Matt Fitzgerald is a journalist and author specializing in the topics of health, fitness, nutrition, and endurance sports training. His work appears regularly in publications such as Runner’s World, Triathlete, and Her Sports. He has also authored and coauthored numerous books, including Triathlete Magazine’s Complete Triathlon Book.

Matt has been an avid runner since he was age 12, and enjoys the occasional triathlon.

Reasons to include omega-three fats in your endurance sports nutrition plan

A new study by Iranian and German researchers provides evidence that fish oil supplementation may enhance lung function in athletes. Forty teenage competitive wrestlers were separated into four groups. Two of the four groups received fitness training. One of these two groups also received daily fish oil supplementation. The other two groups received no fitness training, and one of these two groups also received daily fish oil supplementation.

The researchers took several measurements of lung function in all of the subjects before and after the intervention period. They found increases of 41 percent in one-second forced expiratory volume (the volume of air subjects could forcibly exhale in one second) and 53 percent in total lung volume in the fish oil-supplemented groups compared to the non-supplemented groups.

From Wrestlers to Endurance Athletes

Although this study involved strength/power athletes, the results should be of interest to those in 10K training, half-marathon training, marathon training, and triathlon training because the lung function variables measured are associated with endurance performance. But before you get too excited, note that no study has ever found that fish oil supplementation actually enhances endurance performance. For example, a 1997 study by Norwegian researchers found that fish oil had no effect on aerobic power, anaerobic threshold, or running performance in soccer players.

Previous studies have, however, shown other intriguing effects of fish oil supplementation in athletes. A 2008 study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, for instance, showed that fish oil supplementation increased heart stroke volume (or the amount of blood the heart pumps with each contraction) and cardiac output (or the total amount of blood pumped by the heart) during low- to moderate-intensity exercise. Again, there is no performance effect shown here, but it is clear that fish oil supplementation does effect the underlying physiology of athletes in ways that can only be described as beneficial.

A Smart Sports Nutrition Strategy

The apparent benefits of fish oil are probably related to the known ability of the omega-3 essential fats in the oil to enhance the flexibility of cell membranes and the elasticity of blood vessels. Omega-3 fats also improve nervous system function and have anti-inflammatory effects.

Because omega-3 fats are scarce in most foods and generally lacking in the American diet, daily supplementation with an omega-3 source such as fish oil or flaxseed oil is widely considered to be a good idea, for health reasons. So even though it still remains to be seen whether endurance athletes can reap specific performance benefits from such supplementation, a daily dose of 2 to 3 g of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA combined can contribute to your overall well-being.

Details from a new study linking this compound with muscle recovery

L-carnitine is a natural compound comprised of the amino acids lysine and methionine. Its primary function in the body is to transport fatty acids across cell membranes so that they can be metabolized in the mitochondria. Some endurance athletes supplement with l-carnitine in the belief that it increases the body’s fat-burning efficiency during exercise. Unfortunately, studies have repeatedly shown that l-carnitine supplementation has no effect on fat utilization either at rest or during exercise and no effect on endurance performance. While l-carnitine is essential for fat utilization during exercise, it appears that athletes get as much as they need in the diet (mostly by eating meat) and that supplementation offers no additional benefit.

New Research on Muscle Recovery

A study conducted recently at the University of Connecticut, however, suggests another possible benefit of l-carnitine supplementation: enhanced post-exercise muscle recovery. Eighteen men and women received either a daily l-carnitine supplement or placebo for three weeks, then performed a single weightlifting workout. After a one-week “washout” period, the entire protocol was repeated, with the subjects who received the placebo the first time getting the supplement the second time.

The researchers found that biomarkers of muscle stress were significantly reduced after the weightlifting session when preceded by three weeks of l-carnitine supplementation. The study’s authors concluded, “These findings support our previous findings of l-carnitine in younger people that such supplementation can reduce chemical damage to tissues after exercise and optimize the processes of muscle tissue repair and remodeling.”

A Closer Look

But here’s what those in half-marathon training, marathon training, and triathlon training really need to know about this study: L-carnitine supplementation made no difference in how quickly muscle strength and power were restored after the workout. Since the whole point of accelerating muscle recovery through supplementation is to hasten the restoration of muscle function specifically, these results offer little cause for excitement.

It is also worth mentioning that the participants in this study were non-athletes. Supplements that are found to have physiological effects in non-athletes often have no effects in athletes, because training has the same effects as the supplements.

The Bottom Line

So while l-carnitine supplementation is safe, it seems to be useless in terms of enhancing endurance sports performance. If the results of the University of Connecticut study are enough to make you curious, however, you can find l-carnitine supplements in both pill and liquid forms at most supplement retail stores. Typical recommended dosages are 1 to 2 grams daily.

Tips on running downhill for those in 10K training, half-marathon training, or marathon training
 
The most famous feature of the Boston Marathon racecourse is Heartbreak Hill, a climb of 88 feet over 0.6 miles that begins just past the 20-mile mark of the race. (See my previous blog Time to Climb with tips on uphill training.) But the most challenging feature of the Boston course is probably its extensive downhill sections, including a 150-foot plummet in the first mile.

While running downhill generally feels easier and is less taxing on the metabolic and cardiovascular systems than level or uphill running, it subjects the tissues of the lower extremities to significantly more strain. This strain causes muscle damage, soreness, and neuromuscular fatigue that can cripple runners later in a run or race. Runners who enter races that have extensive downhill sections without including specific preparation for this challenge in their 10K training, half-marathon training, or marathon training seldom run as well as they hope to run.

The Downside of Downhills

The specific nature of the strain imposed by downhill running is called eccentric loading. An eccentric load occurs when an outside force tries to stretch a muscle as the muscle itself tries to resist that stretch by contracting. Eccentric loading takes place every time your foot makes contact with the ground when you run. The quadriceps muscles on the front of the thigh are subjected to the greatest eccentric loading. When your foot strikes the ground, impact forces try to make your knee buckle. Unconsciously, you contract your quadriceps to stabilize your knee and remain upright. But your knee does flex and your quads do stretch a bit when you land, so those muscles are essentially pulled in two directions simultaneously. This strain causes microscopic trauma to the muscle fibers. While eccentric loading occurs on all gradients, it is much greater when you are running downhill.

There are two consequences of the strain of running downhill. First, it limits performance and causes fatigue to occur more quickly in runners who are unaccustomed to downhill running. A recent French study found that runners were able to sustain 97 percent of their maximum 60-meter sprint speed in a set of 10 sprints on a neutral gradient, but only 95 percent of their maximum 60-meter sprint speed in a set of 10 sprints on a 4.7 percent downhill gradient. The reason appears to be that the greater eccentric loading associated with sprinting downhill triggered a protective neuromuscular inhibition—in other words, the brain refused to drive the muscles as hard as it could have to protect the legs from excessive strain.

