What advice can you provide when training for endurance competitions?

Question

Many people think of training as just focusing on swimming, biking and running workouts, allocating enough time for each. On one hand, I completely agree that training for all three is critical to success, but I have always been a proponent of the smaller things that often go overlooked such as stretching, mental focus, strength training and proper nutrition. When you combine all of the above, you create a recipe for success to be highly competitive in endurance competitions.

Answer 1

Always warm up for at least 10-15 minutes before stretching, training, or competing. You should be comfortable when you start.

Start easy and finish strong. Make sure to cool down after.

Increase mileage gradually (<2 extra per week) on long runs, and reduce speed as mileage increases. Alternate long runs with shorter pace runs, each every two weeks.

Vary your training throughout the week to focus on fast twitch, medium twitch, and slow-twitch muscles so you always have a "spare" when you compete.

Train yourself to concentrate on form during your workouts, not on distractions like headphones or daydreams, or your mind will wander during competition.

Never let more than one recovery day pass without doing something, unless you are injured or have just completed a major event.

Do not train through injuries; Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate, and when you are ready, Massage them back into shape.

Use sports drinks before, during, and after training to train your digestive system and speed recovery. Alternate with water on hot days.

Make sure your post-workout drinks have real carbs, and some protein is a plus. Both are absolutely necessary right after your workout, if not sooner.

Have a good meal with vitamins, minerals (including magnesium) and omega-3s within two hours after your workout.

The more training you do, the more sleep you should get.

24 hours before competition, run a good 880 and carb load all day. Your muscles will be stoked for the race. Use this routine the day before your longest training sessions as practice.

Answer 2

To increase cadrio, try taking a trip to Colorado and running high in the mountains, with less air and by the time you get faster up there, u can improve your mile by half, if u did it right.

The next thing you can do is set up a work out, run about 3 miles a day, on average what is 21-24 mins a day, if u keep that up you will run a very easy 21 miles a week.

The best thing is to have a very positive mind, and when running to increase your place remember "the race is always in front of you" which means don't look back.

The best thing is to warm up, then stretch, if you go to a gym run around the track or even the parking lot, and do about 8 different stretches.

When doing stretches, pull and push until you really feel it. and hold each at an average of 30 secs-1 min.

Also, when you run you mostly strengthen the back of the leg, so do extra activities a day to help you keep the front muscles in shape. Like riding a bike.

In the winter always run at gym, do not sit around. , you will lose all your endurence.

Eat a lot of bananas because they have potassium, if you don't like bananas then eat apples and drink purified water, bu never drink to much water before the race you will get cramps.

Cramps, you cannot not stop for. You will have to run it out

Running and most sports take upper arm strength, so work out those arms, and do curl ups fpr those abs.

Fact: The More Muscles You Have The More You Can Eat Without Getting Fat

Also, Just Have Fun and push yourself, train with friends and pets.

Fact: Pets and Friends Make life more happy and fun, and gives you a more positive attitude.

Fact: The happier you are and more positive, you will do better in both phisical and mental sports and training

Good Luck!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

I think the first question that you should answer is WHY you're doing it. Once you've answered this, and you're one hundred percent sure that you really need to undergo a training for endurance competitions, then the rest would be a lot easier.

You also need an inspiration as there will be bumps along the road. I am always amazed at the determination of DIFFERENTLY ABLED PERSONS or PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED (disabled persons to some) especially those who participante in marathun runs. The motivation is quite great: a place under the sun? the need to prove that they are no different from those who have two strong legs? And how about basketball on wheels?

Know what? I draw strength from them. They make me do
things which I would not normally do.

Good luck!

Answer 4

It all starts with mental preparation. If you believe you can and will achieve your goal it sets the tone for a strong training period as you work your way toward the event. If you are mentally stong, nothing but injury can stop you. Talk to people, read about experiences of events similar to the one you are facing. Try to put yourself in their place, live their stories. Envision yourself achieving the impossible. Get excited!!! It makes the training fun and easier to stay focused, which leads to a successful endurance event.

Before I started running the challenge was made to me: run a marathon *this year*. Impossible I thought. One of the first things I did was go to the library and look for a book to mentally prepare me, should I accept the challenge, for the impossible road ahead. The book I selected, by shear luck, was about this event called the Badwater Ultramarathon. I had no idea there were races longer than a marathon, let alone ones designed to kill you. It took all of three days to read and wow did it get me excited to run! Within that short time, I realized that if the stories I just read were true, then certainly I could do a measly 26.2 miles on a cool autumn morning over relatively level terrain. And that was it. I could not yet run 30 minutes, but I knew that in 8 months I'd be a tried and true marathoner. The impossible became a very simple matter of following a training plan, showing up on race day and achieving the goal. Done.

Having completed a couple of marathons I wanted more. As the gun went off for my 1st 50-mile race I KNEW that I would finish the race and within the cutoff time. I could not know that I was physically ready as I had never been past 26.2 miles in my life. However, I had it set in my mind that nothing short of injury was going to prevent me from the glory of finishing that race. There were many miles during that race where I was asking myself, "Why am I doing this?" and telling myself, "There's no point in this, this makes no sense, I'm just hurting myself". Never at any point did I think of stopping, the thought was always, "Just get to the finish line and get this over with already". It wasn't easy, it wasn't fast, but I finished in large part due to my mental belief that I would finish.

