In my speed workout today, 2km repeats, my breathing was pretty comfortable compared to the feeling in my legs. I felt like the lactic acid was tiring me out more than my actual aerobic fitness. For example, my breathing was pretty level and tolerable even towards the end, but my legs became fatigued at the end. I apologize lack of scientific terms, but my question is, what specific workouts can I do to train this part of my body and delay the lactic acid feeling?
long, descending ladders. start at 2 mile and work down to 200m. 2mile at 5k pace, 200m at faster than mile pace. Descending rest as well. Start at 4 minutes and cut down the rest by 30 seconds for each repeat. One I did recently:
2mi (10:35)
4min
1mi (5:03)
3.5min
1200 (3:40)
3min
800 (2:25)
2.5min
600 (1:44)
2.5min
400 (67)
2min
300 (48)
1.5sec
200 (31)
By the way, it's not exactly lactic acid that makes your legs heavy. Try hydrogen ions. Secondly, any comfortably hard run of a sustained duration will assist your body's adaptation to increasing acidity of the muscles. Some call them tempos...your 2k repeats are a good workout. I suspect the next time you do it your legs wont feel as heavy.
Are you saying he should of asked "How do I prevent Hydrogen ions from building up in my legs?" How do you think the hydrogen ions got there in the first place?! Is he gonna defy some lactic acid physiology. AHHHH!!!! HULK...SMASH!!!
How hot was it?
The weather was good, maybe 65-75. During tempo runs, my legs never feel heavy or acidic, I always feel good on those workouts. I get the feeling frequently though on hills during my XC races. After I finish a hill, my legs will feel tired for the rest of the race. It seems like when I'm racing or doing a hard workout I'll be doing fine then my legs feel like they hit a wall once I reach a certain point. Would doing hill repeats help alot with this? Also, for that workout you listed, should the pace gradually get faster, or only for the last one? Right now I'm probably in 17:30 shape, all off of base training, by the end of the season I want to be under 16:30.
Anyone tried this...
Honestly what you are saying does not make much since. However, I know how you are feeling. Aerobic effort and Lactic acid build up go hand and hand. If you did not have labored breathing yet felt your legs tiring it could be one of a few other factors such as A low blood glucose level or muscle tissue breakdown. One more thing, Lactic acid does not cause fatigue it is only a by-product of carbohydrate metabolism within the anerobic energy system. Scietific evidence has faild to show that Lactic acid is a contributing factor to fatigue meaning that they may be able to be used as an individual indicationan of fatigue but no the reason for it. Lactiv acid can actually be broken down back down into ATP(energy).
I had a hs coach who would hand those pills out. They would let you recover faster.
Was his name Victor Conte?
P.S. Conte was apparently a pretty good runner in his high school days, according to "Game of Shadows"... not elite or anything, but from what I remember reading he excelled at the sport.