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Issue: Week 5
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June 19, 2008
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Greetings!
No special events this week, just good old-fashioned fun as we close in on six weeks of training! Congratulations!
- Ashley, Amber & your USA Fit SA coaching team
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Week in Review
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 Things you don't want to forget...
There was no seminar last week, just announcements, members of the week, and then we hit the road. Upon return, though, we got to taste test a variety of nutrition products, from drinks to gels to jelly beans! Our favorite nutritionist, Laurel Tierney, was on hand to serve samples, and she will be back this week to give us some nutrition tips at our seminar. Don't miss it!
This seminar was not recorded, but you can review the article from last week's newsletter for more details. Check the season archive for newsletter archives and new podcast every other week.
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Weekly Focus
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 Speed Work
At this point in the training most groups
are doing
speed work one or two times per week. You might wonder
why this is necessary, particularly if you have more of
a "completion" goal than a "racing" goal for November.
Speed work, or "pace work" as it is sometimes called,
is beneficial for everyone, regardless of
pace. Speed work helps you to increase your anaerobic threshold, which means your body learns to stay aerobic at higher intensities. Regardless of your race goals, speed work helps you improve your endurance and your efficiency as a walker or runner, which is the ultimate goal of our training.
However, there is an increased risk of injury when doing speed work, because you are pushing your body harder, so it needs to be done in moderation. Also, you never want to have two "hard" sessions back to back (ie speed work sessions two days in a row, or a speed work session following a long distance walk/run). As Denis told us at our kickoff seminar, "You only get better when you are resting". You must follow speed work with rest so that your body can recover and adapt to the new stress you've introduced.
Finally, here are some definitions that will help you
understand the speed work lingo:
- LSD: Long slow distance - This is the backbone of
your endurance training. On Saturdays, we are all
about LSD, working on building your aerobic endurance
by running or walking at a comfortable, aerobic pace.
We push the mileage each week in order to expand
your base.
- Fartleks - This is a Swedish term that means
"Speed Play". This is a less structured form of interval
training (as opposed to sprints) where you work on
varying your pace from "easy" to "moderate" to "hard".
It is a good tool for creating pace awareness as well
as building strength and speed.
- Interval Training - This type of speed work is
highly structured, with specific number of repetitions
of hard running or walking with recovery after each
repeat. This type of training is often done at the track
and is ideal for pushing the anaerobic threshold up
higher.
- Tempo runs/walks - This type of workout is at a
faster pace for a longer period of time than interval
training. The goal is to complete a moderate distance,
say 2 - 4 miles, at a pace that is about 10% faster
than your LSD pace.
- Hill work - Hills are another great form of speed
training because they challenge you aerobically. Hills
also make you stronger -- specifically make your legs
stronger -- which has the effect of increasing your
overall speed.
Happy training!
"In the long run, you only hit what you aim at." - Henry Thoreau
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| Changes to Saturday Routes
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 We're splitting up!
Do to the size of our group, we are going to be dividing into two routes on Saturday instead of all running & walking on the same course. The route maps are posted for each group on the website (click on the highlighted mileage for your group's Saturday workout). It's a good idea to print out a copy of the map each week before you get here.
Please make sure to confirm with your coach which route you are doing on Saturday! Weekly Schedule with map links
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| Coaches' Corner
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 Tips & advice from your coaches
Each weekly newsletter will include comments and
information from each of our head coaches.
ATP The topic this week is speed work. Well, the coaches below will do a great job of that. I would like to say that there are two ways to speed up. Increase your pace or increase your stride. I believe that you should always try to keep the same pace. Whether you are trying to speed up or run up hills, keep that beat in your head and increase your stride to speed up or take smaller steps as you go up hills.
Okay, what I want to talk about is keeping a running/training log, journal or diary. It is a very goal tool. So good that RGR put a Training Log in your SA Fit packet. If you did not get one then stop by the RGR counter and pick one up. I think they have a few more. The front cover has a quote by Elbert Hubbard. He was a writer and publisher during the Arts and Crafts movement and died with his wife when the Lusitania was sunk by a torpedo from a German submarine on May 7, 1915. He said, "Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer to your goal."
I've talked with the ATP folks about setting a marathon goal and then work toward that goal. The training log is a tool that can help you get there. The RGR Training Log has a page for each week. Then it has the days and an area for each day to write down the time or how long your ran, the distance you ran, the sport (if you cross-trained) or course you ran and an area for workout notes. It then has a total for the week at the bottom. The notes area is a good place to write down how you felt on your run or how you were feeling before the run. Write down what you ate. How did it make you feel? Did it help or hurt your run? Log how much water you drink? All these things can help you review what is working and what is not working.
