Easy Running is by far the most important aspect in all of distance running, from the 500m up to the marathon. Nothing is even close to being more important; not tempo runs/steady state runs, not progression runs, not hills, not fartleks, not intervals, NOTHING.
Easy Running is the foundation of distance running. It is a known fact that easy running helps bud new capillaries. It is a known fact that easy running increases the stroke volume of your heart. It is a known fact that easy running helps build aerobic enzymes involved in the citric acid cycle (also known as the Krebs Cycle). This makes aerobic metabolism more efficient and delays the need for anaerobic metabolism, and thus running hurts less and you can run faster. So in other words, easy running increases your endurance. This is HUGE in distance running, people. Furthermore, easy running increases the number of mitochondria which means your body can produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Folks, anyone who says easy running is not important is WRONG. Folks, anyone who says that you're running too slow is WRONG. In fact, you can NEVER run too slow. Run 10 minute miles if you feel like it, and you'll reap all of the amazing benefits I mentioned above and you will become so much better of a runner.
I'm going to tell you guys a little story. Going into my first year of cross country (sometimes abbreviated as XC), I did NO workouts in the summer. All I did was easy running. I ran 8-10 miles a day VERY easy. As in very easy, I am talking about 9-10 minute miles. At an early season practice, our coach had us doing 3 x 1 mile with a rest in between (not sure what). My first mile was 5:27!!!!!!!! That might not seem significant, but this was my FIRST year of cross country. And furthermore, nobody on the team was even close to me. It was me against myself. Me pushing myself.
This goes to show how important easy running is. Off of ONLY easy running, I was able to run a very fast mile repeat in my FIRST year of cross country.
Now, imagine had i incorporated some speed work in. Imagine I had done amazing speed workouts like, but not limited to: 3 x 200m, 2 x 300m, 400m, 2 x 300m, 3 x 200m on 90 sec rest, 600m-500m-400m-300m-200m then back up on 2 min rest, straight 200m reps like Paarlauf style, 300m reps, 400m reps.
Folks, had I done this, we may have been looking at a 4:40 mile IN practice IN the beginning of the season. That's scary guys.
Now, I very much appreciate the ones who have read to this point. I mean that very sincerely. Now, let's get to the main point finally. What I am trying to say is that EASY RUNNING is by far the most important aspect of distance running because of its AEROBIC benefits. Forget tempo runs, progression runs, fartleks, and hills. None of them pose the same AEROBIC benefits as easy running.
Aside from the majority of your training being easy running, you need 200-600m reps like I discussed above to buildup some lactic acid. Actually, fun fact, it is really the accumulation of H+ ions that cause your legs to burn when you run. Lactate is the other ion but the hydrogen ions are what lower the pH in your muscles and causes the burning feeling. OUCH right? So anyways, yes. You need to run 200-600m reps to become comfortable (oxymoron, eh? LOL) running in an anaerobic state or with acid buildup. Run until your legs FALL OFF. Don't worry about pace, just like you don't on easy days.
So yeah, go for an easy run. Go as slow as need be. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The benefits go on and on, even beyond the ones I mentioned. Look at and come to admire the beautiful planet we live on as you're cruising along. I promise you'll thank me. Oh, and don't forget to accompany that with short 200-600m reps TWICE a week.
Easy Running (AEROBIC) + 200m-600m reps (ANAEROBIC) = Success
I want ya'll to be successful so I thought I would pass this along. Peace out, and enjoy some PLAYOFF FOOTBALL!!!!!
Nothing... And I Mean NOTHING...Tops Easy Running!
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My football/soccer coach told me that "speed kills".
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That is incorrect. In order to run fast, you have to possess the physiological adaptations written above, and they are only brought on via easy running. Those aerobic changes facilitate better aerobic energy production and delay anaerobic energy production. Aerobic feels good, anaerobic hurts like heck. Thus the stronger you become aerobically, the longer you can run without lactic buildup. Thus, in turn, you can run longer FASTER.
Aerobic leads to speed.
Train slow race fast, bro. -
Dude. Stop posting here. No one cares.
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Sham 69 wrote:
My football/soccer coach told me that "speed kills".
