The Portuguese Method
Bernard
Bernard
In this article, Mr. Antonio Cabral, a Portuguese athletics enthusiats and
insider to their training, gives us the exclusive insight to their system.
The runners he is talking about are legends like Carlos Lopes (27.17 10000
meters), Fernando Mamede (27.13 5000 meters), Antonio Pinto (2.06 marathon),
Rui Silvia (who outkicked Noah Ngeny to win the World Indoor 2001 title) as
well as Fernando Ribeiro (14.30s in the 5000 meter for women), and many more
greats. Exclusively on Mariusbakken Online, and much thanks to Mr. Cabral.
Some details on "Portuguese School of Middle/Long Distance Training
Methodology".
This is adopted by almost every Portuguese runner - man or woman - that
competes in track, road or cross, from 1500 to marathon, form track to cross
or road. From top-elite runners to regional class runners.
I will describe the essentials and what became genuine, even if others
methodologies do the same type of training, but the originality in this
method, came more from the way to combine/relate the factors, than the
originality of the type of work. It´s like a chef, the percentage and the
way to mix the condiments is what counts more.
Fist, we need to say that Portuguese runner, by tradition is a polivalent
competitor. He does outdoor and indoor track, road, cross , he compete all
year round, he tries to be in shape in all objective pick points of the
season. We do not believe in great cycles. Of course, there are major
important points over the season, but the athlete tries to stay "in good
shape performance" for the whole of the season. So, he tries to be in shape
by stability and consistency. This is the main reason why the train, don´t
vary a lot during the seasons. This has cultural, traditional reasons, the
need to compete to make money, the responsiblilties for his club, for his
country.all year round. Look that in Portugal it´s rare to see a runner do a
race only for preparation purposes. Each time he competes, he want to do his
best.
The influences of Portuguese system comes from early days of
intervall-training and the success of Emil Zatopec attracked coaches, and
adapting the most important line forces of other methods, from Gresheler to
the latest methodologies, trying to incorporate and combine the main factors
of those schools and methods, to our daily routine. This made a methodology
that is almost a national convention. We do the same for so long, inserting
and copying from the others, what can be adapted to our schedule regime. To
give you some examples: When on 70`s we realised that endurance training,
continuous runs, and the volume of training, take a major role in middle
and long distance performances, we began to do more and more of that,
includind bidiary trains, and reducing the weekly frequency of repetitions.
When we realised in mid of 90´s that it´s not necessary to do short
repetitions so fast, but instead it is was best to do less time pause, we
became trying to progress along these lines.
TYPICAL PROFILE OF THE PORTUGUESE RUNNER
Generally speaking, if you pay attention to the Portuguese runners, you have
the main reasons why her career last for so many years. Consistency and
stamina. If you want to have success you got to be patient. Sometimes they
progress slowly, but they try to progress every year. Do it again and again.
Try to progress by the same sets workouts every week, all year round. Don´t
try to make the top in two years. Try to be motivated for run for the rest
of your life. Begin to compete for the smaller distances, and as you became
mature, specialise in greater distances. Carlos Lopes made the world best
mark at Marathon at 36 years old, and won a gold medal when 37 years old -
Los Angeles 84. And he began to be ready, at international level only at 29.
He started his international career at European Champs Helsinki 71. He was
last in the heats of the 10K. In Munich-72 Olympics, in the 10000 heats he
lost a lap for the winner, Lasse Viren. Four years later Montreal
Olympics-76, he was 2nd in 10K final, disputing the Olympic title in the
last lap of the 10K with the same Viren that lapped him four years earlier.
Only eight years later, he won Olympic marathon gold medal (Los Angeles-84).
On the past, we had the habitude to try marathon only after 30 years old.