Not all of us have a personal trainer (or ATP coach) to make sure you are doing your workout. So the Training Log is a great tool. The Log is a way to help make you your own coach. Studies have shown that if you write things down it helps motivate you to do them or not do them in some cases. When you get use to writing things down that little voice in your head talks to you. "Good job. You felt good and you could have done another mile." Also when you look at the log your little voice might say, "I missed my workout, bad on me." Or it might say, "I should not have eaten that candy bar this afternoon, it made me feel sluggish." If you know you are going to have to write it down that little voice might bug you to do a good job and not disappoint yourself. At the end of the day try to write in your log what you have done so that every sunset will see you that much nearer to your goal.
Elbert Hubbard wrote some other good quotes.
"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive."
"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one."
"Health Must be Earned. Get it - you Lobster!"
I'm not sure where the lobster part come from, but I still like it. So go out and earn your good health. AND write it down.
Keep Smiling,
Larry Graf - ATP Coach
Blue /
Green
Greetings Blue / Green Group:
Speed Work: Many of you have heard me preach about patience and watching your pace, and staying in your aerobic zone for your Saturday runs. When doing your Speed Work this is where you'll hear me say that you need to be working anaerobically, instead of aerobically. If you don't know your anaerobic threshold (AT), you can estimate this by doing a "talk test". If you can talk comfortably at the pace you are running, you are likely below your AT, and if you can't talk comfortably for more than 2-3 syllables, you are likely above your AT. Another way to think about this is that you will be running at a faster pace during your Speed Work sessions than during you Saturday runs.
That being said, there are a few things to be aware of about Speed Work:
· You should limit the amount of time you spend above your AT to no more than 20% per week (10% is a pretty good number).
· You should never have two "hard" workouts on consecutive days. A hard day is defined as a day you do your speed work (e.g., hill repeats, intervals, tempo run), or the day you have your longest run of the week (e.g., Saturday). The day after a hard day should be an "easy" day, or a day where you either rest or cross-train.
The purpose of you Speed Work is to help make you stronger and faster. It helps teach your body how to process lactic acid (what makes your legs burn, or feel heavy toward the end of a workout), plus it helps your body run more efficiently.
This week, your schedule has you doing Hill Repeats on Tuesday, and a tempo run on Thursday. If you can make it to RGR on Tuesday or Thursday at 7:00 p.m., there will be someone to lead you on your workout.
Happy Running!
Coach Rudy
Yellow
" Because running fast is more fun than running slow."
- Frank Shorter (when asked after winning the Olympic Marathon, why he continues to race, to do speed work, and take long runs)
Red "The will to run is not as nearly as
important as the will to prepare"
Orange The Orange Team is showing awesome spirit and commitment! I am sure that you have noticed us out there with our team cheer and friendly greetings. I am especially thrilled that the Orange team can claim one of the first week's "member of the week" winners! Congratulations, Jennifer! Way to go, Team! Let's keep those nominations coming in to Ashley!
I promised to you at the beginning of this process that a marathon is not run in a day. Our weekly workouts are very important to our overall completion of the program. We have begun hill workouts and only have 2 more before we move on to other kinds of fun. I want to thank Coach Larry for helping us get started at TMI for our Tues night training. Any kind of hill training that you can incorporate in your weekly workouts will increase your aerobic capacity and overall leg strength. Already people are saying that Saturdays seem to be getting easier, even though we are running longer distances. I hope you can join us at the top of the TMI hill, if you haven't already. It is a spectacular view!
Once we finish hill training (just 2 more!) we will begin speed work. Again, these occur on Tues, according to the schedule. We will also meet as a group in the evening to share the fun in these workouts. Speed training will help you gain muscle strength and allow your overall pace to improve. There are some rules to follow when adding speed work to your workouts. These come from Runner'sWorld.com. I hope they are helpful for you. We will talk more about the specifics of speed work on Saturday.
Orange Zest is the Best!
Coach Kathy S (and your orange group assistants: Kathy W, Kathie G, Tina F, and Oscar the roadie)
Speedwork Rules
Remember these 10 tips when you start adding the fast stuff to your running program:
1. Graduate from basic training. If you're a beginning runner, you need at least three to four months of building up before starting speedwork. Meaning? You should be comfortable running steadily for 30 minutes three to four times a week.
