Gallagher Fitness Resources

Category: Recreational Level

Posts, comments and articles especially focused on the Intermediate/Recreational 10k, half-marathon and marathon runner.

  • 60-75 percent Effort Is Important

    60-75 percent Effort Is Important

    60-75 percent Effort Is Important

    Repeat after me – Endurance. Aerobic Endurance. Gotta have it or you won’t have any fun out there.

    Face it. A half-marathon or a marathon is a long way. Pacing yourself evenly throughout the race is the fastest way to the finish line. Guaranteed. But most importantly, you need the endurance and the patience to cover the distance. Running at 60-75 percent effort on most days will extend your aerobic endurance. With aerobic endurance you can teach yourself to pace accordingly on race day.

    Think about it in these terms: Let’s say you have to drive 13.1 miles one way to work each day. Would you get there on time if you had to get out and push your car the last half mile or so? Veering out of that aerobic zone and going too fast on your easy days will rob gas outta your gas tank. Our bodies are not equipped with a visible fuel gauge. It won’t be apparent that you are out of gas until the moment you realize you are. You wouldn’t want to show up at work looking like you had to push your car a half mile to get there. Don’t do that to yourself on race day either!

    60-70 percent effort is CONVERSATION pace

    60-75 percent effort is important. You’ll know you’re there when you cover miles upon miles chatting, laughing, giggling, singing – and breathing deeply – as you run. Those runs when you feel as though you really aren’t doing much, but the miles just roll by. Those easy – seemingly effortless – days provide lots of oxygen and fresh blood flow to your muscles, tendons and joints. It’s like taking a long aerobic bath with your running buddies. Your body loves that stuff! Keep your easy long runs easy!

    That’s why 60-75 percent effort is important too. If your goal is to run your best half marathon or marathon possible, most of your training days should be in this range. We follow this philosophy in our Team GFR Training Plans. Take a look at our training plans and join us.

  • Why 85 percent Effort Is Important

    85 percent effort is important

    85 Percent Effort Is Important

    What does 85 percent effort mean and what’s the significance of that number?

    If you have read running magazines, books on running, or any of the hundreds of websites offering running or training advice, you may have come across the following terms:

    • Tempo Runs
    • Anaerobic Threshold (A/T) Workouts
    • Threshold Pace
    • Lactate Threshold Pace
    • Sub-maximal effort
    • Cruise Intervals
    • vVO2Max Runs
    • Steady State Runs

    In some of these more intense workouts you may see 85% as the suggested effort level. For the most part – without getting into minuscule technicalities – most of these terms represent essentially the same workout.  Over the last 40-50 years of research on long-distance running, most scientists have drawn fairly similar conclusions.  At this MAGIC pace (at either side of 85% of maximal effort) a lot of very special things happen to the human body.

    For the beginner/novice level runner: 85 percent is the effort that “feels like you’re doing something.”  You know the “no pain/no gain” mentality?  Welcome to the threshold where you will soon be in pain if you don’t back off!  When you are just getting into it – you may find yourself skyrocketing to 85% in no time at all.  This is why WALK BREAKS are so important in gauging your pace to keep you more in the 65-75% range for most of your training.  The 85 percent effort level is something to play with very occasionally.  Until you establish a true foundation of aerobic endurance (the 65-75% range), the 85% level will be pretty hard on you.

    For the recreational runner: 85% is the effort or pace that’s just slightly faster (I mean slightly – about 6-8 seconds a mile – just a step or two quicker!) than your half-marathon pace.  Doing some running at this pace a few times a week will help you gradually get more comfortable at a slightly quicker pace in your half-marathons.  As you may have figured out already, an improvement of just 6-10 seconds a mile is a BIG improvement in your overall time.

    For the advanced runner: 85% is the effort that you begin to feel strong.  Somehow when you hit this pace, you get the feeling as though you could “run all day long.”  The truth is, if you are truly at your Anaerobic Threshold, you can probably hold this pace for 50-60 minutes (a little short of that “all day” feeling).  Since none of us will be running any 50-60 minute half-marathons any time soon – the world record is currently just under 59 minutes – it is important to train sparingly at 85%.  The “minutes” workouts, “tempo” workouts, and “cruise interval” workouts you will see on your intensity day will allow you to play in the 85% playground for short periods of time.

    For the competitor runner: 85% is the effort that helps you control an opposing runner.  If you know where 85 percent effort is for you and you learn to stay “just this side of it” – holding on to your extra gears for later in the race – while the person you are running against is “just the other side of it” and beginning to struggle or fade, guess what happens?  Shift gears and good-bye.  The “minutes” workouts, “tempo” workouts, and “cruise interval” workouts you will see on your intensity day will allow you to determine exactly where your personal gears are and help teach you how to conserve, accelerate, recover, and GO when you need to!

