Thursday, April 24, 2008
Ryan Hall- 2 hr 06 min 17 sec
"Up in Mammoth I just like to disappear in the mountains, to be honest. I get more confidence from going out and doing some of the workouts than doing half-marathons or a distance race. So I have been doing what I do best. Living the simple life up in the mountains and pounding it out." -runnersworld.com
Tiger Woods- "I don't bench"
Czaban noted the terrific shape Woods was in compared to other golfers and asked what he bench-pressed.
"I don't bench," Woods said. "Period."
Czaban asked what he did to develop his chest.
"I might do some flies," Woods said. "Chest press or flies. But it's more of a stretching exercise than a building exercise."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinal Sports
"I don't bench," Woods said. "Period."
Czaban asked what he did to develop his chest.
"I might do some flies," Woods said. "Chest press or flies. But it's more of a stretching exercise than a building exercise."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinal Sports
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Coupeville, Washington- Runner's Paradise
I am now staying in Coupeveille, Washington. Only been here a couple of days, but this place looks like a runner/cyclist paradise. Fort Ebey State Park is a short 3 minute jog from the house, with access to miles and miles of trails. Kettles Park offers even more options.
I have lots of exploring to do. map
I have lots of exploring to do. map
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Boston Marathon April 21
Lance runs 2 hr 50:58- interview here
"Boston is a huge event in the world of marathoning. I hope to do at least two marathons per year. Boston was a pleasant surprise. I expected the crowds to be great but they were about ten times what I expected."
top finishers by division
top 100 overall
Course guide
Monday, April 21, 2008
Women's Olympic Trials - April 20
results
athlete bios
interview with winner Deena Kastor
interview with Magdalina Lewy Boulet- 2nd Place
interview with Blake Russell- 3rd Place
50 year old Joan Samuelson runs 2 hr 49:08 for an American age group record!- interview
athlete bios
interview with winner Deena Kastor
interview with Magdalina Lewy Boulet- 2nd Place
interview with Blake Russell- 3rd Place
50 year old Joan Samuelson runs 2 hr 49:08 for an American age group record!- interview
Thursday, April 17, 2008
A Day in the Life of Deena Kastor- Professional Runner
NYRR: You have said many times that the ancillary factors in your recovery and rest are just as important as the training itself. How about you describe a sample day in Deena Kastor’s life?
DK: Okay, I’ll give today as an example. We work out at 8:30 a.m. every day. Before the workout, my husband Andrew stretches me out. For about an hour, we go through a stretch routine and do any strengthening exercises that I have to keep on top of. On a weekly basis, we [runners] get little imbalances, one calf being stronger than the other, or a hamstring getting weak. For instance this morning, I had to do some left hamstring exercises before practice, to get it firing. It’s important to be attuned to changes on a daily basis.
Then, I get my bag packed for practice. The weather varies, so I want to be prepared for everything. I pack a big bag filled with clothes and food. Today we did 5 X 1-mile, and 2 X 800 [meters], so I needed to make sure I had some proteins and carbohydrates in my body right away to start the recovery process.
When I get home, I eat a little something when I’m in an ice bath [laughing], and then after sitting in the cold water for 10-15 minutes, I get a massage. Some days, I get acupuncture as well, or chiropractic. Then, I take a nap, which is also important for the recovery process so that your body is resting up for the next workout.
When I get up from a nap, then we’re off to gym for strength work, which we have emphasized greatly this year, getting in the weight room and doing drills, plyometrics, weight lifting, and core work. After that we go for a 4- to 6-mile run, and then we go home and refuel again, and get to bed early to prepare ourselves for the next day. So, the days are pretty monotonous and regimented. There isn’t much room to do errands and that [laughing], so you need a willing spouse or someone to help out. Being a professional runner is a full-time job
full article
-nyyr.org
DK: Okay, I’ll give today as an example. We work out at 8:30 a.m. every day. Before the workout, my husband Andrew stretches me out. For about an hour, we go through a stretch routine and do any strengthening exercises that I have to keep on top of. On a weekly basis, we [runners] get little imbalances, one calf being stronger than the other, or a hamstring getting weak. For instance this morning, I had to do some left hamstring exercises before practice, to get it firing. It’s important to be attuned to changes on a daily basis.