2. Scout out the right course. Avoid traffic and other hazards. Also shun fast downhill running. It looks easy, but it's actually tough on the muscles and can lead to injuries in a hurry.
3. Consider the surface. Grass and dirt trails are nice, but a smooth surface is even more important. Tree roots, sidewalk cracks and potholes can be dangerous. Rubberized tracks--smooth and springy--are often your best bet.
4. Warm up and stretch. Always begin with 10 to 15 minutes of easy running before picking up the pace. Combine that with stretching for optimum results.
5. Don't start too fast. Beginners usually err on the speedy side of speedwork. Hold it steady, and don't run so fast that your breathing and heart rate go crazy.
6. Focus on form. Speedwork improves your system's bio-mechanics, so think about form when you run fast. Visualize yourself running lightly, smoothly, and efficiently.
7. Find the fun. Faster running is a new kind of effort, but it doesn't have to be grim. Reduce stress by playing speed games and just plain enjoying the zestier pace.
8. Rest the day after. If you're used to running the same pace day after day, you'll need to work at developing true rest days. Slow way down, cut back on distance or skip running altogether on the day after a speed session.
9. Start with five. That's a good number of repeats to begin with for most speedwork sessions. And one session a week is wise at first. After your body adjusts, add a second session.
10. Be careful when you race. A little speedwork can instill a false sense of overall fitness. Be cautious about your ability to maintain a fast tempo. Learn to run at a pace you can hold the whole way.
Aqua
Hey Aqua Group,
Once again, everyone looked good out there Saturday. This time we all maintained a nice easy pace. I didn't see anyone going out hard, which is great. I even heard a lot of people say the run felt easy. Again, that's what our Saturday runs should be, nice and easy. Do I sound like a broken record yet?
This weeks topic has to do with speed training. Our speed training will not start for another few weeks, however this is great information especially if you would like to come out on Tuesdays and Thursdays to do your training with the group that leaves out of the RGR store. Speed training can take different forms, however the goal remains the same and that is to get faster. If you want to get faster, then you need to teach your body how to do it. This is not only beneficial to runners, but this can also help walkers.
This marathon and half marathon program uses what is called the vVO2 Max work out. What this is, is the running speed at which a runner actually reaches VO2 max (the highest velocity at which he/she reaches his/her highest rate of oxygen consumption.) This is determined by a person running the best speed he/she can for 6 minutes without stopping This is called the velocity "vVO2 max" This is used for the 30x30 repeats that we will be doing in our training.
So, when you see 10-30x30, you will be doing 30 seconds fast (but not all out) with 30 seconds recovery- repeat 9 more times.
The next level will be 60/60's done at the same pace as the 30x30's.
A few weeks after that, you will see 6-1min/2min which should be done at a vVo2 max pace with a 2 minute recovery. This is considered the best workout for a runner. It improves your max, lactate threshold and running economy.
These workouts work best on a track.
The term lactate Threshold is the point at which lactate begins to accumulate in the blood. Once it begins to accumulate you will begin to fatigue. Therefore, the higher a person's Lactate-threshold running speed the better runner they will be because the faster and longer they will be able to run without experienceing significant fatigue. That is why we want to concentrate on lactate workouts that improve our lactate threshold.
Some of the best workouts will be the 1:00/2:00 - running at close to all out for the 1:00 with a 2 min. recovery, and on week 20 you will start to see 4-1200's and 1600's. at a 5k pace with 3-4 min. recovery.
Hill workouts are not on our schedule, however are another great way to increase your speed. The hills can be either short and steep, or long and gentle as long as it is run hard. Again, great track workout.
Negative splits should always be used in training, including speed training. Negative splits are when a runner runs the second half of a workout faster than the first half. It may only be seconds, but the idea is that it is not slower. This is a good tactic to help teach you to hold back and not go out to fast at the beginning.
Another great way to work on speed is to do Fartleks. Fartleks involve variable pace running over a variety of terrains. The duration and the speed is up to you. The format is designed to run for a certain amount of time or distance (such as from tree to tree) at a pace faster than your normal training. Each hard effort is then followed by a recovery period when the pace is reduced to a point where breathing and pulse rate rturns to near resting rate and then the next hard effort follows.
I know this seems like a lot of information, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Again, if you would like to do these workouts in a group, you may want to consider running with the group that meets at the RGR store on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will try to be out there myself.