Knowledge is power. The knowledge that you can and will achieve your goal is the most powerful weapon you can carry into an endurance event.

Answer 5

40 years ago, when I ran track I almost won all the time. Taking second place with only 12 inches between me and the winner was horrible. Now, I understand the difference between being the winner or the runner up and what it takes to break to the lead. YOU HAVE TO BE BETTER. I NEVER really did a good job of properly stretching my legs prior to a race. Because my legs would tie up in a knot at the end of the race was the reason I lost. Nutrition is a big part of it. Yep Veggies are a very big part of it. Veggies help the cells carry Oxygen to the muscles and help clean out the expended energy.. So.....A lot of veggies for YEARS BEFORE HE RACE not just a week before. Your body needs to DEVELOP into a longer lasting machine. Focus is a big help, If you don't focus, then you can't see the finish line and you really don't Pay attention to what is going on. If you focus, You will do what is needed to get there first. While some athletes go out and party the night before and still win.....well most of us are not that lucky.

Answer 6

Well, when I run, I can do a five minute mile, but only if I go into another little world. I start to think about the stock market and companies on it. I do their market caps,etc. As soon as I go out of that world, I cannot run as fast.

Another thing that is helpful is running with a friend. The only reason I can run a five minute mile is because my friend could and I would run every day after work.(Around 1 o clock in the morning) But during the race you will be running next to an opponent.

Streching is big because I have flat feet, and for a very long time i did not stretch. It really screwed up my knee caps. But now after some execises, I am better.

Of course when doing an endurancecompetition you want to have the proper nutrition. At Morgan Stanley we get 25 dollars free food a night. The days I know I want to run I carb load. The other days I get Sushi from various places.

Also, gettting into a rhymn is always good for me. My breathing might be to a song. Usually only 4 beats, so "exhale, breathe, breathe, exhale" So thinking about the market, getting into a rhymn, and running with a friend.

All of these apply to swimming and biking as well as running.

I learned all of what I know from my friend, whose son was in some triatholon in Germany. Mike Mosca.

AND OF COURSE, Drink a lot of ACCELERADE

Answer 7

I'm not really a good person to answer this, But I've noticed that it seems to only my first day at any of these things I seem to have all the endurance strength motivation will and it doesn't seem to hurt. At the time. And boy oh boy does it hurt the next day. I'd have to say.. do what you said above, especially the smaller things and I have to add in, find some good oxygen for some time and give the exercise a break then go all out for the competition. Take in mind that judges also look at the easy in which you compete a good sense of humor goes along way smile and feel good while on display. That's what it's all about, really it should be fun to watch don't you think? We all want the good guy to win don't we. PS endurance doesn't always mean pumping out the most energy it means finishing the task at hand. Wasn't it the turtle who beat the rabbit?

Answer 8

Before I started running the challenge was made to me: run a marathon *this year*. Impossible I thought. One of the first things I did was go to the library and look for a book to mentally prepare me, should I accept the challenge, for the impossible road ahead. The book I selected, by shear luck, was about this event called the Badwater Ultramarathon. I had no idea there were races longer than a marathon, let alone ones designed to kill you. It took all of three days to read and wow did it get me excited to run! Within that short time, I realized that if the stories I just read were true, then certainly I could do a measly 26.2 miles on a cool autumn morning over relatively level terrain. And that was it. I could not yet run 30 minutes, but I knew that in 8 months I'd be a tried and true marathoner. The impossible became a very simple matter of following a training plan, showing up on race day and achieving the goal. Done.

Answer 9

Consistency. Having a good blend of wanting to do the race and training for it which includes nutrition & stretching. A coach is also important to make sure that you peak at the right times. If you are weak in one area, get some training or go to a masters program. This not only assists you on the physical side but also provides some additional commoderie if you are training alone most of the time. The last item is don't forget to have fun. Endurance training can be boring so you have to find the "fun" component as well. Good luck! P.S. Don't forget to log onto USAT they have lots of advice as well.

Answer 10

I think sleep is very, very important. I had a friend that would get less than 6 hours of sleep just to get her 5am run in the mornings. Thing is, eventually she wore out her ankles where she needed pins!

Constant exercise without giving the body any kind of proper rest will result in injury, sometimes permenant. It's never worth having a lifelong problem, like a knee or ankle ailments. Give your body proper rest. Everyone is differerent, you can read things/articles that will have suggestions, but it is important to listen to your body when it's tired. Watch the running too, knees are very vunerable with runners. My Uncle an avid marathon runner in the 70's and 80's can hardly walk without pain now.

I was a fastpitch softball pitcher in highschool and college, until this day I still have pain in my hand and right shoulder. All I'm saying is that although exercise is good, doing repetitive movements over and over again, will eventually cause some sort of discomfort in your joints. Whether it's 5 years from now or 15yrs. Just look what it does to retired athetes. Read about Nolan Ryan. Walking and swimming is the best for long term. I love sports and being active, but sometimes there is a price you pay in the long run. Just being honest. Once you have kids and have to pay bills, playing around with athletism becomes a low priority!

Why is there an advertisement in the bio? Oh brother...