Endurance in Training and Competition

The 3rd European Athletics Coaches
Association Workshop Glasgow, Scotland
Endurance in
Training
and Competition
Lothar Hirsch. Helmar Hommel
Winfried Joch, Paul Schmidt
p ^ ^
2 105110, 1990
•Cbv 1.A.A-F
1. Introduction
From 5 to 7 March 1990. following
the European Indoor Championships.
the 3rd European Athletics Coaches
Association (EACA) Wori^shop took
place in Glasgow. Scotland. The general
theme was "endurance", 16 countries
from around the world were represented.
This report has been prepared by the
delegation of the German Athletics
Association (DLV),
EACA workshops
serve
as
preparation for the congress taking
place in the following year. Hence, the
theme of the Glasgow workshop was
"endurance", as this is the topic for the
EACA Congress scheduled for 1991 in
Vierumäki, Finland. The workshop
themes, however, are always of interdisciplinary character. Therefore,
discussions in Glasgow were not
restricted to the typical endurance
events. "Endurance" and its importance
for technique, strength and speed
training in all athletic events were
considered. Load variations and the
organization of rest intervals were
discussed.
In addition, questions about training
planning and performance control, as
well as general problems of the structure
of performance and organisations in
different countries were also dealt with.
The workshop was divided into the
following working groups:
- sprint, hurdles
- middle distance
- long distance
- marathon, race walking, road
racing
- jumping, throwing, combined
events.
105
The conclusions arrived at during
the discussions in the working groups
are given below.
2. First working group: sprints (100
to 400 metres) and hurdles
2.1 Aerobic endurance
Aerobic endurance is an indispensable prerequisite for the short and long
sprints. It is developed all the year round
as even a short-term abandonment of
training (approximately 14 days or
more) leads to a decrease in the aerobic
capacity. Aerobic endurance is of
specia! importance at the beginning of
the preparatory training period(s), P.
Dost, the coach of the World 400 metres
champion Thomas Schönlebe, showed
that, for example in the 42nd week of
Schonlebe's programme, training was
conducted in four steps, the running
speed varying between 4.06 to 4,97 m/
sec and pulse rates between 169 to 188
beats/min (Schonlebe's aerobicanaerobic thresh-old is equivalent to a
pulse rate of 171 beats/min).
The aim of this training form is a
demonstrable(!) adaptation of the
cardiovascular system in the form of
lower pulse rates during identical loads
or identical pulse rates dunng higher
loads. The assumption that slow running
makes "slow" and is therefore not
suitable as training for sprinters is not
justified! In addition to endurance
training, however, accentuated and
isolated exercises for the improvement
of sprint technique and speed training at
different intensities must be a part of all
training phases. The respective training
goal, however, must always be taken
Into account.
IQ^
2.2 Anaerobic eapacity/speed
endurance
At maximum running intensities, 400
metre runners reach lactate levels
which are significantly higher than 20
mmol. In order to achieve and tolerate
such high values, the training during the
phase of "special
competition
preparation" must be of gradual, goaldirected and continuous character.
There are obviously two equivalent
training methods which can be used in
this context:
a) Numerous repetitions of very short
(under-distance)
running/sprint
distances. This method is favoured
by the Italians,
b) Distances between 150m and 300m.
which must be covered at an intensity
between 85 to 95%. The higher the
running intensity, the longer the rest
inten/als between the repetitions.
For the special improvement of his/
her anaerobic capacity the athlete has
approx. ten weel<s at his/her disposal
during the preparation period. The
highest intensity is reached during the
immediate pre-competition phase. In
this training phase the training volume
is reduced,
2.3 Strength endurance
Strength endurance training seems
to be characterized by a great diversity
of trends. A reason for this is obviously
the different estimation of the importance
of maximal strength training which is
closely related to the other forms of
strength training. However, two
remarkable aspects are worth
mentioning:
- Those training forms which are
conducted with only very light or
without additional weights and which,
as far as duration is concerned, are
oriented towards the duration of the
competitive event play a considerable
role.
- Horizontal jumps are regarded with a
certain scepticism because they put
a considerable strain on the Achilles
tendon. For this reason, these training
forms do not play a very important
role as far as both frequency and
quantity are concerned,
3. Second working group: 800
metres and 1500 metres
Twelve coaches from Great Britain,
Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Sweden,
Denmark and the FRG worked together
in this group. They were in agreement
as far as the following areas of the
training process are concerned:
3.1 Strength training
All coaches agreed that for the
development of top results in the middle
distances specific strength training was
indispensable. They were also in
agreement that the reasons for a
distance-specific strength training
should be clearly defined, but that, on
the other hand, it was difficult to
establish guide lines for strength training.
The participants in the discussion,
agreed that circuit training plays a
particular role in the strength training of
an 800 and 1500 metre runner. The
same applies to the highly specific jump
training: bounding was considered of
special importance.