    We follow this philosophy in our Team GFR Training Plans. Take a look at our training plans and join us.

  • How to Run and Walk Half Marathon

    How to Run and Walk Half Marathon

    TIP #1: Approach the Half-Marathon by splitting it into two equal halves. The first half takes you to the 10-mile mark and the second half is the final 3.1 miles (5k). Now before you question my math skills, listen to my reasoning. The first 10 miles should be your “warm-up” for that final 5k run. Patience in the first 10 miles will yield enormous results and pleasant surprises over the last 3 miles – guaranteed! The easiest mistake runners make is going “just-a-teensy-weensy-too-hard” during those first ten miles. If you hit the 11 or 12 mile mark and you find yourself wishing it were all over, then you probably made THE mistake. If you pass the 10-mile mark and you are “ready to rumble,” then you DID NOT make THE mistake.

    TIP #2: [More bad math] Mentally and physically split that first 10-miles into equal parts of 7 miles and 3 miles.
    While you are conserving your energy for that final 5k, taking it easy and feeling strong, those other runners around you will be dreading the second half of their race. You’re just getting warmed up! During that 7 miles, you should be taking walk breaks as in training.
    Once you’ve passed the 7-mile mark, you can increase your pace slightly and begin passing those people who are already beginning to slow down. This “second half of the first 10 miles” is only 3 miles! [See how this wacky math works to your advantage now?] At this point, you can keep the same run/walk ratio and pick up your running pace slightly -OR- you can keep the same running pace and decrease the walk ratio by 15-seconds. Either choice will increase your overall pace. Since you “took it easy” for the first 7 miles, you will be ready to “pick it up a bit.”

    TIP #3: [Final section of bad math] If you’ve done this correctly, you still have half your energy left to burn and there’s only a 5k to go!
    – No death march for you! Anybody can complete a 5k, right? It’s concentration time – time to be aware of “closing the gap” on those people in front of you. You will notice that they seem to be getting closer to you with every step. After a 10-mile warmup, it’s time to have some fun passing them up – you’ve earned it with your patience!
    Walk breaks during the final 5k? It’s up to you. If you know you can run a 5k with confidence – DO IT! If you need a walk break or two or three, put them in. If you want to walk only to get water, do that. This final 5k is yours to enjoy as you wish. You did the training. You did the walk breaks. You took it easy during the first 7 miles. Tear it up!
    During the last 25% of the race, many runners eliminate walk breaks. For the Half-Marathon, that would call for your last walk break to be around the 10 mile mark, if that is what you choose.
    Remember, you can also opt to spread the walk breaks out after 10 miles. For instance, if you’re trying to average 10 minute miles and are doing 5 and 1’s through the 10-mile mark, you could choose to take a walk break at 11-miles and 12-miles rather than continue with the 5 and 1’s.

    TIP #4: Start thinking about throwing kisses to the crowd at the finish line and having fun feeling strong! Go to the nearest mirror right now and practice your finish line smile!
    – ENJOY your success! If the weather is decent, hang out and cheer your buddies in. Hang out and visit if you can. Congratulate yourself and the other people in your group. Wear a silly grin on your face and take pleasure in that post-race buzz!

  • Recreational Level Guidelines

    RECREATIONAL LEVEL.
    Has experience running 5k’s, 10k’s, Hood-to-Coast, half-marathons, or marathons and prefers to keep goals general in the midst of a busy life. Sees running as a social outlet. This plan provides the structure necessary for improvement and the flexibility to run half-marathons instead of marathons. Be better prepared for Hood-to-Coast, or run marathons as active vacations in faraway places.

    This level offers a suggested “up tempo” day on either Tuesday or Wednesday each week. This workout helps build strength and develops pacing skills. It can be adapted to fit your goals. The best workouts are the FUN workouts!

    The workouts allow runners the flexibility of completing multiple half-marathons in a year or a few marathons at a leisurely pace. Most of all, the workouts for the Recreational Level are designed to keep the injuries away.

    AVERAGE WEEK: On average the Recreational Level Program calls for

    • Days Running – Four Days suggested (usually Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday)
      • Monday is an easy run day
      • Tuesday or Wednesday is occasionally a slightly more intense workout
      • Thursday is always a recovery/easy run day
      • Saturday is either a longer day or a second moderate workout depending upon the week
    • Days Cross-Training – Two Days suggested (usually Sunday and Tuesday or Wednesday)
    • Day OFF – One Day Off each week (usually Friday)