fiiggl •£' by IAAF 8:4:61-70, 1993 The training of women marathon runners by Jose Manuel Ballesteros (^C The author outlines some general 1 Introduction iraining principles for the Maraihon and discusses importanl factors which women Women have been running the Maraihon marathon runners must consider. He also seriously only since the late 1970's. Since that describes the ba.sic training methods which, he lime their Increasing interest and willingness believes, will help women perform lo their to compele in ihis evenl have led to a consid­ full potential in this event. erable improvemenls lo results. However, this article will show that women have the V physical and mental ability to run the marathon distance fasler than they do at pre­ senl. 1 will cover the general training principles for the Maraihon and discuss some imporlani factors which women marathoners must take into account. I will also describe the basic training methods which I believe should enable women to perform to their full potential. 2 Performance potential The highly specific nalure of modern athlet­ ics is now apparent In the Marathon. This race has now become a specialised event, as is shown by the fact that only three women were ranked in the World Top 20 both for 10,000 metres and the Maraihon in 1992. It has ceased to be the refuge of 10,000 metres track runners of limiled poiential or alhleies nearing the end of Ihelr careers, Jose Manuel Ballesteros is a member ofthe The evenl is also being taken up at a much NSA AdvLsory Ediiorial Board. He has younger age nowadays. For example, in the coached six Spanish Maraihon champions Tianjin Maraihon earlier this year Zhang (male and female) as well as other athletes Linli ran 2:24:42 aged 19 while Wang Junxia, who have compeied in the Olympic Games who ran 2:24:07 to win the race, was 20 years- and IAAF World Championships in Alhlelics. old. In the the short history of women's interna­ Translated from the original lional marathon competiiion - the firsl Spanish by Diane Schofield. 61 Olympic Games Women's Marathon race In my forecasts I apply the following for­ look place In Los Angeles in 1984 - perfor­ mula for the women's Marathon: Possible mances have Improved considerably. Some Time ^ Best Time for lhe 10,000 meires mul­ time ago I made a forecast of the following tiplied by four, plus a differenlial of beiween performance limes for the year 20{X): 26:40 for 19 and 23 minutes (A graph based on formu­ the men's 10.000 metres and 29:00 for the la this can be seen In Figure 1.) Performances women's 10,000 metres, as well as 2:03:00 and of lop marathoners generally come within the 2:17:00 respectively for the Marathon. Il is predicied margins. If they do not. ii may be notable that since this forecast was made the because of insufficient training for the world record for the women's 10,000 metres Marathon or, as In the case of Benoit. has already been Improved considerably from because their personal best for the 10.000 30:13.74 to 29:31.78 by Wang Junxia. metres does nol correspond lo their real A glance at standards In all the women's potential al that dislance. dislance events supports my forecast and sug­ With regard lo the different siages of the gests that the full poteniial of maraihon ath­ race, a good crilerion could be, in the case of leles has nol yet been achieved. For example, women, lo add approximately three mmules in a lable devised by the University of to their personal besi for each 10.ÜOO meires Montreal (D Mercler, L Leger and M and ihen lo add seven or eight minutes for Desjardlns), it Is staled that a marathon lime the final 2195 metres. At a constant pace, the of 2:20:00 - fasler ihan the world record of differeni slages of the race would unfold in 2:21:06 - equates with limes of 8:22 for 3000 an arithmetical fashion. For example, for a metres - which Is aclually slower than the time of 2:20:00 al a speed of 5m/s, they would current worid record of 8:06:11 - and 30:12 be: 1000 meires in 3:20 - 5000 metres In 16:40 for 10,000 meires - also slower than the cur­ - 10.000 metres in 33:20 - 20km in 66:40 and rent world record. So there is room for 40km in 2:13:20. But because It is nol usually improvement. feasible to maintain a constani pace during j,o«/io.otw U:!0/JS''J / n^ivio-is A 1 l}Oa/SD:<} / ij.is'n IS • A IS'JO/JI-fl • A 1 1 JMJfJii) • / ii:a;>'3i-''s A I6;l)/l!