Marathon Training Update-The Art of Peaking

Have you ever noticed when you have a great workout, you know you could have done more and the cool-down is a breeze. Other days you can do the same workout and just barely make the jog home. Why is that? No question rest plays a significant role. Yesterday I did a slow 5 with the dog followed by another slow 4. Nothing special, especially since all I did on Sunday was bike. Could I still be trashed from my hard Saturday effort? Definitely!

If you've been reading my entries, then you know I am preparing for the Seattle Marathon a week from Sunday. Over the last month one of my staple workouts has been a 4 mile hard effort- with times getting progressively quicker. Last week was a breakthrough effort - 23:38, and I felt great. Peaking at just the right time, or so I thought. Today I did a 23:48 and my legs were so shot after I walked half of the 800 meter cool down home.

I've only got a couple more key workouts planned before my race, but I want to do this 4 mile one more time next week, and I want to run well under 23:38. To me, that will be a good indicator that I am timing my peak just right.

If I can't do it, then I probably need more recovery. In those last days leading up to your marathon, don't be fooled into thinking your fitness is somehow deteriorating. A more likely scenario is that you have gone just over the edge and need to back down even more than you planned. In my case, I had a very hard 14 mile run on Saturday, and probably needed another easy/moderate day before attempting this workout.

Stay tuned!

In Pursuit of the Sub 3 Hour Marathon

There is an interesting thread posted on the world famous letsrun.com message board - Any > 50 year olds under 3:00 for the marathon?

I've done it twice since turning 50- a 2:59 on a hilly Okinawa course at 50 and a 2:56 in Vancouver at 54.

Now, at 55 I am giving it another shot a week from Sunday. Interesting numbers below from a letsrun reader on sub 3 hour runners in England- note the drop off after 55. I wonder how the US stacks up?

• 300 Brits aged 40-44 have run sub-3.00 for the marathon in 2008
• 164 aged 45-49
• 70 aged 50-54
• 16 aged 55-59
• 3 aged 60-64
• fastest 65 year old has run 3.09

According to marathonguide.com, only 1.7% of all U.S. marathon finishers in 2007 broke 3 hours.

I count 43 guys in the 50-59 group at Boston 2008 under 3 hours- impressive!

Marathon Training Update-Seattle Nov 30

Friday Nov 14- easy 1 mile with Sumo, then 6 x 800- all under 3 min with 1 min rest. felt good

Sat Nov 15- 1 mile with Sumo, then 14 mile tempo- felt very good until 13, then the legs fell apart so jogged the last mile. Not hard to figure out why. 2nd day in a row of hard running minus a substantial breakfast. Tomorrow will be a bike ride weather permitting.

This was a great week of training-to be honest I have not trained this hard in many years. Hopefully it pays off.


Sat- 20 miles
Sun- Bike
Mon- 4 miles, then 4 mile tempo in 23:38
Tues- easy hour plus a bike
Wed- 14 mile good tempo
Thurs- easy hour plus a bike
Fri- 6 x 800 uner 3:00 with a min rest
Sat- 13 miles of tempo plus 2 miles

German Fernandez: The Next Prefontaine?

Keep an eye on German Fernandez- now a freshman at Oklahama State (I am still amazed he went there over Oregon, Colorado, Wisconsin, and others- Coach Smith must be good!) occolly.com

Watch him make history setting the high school 3200 meter national record in 8:34- just 3 hours after running the 1600 meter run in 4:00. This guy could be the best American distance runner we've seen in a long time.

Excellent Training Advice for Runners by Nissan

Check out these excellent video clips from Nissan of Alberto Salazar demonstrating a variety of supplemental exercises and dispensing other training advice. Laird Hamilton is also very good.

Tennessee Runner Wins State While Coping with Tragedy

“That’s what runs are good for,” Sonnenfeldt said. “They keep you in shape, but they also can clear your mind. It helped me to think of the good memories that we had. I was still hurting, but I knew that she was in a better place, and I knew that we had had good times.” -Matthew Sonnenfeldt on the death of his friend and runner Markie Voyles. milesplit.us

Read the article- then go for a run.

Marathon Training Update

Yesterday (Tues) was another easy day but I did get some work in- slow 6 miles with the dog (about 1 hour) in the morning, and a 55 min bike in the afternoon. Today (Wed) I did a mile with the dog, then 7 miles out (52 min) and back (51 min). Coming back I kinda hit a wall at about 10 miles and even walked a little, but then was able to pick it back up. To finish in 51 my running pace must have been around 7min per mile.