The second consequence of the strain associated with running downhill is delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Indeed, when exercise physiologists wish to study exercise-induced muscle damage and DOMS, they almost always use downhill running to cause damage and soreness, because it does so more effectively than most other kinds of exercise.

Practice Makes Perfect

Fortunately, it’s been shown that including downhill running in your 10K training, half-marathon training, or marathon training will greatly increase both fatigue resistance and eccentric loading tolerance. In fact, a single downhill run that is extreme enough to cause significant soreness provides a protective effect that lasts up to two months.

But you need more than just one downhill workout to improve downhill running efficiency and to overcome the neuromuscular inhibition that limits downhill running performance. So, when preparing for Boston, or any downhill course, include downhill training in your weekly long run. Start with just a mile or so of downhill running in your first long run and include at least 10 total miles of downhill running in your “peak” long run two to three weeks before race day.

Finding routes that accommodate this type of training may be a challenge in itself. One option is to organize a point-to-point run that starts high and ends low. U.S. Olympian Rod DeHaven used to prop up the back end of a treadmill and run as long as 16 straight miles downhill while preparing for the 2001 Boston Marathon, in which he finished sixth in 2:12:41.

Hill workouts to enhance your cycling training, 10K training, marathon training, or triathlon training

Cycling and running uphill are different from cycling and running on the flats. Going uphill requires more strength, and the cost of carrying extra body weight is multiplied on climbs. That’s why there are climbing specialists in cycling and running—and those who dread hills.
 
Including some hill work in your cycling and running is essential preparation for climbing in races. It’s also a great fitness builder even if you never race on hilly routes. Here’s a quick overview of the various ways to incorporate hill work into your cycling training, 10K training, marathon training, or triathlon training.

Hills On the Bike

Short Climbs: One of the most painful, yet effective, cycling workouts is short hill climbs, which typically consist of repeated efforts of 30 seconds to 5 minutes uphill at a very high intensity. Very short hill climbs (30 seconds) are terrific power builders, while slightly longer climbs increase VO2max, strength, high-intensity fatigue resistance, and pain threshold.
 
Sample Short Climb Workout #1: Warm up with 10 to 20 minutes of easy spinning. Ride 10 x 1 minute hard uphill. Coast back down the hill for recovery. Cool down with 10 to 20 minutes of easy spinning.

Sample Short Climb Workout #2: Warm up with 10 to 20 minutes of easy spinning. Ride 5 x 3 minutes hard uphill. Coast back down the hill for recovery. Cool down with 10 to 20 minutes of easy spinning.

Long Climbs: Sustained climbs in training are good practice for sustained climbs in races and are also an effective way to work within the range of intensity that is generally associated with racing. You can perform multiple climbs of moderate duration (2 to 3 x 8 to 12 minutes) or, if you have a mountain handy in your area, one long climb all the way to the summit. Some cyclists even like to use a particular long climb as a fitness test, riding up it as fast as possible every once in a while to measure improvement.

Hilly Long Rides: Some of your weekend long rides should be done on the hilliest route you can find in your area. A 50-mile ride on a hilly route is far more taxing and provides a greater endurance-boosting stimulus than a ride of equal distance on the flats.

Hills On the Run

Hill Sprints: A true sprint is a very short, absolute top-end effort. Hill sprints have become popular among competitive runners in recent years as a specific strength and power builder. To do them, run 10 seconds all-out up a steep hill. Walk slowly back down to your starting point and repeat. If it’s been a while since you last sprinted, start by doing just one hill sprint immediately after finishing an easy run. This will “inoculate” your muscles and joints against pulls and strains. Wait three or four days, then do two sprints after an easy run. Gradually build up to 6 to 10 sprints twice a week.

Hill Repetitions: Hill repetitions are essentially speed intervals performed on a slope. Like speed intervals, hill repetitions increase VO2max, high-intensity fatigue resistance, and running economy, but they also build strength. As with short climbs on the bike, a variety of formats are possible. You can run really fast intervals lasting as little as 30 seconds, or three-minute intervals at something closer to a 5K race effort, or something in between.
 
Downhill Running: While cycling downhill is much easier than cycling uphill, running downhill is actually harder than running uphill because it subjects the body to more musculoskeletal strain. So adding some downhill running to your 10K training, half-marathon training, marathon training, or triathlon training is a great way to increase your body’s tolerance for repetitive impact—as well as prepare you for the rigors of downhill racing. In my next post, I’ll give specific tips on how to incorporate downhill running into your training, so stay tuned.

Sports nutrition advice for weight-conscious individuals in half-marathon training, marathon training, or triathlon training

Every endurance athlete knows that body weight (as well as body composition, or body-fat percentage) affects endurance performance. It pays to be light and lean. Consequently, the average endurance athlete struggles to attain his or her optimal body weight just as much as the average non-athlete struggles to attain a healthy weight.

Non-athletes commonly diet, or reduce their food intake, to lose weight. For those in half-marathon training, marathon training, or triathlon training, however, it’s often not so simple because endurance exercise places high energy demands on the body and reducing food intake can deprive the muscles of the energy they need for optimal performance and subsequent muscle recovery.

Short-Term Slim-Down Study

There is some new evidence, however, that endurance athletes can lose weight through dieting without sabotaging their training if they take a careful approach. In a 2009 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, scientists from George Washington University placed 10 competitive cyclists on a reduced-calorie diet (up to 40 percent) for three weeks and modified their training to include morning workouts in a fasted state (no breakfast). All of the subjects submitted to a variety of tests, including body composition and resting metabolic rate measurements and a performance test—both before and after the intervention.

The diet yielded no changes in fat burning during exercise, maximum power output on the bike, or power at VO2max. However, the cyclists’ rating of perceived exertion during two hours of submaximal exercise decreased (meaning the same effort felt easier) and their body composition and power-to-weight ratio improved significantly.

This study shows that endurance athletes can shed excess body fat relatively quickly and maintain their performance while on a fairly restrictive short-term diet. But there was no control group, so we can’t rule out the possibility that the diet prevented these cyclists from improving their power output and power at VO2max over the three-week study period.

The Diet’s Downside

I actually spoke with one of the participants in the study, who told me that the diet was not easy. He struggled with all-day hunger throughout it and went straight back to his normal eating habits as soon as the intervention was completed. So while the diet was effective in the short-term, it was not sustainable in the long-term. Undoubtedly, his performance and that of the other subjects would have begun to suffer if they had kept up caloric deficits of as much as 40 percent much longer than three weeks.

