The Most Basic Law of Training
Reprinted from:
Peak Running Performance
Coaches and athletes alike consistently ask me what I consider to be
the single most important training law or principle. This is an excellent
question and the answer has been embedded within, yet hidden beneath the
surface of all of our discussions on training within the pages of Peak
Running Performance.
However, while we've consistently talked about a wide variety of very
specific training strategies related to the art and science of optimal
training, we have never focused solely on discussing the most basic
general law of training - upon which the ultimate success of any of these
specific training strategies is dependent.
Neglecting the most basic training law results
in more failures than all other mistakes combined.
This basic law or principle is the first and most basic physiological
concept that needs to be understood by both runners and their coaches who
want to optimize short- and long-term performance progress. Unfortunately,
precious few runners and coaches follow this basic law of training when
designing their respective training programs. Under-estimating the
importance of this most basic law will surely result in ineffective
training - even if all other training strategies in a runner's program are
highly sophisticated.
This training law is an essential part of the "foundation" of the
training "house plan." No matter how well-designed or well-furnished the
rest of the house (or training plan) is, without a firm foundation, it
will collapse. A builder (or runner) can invest heavily in the materials
(by working hard) on all of the other parts of the house (specific
training strategies) and still have it collapse (or fail to achieve their
potential) if the foundation is not strong and supportive (by not adhering
to this most basic law of training).
In my experience, neglecting this most basic scientific training law
probably results in more major training failures than all other training
mistakes combined. Conversely, the simple mastery of this one key training
principle can enable any runner to steadily improve.
The Most Basic Law of Training
The most basic training law is simple: Each and every training stress
should be followed by an amount of rest (or recovery) which is appropriate
to allow for optimal performance progress.
Optimal progress or improvement is the result of balancing
optimal training stress with optimal training rest or recovery.
Put into an equation it looks like this:
Optimal Training STRESS + Optimal
Training REST = Optimal Performance PROGRESS
It has a nice ring, doesn't it? Optimal
STRESS plus optimal REST equals optimal PROGRESS.
While almost every runner or coach is aware of this most basic law of
training, failure to effectively practice it usually occurs from
over-emphasizing the "stress" (or hard work) part of the equation and
underestimating the equal importance of the 'rest' (or recovery) part of
the equation.
Therefore, understanding what constitutes optimal rest (or recovery)
from hard training sessions (or stress) will be the primary goal of this
article. We will achieve this goal by providing you with (1) a basic
understanding of the physiology of stress and rest, as well as (2) a set
of tools, methods and guidelines to help you balance stress and rest for
optimal training progress.
Although the concept (stress plus rest equals progress) is simple
enough to understand, it can in fact, be very complex. This is because
each person's body is different (general health, basic muscle fiber type,
body weight, running economy, injury history, fitness level, training
history, etc..) and therefore, responds to different types of workouts
(long runs, tempo runs, interval workouts, speed sessions, etc.) and other
external stresses (sub-optimal weather conditions, altitude, job stress,
family commitments, financial concerns, pollution, allergies, inadequate
sleep, poor nutrition, etc.) in different ways.
All of these factors make it very challenging to gauge how to best
apply certain types of training stress (key workouts), manage various
life-style stresses, and use the proper amounts of rest and recovery in
order to ensure optimal adaptation that ultimately leads to better running
performances.
Rest can not be separated from stress. They are both equally important
factors in the same training equation. Stress and rest each are parts of
the same whole: making up any complete cycle of effective training.
Whether you realize it or not, rest (or recovery) can be, should be,
and is taken after each and every unit of training that you perform. Rest
is taken between hard speed repeats on the track. Rest should be, and is
taken on the easy day (or days) that follow a hard workout day. And an
easy month of rest is often taken (and recommended) after any racing
season.
