Sometimes I find that runners misunderstand the basic purpose of their training. Or they understand in general terms. And because of this there are mistakes in the training plans.
No, of course, goals such as running a marathon faster, losing weight, or taking part in ultra are also part of the goal, but we’re talking about more specific things.
So, the main goal of any cycling workout is to be able to run faster at the same heart rate as before.
Running, cycling, swimming, and all other endurance training have exactly this goal. Everything else is an afterthought, not of the same global importance.
In light of this, the main focus is the development and strengthening of the cardiovascular system (CVS). This should be a priority from the very beginning, not the development of the leg muscles or anything else. Of course, this should not be forgotten, as well as the work on technique.
A novice runner should not care about interval training and fartlek. The cortex may not be ready for this at all. The best and correct approach is to train classically in your heart rate zone, without any tempo jumps, which is exactly what creates the conditions for developing endurance, both in general and in the SCC.
The work of the lungs and the function of oxygen absorption will also be optimized at the same time. But there is no need to constantly think about how to breathe while running, it can on the contrary, disrupt the natural rhythm.
Only after that can you start thinking about improving your speed performance and increasing your anaerobic metabolic threshold (ANET).
