Try Fartlek Training for a Twist in Your Running Speed Work
Running Fartlek
Many runners are looking for new ways to spice up their workouts. One great way to add a twist to your longer runs is with a technique called fartlek. Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning “speed play.” In this post we’ll discuss what it means to fartlek run as well as provide a few sample workouts you can use in practice.
Fartlek running is quite simple but very effective. Basically what you do is run at a normal tempo for a set duration of time and then increase the pace to a speed where you’re close to your lactic threshold or even above it. Generally fartlek runs are longer, usually 30 minutes or more in length, and incorporate 8+ accelerations. The beauty of the fartlek run is that you don’t have to map out any distances, you can either go by time or by feel. If you decide to go with time then a great workout to start with is 40 minutes long and after every four minutes you go hard for one minute. The workout will look something like this:
| Total duration: | 5 minutes | 10 minutes | 15 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 30 minutes | 35 minutes | 40 minutes |
| Intervals in minutes: | 4 light 1 hard | 4 hard 1 light | 4 hard 1 light | 4 hard 1 light | 4 hard 1 light | 4 hard 1 light | 4 hard 1 light | 4 hard 1 light |
If you decide to go by feel then you can run a familiar route and count telephone poles. Fartlek ran in this fashion will look something like 10 telephone poles light, 3 poles hard, 10 poles light, 5 hard, etc. And you don’t have to stop there, there’s a million different ways you can run fartlek, use your imagination and see if you can come up with something new each week. Not only will it spice up your training but doing a totally new workout each week causes you to use different muscles and stress your systems in various ways making your chances of improving that much greater.
Share with us your favorite fartlek training.
Visit http://www.epoboost.com to learn more about how EPO-Boost can increase VO2 max, running economy and endurance.
Patent pending EPO-BOOST ingredients have been shown to increase VO2 max and running economy in college athletes.
4 Elements of Training for Runners to Master
Far too often people get caught in the trap of purposeless training. They go out each day and put in a run but with no idea what the run is improving or why they’re doing it. In order to train with a purpose you must first understand the different zones of training and why they cause you to improve. In this post we’ll discuss the different training zones, the systems they target, and provide a sample workout for each.
Natural Zone
First off is the easy zone or the “natural zone.” Basically this is the pace you fall into naturally when you go for an easy run. Running in this zone helps to build endurance and strengthen connective tissues and muscles associated with running but won’t help you to get much faster. Easy running is generally reserved for warm-ups, cool-downs, and long runs.
Tempo Zone
The next zone is called the threshold or tempo zone. Training in this zone causes you to improve endurance but helps your body get used to running at or above race pace. Generally these types of runs are between 20 and 30 minutes in length, and are run at about 75-90% intensity. Most people prefer to do temp runs by feel, so basically you want to be running at a pace where you feel considerably more stressed than your easy runs. A good gauge to differentiate between the two is that on an easy run you can hold a conversion with little effort, but on a tempo run you should only be able to speak in short sentences.
Interval Zone
Zone three is the interval zone. These types of runs are usually short intervals of up to 6 minutes and are run just below or at race pace, so 90-100% intensity. This zone of training will simulate racing conditions and is ideal if you want to improve your time in any race. In order to train in this zone you’ll want to know the pace you ran in a recent race and then run at that pace for short intervals of no more than six minutes. Then take a short break of only a few minutes and do it again as many times as you wish. In the beginning you may want to just do a few but as you gain experience you can extend the workout up to twenty or thirty intervals if you’d like.
Repetition Zone
The final zone is the repetition zone. This type of training is designed to run at or above race pace. So if you ran a 15 minute 5km in a race last week then your repetitions would be run at 3 minute per kilometer or faster. Repetitions are usually very short though and should never exceed two or three minutes. The point is to exceed your lactic threshold so that the next time you run at this pace your threshold will be slightly higher and you’ll be able to run slightly faster.
If you understand the elements of training you’ll be able to purposefully structure your weekly workouts. It’s important to note that as the intensity of running increases the weekly volume of that type of running should decrease. So with the four zones listed above repetition running should make up the least of your weekly mileage and easy and tempo running should make up the largest part.
Visit www.epoboost.com to learn more about how you can improve your endurance, speed and strength with the best running supplement available. You have nothing to lose with our 90 day money-back guarantee.
Boost your endurance with EPO-BOOST™ and you’ll run faster and farther, we guarantee it!
