Mr. Renato Canova: Could You Please Answer a Question About Effective Ways to Improve the Lactate Threshold?

Tinman I agree to a point. Thanks for coming back too...

On the circuits I agree that if the elites are doing 6 then a less fit runner shouldn't do the same exact thing, but why not shorten the distances so the TIME spent doing each circuit is the same and then do 6. With my girls I noticed Renato has his athletes do 80 - 100m hills all out. I have my girls do 30m at first and now 50m hills all out with a long rest. They have done 15 at the most and the strength/speed increase has been huge. Also when Antonio talks about 60 second 400s then for women (or slow people like me) why not think 55 second 300s? What are your thoughts?

Thanks

Purdue Grad

"Renatos comments reveal the principles behind the training. All great coaches look at principles as their keys to educating athletes to train and race smart (well). Key principles stay the same, but training varies from one runner to the next."

100% agree

Purdue Grad

why long rests after short uphill sprints? Sprinters need long recoveries, but distance runners only need a short recovery. For me it's 60-70 seconds. A middle distance runner would be somewhere in between.

The idea is to give a 100% all out effort over the hill sprint. Aerobic training is not the goal at all. The hill sprint it's self is like 10 to 15 seconds to make sure that 100% effort is given.

20 x 15 sec hill running down fast for recovery

and

20 x 15 sec hill w/ 3:00 jog rest are totaly different workouts working on totally different systems.

Since I don't care at all about any aerobic training effect from this workout I just say jog around 3:00 rest. My goal is to train the fast twitch fibers and improve leg strength without ANY build up or accumulation of lactate. 3:00 may be over kill but it ensures complete recovery for a distance person. If I left recovery up to them I bet they would only take 30 seconds and tell me it was complete recovery ...

Purdue Grad

renato, if there is time would you reply to those questions about circuits (how often do you use them, can you show us the full years of Shaheen, etc.)?

bump.

I forgot; where did Renato say he would be in late November?

He seems terribly busy flying all over the world. Wow.

I am most interested in how Renato sequences the workouts and fits them into the weekly program. It would be great if he has time to show Shaheen and Kemboi's program over several months to get an idea, particularly during the off-season where many runners need some idea of speficity.

Especially that circuit he uses for the competitive season looks nearly impossible. It goes 300 fast, 200 fast, 100 fast, then back up again (100-200-300) and in between are mixed squat jumps (and 10 of those at max effort is quite strenuous) and 100m bounding and skiping, twice each.

The whole thing is 1600m and to do that 4-6 times would be totally appalling. After even 1 of those I think I would be so locked up that the next circuit would be completed at a stumbling pace and I would be barely moving up the hill.

I can understand the benefit in the very last part of the season in placing the muscles under the most acidic conditions possible, but I imagine that it might be counterproductive towards running economy and the ability to even complete the next circuit due to such a strong muscle seizure from the flooding with lactic acid.

Bump

Great thread

In case Renato visits this thread here are the remaining questions several people have asked:

1. About some of the exercises in the circuits:

Can someone explain what a sagittal split is?

"even hops with blocked knees"? (hill hops?)

Squat jumps? (Are they simply squatting until the knee is 90 degrees and jumping as high as possible?)

2. Can you post the full programs of Shaheen, Kemboi, and Kwalia?

3. In reference to the Specific Strength: Endurance Circuits Renato said: "Being a very hard training we can use it only few times during the final part of the Special Period and during the period of main competitions. "

Specifically, how many time per season would these specific strength circuits (the extremely hard ones) be used?

4. How often (per week or month) would you use the regular circuits during the non-competitive season?

5. How many hard workouts are they doing during a week?

What is the rest of the training? just easy running?

I did not think that kenyans was training so hard during the summer, I heard that they just rest for the competitions.

6. I am very curious about these circuits specifically how steep an incline we are talking about for them?

Obviously you could do them on any hill but how steep it is closely affects the bounding and running movements performed.

I also wish to clear up "sagital splits" and 'blocked knee" bounding, what do these terms mean??

7. you said that you spend the first 3 months for developing the AnT of your runners.

can you explain more about the base training that the runners are doing when home in Kenya?