Then, I get my bag packed for practice. The weather varies, so I want to be prepared for everything. I pack a big bag filled with clothes and food. Today we did 5 X 1-mile, and 2 X 800 [meters], so I needed to make sure I had some proteins and carbohydrates in my body right away to start the recovery process.
When I get home, I eat a little something when I’m in an ice bath [laughing], and then after sitting in the cold water for 10-15 minutes, I get a massage. Some days, I get acupuncture as well, or chiropractic. Then, I take a nap, which is also important for the recovery process so that your body is resting up for the next workout.
When I get up from a nap, then we’re off to gym for strength work, which we have emphasized greatly this year, getting in the weight room and doing drills, plyometrics, weight lifting, and core work. After that we go for a 4- to 6-mile run, and then we go home and refuel again, and get to bed early to prepare ourselves for the next day. So, the days are pretty monotonous and regimented. There isn’t much room to do errands and that [laughing], so you need a willing spouse or someone to help out. Being a professional runner is a full-time job
full article
-nyyr.org
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Joan Samuelson's Final Marathon- Olympic Trials at 50!
Joan Samuelson is 50? What an inspiration and what a talent. In case you don't know who she is, Joan is an Olympic Gold Medalist (1984- inagural women's marathon), and former marathon world record holder. Never run a marathon OVER 3 hours. Who competes in the Olympic Trials at 50 years of age?
Read more about Joan in this great article from the Boston Globe.
Read more about Joan in this great article from the Boston Globe.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Is Buster Martin a Fake?
Seems to be discrepency over the actual age of Buster Martin- who claims to be 101. Buster finished the London Marathon in something over 10 hours.
timesonline.co.uk
Guinness World Records had refused to verify his claim to be the oldest marathon runner. Now it has emerged why the world record guardians will not be featuring Mr Martin in its celebrated publication. Internal correspondence between senior officials at the organisation, obtained by The Times, shows that Guinness has evidence that Mr Martin is a mere spring chicken of just 94.
timesonline.co.uk
Guinness World Records had refused to verify his claim to be the oldest marathon runner. Now it has emerged why the world record guardians will not be featuring Mr Martin in its celebrated publication. Internal correspondence between senior officials at the organisation, obtained by The Times, shows that Guinness has evidence that Mr Martin is a mere spring chicken of just 94.
Carbohydrate Rinse Improves 1 Hr Cycling Performance
This is an interesting piece of research that discovered an increase in cycling performance by subjects who used a carbohydrate rinse (no injestion) compared to a water rinse. Seven cyclists were asked to do a set amount of work during 2 trials. They averaged 59.57 minutes on a carbohydrate rinse trial vs 61.37 minutes on the water rinse trial.
I have no idea if it helped or not, but I popped a few hard candies during the Moab Marathon and didn't run too bad. Seems to make sense- a few extra calories plus the taste may provide a bigger boost than one might expect. I am waiting to see another study that looks into the mechanism.
For more information, go to pponline.
No Time To Train? Check out these Low Mileage Plans
Bruce Tulloh, European 5,000 meter champion in 1962, lays out a low-mile training plan on peak performance online that includes 4 workouts per week:
Tues: 10 mins warm-up, 10 x 45 secs uphill fast, 10 mins warm-down
Thurs: 6-mile run, including 3 x 8 mins fast, 2 mins jog (10k pace)
Sat: 10 mins warm-up, 2 x 15 mins threshold pace (2 mins recovery)
Sun: 8-10 mile run, starting slow, finishing faster
Total mileage 24-26
Here is my version of a low mile marathon training plan:
Tues: 10 min warm-up, 6 x 800 meters, progressing to 10, full 3
min recovery, 10 min cool-down
Thurs: 10 mile run pace determined how you feel. Some marathon
pace tempo in the middle (5-10 minutes x 2-3 times, but not
if you are tired) but don't force it.
