RUNNING SLOW- Important for Glycogen Build Up in Muscles

Many people have the impression that they must go “all out” on every single run they do.  Not only is that inefficient in terms of gaining speed, it can lead to injury and BURN OUT! This is not to say, however, that it is good to run EVERY run slow (although these days…since I am not training for anything..I have been taking it very slow!); you should focus on running your “long runs” SLOW and focus of “speed work” (intervals, fartleks, pace runs, etc) once (maybe twice) a week.  The rest of the days can be devoted to rest, cross training, short/slow runs, or medium-distance runs.  I have found (from reading up on Hal Higdon’s books!) that this rough sketch of a weekly running schedule is the most efficient way to train without injury and train with the ultimate goal of a great performance on race day.  This is what works for ME (and Mary). It may not work for you…I am just sharing my opinion (which is based on reading running books and personal experience) with you!

So lets talk about the LONG RUN!   Mary and I run our long runs about 50-80 seconds slower than our goal marathon pace.  We have found that it is so much more enjoyable to run our long runs slower.  It is important to not “go all out”  in every workout.  Otherwise, you would not have it in you the day that it matters–the marathon/race!

On Hal Higdon’s website he states, “Please note that we do not recommend doing your long runs at marathon pace. That adds too much stress, particularly when coupled with the speed sessions. If you overtrain, your performance will suffer”.

You may be wondering WHY you should run slow.  Well…the answer to this question can get very confusing/detailed but I will attempt to sum it all up for you!  Inside the body, carbohydrates are found as glycogen in the muscles and liver and as glucose in the blood.  Glycogen is the fuel for the body that is stored in the muscle and is converted to carbohydrates.  Doing your long run training at a slow pace will help to help the muscles increase the storage capacity of glycogen. When the glycogen storage is increased it means that you will be able to maintain the pace you want during the entire marathon and keep the signs of fatigue away. If you don’t have enough glycogen stored, you will have problems with your pace decreasing significantly.

side note: my arms are like that because I am crossing the finish line (boston marathon 2011) and I am mid-way into raising my arms up!

During a marathon, the muscle gains energy from the glycogen within the muscles and from blood glucose. As the amount of glucose in the blood is used up, the liver converts its glycogen into glucose and releases it into the bloodstream to maintain a constant supply of glucose to the muscles. During prolonged exercise, glycogen levels become depleted, leaving the muscles with little of the high-performance fuel and forced to operate on slower-burning fats.

This shift in fuel sources is described as “HITTING THE WALL” for Marathon runners.  If you have never experience what it is like to “hit the wall”, let me enlighten you, my friends.  It feels like your body cannot hold you up and your legs feel as though they are each about 100 pounds.  You also may experience brain fogginess.  You cannot think straight and you have no idea what is going on…the only thing that is keeping you moving is the adrenaline, motivation from the crowd, and your inner strength.  Below is a glimpse of me in my FINEST moment… pure confusion. hahah

So, in conclusion, RUN YOUR LONG RUNS SLOW! It WILL benefit your performance in the end.  It will help you to be able to hold a fast pace and NOT “HIT THE WALL”.  I had personal experience with this in my second marathon.  I hit the wall in my first marathon…learned from it and trained better for my second..and had a great performance for my second marathon.  I did not hit the wall and set a PR of 3:35. Additionally, the ratio of carbs (for the runner and non-runner) should outweigh proteins and fats but for you runners/athletes out there, you should focus on a diet higher (than normal) in carbohydrates as this can increase the amount of glycogen stored inside the muscles and liver. Your diet COMBINED with smart training can help you build up the glycogen in your muscles and perform that way you want to on race day!

Still don’t believe me? Here is a direct quote from Hal himself:

“Run Slow: I know this is tough for you. You want to go out on those long runs and BLAST! Don’t! Normally I recommend that runners do their long runs anywhere from 45 to 90 seconds per mile or more slower than their marathon pace. This is very important, particularly for Advanced runners who do speedwork during the week. Listen to what the Coach is about to tell you! The physiological benefits kick in around 90-120 minutes, no matter how fast you run. You’ll burn a few calories and trigger glycogen regenesis, teaching your muscles to conserve fuel. Running too fast defeats this purpose and may unnecessarily tear down your muscles, compromising not only your midweek workouts, but the following week’s long run. Save your fast running for the marathon itself. There are plenty of days during the rest of the week, when you can run fast. So simply do your long runs at a comfortable pace, one that allows you to converse with your training partners, at least during the beginning of the run”.

source

Question: What is your opinion on “the long run”?

Question 2: What are you doing for July 4th weekend? I am headed to shore for the weekend after I go running and get my stuff together…I am off of school today wohoo!

Hope you have a nice weekend

 

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Tagged as: glycogen stores in muscles, long run, long run training, marathon training, running slow