Other studies, involving athletes in weight-class sports such as rowing and wrestling, have shown that the severe dieting methods engaged in during the final weeks and days before competition do in fact sabotage performance. So there is clearly a limit to what we can get away with.

Developing a Smart Endurance Sports Nutrition Plan for Weight Loss

Based on the totality of available research, I believe that those in half-marathon training, marathon training, triathlon training, or any other type of endurance-sport training should generally try to lose excess body fat gradually through sustainable improvements in diet quality (get specific tips on how to do this in my earlier blog Weight Loss for Endurance Athletes) and sensible increases in training load whose primary intent is to boost fitness. Occasional efforts to lose weight more quickly are OK, but avoid cutting calories so much that your training suffers, keep these efforts relatively brief (2 to 4 weeks), and use them early in the training process, not close to races.

How adequate sleep can enhance your half-marathon training, marathon training, or triathlon training

Nothing promotes muscle recovery—and full-body recovery—from the stress of exercise like good old-fashioned sleep. In fact, lack of adequate sleep is itself a stressor, so if you consistently under-sleep, you will not recover from your workouts as quickly and you will also be unable to handle as much marathon training or triathlon training as you could handle if you did sleep adequately.

Consider this: As few as four nights of partial sleep deprivation result in skyrocketing levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which inhibits muscle recovery and repair. In addition, research in non-athletes has shown that short-term partial sleep deprivation increases circulating levels of C-reactive protein, a biomarker of inflammation. Therefore, the muscle damage-related inflammation often caused by training is likely to be exacerbated by inadequate sleep.

Muscle Recovery Aside

The impact sleep has on athletic performance doesn’t stop with recovery. Insufficient sleep reduces the body’s ability to process glucose, and therefore to produce energy. Human growth hormone, the muscle-building hormone that plays the biggest role in rebuilding tissue after exercise, requires sleep for full activation, so the less sleep you get, the less muscle you wake up with. Sleep loss also weakens the immune system by reducing the activity of interleukins, molecules involved in signaling between cells of the immune system.
 
The latest neuroscience suggests that sleep even plays a crucial role in relation to motor skill refinements—such as those that make you a more efficient swimmer, cyclist, and runner. During sleep, the brain’s motor center appears to “practice” movements performed by the body during the day. So, in a sense, if you miss out on sleep, you miss out on some of your training.

The Pros and Pillow Time

Looking for real-world evidence that endurance training increases sleep needs? Take a poll and you’ll find that most elite endurance athletes sleep a lot. Marathoner Deena Kastor sleeps 10 hours a night and takes a two-hour nap every afternoon. Most amateur endurance athletes find that their sleep needs increase as their training load does. This may be because exercise causes the muscles to release particular cytokines that induce sleepiness and prolong sleep.

The effect of exercise on sleep needs, however, has been little researched. Some athletes go by propound rules of thumb, such as the suggestion that every mile a runner runs each week increases his sleep needs by 10 minutes per night. But there is no scientific basis for these formulas. They may be accurate for everyone, or just some people, or nobody. We just don’t know.

Snooze So You Don’t Lose

So how do you determine how much sleep is enough? Sleep experts believe that there is a high degree of variation in sleep needs between individuals. It’s best to sleep until you are “slept out,” regardless of how much time it takes. In other words, you should sleep long enough so that you awaken spontaneously in the morning and couldn’t sleep more if you tried. And you will probably find that it takes longer to sleep yourself out when your marathon training or triathlon training is in high gear. Quite simply: Trust your body and do as it tells you.

How music can enhance your marathon training or triathlon training

A good song may alleviate the boredom of a long marathon training run, take the edge off your suffering during a hilly triathlon training ride, or add a layer of pure enjoyment to an intense weightlifting session. Especially in harder workouts, the right music almost seems to act like a performance-enhancing drug. But, of course, there’s no way something as intangible as a song could change your body’s physiological limits. Or could it?

Listen To The Studies

Research suggests that music really can boost athletic performance. For example, a 2009 study by researchers at Liverpool John Moores University in England looked at the effects of music of different tempos on stationary cycling performance. Twelve subjects rode bikes for 25 minutes at a self-selected intensity level on three separate occasions while listening to popular music. Without the subjects’ knowledge, the tempo of the music was manipulated so that it was normal in one workout, 10 percent faster than normal in another workout, and 10 percent slower than normal in the remaining workout.

The subjects’ average power output over the full 25 minutes was found to be 3.5 percent greater when the music tempo was increased. Their power dropped by 9.8 percent when the music was slowed down.

So clearly fast music is better for performance than slow music. But is music generally better than no music? Yes, according to a 2004 study done by researchers at England’s Lincoln University. Student volunteers completed a muscular endurance task (holding a weight as long as they could) while listening to self-selected “motivational music” and again while listening to white noise. The subjects were able to hold the weight significantly longer while listening to music.

Listen To Your Brain

So, how can mere sounds boost a person’s physical endurance? The answer to this question has to do with the brain’s role in physical performance. Exercise scientists used to believe that fatigue occurred when the muscles or cardiorespiratory system hit some kind of hard physiological limit. For example, the muscles became so acidic that they stopped working properly. It is now understood that such limits are never reached. Instead, the brain imposes fatigue before these limits are reached to protect the body from serious harm.

Because the brain essentially chooses to impose fatigue based on a prediction of where the body’s true physiological limits lie, the brain has some flexibility in setting performance limits. When an athlete is highly motivated, the brain will risk a bit more and allow the body to come a little closer to the point of self-harm in pursuit of better performance. All kinds of factors may influence an athlete’s level of motivation, and music appears to be one of them.
 
Listen To Some Music

You certainly don’t have to rely on music to motivate your best performance, and you probably shouldn’t rely on it too heavily in training, because you can’t legally race with headphones on. But if you feel that listening to your favorite songs gives you a boost during some of your marathon training runs or triathlon training workouts, it probably does. So, don’t stop the music. And if you’ve never tried training with music, maybe now is the time to finally invest in an iPod!

Shift your marathon training into high gear with this program for experienced runners

Many people run marathons just to complete the 26.2-mile distance—and good for them. The beginner marathon training plan I posted last week is perfect to accomplish this goal. But if you’ve already got a few marathons under your belt, and you now want to markedly improve your performance, check out the following advanced marathon training plan.

Our 20-week advanced marathon training plan includes one rest day and six runs per week. Details on the eight workout types featured in the program precede the schedule. And just in case you’d rather focus your energies on the half-marathon distance, take a look at our beginner half-marathon training plan or our advanced half-marathon training plan. Regardless of the race distance and training level you choose, best of luck!

Easy Run: Run at a steady, comfortable pace.