Sat: build up to 2- 3 hours easy
25-35 miles
Tues: 10 mins warm-up, 10 x 45 secs uphill fast, 10 mins warm-down
Thurs: 6-mile run, including 3 x 8 mins fast, 2 mins jog (10k pace)
Sat: 10 mins warm-up, 2 x 15 mins threshold pace (2 mins recovery)
Sun: 8-10 mile run, starting slow, finishing faster
Total mileage 24-26
Here is my version of a low mile marathon training plan:
Tues: 10 min warm-up, 6 x 800 meters, progressing to 10, full 3
min recovery, 10 min cool-down
Thurs: 10 mile run pace determined how you feel. Some marathon
pace tempo in the middle (5-10 minutes x 2-3 times, but not
if you are tired) but don't force it.
Sat: build up to 2- 3 hours easy
25-35 miles
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Buster Martin- Marathoner at 101?
Amazing story about Brit Buster Martin running the London Marathon at 101 years of age.
"I've been smoking since I was seven," he said. "When I get to the line, if there isn't a pint of beer there waiting for me I'll want to know why.
"I'm not worried about the fags because I'll carry them with me. Everyone says smoking kills but it's taking a long time in my case. I don't change. If I do, I will make myself ill." -The Daily Mail
Energy Bar or Snickers?
Good study here that looked at the effects on blood sugar of 2 different energy bars, Snickers, and bread. “Though blood glucose rates peaked at 30 minutes with both bars, the high-carbohydrate energy bar - the PowerBar - caused a much sharper decline,” Hertzler said. “In fact, the decline was sharper than with the candy bar.” -from MD Sports Weblog
Friday, April 11, 2008
Last Minute Marathon
Call me crazy but I just registered for the Moab Marathon this Saturday.
A little 4 mile prerace hike the day before.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Alan Webb Drops out at Carlsbad
You think by the time an athlete reaches a world class level coaches and athletes themselves would know how to avoid bad races. Unfortunately, that is certainly not the case, as evidenced by American mile record holder Alan Webb's second bad one in a row.
He dropped out of the Carlsbad 5000 last weekend after getting dropped by the lead pack, leaving him and his coach scratching their heads about what is going on.
"He, like everybody else, is going to have setbacks from time to time," Raczko said. "When you're trying to train at such a high level, sometimes you bonk a little bit, I guess." - Scotto Raczko, Alan Webb's coach
The talented Webb seems to have a history of running very well or very bad- not much in between. Last month he finished a disappointing 16th at the 8K national championship road race.
Training, nutrition, cross-training, and tapering all play a role, along with any number of unknown factors. Not as easy at it seems to go out there and perform at a high level every time.
He dropped out of the Carlsbad 5000 last weekend after getting dropped by the lead pack, leaving him and his coach scratching their heads about what is going on.
"He, like everybody else, is going to have setbacks from time to time," Raczko said. "When you're trying to train at such a high level, sometimes you bonk a little bit, I guess." - Scotto Raczko, Alan Webb's coach
The talented Webb seems to have a history of running very well or very bad- not much in between. Last month he finished a disappointing 16th at the 8K national championship road race.
Training, nutrition, cross-training, and tapering all play a role, along with any number of unknown factors. Not as easy at it seems to go out there and perform at a high level every time.
Dave's Training Log April 6-12
Sunday, April 6
am: easy 5 mile jog with Sumo
Monday, April 7
am: 5 mile jog with Sumo, then 6 miles
total= 11 miles
Tuesday, April 8
am: 5 miles with Sumo, then 6 x 800 all under 3 min, 2 min rest (200 meter jog)
1/2 mile cool down. total = 9 miles
Wednesay, April 9
am: 14 total miles of trail jog/hike 2 hrs 40 min
Thursday, April 10
am: 3 miles easy with Sumo
Friday, April 11
am: 4 mile hike/jog
Saturday, April 12
am: 26 miles! I ran the low key Moab Marathon this morning- hit the half in 1 hr 31 and finished up in 3 hr 07. Not too bad considering I had no plans to run a marathon until I came across this on Wed. Beautiful course.
total=72 miles
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Back On My Feet
Read how Anne Mahllum has used running to change the lives of homeless in Philadelphia. What a great story! cnn.com
The first day, Mahlum led nine shelter residents in a mile-long run. Today, Back on My Feet has teams in three Philadelphia shelters, including 54 homeless members and more than 250 volunteers. The group has logged more than 5,000 miles.