Fernando Mamede, World 10K track older, began his career at international
level as a junior in the 400 metres. Before winnning her first European
Marathon Champ., Rosa Mota was a 1500-3000 runner. Fernanda Ribeiro was a
remarkable female runner, winning since junior, gold, silver and bronze
medals in European, World or Olympic Champs, a total sum of 25 medals ! The
last one was, in 10K finals in Sydney Olympics he did her personal best at
that distance, winning bronze medal. The beginning was two decades ago. For
a civilisation that promotes immediate results, that´s not bad.
Other important factor of the temperament of the Portuguese runners is that
they want
to win above all, and the chrono marks are secondary.
When Carlos Lopes did an interview, about the preview of that World Cross,
he said "What Kenyans? I don't know nothing about it, I want to win in every
race I entered. Even if they are good - Kenyans or others - I ignore them,
I don´t understand a word of english, or kenyan language, I don't know her
names, her marks. If they want to win, they got to suffer because cause I´m
gonna put a pace out to break the pack".
This winter, Paulo Guerra comment for the press, after being European Cross
Champ for the 4th time: "After 8 Km, It was me or him! I pushed, and I knew
that I´m gonna die, or he gonna die ! One of both gonna crack !". This is
Portuguese competitive attitude.It´s not credible to see a portuguese elite
runner to compete only for training purposes.
All Portuguese elite track runners I know for decades, they compete in
nationals of cross, nationals on track during the winter. On our country or
in foreign countries they try to be serious and ambitious, they do her best.
If they are not on the best shape or in a good stage of shaping, they don´t
go and they don´t compete. Even now, look at Rui Silva (1500-3000
specialist). He was the recent winner of 1500m final of 2001 Lisbon Word
Indoor Champs, defeating the Sydney Olympic gold medalist Noah Ngeny from
Kenya, or Carla Sacramento (1500 specialist). The Portuguese runners do road
and cross for imposition of the clubs and of the country. And they win
Portuguese and international titles in cross and road.
But talking about competition, there´s a key to understand portuguese
runners. As time passes by, and they became older, the specialize in greater
distance competions, and they do often smaller distances than his actual
distance speciality, to prepare the longer ones. For example, if you are a
1500 runner, you do 800 often, and if you are a 10000 runner you do
3000-5000 in competion, preparing 10000m distance.
THE ACTUAL BASE OF PORTUGUESE METHODOLOGY
The Portuguese runner generally does a pattern of two specific track
sessions a week and at least one intensive continuous run session a week
outside of track. The most important point of reference is the predictable
pace race. The levels of training, are conditioned and derminated by pace
race. All other came in function of the pace race. Even if sometimes we try
to develop or to focus on a particular type of physical demand, velocity,
VO2, resistence, AT, or so, it´s the pace race that pays a major role.
- THE TYPICAL WEEK (the short ones and the long ones repetitions)
This is done exclusively on track. Why? A question of precision. When you do
a workout on track, you have exact distances, precise results, and the same
circumstances (flat round run over a track) except the weather conditions.
The result never lies, you need to be specific and compare and analyse the
progress you did, by the crono results. You don´t need sophisticated
apparatus to see your shape. If you progressed the times and averages of
the specific workouts, this is a indication that you may hope to progress
in a race. Basic and simple.
The two track sessons are considered as elitists pieces of train.
1. THE SHORTER REPETITIONS (faster than pace race - type interval training)
Once a week a track session with short/fast repetitions (200m or 300m or
400m). 800-1500 pace for 800/1500 runners and 1500-5000pace for
5000/10000/road/cross runners and 5000-10000 pace for long/marathon runners.
This is pretending to give in a row speed over rythm (more fast pace than
competition pace), resistance (VO2 effort) (by the acumulation of effort
each time you do the distance again in a incomplete recuperation by the
reduced time of active pause.) It´s a kind of intervall training.
An example: After 30 minutes of warm-up light endurance, the session begins
with 5 strides on track. Then, 10-15X400 with 1m recuperation jogging for
100 meters.
