Springfield/South County Youth Club DISTANCE RUNNING IN TRACK & FIELD

What is Distance in Track & Field?

Distance (and mid-distance) events in track and field require endurance, strategy, and patience. Distance running primarily relies on slow-twitch muscle fibers and the aerobic energy system. Athletes must sustain a constant pace over a longer distance while leaving enough energy to surge (kick) at the end of a race.

Ranging from 800m (half a mile) to 3000m (almost 2 miles), each event requires different levels of endurance and speed. Although most athletes will be able to run a mile, those who train distance will be better prepared to run it (and other distance events) faster and more efficiently through proper pacing, race technique, and increased endurance.

Athletes training for distance events will notice an increase in endurance and speed over longer distances. This greatly benefits athletes who player soccer, rugby, ultimate frisbee, or who tire easily in other sports.

Basic Biomechanics and Technique in Distance Running

Distance, unlike sprinting is not as biomechanically technical. The most important form aspects for distance runners are the following:

• Athletes must utilize their arms when running. Like sprinting, utilizing the arms in a back and forth motion will help drive athletes forward. At the end of a race it is especially important: “Swing the arms and the legs will follow.”

• Foot strike is not as critical as sprinting, but athletes should aim to land close to the ball of their foot but not on their toes. Depending on the speed of the athlete, a mid-foot strike or heel strike is acceptable.

• Neutral head and torso position are critical. Athletes who are leaning too far back or forward are losing energy unnecessarily. Additionally, clenched jaws, raised shoulders, etc. will cause an athlete to expend energy needlessly. Relax- ation, when possible, is the key.

Phisiology of Distance Running and Seasonal Organization

While much of the following discussion is extraneous information, it may be interesting to learn some of the science behind our training.

There are three main physiological components to distance running: VO2 Max (amount of oxygen one’s muscles can consume per minute), lactate threshold (fastest speed one can maintain aerobically before transitioning to more of the anerobic system), and running economy (volume of oxygen consumed at submaximal speeds).

Our training is broken up into three phases. The first of which focuses on building the athlete’s endurance base. This will focus on improving their VO2 max through longer intervals, longer runs, and through the miles they (hopefully) do at home, in gym class, or in other sports. A good endurance base is the single most important part of distance running. Most groups will do this almost all season. This is the phase is where we train pacing.

Second, we enter a preparation phase to introduce the body to speedwork. The endurance base has been built and now it’s time to get a bit faster. Typically, we increase the pace slightly but maintain a longer interval distance.

Next is the final phase. Often called “peaking”, but for the purposes of these young athletes it simply means they’re getting faster. Workouts are shorter in distance and faster in pace, often incorporating training of the body’s ability to handle lactate effectively. We focus on being able to finish races strong and with speed.