The first day, Mahlum led nine shelter residents in a mile-long run. Today, Back on My Feet has teams in three Philadelphia shelters, including 54 homeless members and more than 250 volunteers. The group has logged more than 5,000 miles.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Lack of Exercise May Cause Disease
sciencedaily.comThe researchers found that after two weeks of no exercise and very little activity, participants had much higher levels of glucose and fat and took a much longer time to clear the substances from their blood streams than before. The longer it takes the body to clear the blood stream of the substances, the higher the likelihood that a person will develop diabetes or other chronic diseases.
"We used to think that it is healthy to be physically active, but this study shows that it is dangerous to be inactive for just a couple of weeks," said Bente Klarlund Pedersen, co-author and lead investigator of the study and professor of internal medicine and director of Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism at the University of Copenhagen
Imagine what happens to people who do NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!
Ultra Marathoners Should Hydrate Early
A study out of Taiwan found that the majority of fluid loss during an ultra marathon occurs in the initial 4 hours.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Dave's Training Log March 30-April 5
Sunday, March 30
am: 30 min with Sumo, then 2 hrs- estimate 17 miles
Monday, March 31
am: 50 min of trail with Sumo- jog/hike 4 miles
Tuesday, April 1
am: 3 miles with Sumo, 8 x 800 on track, last 6 in 2:58. 2 min recovery (200 m) 1 mile cool down total=9 miles
Wednesday, April 2
am: 6 miles with Sumo, then 10 miles on trails, some climbing.
total=16 miles
Thursday, April 3
am: 5 miles with Sumo- legs are beat!
Friday, April 4
am: 3 mile easy with Sumo
Saturday, April 5
am: 1 mile warm-up Provo Half Marathon
wind was brutal between 2 and 6 miles. Feel like I still have room to improve.
1 278 Shin NOZAKI 01:11:20.68
2 196 Alexander PACHEV 01:13:19.13
3 655 Heath THURSTON 01:20:44.51
4 151 Drew JOHNSON 01:21:34.85
5 218 Kara BANKHEAD 01:21:39.60
6 168 Joshua MELVER 01:22:45.37
7 683 Dave ELGER 01:25:35.30
8 430 Rolando SANJINEZ 01:26:05.67
9 302 Richard BORGET 01:26:47.29
11 310 Michelle LOWRY 01:27:09.13
full results don't know what happened to 10th
14 total mile
Weekly total 68
am: 30 min with Sumo, then 2 hrs- estimate 17 miles
Monday, March 31
am: 50 min of trail with Sumo- jog/hike 4 miles
Tuesday, April 1
am: 3 miles with Sumo, 8 x 800 on track, last 6 in 2:58. 2 min recovery (200 m) 1 mile cool down total=9 miles
Wednesday, April 2
am: 6 miles with Sumo, then 10 miles on trails, some climbing.
total=16 miles
Thursday, April 3
am: 5 miles with Sumo- legs are beat!
Friday, April 4
am: 3 mile easy with Sumo
Saturday, April 5
am: 1 mile warm-up Provo Half Marathon
wind was brutal between 2 and 6 miles. Feel like I still have room to improve.
1 278 Shin NOZAKI 01:11:20.68
2 196 Alexander PACHEV 01:13:19.13
3 655 Heath THURSTON 01:20:44.51
4 151 Drew JOHNSON 01:21:34.85
5 218 Kara BANKHEAD 01:21:39.60
6 168 Joshua MELVER 01:22:45.37
7 683 Dave ELGER 01:25:35.30
8 430 Rolando SANJINEZ 01:26:05.67
9 302 Richard BORGET 01:26:47.29
11 310 Michelle LOWRY 01:27:09.13
full results don't know what happened to 10th
14 total mile
Weekly total 68
Footstrike Analysis of Elite Runners
....from The Science of Sport
If you are currently a heel striker, should you convert to a mid or forefoot striker? This study from Japan gives some insight into how elite runners do it- the results are not what you might think!
