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Welcome
to the 'cornerstones of training'. Here you will find
the basics behind the development of a good training regime
that will benefit your running. Dave Spence - resident
coach |
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Athletic training and competition are
complex activities, with many variables contributing to success.
However, all training principles and physiological laws of
training are based on three very basic rules or cornerstones.
These cornerstones eventually determine how successful your
training will be, whether for the 100m sprint, shot put, middle
and long distances or ultra-marathons. The cornerstones are
moderation, consistency and rest.
Moderation
Moderation basically comes down to not going to extremes in
any aspect of training. Inexperienced distance runners, for
example, should not attempt to run the excessive mileage in
training that world-class runners often do. Serious injuries
may develop that could bring your running career to an abrupt
and premature end. Extensive volumes or hours of training
are not necessary on a consistent basis and should be done
judiciously. Only at the most advanced levels of the sport
(and after 6 to 10 years of training) does the need for fairly
extensive appear.
It is true that athletes in some events
have trained very intensively and extensively and have reached
outstanding levels of performance. However, the long-term
results of such training programmes are inconsistent, with
more athletes failing than succeeding in reaching the top.
Some athletes develop serious injuries, and many become physiologically
drained by the heavy training loads. We do not read much about
these athletes in athletics literature because stories about
failed sportsman and women do not sell - the world prefers
to read about winners.
The human body can take far more stress
than we generally give it. However, it needs to adapt to heavier
stresses gradually. Moderation means a carefully planned training
programme that avoids extremes in physical or psychological
stress. Training, and even competition, can be a beautiful
and exciting part of life. It is however not all there is
to life. The principle of moderation permits the athlete to
enjoy the other aspects of life as much as sport.
 Consistency
One way to avoid extremes in training is to train at a reasonable
level every day. This does not mean using the same
training load every day, but not having major periods of missed
training. When an athlete trains consistently the body has
more time to adapt to the stress of training, easing its way
to higher levels of fitness. In cases where an athlete misses
a few consecutive days of training, the body loses some tone
and endurance. A day or two of extra hard training does not
make up for that loss. In fact, the athlete may over stress
the body, resulting in decreased performance levels, or even
injury or illness. Extra physical training can do more harm
than simply tiring the body, so the consistency of training
is the principle that should rather be applied for optimal
improvement. The athlete who trains daily at a moderate level
(with varying loads) will outperform the equally talented
athlete who trains extremely hard at times and skips training
at other times.
Consistency has another reward for the
athlete. As training continues, a solid fitness base
develops. The longer time used to develop the base the
less effect an interruption of training has. Although
an athlete loses conditioning when training is interrupted,
an athlete with a long-term base loses condition more
slowly and regains it more quickly.
Rest
Rest is the third cornerstone of training, and perhaps the
most important for the younger athletes and veterans. An athlete
simply must get enough rest. This is often the training
principle least adhered to. As Bruce Fordyce says: "When
in doubt get more rest." Athletes feeling tired or weak
shouldn't try to do hard training sessions. Instead, they
should do very light training sessions or simply skip sessions.
No, this is not contrary to the principle of consistency,
but part of a holistic approach to training, which allows
for consistency over the long-term, with essential recovery
days over the short-term. This principle also applies to the
amount of sleep an athlete gets.
Why do athletes need more rest? Firstly,
the extra work creates extra physical stress, which calls
for more recovery time. Secondly, the body makes its adaptations
to stress when the body is at rest rather than during the
stress. This is the essence of the physiological law of overload.
If the body does not have enough rest, it cannot recover and
adapt fully, so it does not benefit fully from the training.
The body is like a massive computer with
many complex-working parts. When it is worked very hard it
may tire and overload, becoming less efficient. With a computer,
when a problem occurs it requires "down-time" while
the operators repair the problem. The body essentially repairs
its own problems, but requires its own "down-time"
every day. An athlete must learn to be "tuned in"
to his or her body, as it actually "tells" when
it needs more rest or when it has had enough. The body runs
on rest, just as it runs on fuel. If it has too little rest,
it begins to run or perform poorly.
These three cornerstones are critical
to any training plan. If an athlete trains consistently at
a moderate level while getting enough rest, his or her performance
should be optimal and should continue to improve during the
senior competition years.
TIP FOR THE WEEK
Become an expert on your body's reaction to certain types,
volumes and intensities of training. Employ outside help for
technical aspects of your preparation. Use this information
and all other relevant factors to plan properly for your goal
races. YOU will eventually become the best coach you ever
had.
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