The key factor to remember is that the adaptation does not occur during the stressful workouts, it occurs during the rest/recovery periods his is why a “hard/easy” approach works, one day hard and next day easy. With optimal stress and optimal rest, you will achieve optimal progress.
For Now we concentrate on Endurance runs of which there are 3 types
Long Run (LR): The cornerstone of most training schedules, it is what it says simply a Long Run. We may think of the long runs a simply a training stimulus to train us to spend a long time running as we will have to do in the he marathon but there are many physiological benefits (see below).the long run should be kept at about 70% or Max HR and 30-90 seconds slower than predicted marathon race pace lasting at least 1 hour. As time goes by we should see an improvement in aerobic development with runs at same pace and duration at lower Heart rates and ease of effort.
Easy Run (E): The majority of training is likely to be composed of easy runs and the purpose is to fully develop your aerobic fitness and then maintain it and can be 30-60 second slower than predicted marathon race pace. Duration of easy runs (E) can be 30-90 minutes. The Easy run should not be run too fast and generally run at 75-80% Max HR and if at any case you are breathless slow back on the pace.
Recovery Run (R): Can be described a slow jog generally one and a half to two minutes slower than predicted marathon pace. They should be used on days after tough sessions and at first will be hard to maintain the slower pace but is essential not to run these any faster than prescribed. A recovery run in a somewhat fatigues state can also be beneficial to simulate the latter stages of a marathon where fatigue will be a factor and also the neuromuscular system will perform in a pre-fatigued state.
Physiological Benefits Long Run
Burn Fat for Fuel
There are 2 main sources of fuel for exercise fats and Carbohydrates. We are limited in the amount of carbohydrate we store but fat stores are infinite, so all we need to do its train our bodies to use this fat as our main source of fuel for the marathon. To do this we need to run slow enough to allow our body converts fat to energy, see below for more detailed explanation
Aerobic Metabolism
Aerobic metabolism fuels most of the energy needed for long duration activity. It uses oxygen to convert nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and protein) to ATP. This system is a bit slower than the anaerobic systems because it relies on the circulatory system to transport oxygen to the working muscles before it creates ATP. Aerobic metabolism is used primarily during endurance exercise, which is generally less intense and can continue for long periods of time.
During exercise an athlete will move through these metabolic pathways. As exercise begins, ATP is produced via anaerobic metabolism. With an increase in breathing and heart rate, there is more oxygen available and aerobic metabolism begins and continues until the lactate threshold is reached. If this level is surpassed, the body cannot deliver oxygen quickly enough to generate ATP and anaerobic metabolism kicks in again. Since this system is short-lived and lactic acid levels rise, the intensity cannot be sustained and the athlete will need to decrease intensity to remove lactic acid build-up.
Increase the number of capillaries per muscle fibre.
Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels that border each muscle fiber carrying oxygen and fuel to the muscle and removing waste products, so if we had more of these capillaries we could carry more oxygen and fuel , more fuel more energy easier to run for longer. The LR increases the number of capillaries per muscle fibre.
Increase Mitochondria.
Mitochondria are the aerobic energy factories in your cells. Long runs increase the number and size of the mitochondria in your muscle fibers. With more mitochondria, you can produce more energy aerobically, and maintain a faster pace.
Glycogen.
Long runs teach your muscles to store more glycogen. Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate, and when you run low, you slow down. Running long distances uses up the glycogen in your muscles. Fortunately, glycogen depletion stimulates the muscles to store more glycogen-to help prevent future depletion. Because the faster you run the more glycogen you burn, running your long runs at a reasonable pace is a more effective way to deplete your glycogen stores (and hence stimulate the muscles to store more) than jogging.
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