Dream Believe TRI Coaching and Clinics

Build Physical & Mental Skills With These Run Workouts

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Kim Landrum   |  

Two weeks ago I had the good fortune of attending the SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships at my home base, the University of Georgia's Spec Towns Track in Athens, Georgia. I was particularly interested in watching the men's and women's 10,000m and 5,000m distance events as they most closely relate to the run leg of sprint and olympic distance triathlons. As triathletes we are spread among the field and depending on whether the race offered a wave or time trial start, you may or may not be racing in a pack with other athletes in your age group. Unless you are competing in a road race you might think strategy and group dynamics have little to do with with triathlon, but in fact a lot can be learned from dissecting the race strategies of these distance runners.

Mens 10,000 meters

My curiosity was peaked Friday evening as 15 or so male, then female, college athletes toed the line for the start of the (10,000 meter) 6.2 mile race. Mild temperatures and relatively low humidity meant the opportunity was ripe for some fast times. Georgia's Brett Richardson took an early lead in the first 800 of the race as the rest of the field settled into a pack about 50 yards behind. Racing alone, whether out front or behind, means more work both mentally and physically: mentally you are always being chased or are chasing and that can wear on you over the course of 10,000 meters; physically you don't have the benefit of drafting and working together as a unit to catch the leader.

As the race passed the half way point, Richardson still maintained a 40-50 yard lead but his position out front was wearing on him – you could see it in his face and his cadence wasn't as quick. The pack had now splintered into two with a smattering of runners off the back. Ben Cheruiyot of Auburn and Eric Fernandez of Arkansas were among the runners in the front pack and were quickly closing the gap on Richardson. By 7,000 meters, Richardson had be swallowed up by the front pack and spit out the back although he was still holding on to a top-10 position. Cheruiyot and Fernandez moved to the front of the lead pack before putting some distance between themselves and the other runners. At this point the athletes were strung out around the track and it was difficult to tell who held which position so I kept my eyes on the two leaders. Fernandez was in the lead position as the bell rang to signal the final lap but within 100 yards Cheruiyot passed him in a smooth, effortless sprint to the finish. It was beautiful yet heart wrenching to know only one of these men could be crowned the winner -- they both deserved it. Richardson finished in a respectable sixth place.

Womens 10,000 meters

The women's race played out slightly different with the pack splintering within minutes of the start. In the mens race, the pack stayed in tact 1/3 of the way into the race before splitting into two packs; not so here as the majority of the race was run in single file with a few loose packs. You have to wonder what this does to a runner when you know from the onset that it truly is "you" against "them" – there is no "us" to work together and reign in the leader. Liz Costello of Tennessee and Bridget Lyons of Georgia took the lead early on and ran most of the race stride for stride with Bridget two steps out in front. Again, you have to wonder about the psychological aspects of leading versus being led; even if you both maintain a lead over the rest of the pack there is a battle of attrition going on up front that can wear on an athlete over time.

As with the mens race, the runner in the second spot for the majority of the race (in this case Costello) pulled to the front with one lap remaining. Costello kicked it into high gear and ran the last lap as if it were her first and crossed the line 100 or so yards ahead of Lyons.

In both the men's and women's races, the athlete who ran on the heels of the first position runner saved enough in reserves for the last 400-800 yards to win the race. It is worth mentioning that it may have been the race strategy of Cheruiyot and/or Costello: run only as fast as you need to for the majority of the race then do what you are capable of in order to win it. I am certain there were mental advantages to hanging in second position watching the leader just steps ahead, then gearing up for the pass and not looking back. For the leaders, having spent a great deal of mental energy leading the race there may well have been nothing left to chase down someone that passes you in the final 400 yards.

What does this mean for you as a triathlete?

While it is true that all four leading athletes in these races were equally matched for the duration of the race, there's probably a case for both mental fortitude and physical toughness. We covered some of the mental aspects last month so let's focus on the physical. A an athlete, learning to run fast on tired legs can prove highly beneficial at the end of a race. If you work some of these concepts into your training you will be much better prepared on race day to finish strong and even dominate the closing meters of your race. We all know brick workouts can help you become accustomed to running fast off the bike but learning to run fast in the closing mile or half mile can be even tougher. With practice, you can strengthen both the physical and mental skills necessary to maintain pace and learn to leave enough in reserves for a strong sprint finish. Try integrating these workouts into your weekly training for better results in your next sprint or olympic distance triathlon.

Mile repeats with hills + 400 sprint

Following dynamic stretches and drills, I have our Run Clinic athletes perform 2-4 sets (depending on their weekly training volume and abilities) of these mile repeats to build strength, power and mental toughness. Athletes complete an out and back 1-mile course with a .1 mile hill followed by a .3 mile hill, back over the opposite side of the .1 mile hill and on to the track. They are instructed to run the hills at an "easy" pace and maintain cadence and heart rate (not pace) on the hills. Once they reach the track and pass the start line, they crank it up to 5k race pace for 400 yards. The hilly mile, even at an easy pace, will fatigue them enough that kicking it up to race pace can be difficult initially. I make sure athletes have a full recovery in between efforts so they can approach each interval head on; it is important to focus on good form throughout so proper recovery is essential.

Reverse Ladder

Following the same concept, this workout teaches athletes to continually pick up the pace throughout the intervals so they are finishing faster than race pace (similar to a race). On a track, begin with a 1600 yard set at a pace slower than race pace. Build throughout the interval so you'll be running a negative split, but finish below race pace. Recover for 2 minutes and then head out for a 1200 yard interval at race pace. Begin just below race pace and finish at race pace so you are building throughout the interval. Recovery for 2 minutes and then head into an 800 beginning at race pace and finishing faster than race pace. After another 2 minute recovery, athletes run a 400 faster than race pace building throughout the interval. This workout builds muscular endurance, strength, power and mental toughness.

Always begin your interval workouts with neuromuscular exercises, dynamic stretches and sufficient warm up (5-10 minutes) before beginning your main set. Follow each workout with a cool down (5-10 minutes) and additional dynamic stretches.

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2011 SEC Track & Field Outdoor Championships: Men's 5,000 meters