The most important thing about training.

Hi Ladies and Gentleman. How are you doing today?

This is the Japanese running master Ikegami and the topic today is the most important thing about training. Let’s dive into the topic.

The most important factor of the right training is the overall training load. In other words, how hard you should train. If you train too easy, you cannot reach at the potential level while if you train too hard, you get slower or get injured. So, this is a key element.

Before I explain more about what the right training load is, I want you to understand two types of training load. There is the internal training load and the external training load.

What we call the training load is usually the external training load. The external training load is determined by very simply the volume and the physical speed. For example, no matter who does it, 60 minutes running with 4 minutes per kilometer pace is 60 minutes running with 4 minutes per kilometer pace. It is much harder for a 5000m 17:30 runner than for a 5000m 14:00 runner. But still 60 minutes running with 4 minutes per kilometer is 60 minutes  running with 4 minutes per kilometer.

I’ll give you one more example to you. 10 times 1000m 3:20 with one minute recovery is always 10 times 1000m 3:20 with one minute recovery. If a 10000m 31:00 runner does it, he or she has a lot more reserves than a 10000m 33:20 runner does. But still the external training load is same. Again, the external training load is determined by the volume and the physical speed.

Then what about if you do the same workout on a dirt track?

If you do 10 times 1000m 3:20 with one minute recovery on a dirt track, it is tougher than you do it on an all-weather track. But again, still the external training load is same. This is the simple definition of the external training load.

On the other hand, the internal training load is how hard it is for one’s body. For example, a 5000m 17:30 runner and a 5000m 15:00 runner both do 60 minutes running with 4 minutes per kilometer pace. In this case the external training load is same. But the internal load is much different. For a 5000m 17:30 runner it’s much harder than for a 5000m 15:00 runner. This is the biggest reason why everybody needs a different training program.

The main goal of the training in a long-term vision is to increase the external training load with the same internal training load. A lot of runners talk about how to get faster with the less external training load. And it’s not completely wrong. This is also an important thing. While I don’t understand why a lot of people forget to increase the external training load with the less internal training load.

Yeah, sure if you reach at a level with the less external training load, it is effective training and you are smart. But if it’s really effective, why don’t you train more?

I don’t believe you can run marathon under 2:10, if you run only 50km per week no matter how smart you train. There is literally zero chance. And also, a lot of runners forget one thing. If you want to constantly increase your external training load, you need effective training and smart training. Smart training is very important, but if you cannot increase your overall external training with the same internal training load, it’s not smart enough.

So, these days, a lot of people forget about training more or working more. They just believe that if I make 10000 US dollars a month only 3 hours a day and 5 days a week work, I’m smart. But if I can make 10000 US dollars with 3 hours a day 5 days a week work, why don’t I work 10 hours a day 7 days a week and 50000 US dollars a month?

You should not forget that sometimes working more or training more is the best solution.

But again, you cannot increase the external training load without smart training. If you keep increasing your external training load, you need to learn or study about how to train. Otherwise, you start struggling sooner or later. People very often think that his or her training is effective and smart because he or she ran marathon 3 and a half hours with relatively easy training. But she or he needs to figure out why she or he cannot increase the external training load with the same internal training load. Otherwise, I don’t think that person is smart.

In the beginning it’s relatively easy. While the faster you get, the more difficult you increase your external training load.

Now, let’s move on the next theme: the relationship between the external training load and the training effect and the risk of training.

To understand the relationship between the external training load and the effectiveness of training and the risk of training, I want you to understand the law of diminishing returns first.

The law of diminishing returns comes from economics originally. That means that returns on investment always decreases if you invest more. Investment could be time, energy and money.

I’ll give you an example. Let’s say I started farming rice with one acre land. Obviously, it’s too big for one farmer if he doesn't have any machines. So, I invest money to buy a cultivator. Then I can produce more rice and money by selling it. For the next time I invest money to buy fertilizer. Then I produce more rice and money by selling it.

Time is same. If I invest more time to work in the rice field. I can produce more rice and money by selling it. The energy is same. If I invest more energy, I can produce more rice and money by selling it.

And here’s the question.

Is it always true that the more I invest, the more rice and money I get?

No absolutely not. Because I have only one acre land. So, there is the limit. Sooner or later, I reach the point that I cannot produce more rice and more money by selling it. And before I reach that point, the return on investment always gets lower and lower. If I invest for the first time, it makes a big difference even if it’s a small investment.

For example, there is a big difference between making rice with a cultivator and without any machines. While there is no difference between making rice with only one cultivator and with two cultivators as long as I work alone.

Also, there is a big difference between working alone and working with a partner. But there is almost no difference between working with 99 employees and working with 100 employees as long as the land is one acre.

Also, there is a big difference between doing agriculture without any fertilizer and just a little fertilizer. But it makes almost no difference to add just a little bit fertilizer on a lot of fertilizer.

So basically, the more you invest, the more you generate sales. But the return on investment gets lower and lower. And sooner or later you hit the limit maybe. This is the law of diminishing returns.

And the same kind of law works in the middle and long distance running and marathon training. There is a big difference between running just a little bit even if it’s 20km a week and doing no training at all. While there isn’t a big difference between running 200km a week and 220km a week. The more you run, the less the return on 1km running gets less.

And this law works in a different factor exactly. There is a big difference between doing only one speed workout a week and doing no speed workout at all. While you would not make any difference even if you add one more speed workout on three times speed sessions per week.

If you are a marathoner, there is a big difference between doing a long run which is longer than 30km or 30km once a week or once every 2 weeks and doing no long run at all. While you would not make a big difference even if you add one more 30km run on 2 long runs per week.

This law tells us the following two things.

First, the lower your current external training load is, the more benefits you can get by adding extra training on your current training program.

Second, your training program should contain various types of workouts. Remember, always better than nothing. In other words, if you do not do any types of workouts, you lose your potential fitness gain.

According to the law of diminishing returns, the higher your current external training load is, the more cautious you should be to increase the external training load. But you should understand the following thing at the same time. Very often a small difference makes a big difference.

Let me tell you my own story. When I was an university student, I took a part in the west Japan championship. On the first day, I ran the 10000m race. From the start to the last 200m point, I was leading the race. But then the second runner started sprinting. Of course, I gave it all and sprinted against him. But unfortunately, I lost the game by 0.2 seconds. I was leading that race from 0m to 9800m and then lost the game.

On the next day, I ran the 5000m race. On the 4900m point, I was still top. But then the second runner passed me by and finished 0.1 second ahead. Again, I lost the game by o.1 second. Both champions got qualified for the Japanese Championship for university students. While I packed my stuff and went home miserably. I just should have accepted one big truth that I was a loser on that day. I still remember how I felt exactly. So don’t forget that a small difference makes a big difference sometimes.

Now let me ask you a couple of quick questions.

Do you want to feel miserable after a race like I did on that day?

Or do you feel to be proud of you for being a champion?

If your answer is the latter, my free E-book ''three factors you get dramatically faster without any injuries and overtraining'' is absolutely perfect fit for you. Please click here to download my free E-book.