This is typical done at the middle of the week, Thuesday or Wednesday. They
do that even in the week of a major competition. The middle distance runners
(1500-3000) eventually do even shorter distances (100 to 150 m). They do
that all year round, mostly all the same sets with the same number of
repetitions, and with the same intervall time pause. And they don´t vary the
distance in the same day session. They begin with 300m, as an example and
they finish with the same 300 meters. But they do that with a little more
intensity (faster pace) as the shape of the moment. They take the times at
the end of each run, and made the average time at the end of the workout.
They try to progress the average result next week if possible, as a factor
of good condition and progress. This is done with effort, but don´t go out
of limits. Don´t transform that on a race day of repetitions. Do it with
natural capacity.
Pay attention ! Even if we try to progress in the workout, you cannot be
slave of the times, and do records on train.. It´s consistence that makes
the difference ! A true story, A Wednesday a group that included the great
Carlos Lopes, goes to do a workout of 15X400m with 1 min recovery. All the
group was selected to World Cross Country that came the follwing weekend.
Lopes had done 64s average. The others 57-59s average. Lopes became last in
each repetition. Result: Sunday, Lopes is World Cross Winner (1st place)
defeating Kenyans, Ethiopians, and others and the others guys came in 35th,
37th, 47th and so on. In Portugal we had a sentence that illustrate "-The
train need to enter inside of you". That means, - don't go out of the
limits.
Talking of Carlos Lopes to ilustrate this point. He was a special case. He
never did a repetition of 200m faster than 28, or a 400m faster than 61
seconds. In his entire live he never did, a repetition with lesser pause
than 1 minute ! Lack of velocity. Comparing to others, he did poor faster
repetitions. We think he is not able to do better. This didn`t stopped to
win so many races to great runners. With a tremendous resistance and
perseverance he made a very fast sustained pace to run away from the leaders
before last miles of the runs. But with that apparent limited potential he
was gold (marathon) and silver (10K) at the Olympics, he won 4 word cross
titles with more two second places, was European record holder (10K) and
Word record holder (marathon). At that time, he won important cross, road
and track races all over the world. And, he never did a single day of
altitude training.
The case of Fernando Mamede, of the same generation, was the opposite. He
did 10X200 at 28-29 sec. just for warming-up, and later he open his really
workout with 20X200 for 26-27 average with 30sec. intervall. He is able to
to 10X400 for 56-57 seconds with only 40 seconds intervall. But he never won
a Great Championship.
2. THE LONGER REPETITIONS (pace race - type tempo run)
The second important specific type workout of the week is done on the track
also and once a week. Long/tempo run repetitions. They do that every week,
but only if on weekend there´s no competition, because race and competition
substitute in the schedule the effort of this specific workout. The more
common is Saturday morning, if the next day you don´t run a race. The
session begins with 30m of endurance. Outside of the track. And then on
track some strides and . 2X3000m or 3X2000m or 4X1500 or 4-6X1000m. Classic
distances. with 2 to 4 minutes recovery - here the rest is not so important
than in short repetitions. If possible, this is done in group (that had the
same level of performance) to help each other. The middle distance runners
(type 800/1500) do that in the shorter distances 500 to 1000m (what are
longer ones for her competitive distance) and with a larger time of
recuperation. The tempo, is similar to tempo pace race. Again, you do the
average. The time recuperation is less important, than on shorter
repetitions. It´s supposed you had complete recover.
Another true story to illustrate this point. Once, a week before European
Cross Championship, Paulo Guerra did 3X2000m with a group of guys. Again the
other guys, were like him, selected for that race. Paulo did that at 5:45
average, and the others 5:25 aprox. On the last repetition Paulo Guerra
always lost lap track (400m). The next week Paulo Guerra won the European
Champ. And the others lost more than a minute to Paulo. Talking about
Guerra, like Lopes on the past, he is not able to do the training
performances that a lot of Portuguese elite runners can do. But when a muddy
cross apears in competitive schedule, he is the best of all Portuguese
runners these days.
