I’ve written previously about how to include some harder effort sessions in marathon training, and touched on why it can be useful. In this blog, we’ll look a little deeper into the reasons.
The usual marathon approach
We can’t discuss a deviation from the norm, without discussing what the norm is. The 80:20 split is often touted as the way to train for a marathon, with 80% of running being easy, and 20% harder work. Evidence shows this isn’t the perfect formula it’s often claimed to be. When you consider that it’s based on the training of elite runners, completing well over 100 miles per week, you can see why moving away from this approach can be helpful for us amateur runners who are maybe running 30-60 miles per week.
Higher intensity work is definitely useful, and one of the ways I often recommend including it is to perform a session focused more on 10k speed every 2-3 weeks, depending on the individual’s circumstances and strengths.
What are the benefits?
We see various advantages from speed work, both physically and mentally. The physical benefits in particular are quite varied, but how you benefit will be based on your specific body.
Pain tolerance
In the aforementioned blog, I discussed the psychological benefits of hard effort sessions like interval runs, and their role in preparing mentally for the discomfort and tiredness we’ll inevitably feel towards the end of a marathon. For many people, this is one of the biggest advantages of including speed work.
We all have a pain threshold, when we first notice pain, but our ability to continue to perform once pain or discomfort begins is what really matters. This is known as pain tolerance. By regularly exposing yourself to discomfort, and continuing to do so for longer periods of time, we become better able to tolerate discomfort. Our pain threshold might not improve, but our pain tolerance will, and that’ll really count at mile 22 when you’ve got 30 minutes or more of running to go in your marathon.
Confidence
Confidence is another huge factor in marathon training and running. Run almost exclusively easy runs and marathon pace miles, and you’ll start to question your ability to run that pace as we learn that it’s fast for us. If we run a few sessions which include faster running, then our marathon pace doesn’t seem that daunting. I’ve found this particularly helpful as I’ve become fitter and the margins between paces become closer.
Movement patterns
Linking to the subconscious neural side of things, we also often learn to run “better” by running faster, at least to some extent. Aristotle said: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” and the same applies to running.
When we run slowly, i.e. easy run pace, around 45-60 seconds per mile slower than marathon pace, we learn to move in this way. Our feet lift less with a shuffling gait, we likely overstride and land with a more exaggerated heel landing far in front of ourselves.Training plans which encourage 80% of runs be done at this pace therefore encourage this habit, which often bleeds into our faster running patterns too.
Running faster doesn’t necessarily mean we run “better”, because we can run fast with poor technique too, but it can be a positive factor if we’re conscious of our running form. Looking into data from your running watch can help, and I’ll explain what to look for later.
Physical benefits
Faster running speeds happen by achieving a longer stride (more distance travelled with both feet off the ground) or by taking more steps per minute.
Stride length and step rate are a result of numerous other factors, such as muscle strength, rate of force production, and technique.
Faster running exposes us to higher loading forces which our body has to control. Controlling this has the following consequences;
- Muscles are “damaged” more, causing them to be stronger and thicker. These changes take time, so the brain does something else in the meantime.
- The brain recruits more of the available muscle fibres to match the needs of the body to control movement.
- The nerves become more thickly coated in Myelin, an insulation which speeds up the signals sent from the brain, causing faster and stronger muscle contractions.
- Tendons and ligaments become thicker and stronger, as well as more able to stretch (generally).
The muscle adaptations are more widely talked about, with some focus on the nervous system changes too. What’s rarely discussed however, is why having stronger tendons is useful.
Tendons attach muscles to bones to create movement. The Achilles tendon is the most well known tendon, and plays a huge role in running. It goes through a stretch-shortening cycle, a bit like a rubber band. Stretch a band then let go, and you’ll see it doesn’t just return to its normal length straight away, it forcefully shortens. When the Achilles is stretched as we land during running, it shortens rapidly and propels us.
Technique when running faster
Whilst running faster is the key focus here, running fast with poor technique will have far less benefit, and could well lead to injuries. If we land with the foot contacting the floor closely aligned to our centre of mass vertically (underneath our hips and torso) and with a near vertical shin angle, the Achilles can work optimally, as can many other structures, as our body and brain create force and apply it in a more “useful” direction and with better timing.
Be mindful of how you achieve faster running speed with regards to technique. We should see an increase in step rate (cadence) as well as some increase in our stride length. It’s common to see an increase in stride length only, which will move the landing position further away from our body, allowing less benefit from the Achilles, and forcing the muscles to work harder to create the same forces and running speed.
Running faster is a virtuous cycle.
Faster running = stronger and faster muscles, tendons and nerves.
Stronger and faster muscles, tendons and nerves = a more efficient technique.
A more efficient technique = faster running.
To summarise, faster running means;
- Marathon pace seems easier
- We can tolerate pain for longer periods of time
- Muscles are stronger and faster
- Ligaments and tendons work more efficiently
- We learn better movement patterns for efficiency
If you’re not currently including any sessions aimed at 10k pace during your marathon training block, it’s well worth giving it a shot. Keep the balance in training by not over-using these sessions, but do try them at least every 3-4 weeks.
To see the article I’ve referenced on how to include effort sessions in marathon training, check out the link below.
https://runstoppable.co.uk/how-to-use-hard-efforts-in-marathon-training/
Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk