Why training once a day can work to your advantage...
When 24-year-old Yuki Kawauchi became the first Japanese runner to cross the finish line at this year’s Tokyo Marathon (2:08:37, third overall), race officials were left scratching their heads.
Who was this guy? Did he, an amateur runner who had previously run 2:12 despite holding down a nine-hour-a-day job while training for the marathon, really just outrun an entire field of full-time, triple-digit-mileage-logging Japanese pros?
He did.
Now that Kawauchi’s story is well-known, one thing that sticks out about it is his training in the lead-up to Tokyo: He turned himself into a 2:08 marathoner by maximizing single-session runs. In Kawauchi’s case — an unsponsored office worker holding down a full-time job — following the traditional elite marathoner’s playbook of accumulating 120-plus weekly miles through multiple “doubles” spaced evenly throughout the week simply wasn’t possible.
Kawauchi didn’t have the time.
Comparing his training log to that of most other full-time marathoners, one thing stands out: mileage. Kawauchi only manages to run about 373 miles a month — about half the amount his professional counterparts log. His weekly schedule was incredibly simple: one long run (22–28 miles), one speed session, and one trail run in the mountains; the rest of his runs were timed at 70 to 100 minutes.
That’s it.
Was Kawauchi onto something here? Since most runners don’t have the luxury of sponsorship and are usually too busy to regularly fit doubles into their regimen, should they take the Kawauchi approach to marathon training? What are the benefits of maximizing singles for marathoners? What are the potential pitfalls?
Before answering those questions, it’s important to understand the changes that the body undergoes when it runs for a long period of time once a day. Marathon Performance Training Group’s elite coach Brad Hudson says the magic number to hit in a single run is 80 minutes. “A lot of the science shows that once you reach the 80-minute mark, there is a bigger benefit in endurance enzymes made.” Hudson notes that studies have shown that the differences of enzymatic production from 60 to 80 minutes are enormous.
Long singles also make you a stronger runner. The longer amount of time spent during one session increases the flow of blood to the muscles. Ligaments and tendons are strengthened; capillaries grow and more oxygen can be delivered to the working muscles. Additionally, completing training in singles allows the body more rest. “When you are doing singles, you are giving the body a full 24 hours of rest,” Hudson points out.
As a coach, Hudson typically has his marathoners doing just two of these single runs a week — the rest of the sessions are doubles. But he says that for most runners looking to complete 70 miles and below a week, all singles is the way to go. “As our runners try to increase their volume into the 90- and even 100-mile range, we have to start including doubles,” he says. “But we still take advantage of the 80-minute rule for our doubles, where we will have one of the runs at 10 miles or more.”
One of Hudson’s athletes who fits this bill is former Penn State All-American Tyler McCandless, who recently PR'd at Grandma’s Marathon (2:17:09). McCandless says that Hudson has him running 130 miles a week, of which 90–100 are singles. “In marathon training, the longer single runs are important. They build mental toughness to handle ‘grinding out’ the miles in the marathon,” he says.
Another benefit that takes place during the long single is that you burn more fat than you do with two shorter doubles. Run Mammoth coach Terrence Mahon has his athletes incorporating two singles a week for that very purpose. “We take advantages of singles to teach the body, metabolically, how to burn fat at more efficient rates,” he says. “That is typically much harder to do when runs are under one hour.” On these longer runs, Mahon urges caution in terms of pace. He wants his runners staying in a zone where they aren’t becoming glycogen-depleted. “We look at that,” he says. “Sometimes we’ll do glucose testing, lactate testing, and heart rate monitoring to make sure they aren’t running at a state where they are going to burn too much sugar.”
Along the lines of fat burning, one thing that runners seeking to maximize their training in singles should be cognizant of is the dietary changes they may have to make as they strive to run longer in one session. “You have to make sure you are getting your essential fatty acids in and also replenishing your glycogen,” notes Hudson. “You absolutely have to make sure you are eating and drinking immediately after your runs. You have to load up on your carbs. If you are constantly running glycogen-depleted it’s very easy to get overtrained and injured.”
So what does this all mean for a runner who wants to approach their training week differently by increasing the amount of single-session runs?
If you are a marathoner who currently doubles, it might be a good idea to increase your overall strength and efficiency by experimenting with singles. Consider taking a week “off” of doubles and make it a singles-only week where the goal for every run is longer than 80 minutes (gradually working up from 60 minutes). Pay attention to how your body responds to that new, singles-only week, and consider working in these types of weeks routinely during your marathon buildup in order to increase your overall strength.
If you find yourself in Kawauchi’s shoes, holding down a full-time job and are only able to run once a day, then pay close attention to three things you may not have looked at previously: your average pace during all your runs (ensuring you aren’t running too fast in every session so that you don’t become glycogen depleted and that you are maximizing fat burning), duration (aim for exceeding 60 minutes), and nutrition (proper fueling after your run).
Admittedly, singles-only training isn’t for every serious marathoner. But the next time your schedule and clean clothes hamper don’t allow for you to cram in that second run, consider the benefits of heading out just once in the day.
Duncan Larkin is a 2:32 marathoner and writer from West Chester, Pa.
Excerpt from Running Times..
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=23257&PageNum=1
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