The "Back End" of Fitness

"Front end and back end are generalized terms that refer to the initial and the end stages of a process".


We all want to get faster.  More fit.  Less prone to injury.  Some of us have been blessed with a large aerobic capacity, or the ability to push through discomfort better than our competitors.  There has been a large amount of discussion lately about which is better.  


Carbon fiber or aluminum.


VO2 Max testing versus Lactate Threshold testing.


Forefoot striking versus mid-foot or heel striking.


This is what Dr. Jack Daniels (legendary running coach and physiologist) has to say about "back end" engineering with respect to performance improvements.






Most athletes are very dedicated to maximizing their training input.  They balance family and work obligations, and want to get the most return on their training time investment.  Technique is a very important aspect to racing successfully, but it's often very difficult to quantify exactly what comprises good technique.


I often hear of an athlete having changed their running form after reading "Born to Run" which clearly promotes running on the forefoot.  For a very high percentage of these new forefoot converts, their next reading assignment is "Bourne to Heal" after tweaking an achilles or calf muscle.


There truly is a secret to running well and doing so at a faster pace than the one at which you're currently running. I'm willing to share that secret today - and share it to athletes that I don't personally coach.  


The secret is CONSISTENCY.


Western society longs for that "next product" or revolutionary idea that will propel it into the next millennium, and often forgets that all of the technology in the world won't do you any good if you aren't well enough to utilize it.  In order to get faster at running or cycling, there needs to be an increasing stress to the body's muscular system in order for it to adapt and a sufficient amount of rest to allow it to rebuild and recover.  To some, this may seem very basic, but to others it's precisely what they need to hear.


In a nutshell, the reason you're not running as fast as you'd like is not because you're a heel striker.  It's because you need to raise your effective pace at Lactate Threshold.


The reason your cycling has plateau'd is not because you need to increase your cadence 2 RPM.  It's because you need to increase your power output at Lactate Threshold.


Most often, with athletes that are struggling or have plateau'd have several traits in common.  They're not challenging themselves in the right manner and they're not doing it consistently enough.


This is when having a good coach surely helps, as he or she can help identify areas that you may have been neglecting.  It's also nice to have a plan laid out that has a progression planned that will provide you with the training stress and rest that you need.


When you're looking at how to get faster this year, look at your program first and consider changing your technique second.  Otherwise, you may be guilty of engineering the "back end" of fitness before the "front end".