Uphill Sprints: Run a relaxed 10-second sprint up a steep hill, walk back down to your starting point, and repeat until you have completed the prescribed number of repetitions.
 
Fartlek Run: Run the designated distance at a comfortable, steady pace that is interrupted by periodic 30-second bursts at 5K race pace. Spread out the bursts enough so that you are always fully recovered from the last one before you start the next.

Long Run: Run the designated distance at a steady, comfortable pace.

Tempo Run: Run the tempo portion of your tempo runs at a “comfortably hard” intensity (which is usually between half-marathon and 10K race pace for most runners).

Interval Run: Perform these workouts on a 400-meter track, if possible, or a flat, smooth stretch of road.

Moderate Run: Run steadily at a pace that is roughly 20 seconds per mile faster than your normal easy run pace.

Goal-Pace Run: Run the goal-pace portion of your goal-pace runs at your targeted race pace for the upcoming event. For example, if your goal is to run a sub-4:00 marathon, then your goal pace is 9:09 per mile.

20-Week Advanced Marathon Training Plan

Week 1
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Wednesday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Thursday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Friday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 3 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 5 miles 

Week 2
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Easy Run: 4 miles + 2 x 10-second Uphill Sprints
Wednesday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Thursday: Fartlek Run: 5 miles easy with 4 x 30-second bursts @ 5k pace
Friday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 6 miles

Week 3
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Easy Run: 4 miles + 3 x 10-second Uphill Sprints
Wednesday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Thursday: Fartlek Run: 6 miles easy with 6 x 30-second bursts @ 5k pace
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 7 miles

Week 4
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Easy Run: 4 miles + 2 x 10-second Uphill Sprints
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Fartlek Run: 4 miles easy with 6 x 30-second bursts @ 5k pace
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 9 miles

Week 5
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Easy Run: 6 miles + 3 x 10-second Uphill Sprints
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Fartlek Run: 6 miles easy with 8 x 30-second bursts @ 5K pace
Friday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 11 miles

Week 6
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Easy Run: 4 miles + 4 x 10-second Uphill Sprints
Wednesday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Thursday: Fartlek Run: 5 miles easy with 8 x 30-second bursts @ 5K pace
Friday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 8 miles

Week 7
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Fartlek Run: 4 miles easy with 8 x 30-second bursts @ 5K pace
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 13 miles

Week 8
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 12 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 4 x 800 meters @ 5K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 15 miles

Week 9
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 15 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 5 x 800 meters @ 5K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 17 miles

Week 10
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Moderate Run: 5 miles
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Easy Run: 6 miles + 4 x 100-meter Uphill Sprints
Friday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 12 miles

Week 11
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 16 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 6 x 800 meters @ 5K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 18 miles

Week 12
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 18 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 3 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 20 miles

Week 13
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 20 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 4 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Sunday: Goal-Pace Run: 4 miles easy, 8 miles @ goal pace

Week 14
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Moderate Run: 5 miles
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Easy Run: 6 miles + 5 x 100-meter Uphill Sprints
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 22 miles

Week 15
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 24 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 4 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 7 miles
Sunday: Goal-Pace Run: 4 miles easy, 10 miles @ goal pace

Week 16
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 26 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 5 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 15 miles

Week 17
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Moderate Run: 5 miles
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Easy Run: 6 miles + 6 x 100-meter Uphill Sprints
Friday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Sunday: Goal-Pace Run: 4 miles easy, 12 miles @ goal pace

Week 18
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 30 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 6 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 22 miles

Week 19
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 20 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 5 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 7 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 14 miles

Week 20
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 2 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Marathon!

A sports nutrition technique to get the most out of your half-marathon training, marathon training, or triathlon training

There was a time when coaches withheld water from athletes during training to “toughen them up.” Now we know better. Allowing athletes to become dehydrated in training does nothing except harm their performance. There is, however, new evidence that the old-school logic of toughening up athletes through deprivation may be valid when applied to carbohydrate intake in training.

Recent studies indicate that while consuming carbohydrate during exercise does enhance immediate performance, it can also inhibit some of the body’s beneficial adaptations to training. By contrast, exercising in a carbohydrate-depleted state, which makes workouts tougher for the body, stimulates a stronger fitness-boosting physiological response.
 
Explaining This Sports Nutrition Finding

In a newly published study, researchers from McMaster University showed that, compared to exercise in a state of normal carbohydrate fueling, exercise in a carbohydrate-depleted state might increase the capacity of the muscle cells to burn fuels aerobically by boosting the production of mitochondria. The mitochondria are tiny organelles within muscle cells where aerobic metabolism occurs. Increased mitochondrial density is one of the most important performance-enhancing effects of aerobic exercise.

As part of this new study, ten men performed a workout consisting of 4 x 5 minutes at high intensity on stationary bikes. They completed this workout twice on the same day with three hours of recovery between sessions. One week later, this double-workout protocol was repeated. In the first trial, half the men were given a high carbohydrate drink after the morning workout, while the others were given a zero-calorie placebo drink that ensured the men were in a carbohydrate-depleted state for the second workout. In the second trial, the drinks were switched.

The authors of the study found increased levels of a compound known as p38 MAPK that is involved in mitochondrial biogenesis following the afternoon workouts that were performed in a carbohydrate-depleted state. This finding suggests that p38 MAPK is a nutrient-sensitive signaling molecule that is most active when exercise is performed in a carbohydrate-depleted state.

Further Sports Nutrition Evidence

Other research has shown that exercise in a carbohydrate-depleted state is beneficial in another way. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an immune system agent and large amounts of it are released into the bloodstream by the muscles and the brain during exercise. IL-6 is believed to facilitate many of the body’s post-workout fitness gains, ranging from increased fat burning capacity to greater resistance to muscle damage.

The primary trigger for IL-6 release during exercise is glycogen (i.e. muscle carbohydrate) depletion. So it follows that training in a glycogen-depleted state will tend to produce stronger training adaptations than training in a glycogen-replete state. Studies have shown that the muscles produce much less IL-6 when carbohydrate is consumed during exercise.

Incorporating Under-Fueling Into Your Endurance Sports Nutrition Plan

Despite the findings of these studies, it would be overreaching to conclude that athletes should consistently avoid consuming carbohydrate during and immediately after workouts. While intentional under-fueling may have the benefit of boosting the body’s fitness response to workouts, there are other benefits that come from consuming carbohydrate during and after workouts—namely, better performance and faster recovery. So, until more research is performed to determine the optimal balance of normally fueled and carbohydrate-depleted workouts, it is probably best only to pick certain workouts to perform in a carbohydrate-depleted state, either by not taking in carbohydrate during them or by not taking in carbohydrate immediately afterward, or both.

