How to Run 100 Miles: The Art and Science of Endurance — Week 6
This picture was taken several weeks before I ran the Bigfoot 200 Endurance Run in 2015. We were sent on a scavenger hunt for “Bigoot-esque” items to send to Race Director Candice Burt. I discovered that Portland, Maine has a Bigfoot museum (wild, right?) and promptly purchased my ticket to this Sasquatch themed shop that I must have walked past one hundred times without noticing. Notice the pattern that I’m standing in? The Bigfoot behind me is in almost the same pattern as well. It’s a common orientation for us bipedal types with brains and bodies that often wind us up to the right. I’m stepping on a box in this photo, but it only accentuates a pattern that I’m already in.
My weight is predominantly distributed on my right leg. My pelvis is oriented to the right. My right hamstring is actively engaged. My left hamstring is not. In order to look forward, I orient my ribcage to the right. There is now a “twist” in my spine. My right ribcage is locked down (bottom of the ribs drawn closer to the beltline) while my left ribcage is flared up. My left shoulder is higher than my right as a result. This is the frame that ran for 88 hours on just a few weeks after this pic was taken-muscular imbalances, right side dominance, twisted spine, and inability to get on my left leg at all. Did I complete the race? Absolutely. Did I have any pain related to this series of common compensations. Not at all. Why am I pointing this out? Because it would be years before training in this fairly twisted shape would catch up with me.
As Dr. Pat Davidson pointed out about strength training with a reliance on impingement based strategies as a primary mechanism for moving weight..it’s like smoking. It doesn’t really hurt you, at first.
Fast forward 4 years and I remember feeling like there was a 400 pound gorilla permanently camped out on my lower back. My spinal erectors were absolutely smoked from carrying my skeleton through space and my right calf and Achilles tendon were on fire from doing the majority of the force absorption for a physical frame spiraling through the air with no ability to rotate to the left side of my body.
The reason that we are so focused on breathing exercises in this program is due to their role in reshaping the brain.
The brain is responsible for how we position ourselves in space and all movement (as well as all training) is neurological.
Neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to change itself based on experiences and inputs) is the most important factor in any training program. It’s what happens when a coach gives you a cue or you attempt to replicate an exercise that you’ve seen someone else perform.
Neurons fire in patterns that become cemented in neural networks over time. Except, the cement never really dries. We have the ability to re-pattern movement and take advantage of our own incredible capacity for what our friend Dr. Andrew Huberman calls “self directed adaptive plasticity” for all of our adult lives. The recipe for plasticity seems to be a combination of focus and deep attention combined with a strong desire to create a change (or the consequential cost of not making a change. In this brilliant interview with D. Huberman and Dr. Kelly Starrett Andrew uses the example of having to learn conversational French with a gun to our heads. Our ability to become fluent, fast, would be exponentially increased. Fortunately, we don’t need to be held at gunpoint to prioritize self directed change. We just have to want something to change in order to harness our innate ability to adapt on purpose.
As an interesting side note, the hypoxic training that we do in the warm-up for our aerobic base days has an impact on neuroplasticity and BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic growth factor) extending to a role in the rehabilitation of spinal cord injuries. This phenomenal paper sent to us by Dr. Jose Herrero offers a fascinating insight into the benefits of hypoxia on cerospinal plasticity.
As we enter Week 6 of our training program I challenge you to keep your own ability to adapt in accordance with your vision for your highest performing self at the forefront of your mind. If you want to bring a change into being, breathe on it-and remember that behavior is code written into neurons and communicated across synapses and we are sitting at the keyboard of our entire lives.
This week’s training is almost identical to last week with slightly higher mileage. This week at Physiology First University we are kicking off a new, live training series called Physiology First in Action in which we’ll coach some of the more complex movements coming to the program. (We’ll link recording into this training program so that you don’t have to search for them, but everyone is invited to participate live every Monday and Wednesday at 1pm as well. The link will be added to the platform.)
Enjoy this week of training and get ready for a deep dive into running mechanics and movement principles next week!
Day One: Strength and Sprint Prep
A.) Breathing. 2 minutes. In this breathing drill we are adding a reach and pelvic tilt component. Think about the “pump handle” and “bucket handle” motion of the ribs as you practice this exercise!
Warm-up:
A.) Antifragile Calf Matrix
This cycle is designed to bulletproof your feet and calves. However, if it feels too aggressive or you begin to feel any signs of tendon discomfort stop immediately. Getting feet and calves into racing form is an art and each of us are entering this phase of the program with a different starting point for elasticity, springiness, and load. The last thing you want to find out is that your lower legs are underdeveloped as you are in the height of your training-or a few days out from your big race. The other thing that we definitely want to avoid is an injury in the preparation phase-so start of with small, light jumps (10 in each position) and assess as you go. If everything feels awesome you will have some truly bulletproof lower legs to take you across the finish line of your goal race this year!
B.) 3 x 40ft bear crawl. Remember to perform these barefoot and to remain barefoot for the duration of the training session if possible-building the feet and calves for the spring racing season happens now!
