WWW. CCR. COM - 10.23.2013 Episode 1 Float workouts build strength for midrace attacks. By Alex Hutchinson; Published April 17, 2012 Back in 2008, Galen Rupp set a record that doesnt show up on his USA Track & Field bio. He ran a workout alternating 200 meters in 30 seconds with 200 meters in 40 seconds, and completed 24 laps. The previous record for the 30-40 session, according to Oregon legend, was 18 laps by Steve Prefontaine. For a runner of Rupps caliber, a 200 in 30 seconds (roughly mile pace) doesnt present much challenge. What makes the workout so special is the speed of the recovery. Even for Rupp, 40 seconds is no jog. This form of brisk recovery run is sometimes called a FLOAT workout. By keeping the recovery quick—but below threshold—youll maintain very high lactate levels throughout the run, without pushing it so high that you have to stop. As Krista Austin, Ph.D., a physiologist who works with elite runners, explains, the body responds by learning to move lactate more quickly out of your muscles and into your bloodstream, where it can be disposed of or reused as fuel. The payoff: Youll recover from midrace surges without slowing down. Float workouts can include intervals ranging from 100 meters to several miles, making them a useful tool for anyone racing distances between 5-K and the marathon. The workouts repeatedly take you across your lactate threshold, which means the recovery is always slower than tempo pace. Do one float workout a week for three weeks, then scale back to doing one every two or three weeks. Be patient, examples are on the way...
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:44:18 +0000
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