# Daniels' Running Formula ## Understanding the Formula ### Essentials of Running Success - Important Ingredients - Inherent Ability - Intrinsic Motivation - Opportunity - Direction > [!summary] Daniel’s Basic Laws of Running > > - Every runner has specific individual abilities. > - A runner’s focus must stay positive. > - Expect ups and downs; some days are better than others. > - Be flexible in training to allow for the unexpected. > - Set intermediate goals. > - Concentrate on the task at hand. > - Most mistakes in races are made early in the race. > - Training should be rewarding. > - Eat and sleep well. > - Don’t train when sick or injured. > - Chronic health issues should be checked by a professional. > - A good run or race is never a fluke. ### Training Principles and Tips - Principle 1: The body reacts to stress - Principle 2: Specificity - Principle 3: Overstress - Principle 4: Training response - Workload - Intensity Factor - Recovery - Frequency - Adjust these factors one at a time - Principle 5: Personal limits - “Seasonal Limits” - Principle 6: Diminishing return - Principle 7: Accelerating setbacks - Principle 8: Maintenance > [!tip] Purpose At all times you should be able to answer the question “What is > the purpose of this workout? > [!tip] Always stay at a chosen degree of stress for 6 to 8 weeks before making > changes. > [!tip] Stride Rate Try to run with a stride rate around 180 steps per minute > to minimize the landing shock. > > - Pretend you are rolling over the ground rather than bounding from foot to > foot. > - Try to avoid placing each foot out in front of yourself. > - Try to have your feet land closer back, toward your center of gravity. > [!tip] Feet Strike Try out different strike styles! > > - Front-foot landing often used in short events; heel or mid-foot landing > often used in longer events. > - If calf or shin discomfort is experienced, try mid- or rear-foot landing for > a few weeks. > - Avoid turning toes outward as you land. They should be straightforward. > [!tip] Breathing The breathing discomfort is not due to lack of oxygen, but > rather, is caused by the increase of carbon dioxide. > > - Use 2-2 breath rhythm for any runs, so that it becomes natural. > - Give 3-3 a try. If that works, then you are not working too hard. ### Physiological and Personal Training Profiles - Training Goal: Improve all factors that affect running - VO2 = how much oxygen is consumed per kilogram per minute - VO2 max = maximum volume of VO2 - vVO2 max = speed per VO2 max, aka the economy - BLa = Blood Lactate, related to endurance - Maximum Heart Rate - To use this value as a reference, you should have a relatively accurate measurement of it - Subtract age from 220 - 2-minute uphill runs - Waking Heart Rate - Suggests the progress of your fitness - Abnormally high waking heart rate indicates overtraining - Hemoglobin (Hgb) - Ability to carry oxygen - To much Hgb increases blood viscosity and slows circulation ### Types of Training and Intensities > [!tip] EMTIR: Intensity and Types of Training > > - **E**asy running > - **M**arathon-pace running > - **T**hreshold running > - **I**nteval training > - **R**epetition training - Easy Running - 59 to 74 percent of VO2max - 65 to 79 percent of max heart rate - Good for building a base - Good for strengthening heart muscle, as the max force of each stroke of the heart is reached when heart rate is about 60% of maximum. - Increases vascularization and the development of characteristics of muscles - 30 minutes as the minimum duration of E training is recommended. (otherwise you end up spending more time showering and changing clothes) - Maximum 150 minutes. - Stay at any amount of weekly time for at lease 3 or 4 weeks before increasing - Use E running to accumulate mileage - Increasing the duration of E runs helps building confidence > [!tip] Get in the habit of using time rather than distance as the factor > limiting types of training. - Long runs - Typically are at E pace - Single long to < 30% of weekly mileage - 2 to 2.5 hours should be long enough - Marathon pace running - Use a long race to estimate M pace. Roughly 3 min slower than 10k run. - Typically 75~84% of VO2max or 80~89 of max HR. - Limit to 110 min or 29km, whichever comes first. - Threshold Running - Comfortably hard, but the pace is manageable for a relatively long run (20 ~ 30 min) - Purpose: improve endurance by training your body to remove blood lactate - 85~88% of VO2max or 88~92% max HR - The proper pace is comfortably hard and should be able to be maintained for 30 to 40 minutes. - Tempo run = maintain the T pace, 20min is enough for most trainer. - Cruise intervals = shorter-duration runs at T pace, short recoveries in between, 5-to-1 work-recovery time - Usual approach: 5-mile, 5min break, 4-mile, 4min break... - Mix T running in M runs - Interval Running - Purpose: Maximizing aerobic power by reaching VO2max - One can exercise at VO2max for no longer than 11 minutes. - 90 to 120 seconds needed to build up to VO2max - Running at **I** pace for 3 to 5 minutes is desired, then rest until you're ready to go again. - Running Hard - **I** training can be achieved through **H** runs - 6 x 3 min **H** with 2 minutes of recovery jogging - **H** pace can be maintained for 10 to 12 minutes subjectively - Step-count workout: H for 10 right footfalls, followed by 10 jogging ones, then 20, 30,... 100, 90, 80,... 10 - Recovery jogs cannot be longer than the **H** running part - On windy days: 20 x 200, in **I** pace, rest time should be half of **I** bouts - Repetition Training - Purpose: improve anaerobic power, speed, and economy of running - Recovery is important! After a fast bout, jog the same distance, walk the final meters. - Single fast bout should not last longer than 2 minutes - Tracking Training Intensities - E zone, .2 points, best for cardio (Zone 2) - M zone, .4 points - T zone, .6 points, best for endurance (Zone 3) - 10K zone, .8 points - I zone, 1 point, best for aerobic power (Zone 4) - R zone and FR, 1.5/2 points, best for anaerobic power and running economy (Zone 5) ### VDOT System of Training - VO2 = V dot O2, a dot over the V indicating a per minute value - The higher VDOT value is associated with the better runner, regardless of age or sex. - Use your best performance to find the VDOT value, then determine proper training pace using table. - Daniel's 6-second rule: T pace is typically 6 secs per 400 slower than I, and I is the the same slower than R. ### Environment- and Altitude- Specific Training - Temperature - Best to train under the same condition as the race. - Don't lose fitness while trying to train under poor conditions all the time. - Weigh before and after training to track loss. - In unusually hot conditions: moderate warm-up, cool down with a wet towel across shoulders. - Find a indoor track or treadmill when conditions are too extreme. - Altitude - Performance in low-speed endurance events is slower, in high-speed is faster. - Performance will improve after acclimatization, but will never reach that at sea level. - Sea-level performance improve as a result of altitude training. - Upon arrival at altitude, VO2max is reduced by 12 to 16 percent, but performance is affected by only about 6 to 8 percent. - No need to adjust training schedules. Recovery in R training can be increased. Speed will be slower naturally. - Racing at altitude: don't start too fast. - Alternate between altitude and sea-level.