C.) 3 sets of 4 per side airplanes
Strength: 3 sets of 12 heel supported squat. Now that we are off of the wall/foam roller combo, see if you can maintain the relationship between the pelvis and the ribcage throughout the movement! These will be unweighted this week. We recommend squatting to the kettlebell handle as demonstrated-but if you don’t have a kettlebell a rolled up towel and a stool will work!
3 set of 10 walking gorilla lunges. Remember-nose over knee over big toe.
3 sets of 8 incline bench press.
(Our progression from the kneeling push-up will be the incline bench press. If you do now have weights continue to use the push-up and add two additional reps from last week.)
Sprints: Take this sprint effort at a moderate intensity and use it as an opportunity dial in the mechanics that we covered last week. Maintain a 60–65% effort this week.
10m x 10m sprints. Sprint ten meters, decelerate to a full stop, restart and complete ten sets. Rest two minutes. Repeat 2 more times. Total sprints in workout: 30. Bonus if you can maintain nasal breathing throughout the cycle!
Core: Bear Plank Tabata
This week we’re still exploring the ability to exhale the ribcage down, expand through the upper back, and stack the elbows over the wrists and knees below the hips while keeping our core engaged. Perform this is the same 4 minute 20 second on/10 second rest format and stay present to whether this is a weak link or a strength for you-some people find these comparatively easy while others find them very demanding. If it’s a weak link, we’ll strengthen it! If it’s a strength, we’ll only make it stronger while adding the respiration based component of expanding through the upper back.
Recovery:
Post run breathing: 2 minutes
Inhale through the nose. Exhale through the mouth. Repeat until heart rate is approximately 60% of Max HR or until you feel like you can comfortably return to nasal breathing.
We’re revisiting the rock back breathing exercise from last week. Remember, this may resolve a ton of tension in your low back while helping you expand through the upper back and in between your shoulder blades-if it does, you may be hanging out in a slightly overextended position when standing or running. In short, if it’s helpful, add it to your breathing and recovery toolbox.
Day Two: Aerobic Base
This is a slightly longer base run compared to last week. This time we’re going to add a simple breathing warm-up to get the lungs ready for an increase in C02. Notice how you feel after performing this simple warm-up exercise!
Run: 10 miles. Nasal only breathing. Goal: Imagine head of femur and ischial tuberosity (back pockets) as two magnets. Notice what happens when they move towards one another as opposed to away. More glute engagement, less back strain, more like running in a telephone booth than falling forward with your belly button leading the charge.
Recovery:
Post run breathing: 2 minutes
Inhale through the nose. Exhale through the mouth. Repeat until heart rate is approximately 60% of Max HR or until you feel like you can comfortably return to nasal breathing.
Day 3: Strength and Sprint Prep
Warm-up:
A.) Fall complex
C.) Hamstring walk-out. Work for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, repeat three times.
Strength and Sprint.
Repeat the strength cycle from Day 1. Add in 3 sets of lateral lunges with a weight. Start with a weight that allows you to perform 3–5 additional reps if tasked.
Sprint Cycle:
Repeat the Sprint Warmup Matrix.
3 sets of 5: 20 meter sprints. Walk back to your starting point after each sprint. Rest 2 minutes between sets. Maintain nasal breathing throughout each active sprint effort. Use the walk back to return to mouth breathing but only if needed.
Recovery:
Post run breathing: 2 minutes
Inhale through the nose. Exhale through the mouth. Repeat until heart rate is approximately 60% of Max HR or until you feel like you can comfortably return to nasal breathing.Core: Foam Roller Tabata
Day 4: Aerobic base
Run: 8 miles. Begin with nasal breathing and feel this run out. Use what you’ve learned so far to have an enjoyable “long run.” We’ll be increasing the distance on these longer efforts weekly, culminating in a 50k run at the 4.5 month mark. By that point you will be an aerobic animal capable of bouncing back from an ultramarathon effort with comparative ease. Believe me-if this sounds impossible, it isn’t. You are taking the steps to build an ultramarathon foundation today and the reward will be a super strong race season that you’ve earned with every training session you complete!
Recovery:
Post run breathing: 2 minutes
Inhale through the nose. Exhale through the mouth. Repeat until heart rate is approximately 60% of Max HR or until you feel like you can comfortably return to nasal breathing.
2 minutes in rock back breathing position. Notice the tension leave your low back (for most people-not all) and view it as the opposite of standing or running in extension.
Please, don’t forget that you have the platform to use to discuss goals, progress, sticking points, and to build a support team for the year.
Feel free to post questions and training updates to the platform and I hope to see you for a live workout or HRV breathing session this week!
David
Dr. Herrero is visiting us at Physiology First University in January for a pioneering research project on breathing and the brain! Check out our interview with Dr. Herrero on The Weekly Brain Freeze, our live talk show on WMPG to learn more about the relationship between breathing and neuroplasticity as well as athletic performance!
