleaves, that's where time trials help. It gives you an idea of where you are and what you should aim for in training. I use McMillan Pace Calculator, but am guessing Keefy's link's good too. Here's McMillan anyway: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/index.php/site/calculator.
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May 2012
11:21am, 2 May 2012
148 posts
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Autumnleaves
Thanks Lyra - I'm guessing therefore that, having used most recent time to gauge current paces, if on 20th May I manage a PB - or at least an improvement on previous time, I then re-calculate? This makes sense!
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May 2012
11:24am, 2 May 2012
554 posts
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MudMeanderer
I find a hard training session or hard race can often take it out of me for a couple of days afterward. My legs will feel heavy and tired and completely unable to run fast over those few days.
If I want to run more than twice a week I need to make most of those sessions at a level that that doesn't destroy me. I still feel a significant improvement from the higher volume of training but my legs aren't persistently screaming at me and find time to recover before I beast them again!
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May 2012
11:25am, 2 May 2012
4,080 posts
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Lyra OK
Yeah, absolutely! It's always good to use a recent time and, I think, if you've a few recent ones to chose from, go for the best of them i.e. the one which gives you the most demanding times in training. I could be wrong on this point, so happy to be corrected if anyone wants to step in.
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May 2012
11:29am, 2 May 2012
10,173 posts
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SODIron © 2002
The clues in the name "LSR - Long Slow Run"....it's not about building your ability to process lactate or cope mentally when running fast, it’s about improving your body’s ability to work within the aerobic zone, building those wonderful little helpful things called mitochondria, and overall ability to sustain running without causing your body to break down too much.
As a coach I suggest that you ignore the advice of anyone who tells you to run them faster than the recommendations in the useful RW ir McMillan links that were posted earlier. Sure you will always find an example of someone who has the apparent ability to run all sessions hard, but these athletes are very much in the minority. Most (and I mean nearly ALL) athletes need to overload, recover, adapt, and repeat to improve. Pushing too hard all the time will (for most) end-up with the athlete under-performing, never reaching their full potential, and becoming injured and/or stressed.
If you want to improve look no further than the elite athletes…they may run at a faster pace but all will follow a simple cycle of overload, recover, adapt and repeat combined with various marco, meso and microcycles.
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May 2012
11:37am, 2 May 2012
47 posts
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Vicky W
Not in any way a stupid question
You may also like to look at the asics training schedules. You enter your planned rate & the date, then give a recent race timing together with your age & gender & it'll give you an idea of the pace you should be doing your runs at.
Er, I'm not technical enough to put a link in though *humbly apologises*
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May 2012
11:37am, 2 May 2012
149 posts
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Autumnleaves
Thanks SODIron (don't like to shorten that one!!) - really helpful post.
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