VO2 Max: the maximum amount of oxygen consumption during physical activity.
VO2max can be predicted by age. The formula is 220-age. Therefore, if you are 30 years old, your VO2max would be 190 (220-30) bpm (beats per minute). You can then calculate other cardiovascular workloads according to your VO2max. For example: if you wanted to work at 60-70% of your VO2max, you would calculate 190 (your own VO2max) X .6 (60%) = 114 bpm to 133 bpm (190 X .7). This would be the range of HR (heart rate) you would want to stay between during your training session.
Running Efficiency: the cost of energy while running. Example: if you and a friend are running together at the exact same speed and you are outputting less energy(usually measured in Joules) than your friend, your running efficiency is better than hers.
Progressive Overload: the gradual increase of stress placed on the body while increasing the load to further strength and nervous system benefits.
Anaerobic Threshold: the point at which the heart and lungs can no longer keep up with the aerobic training system at a particular intensity, and the anaerobic (lactic) system kicks in, thus producing lactic acid which causes the burning feeling in muscles. (Actually, it’s the hydrogen ion in the lactic acid that causes the discomfort!) Example: have you ever gone out running with a friend and as you start going, you realize that their pace is slightly faster than yours? You may realize that the slightly faster pace causes you to reach your anaerobic threshold faster than you (and your friend) may want.
Aerobic Endurance: the ability to do work while primarily using the aerobic system for a prolonged period of time.
Heart Rate: the rate at which the heart beats, per minute.
Cardiovascular Work: the ability of the heart, lungs, blood and blood vessels to deliver oxygen to the body.
Muscular Endurance: the ability to perform repeated muscle contractions over a period of time against some resistance.
Muscular Strength: the maximal muscle force that can be applied in a single maximal contraction.
Muscular Power: measured as strength and speed. Example: Olympic lifting, the amount of weight lifted, and the time it took to do it.
Flexibility: the ability of one’s joints to move through their full range of motion.
Body Composition: the ratio of lean body mass (ex. muscles, bones, organs etc...) to fat mass.Training for running follows the same principles as any other sport -- the training part stresses a particular physiological system, while the rest part afterwards allows your body to re-build itself stronger than before. Any successful training program will focus on teaching you how to run longer, faster, stronger, and more efficiently, and will also build in sigificant rest periods for you to recover and get stronger.
This first section goes through some of the basics. The second section builds on the first, and provides specific training programs to fit your individual goals.