The More You Know....

In The Long Run: You'll Find Endurance
By Dr. Stephen M. Pribut
http://www.drpribut.com/sports/longrun.html

The long run is the cornerstone of marathon training. In marathon training it has been found that 3 runs of 18 - 22 miles over the 8 weeks prior to the marathon are an important predictor of completing the marathon. The long run is also an important element for middle distance runners. The 10K runner will benefit from runs of 8 miles, 10 miles and even up to 14 miles or more. A 5K runner will benefit from runs of 6 miles, 8 miles and up to 12 miles or so.

The long run has been emphasized as the building block of training for over 30 years. Arthur Lydiard and many others have made it the base component of training programs for distance runners. All of today's programs including Hal Higdon's and Jeff Galloway's highlight the importance of the long run. Just what magic does the long run do? Long distance aerobic running gives the strength and ground work on which much will be built. Lactate threshold training, speed work, and stamina will all come later, but the ability to run long has many benefits.

VO2 max will increase from running within your aerobic training range. Capillaries will grow, enhancing the blood supply to the muscle fibers. Training increases the number and size of mitochondria. The mitochondria are the aerobic powerhouses of the cell. A variety of key aerobic enzymes will also increase. More myoglobin will be found in the skeletal muscle fibers. The significance of the increase in capillaries and myoglobin are the assistance that this will provide to the part of the VO2

equation specifying the difference in concentration of oxygen in arterial and venous blood, these changes facilitate oxygen transfer into the muscles.

Summary Of Long Run Effects:

* Strengthens the heart - larger stroke volume.
* Strengthens the leg muscles - endurance is developed.
* Mind Work - mental toughness and coping skills are developed.
* Develops fat burning capacity
* Increases number and size of mitochondria
* Increases capillary growth into muscle fibers.
* Increases myoglobin concentration in muscle fibers.
* Increases aerobic efficiency.
* Increase in Maximum VO2..

Aerobic long runs also predominantly train the Type I Slow Twitch Fibers and Type II-b Fast Twitch fibers. These fast twitch "intermediate" fibers will become more adept at oxidative metabolism.