From the July 2012 issue of Runner’s World

“Float” workouts build strength for mid-race attacks

By Alex Hutchinson

Back in 2008, Galen Rupp set a record that doesn’t show up on his bio. He ran a workout alternating 200 metres in 30 seconds with 200 metres in 40 seconds, and completed 24 laps. The previous record for the “30–40” session, according to legend, was 18 laps by Steve Prefontaine. For a runner of Rupp’s calibre, a 200 in 30 seconds doesn’t present much challenge. What makes the workout so special is the speed of the “recovery.” Even for Rupp, 40 seconds is no jog. This form of brisk recovery run is sometimes called a float workout.

By keeping the recovery quick – but below threshold – you’ll maintain very high lactate levels throughout the run, without pushing it so high that you have to stop. As Krista Austin, Ph.D., a physiologist who works with elite runners, explains, the body responds by learning to move lactate more quickly out of your muscles and into your bloodstream, where it can be disposed of or reused as fuel. The payoff: you’ll recover from mid-race surges without slowing down.

Float workouts can include intervals ranging from 100 metres to several kilometres, making them a useful tool for anyone racing distances between 5K and the marathon. The workouts repeatedly take you across your lactate threshold, which means the recovery is always slower than tempo pace. Do one float workout a week for three weeks, then scale back to doing one every two or three weeks. Here are a few ways to build your surge protection.

MONA FARTLEK
Aussie champion and four-time Olympic marathoner, Steve “Mona” Moneghetti used to run this fartlek workout every week or two. By tweaking the float pace, he could focus on endurance (quicker float) or speed (slower float) at different times in his 42.2 buildup. Run the effort between 5K and 10K pace and the recovery at marathon pace or slightly faster.

RUN IT
2 x 90 seconds with 90 seconds recovery
4 x 60 seconds with 60 seconds recovery
4 x 30 seconds with 30 seconds recovery
4 x 15 seconds with 15 seconds recovery

CANOVA K’S
Italian coach Renato Canova, who coaches top Kenyan athletes including Chicago Marathon champ Moses Mosop, uses this workout to develop endurance at marathon pace. Run it every two weeks during a marathon buildup. Be realistic about the paces corresponding to your fitness, and focus on increasing the pace of the recovery as your fitness improves.

RUN IT
1000 metres at half-marathon pace, followed by 1000 metres at marathon pace. Repeat three to six times.

OREGON 30–40s
First introduced by Oregon coach Bill Dellinger in the 1970s, this workout is a rite of passage for runners. It’s ideal preparation for a 5K but can also fit into 1K and 10K preparation. Once or twice a season at most, use this workout as a mental and physical test. Don’t cheat: once you fall off pace on either the fast or slow section, you’re done.

RUN IT
200 metres at 1K pace followed by 200 metres at 10 to 15 seconds slower than 1K pace. Aim for six to eight laps.

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