Hope you all have a great week and we will see you all on Saturday,
Aqua Coach,
Ann Marie and Laurie
Purple
Hello walkers,
On your midweek training schedules this week you will see 10.10.10 for Tuesday night. Each 10 stands for 10 minutes. The first ten minutes is a warm-up to be walked at an easy pace, for the second ten minutes increase the pace to a level above your normal training pace, push it a little but choose a pace that you can sustain for the whole 10 minutes, finally the last 10 is a cool down to walk at again at an easy pace.
Also this week try to improve your walking form. Improving your form is actually more important than increasing your speed right now. Here are some pointers on form:
Walk Tall. Keep an upright posture. Look 30 to 40 feet ahead.
Walk Straight. Walk an imaginary white line in front of you.
Let your arms swing. Your arms will naturally swing to counterbalance the motion of your legs. One adaptation we need to make is to bend our arms at 90 degrees. This will allow the arms to swing faster when as we increase our speed. Let your arms swing directly back and forward so that hands do not cross in front of your body.
Keep your hands relaxed, don't make fists.
To increase speed take more steps per minute. Don't overstride.
On each step, focus on the push-off with the rear foot.
Hope you enjoy your training this week.
-- Coach input on speed work
by Christine Reyes
assistant coach, purple half marathon group
Why I hate speed work:
It's easier to trip over the dog when she stops to sniff around and mark her territory.
I perspire sooner into the workout and continue perspiring for longer after it.
More than a few regular speed workouts are required to make a noticeable impact on my overall pace.
No matter how speedily I walk, I'll never be able to catch up with my boyfriend when he's running.
Sometimes during speed work, one ear bud will fall out, dangle in front of my chest, and then bounce up and hit me on the chin.
Any jiggling body parts have a hard time keeping the same cadence.
People passing me have no idea I'm working at top speed. Not even a thumbs-up or a pat on the behind accompanied by an emphatic "You go, girl!"
Why I love speed work:
Dogs smile when they run (except for when you cuss them out for tripping you).
During the workout, I perspire enough to ace an audition for a Gatorade commercial.
Regular speed workouts positively impact my overall pace; and pace improvement motivates me to keep doing the speed workouts.
Mosquitoes can't keep up with me.
The fastest songs on my ipod are also my favorites.
Speed work really highlights the superior quality of my running shoes.
I actually pass some people, and even some smiling dogs. You go, girl!
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Finding your Pace
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Contributed by Peak Fitness
The
first thing you need to know is how fast you can run for 6 mins. Take
that pace and use the following methods to find your other speeds.
Ranges are included so you can find the best pace for your current
level of fitness.
| PACE | WORKOUT | FREQUENCY / DURATION |
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| 6 min pace (6mp) | speed work from 200 to 1600 meters | 1x/week up to 6 miles |
| 6mp + 15-18% | tempo pace | 1x/week up to 50 mins |
| 6mp + 20-25% | moderate pace | 1x/week up to 90 mins |
| 6mp + 27-30% | *Long run goal pace | 1x/week |
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*Long run goal pace
is something to work toward and is based on your current level of
fitness seen from a 6 min time trial. Don't be disappointed if you
can't hit it -- just use it as a goal to reach on your longer runs
Train smart and pace yourself correctly. Good luck and happy training!
Joe Sulak
PEAK FITNESS
--
This article was published in Week 3, but we decided to reprint it this
week in the context of speed work. The key is to determine your 6
minute pace (6mp) and use that to guage the speed for your various
workous during the week.
The easiest way to do this is to wear a GPS system like the Timex Speed
+ Distance unit or one of the Garmin series products. Those cool
gadgets can tell you your average pace for 6 minutes and you can record
that as your 6mp.
But if you plan to do it manually and need help with the math, here you go...
- Go to a track and warm up first
- Time yourself for 6 minutes. You want to be running hard, but not an all out sprint.
- Keep track of how many laps you completed. Each lap = 1/4 mile or 400 meters. You need to approximate partial laps. Calculate the total in miles.
- To convert this information to pace, use this equation:
6 mp = 6 / (total distance in miles)
So if in 6 minutes you finished 3 complete laps (3 x 1/4 mile = .75 mile total), your pace is
6 mp = 6 / .75 = 8 minute mile
Using the above chart, your various workout paces would be approximately:
6mp = 8 (8:00) minute mile = short speed work
6mp + 15% = 9.2 (9:12) minute mile = tempo
6mp + 20% = 9.6 (9:36) minute mile = moderate
6mp + 27% = 10.16 (10:10) minute mile = long run
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| Ask the Expert
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 Q: What is speed work all about?