A simple program to get you started on your marathon training

If you’re looking to complete your first 26.2-miler, we’ve got the marathon training plan for you. Our beginner marathon training plan is 20 weeks long and includes four scheduled runs and two optional runs most weeks. While you can get fit enough to finish a marathon without doing the optional runs, keep in mind that daily exercise is required for optimal health, let alone optimal running performance. So do the optional runs or a cross-training activity such as bicycling if your schedule permits.

All of the runs in this beginner plan should be paced by feel. Try to complete each run at a steady, moderate pace. On days when you feel especially strong, feel free to run a little faster. On days when you feel flat, run as slow as necessary to feel at least somewhat comfortable.

Think you’re ready for an advanced marathon training plan? I’ll post one soon, so stay tuned. And for those of you interested in focusing on the half-marathon distance, check out my beginner half-marathon training plan and advanced half-marathon training plan.

20-Week Beginner Marathon Training Plan

Week 1
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 3 miles
Wednesday: Run 2 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: Run 3 miles
Saturday: Run 2 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 4 miles

Week 2
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 3 miles
Wednesday: Run 3 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 3 miles
Friday: Run 3 miles
Saturday: Run 3 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 5 miles

Week 3
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 3 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 3 miles
Saturday: Run 3 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 6 miles

Week 4
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 3 miles
Wednesday: Run 3 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 3 miles
Friday: Run 3 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Run 8 miles

Week 5
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 4 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 9 miles

Week 6
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 5 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 5 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 8 miles

Week 7
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 5 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 5 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 10 miles

Week 8
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 5 miles
Friday: Run 4 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 11 miles

Week 9
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 4 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 9 miles

Week 10
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 6 miles
Friday: Run 4 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 12 miles

Week 11
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 5 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 5 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 13 miles

Week 12
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 5 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 6 miles
Friday: Run 5 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 14 miles

Week 13
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 5 miles
Friday: Run 5 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 9 miles

Week 14
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 5 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 6 miles
Friday: Run 5 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 15 miles

Week 15
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 5 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 6 miles
Friday: Run 6 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 16 miles

Week 16
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 5 miles
Friday: Run 5 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 10 miles

Week 17
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 6 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 6 miles
Friday: Run 6 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 18 miles

Week 18
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 6 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 8 miles
Friday: Run 6 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 20 miles

Week 19
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 5 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 6 miles
Friday: Run 6 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 12 miles

Week 20
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 7 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 5 miles
Friday: Run 4 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Marathon!

Stay inside this winter and still keep your cycling or triathlon training on track

One of the great things about riding a bike is that it’s not just a workout, it’s a journey. You can cover a lot of territory and see a great deal in a long Saturday ride. So why would any cyclist or athlete in triathlon training want to ride indoors and go nowhere?

Obviously, foul weather can make riding indoors more a matter of necessity than choice. But there are three special benefits of riding indoors that make it sometimes worth doing even on perfect days:

1. Safety. Let’s face it: Sharing the roads with cars is a little scary at times. Most cyclists have had close calls and know at least one fellow rider who has been hurt in a bike-vehicle encounter. Training indoors is a way to reduce your risk of an accident.

2. Performance. High-intensity interval workouts are an essential part of serious cycling training and triathlon training. Many athletes feel that these workouts can be done more effectively in a room, which presents a controlled environment where you can just put your head down and hammer.

3. Time. Indoor riding saves time. You can get started more quickly without the usual tire inflation and other preparations and you don’t have to stop for traffic lights. Also, because there is no coasting indoors, indoor riding is slightly more intense, so that an hour of pedaling indoors is equivalent to 65 or 70 minutes on the roads.

Select Your Equipment

Various types of equipment can be used for indoor cycling. Bike rollers and fluid trainers are devices that you can mount your regular bike on for stationary indoor riding. The chief advantage of these options is that they allow you to train on the same bike you use outdoors. Most cyclists find, however, that riding their regular bike is a lot less comfortable indoors because the constant, subtle changes in saddle-rider contact points that occur outdoors are eliminated with stationary pedaling. In other words: Your butt gets sore much faster!

Dedicated indoor bikes such as the CycleOps 300PT are typically more comfortable for indoor riding and therefore may be a better way to go if you plan to ride indoors often. But these bikes are pricey. The CycleOps 300PT costs $1,900.

The stationary bikes at your local fitness club represent another option. The design of these bikes, however, is very different from that of road racing bikes (larger saddles, wider pedal-to-pedal measurements, etc.), and for this reason they are not as well suited to long or high-intensity workouts.

Know Your Reasons

It is important to have a clear understanding of why you ride indoors, because this will help you determine how to train indoors most effectively. For instance:

You ride inside only when something makes it impossible to ride outdoors. In this case, simply do your best to replicate your planned outdoor rides indoors. Most workouts are easily transferred. Long rides can be exceptions as many cyclists find it very difficult, both physically and psychologically, to perform multi-hour rides under a roof. In cases when you know you will not be able to go the full distance of a planned ride that you have transferred indoors, just go as long as you comfortably can.

You ride inside for long stretches during the winter. Cyclists and those in triathlon training who choose to “ride out” the winter mostly indoors should consciously approach this phase of training as a lower-volume phase. Make up for reduced cycling volume by cranking up the intensity of some of your rides, adding some cross-training to your program (e.g. cross-country skiing), and/or lifting weights to build strength for the upcoming season.

You ride inside to boost performance. Choose the types of rides you do inside wisely when looking to improve performance. Long rides and hill repetitions are best done outdoors, as hill climbing is difficult to properly replicate on a trainer. The trainer is conducive to recovery rides, base rides, and all types of high-intensity training other than hill climbing.

Step up your half-marathon training with this program for veteran runners

If you’ve run a couple of half-marathons in the past, but are now looking to actually race one, the following half-marathon training plan is probably for you. (First-time half-marathoners can check out the beginner half-marathon training plan  we posted last week.) Our 12-week advanced half-marathon training plan includes one rest day and six runs per week. But first, a key to the seven different types of workouts featured in the plan. Here’s to a PR!

Easy Run: Run at a steady, comfortable pace.

Uphill Sprints: Run a relaxed 10-second sprint up a steep hill, walk back down to your starting point, and repeat until you have completed the prescribed number of repetitions.
 
Fartlek Run: Run the designated distance at a comfortable, steady pace that is interrupted by periodic 30-second bursts at 5K race pace. Spread out the bursts enough so that you are always fully recovered from the last one before you start the next.

Long Run: Run the designated distance at a steady, comfortable pace.

Tempo Run: Run the tempo portion of your tempo runs at a “comfortably hard” intensity (which is usually between half-marathon and 10K race pace for most runners).

Interval Run: Perform these workouts on a 400-meter track, if possible, or a flat, smooth stretch of road.

