If I Had Eight Hours To Chop Down A Tree

I'd spend six hours sharpening my ax” A. Lincoln

Brilliant. How relevant is this to running? As with chopping down the tree I must:

1. Know the duration of the task.
2. Have the proper tools in the toolbox.
3. Knowledge of how to prepare the tools.
4. Balance the timing of the preparation with the task.

The opinions on how to train for a race are endless. How many of them are science based? How many are anecdotal? How many represent the training I require as an individual? And of all the tools in the tools box, which ones will prepare me for the task. And in what order do I use them?
I am fortunate to have been training for the last four years with someone that has a training philosophy based on science. I have learned that to be successful I must build on last year’s training and that last year’s training was built upon the year before. And that next year’s success will be contingent upon what I do this year.

In its simplest form…

1. To develop and maintain an aerobic base
2. To develop aerobic endurance.
3. To develop speed.
4. To develop speed endurance.

The four broad points are supported by the need to develop the central nervous system to perform fast coordinated movement over extended duration as well as muscular strength to continue fast coordinated movement while fatigued. These are the physiological components. Developing the psychological component, training my brain to acknowledge and at least temporarily accept the discomfort of fatigue, is equally important. In 2014 I was prepared enough to stand at the starting line healthy, uninjured, and in good fitness. In 2015 I am prepared and excited to reach deeper into the toolbox!