From here on I'll be trying to focus more on these kinds of runs (close to race tempo). Tomorrow will be another recovery with the plan for an 800 meter interval workout on Friday or Sat.

A Running Tribute to Steve Prefontaine

By his senior year, Pre was doing his morning runs alone. No one could keep up with the exhaustive tests he set for himself during those early hours. Even his coaches didn't know what he was up to. He would start his run hard and continue full on until he had nothing more to give. Then he would look around for a landmark- a street sign or house number- so that the next day he would go out same as before, only this time push himself further than the previous day. He would do this day after day, until he got within a half mile of his house. Only then did he slow down. -Steve Prefontaine-Rocketman, Bree T Donovan & Linda Prefontaine

So much for LSD- long slow distance. I read this book and came to the conclusion I was not doing enough tempo. Pre was right.

I have a 4 mile loop that I've been timing myself on-so far I've run it 4 times in the last 4 weeks- no way can I do this every day. I started in the mid 25 minute range and have progressively been getting faster. Last week I ran 24:30s and tonight following an easy 4 miles with Sumo I ran 23:38, just 2 days after a 20 mile run. I feel I have a little more room for improvement before the Seattle Marathon in less than 3 weeks, but I will need to rest in order to pull that off.

I am hoping this workout, in addition to 800 meter intervals, will make sub 7 min miles a feel a little more comfortable on marathon day. It also makes up for my lack of racing- I hit 5K tonight under 17:30, at least according to my GPS. Who knows.

Cross Country is Big in Kenya

Imagine how hard it must be to make the Kenyan national cross country team!

Okeyo cautioned that it was crucial for all elite and amateur athletes to strive to take part in at least four of the six weekend meetings for them to have a chance of enjoying the advantage of consistency during the selection of the team to Jordan.

The new athletics season starts on Saturday at Machakos High School with the first KCB cross country weekend meeting as the country's elite and amateurs line up for the campaign that will see its climax during the World Cross Country Championships. -allafrica.com

MY COMMENT: Why a top American distance runner would skip cross country is beyond me.

Road Racing in the US- Remember the Good Old Days?

Focusing on mass participation over elite competition has left the United States with a dull and indistinctive offering of road races, putting competitive running out of the national media spotlight and relegating distance running to the style pages of daily newspapers

"I think there is an overlooked and common problem," said Reavis about how race organizers emphasize participation statistics and charity fundraising over elite competition. He said that he had looked forward seeing another generation of running heroes to follow the sport's 1970's and 1980's legends, only to be repeatedly disappointed.

"We used to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated," said Reavis whose research showed that the last runner to make the cover of S.I. was sprinter Marion Jones in October, 2000. He said that was only because her ex-husband, C.J. Hunter, had been convicted of a doping violation

Reavis also indicted large charity groups which have used running events to their own advantage to raise money for causes which have nothing to do with the sport, while putting almost nothing back into running.

"Even though they are wonderful," he said of big charities like the Leukemia Society's Team in Training program, "what do they have to do with running?"

Instead, Reavis said, distance running organizers should use their events to inspire children to get moving, helping to fight childhood obesity, one of America's top health problems. He encouraged the race directors to partner with existing and successful childhood running programs, like the Mighty Milers created by the New York Road Runners Foundation, which has gotten over 50,000 children running under volunteer coaches. Reavis saw this as a huge opportunity for the sport, to essentially become it's own charity.

"Running speaks directly to that line," said Reavis. "But, we need heroes to make that happen. Part of the job of our industry is to create the hims and the hers that kids want to be."

- Toni Reavis keynote address to wrap up the Road Race Management Race Directors Meeting (from Race Results Weekly)

MY COMMENT: Wow! Very bold statements from a well-respected authority on distance running. I would have liked to have seen the reaction from race directors around the country (The room fell silent at the seriousness of Reavis's charges.)

Great Running Shoe for Under $50

I have a rule- I never pay more than $50 for a pair of running shoes. I recently paid $44.95 for a pair of Brooks Burn 3- ran 20 miles in them today and they felt fabulous! This is a light weight trainer with some cushion- perfect for the marathon. The reviews at Roadrunnersports.com are all very positive.

Note: This is probably not a shoe for heavier runners- except 5K-10K racing!