Moderate Run: Run steadily at a pace that is roughly 20 seconds per mile faster than your normal easy run pace.

Advanced Half-Marathon Training Plan

Week 1
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles easy and 1 mile @ Tempo Run pace
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Fartlek Run: 5 miles easy with 6 x 30-second bursts @ 5K pace
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 6 miles

Week 2
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Moderate Run: 5 miles
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 5 x 800 meters @ 5K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 7 miles

Week 3
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 16 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 6 x 800 meters @ 5K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 8 miles

Week 4
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 18 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 3 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 7 miles

Week 5
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: Run 10 minutes easy, 20 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 4 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 10 miles

Week 6
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Moderate Run: 5 miles
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Easy Run: 6 miles + 5 x 100-meter Uphill Sprints
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 12 miles

Week 7
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: 10 minutes easy, 24 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 4 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 7 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 9 miles

Week 8
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: 10 minutes easy, 26 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 5 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 13 miles

Week 9
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Moderate Run: 5 miles
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Easy Run: 6 miles + 6 x 100-meter Uphill Sprints
Friday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Sunday: 10K race, or do your own 10K time trial where you simply run 10K as hard as you can (do a 2-mile warmup)

Week 10
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: 10 minutes easy, 30 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 6 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 14 miles

Week 11
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: 10 minutes easy, 20 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 5 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 6 miles
Saturday: Easy Run: 7 miles
Sunday: Long Run: 10 miles

Week 12
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo Run: 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes @ Tempo, 10 minutes easy
Wednesday: Easy Run: 5 miles
Thursday: Interval Run: 1 mile easy, 2 x 1 mile @ 10K pace with 2-minute jog recoveries, 1 mile easy
Friday: Easy Run: 4 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Half-Marathon!

Endurance sports nutrition advice for athletes sensitive to wheat

Suddenly it seems as if the phrase “Gluten-Free” is printed on every third product package at the supermarket—or at least the natural foods market. Americans are now reportedly spending $2 billion on gluten-free products. What is gluten, anyway, and why are so many people trying to avoid it?

Gluten is essentially wheat protein. More exactly, it is a composite of two plant proteins and starch that is found in the greatest abundance in wheat and is also present in smaller amounts in other grassy grains such as rye and barley. Between 0.5 and 1 percent of the population experiences an inappropriate immune response to the protein, which causes such symptoms as diarrhea, gastrointestinal complaints, weight loss, and anemia. This condition, known as celiac disease, is genetic. Medical research has identified two gene polymorphisms—known as DQ2 and DQ8—that affect white blood cell behavior in a way that creates a predisposition for the disease.

Running The Numbers

One percent of the population is a small figure. It cannot support the large number of gluten-free products now packing the shelves of health food markets. There is clearly a huge demand for gluten-free foods among people who do not have celiac disease. Why? Because there is a rapidly growing population of people who believe they have a milder condition that is variously referred to as gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity, and gluten sensitivity enteropathy.

The mainstream medical establishment does not recognize the existence of gluten sensitivity, perhaps largely because it is not even able to detect it. A PubMed search of the term “gluten intolerance” yields only research on celiac disease proper. A search on the term “gluten-sensitivity enteropathy” yields scores of studies, but a closer look reveals that this term is used synonymously with celiac disease within the mainstream medical establishment. For example, in a recent Spanish screening study for gluten sensitivity enteropathy involving 1,868 subjects, only 15 were found to have the condition.

Yet there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that some form of non-celiac gluten sensitivity does exist. The typical gluten-free dieter is someone who discovered a pattern of suffering from gastrointestinal issues after eating gluten-containing foods and found relief upon switching to a gluten-free diet.

The Blame Game

Even recognizing that a non-celiac form of gluten sensitivity does exist, the current gluten-free diet trend is no doubt larger than the true prevalence of gluten sensitivity in the population. In other words, gluten is probably being scapegoated to some degree, perhaps because the preceding low-carb diet trend trained the public to think of grains as evil foods.
 
Lately many parents are even blaming gluten for causing or exacerbating the symptoms of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their children. Is there any scientific evidence of such a link? The short answer is no. In a recent Newsweek article on the gluten-free diet trend, Peter Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, is quoted as saying, “All this gluten intolerance, and using the diet to treat autism, ADHD … there's no documented scientific reason for that at all.” Experts like Green attribute the many anecdotal reports of improvement in autistic and ADHD kids placed on gluten-free diets to a placebo effect.

Gluten and Your Endurance Sports Nutrition Plan

If you suffer from regular GI distress with no known cause, it can’t hurt to try a gluten-free diet. How should you adapt your marathon training diet or triathlete diet? Simply remove all foods containing wheat, rye, and barley from your endurance sports nutrition plan and replace them with alternatives made from corn, rice, millet, etc. This is trickier than it may sound, as gluten is hiding in all kinds of foods where you would not expect to find it, such as some brands of soy sauce. To help you, check out one of the several popular gluten-free diet books currently on the market. But don’t be surprised if you don’t experience any relief, as the balance of evidence suggests that non-celiac gluten sensitivity is more hype than reality.

A simple program to get you started on your half-marathon training

Did your list of New Year’s resolutions include completing your first half-marathon? If so, the following beginner half-marathon training plan is just what you need to achieve this 13.1-mile goal.

Our 12-week beginner half-marathon training plan includes four scheduled runs and two optional runs most weeks. While you can get fit enough to successfully finish a half-marathon without doing the optional runs, keep in mind that daily exercise is best for achieving optimal health, let alone optimal running performance. So do the optional runs or a cross-training activity such as bicycling if your schedule permits.

All of the runs in the beginner plan should be paced by feel. Try to complete each run at a steady, moderate pace. On days when you feel especially strong, feel free to run a little faster. On days when you feel flat, run as slow as necessary to feel at least somewhat comfortable.

Looking for an advanced half-marathon training plan? I’ll post one soon, so stay tuned.

12-Week Beginner Half-Marathon Training Plan

Week 1
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 2 miles
Wednesday: Run 2 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: Run 2 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Run 3 miles

Week 2
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 3 miles
Wednesday: Run 2 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 2 miles
Friday: Run 3 miles
Saturday: Run 2 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 4 miles

Week 3
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 3 miles
Wednesday: Run 3 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 3 miles
Friday: Run 3 miles
Saturday: Run 3 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 5 miles

Week 4
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 3 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 3 miles
Saturday: Run 3 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 6 miles

Week 5
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 3 miles
Wednesday: Run 3 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 3 miles
Friday: Run 3 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Run 8 miles

Week 6
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 4 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 9 miles

Week 7
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 5 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 5 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 8 miles

Week 8
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 5 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 5 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 10 miles

Week 9
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 5 miles
Friday: Run 4 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 11 miles

Week 10
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 4 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 9 miles

Week 11
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 4 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 6 miles
Friday: Run 4 miles
Saturday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Sunday: Run 12 miles

Week 12
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run 5 miles
Wednesday: Run 4 miles (optional)
Thursday: Run 4 miles
Friday: Run 5 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Half-Marathon!