8. How do you improve a runner's anaerobic threshold if they do not have one naturally high like the Kenyans?

9. Also, do you have files of other examples of circuits? For instance, it is now November which for most is the basic period. You said in this period you use high intrsnity strength endurance circuits and resistance aerobic endurance circuits.

Do you have other example of resistance circuits (the aerobic circuit example you gave was 900m climbing and 700m flat; can you provide another instance of this same type of circuit over different distances (perhaps a shorter hill for those who do not live in Kenya?))?

10. I am most interested in how Renato sequences the workouts and fits them into the weekly program. It would be great if he has time to show Shaheen and Kemboi's program over several months to get an idea, particularly during the off-season where many runners need some idea of speficity.

Especially that circuit he uses for the competitive season looks nearly impossible. It goes 300 fast, 200 fast, 100 fast, then back up again (100-200-300) and in between are mixed squat jumps (and 10 of those at max effort is quite strenuous) and 100m bounding and skiping, twice each.

The whole thing is 1600m and to do that 4-6 times would be totally appalling. After even 1 of those I think I would be so locked up that the next circuit would be completed at a stumbling pace and I would be barely moving up the hill.

I can understand the benefit in the very last part of the season in placing the muscles under the most acidic conditions possible, but I imagine that it might be counterproductive towards running economy and the ability to even complete the next circuit due to such a strong muscle seizure from the flooding with lactic acid.

11. Renato, how can you determine whether or not someone has talent? Is it not always possible to improve? The athlete can always manage a race a little bit faster if they train a little bit harder, and a little faster the next time?

If it is all about what you are born with, how can anyone ever be among the best but the Africans? The 6 year old child who will one day become a runner cannot possbily know he must begin training by running quickly to school.

12. Renato, what about this training in Kenya:

"If some one want to join the group, is possible to do at a very low cost, so, living some time with these athletes, you can cancel many urban legends regarding Kenyan athletes (a lot of time I can read something regarding African runners that makes me laugh for its commonplace, written by people that never went there but think to know everything....)."

What of the logistics of getting there? How does the runner who wishes to go know when this will take place, how to arrive at the correct airport, what to bring, and how to arrive at your training camp?

Further, is it safe? I have heard many stories of runners in Kenya being attacked by robbers and left for dead (Ondoro Osoro, even Tergat's friend right before Athens).

What is your experience with this?

These are the compilation of questions from many posters. If you can answer any or all, Renato, this would be fantastic, as it says you leave Italy November 20 (tomorrow).

can renato speak his last day before leaving italy

Renato, if you had to isolate several aspects of training for a high school miler approaching his final high school season and needing big improvement in order to compete net year in college, what could you say briefly to this person?

I'm yet in Italy for some day for Milano and Firenze marathon, before going to Qatar on 1st (I had to change program for some small problem there) and to Kenya on 10th.

So, I try to reply briefly, where is possible.

1 - Sagittal splits are knee-flexes with the front leg flexed, and the rear leg extended. You must jump, on the place, changing the legs jumping.

2 - Hops with blocked knees are jumps on the place using only feet, with legs completely extended.

3 - Squat jumps are jumps high pushing from a position of 90 degrees (half squat) between thigh and shinbone. You must jump higher possible. Your knees cannot go to your chest, but legs must remain extended

Regarding circuits for Strength Endurance, we must use 3 different types of these, according to the periods.

An example : a very simple circuit with 10 squat jumps, 30m bounding, 30m skipping, connected by 60m sprinting uphill, for a total of (4x60 sprinting + 2x30 with ex) 300m climbing.

A) FUNDAMENTAL PERIOD : I have the goal to increase the general volume of the work. The intensity of both sprints and exercises can be 70-80%. I use them for about 40-50 days, once every week, increasing number of repetitions.

B) SPECIAL PERIOD : I have the goal to increase the STRENGTH, maintaining the same volume of before and the same intensity of sprints, but trying to use max. intensity during exercises (for example, during squat jumps I try to jump higher possible). In this period, sprints at 75% are the support for the improvement of STRENGTH. After every circuit the athlete is very tired, because the max. intensity in STRENGTH is very hard nervously. So, you need longer recovery between every circuit. In this type of circuit, focus is on EXERCISES. If I want to develop this type of training, I have to reduce the recovery time.