Strength training is useless when it
is done only sporadically and is not
systematically integrated into the training
plan.
3.2 Hill or mountain training
As far as hill (or mountain) training is
concerned
there
were
no
disagreements. Hill training should,
however, be done at the right time, i.e.
about March/April- If it is done earlier in
the preparatory period, it disturbs the
sound development of other ability
components, e.g. the development of
aerobic endurance. Distances from 250
to 450 metres should be preferred. For
psychological reasons it is advisable to
train on a circuit course.
3.3 Stretching and loosening-up
exerciseS'dynamic exercises
A suitable mixture of a few static and
dynamic exercises is preferred. When
choosing the exercises the strong and
weak points of the individual athletes
should be considered. Too many
exercises, as done by many runners,
are a waste of time and lead to
unnecessary interruptions of the Iraining
sessions.
The members of the second working
group agreed that, in the framework of
cooling-down, certain exercises can
have a positive influence on the
recovery process. Again It is necessary
that the right exercises are chosen and
that they are done regularly.
3.4 Total distance
As far as the importance of the
number of kilometres run is concemed
there were no disagreements. The total
number of kilometres is an important
criterion of performance development.
It IS of decisive importance that both
the intensity and the distance run during
a training session are determined
correctly. If the athlete falls below a
certain total of kilometres, e,g, about
80km during the preparation for a 800m
runner, it is very hard to achieve the
performance
stability
desired.
Furthermore, it is hardly possible to
carry out the correct amount of high
competition-specific loads in the
competition period.
This also means that training twice
a day is indispensable in special phases
of the whole training and competition
year.
3.5 Coordination to improve running
technique and speed
In other countries, coordination for
the improvement of running technique
and speed is not as important as in the
FRG. To optimize running technique
and speed, acceleration sprints and
varied pace runs are performed to a
107
greater extent. This was supported by
observations on the training tracks
during the Olympic Games in Seoul,
Even in Germany, coaches should
consider whether it would not be better
to practise acceleration sprints and
varied pace runs in different forms than
repeating 10 or 20 times high knees and
other abstract forms of the (German)
"Sprint-ABC", This should, however, be
done taking into account the necessary
rest and breaks in order to achieve
better results as far as the optimization
of
running technique
and
the
improvement of speed are concerned.
3.6 Competition-specific loads
As regards this topic there were also
no disagreements. Competition-specific
loads are absolutely necessary. It is not
possible to achieve top results in middle
distance running by only doing steady
paced runs. The competition specificity
and the intensity of the loads are
oriented towards the structure of the
running distance and the performance
aimed at.
A top-level runner who wants to run
3:30 min over 1,500m must come to
tenms with a pace of 7m/sec {= 14 sec/
10Om), i.e. his com petition-specific
loads in training must be oriented
towards this pace since, after all, 15
continuous 100m sections of 14 sec
each make 3:30 min. It is therefore
necessary to practise corresponding
loads at this intensity in the form of
tempo ojnning programmes.
108
Those British coaches who reported
that the outstanding feature of the
middle and long distance mnners from
their country was their
special
competitive ability, also met with total
agreement- By special competitive
ability they meant the athletes' will to
win, their ability to assert themselves
and - if necessary - the courage to run
at a high speed in the leading group or
to set the pace themselves.
In conclusion, it should be said that
no new developments in the process of
training and competition are discernible.
It is decisive that athletes with a high
development-specific potential are found
and that the present middle-distancespecific training theory is applied
consistently and individually.
4, Third workshop-group: long
distance
This group was a very interesting
one consisting of one representative
each from Finland, the USA. Sweden,
Scotland. England, Austria and the
FRG. From the contributions of the
various coaches about different topics
the following main points can be
extracted:
4.1 Aerobic and anaerobic toads
within training
The approximately ten to twelve
aerobic/anaerobic training sessions per
week can be divided as follows:
- One to two training sessions in the
area of the
aerobic/anaerobic
threshold in the form of repetition
njns (e.g, eight to ten times 1000m,
five times 2000m, 15 to 20 times
400m. etc.),
- One to two long distance runs (20 to
25km) a week for the improvement of
aerobic endurance.
- One to two strength training sessions
(variants of circuit training).
- Rest: long slow distance runs
(regeneration),
- Various forms of adequate speed
improvement.
In summary, the coaches from the
different countries reported nothing
new. One to two training sessions per
week for the improvement of the
aerobic/anaerobic
capacity
were
considered to be enough. On the basis
of their experience of the intensities
used in training sessions and different
fonn of training there was general
agreement that, in many cases, long
distance runners train too hard,
4.2 Speed development of long
distance njnners
The speed development of long
distance running does not require a
separate training session. Speed training
should be a part of regenerative training
sessions twice or three times a week.
