How Long To Reap Benefits From A Run Session

Get Playful with the Numbers; Not Fearful

Training that produces REAL results is very intentional to develop multiple energy systems, throughout a career. So, let's look at the opposite end of the spectrum by learning each type of workout. My coach always says, it's not one workout that is going to create a monster, it's the accumulation.

This approach helps me to understand that it's ok if some workouts don't get exactly as planned such as not hitting my splits. I've seen far too many athletes quit the sport because they just coulndt get over this part of the challenge: That the body does not work in ‘days' or work schedules' or whatever; it knows whether or not it is recovered enough to take on the next challenge.

So again, ridding your mind of the MUST hit the numbers and looking at each workout as an opportunity to go after those numbers. Some days your body is able and you have to then get your mind on board too; other days it's the opposite. In the end, it is the string or workouts, training cycles, years that produce the results you dream of!

How long does it take to reap the benefits from a workout?

FIRST OFF, I need you to understand that benefits from just ONE workout is entirely different than fully developing each energy system. To FULLY develop any of these energy systems, you need a long term approach to training. In other words, it takes time and proper progression.

Below, is the time it takes your body to repair the muscle damage and reap a physiological growth/adaptation from any ONE workout.

Speed Work (Leg Turnover/Force) 1-2 Days

Workouts such as hill sprints, flat sprints, 100s, 200s- all with full recovery between- are designed to develop your neuromuscular system which is the communication between your muscles and brain. Which is why I often assign 30 second surges within your warmups. This is to let the brain and body to understand what I expect it to do for me during my hard session or race before the actual event. This allows for a smooth, healthy, optimal transition and performance!

VO2max Intervals (95-100%MHR) 10-14 Days

VO2 max and hill intervals develop your anaerobic capacity and muscular system- both take longer to grow stronger because they are hard on the body so your muscle fibers need longer to rebuild after these break down to grow stronger. Think gut busting intervals here (2-4 minutes)! After a particularly hard session, I feel like I've lost fitness for a few days due to the breakdown that occurred during the session. But, when I recovery well between these sessions I can feel myself building back up stronger with training sessions.

Lactate Threshold, Tempo runs, Marathon Pace Runs: 7-10 Days

Train your body to increase its ability to reconvert lactate back into fuel for energy. These workouts are grinding and taxing, but they aren’t gut busting like a VO2 max workout, so the recovery is faster and you reap benefits faster. Honestly, these are my favorite workouts to practice my mental toughness techniques because you will inevitably hit peaks and troughs in motivation which is exactly what happens in a distance race. One minute you feel on top of the world and the next you feel like you just cant go on. BUT YOU DO- and somehow feel stronger again. Peaks and troughs, peaks and troughs.

Mileage, Long Runs: 4-6 weeks

The purpose of the volume of weekly miles including the long run is to build-up your aerobic system and your musculoskeletal system. You are increasing the number and size of the mitochondria, capillaries, and myoglobin content in your muscle fibers. Along with hardening your running body(tissues, bones) to the load of running. Improvements to the aerobic system accumulate more and more for long-term development (years and years and years). Therefore, you don’t notice or feel the benefit right away- it happens over years and years of aerobic conditioning. Also, if you've built up your aerobic system from years of experience, then you will have less return since your aerobic system is already super developed. If you've hit a plateau, maybe it's time to bring it down and develop your other energy systems.

Why is this important to understand? As your coach using these principles, I am most accurately able to assign you individual workouts and also to know when it’s time to increase volume, intensity, or focus on one energy system over another for a period of time. As we learn your current fitness, recovery rate, and running history, I can use these principles to predict when you’ll adapt to the training load and be ready for the next stimulus.