What do Mitochondria do in Muscle Tissue?

Why is building a solid aerobic base so critical? The foundation for a successful performance in your goal race starts many weeks before during the aerobic base building phase. This segment of training builds your "aerobic engine" which in turn allows you to handle your harder workouts as you progress through your training plan and building fitness.

Remember there is "running" and then there is "training". There is a huge difference. Training is based upon science and building certain physiological systems you will need at full capacity to do your best in your goal race. I came across this chart recently which does a great job of simplifying why slower aerobic running is critical in building a good aerobic base.

Understanding Mitochondria’s Role in Muscle Tissue

It comes down to that little engine at the cellular level called Mitochondria. You want as many of these guys as possible. Slow aerobic running during base building has been shown in some studies to actually double the amount of Mitochondria! So as you are out there putting in your time on your feet and your friends are asking why you are running so slowly, here is your answer.

Within Lydiard Training, Aerobic base building is 10 weeks of a 24 week program. It truly is the foundation upon which the next four phases in sequence are built: Hill Strengthening, Anaerobic Development, Integration/Coordination and Tapering.

Muscle Fiber Damage in Runners

In my previous blog about the Reasons to Stop Doing the 20 Mile Run, I noted that one of the dangers of being out on your feet for longer than 2:30 to 3:00 hours is muscle damage at the fiber level. Picture 1 here shows a healthy fiber. Picture 2 shows the damage that occurs after the bout of lengthy exercise. Look at how the dark bands are no longer straight but now crooked or disrupted. Picture 3 shows the damaged fibers after 14 days of recovery.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

The fibers are still dis-jointed and not returned to their non-injured state. This damage is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. There is a very fine line between short term DOMS whereby your aerobic run was just long enough, you recovery quickly and not too long to experience minor DOMS.

There is a fine line between fitness gain and injury. Be sensitive to it as you embark on your weekend training runs. Remember Dr. Jack: he advocates no longer than 2:30 to 3:00 on your feet in one bout of running. Additional food for thought: The great Grete Waitz never ran more than 12 miles in training for the 1979 NYC marathon, she won. But she trained 80-90 miles a week, the key was how she put it all together. That's training.

If you would like to learn more about the Lydiard® Method, please visit our store, Running Niche, and talk with Bob Dyer or Jennifer Henderson, who are both Lydiard® Certified Coaches.

Post Race Recovery

So, you just finished your half or full marathon. You are now entering the post-race recovery phase. This next phase is critical to complete before you start another training cycle. A good rule of thumb is that you need one day of recovery for each mile run in the race. So, 13 days of rest for a half marathon and 26 days of rest for a full marathon.

The reason why is quite simple; you have damaged the muscle fibers in your legs. You may not feel it but it’s there at the cell level, its deep tissue damage. These fibers have to repair themselves and this takes time and care.

Recovery doesn’t mean no running. It means take a few days off, eat well, re-hydrate and rest. But you can run. This is the time to really listen to your body and do feeling based jogging or running. Take it slow and easy, your body tells you what you can do.

In looking back at my training logs, I noticed the day after the marathon I did real slow jogging. Then for the next five days simply jogged how I felt each day. It was not only a physical rest and repair but a mental one as well. This continued for three weeks while I recharged. By week four I was feeling good again and mentally ready to start another cycle. While I was disciplined in terms of running most days, I also felt confident taking a day completely off if I didn’t feel recovery progress was being made. And do not underestimate the importance of mental recovery, taking a break from training is actually training.

Here's an example of a recovery week for a 6 day a week runner:

• Sunday: slow jog of 45 minutes

• Monday: slow jog of 25 minutes

• Tuesday: slow jog of 35 minutes

• Wednesday: 25-minute jog with some strides

• Thursday: slow jog of 35 minutes

• Friday: rest day

• Saturday: “faster” jog of 35 minutes.

As one would go through the weeks the pace quickens and the duration lengthens. If you were on a four day per week plan, then focus on a longer jog, medium jog and short jog with the fourth workout being a jog with some strides.

There are several recovery indicators to watch as well:

• Morning Heart Rate: It will be elevated most likely for a few days, monitor it and note when it returns to normal resting rate.

• Weight: Watch for weight loss of one pound or more. If you are losing weight while recovering it says your recovery will take longer.

• Sleep: Keep track of your hours of sleep. During early phases of recovery, it can be less than normal. When it returns to normal you are recovering.