Dear Coach: I am relatively new to the sport of running. Until
recently, most of my running was sprinting when I played soccer and
ultimate frisbee. I ran my first 10K in 57 minutes. Then I bought a heart
monitor and three months later ran 40:29 at the St. Patrick’s Day race. I
had 36 minutes at greater than 90% of my maximum heart rate (195). I run
most of the time at greater than 85% and try to train as much as possible at
90%. Am I training properly? Chris
Dear Chris: You should only be doing one or two runs per week at greater
than 70% of maximum heart rate. All other days including your long run
should be below 70%. Running consistently over 85% will result in short-term
improvement with a very high risk of injury. As a new runner, I think you
would be better off by first concentrating on building an aerobic base by
doing all of your training at or below 70%. I suggest that you build up to
running 40-50 miles per week, including a weekly long run of 12-15 miles.
However, do not increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% per week.
Once you have built up your base, do a couple of anaerobic threshold runs
at 80-85% of maximum heart rate. For instance, do a track workout consisting
of three times one mile at 80-85% with recovery to 70% between miles. On the
roads, run for 20 minutes at 80-85%. After a few weeks of this training, you
will have a proper base and should run some really fast race times without
risking injury.
Dear Coach: What kind of heart monitor would you recommend that I buy?
Tim
Dear Tim: My own bias is toward Polar (for the record I have no relationship
with Polar and have always paid at least dealer’s price for their equipment),
although I am sure that there are other brands with a better price for the
same features. Regardless of what brand you buy, look for these features at
a minimum: the ability to set an upper and lower zone on the monitor, and a
beeper that goes on whenever you are above or below your training zone. This
type of monitor will cost about $130. Make sure it has at least a two-year
warranty. The models with night lights, lap splits, and heart rate averages
are nice but unnecessary. It depends upon your budget. If you are a computer
geek, the models with software interface can cost up to $500, but have many
neat features.
Dear Coach: I am a going to run my first half marathon and wonder
what I need to eat before and during the race to maintain energy. Cecil
Dear Cecil: You do not have to be too concerned about “carbo loading” before
a half marathon. It is much more important to load before a marathon because,
chances are, your body can store only enough glycogen to get you through the
first 20 miles of a marathon. However, to be on the safe side, in the last
couple of days before your half marathon, you should do two things. First,
and probably most important, is to hydrate. This means sipping, not
chugging, a lot of water in the few days before the race. The biggest danger
in your race is dehydration. Secondly, you should eat a lot of
carbohydrates—fruits, vegetables, pasta. Stay away from heavy sauces the
night before the race or you might be making some unwanted pit stops. During
the race itself, you should take a sports drink as soon as it is offered,
optimally, every two to three miles. If there is no sports drink on the
course, carry GU or its equivalent and mix well with water as you are racing.
However, don’t take GU and a sports drink. The sugar concentration will be too
high and may upset your stomach.
Coach Kirt West is a private running coach for motivated adult runners.
Questions for the Coach can be sent to him at kirtwest@erols.com
or c/o the Washington Running Report, (301) 871-0005.