Endurance sports nutrition advice for those who can’t deal with dairy

If you’re lactose intolerant, you probably know it. The most common symptoms are gas, bloating, and stomach pains following the consumption of milk or dairy foods. Some lactose intolerant individuals are able to consume particular dairy foods (i.e. yogurt) without consequences, others are able to consume small amounts of milk and diary foods with minimal discomfort, while still others must completely avoid all dairy products.

What’s the problem?
Lactose intolerance is caused by the body’s inability to produce an enzyme called lactase that is responsible for digesting the natural lactose sugar in milk. When undigested lactose enters the large intestine, it produces the symptoms that every lactose-intolerant individual knows all too well.

Who’s at risk?
With very rare exceptions, nobody is born lactose intolerant. After all, mother’s milk contains lactose, and infants must produce large quantities of lactase to digest it. Lactase production, however, normally drops significantly after the age of weaning. But the amount of that decrease varies significantly between individuals, depending largely on ethnicity. Persons with northern European ancestry tend to continue producing enough lactase to drink milk throughout life, whereas persons of African, Asian, and Native American ancestries typically become lactose intolerant. There are plenty of exceptions, though, and even many who can consume diary foods as young adults develop problems later in life due to a continuing decline in lactase production.

How do you treat it?
Dealing with lactose intolerance is a fairly straightforward matter. Just avoid consuming the dairy foods that give you problems, or limit your consumption of such foods to amounts that do not produce symptoms. It may take a little trial and error to figure out exactly what you can and cannot get away with.

Why should endurance athletes be careful when ditching dairy?
Excluding diary foods from your diet means missing out on the unique combination of nutrients they provide—particularly protein and calcium, which are very important to those in marathon training, triathlon training, or any other endurance sport training. Fortunately, many other foods are rich in protein, such as meat, eggs, fish, and nuts. But when it comes to calcium, dairy foods contain much greater amounts of the mineral than almost any other foods. The average American already gets significantly less than the recommended amount of calcium per day (1,000 mg for men and 1,300 mg for women), and if you do not consume any dairy foods due to lactose intolerance, it is even more likely that your calcium intake will fall short—unless you make a consistent effort to get calcium from other sources.

Which calcium sources are best for lactose intolerant individuals?
The top non-dairy natural sources of calcium are sardines (324 mg per serving), tofu (138 mg per serving), and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach (120 mg per serving). You can get additional calcium from fortified foods and beverages, including many breads and breakfast cereals and some juices. Read labels to find out whether specific products are calcium fortified. Finally, for insurance, you can take a daily calcium supplement or multivitamin-multimineral with calcium.

Reasons to consider treadmill workouts as part of your winter 10-K training, half-marathon training, or marathon training

Last week I posted three great workouts that were better suited to treadmill running than to running outdoors. But there are no doubt many endurance athletes out there who consider treadmill running a lesser substitute for running outdoors and, therefore, hesitate to incorporate treadmill workouts into their winter 10-K training, half-marathon training, or marathon training. For those skeptics, consider these three distinct advantages to running on a treadmill:

1. Treadmills are convenient. One of the great things about running is that you can do it almost anywhere, anytime. But there are certainly situations when outdoor running is impractical, making treadmill running preferable. If, for example, you often run before the sun comes up, a treadmill can spare you from having to run in the dark. Or if the sidewalks get icy in the winter, a treadmill can spare you from a nasty fall.

2. Treadmills facilitate controlled and precise workouts. Even when you can run outdoors, running on a treadmill may be a better option for certain workouts. Let’s say that as part of your marathon training you want to practice running at your goal pace before the upcoming race. On a treadmill, you can take advantage of your ability to dial in a precise pace to get your body and mind accustomed to holding that pace steadily.

3. Treadmills offer flexibility. Working out on a treadmill can be a good fallback option when you have certain minor injuries. For instance, when you need a lower-impact workout, you can crank up the gradient and go slower for less pounding.

The Bottom Line for the Belt: Despite the negative connotations associated with treadmill running, it is most definitely effective. In fact, both the male and female winners of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathons, Rod DeHaven and Christine Clark, were heavy treadmill users. DeHaven routinely did all of his easy morning runs on a treadmill in his basement. And Clark, an Alaskan, did almost all of her training on a treadmill in her basement in preparation for the Trials. If the marathon training techniques of two Olympians are not enough to convince you, remember the research, which has shown that while heart rate is slightly lower at any given pace on a treadmill than it is outdoors, the difference is very slight, and you can counteract it by running at a 1 percent gradient on the treadmill—a very easy fix that makes your miles on the treadmill just as worthwhile as those logged out on the road.

Three treadmill workouts to help you keep up with your 10-K training, half-marathon training, or marathon training

As the temperatures drop and the snow piles along the sides of the roads grow, that treadmill in your basement is looking pretty darn good as a means for continuing your 10-K training, half-marathon training, or marathon training. Of course, some treadmill haters argue that treadmill running is easier than running outdoors, hence not as effective. But research has shown that while heart rate is slightly lower at any given pace on a treadmill than it is outdoors, the difference is very slight and you can counteract it by running at a 1 percent gradient on the treadmill.

Of course, most of the workouts you do outdoors can also be done on a treadmill. But the treadmill is actually better suited than the outdoors for a few specific types of workouts. Here are three such sessions:

The Endless Hill
One of the favorite workouts of many Kenyan and Ethiopian runners is to run from the bottom to the top of a mountain and back down. This very effective workout is difficult to do if you do not live near a mountain, but you can do the climbing part of it on a treadmill. As a substitute for a regular weekend long run, hop on a treadmill and run for the same duration on an upward gradient. You can choose a steady gradient of 6 to 8 percent or make it more interesting by changing the gradient periodically, even going up to 10 to 15 percent for short periods.

Marathon-Pace Run
Warm up with one mile of easy jogging, then run anywhere from four to 12 miles (depending on where you are in your marathon training program) at your ideal marathon pace. Doing this workout on a treadmill enables you to lock right on to that pace and stay there.

VO2max Test
The workout format that exercise physiologists commonly use to determine VO2max is also useful as a powerful (albeit painful!) fitness-boosting workout. Start by hopping on the treadmill and running easy for 5 to 10 minutes. Next, increase the belt speed by 0.5 mph and run for one minute at that speed. Now increase the belt speed by another 0.5 mph, hold the new speed for another minute, and continue in this fashion until you feel unable to run any faster. Reduce the belt speed and cool down. Note the maximum speed you attained and try to beat it when you repeat the workout in three or four weeks.

