Strides - How do you do them?

TFBubendorfer · 03-07-2014 09:37AM

Clearlier wrote: »

I'm getting most of this from interpreting Healthy Intelligent Training and it probably merits a re-read in a bit more detail by me.

I should probably have said that strides during the aerobic phase should only touch on the alactic energy system not necessarily that it's about particularly developing that system although in practice there's little difference.

One reason for focusing on the alactic energy system is to avoid engaging the anaerobic system which it is argued will cause acidosis (as I said before above my level of understanding) which inhibits aerobic development. However as I've understood it, it's mostly a way of maintaining speed throughout a phase which can lead to some runners feeling a bit sluggish.

I have read Healthy Intelligent Training, but that was a few years ago and I cannot remember all the details.

However, I was coached by a Lydiard-influenced coach (I think he actually knows Keith Livingstone) and he mentioned strides and short hill-sprints on a few occasions but always talked about them in terms of "muscle fibre activation" ("you have to activate your fibres before you can condition them")

Clearlier · 03-07-2014 09:50AM

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I have read Healthy Intelligent Training, but that was a few years ago and I cannot remember all the details.

However, I was coached by a Lydiard-influenced coach (I think he actually knows Keith Livingstone) and he mentioned strides and short hill-sprints on a few occasions but always talked about them in terms of "muscle fibre activation" ("you have to activate your fibres before you can condition them")

I remember. Your race report from Vienna is still the best race report I've ever read!

That would suggest that there's a discussion to be had about why you do them rather than if or do you think that they're unnecessary or counterproductive?

TFBubendorfer · 03-07-2014 10:58AM

Clearlier wrote: »

I remember. Your race report from Vienna is still the best race report I've ever read!

Thanks

Clearlier wrote:

That would suggest that there's a discussion to be had about why you do them rather than if or do you think that they're unnecessary or counterproductive?

True, and if 2 runners do the same strides, and 1 thinks it's for neuromusculatr development and teh other for alactic energy development, does it really matter?

I suppose, if someone comes along and proves that (say) alactic energy is useless for marathon runners, the second runner might stop doing them.

This does remind me of the brain-training book I read a few years ago. Turns out, the workouts were all of the same style as traditional training workouts but all of a sudden the reasoning had completely changed. Now you were supposed to do tempo runs purely to get your brain used to high-effort running instead of raising your lactate threshold (<-- or anaerobic, or whatever else). There was quite a lot of hype surrounding that book, in retrospect I wonder what that was all about.

TFBubendorfer · 03-07-2014 10:59AM

Oh, and no, I don't think that strides are either unnecessary or even counter-productive. I should do them more often myself (I simply tend to forget)

Krusty_Clown · 03-07-2014 11:00AM

RayCun wrote: »

no, the anaerobic system kicks in much earlier, ATP-CP only lasts about 10 seconds

I suppose it depends on how fast you are running the strides, right?

RayCun · 03-07-2014 11:01AM

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

I suppose it depends on how fast you are running the strides, right?

if it takes you 800m to exhaust your ATP-CP, you're doing it wrong

pa4 · 03-07-2014 07:35PM

Clearlier wrote: »

Either can be done. It depends on their purpose. If you're to develop your alactic system then I think that you can include them mid run but with plenty of time in between each one. If it's about working on your form then you should do them rested so after a warm but not at the end of your run unless it's a short recovery run.

I'd wonder about the short sprints in preparation for a session but if they work for you then don't change it.

Thanks, I might start incorporating them into my run rather than leaving them until afterwards. I'd be also less likely to skip them!

About the short sprints before a session, I find if I don't do them (especially before a shorter session such as 200s) I wont feel the same bounce in the legs. There're not flat out sprints, slower than 200m pace but I find them great after the longer, slower strides to get my body fired up for a session.

ooter · 03-07-2014 08:13PM

Apologies if this is a silly question but are strides a good idea to do as part of a warm up before a race?

pa4 · 03-07-2014 08:18PM

http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/03/key-to-running-fast-on-race-day-muscle.html

A good article on muscle tension by Steve Magness which talks a bit about strides. And to answer the above question, I've never ran a race without doing strides beforehand and even my last easy run before the race I'll always do strides.

ooter · 03-07-2014 09:24PM

Thanks pa4.
I'll have to start incorporating them in to my training and warm ups,last week was the first time I ever did them and I'd never heard of them till I picked up p+d's book.

Oregano_State · 15-04-2015 06:16PM

I wrote a pretty detailed post about strides earlier and then got distracted and ended up losing it before posting. Doh!

Will come back to it tonight at some stage.

demfad · 16-04-2015 02:37PM

Ill nip in before you Oregano while youre writing that up.

I reckon you should always be doing something about your leg turnover even during base-building. These "speed maintenance" workouts include long strides, build-ups and hill strides. They provide a variety in footstrikes and muscle fiber recruitment, which can not only keep you in touch with speed but can also help prevent injury.

Examples of speed maintenance workouts:

1) Two to three sets of 5-6 buildups of 15-25 secs (with any wind)
Jog back (or equal distance) between each (jogging 5-10 min between sets).

The first buildups in each set should be the slowest, but each set can be started slightly faster than the previous one.

Every 2-3 weeks add a fast 2-7 min run following the last set.

2) Another speed maintenance session could be 2 sets of 5-6 x 30-35 secs. progressively faster even paced strides.og back (or equal distance) between each (jogging 5-10 min between sets). These can also be run as 200m reps on a track (with the wind, if any)

3) 10-12 progressively faster 12-15 secs. uphill reps finishing really fast.
You should avoid tying up and make sure you can hold form.

Id agree with the OP that you should also be conscious to maintain a light fast turnover during all easy running.

Strides - How do you do them?

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