Posted: May 10, 2005

Science of Sport: "Ask Owen" Weekly Feature

Ask Owen Q and A Index

Visitors are invited to submit training questions for exercise physiologist Owen Anderson, Ph. D. to answer in a weekly column.

Owen currently writes a weekly column for the Runner's Web.

Questions can be emailed to Owen via Form Mail.

Each week, Owen will pick the most interesting question(s) and publish his answer(s) on the Runner's Web.

I would like to add in a day of speed training per week, do you have any speed training workouts that I could add to my training?

Thanks you,
Cathleen
Richmond, BC

Answer:

Hi Vy,

Hi Cathleen,

Thank you very much for your question. It is great that you are adding speed training to your program; quality running is the most-potent producer of running fitness.

Perhaps the most powerful speed workout is the vVO2max session, which calls for you to run at the minimal pace which causes you to utilize oxygen at the highest-possible rate (e. g., your vVO2max). This may sound a bit technical, but the actual training is easy to set up. Here's what to do:

(1) On a day when you are feeling great, warm up thoroughly, and then run as far as you can on the track in six minutes. Record the distance you have covered in six minutes, and then convert your results into a tempo per 400 meters. For example, let's say you that you will run 1600 meters in six minutes. That's a tempo of 90 seconds per 400 meters (the calculations go like this: 1600meters/360 seconds = 4.44 meters per second. 400 meters/4.44 meters per second = 90 seconds per 400 meters), which is your estimate of vVO2max.

(2) Several days later, proceed to the track for your first speed session, starting with 200s at vVO2max. A decent initial workout, for example, might be 6 X 200 in 45 seconds each (note that you are adhering to your 90-seconds per 400-meter tempo). Each week for several weeks, carry out this session based on 200-meter intervals, gradually increasing the number of 200s you complete. Utilize equal-in-time-duration recovery intervals, which in this case would be 45 seconds.

(3) After you have completed about four of the 200-meter-work interval sessions, change over to workouts featuring 400-meter work intervals, again with equal recoveries.

(4) Every six weeks or so, re-take the six-minute test. If all is going well, you will probably find that you will cover more ground in six minutes, and thus you will have a new vVO2max and a new pace for your workouts.

(5) After you have conducted about four to five of the 400-meter-work-interval sessions, graduate to the big vVO2max kahuna: 5 X 3 minutes at your vVO2max, with 3-minute recoveries.

These vVO2max sessions are quite powerful, adding prestige to your max aerobic capacity, vVO2max itself, running economy, and lactate threshold. Don't forget to re-test yourself every six weeks.

Very kindest regards,

Owen Anderson, Ph. D.

www.RRNews.com

About Owen Anderson
Owen Anderson, Ph.D., is the editor and founder of Running Research News and the author of the books Lactate Lift-Off (http://www.rrnews.com) and Great Workouts for Popular Races (http://www.runningresearchnews.com). An exercise physiologist and training expert, Anderson coaches and offers training camps for runners. He's based in Lansing, Michigan. To learn more about Owen and his work, please visit www.rrnews.com

Running Research News is a monthly newsletter which keeps sports-active people up-to-date on the latest information about training, sports nutrition, and sports medicine. RRN publishes practical, timely new material which improves workouts, prevents injuries, and heightens overall fitness.