Building a Running Base

by Matt and Christi Beth Adams

— Owners, Fleet Feet Sports, specialty running store in Nashville, TN

Runners often begin new training programs making one critical mistake: running too fast, too far, too soon. While running fast and far does deserve some attention, it is imperative to have the foundation to support such training. Just like in building a home, all parts and structures depend on the strength of a well-laid foundation. There are several reasons for building a base (your “foundation”) in running too: injury prevention, building an efficient aerobic system, and longevity.

1. First, let’s consider the relationship between building a base and injury prevention. By building a base, you are strengthening all of your stabilizer muscles—these are the smaller slow-twitch muscles that support our larger fast-twitch muscle groups. Runners often jump into programs too quickly and they may experience knee or hip pain because their bodies didn’t have sufficient time to build up the stabilizers, which allow you to better adapt to the demands of running. Keep in mind, running is considered a high-impact sport; while research shows that it can strengthen muscles and even bones, the base-building phase of training is crucial in order to pursue that strength injury free.Base-building is also necessary in order to build an efficient aerobic system. There are two basic kinds of energy-exchange systems in the human body: aerobic (requires oxygen to create energy) and anaerobic (creates energy without oxygen). The anaerobic system will take the readily available glycogen in the body and use it to fuel shorter, more intense bursts of activity. Once that fuel is expended, however, you will “bonk” or “hit the wall.” World class athletes can only sustain an anaerobic effort for about one hour.

   On the other hand, think of the aerobic system as using stored fat to fuel longer bouts of less intense activity. Extended amounts of aerobic training creates adaptations in the muscles that, over time, minimizes the accumulation of lactate acid buildup; improves the body’s ability to transport oxygen to the muscles; and speeds up the body’s ability to remove the lactic acid. Again, fat is the #1 source of energy used for the aerobic system, and building a strong base creates a more efficient aerobic system. As you train in the base period, your body becomes more efficient in breaking down and utilizing the stored fat as the primary energy source. As these fuel-burning mechanisms become more efficient, you will find yourself able to run faster paces for longer durations. As the body adjusts, what used to be an 8-minute mile anaerobically becomes comfortably aerobic. The key to all this, of course, is to train your body to use fat for fuel.

   Other benefits of base-training include increased capillary and mitochondrial density and a stronger, more efficient heart that pumps more blood with each beat.

   Heart rate, in fact, is an excellent indicator of which zone—aerobic or anaerobic—you are training in. To remain in the aerobic zone, keep your rate under 150 bpm if you are 40 years old or younger, under 140 bpm if you are over 40. Even if that means walking up hills, do it. Keep in mind that your body will adapt. And in just a few weeks, as your body becomes more efficient at using stored fat, you should be able to go farther and faster at the same heart rate. Think of the Kenyans that run sub 5 minute marathons. They are running most of the race aerobically. Their bodies have just become that efficient.

   If you don’t have access to a heart-rate monitor, use the talk test. If you can carry on a conversation while running, you’re probably in the right zone. If you’re breathing heavy and your sentences are choppy, you’re running too hard for base-building. If you’re singing a ditty, pick up the pace.

   Keep in mind these heart-rate figures are ballpark averages to help guide you. If you really wish find out your individual threshold—the “crossover” point when aerobic becomes anaerobic—you may want to opt for a blood lactate threshold test.

1. Building a base can also increase your longevity in the sport. If you keep your pace and distance at a level that your body can adapt to naturally instead of forcing it, the odds are that you are going to stay in the sport longer.If you haven’t already noticed, the ability to “adapt” is a common theme here. Building a base allows your body to progressively get fitter. When you see results and avoid injury (all benefits of base-building), you will inevitably enjoy running throughout the year—and for many new years to come. Too many times we see people who jump into training too quickly (usually for marathons) only to finish the event and then quit training all together. We strongly discourage trying to finish races with as little training as possible—by all accounts a counterproductive and short-sighted running strategy. We like to promote longevity in sport and maximizing your enjoyment of an activity over the course of your life history.

In this day and age, we too often want immediate results. People think that when they run slow, they are not making any significant gains in fitness. Quite the opposite is true. A runner who pursues a training program that is built on a slow, solid base will see better results—you guessed it—in the long run!

Happy and healthy running!

This entry was written by scrawford, posted on October 11, 2009 at 10:32 pm, filed under Experiences, Fitness, Life is Fitness, Santa Barbara and tagged Fitness, Matt and Christi Beth Adams, Running, SOMA GET FIT, Tennessee. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.