Improve Your Lactate Threshold and Swim Faster in Your Next Triathlon
Whether you are a runner, cyclist, triathlete, or an endurance athlete you need to train as fast as possible without hitting the wall from high levels of lactic acid in your blood. Elite athletes and coaches know that increasing lactate threshold is essential to success.
There are several factors that can be modified to improve performance and endurance in athletes. VO2max, exercise economy, and lactate threshold are all factors that can be improved with training and nutritional supplementation. If you can improve your lactate threshold your race speeds will improve. This article will focus on training to improve lactate threshold in swimmers.
If you are an amateur swimmer training for a local event like a triathlon then you need to understand the mechanics of a swim workout. A workout is basically comprised of two elements, endurance and threshold. Let us say you are training for a sprint triathlon with a 500 meter swim. What would be the point in swimming three miles continuously three times a week? Every time you hit the water you are swimming almost ten times your race distance. This kind of practice is known as swimming “junk miles” and many swimmers do it.
For a short race like a 500 meters you are basically going to be sprinting the entire way; endurance should be of very little concern. Instead, your preparation should be geared towards increasing your lactic threshold. All world and Olympic endurance athletes incorporate lactate threshold training into their workouts.
To increase your lactate threshold you are going to want to swim at or even faster than race pace in training. So let us say you do five 50 meter repeats. If your goal is to swim the 500 in 6:25 then you would want to shoot for somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 seconds for your 50 meters. Perhaps the first couple of times you will need to have a few minutes break between each 50 meters in order to repeat the time, but as you progress in your training you should decrease the rest period until you are basically swimming ten – 50 meters at around 40 seconds a piece.
This same sort of practice can be used with just about any swim distance; lactic threshold expansion is an integral part in your training program.
Of course, if you are training for an iron man swim of 2.4 miles then endurance is going to be a factor. But once you feel comfortable swimming the distance in order to get faster you will have to do the same kinds of workouts as the person training for the 500 just on a bit larger scale, 100 or 200 meter repeats for instance.
Designing a swim workout is that simple. There is no need to look for a long fancy training plan that is difficult to follow. If you want to improve your times then you have got to swim faster in practice, it is that simple.
Your training program will be difficult in the beginning, but if you stay determined to improve then you will see astronomical gains in a very short time. Combining this training workout with nutritional supplementation to increase VO2 max and exercise economy and increase your speed and endurance.
DS Carroll is a consultant for Biomedical Research Laboratories. Biomedical Research Laboratories market scientifically based nutritional supplements for endurance athletes including supplements for cyclists, runners, triathletes, and mixed martial arts. Visit http://www.epoboost.com to learn more about how EPO-Boost can increase VO2 max, running economy and endurance.
Patent pending EPO-BOOST ingredients have been shown to increase VO2 max and running economy in college athletes.
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Visit www.epoboost.com to learn more about how you can improve your endurance, speed and strength. You have nothing to lose with our 90 day money-back guarantee.
Boost your endurance with EPO-BOOST™ and you’ll run faster and farther, we guarantee it!
Are You Pulling Your Tire? – Running Training Tips
Are you pulling a tire in your training program?
Hardcore runners are always looking for ways to improve their endurance. Pulling a 20 pound tire and running down the road is certainly a novel way to train. Whether you are running in flat terrain or running in a hilly area this technique has shown to be a good way to improve your performance.
One of our runners was actually pulled over by a police officer asking what he was doing… so be prepared for some stares, especially if you are train in a populated area.
One of the most important components of implementing tire pulling into your training regimine is to make sure you use the right technique. A rope around your waist will cut in and can cause injuries, similarly, improper posture can add an injury risk too. So if you are going to try it be very careful. Get the right harness. Train from short distances (100 to 200m) before going for 1000m.
Some suggest that your harness be attached high up on your back (parachute style), this will provide the resistance but the strain on your back can be better managed by having pull and angle of the rope in the correct place. Some like pulling from the waste… you will have to see what works best for you.
Tire size can also be important… try a smaller SUV tire. Some runners have shared less bouncing and still good training effects. What tips do you have to share about tire pulling?
Your EPO-BOOST TEAM
Visit www.epoboost.com to learn more about how you can improve your endurance, speed and strength. You have nothing to lose with our 90 day money-back guarantee.
Boost your endurance with EPO-BOOST™ and you’ll run faster and farther, we guarantee it!