Endurance sports nutrition advice for vegetarians

Some endurance athletes are vegetarian for ethical reasons, others for health reasons, and still others because they just don’t like meat. Whatever your reason may be for going vegetarian, you will want to pursue it in a way that helps rather than hurts your marathon training or triathlon training. Luckily there are many successful vegetarian endurance athletes who offer proof that performing well on a meatless diet is possible. For example, Spanish triathlete Eneko Llanos went vegetarian as a teenager, and it did not stop him from winning two XTERRA World Championship titles and placing second in the 2008 Hawaii Ironman.

The key to working vegetarianism into a successful endurance sports nutrition plan is to make sure your diet includes abundant plant (and supplemental) sources of a few key nutrients: protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin B12.

Protein

Meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products contain much more protein than plant foods. The proteins in animal foods are also more complete and readily used by the body. The protein needs of endurance athletes, however, are relatively low: up to about 20 percent of total calories. That amount is sufficient to promote muscle recovery and enable the muscles to adapt to training. As a lacto-ovo vegetarian, you can easily get this much protein by eating fish, eggs, and/or dairy foods.

If you are a strict vegetarian, though, be sure that your diet includes higher-protein plant foods such as beans, nuts, and seeds. Soybeans are the best protein source among plant foods. Also consider drinking soy protein shakes after workouts, when your protein demands are the greatest because of the need for proper muscle recovery.

Calcium

The recommended daily intake of calcium is 1,000 to 1,300 mg. The average adult consumes only 500 to 700 mg daily. The major consequence of this common deficiency is weakening of the bones, which increases the risk of stress fractures in runners and other athletes. Some research even suggests that calcium deficiency contributes to weight gain.
 
As everyone knows, dairy foods are the best sources of calcium. If you do not include dairy foods in your diet, you need to be sure that you get enough calcium from other sources. Alternative natural food sources of calcium include spinach, collard greens, salmon, and tofu. Many breakfast cereals and bread products are also fortified with calcium. For insurance, consider taking a calcium supplement to meet the recommended daily intake.
 
Iron

A study by researchers at Ball State University compared iron levels in vegetarian and non-vegetarian runners and found that iron levels were much lower in the vegetarians. The reason is that animal foods and plant foods contain different types of iron (heme and non-heme, respectively), and the heme iron in animal foods is much more bioavailable. Iron deficiency is common in endurance athletes, and if you are a vegetarian you may be at even greater risk.

Apricots, baked beans, peas, and spinach are among the plant foods with relatively high concentrations of iron. But again, they are all non-heme iron sources, so they may not provide enough. It’s a good idea to get your iron levels checked by a physician. If they are normal, you can continue eating as you have been with confidence. If they are low, your doctor may advise you to take an iron supplement.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is important for red blood cell formation, and, of course, endurance athletes need as many red blood cells as they can get for oxygen transport during exercise. Animal foods contain plenty of vitamin B12, while plant foods contain almost none in its active form. Therefore, vegetarians are bound to be B12 deficient unless they eat fortified foods such as cereals and breads or take a B12 supplement. The daily requirement is 2 to 6 micrograms.

How swimmers can improve performance, reduce injury risk, and speed muscle recovery with alternative forms of training

Most of today’s elite cyclists, runners, and swimmers do more than just log countless miles (or meters) in their chosen endurance sport. They also lift weights and engage in alternative forms of cardiovascular conditioning. Why? Simple: Cross-training enhances performance in their primary sport, reduces their risk of injury, and helps promote proper muscle recovery.

You too can get these same performance and fitness benefits—and even maximize them—by choosing cross-training activities that best complement your main endurance sport. So which specific activities should you add to your training regimen to reap the most performance rewards if you are, say, a swimmer? What about if you’re a cyclist—or a runner?

That’s what our 3-Part Cross-Training Primer is all about. In two earlier posts that were Part 1 and Part 2 of this primer, we discussed the best cross-training activities and strategies for cyclists and runners. Here in Part 3, we cover cross-training advice for swimmers. So, cyclists and runners: Click on the links above for your cross-training primers. Swimmers: Read on.

Stay Dry, Increase Fitness

For peak performance in the pool, most competitive swimmers devote some of their training time to activities out of the pool, specifically functional strength-training exercises, higher-impact forms of aerobic training, and stretching. Here’s what to focus on:

Functional strength-training exercises: Swimming is more of a strength sport than cycling and running because it is done in water, which is a more resistive medium than air. So, all serious competitive swimmers complement their swimming with “dryland” strength training to increase their stroke power. Dara Torres exemplifies the benefits of strength training for swimmers. In 2008, Torres, at age 41, attempted to qualify for her fifth U.S. Olympic swim team. To counteract the effects of aging on her body, Torres incorporated an intensive dryland training regimen into her program. In the run-up to the Olympic Trials, she performed four 60-to-90-minute functional strength sessions per week. The result was a chiseled physique, complete with six-pack abs (a rarity among swimmers) that drew a lot of attention during the Beijing Games. More importantly, Torres swam better than she had in her 30s, 20s, or teens, qualifying for the U.S. team in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle and winning silver medals in the 50-meter freestyle and two relay events.

You don’t have to hit the weights as hard as Dara Torres to get noticeable benefits. Even three, 20-minute dryland sessions per week will have a measurable effect on your swimming. Be sure to build these sessions with core-strengthening exercises—as the power in all four strokes originates at the core—and functional movements such as chin-ups, which simulate the pull phase of the stroke.

Higher-impact aerobic alternatives: Just as it does for cyclists and runners, cross-training in alternative aerobic disciplines can give swimmers a nice mental break from swimming, especially during the off-season. But since the fitness crossover between leg-dominant activities, such as running, and swimming is minimal, you should not rely on aerobic cross-training to actually enhance your swimming performance.

There is, however, a health rationale for higher-impact aerobic cross-training. Research has shown that swimmers typically have lower bone mineral density (BMD) than other athletes because of the non-bodyweight nature of swimming. Running a bit on the side can help swimmers increase their BMD and reduce their risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering bone fractures. Weightlifting also increases BMD.

Stretching. Unlike cycling and running, in which normal joint flexibility is adequate, swimming is a sport in which above average flexibility—particularly in the shoulders and ankles—is beneficial for performance. A wide shoulder range of motion in all directions will enable you to take longer strokes, while greater ankle flexibility will give you a more powerful kick. Therefore you should perform a few stretches to increase your shoulder and ankle flexibility daily.