by Coach Brendon

The Secrets to Strength and Power Training for Running

Ever marveled at the sheer power that some runners can produce? Being a strong powerful runner requires more than huge mileage and a lean frame.

Arthur Lydiard discovered a great method for developing strong fast runners in the 1950s and 1960s. Lydiard discovered that lots of running made you fast, he then discovered that lots of hill running made you faster and finally he discovered that hard hill running and intervals on the track made you faster still. This basic strategy has not been improved markedly since. Coaches have refined the amounts and the timing of these types of training but the basic principle is still the same. Muscular Strength and Muscular Endurance are more important for ½ Marathons and Marathons due to the muscle fatiguing nature of the distance, and compared to shorter events, they do not max out oxygen transport.

Why do hills work?

Hills work in two ways, firstly they work by increasing the cardiovascular load on the body. That is, you are forced to transport more oxygen than you would normally. When running uphill you don't jar your body as much so the risk of impact injury is less. The second way that hills work is through improving muscular strength and muscular endurance. Hills allow you to overload your running muscles in a very specific manner. Steeper hills or higher speeds are like heavier weights in the gym, just very specific. Thus you make your legs bullet proof for running.

· The shorter the event the more important steeper and shorter harder hill efforts become
· The longer the event the more important longer steady hill efforts become

Outlined below are run options you can add into your programme during your training leading up to ½ Marathon and Marathons. The suggestions assume that you have built a good base of running and are aimed at the 2:50-3:50 Marathoner or the 1:20-1:30 ½ Marathoner

The Key Steps for developing strength and power for running

Step One: Do Hills

Hills are very important even if you are going to run on the flat. By avoiding really long hills early in your programme you are more likely to work on making your legs stronger without taxing yourself too much. This gives your body a chance to adapt before the really serious stuff. These hills will also help you to make your running action more efficient. Another way of developing some initial specific strength is to run stride-outs (from a standing start) - like 100-200m at race pace.

Generally speaking you want to do hill training right throughout your programme but start with some early in your buildup. You need to do this before you can progress onto the next phase. You will need at least 2-3 sessions over 2-3 weeks before you are ready to do some harder training.

As an alternative you could also run in loose sand (Sand running can be done in bare feet for some additional benefits).

Step Two: Hill Reps

These start at moderate pace and increase through your programme to race pace. Start short, 1-2minutes is fine; otherwise you run the risk of overloading and overtraining. Use a 4-6% gradient. The key is to push the ground hard and generate force on contact, rather then trying to reach out in front more. After a couple of weeks, increase the intensity for some to race pace on low gradient hills 3-4%. How much should you do? For experienced marathon runners aim for up to 30-45 minutes of this type of running spread thoughout a week.

Step Three: Intervals

Speed work is the area where you bring your strength to life and use it to get faster. Start with lower intensity or short distances and progress up to 50-60% of race distance at race pace, broken into 4-6 intervals (typically 4-6x2km for ½ Marathon). To make these efforts more effective these can be done after a few hills or some hill reps in the same session, especially in the first few weeks of speed. Cross country races will also work very well here. Generally athletes will cover up to 60% of race distance because you will be tired from all your other training and once tapered will be able to carry it over to the full distance.

Step Four: Time Trials or short races

It's different holding a set pace for an extended period to running 1km reps. Time trials teach you how to push when going fast and this is simply the best way to do it, these are the way to be a tough competitor. Watch out when doing shorter races that you don't set yourself up to run the early part of your key race too fast. It is common to see 3 hour Marathoners churning out 17min 5km fun runs, don't get sucked into this game. Use the 5km fun run as a tool for your main event, you can run 60-90sec slower on a Saturday and still be able to get your long run in without overtraining.

* ½ Marathon runners to do 75-80% of the distance

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