Intra vs post run strides

Meb FTW wrote:

Had Some Myself wrote:

I feel quite the opposite regarding post-long run strides. I feel like they help to kick off the recovery process better.

What about the Lydiard and Snell reasoning? I.e. depleting the slow twitch muscles during the long run leaves you training mostly fast twitch fibers at the end, thus enhancing the training effect on them.

But it's not recruiting them in a specific way. Training fast twitch fibers to help out at 6:30 or 7:30 pace is not really relevant to training them to function better at 4:00 or 5:00 pace.

I don't like doing strides after long runs because your legs are too beat up. It's okay to do them after something like 12mi with the last 3mi fast, but not after a 2-hour long run. Too easy to get hurt, in my experience.

1. More important to do strides after slow runs - the muscle memory is important for your fast-twitch muscles.

2. But yes, sure, if it's a really long, slow run and you go right into very fast sprinting you could hurt yourself - just be aware of what your body is telling you.

If you're crunched for time. Sure, do them during the last mile of your run. May not have the same effect as doing them after, but eh whatever.

college4miler wrote:

its not supposed to be an aerobic effort.

therefore don't do them during an aerobic workout such as a long run. Recover your HR first if you do them after.

Trollus Maximus wrote:

Stupid to do strides after a long run.

Jack Daniels would disagree with you.

kod3200 wrote:

edward teach wrote:

Its probably better to do them during your run. When are you ever going to have to run 60-100 meters at mile pace stop or jog and repeat it.

Please tell me you don't actually teach. Post run strides are not for training to "run for 60-100 meters at mile pace stop or jog and repeat it", they're for getting blood flow in your legs after a long period of slow easy running. Strides are also good for establishing muscle memory in your fast twitch muscle fibers so that you can run fast comfortably. Also a good time to focus on form (proper gate, knee lift, landing on your foot, etc.).

Please stop giving advice on topics you know nothing about.

Out of curiosity, has the effect of speedier been documented? I know sports is notorious for "bro science" with is mostly years of accumulated speculation on a variety of training techniques, but I'd like to know regarding this case. Has there been studies to support this or is just applied generic knowledge pertaining to blood flow after a run?

This thread is an abomination.

I think strides after a long run or hard intervals speed recovery, but I don't always do them. When I can't do them, I'll do strides, an easy jog, or spin later in the day. It seems to work out the soreness and help recover faster for the next day's run. I can feel a difference the next morning if I skip this post-run routine.

It absolutely depends on what your objective is. Submaximal strides are more about adjusting muscle tension and maintaining neuromuscular efficiency at higher speeds.

For a miler, for example, the vast majority of your mileage is at a pace much, much slower than race pace, so it's good to get more practice at moving your body in the way it'll move during a race. There's nothing wrong with throwing those pickups into a longer run when the weather is cold.

If your primary objective is to increase muscle tension, then it's better to do them after the run.

If your primary objective is increasing top speed (which correlates with long distance performance and contrary to an earlier suggestion IS an important objective for endurance athletes), then it doesn't matter if they're pre or post run, but they shouldn't be intra. You should be warmed up, you should gradually accelerate to top speed, and then you should take several minutes between reps. This is akin to weightlifting. You can also do these on a hill, which seems to reduce the risk of injury and also makes it possible to recruit even more muscle fibers (think of how cyclists are capable of producing their highest wattage numbers while climbing).

This is what I found in about 2 minutes, didn't care to do anymore research than this. Look under the "Strides Understood" subheading. As for applied generic knowledge, I have heard this from a lot of other coaches, and my legs always feel better the day after I do post run strides, although this might just be placebo.

The beauty of long runs or easy runs is that they are 24 hour recovery runs as long as the run is slower than lactate threshold pace. To run at a pace faster than that with incomplete recovery seems counter intuitive. If you want to improve your speed do more speed workouts or work to improve your absolute speed by doing reps of 60m with full recovery. If you want to improve your kick at the end of the race do more tempo runs or extensive/intensive tempos on the track so that your body can handle the lactate in your legs at the end of a race. Doing strides after a long run would not allow you to come back the next day and do one of these runs.

I suppose we should also ask the original poster what distance he is training for...

Aiming towards 5k/10k for the summer.

Doing mostly milage at 7:10-7.40 min/mile. 90mpw or so for the past 3 months.

Usally with a couple of slow tempos and a long run (14-16m). Strides being the only speedy component.