In the case of short as well in the case of longer repetitions they had a
preferences in training stuff, and each one tres to do the same stuff,
despite the nest distance competition, and all year round. Lopes learned do
do 4X1200m faster (pace race for 5K) to get in shape, for 5K as well as the
marathon. Maybe this has no great scientific evidence or validity, but it
came from empirism and experience, and specificity train is more a question
of giving a "body charge impact" to a certain level and repeat and repeat
again to give body acceptance and less resistence, than to work at
classified levels: VO2, AT or LT.
3. CONTINUOUS RUNS (specific work, but slower than pace race, type AT
workout)
For the rest, I mention the continuous runs, during the week. The most part
are easy endurance runs to recover. Base train. They are done out of track,
road, cross, beach, grass, and all type of terrain. Sometimes, endurance
train is transformed in specific training, because they put the pace faster
and faster. They do this almost in a group, again to be easy, because they
help and motivate each others, and some times they compete each against
other (of the same value). It´s a kind of a playing game run. They begin
slowly (the first 10-20 minutes), with pure endurance or warm-up, and then
they increase the pace, to AT values, or at the end even to near tempo pace
race. They do that only if they are not tired enough of the track train
mentioned above. This is the similar way like Kenyans originally do. Not
planned, but cames spontaneously.
Carlos Lopes, like António Pinto (2:06 marathon at London; 13:01 at 5K track
; 27:12 at 10K track) and Paulo Guerra (4 times European Cross Champion)
sometimes they run continuous sessions runs of 30/40min. sometimes 50/60min.
at 95% - 98% run pace of those distances with up and downs. Lopes was known
for nobody can follow him in a continuous run. Sometimes he put a pace of
2:50 for a continuous 30/40min. This is a hard AT run, and I think that part
of his success been supported by great amounts of harder AT trains.
CONCLUSION
As you saw, the Portuguese runner had what I call a typical way of training.
People like Carlos Lopes, Fernando Mamede, António Leitão, Domingos and
Dionísio Castro (twins), António Pinto, Paulo Guerra, Aurora Cunha, Fernanda
Ribeiro, Rosa Mota, Manuela Machado, Carla Sacramento, or Rui Silva and
others train or trained more or less by this lines with success or had been
influenced by the Portuguese methodologie adapted to his objectives and
specificities. The training vary as the speciality of the runner. For a
800-1500 runner, the shorter one may be 100m or 200m repetitions (velocity
or velocity/resistence), the longuer/pace race may be 400 m and the
specific/slower may be 1000m (VO2). But for a 5-10K run, doing shorter may
be 400 m repetitions, doing pace race may be 1000 m (VO2 pace), and specific
runs slower than pace race may be AT continuous runs, as for marathon
racers, the faster/shorter repetitions may be 1000m (VO2); longuer/pace race
2000m to 5000 repetitions pace race, and slower may be Long Runs.
This may sound naïve, but looking more deeply, is a depuration and a
syntehsis of various methodologies. I supposed that this methodologie has a
effective value.
If you look in synthesis each week, there´s, one time a specific workout
faster than race pace (shorter repetitions), one time a specific workout at
race pace (long repetitions) and at least one time a specific workout slower
than race pace (even being a spontaneous session). This is something similar
I read once on the internet of Mister Peter Coe train advice, I supposed it
was a plan for develop the middle distance elite runners in England.
Everyone played attention to his role, a positive role, in the theorical
and experimental coaching methods. Perhaps we all came to the same answers
or similar by differents types of experiences, with more or less expected
results. Perhaps we all were taken influence ones from the others. To me,
behind Portuguese, or Kenyan, or American, or Nordic or Finish, or English,
or Italian, or French or other experience and methodology, it is on
DIVERSITY that are beauty and the interest and couriosity. This give us
KNOWLEDGE to train properly and better.
Antonio Cabral, edited March 2001
Lisbon, Portugal