Building an Aerobic Base

by Kirt West

Are you interested in information that can help you stay injury free? Are you frustrated that your race times never seem to line up with your training times? Is there a long-sought goal that is just out of your reach? If so, this new column may be just the thing for you. My goal is to pass on information about effort-based training that will help you understand the elements of a successful training program.

This column will focus on what is often the least-appreciated aspect of training-aerobic base building. A strong aerobic base is essential if you want to remain injury free or run that fast race you are aiming for. Aerobic training involves running at 60-75% of your maximum heart rate. This translates to a pace that is 1½ to 2 minutes per mile slower than 10K race pace. At that rate you can run and keep up a conversation without huffing and puffing.

Many runners fear they will lose their level of conditioning if they stop racing or doing speed work. This fear is misplaced. If I learned one thing from the summers I spent as a staff coach at Roy Benson's running camps, it is that you should spend a substantial period of your training doing aerobic base work. This is true whether you are an elite runner trying to qualify for the Olympic trials or a club runner trying to break 50 minutes in the 10K.

As a coach, I insist that each of my runners strap on a heart monitor (for more on the heart monitor see the next issue of FootNotes) and run at an easy pace before I let them start running hard. Of course, the most common complaint I hear from new folks is that I am making them run too slowly and that it is unnatural or awkward. Months later, after running personal bests, they forget these complaints. In fact, these same runners are telling their friends to slow down and smell the roses.

The benefits of a dedicated period of aerobic running are many. The increased leg strength gained during this phase will pay dividends with faster times when you finally do attempt your stretch goal. There are no junk miles; every mile you run is important if you are training properly. When all things are equal, the runner whose aerobic base consists of 50 miles per week will outperform the runner whose aerobic base is 30 miles per week.

Aerobic training also allows runners to recover from the rigors of a marathon or hard racing season. It provides a mental break so that they can begin their next racing season refreshed and with renewed enthusiasm. It allows runners to build additional leg strength by increasing mileage at a low intensity level. Increasing our mileage while doing hard runs on the track is risky. I have seen too many runners break down trying to do both at once.

Aerobic training is also the antidote for adult runners who tend to overtrain without allowing adequate recovery time. Most runners are extremely focused and goal-oriented, constantly pushing themselves to get to their goal. There is no shortcut to success as a runner. If you compare your running training to building a house, aerobic base work is the foundation; without it, the walls will eventually come tumbling down like a house of cards.

Finally, aerobic base work is essential for those coming back from injury or layoff. Such runners must spend a significant amount of time rebuilding leg strength before tackling speed work and anaerobic threshold training. Generally, runners who try to come back too soon without building an aerobic base find themselves vulnerable to reinjury.

You may be thinking, "How can I get faster if I am running so slowly?" Keep in mind that aerobic training is only part of the equation. Once you have an aerobic base, you will be properly positioned to begin anaerobic threshold training-the huffing and puffing that will increase your speed. This will be the subject of a separate column.

The change of seasons presents many of us with a golden opportunity for putting aerobic base work into our training programs. Those who live in a more northern climate often find it impossible to train hard during the winter unless they use a treadmill. Those who live in the Deep South are in the reverse situation, in which winter is the optimal time to race and summer is the time to back off. Those who, like me, live in a moderate climate are faced with the temptation of training hard year-round. Regardless of where you live, try to dedicate a 3- to 4-month period to aerobic base work each year. I think you will be pleased with the results.