In addition to the large aerobic contribution to cross country races, there is also a significant involvement of anaerobic metabolism, since the races are run at a speed faster than the acidosis threshold for most runners. When running faster than the heart and blood flow can provide oxygen to the muscles, some of the energy for muscle contraction is regenerated through anaerobic, or what I call "oxygen-independent," means. When this happens, a number of problems begin to arise inside runners' muscles. Primary among them is that the muscles lose their ability to contract effectively because of an increase in hydrogen ions, which causes the muscle pH to decrease, a condition called acidosis. Acidosis has a number of nasty side effects: it inhibits the enzyme that breaks down the energy molecule (ATP) inside muscles, which decreases muscle contractile force; it inhibits the release of calcium (the trigger for muscle contraction) from its storage site in muscles; and it inhibits the production of ATP from the metabolic pathway glycolysis by inhibiting glycolysis' most important enzyme.
In addition to hydrogen ion accumulation, other metabolites accumulate when running fast, including potassium ions and the two constituents of ATP-ADP and inorganic phosphate (P), each of which causes a specific problem inside muscles, from inhibition of specific enzymes involved in muscle contraction to interference with muscles' electrical charges, ultimately leading to a decrease in muscle force production and running speed.
Given the many fatigue-inducing factors associated with oxygen-independent metabolism, it's important for runners to develop their anaerobic capacity once they have developed themselves as aerobically as possible. The purposes of anaerobic capacity training are to cause a high degree of muscle acidosis so that athletes enhance their buffering capacity, to increase the number of enzymes that catalyze the chemical reactions in anaerobic glycolysis (the energy system that breaks down blood glucose and muscle and liver glycogen to resynthesize ATP) so that glycolysis can regenerate ATP more quickly for muscle contraction, and to increase running speed by recruiting fast-twitch muscle fibers.
Workout #26: 400-Meter Repeats
Objective: To increase anaerobic capacity.
Description: Athletes run 6 to 8 x 400 meters at mile race pace with a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run one mile in 5:00 should run each 400-meter repeat in 75 seconds with 75 seconds jog recovery.
Coaching Point: While any segment of a cross country course can be used for this workout, having athletes run fast over the last 400 meters of the course will provide them with a "memory," which will help them pick up the pace when they get to that point in their races. Conversely, don't have athletes do this workout over the first 400 meters of the course to prevent them from starting races too fast.
Workout #27: 600-Meter Repeats
Objective: To increase anaerobic capacity by working at the upper end of the work period duration.
Description: Athletes run 4 to 5 x 600 meters at mile race pace with a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run one mile in 5:30 should run each 600-meter repeat in 2:03 with 2:00 jog recovery.
Coaching Point: This workout is demanding. Try to get athletes to think of this workout as 400-meter repeats, with a 200 tacked on at the end.
Workout #28: 300-Meter Repeats
Objective: To increase anaerobic capacity by increasing the intensity that causes a high degree of acidosis.
Description: Athletes run two sets of 4 x 300 meters at 800-meter race pace with a 1:2 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run 800 meters in 2:20 should run each 300-meter repeat in 52 to 53 seconds with 1 :45 jog recovery and 5 minutes recovery between sets.
Coaching Point: The pace for these workouts is based on what the athlete can do on a cross country course, which is considerably slower than on the track, so you'll need to make an adjustment in pace. Don't use the athlete's mile or 800-meter time from the track and expect him to run that pace on a cross country course for these workouts.
Workout #29: Anaerobic Capacity Ladder
Objective: To increase anaerobic capacity while adding variety to the workout.
Description: Athletes run two to four sets of 300, 400, and 600 meters at their mile race pace, with a 1:1.5 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run one mile in 5:30 should run 61 seconds, 82 seconds, and 2:03 for the 300, 400, and 600 meters, respectively, with 1 :30 to 3:00 jog recovery (with the upper end of the recovery range following longer work periods) and 3:00 to 5:00 recovery between sets.
Coaching Point: Since this workout gets progressively harder within each set, make sure athletes don't run too fast for the 300 and 400. The pace should be the same for each repetition.
Workout #30: Anaerobic Capacity Pyramid
Objective: To increase anaerobic capacity while adding variety to the workout.
Description: Athletes run one to two sets of 300, 400, 600, 800, 600, 400, and 300 meters at their mile race pace, with a 1:1.5 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run one mile in 5:10 should run 58 seconds, 77 seconds, 1:56, and 2:35 for the 300, 400, 600, and 800 meters, respectively, with 1 :30 to 3:45 jog recovery (with the upper end of the recovery range following longer work periods) and 5:00 recovery between sets.
Coaching Point: In an effort to equate the stress of workouts between runners of different abilities, use this hierarchy of strategies:
● Decrease the length of each work period for slower runners (or increase the length of each work period for faster runners) to make the duration of each work period the same between runners.
● Decrease the number of repetitions for slower runners (or increase the number of repetitions for faster runners) to make the total time spent running at anaerobic capacity pace the same.
● Increase the duration of the recovery period for slower runners (or decrease the duration of the recovery period for faster runners) to make the work-to-rest ratio the same.
Workout #31: VO2max/Anaerobic Capacity Mix
Objective: To combine VO2max-paced running with anaerobic capacity work, to practice running fast off of already hard running, and to help develop a kick.