C) SPECIFIC PERIOD (or COMPETITION PERIOD) : I have the goal to increase my specific characteristic, that is RUNNING. So, I go to the sprints at my max. speed, connecting them with exercises at 75% of intensity. In this type of circuit, focus is on SPRINTS. As my goal is to train the body in recruiting the most part of fibres in a muscle, while full of lactate, I NEED TO CARRY OUT THE CIRCUIT USING MY MAX INTENSITY IN RUNNING, with long recovery. If I want to develop this type of training, I have to prolong the circuit for increasing SPECIFIC STRENGTH ENDURANCE, not to increase the number of circuits or to reduce recovery time.

I come back later.

Thanks, Renato.

Maybe this is not a problem for your Kenyans but what do you suggest to someone who has not improved for a while (or if they have improved, only a small amount and yet they are not even very fast).

For instance, a 13 minute runner obviously has not so much room to improve because he is already very fast.

But a 16 minute runner can usually run much faster. What to do for this person if they are training but have not gotten much faster?

Renato, also if there is time in addition to all those other questions from Racer1 I read your article on sprint climbing.

In it you said John Korir before he ran 26:52 did twice a week sprints of 40 meters up a steep "ramp" (30% grade).

I have begun to do this myself but I do not know if I do it correctly.

There is a very steep hill near my home (probably at least 30%). Today, as an example, I did 6 x 40m up the steepest portion.

I am curious how many repetitions Korir does, how much recovery between you give him (walking or jogging?) and does he use the hill striding quickly or pushing with long steps?

I remember him in Sydney losing out to the group of 5 with Tergat, Ivuti, Gebrselassie, and Mezgebu after leading for Tergat. Then he came back as a youngster running a phenomenal 26:52. Some great coaching from you and great race for him.

Bump

Regarding the work that I described for John Korir, the difference between sprints uphill and "ramps" (or steep slope) is in the gradient (about 10% for sprints and circuits, and 30% or more for ramps). Also the mean is different : we use circuits for STRENGTH ENDURANCE, sprints (not during circuits, but alone) for RECRUITMENT OF THE HIGHER NUMBER OF FIBERS, ramps FOR FUNDAMENTAL STRENGTH FOR A RUNNER. In this case, ramps replace training of weights. When you go for a training having like goal the improvement of STRENGTH (not Strength Endurance) or SPEED, you must use very high intensity (near the max) and recovery is very important, because you must be fresh. Your goal, in fact, is not ENDURANCE, but the ability to work at max intensity for your muscles. So, recovery after every ramp (but also after every sprint climbing) must be FULL (may be also 2min or more, depending from the length of the sprint, that in any case never is longer than 100m, normally 80m).

How many hard workouts in a week ? I use normally 2 very hard workouts, not in the same direction. But I want to remind that there are many levels of intensity, not only very hard workouts and regeneration. An example of weekly programme for an athlete of 13:30 (may be European) during the Fundamental Period :

MON

a) 1 hr progressive running from 3:45 to 3:25 per km

b) 40:00 easy + 10 x 80m sprint uphill

TUE

a) 30:00 easy + 8:00 / 6:00 / 4:00 / 2:00 / 1:00 fast recovery 2:00 moderate (about 4:00 per km)

b) 40:00 easy + exercises (skip, bounding, running in frequency, running with long strides)

WED

a) 1:20:00 at 3:45 pace

b) 30:00 easy + 4-6 km continuosly running uphill (80% intensity)

THU

a) 50:00 easy regeneration

b) 50:00 easy regeneration + stretching

FRI

a) 30:00 warm-up + 4-6 circuits lasting 4-5 min (uphill)

b) 1:00:00 easy regeneration

SAT

a) 1 hr with short variations of speed

b) 40 min easy

SUN

30:00 easy + 12 km at 3:05 pace

Renato,

How long is the fundamental period? Is it during the winter months / november-mars?

Is this program also good for 1500m runner and 10000m runner?

For pure speed training. Why is it better to do sprints uphill instead of sprints on the flat?