Why?
Speed work not only helps you learn to deal with a higher turnover rate, it also helps clean up your running form. If used correctly, the faster running will make your marathon pace feel completely manageable. Your muscles will thank you by not quitting on you after mile 21.
How?
If you know your 6 minute pace (6mp), go run 200's at that speed. If not, go out and run 200 meters at a pace that's 2 min/mile faster than your marathon goal pace. I know you can run faster than that, but you don't need to. Shoot for volume instead of the 4 min pace you may have done in your younger years. A good start is 1-2 miles of this type of speed work. Use the back 200 meters as a recovery and don't stop running until you're totally finished with the entire workout. Be sure to get in at least 1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down. Stretch after your cool down and gulp down a recovery drink.
When?
Only do this workout once/week. Any more can possibly leave you tired and falling short on the other important workouts you have scheduled in the week. Turn the 200's into 400's after about 6 weeks. Jump to 800's after another 4-6 weeks, then move to mile repeats about 4 weeks out from your race. It's race week... do you still do your speed work? YES. Just drop the volume to 1-2 miles of actual speed work AND switch back to 200's in an effort to not deplete fuel stores.
Good luck and happy training!
Joe Sulak
PEAK FITNESS
Do you have a question for the experts? Whether it's related to nutrition, injuries, general health, exercise physiology, running or walking technique, cross-training or even skin care in the Texas sun, send it to us! We'll get an expert to answer your question and post the answer here. Anyone who submits a question that is published will receive a free gift from one of our sponsors.
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| Member of the Week
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 Sharing the USA Fit spirit
We awarded our first two Papouli's Members of the Week this past Saturday! They were each awarded a limited edition USA Fit stainless steel travel tumbler.
Carla Obledo - Aqua group
"Always upbeat - helps motivate the entire group with her positive attitude"
and
Jennifer - Orange group
"Stopped me from running the wrong way on 6/7/08"
Don't forget to fill out nomination forms if you see someone displaying the USA Fit Spirit this Saturday!
USA Fit San Antonio's Member of the Week is graciously sponsored by Papouli's Greek Grill. Thanks, Papouli's, for helping us recognize the USA Fit spirit in action!
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| Midweek Workouts
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 Tue & Thu 7:00 pm
** Note the time change due to the summer heat. Groups will still start gathering at 6:30 pm but will not head out until 7:00 pm **
Are you looking for some group-time during your week to keep your training going? Do we have the group for you!
Run Gear Run offers free mid-week workouts on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 7:00 pm. Tuesdays are led by Kyle Flowers and are usually either hills or track work, and Thursdays are led by Andy Rangel and are tempo runs in Hollywood Park. These workouts line up with our schedules for USA Fit and are a great way to work on your speed and stamina.
These workouts are free and open to anyone. All paces are welcome and no registration is required. Just pack your shoes and join us! |
| Alamo Series
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 Racing to the marathon...
Did you know the San Antonio running community has organized a series of races leading up to the marathon in November?
Here is the complete list of races in the series:
The Alamo Series is a collaboration of
the San Antonio running community, providing a progression of
high-quality races to prepare local athletes for the San Antonio Rock
'n' Roll Marathon in November. The series is comprised of nine races
between April and October, each with varying distances, providing an
ideal dovetail for individual and group training schedules.
Participation is tracked for all races in the series, and athletes who
complete seven or more are eligible for awards at the series
conclusion.
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| Voelcker Park
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Community Meeting - June 25th
Did you know that San Antonio is about to develop a new 300+ acre park on the north side of town? A park that will include running & walking trails in addition to other passive and active recreation components?
The city has embarked in an extensive public-input process to create a world-class urban park that meets the needs of our residents. If you have needs, you need to be a part of the process! The city has to hear from runners and walkers just like you, so that the park includes features (water fountains, well-marked routes, conditioning areas, etc) that will make it a great resource for all of us.
Make your voice heard! Mark your calendar for the next community meeting and come see what is in progress. We will see you there!
Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community, 12500 NW Military Highway
Download meeting flyer
Visit the Voelcker Park website
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| Looking Ahead
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Here's what's coming up...
Next meeting: Sat. June 21
Time: 6:30 am
Location: Run Gear Run
Seminar: Nutrition
Workout: Group run/walk
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Thank you for joining San Antonio's premiere marathon and half-marathon training program!
Sincerely, Ashley Rosilier & Amber Anthony
Organizers, USA Fit San Antonio
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