20 Mile Workout

6 miles with Sumo, 20 min break, then 7 miles out and back. I had a little trouble at 2 miles with blood sugar dropping- this happens to me every once in a while when I eat and then run 30 min or so later- I took my gel and grabbed an apple, walked a little and felt ok after 10 minutes or so. Ran the 7 mile stretch back in 50:45, decent for the last 7 of a 20 mile day.

10 x 800 with 1 min recovery

I did my 10 x 800 Yasso workout on Thursday, going in with the idea of just finishing without worrying about time. I felt pretty good about hitting them all between 3 min and 3:06- maybe a 3:02 ave. Not bad on less than 1 min rest. Friday was an easy mile in the morning with the dog and 3 in the evening with the plan for a quality long run today (in the rain!).

One Hundred Push-ups

I really like this site! hundredpushups.com

What a great plan to work on upper body strength that most runners need. I am a huge fan of regular body weight exercise. You can even order t-shirts that proudly display "I did the 100"

Drug Improves Running Performance in Mice

" SIRT1720 made the animals run twice as long,"

The drug works by shifting the metabolism to a fat-burning mode that normally takes over only when energy levels are low. sciencedaily.com
MY COMMENT: Where can I get some this stuff?

Be Sure Your Are Marathon Ready-Are You High Risk?

Two of the 37,899 finishers of the New York City Marathon on Sunday died after crossing the finish line, according to the New York Road Runners, the organizer of the event. The Fire Department added that at least two others collapsed on the course with heart attacks before they were revived and taken to a hospital. -nytimes.com

Are you over 40 and do you have:

Family history of early heart disease?
High cholestrol or blood pressure?
Stressful job?
Current or former smoker?
Any signs or symptoms like chest pain upon exertion?

Get a physical before attempting a marathon! Running did not kill these people.

Kara Goucher Needs to Rethink Her Marathon Race Nutrition Plan

At the second water station she dropped her assigned bottle. That wasn't a huge problem, but she was already starting to feel a rumble in her stomach that began by the sixth mile. Fluid and carbohydrate gel wouldn't stay down.

"Ten miles to go, I tried to take some (gel) and the taste of it wanted to make me throw up," Goucher said. "My body was fighting it and I wasn't getting the (energy) stores that I needed." -oregonlive.com

MY COMMENT: I watched the race and immediately noticed that she was taking in LOTS of fluid at every station- way more than I could ever imagine doing. Not sure what she was drinking but if it was a sports drink no wonder she had problems. Based on her interview it sounds like she took in too much carbohydrate. Once she gets this squared away, watch out!

UPDATE from NY Times- “I wasn’t able to get any liquids in after 10 miles,” Goucher said Monday. “I couldn’t keep anything down. I knew it would cost me, and three miles from the end it was very hard.”

COMMENT: Like I said, just watching her at the early stations, I think she was drinkin way too much liquid at one time and paid the price.

Would You Run in These?

Fivefinger Shoes by Vibram

“The human foot is a work of art and a masterpiece of engineering.”—Leonardo Da Vinci

FiveFingers footwear connects you to the earth and your surroundings in a way that is simply not possible in conventional shoes. It puts you in touch with the earth beneath your feet and liberates you to move in a more natural, healthy way. FiveFingers stimulate the muscles in your feet and lower legs to build strength and improve range of motion. Our customers report an increased sense of balance, greater agility, and visibly improved posture. Vibrim FiveFingers

"Got my Vibram five finger sprints today. They felt really wierd at first and it took a little time to get used to having my toes split apart. I did a 3 mile run at a moderate pace and once I stopped trying to heel strike, like I do in cushioned shoes, they felt really good. You absolutely have to run in a gliding motion so as not to jar the crap out of yourself. Running downhill was really brutal and required a bit of effort to keep good form, but once I got it it felt fine. The only issue after the run is that my calves feel a littel tight and I expect that they will be sore in the morning. So far I give them a 9.9 out of 10 and really enjoyed running in them (stay out of gravel lots!)" - Michael R Jarvis, Jr., Okinawa

here is a review by runnersworld.com

Could Vitamin D Benefit Runners?

According to an extensive review of clinical research in a report from Pain Treatment Topics (http://Pain-Topics.org), inadequate vitamin D has been linked to a long list of painful maladies, including bone and joint pain, muscle aches, fibromyalgia syndrome, rheumatic disorders, osteoarthritis, and other complaints. Lack of vitamin D also has been implicated in the mood disturbances of chronic fatigue syndrome and seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, which are more common during winter.

