25 of the most universally accepted rules of running.
1. The Specificity Rule
The most effective training mimics the event for which you're training.
This
is the cardinal rule of training for any activity. If you want to run a
10-K at seven-minute-per-mile pace, you need to do some running at that
pace. "Runners are best served by running at goal pace and in the
expected environment of that race," says Ann Snyder, Ph.D., director of
the human performance lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The
Exception: It's impractical to wholly mimic a race--particularly longer
distances--in training because it would require extended recovery. So,
when doing race-specific training, keep the total distance covered
shorter than the goal race, or run at your race pace in shorter segments
with rest breaks (interval training).
2. The 10-Percent Rule
Increase weekly training mileage by no more than 10 percent per week.
Joe
Henderson, the first editor of Runner's World, and Joan Ullyot, M.D.,
author of three women's running books, first popularized the 10-percent
prescription in the 1980s. "I noticed that runners who increased their
training load too quickly were incurring injuries," says Dr. Ullyot.
The
Exception: If you're starting at single-digit weekly mileage after a
layoff, you can add more than 10 percent per week until you're close to
your normal training load.
3. The 2-Hour Rule
Wait for about two hours after a meal before running.
"For
most people, two hours is enough time for food to empty from the
stomach, especially if it's high in carbohydrate," says Colorado sports
dietitian and marathoner Cindy Dallow, Ph.D. "If you don't wait long
enough, food will not be properly digested, raising the risk of
abdominal cramps, bloating, and even vomiting."
The Exception:
You can probably run 90 minutes after a light, high-carb meal, while you
may need up to three hours after a heavy meal that's high in protein
and fat.
4. The 10-Minute Rule
Start every run with 10 minutes of walking and slow running, and do the same to cool down.
"A
warmup prepares your body for exercise by gradually increasing blood
flow and raising core muscle temperature," says Jerry Napp, a Tampa Bay
running coach. "The cooldown may be even more important. Stopping
abruptly can cause leg cramps, nausea, dizziness, or fainting."
The Exception: It takes less than 10 minutes to rev up on warm days.
5. The 2-Day Rule
If something hurts for two straight days while running, take two days off.
Two
straight days of pain may signal the beginning of an injury. "Even
taking five days of complete rest from running will have little impact
on your fitness level," says Troy Smurawa, M.D., team physician for USA
Triathlon.
The Exception: If something hurts for two weeks, even if you've taken your rest days, see a doctor.
6. The Familiar-Food Rule
Don't eat or drink anything new before or during a race or hard workout.
Stick
to what works for you. "Your gastrointestinal tract becomes accustomed
to a certain mix of nutrients," says Dallow. "You can normally vary this
mix without trouble, but you risk indigestion when prerace jitters are
added."
The Exception: If you're about to bonk, eating something new is probably better than eating nothing at all.
7. The Race-Recovery Rule
For each mile that you race, allow one day of recovery before returning to hard training or racing.
That
means no speed workouts or racing for six days after a 10-K or 26 days
after a marathon. The rule's originator was the late Jack Foster, the
masters marathon world record holder (2:11:18) from 1974 to 1990. Foster
wrote in his book, Tale of the Ancient Marathoner, "My method is
roughly to have a day off racing for every mile I raced."
The Exception: If your race effort wasn't all-out, taking fewer recovery days is okay.
8. The Heads-Beats-Tails Rule
A headwind always slows you down more than a tailwind speeds you up.
So
expect to run slower on windy days. "I disregard the watch on really
windy days because headwinds cost me 15 to 25 seconds a mile, and I only
get a portion of that back after I turn around," says Monte Wells, a
longtime runner in Amarillo, Texas, America's windiest city. "The key is
to monitor your effort, not your pace. Start against the wind, so it's
at your back in the second half."
The Exception: On point-to-point runs with the wind at your back, you'll fly along faster than usual.
9. The Conversation Rule
You should be able to talk in complete sentences while running.
A
recent study found that runners whose heart and breathing rates were
within their target aerobic zones could comfortably recite the Pledge of
Allegiance. Those who couldn't were running faster than optimal.
The Exception: Talking should not be easy during hard runs, speedwork, or races.
10. The 20-Mile Rule
Build up to and run at least one 20-miler before a marathon.
