The Undertraining Trap
By
Woody Green
of
RUNNERS NICHE
A couple of months ago I wrote about the pitfalls of overtraining.
This is a common problem for runners, but so is undertraining. By
this I don't mean people who sit on the coach and eat chips instead of
going out and putting in the miles. Rather, many runners - even very
serious, competitive runners - neglect parts of their training.
To be prepared for running distance events, we all know we have to
put in the miles. The problem is, many runners stop right there. All
they do is run mile after mile. Some slower, some faster, but they
just run overdistance.
There are other facets to training that should not be neglected if one
is truly interested in racing their best, or even just to keep one's
body in balanced condition.
Here are some often neglected areas:
*INTERVALS*
Often, I hear runners say how much they hate the track, and running
around in circles, and how much it hurts to do intervals.
The fact is, without doing some form of interval training at a pace as
fast or faster than race pace, you will never be able to run to your
potential. This is because you need to stress the body into adapting
to run at that pace. You need to train your body to run efficiently
both mechanically and physiologically.
Intervals don't have to be on the track, if you really can't stand that.
A grassy park or a nice trail can be used just as well. The advantage
to a track, though, is having a measured distance. By timing your
efforts, you know exactly where you are at pace wise.
If you can't face running on the track, find a way that you can do
some sort of interval work on trails or in the park. Don't neglect this
part of your training.
One note, if you have never done interval training, go into it slowly
at first. Start only after you have gained a good base by doing
several weeks of regular distance runs.
*STRENGTH*
There are two ways to increase your strength for running. One is
doing hill repeats, which adds resistance to your running and thus
helps to strengthen your legs.
The other, currently popular method is weight training. Weight
training helps you not only to increase the strength of the muscles
you use in running, it can be used to to strengthen all your muscles
so as to avoid imbalances. By being a stronger runner, you tend to
avoid injuries better. Also, runners who lift weights may be more
biomechanically efficient, especially at the end of a race when one's
form begins to fall apart.
*ABDOMINAL WORK*
Abdominal work is important for everyone, not just runners. Your
abdominal muscles need to be strong in order to help your spine hold
itself in alignment. You might think of the abdominals as being the
foundation for your body. A weak stomach will contribute to injuries
caused by misalignment and compensation by other muscles. Also, a
weak stomach may prevent you from running with correct posture
and form.
A few abdominal crunches and / or other stomach exercises 3 or 4
times each week will go a long way to making you a better runner.
This is one area where a little work can really go a long ways!
*FLEXIBILITY*
Stretching makes you feel better, it helps prevent injuries, and it can
help you to run faster and longer. It's easy to forget about stretching
after you run. Get in the habit, though, and it is easier to follow
through. Save 15 minutes a day for this important activity.
Stretching is the easiest way to prevent injuries and improve your
performance.
By planning your training to include more than the basic
overdistance run, you will be able to maximize you efforts when
racing. Training variety is helpful to those who don't plan to race, too,
since it provides a more complete method of training the body for
overall fitness. Don't fall into the undertraining trap!