The vast majority (75%) of the elite runners land on the heel
About 1 in four (24%) runners landed on the mid-foot
Only 4 out of 283 runners landed on the forefoot
If you are currently a heel striker, should you convert to a mid or forefoot striker? This study from Japan gives some insight into how elite runners do it- the results are not what you might think!
The vast majority (75%) of the elite runners land on the heel
About 1 in four (24%) runners landed on the mid-foot
Only 4 out of 283 runners landed on the forefoot
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Dave's Training Log March 23-29
Sunday, March 23
am: easy 5 mile with Sumo
Monday, March 24
am: 2 miles with Sumo, then 11 miles, some long hard pick-ups at half marathon pace.
hard workout- legs were beat by 9 miles.
total= 13 miles
Tuesday, March 25
2 miles with Sumo, drive to Bryce Canyon
Wednesday, March 26
pm: 6 miles at 8,000 feet Tough!
Thursday, March 27
am: 3 miles with Sumo, then 3 miles.
drive to Moab
pm: 1.5 mile warm-up, then 4x800 with 200 jog
3:07/3:05/3:00/2:58 1 mile cool down
total miles= 11 miles
Friday, March 28
am: 1 hour trail with Sumo, then another 1 hr trail- my guess is 10 miles
Sat, Mar 29
am: 3 miles with Sumo, then 12 x 400 in 90 sec with 30 sec rest.
1 mile cool down. total= 7 miles
Total for the week= 54
maintaining miles while traveling is tough. i had a couple of good interval workouts this week though.
USA Masters Track and Field Rankings
Check out masterstrack.com and compare your times- better yet if you think you should rank find a sanctioned track meet and post your results!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Are Athletes Drinking Too Much Between Workouts?
Could it be that nearly everybody dispensing advice on how much to drink is totally wrong? Apparently a new theory is being proposed that could change the drinking habits of endurance athletes.
During exercise, nobody disputes the fact that significant dehydration impairs performance and can lead to life threatening heat stroke. Knowing this, it is common practice among endurance athletes to keep their tanks full by drinking plenty of water, especially in the hours just prior to and during exercise. That still makes perfectly good sense. The question is, how much water should he or she drink throughout the day routinely? Should the athlete keep their body’s water supply topped off despite making frequent trips to the bathroom? There are some who think this practice actually may be working against them.
The body regulates fluid by producing vasopressin, an anti-diuretic hormone which signals the kidneys to preserve water. When the body becomes dehydrated, the concentration of sodium in the blood increases, triggering the production of vasopressin, which in turn signals the kidneys to conserve more water. If you drink more water than your body actually needs, blood sodium levels drop. Less vasopressin is produced, and rather than conserve water, the kidneys increase production of urine. It is a constant balancing act, with vasopressin playing a critical role. You can see the potential problem for somebody that pushes water all day long, even when they don’t apparently need it or aren’t thirsty. No vasopressin when you might need it, as in during a long, hot race.
According to an article published in the December 2007 issue of Running Times, vasopressin is required by the kidneys to produce aquaporin-2, responsible for transporting water molecules from the kidneys back into the bloodstream. When you drink too much water and vasopressin levels drop, aquaporin-2 disappears. Overhydrating on a daily basis may cause your body to essentially become less effective at conserving water, not something a runner needs going into an important race.
To avoid this problem, the suggestion in Running Times is for runners to regularly perform sweat producing workouts,making sure not to OVER hydrate between workouts and races. The theory is that athletes who undergo periods of moderate dehydrate condition their kidneys to conserve water more efficiently, decreasing their requirement for fluid replacement during competition.
So what is an athlete supposed to do? Weigh yourself in the morning and before and after each workout. Monitor weight to make sure fluids are being replaced after a workout, but once weight is back up to normal and urine is being produced, there is no need to continue drinking excessively, unless you are thirsty.
