Cross-country skiing is the only form of exercise that provides cardiovascular benefits equal to, or even slightly better than, those associated with running. The whole-body nature of cross-country skiing really works the cardiovascular system, and some of the highest
O2max values have been recorded in cross-country skiers.
As with rowing, if you know how to do it, cross-country skiing is pretty much the perfect form of cross-training. Unfortunately, cross-country skiing also requires skill. As can be the case with cycling outdoors, highly trained runners with no experience or little coordination may not be able to go fast enough for long enough while skiing to get in a good workout. As Bob Kempainen famously showed while preparing for the 1992 U.S. Olympic marathon trials, cross-country ski machines are a good option too but are not as much fun as gliding along the snow.
Stair climbing or elliptical training is hard work and provides a great cardiovascular workout. Unfortunately, the stress of stair climbing is close enough to that of running that the reduction in injuries from substituting stair climbing for a portion of your running may not be that great. For this reason, stair climbing is not recommended during recovery from most running injuries. Elliptical training also works your upper body and has relatively low impact forces, so it can be used while recovering from some running injuries. If you’re healthy, stair climbing or elliptical training can substitute for recovery runs or some general aerobic runs.
Swimming is a wonderful form of cross-training that works the cardiovascular system with absolutely none of the jarring stress of running. To get in a decent workout requires some skill, but with a little bit of instruction, even a dyed-in-the-wool marathoner can quickly build up to 30 or 40 laps. Swimming isn’t as similar to running as some of the other cross-training options, but if most of your training still consists of running, that doesn’t really matter. Swimming is a great way to increase your recovery and your general aerobic fitness without increasing your risk of a running-related injury.
In this chapter, we looked at several types of training that build on the solid foundations of marathon preparation we discussed in chapters 1 to 3. Next, we’ll look at how to maximize the gains from all your hard work. Tapering to reach the starting line with the ideal balance of readiness and restedness is the subject of chapter 5.
Chapter 5
Tapering for Peak Marathon Performance
Training provides the long-term improvements in fitness that are necessary for marathon success. As you’re no doubt aware, though, training also tends to leave you a bit tired most of the time. As we’ve noted, despite much of the popular running literature, this doesn’t mean you’re overtrained – a moderate amount of residual fatigue is fine during the many weeks of training in preparation for the marathon. The periodic recovery weeks in your training schedule are designed to reduce, but not totally eliminate, the accumulated fatigue of training.
When the marathon approaches, however, you need to cut back your training for a more-prolonged period so that you’re optimally rested for the marathon. Tapering your training is critical for reaching the starting line in peak fitness and with maximal energy reserves. The challenge during the last several weeks leading up to the marathon is to find the best balance between continued training to get into the best possible racing shape and resting to eliminate the fatigue of training. In this chapter, we’ll look at the best way to strike that crucial balance.
Benefits of Tapering
Put simply, tapering corrects the accumulated wear and tear of training. More specifically, it appears that tapering leads to improvements in running economy (how much oxygen you need to run at a given pace) and muscle strength. As you saw in chapter 1, improvements in running economy have a direct relationship to improvements in marathon race pace, so tapering is money in the bank in improving your marathon performance. In Lore of Running, Fourth Edition, renowned exercise physiologist Tim Noakes, MD, emphasizes that recovery of the shock-absorbing function of the muscles is an important benefit of tapering for marathon runners, which may explain the improvements in running economy. Interestingly, Noakes also suggests that “Perhaps the brain must also be adequately rested to ensure that it can continue to recruit the muscles appropriately once the pain of the marathon becomes increasingly severe” (page 621). Tapering also allows repair of the ongoing microcellular muscle damage from training and full replenishment of the glycogen stores in your muscles and liver, as well as bolstering your immune system.
A review in the International Journal of Sports Medicine of more than 50 scientific studies on tapering (Mujika 1998) concluded there’s no question that tapering works. Various studies have found improvements in performance or physiological measures of up to 16 percent when athletes taper their training before competition, with most studies finding performance improvements of 3 to 5 percent. In studies with runners, the benefit is generally around 2 to 4 percent, which equates to 3.5 to 7 minutes for a 3-hour marathoner.
So the potential gains from tapering are substantial. What’s the most effective way to cut back your training before the marathon?
Key Principles for Marathon Tapering
• Begin tapering 3 weeks before your marathon.
• Maintain training intensity.
• Reduce mileage.
• Make recovery days easy, or take days off.
• Optimize recovery strategies with proper diet and hydration.
• Eliminate muscle tightness with stretching, physical therapy, massage, and rest.
How Long Should You Taper?
Several studies investigating the relationship between racing performance at various distances and taper duration concluded that the optimal length of a taper is from 7 days to 3 weeks. For the marathon, the general consensus is to taper for a minimum of 2 weeks, with 3 weeks being optimal. Too short a taper will leave you tired on marathon day, whereas tapering for too long will lead to a loss of fitness. When you consider that any one workout will give you less than a 1 percent improvement in fitness, but that a well-designed taper can provide an improvement in race performance of several percent, it’s wise to err on the side of tapering too much rather than not enough. For the marathon, a well-designed 3-week taper will leave you optimally prepared and recovered for the race.
Paula Radcliffe
Fastest Marathon: 2:15:25
(world record)
Marathon Highlights:
First place, 2005 World
Championships;
2002, 2003, 2005 London;
2003 Chicago;
2004, 2007, 2008 New York City
It goes without saying that any world-record holder in the marathon is a supreme athlete. But that doesn’t mean that they’re all perfect, nor does it mean that they don’t make mistakes we can learn from. Although Paula Radcliffe’s career includes some very public misfortune, it also includes many positive lessons.