Ch ch ch Chia? Endurance and Chia?
Yum… chia is yummy. No, you do not have to smear Chia on your head and water yourself every day to get the benefits of Chia. Chia seeds are one of the most powerful nutritional superfoods in the world.
Chia has been used by the Indians in the southwest and Mexico as a staple food. It is known as the running food, as it is known to be a high-energy, endurance food. It was believed that ancient Aztec warriors subsisted on Chia seeds during their conquests.
The southwestern Indians would eat as little as a teaspoon full when going on a full day run. Indians running form the Colorado River to the California coast to trade their wares would only bring the Chia seeds for their nourishment.
Chia is a super-hydrater and helps with electrolyte balance. The soluble fiber also know as hydrophilic colloids, massively retains water which keeps you hydrated and helps maintain electrolyte balance.
If you mix a spoonful of Chia in a glass of water and leave it for approximately 30 minutes or so, the seeds and water will become an almost solid gelatin. This gel-forming reaction is due to the soluble fiber in the Chia. Researches have found that this same gel-forming phenomenon takes place in the stomach when food containing these gummy fibers, known as mucilages, are eaten. When the gel is ingested, carbohydrates conversion into sugar slows. Chia seeds provide long lasting energy that brings with it stamina and endurance and at the same time gives you a quick boost of energy.
Chia seed is also known to stabilize blood sugar, improve mental focus, provide protein and essential fatty acids, build lean muscle mass, and many other effects on a persons overall health. Endurance athletes can benefit from adding this little seed to your diet. There are many good Internet sources for the seed and some really good deals if you look around. You may want to add this to your list of endurance supplements along with EpoBoost, an all natural endurance supplement.
You can sprinkle ground or whole chia seeds on cereal, yogurt, or salads; eat a handful of whole seeds as a snack; or grind them up and mix with flour when making muffins or other baked goods. We like to take a two cup container add water , 1/3 chia seeds and stir and in 15 minutes you have chia gel. We just consume a 3 tablespoons a 2-3 times a day. Some people like to add it to juice.
Let us know how you are using Chia and what results you are having?
How Safe is Your Water Bottle?
The FDA suggests that polycarbonate plastic bottles are safe, but many scientists disagree. It is safe to say that plastics are not the safest compound that it was once thought to be. Plastics release harmful chemicals when scratched or heated. The most common chemical is Bisphenol A (BPA). The is a long list of health disorders associated with BPA including development and reproductive abnormalities, altered growth rates, early puberty in girls,reduced sperm count, altered functions in reproductive organs in both sexes, altered behaviors, higher rates of cancer, and neurological disorders. Although BPA is only lethal at very high doses, increasing evidence suggests that it can disrupt key body functions at very low doses, and builds up in our bodies over time with each exposure.
Bottled water is harmful to the environment, your health and your wallet. As convenient as they are, they are by far the most durable pollutants on the planet. As they break down into smaller and smaller parts, they get into the food and water systems and effects can be seen in fish and animals ingesting these toxic pollutants. BPA has been shown to leach out into bottled water and individuals refilling their water bottles increase the leaching process and hazard to their body.
The only safe water bottles are made of glass, yet they are inconvenient, breakable and heavy. Aluminum and stainless steel bottles are two other alternatives. There is some concern over the liners in the aluminum bottles and whether they leach BPA into the water. Stainless steel may be an excellent alternative. They are less harmful to the environment, recyclable and do not alter the taste of the water.
So for now the recommendation is stainless steel as the best choice for water bottles in athletes.
How safe is your water bottle? Let us know what you are using? Are you a cyclist? What kind of water system is safe?
Endurance Running, Swimming, Cycling – Ice Baths BRRRRR…
If you bike, run, or swim at high intensity for any period of time you may have experienced sore muscles and discomfort. Many endurance athletes are spending 15 minutes or so in an ice bath to ease the pain after a long run.
Ice baths or cold water immersion therapy constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue breakdown. Once the skin is no longer in contact with the cold source, the underlying tissues warm up, causing a return of faster blood flow, which helps return the byproducts of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling by the body. This means that not only do you suppress inflammation but you also get rid of of the broken down tissues from the body. So ice baths reduce inflammation of tissues and joints, relieves soreness, and speeds recovery.
