Lydiard Fundamentals Part 4: Anaerobic Training Phase
Article by Chelsea Ho of Sweat Elite
Continued from Part 3: Hill Resistance Training
The Anaerobic Training Phase is the final phase in the Lydiard Training cycle leading up to the athletes first competition of the season. It can be divided into 4 sub-phases:
- VO2 max intervals
- Glycolytic (lactic) repetitions
- Peaking
- Freshening
Introduction
Source: Livingston, K. (2008). Healthy Intelligent Training: The Proven Principles of Arthur Lydiard: Meyer & Meyer Sport, Limited.
By now:
- Your aerobic energy systems (blue) involving your slow-twitch fibres and cardiovascular system should have been developed to its maximum potential within the given timeframe;
- The work capacity of your fast-twitch fibres (both Types IIA and IIB) have been increased via hill work and fartlek work;
- You’ve also developed fine speed via leg-drills and short sub 10-second sprints throughout the year.
Given that the layers of the training pyramid have been built to the level of the anaerobic threshold, now it’s time to lay down the (red) icing on the cake: to increase the capacity and power of your anaerobic energy system. A trained athlete only requires 4-5 weeks to develop this system to its physiological maximum.
Remember, anaerobic capacity is notoriously limited regardless of whether you’re an elite athlete or a couch potato. It doesn’t matter how much you train, the highest oxygen debt you can attain (in terms of its absolute amount) is 15-18L. Depending on the distance, you can choose to exhaust this within a few minutes in an 800m race, or spread it over hours in a marathon.
#1: VO2 MAX INTERVALS
Workout specifics: Intervals around 800m-1000m or 2-5mins @ 95% VO2 max pace, with approximately equal recovery.
Purpose: By performing tiring work for a prolonged duration, you are forcing your circulatory and aerobic systems to work to their maximum while gradually exposing them to high levels of acidosis. You want to reduce your systemic body pH as low as possible, but not too quickly such that the local acidosis in your legs stop you from running altogether. This stimulates the body to create greater chemical buffers against the acidosis, training you to tolerate the acidosis as long as possible when racing.
A word of caution: Avoid shorter and harder sprints during this sub-phase because your legs will drown in local acidosis. This will force you to stop the exercise, way before inducing the desired systemic response! Not good.
Note that 95% VO2 max pace is virtually as effective in reaping the benefits (without incurring the associated dangers) of a true VO2 max workout. Your VO2 max pace is essentially what you can hold for 8-10minutes of very hard running.
#2: GLYCOLYTIC (LACTATE) REPETITIONS
This is the pinnacle of the training pyramid, the final weeks leading up to race day.
Workout specifics: Short, hard and fast repetitions @ 800m-1500m pace, with much longer recoveries.
Purpose: Unlike VO2 max training (which aims to get your body used to systemic acidosis), the goal of this workout is to get a middle distance runner’s legs used to extreme fatigue from local acidosis. Here, your body builds up acid waste much faster than it is able to be eliminated. (If you are focusing on longer distances, do not undertake these sessions as they come at the cost of significant aerobic capacity.)
A word of caution: Do not exhaust this system on a daily basis. Doing so will rupture your cell membranes resulting in protein leakage, and stimulate destructive enzymes to damage other tissues. Also, it is not necessary for your training to be faster than your goal 1500m or 800m pace.
For both types of anaerobic sessions, alternate days should be dedicated to lower intensity runs (anaerobic thresholds, sub-thresholds, recoveries).
#3 PEAKING (AKA ‘SHARPENING’)
Purpose: To manage all the energy systems that you’ve so far developed, with the ultimate goal of consistent peak performance (as opposed to erratic results) throughout your competitions. Typically you are preparing for ‘the big race’ accompanied by less crucial races in the preceding weeks.
Example of a typical week:
- Monday: Race-pace specific glycolytic repetitions with low overall volume.
- Tuesday: A time trial similar or slightly lower to the competition distance. E.g. if you’re racing 5km & 10km, do a 5km TT. If you’re doing 800m, then a 600m TT. This will prevent the accumulation of larger oxygen debts that would otherwise prolong the recovery process. These time trials will help identify weaknesses in your form.
- Wednesday: Alactic sprint training followed by aerobic recovery run. Beneficial for both long and middle-distance runners.
- Thursday: General aerobic runs or self-created training based on information you gathered from Tuesday’s TT.
- Friday: Alactic sprint training followed by aerobic recovery run. Beneficial for both long and middle-distance runners.
- Saturday: Competition day aka ‘practice’ or ‘development’ races. Especially applicable for middle distance runners. These races could be decided based on the data from your Tuesday TTs.
- Sunday: A long run at a much slower pace than during base phase. Stimulate recovery back to a highly aerobic and mildly alkali state.
#4 FRESHENING UP
Purpose: This last phase of approximately 1.5 weeks focuses on reducing your training so as to build up your reserves mentally and physically for the coming important competition. Some call this the “Super Compensation” or “Tapering” phase.
Workout specifics: Daily but very light. Anerobic sessions should be very low in volume, longer runs very easy pace.
SOME COMMON MYTHS
Myth 1: anaerobic training = speed training
In an interview at age 86, Lydiard said:
“[While] repetitions or interval training can improve your speed to a certain degree…the actual fact is…[that they] are used for anaerobic development [whereby the purpose is to create a] huge oxygen debt to develop a buffer against this type of fatigue. Problem is that when you do that, you invariably tighten up. You cannot develop fine speed when you tighten up.”
“Instead, the best way to develop speed is to use some of the American sprint drills. You should be fresh and relaxed when developing speed, not fatigued. But bear in mind, there’s a time for repetitions to develop anaerobic development and there’s a time for sprint drills to develop fine speed. You have to organize all types of training…at the right time so you can peak on the day.”
Recommended ways to develop speed throughout the year include fartlek bursts, sprint drills, striding and bounding up hills.
Myth 2: I need to do lots of interval sessions to prepare well
Actually, the harder you run, the more aerobic recovery work (i.e. very low intensity runs) is needed. This stimulates the gentle flow of blood toxins to the liver, eliminating the acidosis and restoring the body to ‘neutral’. This is also why slow running is better than total rest. Failure to remove any mounting and prolonged acidosis will damage your body’s enzymes, muscles and red blood cells. It can also depress your nervous system, including your coordination.
The younger the athletes, the less anaerobic training should be used in the schedule; and the ratio of anaerobic to aerobic training only increases as the athletes get older and fitter.
For example, the Kenyan athletes will do 3-4 aerobic sessions for every anaerobic session during a racing season. Anerobic workouts, done 2-3 times weekly, is more than sufficient. Never do hard anaerobic training on consecutive days.
On the other hand, alactic exercise (speed drills and short sprints with very long recoveries) is safe to perform frequently as it uses the creatine phosphate substrate, not glycogen.
References
Livingston, K. (2008). Healthy Intelligent Training: The Proven Principles of Arthur Lydiard: Meyer & Meyer Sport, Limited.
Lydiard, A. (1999). Arthur Lydiard’s Athletic Training by Arthur Lydiard: A Guide to the Brooks / American Track & Field Lydiard Running Lecture Tour in 1999. Retrieved from http://www.fitnesssports.com/lyd_clinic_guide/Arthur%20Lydiard.pdf
