2019-05-01_Runners_World_UK

MAY 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 071

TRAINING

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body will not have time to adapt.

Research has shown the metabolic

changes we gain by training stick

around for some time.

‘I tend to stick to the philosophy

that the money is in the bank and

there is nothing I can do to gain

fitness in the last week of training, so

everything I do is meant to help my

body feel as good as possible,’ says

Nick Arciniaga, a top-10 finisher in

the 2014 Boston Marathon.

In contrast, your neuromuscular

coordination can improve or

deteriorate over less than a day.

Optimising the neuromuscular

system – the communication vehicle

between your brain and your muscles

• requires constant stimulation
  because the growth and recovery
  cycle is very short. The best way
  to optimise running-specific
  neuromuscular
  communication is
  to run, especially at
  or near race pace.
  ‘The neuromuscular
  adaptations you make
  can result in more
  motor units [groups
  of muscle fibres
  and nerves] being
  recruited and a more
  economical use of all
  your motor units,’
  says Jonathan Dugas,
  exercise physiologist,
  athlete and co-author
  of the blog Science
  of Sport.
  Another priority in
  the final days is to
  increase blood flow to
  your muscles. When you’re running,
  the blood vessels in your muscles
  dilate to allow more oxygen-rich
  blood to flow to them, just as a hose
  expands when water runs through
  it. In addition to oxygen, increased
  blood flow brings key nutrients,
  as well as hormones important for
  recovery, says running coach Steve
  Magness. Moreover, running causes
  your body temperature to rise slightly,
  helping the muscles become looser
  and more flexible.
  These priorities highlight the need
  to keep running as you approach a
  race. But what should you do? Ryan
  Warrenburg, coach for ZAP Fitness,
  an elite training group in the US,
  stresses the need to tailor your final
  days of preparation to your fitness
  level and individual response to
  training. Two days before a race,
  his experienced runners typically do

Rest well

Your training plan

decreases

mileage and

intensity as race

day approaches.

This is restful,

but chaos in

other parts of

your life can be

as stressful as

hard workouts.

Don’t overcommit

in work and play,

and let yourself

repair. Sleep long

to get the mental

and physical rest

your body needs.

Surround

yourself with

positivity

Create a mantra

you can recite

in your mind or

out loud to keep

your thoughts

positive. One of

mine is ‘I’m calm,

I’m strong, I’m

prepared.’ It’s

easy to recall, it

calms me and it

reminds me I’m

ready for the

race. It’s also a

great one-minute

meditation the

day before the

race and at the

start line.

Plan your

race strategy

Fear of the

unknown fuels

taper madness.

Plan any race

logistics such

as travel, food

options and bib

pickup well

ahead of time,

and check out a

course map so

you’ll know what

to expect. And it

can be cathartic

to write out your

race-day goals.

Include several to

cover all that may

transpire on race

day: plan A (good

weather, health

and training);

plan B (decent

weather, feeling

average, OK

training); and C

(hot and humid

weather, barely

adequate training

and high life

stress).

3 WAYS TO CALM

TAPER ANXIETY

Many runners have a love-hate

relationship with the taper, the

last two or three weeks before

a race – on the one hand, the

schedule eases up, you’re done

with the big mileage; that feels

good. On the other, nerves can set

in, as there’s less running to distract

you. Here are three strategies for a

stress-free taper, from running

coach Jenny Hadfield.

a short, easy run, finishing up with

four to six strides of roughly

20 seconds at race pace. He’ll have

inexperienced runners, or those who

run three days a week or less, take a

rest day two days before a race.

Regardless of your experience

level, if you’re travelling to the race,

especially if it’s a long flight or drive,

you’ll need to do something to help

your legs to recover from the travel:

either a short run, a light massage

or a short walk. The goal here is to

make sure your legs feel fresh.

The final day before the race, run

anywhere from 10 minutes to 50 per

cent of your normal easy-day volume

and include some neuromuscular

work. Strides or surges at race pace

will help facilitate optimal neuro-

muscular coordination on race day.

At a minimum, do two or three

20-second strides at

race pace. ‘More

experienced runners

can tinker with longer

race-pace work, with

a long recovery,’ says

Warrenburg. One

option could be

4-6 × 200m repeats

at race pace, with

the last two a bit

quicker, taking a

five-minute recovery

jog between repeats.

Make sure you

practise your strategy

before a few key

workouts in your

training cycle.

Athletes differ in

what type of running

makes them feel fresh and what

workouts leave them drained or sore.

Some prefer quick strides, others

a bit more distance, with some work

at tempo or 5K pace. A shorter race

requires you to move quickly and

efficiently from the gun, so you need

to be fresher on race morning for a

5K than for a marathon, where you

can work out any sluggishness

during the early miles.

Don’t do so much running that

you compromise your race, but don’t

fear a short workout the day before

the race. ‘If your recovery runs

during the hardest portion of your

training cycle have enabled you to

adequately recover between hard

workouts, a short run is not going to

fatigue you,’ says Scott Simmons,

coach of the American Distance

Project. After all the months of

hard work, trust in your training.

THE CHIEF GOAL

IN THE TWO DAYS

BEFORE A RACE IS

TO PRIME THE BODY

TO PERFORM AT ITS

PEAK LEVEL