Posted: September 21, 2006

Athletics: Marathon Training, Phase One - Resistance Training

By: David Holt

Phase one of four...Hill training

Marathon Training.

It’s a given that we increase mileage for strength, endurance and the ability to prevent the wall, by burning fat. Yet many marathon runners still avoid any form of quality training which also enhance these needs. Here is a humane way to use all the marathon training an international class runner will use.

Note: Those reading this with 8 weeks to the marathon can run each training element three times during a fourteen day period.
Based on material in Running Dialogue by David Holt 280 pages.

Hill Repeats or Resistance Training Marathon race preparation has four phases. The first three phases each last three to six weeks, as you increase the long run by 3 to 4 miles per phase--up to a maximum of 20 or so; AND bring in one special element of marathon training. The fourth phase is the taper of 2-3 weeks. Phase one is resistance training; phase two will be anaerobic threshold; phase three VO2 maximum sessions.

If your current long run is eight miles, you will peak at 20 miles at the end of phase 3, doing perhaps two 20 milers at five and three weeks pre marathon. If you are already used to 14 miles each week, you’ll reach 20 in phase 2, and enjoy six to eight runs at the 20 mile level. All of you can include the three special sessions during your preparation. Increased mileage will give you strength, but resistance training improves strength while you train at high speed...with minimal injury risk: Running hills, sand, mud, or into the wind is not easy, but nor is it tough if you simply maintain the same effort level.

Steady runs, at 70-80 percent of maximum heart rate develop aerobic base but do little to develop the neurological pathways needed for fast marathon running. Hill repeats are a great way to do your speedwork.

Find a hill which is reasonably steep, but still runable...three to four degrees is good, but steeper hills may give you faster rewards. You will need 100 to 400 meters of hill for these sessions.

Now, ignore the efficient way of running hills. Hill reps require a different action...an exaggerated running action. After a normal warmup, start the first of about ten 100 meter repetitions. Run up the hill with a high knee lift and sprinters type arm action. The legs should not be going too fast...the emphasis is on lifting the knees higher than in normal runs...but landing softly. Land closer to your toes than the heel of the foot...midfoot is ideal: Similar to a sprinter.

On alternate reps, shorten and quicken the stride. One rep for strength and speed; one rep for speed and strength.

Pick a focal point close to the top of the hill: This helps to prevent you leaning forward. You need to be perpendicular to the surface in hill repeats.

To avoid Achilles Tendon injuries during marathon training

Hold back on the first session. This training puts extra stress on the Achilles tendon and calf muscles. The quadriceps may also ache a little after, as may the back...gentle stretching should clear these aches.

The second time you do hills, try about eight repetitions of 200 meters. The third time, try five at up to 400 meters.

The entire session should be no harder than a tempo run. With the 400s, finish the rep just over the top of the hill--practice accelerating as the gradient decreases. You can also practice this on your long or tempo runs when you’re feeling fresh...pick the pace up by ten seconds a mile for 20 strides before settling back to your regular speed.

Increase the quantity of reps and the speed. Run the hills faster than in a race...using the rather unusual running actions described above.

25 of the short section of hill is about right; 10 or 12 of the long section may be its equivalent. Do about 10 minutes of actual reps.

Later, the recovery can become a jog...thus reducing the resting percentage. But land gently on the way down.

A fun way for you to do hills is to split it into sections. Stride up the first section of say 150 meters--jog or walk up for thirty to sixty seconds--then run the second section. You will have a longer recovery going back to the start to repeat the reps in pairs or triples. You might run six sets of two efforts in a session.

Do these hills every 5-10 days, but don’t ignore the other elements in your training.

When you can handle hills well in your marathon training, they will seldom be a problem in races. In a race or tempo run, always run hills with economy...using a low knee lift and short but fairly rapid stride. Tuck in behind someone, get ‘pulled’ up the hill, then find that other gear you’ve been practicing as you accelerate over the top.

Hills will improve your marathon racing speed by building strength in the quads, hamstrings, buttocks, calves and back. It will also correct your form--you can’t run hills well with bad form. Hills increase your anaerobic efficiency. Bigger quads result in fewer knee injuries. Hill reps cause few injuries...there is much less shock per stride.

Enjoy the hill--always enjoy the hill. Don’t fight it...work with it. Doing a lot of distance can decrease your stride length. Even though you will be doing repetitions, 200s etc. the hills will open your stride. Just remember to exaggerate the knee lift and the arm swing, while pushing off with the toes and calf muscles.

Higher mileage marathon training or experienced racer

The high mileage person should be able to go straight to the 10 or 12 x 400 meter hills. The low mileage beginner will start with just a few reps at 100 to 200 meters.

I continue to be amazed by the beginner marathon training schedules which recommend no speedwork.

You people will benefit even more than high mileage people from a graduated series of hill sessions. They teach you to run efficiently...dare I say it...to run properly. Your easy or steady running then becomes more economic, you’ll use less energy for a given speed--if you practice good form and build leg strength. And yes...you can run hills or resistance training on 25 miles per week; you can do them in that lunch break run or whenever you put in those 40 minutes of running; and you should not be in intolerable discomfort afterwards.

Buy Running Dialogue Today! ">Running Dialogue, 280 pages, $17.95, by David Holt. Training for the 5K to the Marathon, for beginners and experienced runners, with extensive injury prevention and treatment advice, nutrition, cartoons and inspirational essays, at Amazon.com
Or send $17.95 per book to David Holt at PO Box 543, Goleta, CA 93116. (includes shipping and tax)

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