Lab Rat Official Experiment #1

Lab Rat, that's me. The constant need for me to ask why? and what if? finally got the better of me. Since it is hardly fair to ask my athletes to volunteer to have their training schedules act as informal physiology experiments, I volunteered myself. I would put to test training protocols, new workouts, core training, diet, and even equipment choices to the test in my personal training and racing and then keep the good and toss the bad. In this way my athletes get the best combinations that fit their personal goals and physiology and I satisfy my inquisitive mind. Let the eperiments begin!

Lab Experiment #1: The infusion of anerobic training blocks into the base phase of training

Questions: The base phase of training has typically been know as the time of year where endurance athletes harden the bodies and minds with countless miles with the theory that the bigger the base the taller the peak. Two questions come to mind with this age old theory. 1. What is the cost to our neuromuscular fast twitch muscle development when it is ignored for 3-4 months each year? I mean good luck running 15 minutes for 5k or even a 2:30 for a marathon if you can't run a 4:30 mile. Case in point Dathen Ritzenhiem (3:42.9 1500m) and Ryan Hall (3:42.7 1500m) both sub 4 minute milers and both 2:10 or better marathoners. Speed kills, even in distance running. 2. Would there be a great determent to areobic base training if time was taken to insert anaerobic training into the this phase of the training cycle?

Test Protocol: 4 weeks progressive aerobic base build followed by two weeks anaerobic focused training. The anaerobic phase will include short interval between 15 seconds and 5 minutes at efforts between 80-100% of maximal effort. This 6 week cycle is designed to be repeated throughout the base cycle with the first week of aerobic serving training a recovery week. I will report back on the results after a cycle or two to determine if the training design is not only feasible but also effective in building base aerobic fitness while maintaining efficiency of the anaerobic energy system and neuromuscular type 2 A and B fibers.