-|i / MtnllMn 12M 214:0 lOOTn . 13 nit! .23 nu» Iim< 14 62 Figure 1 Table 1: comparison of elite women performers in Ihc 10.1100 metres and Marathon 10,000 metres Marathon Formula DifTerential Junxia (CHN) 29.31.78 2:24.07 25.9 Kristiansen (NOR) 30.13.74 2:21:06 20.2 Curatolo (ITA) 32.19.77 2:30:14 20.6 Polovinskaya (URS) 32.17.74 2:27:05 17.6 Benoit (USA) 32.07 2:21:21 12;6 Lehane (USA) 31.42.8 2:32.11 25,6 Wailz (NOR) 30.58 (ro; d) 2:24:54 21.1 the entire race, the lime for the second half ogists, is 98% aerobic and jusl 2% anaerobic. should be increased by belween I and 2 min­ However, training does require some work at utes. a sufficiently high level of oxygen consump­ tion to break the sieady slate and so further 3 General training principles improve aerobic power. This will resull in annual percentages of 3% anaerobic training. At one lime, the emphasis of marathon 17% of a mixed nature and 80% aerobic. The training was mileage. Later it switched lo greatest amount of anaerobic work, up lo quality work, and al present, there Is a com­ 10% is carried oul towards the end of the bination of bolh lypes of iraining. The most basic preparatory stage. The balance of the Important factor is still volume and this weekly microcycles is three to one. This increases as the season progresses until il allows a good ovcrcompensailon, by allernal­ reaches its highest values in the pre-competi­ ing quantity work with quality work In the live phase. firsl slages. and then introducing work of a The minimal daily mileage for top level mixed characler for the regenerative cycle athleles should be aboul 20km. and the maxi­ (See figures 2 & 3). mum aboul 35km, Normally, the majority of The amount of training carried oul on lop alhletes run belween 8.000 and 10.000 asphall or on roads varies a greal deal from kilomeires a year although Rosa Mota ran one athlete to another. Because of the risk of approximately 7800 kilomeires in the year lendion and joint injuries it Is nol advisable leading up to her European Championship for women lo do too much work on surfaces marathon victory in 1982. which are too hard. Training is generally carried out twice a It has also been shown thai the use of var­ day. somelimes including a third, short, early ied terrain in daily training sessions has a morning session. A minimum is ten training good training effecl. sessions per week. Mileage should increase Time irlals. of course, should always be on annually by between 6-12% until maximal the road. Initially with courses ihal include volumes are achieved. This may be up lo five running up and downhill, and laler on flat or six years after initiation Into the evenl. courses that favour an optimal running pace. Women who take up lhe marathon al 20 Afler any Marathon. It is advisable lo years of age. wilh best times of around 4:20 have a completely regeneralive period, wilh for 1500 metres and 9:15 for 3000 metres two options: either to compele In anoiher have an excellent chance of running a Marathon race 3-4 weeks later, using the marathon in less than 2:40 wiih jusl one sea­ super compensation effect of the first, in son of specific training and an adcquaie which case the subsequent periodizalion increase In lhe volume of work. should be very long; or lo recommence the The Marathon, according to mosi physiol­ training cycle with short work, as for a 5000- 63 ftDAPTATIQN ZONE FATieUE ZONE ^=5^ OVERTRAINING ZONE SUITABLE t^DRK — HARD WORK »' r .. m. " OVERTRAINING (DIAGRAM FROM COUNSILMAN) Figure 2 A A/ ^^ r LOADS ^^ l^ FATIGUE WEEKS 1 \,^^ 2 3 ^ J Figure 3 64 10.000 metres runner, and then to race anoth­ can lead lo the classic ammenorrhea and the er Marathon after 3-4 months. In either case. eventual risk of insufficient production of ll has been shown that the bcsl results are oestrogen and the danger of weakened bone obtained wiih no more Ihan two, or al mosl structure. The effect of menstruation, puts Ihree, Maraihon races each year. women alhletes al a greater risk of iron defi­ ciency, wilh the consequent loss of perfor­ 4 Factors to consider during training mance in long dislance runs. Anorexia may also affect marathon alh­ 4.1 Moniloring work leies. Women maralhoners should have fre­ quent blood checks lo moniior iron levels. The heart rate offers the simplest indica­ Difficulty in making up lost weight {1 kilo­ tion of work rate.