"Long
runs simulate the marathon, which requires lots of time on your feet,"
says Gina Simmering-Lanterman, director and marathon coach of the Denver
Fit training program. "And knowing that you can run 20 miles helps you
wrap your head around running 26.2."
The Exception: Some coaches
believe experienced marathoners can get by with a longest run of 16 to
18 miles, while other coaches suggest runs up to 24 miles.
11. The Carbs Rule
For a few days before a long race, emphasize carbohydrates in your diet.
"Carbo-loading"
became the marathoner's mantra after Scandinavian studies in 1967
suggested cramming down carbs following a period of carb depletion
produced super-charged athletes. Experts now say simply emphasizing
carbs a few days before a race over two hours works just as well.
The Exception: There's a word for carbo-loading during regular training or before a short race: gluttony.
12. The Seven-Year Rule
Runners improve for about seven years.
Mike
Tymn noticed this in the early 1980s and wrote about it in his National
Masters News column. "My seven-year adaptation theory was based on the
fact that so many runners I talked to ran their best times an average of
seven years after they started," he recalls.
The Exception: Low-mileage runners can stretch the seven years to well over a decade before plateauing.
13. The Left-Side-Of-The-Road Rule
To keep safe, run facing traffic.
"While running, it's better to watch the traffic than to have it come up
from behind you," says Adam Cuevas, a marathoner and chief of the
Enforcement Services Division of the California Highway Patrol. It's the
law in California and many other states to run on the left side unless
you're on the sidewalk.
The Exception: The right side of the road
is safer when running into leftward blind curves where there's a narrow
shoulder. The right side can also be safer if there's construction on
the left side.
14. The Up-Beats-Down RuleRunning uphill slows you down more than running downhill speeds you up.
So,
you can expect hilly runs to be slower than flat runs. "You don't get
all of the energy that you expend going uphill back when you run
downhill," explains Nimbus Couzin, Ph.D., a marathon-running physics
instructor at Indiana University Southeast. "That's because when your
feet strike the ground on a descent, a lot of energy is lost."
The Exception: When you run point-to-point with a net elevation drop, your average pace should be faster than on a flat course.
15. The Sleep RuleSleep one extra minute per night for each mile per week that you train.
So
if you run 30 miles a week, sleep an extra half hour each night. "Sleep
deprivation has a negative impact on training," says David Claman,
M.D., director of the University of California-San Francisco Sleep
Disorders Center. "The average person needs seven and a half to eight
hours of sleep, so increase that amount when you're training."
The Exception: The extra sleep may not be necessary for some high-energy folks.
16. The Refueling RuleConsume a combination carbohydrate-protein food or beverage within 30 to 60 minutes after any race, speed workout, or long run.
"You need an infusion of carbs to replace depleted muscle glycogen, plus
some protein to repair and build muscle," says Nancy Clark, R.D.,
author of Food Guide for Marathoners. "Ideally, the carb-protein ratio
should be 4-to-1. Some examples would be 150 to 300 calories of low-fat
chocolate milk, a recovery-sports drink, flavored yogurt, or a bagel and
peanut butter."
The Exception: Immediate refueling is less important if you aren't running hard again within 24 hours.
17. The Don't-Just-Run RuleRunners who only run are prone to injury.
"Cross-training
and weight training will make you a stronger and healthier runner,"
says TriEndurance.com multisport coach Kris Swarthout. "Low- and
nonimpact sports like biking and swimming will help build supporting
muscles used in running, while also giving your primary running muscles a
rest."
The Exception: The surest way to run better is to run. So if your time is limited, devote most of it to running.
18. The Even-Pace RuleThe best way to race to a personal best is to maintain an even pace from start to finish.
Most
of the 10,000-meter and marathon world records set in the last decade
have featured almost metronome-like pacing. "If you run too fast early
in the race, you almost always pay for it later," warns Jon Sinclair,
the U.S. 12-K record holder and now an online coach (anaerobic.net).
The Exception: This doesn't apply on hilly courses or on windy days, when the objective is to run an even effort.
19. The New-Shoes RuleReplace running shoes once they've covered 400 to 500 miles.
"But
even before they have that much wear," says Warren Greene, Runner's
World gear editor, "buy a new pair and rotate them for a while. Don't
wait until your only pair is trashed." Consider shoes trashed when the
spring is gone.
The Exception: A shoe's wear rate can vary,
depending on the type of shoe, your weight, your footstrike pattern, and
the surfaces you run on.