Description: Athletes run 3 to 4 x 800 to 1,000 meters at VO2max pace + 4 to 6 x 400 meters at mile race pace with a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio during the VO2max portion of the workout and a 1:2 work-to-rest ratio during the anaerobic capacity portion of the workout. For example, a runner who can run 5K in 17:00 should run 3 to 4 x 1,000 meters in 3:16 to 3:19 (5:14 to 5:19 pace) with 3:15 jog recovery + 4 to 6 x 400 meters in 73 to 74 seconds (4:54 pace) with 2:25 jog recovery.
Coaching Point: This workout is set up by the VO2max-pace segment, so make sure athletes don't run the VO2max-pace segment too fast.
In addition to hydrogen ion accumulation, other metabolites accumulate when running fast, including potassium ions and the two constituents of ATP-ADP and inorganic phosphate (P), each of which causes a specific problem inside muscles, from inhibition of specific enzymes involved in muscle contraction to interference with muscles' electrical charges, ultimately leading to a decrease in muscle force production and running speed.
Given the many fatigue-inducing factors associated with oxygen-independent metabolism, it's important for runners to develop their anaerobic capacity once they have developed themselves as aerobically as possible. The purposes of anaerobic capacity training are to cause a high degree of muscle acidosis so that athletes enhance their buffering capacity, to increase the number of enzymes that catalyze the chemical reactions in anaerobic glycolysis (the energy system that breaks down blood glucose and muscle and liver glycogen to resynthesize ATP) so that glycolysis can regenerate ATP more quickly for muscle contraction, and to increase running speed by recruiting fast-twitch muscle fibers.
Workout #26: 400-Meter Repeats
Objective: To increase anaerobic capacity.
Description: Athletes run 6 to 8 x 400 meters at mile race pace with a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run one mile in 5:00 should run each 400-meter repeat in 75 seconds with 75 seconds jog recovery.
Coaching Point: While any segment of a cross country course can be used for this workout, having athletes run fast over the last 400 meters of the course will provide them with a "memory," which will help them pick up the pace when they get to that point in their races. Conversely, don't have athletes do this workout over the first 400 meters of the course to prevent them from starting races too fast.
Workout #27: 600-Meter Repeats
Objective: To increase anaerobic capacity by working at the upper end of the work period duration.
Description: Athletes run 4 to 5 x 600 meters at mile race pace with a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run one mile in 5:30 should run each 600-meter repeat in 2:03 with 2:00 jog recovery.
Coaching Point: This workout is demanding. Try to get athletes to think of this workout as 400-meter repeats, with a 200 tacked on at the end.
Workout #28: 300-Meter Repeats
Objective: To increase anaerobic capacity by increasing the intensity that causes a high degree of acidosis.
Description: Athletes run two sets of 4 x 300 meters at 800-meter race pace with a 1:2 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run 800 meters in 2:20 should run each 300-meter repeat in 52 to 53 seconds with 1 :45 jog recovery and 5 minutes recovery between sets.
Coaching Point: The pace for these workouts is based on what the athlete can do on a cross country course, which is considerably slower than on the track, so you'll need to make an adjustment in pace. Don't use the athlete's mile or 800-meter time from the track and expect him to run that pace on a cross country course for these workouts.
Workout #29: Anaerobic Capacity Ladder
Objective: To increase anaerobic capacity while adding variety to the workout.
Description: Athletes run two to four sets of 300, 400, and 600 meters at their mile race pace, with a 1:1.5 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run one mile in 5:30 should run 61 seconds, 82 seconds, and 2:03 for the 300, 400, and 600 meters, respectively, with 1 :30 to 3:00 jog recovery (with the upper end of the recovery range following longer work periods) and 3:00 to 5:00 recovery between sets.
Coaching Point: Since this workout gets progressively harder within each set, make sure athletes don't run too fast for the 300 and 400. The pace should be the same for each repetition.
Workout #30: Anaerobic Capacity Pyramid
Objective: To increase anaerobic capacity while adding variety to the workout.
Description: Athletes run one to two sets of 300, 400, 600, 800, 600, 400, and 300 meters at their mile race pace, with a 1:1.5 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run one mile in 5:10 should run 58 seconds, 77 seconds, 1:56, and 2:35 for the 300, 400, 600, and 800 meters, respectively, with 1 :30 to 3:45 jog recovery (with the upper end of the recovery range following longer work periods) and 5:00 recovery between sets.
Coaching Point: In an effort to equate the stress of workouts between runners of different abilities, use this hierarchy of strategies:
● Decrease the length of each work period for slower runners (or increase the length of each work period for faster runners) to make the duration of each work period the same between runners.
● Decrease the number of repetitions for slower runners (or increase the number of repetitions for faster runners) to make the total time spent running at anaerobic capacity pace the same.
● Increase the duration of the recovery period for slower runners (or decrease the duration of the recovery period for faster runners) to make the work-to-rest ratio the same.
Workout #31: VO2max/Anaerobic Capacity Mix
Objective: To combine VO2max-paced running with anaerobic capacity work, to practice running fast off of already hard running, and to help develop a kick.
Description: Athletes run 3 to 4 x 800 to 1,000 meters at VO2max pace + 4 to 6 x 400 meters at mile race pace with a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio during the VO2max portion of the workout and a 1:2 work-to-rest ratio during the anaerobic capacity portion of the workout. For example, a runner who can run 5K in 17:00 should run 3 to 4 x 1,000 meters in 3:16 to 3:19 (5:14 to 5:19 pace) with 3:15 jog recovery + 4 to 6 x 400 meters in 73 to 74 seconds (4:54 pace) with 2:25 jog recovery.
Coaching Point: This workout is set up by the VO2max-pace segment, so make sure athletes don't run the VO2max-pace segment too fast.
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