Our body doesn't know what we're training for

After completing a self-designed 12-week training programme, Sarah felt confident. She had logged all miles, ran 5 days a week, hit her target distances, and was ready to smash her upcoming 10K. But on race day, things didn’t go as planned. Despite feeling prepared, she struggled to maintain her pace and faded in the final 2K. But what went wrong, se asked herself? What Sarah didn’t realise was that her training, while consistent, lacked key characteristics to truly make her race-ready.

This scenario is common among runners who follow self-designed programmes, but miss crucial event specific elements such as race-pace training, targeting the right energy systems, or considering the role of body composition and nutrition for the event. While Sarah had put in the effort in weekly, consistent training, her body wasn’t conditioned to the specific demands of her event.

Stressing the Right Energy Systems

Endurance races of all distances, primarily rely on the aerobic system, which fuels long-duration efforts by converting fat and carbohydrates into energy. For longer races like half marathons or marathons, developing aerobic capacity through *long slow distance* (LSD) runs and *tempo workouts* (Threshold), is essential for building endurance.

For shorter races, like the 5K or 10K, the anaerobic system plays a bigger role, supplying quick energy during high-intensity efforts; but the event is still in the main aerobic. Incorporating intervals and threshold runs more regularly into training helps improve your body’s ability to resist fatigue and maintain faster speeds. As running coach Jack Daniels, Ph.D., highlights, effective training must target both the aerobic and anaerobic systems to build well-rounded endurance and speed. When the 5k and 10k are the events, the weight towards anaerobic becomes greater.

The Importance of Race Pace Training

One key factor Sarah missed was training at race pace. In order to prepare the body for the exact demands of race day, it’s crucial to incorporate efforts at goal pace, especially when fatigued. For marathoners, this often means running portions of long runs at marathon pace; and a focus of these being towards to back end of the weekly long run. For shorter-distance runners, intervals and tempo runs should be done at or above race pace to simulate race conditions, and basically allow your system to practice the energy and neuromuscular demands of the race.

Running at race pace teaches your body how to manage effort and conserve energy, especially during the final, challenging stretches of a race. It also builds mental resilience, helping you stick to your goal pace even when fatigue sets in.

Body Composition and Nutrition

In addition to race-pace training, body composition plays a key role in endurance performance. In longer races, a lower body fat percentage improves efficiency by reducing the energy cost of carrying extra weight. However, maintaining muscle mass is important, especially for shorter races where power and speed are more necessary to deliver power.

Proper nutrition is equally critical. Marathon runners often rely on carb-loading strategies to boost glycogen stores, while those racing shorter distances might focus on balanced daily nutrition to fuel a more intense training session schedule and to aid recovery.

Duration, Adaptation, and Recovery

Effective training also requires balance. While Sarah followed her set programme to the letter, she didn’t allow enough time for adaptation. Progressively increasing training load, incorporating rest days, and tapering before race day are key to improving performance. It was clear to her on reflection that she didn't focus on steadily increasing demands, earning recovery days, or resting sufficiently in the 2 days before the race.

Famous physiologist Tim Noakes, M.D., advocates hugely for periodisation—alternating between high and low intensity sessions—to ensure the body has time to recover, adapt, and get stronger. Tapering before race day ensures runners are fresh and primed for their best performance.

Conclusion

Sarah’s story highlights a common pitfall for runners: focusing on mileage without incorporating race-specific training. Our bodies don’t recognise specific race distances, only our minds do — our bodies will simply adapt only to the stress we apply, and if its the right type, duration, frequency and intensity it will stand you in good stead when you stand on the start line. To be truly race-ready, runners should target the right energy systems, incorporate race-pace workouts, and optimise body composition and nutrition. By doing so, you’ll be much more ready to conquer your next race, no matter the distance.

If you want to hit your next race with confidence that you've done what you can, for the demands of the race, so your body's ability matches the race your mind is prepared for, get in touch.

References:

Sources cited:

1. Daniels, J. (2005). *Daniels' Running Formula.* Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

2. Noakes, T. (2002). *The Lore of Running.* Cape Town: Oxford University Press.

3. Jeukendrup, A. (2010). *Sports Nutrition: From Lab to Kitchen.* London: Human Kinetics.

4. Saunders, P. U., Pyne, D. B., et al. (2004). *Journal of Sports Medicine: Running Economy and Body Composition in Elite Distance Runners.*