Ice baths require more than just 1 tray of ice. Get about 30 lbs of ice and add to water and climb in brrr, soak for 15 minutes and yes, your teeth will be chattering. Stay no longer than 15 minutes or you may cause tissue damage. Some people suggest getting into the tube in cool water and add the ice to create less of a cold shock to the body.
Another option might be to hop into a cold lake (if you are lucky to have one nearby) and stand in cold water for 15 minutes. Wrap up and drink a warm beverage while sitting in the tub. Have fun and feel great the next day!
Does Quercetin Improve Performance in Endurance Athletes?
Everyone was excited with the initial studies done on Quercetin and endurance athletes looked for promising results to improve their athletic performance. However, studies in humans have been disappointing.
Quercetin is a phytochemical that is part of the coloring found in the skins of apples and red onions. It has been isolated and is sold as a dietary supplement. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows that quercetin may help to prevent cancer, especially prostate cancer.
Early studies in mice demonstrated evidence of being a potent performance enhance in mice. In the study two groups of mice were given either quercetin or placebo and did pre and post testing on a wheel treadmill. The mice that received Quercetin were able to run 37% longer that their counterparts who received the placebo.
Several studies in humans both athletes and non-athletes were done with Quercetin and have not produced the same results. F.R.S. financed a small study which demonstrated that the highly trained human athletes improved their performance on Quercetin. The subjects were then given placebo and they also had signifcant improvement in their performance. A second study was done using 12 untrained men and gave them quercetin and did find improvement after 1 week.
However 3 additional studies have had disappointing results. Runners in the Western States Endurance Run, a 100 mile were given quercetin and saw no difference. A similar study done by the same researchers found no difference in cyclists.
The most recent study was done by Coca Cola, which was testing a new drink with Quercetin. “There were simply no differences” between the quercetin and the placebo group, says Kirk J. Cureton, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Georgia and lead author of the study. It just does not improve endurance.
Flying through the air.
Shantessa Pama (USA) doing a jam on the uneven bars © 2008 Steve Lange
Have you ever been watching the Olympics or a Gymnastics invitational and see one of the gymnasts take to the uneven bars, and just seem to effortlessly fly through the air? Without notice, they will then catch one of the bars, and fly in the opposite direction. I don’t know about you, but I am simply in awe every single time.
What makes these athletes so different from us average human beings? Are they lighter than air? Do they have springs in their feet? Maybe they have rubberized joints? No, the difference between Olympic gymnasts and the rest of us, is simple determination. They see their goal, which is of course, the gold medal, and that is all they think about for years.
These athletes have to have such incredible endurance, you know they are practicing eating habits that enable endurance nutrition, and when diet alone isn’t enough, they will get endurance support via nutritional supplements. Only the best, all natural products will make the grade for these elite athletes. Rest assured that Epo-Boost is one such product! Made of all natural ingredients, Epo-boost can help you get to where your dreams are taking you, even to that gold medal.
The “Boost” in EPO-Boost
The other day I was asked by a curious consumer what exactly the “EPO” in EPO-Boost stood for. The answer is Erythropoietin, a peptide hormone that is produced naturally by the kidney, heads straight for the bone marrow, and increases the production of red blood cells (which is what bone marrow does for a living) and in turn carries oxygen to the body’s muscles.
That’s a good thing, especially for athletes. When performing athletically, and you feel that insane, horrifying burn in your thighs or arms, this is the muscle screaming for oxygen and relief. Since we all know that relief is essentially slowing down (totally not acceptable), the oxygen is what you need.
This is where a product like EPO-Boost comes in! Taking the correct amount of EPO-Boost, which is non-addictive, your personal EPO levels will rise significantly, as in 90%, and increase your VO2max.
What is VO2max you ask? Beginning athletes and veterans alike have most likely heard the term, but have no clue what this refers to. Well let me clue you in, just in case. VO2max is the highest capability of your body to transport and use oxygen during exercise. Literally, V stands for “volume per time”, O2 stands for oxygen, and max means maximum.
Now one thing that skeptics need to know is that EPO-Boost is 100% legal. This is not a synthetic or actual hormone (which were banned in the 1990’s by the World Anti-Doping Agency), but many familiar and/or all-natural substances that just let your body do what it does best… only a little better. The endurance, strength, speed, and all-around performance increase are completely guaranteed.
There’s nothing better than a guarantee, since that simply means you have nothing to lose, but a world of power to gain.
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