It’s not the speed that kills you, but the sudden deceleration. -
Sure, easy running is a important component of training, but I wouldn't argue that easy running alone will make you faster. In fact, too much slow running can make you slower, in my personal experience. The first summer in which I took training for XC seriously I set about running 110 mpw at about 9 min pace. I built up ridiculous endurance that allowed me to run for hours upon hours, but I lost the ability to run fast. Whereas before I could hit 5:XX pace (slow runner btw) with the standard speed training in XC, I struggled to even dip below 7. I probably lost all my fast twitch muscles over this training regimen of only easy running. And in my experience, it's easy to build endurance to run long, while it's difficult to gain speed. So as a young runner, I would emphasize training for speed as opposed to just logging huge miles. Now don't be mistaken, easy miles are still a integral part of the training plan. Just don't forget to hit on the other components such as tempo and speed work.
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I agree. If you do two ladder workouts (like I mentioned above) a week, you're far from losing any fast twitch muscles. 200-600 work is great for speed.
Maybe what you're referring to is more strength/stamina? -
Sham 69 wrote:
My football/soccer coach told me that "speed kills".
This is true. Meth is a dangerous drug. -
Me?
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Let's start with this:
Please explain what you mean about "aerobic enzymes" with the citric acid cycle. It's been a boring day for me and I need to be entertained.
So, teach me how the citric acid cycle works? -
physprof wrote:
Let's start with this:
Please explain what you mean about "aerobic enzymes" with the citric acid cycle. It's been a boring day for me and I need to be entertained.
So, teach me how the citric acid cycle works?
It works best if you drink lemon juice before running slowly. -
The citric acid cycle is a catabolic process that breaks down citrate into other chemicals. Along the way, when citrate is broken down, electrons are dislodged and used to reduce NAD+ to NADH and FADH to FADH2. What happens then is FADH2 and NADH take their high-energy electrons to the MITOCHONDRIA (see OP). These electrons, are dropped off at the electron transport chain (a chain of proteins) and it passes through it. This gives the proteins apart of the chain the energy needed to drive H+ across the plasma membrane against their concentration gradient. The important part is that the H+ ions that are driven out of the cell into the extracellular matrix go back down their concentration gradient by going through the protein ATP synthase. This kinetic energy is used to drive the conversion of ADP to ATP, the energy source, since it is an endergonic process.
So, what you were asking is what is the significance of the increase in aerobic enzymes attributed by easy running?
Well, first of all enzymes are biological proteins that break things down usually. So, in the citric acid cycle these "aerobic enzymes" work to break down citrate into smaller molecules, which allows for those electrons to be transferred and ultimately energy made.
So think about it. The less aerobic enzymes your body has, the lower the concentration of citrate that is going to be ABLE to broken down. The result is less ATP or energy. Meaning, your muscles can't contract as fast.
Now, if there is MORE aerobic enzymes, your body can break down a higher concentration of citrate and ultimately make more ATP or energy since the higher amount of citrate produced results in more electron carriers and in turn a larger proton motive force and in turn more kinetic energy to convert ADP to ATP. The end result of more aerobic enzymes is more ATP or ENERGY. Thus, more ATP means you have a larger energy reserve and the more energy you have stored you can "afford" to run faster if energy is money in this analogy.
The aerobic enzymes have very confusing names. Some include succinate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, etc. There is many. -
fastboy77 wrote:
The citric acid cycle is a catabolic process that breaks down citrate into other chemicals. Along the way, when citrate is broken down, electrons are dislodged and used to reduce NAD+ to NADH and FADH to FADH2. What happens then is FADH2 and NADH take their high-energy electrons to the MITOCHONDRIA (see OP). These electrons, are dropped off at the electron transport chain (a chain of proteins) and it passes through it. This gives the proteins apart of the chain the energy needed to drive H+ across the plasma membrane against their concentration gradient. The important part is that the H+ ions that are driven out of the cell into the extracellular matrix go back down their concentration gradient by going through the protein ATP synthase. This kinetic energy is used to drive the conversion of ADP to ATP, the energy source, since it is an endergonic process.
So, what you were asking is what is the significance of the increase in aerobic enzymes attributed by easy running?
Well, first of all enzymes are biological proteins that break things down usually. So, in the citric acid cycle these "aerobic enzymes" work to break down citrate into smaller molecules, which allows for those electrons to be transferred and ultimately energy made.