(c) Dave Elger 2008 All rights reserved
During exercise, nobody disputes the fact that significant dehydration impairs performance and can lead to life threatening heat stroke. Knowing this, it is common practice among endurance athletes to keep their tanks full by drinking plenty of water, especially in the hours just prior to and during exercise. That still makes perfectly good sense. The question is, how much water should he or she drink throughout the day routinely? Should the athlete keep their body’s water supply topped off despite making frequent trips to the bathroom? There are some who think this practice actually may be working against them.
The body regulates fluid by producing vasopressin, an anti-diuretic hormone which signals the kidneys to preserve water. When the body becomes dehydrated, the concentration of sodium in the blood increases, triggering the production of vasopressin, which in turn signals the kidneys to conserve more water. If you drink more water than your body actually needs, blood sodium levels drop. Less vasopressin is produced, and rather than conserve water, the kidneys increase production of urine. It is a constant balancing act, with vasopressin playing a critical role. You can see the potential problem for somebody that pushes water all day long, even when they don’t apparently need it or aren’t thirsty. No vasopressin when you might need it, as in during a long, hot race.
According to an article published in the December 2007 issue of Running Times, vasopressin is required by the kidneys to produce aquaporin-2, responsible for transporting water molecules from the kidneys back into the bloodstream. When you drink too much water and vasopressin levels drop, aquaporin-2 disappears. Overhydrating on a daily basis may cause your body to essentially become less effective at conserving water, not something a runner needs going into an important race.
To avoid this problem, the suggestion in Running Times is for runners to regularly perform sweat producing workouts,making sure not to OVER hydrate between workouts and races. The theory is that athletes who undergo periods of moderate dehydrate condition their kidneys to conserve water more efficiently, decreasing their requirement for fluid replacement during competition.
So what is an athlete supposed to do? Weigh yourself in the morning and before and after each workout. Monitor weight to make sure fluids are being replaced after a workout, but once weight is back up to normal and urine is being produced, there is no need to continue drinking excessively, unless you are thirsty.
(c) Dave Elger 2008 All rights reserved
Dave's training Log, Mar 16-22
I am trying to follow this cycle:
1 interval day
1 mileage day
1 recovery day
Sunday, Mar 16
am: 3 miles with Sumo, then 12 miles.
15 total miles. Have not run that long in quite a while
Monday, Mar 17
am: 3 miles with Sumo
Tuesday, Mar 18
am: 3 miles with Sumo
pm: 3 mile warm-up, then 8 x 400 in 87, 1 min recovery
it is coming back slowly- good workout.
total= 8 miles
Wednesday, Mar 19
am: 3 with Sumo, then 11 miles
felt last nights workout.
14 total miles
Thursday, Mar 20
am: 3 miles with Sumo
Friday, Mar 21
am: 3 miles with Sumo
pm: 2 mile warm up
12 x 400 in 90, 45 sec rest
1 mile cool down
total = 9 miles
Sat, Mar 22
am: 3 miles with Sumo
pm: 12 miles
total = 15
Total for the week:
2 good interval workouts
2 decent long runs
67 miles- this was a great week
1 interval day
1 mileage day
1 recovery day
Sunday, Mar 16
am: 3 miles with Sumo, then 12 miles.
15 total miles. Have not run that long in quite a while
Monday, Mar 17
am: 3 miles with Sumo
Tuesday, Mar 18
am: 3 miles with Sumo
pm: 3 mile warm-up, then 8 x 400 in 87, 1 min recovery
it is coming back slowly- good workout.
total= 8 miles
Wednesday, Mar 19
am: 3 with Sumo, then 11 miles
felt last nights workout.
14 total miles
Thursday, Mar 20
am: 3 miles with Sumo
Friday, Mar 21
am: 3 miles with Sumo
pm: 2 mile warm up
12 x 400 in 90, 45 sec rest
1 mile cool down
total = 9 miles
Sat, Mar 22
am: 3 miles with Sumo
pm: 12 miles
total = 15
Total for the week:
2 good interval workouts
2 decent long runs
67 miles- this was a great week
Dave Wottle Comes From Nowhere to Win Olympic Gold in '72
Watch the YouTube video- Dave Wottle wins 800 meter Olympic Gold in Munich. One of the most inspiring races you will ever see. I guess he pulled off what Pre tried so hard to do in the 5,000.
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