Moving from “how far?” to “how fast?”: Part 1

On Thursday, I received a text from my friend Courtney, “Did another 6 on Monday in 52 minutes. How do u increase speed for longer runs?”

I’ve been helping Courtney, along with friends Wendy, Kelly, and Joanna, train for the Atlantic City April Fool’s 11k Run, which will be held on April 3. Most of them had never run that far before (11k = 6.83 miles). Their big question: Will I be able to run this far?

I knew they could, so I offered up some tips and tricks to guide their training and boost their confidence. I created a basic aerobic endurance plan that would get them to the finish line safely and in good form. And, the training has been going really well. 

So well, in fact, that the focus  has shifted from “Can I run this far?” to “How fast can I run this 11k?”

I knew that question was coming because I can relate.

Every time I train for a new distance, the question moves very quickly from “how far” to “how fast.” It was only a matter of time before my friends shifted their focus as well.

This discussion about speed got me to thinking about my own training, and my efforts to improve my speed in both running and cycling. I’ve got a lot to say about the subject, so this topic will be a two-part post. Today, I’d like to focus on the basics of introducing speed into a training plan, and then discuss the application of these ideas to cycling. In part two, I’ll discuss how these ideas about speed work apply to running, and offer up some final thoughts, tips and tricks.

Standard speed sessions

Whether cycling or running, there are two integral speed training sessions: 1) tempo efforts and 2) repeats (intervals).

A tempo session is often described as a “comfortably hard” effort that is designed to improve the way your body metabolizes oxygen, providing energy for your muscles.

But don’t get too “comfortable” with the “comfortably” part of that description. Make no mistake: a tempo effort is challenging. It should be significantly more difficult and faster than your basic aerobic endurance effort, but not as fast as a sprint.

It’s “comfortable” only in the sense that you should not be gasping for air.

It’s okay to flirt with the anaerobic redline (threshold) – but don’t cross it for extended periods of time; ideally, you want to stay just under the line in a hard aerobic zone. (See figure below.)

The second type of speed session repeats, also known as intervals, require you to work at a maximal level of exertion for a short period of time, which is followed by an active recovery interval. (Note: some people rest completely in between repeats; I do not, nor do I advocate that approach. Why? Well, that’s likely another post…)

Repeats force you to work at and beyond the redline – the point at which your body begins to use anaerobic endurance, rather than aerobic endurance. This shift in energy systems matters because once we shift to anerobic systems, our body uses oxygen less efficiently, which starves the muscles of oxygen, what some call “oxygen debt”. That can’t last forever (thank goodness!). Hence, the active recovery period pays back some of the lost oxygen. We notice this “repayment” because we can breathe again.

By adding speed sessions to the training mix in a gradual and building fashion, we teach our bodies to process energy and oxygen more efficiently, which means we can ride or run faster at the same level of exertion. Our bodies adapt to the training stresses and become stronger and faster. As it turns out, we don’t need Charlie Sheen’s tiger blood for WINNING in this case. Just good old fashioned consistent hard work.

For the rest of today’s post, let’s focus on how these sessions might shake out in cycling.

Sport-specific speed strategies: Cycling

In terms of implementing these speed sessions in your training plan, there are some differences between cycling and running, particularly in terms of frequency. For cycling, I’ve started doing one tempo ride and one interval ride each week. Because of the stress on the body, I only do one speed session for running each week, which I will discuss in my next post.

Unlike running, cycling offers the oppportunity to measure effort based on power instead of heart rate, which is beneficial for several reasons, which I discussed last week.

Do you have to measure power? Of course not. You can get a perfectly good speed session applying these same principles using either heart rate or rate of perceived exertion. (For e.g., 80% of FTP can be roughly translated into 80% max HR or max effort.) However, these methods are not as accurate as watts.

The PIG (performance improvement guarantee) plan that is supplied by CompuTrainer recommends up to two tempo rides each week – ranging from 80-to-90% of FTP, for durations of 45 to 55 minutes (not including a warm up or cool down). This level of effort across this duration is NOT for the faint of heart–literally. I wasn’t quite at the level of puking, but I was very up-close and personal with my redline. To warm up for this effort, the plan recommends 15 minutes, with average watts of 75% of FTP. The cool down includes reducing effort to about 50% of your FTP.

For interval rides, the goal is to work around, and eventually above, the FTP. How far at or above the FTP depends upon the length of the interval. For example, today, I did 2 x 10 minutes at 90% of my FTP (200 watts), with 5 minute active recovery at 50% effort. Then, I completed 4 x 5 minute intervals at 100% FTP (222 watts) with 2.5 minute active recoveries at 50% effort.

Ouch.

I barked, groaned, grunted, and frothed my way through this session. During the active recoveries, I made deals with my legs and lungs:

C’mon, one more 10 minute interval and they get shorter.

Okay, now, just 3 more 5 minute intervals.

Just 5 little minutes left.

Despite a fan and an open window, I lost about 2 pounds of sweat doing this one. By the time I got to the final 5 minute interval, I felt completely drained–in a good way. I knew I had worked about as hard as I could have. This workout was considerably more challenging than anything I’ve done up to this point. My previous intervals have topped out at 6 minutes, with an average heart rate about 10 beats slower than what I worked on today.

So, for all of you who are glad that I’m suffering (yes, Will, I’m talking to you 😉 ), you should be celebrating tonight. I suffered mightily today.

I have no doubt, however, that the effort is worth the reward. I started doing focused speed work on my bike about 4 months ago. In just that short amount of time, I’ve noticed a measurable difference. Last season, at the “height” of my cycling fitness, my basic 60 minute ride would amount to about 16 miles–on a really, really good day. A few weeks ago, when the weather broke for an afternoon, I hit the road and did a  basic 60 minute ride. Guess how far I went? Almost 18 miles–17.7 to be precise. And, my heart rate? Comfortably in zone 2 – a.k.a., aerobic endurance.

Okay people, this speedwork business really works.

And, yeah, I have 19 weeks until Lake Placid. Can I get a Woop! Woop!

Moreover, speedwork on the CompuTrainer is considerably more difficult than on a basic magnetic trainer, which is what I’ve been using until a few weeks ago. So, if I was able to achieve a 1.7 mph improvement from a basic trainer, using incorrectly calculated heart rate zones, I can only imagine how much faster I will be by the time Lake Placid rolls around. (Point of reference: last year, I averaged 15 mph. I’m shooting for 17 mph this year.)

As the weather gets nicer, I will return to the road for my long rides and aerobic endurance rides. But, for the tempo and interval rides, I’ll be on the CompuTrainer. I’m not messing with what works.

When it comes to 112 miles on a bike, my question is no longer about whether I can go that far. Now, I want to know how fast I can cover 112 miles, and still be able to bust out an fast marathon. 135 days to go…

In my next post, I’ll talk about how speed strategies apply to running. In the meantime, please share your comments and strategies. Workout ideas welcome! We could even make it like a game: how shall we get Maria to suffer this week? Be nice…