So think about it. The less aerobic enzymes your body has, the lower the concentration of citrate that is going to be ABLE to broken down. The result is less ATP or energy. Meaning, your muscles can't contract as fast.
Now, if there is MORE aerobic enzymes, your body can break down a higher concentration of citrate and ultimately make more ATP or energy since the higher amount of citrate produced results in more electron carriers and in turn a larger proton motive force and in turn more kinetic energy to convert ADP to ATP. The end result of more aerobic enzymes is more ATP or ENERGY. Thus, more ATP means you have a larger energy reserve and the more energy you have stored you can "afford" to run faster if energy is money in this analogy.
The aerobic enzymes have very confusing names. Some include succinate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, etc. There is many.
The citric acid cycle happens inside the mitochondrion.
If you must cut and paste information from other websites, get it right. -
This is a very misleading post. First of all, a 5:27 mile in training isn't impressive at all, and saying that you could have run 47 seconds faster with no legitimate reason is a worthless argument. And by the way, 4:40 is still an unimpressive time, so your personal results are not really a strong argument defending easy running. I ran 4:21 with barely any easy running and a ton of hard intervals ... so does that mean that hammering every day is a good idea? No! You need a lot of good empirical data to back up a training methodology. The most prominent one for milers involves high intensity aerobic intervals, a moderate amount of easy running, and
Secondly, you seem to be misunderstanding what aerobic training is. Fartleks, tempos, intervals are still aerobic, just at a faster pace. Walking is also aerobic. Tempo training is a higher level of aerobic training vs easy running vs walking. Mixing higher intensity aerobic training with easier aerobic training as well as anaerobic and pure speed and muscular training is the way to go. Yes, easy jogging takes up a large proportion of your training, but it's not the most important piece. Anyone can run 8 minute miles, but very few can run tempos at 5:20 pace , 5:00 pace etc...and hit k reps in 2:55, 2:50 etc... Those workouts are what makes the difference, not the jogging.
Jogging a lot and doing a bit of speed is fun training, but it definitely isn't the best way to train for a miler. You need to suffer through some harder aerobic efforts if you want to really run fast. Take a look at Rubio's middle distance guide or read a running training book for more info. -
This guy ROASTED your ***!
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Interestingly...after many years of easy running...and I can't tell you when that is...it stops yielding the benefits it once did.
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He didn't roast me, he made HIS point.
By the way, it's easy to tell by the way that you speak by the way that you're 12 years old. Try to at least hide it next time.
If anything, let the two superiors discuss and step back. -
I never said it didn't take place in the mitochondria. Please, tell me where in my post I stated such??
You can't.
In any event, all of that information comes from a whole year of cell biology, buddy. Not everybody gets their information off of Yahoo! Answers like you.
Also, you said nothing to dispute my claim so am I right and you are wrong.
Take care now. -
You’ve been running for all of a couple months and you think you can come on here and tell people how to run, how to train, and why you’re right.
Let me tell you something kid.
You aren’t special
Everyone knows easy running is good for you. I don’t know why you act like you’ve discovered the holy grail of running.
And stop trying to act like you know your science. You’re a high school freshman who isn’t even a full year through a single science course and you’re trying to explain aerobic respiration to people who have studied this sport for YEARS.
Your examples are awful too. You run 8-10 miles a day all summer and the best you can manage is a 5:27 mile? That’s not good whatsoever. Keep your head down until you achieve good results. Otherwise stop talking like you’re all that. -
Mon: 400 repeats w/ 90 sec rest
(# varies, at least 6)
Tue: 45 min easy
Wed: 45 min easy
Thur: 45 min easy
Fri: 800 repeats w/ 90 sec rest
Sat: 60 min easy
Sun: -- DAY OFF --
This is a schedule a local running legend gave me. Like I'm talking about someone who has local races in his name. Someone that has talked to running legends like Eamon Coghlan in person. Someone that has ran with Kenyans in races and talked to them. Someone that's a sports medicine doctor and has gold medalist runners talk to him frequently. Someone that has ran longer than most people on here were alive. I could give you his phone number if you do not believe me and you could talk to him for yourself.
I think he would know more than like 99.999999% of people on Let's Run... given that he has been around elite runners for the majority of his life.
So if I want to get good, id follow this schedule. I just might starting tomorrow because I'm motivated now.