"In our review of 22 clinical research studies persons with various pain and fatigue syndromes almost always lacked vitamin D, especially during winter months. When sufficient vitamin D supplementation was provided, the aches, pains, weakness, and related problems in most sufferers either vanished or were at least helped to a significant degree."
-Author of the report and editor of Pain Treatment Topics, Stewart B. Leavitt, MA, PhD

-medicalnewstoday.com

MY COMMENT: Rather than fooling around with individual supplements, I suggest runners take a good quality antioxidant that gives you everything you need. I use LifePak Nano by Pharmanex- not cheap but I am confident that endurance athetes require optimal protection against free radical damage, and Pharmanex has the only product that actually demonstrates results (Biophotonic Scanner). When I started taking LifePak, my skin carotenoid score was 36,000. After 3 months on the supplement my score went as high as 80,000!

Pre Race Warm-up- Don't Stretch!

Researchers now believe that some of the more entrenched elements of many athletes’ warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but actually bad for you. The old presumption that holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds — known as static stretching — primes muscles for a workout is dead wrong. It actually weakens them. In a recent study conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, athletes generated less force from their leg muscles after static stretching than they did after not stretching at all. Other studies have found that this stretching decreases muscle strength by as much as 30 percent. Also, stretching one leg’s muscles can reduce strength in the other leg as well, probably because the central nervous system rebels against the movements nytimes.com

MY COMMENT: Stretching before races is a familiar sight. They are usually the ones with the iPods.

Is Marathon Running a Health Risk?

...recent studies have shown that pushing your body to run 26.2 miles can cause at least minor injury to your heart.

"We didn't find any gross injuries, such as blocked arteries or blood leakage. But we did find some enzymes leaking through the heart membrane, which is consistent with significant stress on the heart," says Malissa Wood, M.D., the lead author of a 2006 study in the journal Circulation.

The Circulation study found that people who'd averaged at least 45 miles a week in training were significantly less likely to suffer heart damage than those who ran 35 miles a week or less

-msnbc.msn.com

MY COMMENTS: Food for thought about marathon running. Many of those who run marathons probably should not be doing them.

Big Weekend for Stevens Point Cross Country and the Wisconsin Badgers

Stevens Point Area High School (SPASH), under leadership of my former U of Wisconsin- Stevens Point teammate Donn Behnke, has arguably one of the top high cross country programs in the nation. This weekend SPASH claimed their 9th state cross country championship since 1980. I spoke to Donn about a year ago when I was back for a visit- he has close to 100 boys out for cross country. Donn teaches in junior high school so has to opportunity to motivate kids at an early age. In the gym at SPASH hangs larger than life photos of SPASH graduates Suzy Favor Hamilton and Chris Solinsky. results

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men won the WIAC cross country meet over arch rivals UW- Oshkosh and LaCrosse on their home course. results


The U of Wisconsin Badger men won their 10th consecutive Big Ten cross country title, and the women placed 2nd, narrowly losing to the 4th ranked Minnesota Gophers. Incidently, Minnesota's top runner, Megan Duwell, is the daughter of another UW Stevens Point teammate of mine, John Duwell, who is married to Donn Behnke's sister Lynn. results. Megan got 4th.

20 Miles Today! Sumo Takes on a Cow

I ran 7 miles at an easy pace with the dog and felt pretty good so dropped him off and ran another 13 in 1 hr 45 or so. Total 20, so I was pleased considering the hard intervals yesterday. Tomorrow, weather permitting I'll bike. Oh yea, spotted a wolf today on the Discovery Trail- he could not get through the fence so I got pretty close- no camera though.

Good Marathon Workout!

Last week I did 6 x 800 (approx.) starting with 3:11 working down to 3:04. Today I did the same workout - 3:04, 3:03. 3:02, 3:01, 2:58, 2:56. Big difference! I need to measure this stretch of Olympic Trail or get to a track to really see where I am at- hopefully these are a few yards long. Tonight my legs are beat so I think it might be wise to take an easy day tomorrow before attempting a long run Sunday. I'll see how I feel in the morning.

Update: My stretch of trail measured .815 km with the bike- I knew it was long!

Running Skirts are HOT!

Running Skirts have become a hot item for lady runners- congratulations to Cindy & Christie for developing a thriving running-related business!

runningskirts.com