20. The Hard/Easy RuleTake at least one easy day after every hard day of training.
"Easy"
means a short, slow run, a cross-training day, or no exercise at all.
"Hard" means a long run, tempo run, or speed workout. "Give your body
the rest it needs to be effective for the next hard run," says Todd
Williams, a two-time U.S. Olympian and online coach at pushthepace.com.
Apply the hard/easy rule to your monthly and yearly training cycles by
treating yourself to one easy week each month, and one easy month each
year.
The Exception: After the most exhausting long runs and
speed workouts, especially if you're 40 or older, wait for two or even
three days before your next tough one.
21. The 10-Degree RuleDress for runs as if it's 10 degrees warmer than the thermometer actually reads.
To
put it another way, dress for how warm you'll feel at mid-run--not the
first mile, when your body is still heating up. This means choosing the
right apparel. (See the "Dress for Success" table) "On cold days, the
new soft-shell tops and tights are light, warm, and breathable," says
Emily Walzer, fabrics editor for Sporting Goods Business Magazine. "On
warm days, wear a lightweight performance fabric next to your skin,
which will disperse sweat through evaporation."
The Exception:
There's a limit to how many clothes you can take off without getting
arrested, so if it's in the 70s or warmer, wear minimal lightweight,
light-colored apparel.
| Dress for Success |
| Here’s a cheat sheet to help you dress appropriately for
your runs, no matter what the thermometer says. This chart factors in
the 10-Degree Rule but doesn’t account for a significant windchill. On
very windy days, you may need to dress warmer. |
TEMP
(in degrees)
|
BASIC APPAREL |
| above 70 |
Lightweight/light-colored singlet and shorts |
| 60 to 69 |
Tank top or singlet and shorts |
| 50 to 59 |
T-shirt and shorts |
| 40 to 49 |
Long-sleeve shirt and tights or shorts |
| 30 to 39 |
Long-sleeve shirt and tights |
| 20 to 29 |
Two upper-body layers and one lower-body layer |
| 10 to 19 |
Two upper-body layers and one lower-body layer |
| 0 to 9 |
Two/three upper-body layers, one/two lower-body layers |
| below 0 |
Three upper-body layers, two lower-body layers |
22. The Speedwork-Pace RuleThe most effective pace for VO2-max interval training is about 20 seconds faster per mile than your 5-K race pace.
The
best way to increase your aerobic capacity and long-distance speed is
through VO2-max interval training. A pioneer of VO2-max training is Jack
Daniels, Ph.D., coach at the Center for High Altitude Training in
Flagstaff, Arizona. "By stressing your aerobic system," he says, "this
pace optimizes the volume of blood that's pumped and the amount of
oxygen that your muscle fibers can use."
The Exception: The exact
pace is closer to 10 seconds faster per mile than 5-K race pace for
fast runners, and 30 seconds faster per mile for slower runners.
23. The Tempo-Pace RuleLactate-threshold or tempo-run pace is about the pace you can maintain when running all-out for one hour.
This
pace is about 20 seconds slower per mile than your 10-K race pace, or
30 seconds slower per mile than 5-K race pace. "The key benefit of this
pace is that it's fast enough to improve your threshold for hard
endurance running, yet slow enough that you don't overload your
muscles," says Daniels. The ideal duration of a tempo run is 20 to 25
minutes.
The Exception: The exact pace is less than 20 seconds
slower per mile than 10-K race pace for faster runners and slightly more
than 30 seconds slower per mile than 10-K race pace for slower runners.
24. The Long-Run-Pace RuleDo your longest training runs at least three minutes per mile slower than your
5-K race pace.
"You
really can't go too slow on long runs," says RW "Starting Line"
columnist Jeff Galloway, "because there are no drawbacks to running them
slowly. Running them too fast, however, can compromise your recovery
time and raise your injury risk."
The Exception: Galloway says you should run even slower on hot days.
25. The Finishing-Time RuleThe longer the race, the slower your pace.
How
much slower? Jack Daniels and J.R. Gilbert spent years compiling a
table (see "Predict Your Performance") that shows how much you should
expect to slow down from one race distance to the next. "We did some
curve-fitting to come up with a formula that generates a pseudo-VO2-max
for each race time," says Daniels. They sweated the math; now you just
need to sweat the race.
The Exception: Terrain, weather, or how you feel on race day could all throw off the table's accuracy.