Speed
should
be
developed
continuously throughout the whole
year- Acceleration sprints between 100
and 150m repeated five to ten times
should be preferred,
4.3 Importance of strength training
Strength training for long distance
runners met with great interest. This is
certainly a sign for the need to make up
for a shortage of knowledge in this area
or for the lack of clear statements and
experiences. As far as long distance
running is concerned, strength training
must be regarded as an additional, but
not as a main training content. Strength
training for endurance athletes is often
done in the form of circuit training
variations. Particulariy two variations
met with great interest:
a) the Finnish form:
- twelve different exercises
- three steps of load, which are practised one after the other, e.g.
crunches:
load 1: 20 repetitions / pulse rate: 119
beats/min
load 2: 23 repetitions / pulse rate: 131
beats/min
load 3: 25 repetitions / pulse rate: 138
beats/min.
The twelve exercises of load step 1
(low load) are developed once or twice
a week in the beginning of the training
period (for about three to four weeks);
after this, load step 2 (medium load) is
practised for four to five weeks: then
load step 3 (high load) is performed for
about 4 to 5 weeks. During the
competition period no circuit training is
done,
b) the British form (McKean):
Twice a week (winter) ten exercises in
the following form:
- Circuit phase: ten exercises 30/30 sec
exercise/rest inten/al - 3 series.
emphasis: endurance • strength
- Stage training: each exercise
separately 15/15 sec exercise/rest
interval two to five times, then next
exercise 15/15 sec. etc., emphasis:
strength - endurance
- Phase 3: all ten exercises without rest
intervals - exercise 30 sec, emphasis:
quantity is more important than
quality,
There was general agreement on
the necessity and importance of the
training for the development and
maintenance of certain strength
prerequisites for long distance running.
Type and amount of these training
forms are still under discussion,
5. Fourth working group: jumping,
throwing, heptathlon, decathlon
This working group consisted of ten
coaches from Denmark. Great Britain,
Italy. Israel. Austria and the FRG. It was
a very heterogeneous group in terms of
both the events and the level of training
of the athletes, who ranged from young
athletes to top-level athletes, which
were represented- For this reason an
exchange of ideas on many levels was
possible. As opposed to the running
events, discussed in the other groups,
the endurance component in the events
dealt with in this group plays only a
secondary role. The discussion was
therefore dominated by generally known
principles, which will not be dealt with
loy
here and which can be found in the
framework training plans of various
countries (basic training and build-up
training in the individual groups of
events).
As far as aerobic endurance is
concerned, the members of this group
agreed that basic endurance is important
for training, regeneration and injury
prevention. Aerobic endurance should
be developed to a sufficient degree at
a young age - also in the form of mental
training. At a later stage, a high level of
aerobic endurance sen/es as the basis
of the further training build-up. It
became obvious that moderate fartlek
was the main training form. The
development of aerobic endurance is
done throughout the whole year, but
especially at the beginning of the
preparatory period. Only in Italy
dumping), is the development of aerobic
endurance not considered to be all that
important, as a basis is not established
in school sport and, later on, the
emphasis is only on event-specific
endurance.
As far as the training of eventspecific endurance is concerned,
according to the requirements of the
respective
disciplines,
different
examples were presented using model
yeariy training plans, Particulariy the
training model of the Italian jumpers
was discussed (ct Locatelli - NSA No 2'
1987 and NSA No 4/1986), Both the
ratios of the different variations of
endurance training and the special
forms of training for the jumps met with
much interest amongst the participants.
Another topic of the discussion was
the increasing problem of the planning
of training and competitions for the top
athletes. This problem is caused by the
increasing number of competitions with
high prize-money (especially the IAAF
Grand Prix) which make consistent
performance planning and realisation
1(1 more and more difficult or even
impossible. The planning of competitions is increasingly oriented towards
the most profitable meetings and not to
the necessities of the training process.
Some athletes boycott national and
international meetings, so that they can
do well in events which are more
interesting financially. The risk of injuries
increases because the time available
for recovery is shortened. In this
context, emphasis was laid on the
importance of the recovery processes
during the competition period, using
types of aerobic endurance training.
A further topic of discussion was
technique training. Conflicting opinions
were expressed on the traditional view
of doing technique training only in a fully
recovered state. The possibilities of
doing technique training in a not fully
recovered state or after a pre-load were
discussed.
The group's work was completed by
Frank Dick, EACA President and Great
Britain's National Director of Coaching,
who presented extracts from World
Record holder and former Olympic
Decathlon Champion Daley Thompson's
training diary, in order to describe his
training after his recent operation. In this
context an interesting aspect was water
training with flippers and weight vest.
6. General Meeting
In addition to the working groups,
there was a general meeting. At this
meeting. Frank Dick, lectured on the
development of the tasks of a sport
director/head coach. He descnbed the
tasks involved and the profile of
demands made on an individual holding
such a position. It was made clear that
a sport director/head coach is a central
figure in performance promotion and
the position requires a high degree of
management and leadership qualities.
D