Fire on the Track- Steve Prefontaine Documentary is on YouTube!

This is a MUST WATCH!

Great High Mileage Quote!

Returning to the issue of training volume, remember that high mileage days are more important than high mileage weeks.
-Distance Coach John Kellogg

from letsrun.com forum

Hamstring Stretching by "The Band Man" Dave Schmitz

MY COMMENT: I really like this technique! Check out Resistance Band Training for more great information on trainng with resistance bands.

Crazy Mile Repeat Week!

Long runs have not been going so well- physically and psychologically, so I'm putting focus on quality rather than quantity and enjoying it more! I didn't plan it, but 3 of my workouts this week happened to involve mile repeats. I varied the number, level of intensity and recovery for each. I'm also starting to get in some 100 m strides on turf when I can.

Sun: 7 miles including 5 at 6:40 pace.

Mon: 13 miles extremely slow

Tues: no run

Wed: 3 x 1 mile in 6:00, 5:47, 5:48 with 3 min recovery on the outdoor track followed by 10 x 100 meter strides.

Thurs: 6 miles extremely slow

Fri: Got a late start so only 2 x 1 mile but ran hard- 5:40, 5:37 on turf with 5 min recovery. Went out a little too hard on the first one. 6 x 100 m strides. 4 miles total

Sat: Raining out so went to the 10 lap indoor track for 6 x 1 mile with 60 seconds recovery: 6:44, 6:40, 6:35, 6:33, 6:25, 6:10. Totally exhausted.

Total miles = 42 with 16 miles under 7 min and 4 under 6 min

New Therapy for Plantar Fascitis and Tendon Injuries

The study included 34 patients with a wide range of tendon and soft tissue injuries, from rotator cuff tendinitis to plantar fasciitis, an inflammation on the bottom of the foot. In the first stage of the two-part treatment, researchers used high-resolution ultrasound technology to guide a needle to the injured area, and the physicians repeatedly poked the tendon with the needle, inducing minor bleeding within the tissue.

“The needle breaks up nonhealing, degenerative tissue and induces bleeding, hopefully converting a chronic, degenerative injury into an acute injury that has healing potential,” Dr. Smith explains. Afterward, patients received an injection of concentrated platelets from their own blood. The platelets release growth factors into the area to start the healing process.

-Tendon injuries see improvement with new combo therapy: Mayo Clinic

Ritzenhein's Hamstring Problems Can Be Fixed!

Dathan Ritzenhein finished 4th in the Olympic Trials marathon last weekend, but it sounds to me like cramping hamstrings were the only thing that kept him from contending for the win, NOT his fitness. Despite all of the bells and whistles from NIKE, this is a problem that has afflicted Ritz in every single marathon he's attempted, including the 2008 Olympics where he placed 9th. I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes, but I would like to believe, given his history of problems, that Ritz has been religiously working on eccentric hamstring strength. He states in this article that "it's muscular fatigue", and I'd really like to see exactly what they did besides nutrition to correct it. Something tells me not enough eccentric strength work.

Running Makes Kids Smarter!

Watch A physical education on PBS. See more from Need to Know.

Frank Shorter Speaks About Running With Bad Feet

Interesting that Frank mentions that he learned to "run light on his feet" because they hurt so much. I recall reading somewhere that former marathon world record holder Derek Clayton said basically the same thing- he was big for a marathoner but taught himself to run "light on his feet."

I also remember racing against Shorter in 1976, amazed at the shoes he was wearing with paper thin soles. I am wondering if he learned the efficient barefoot running style back then by training in something similar.

Correct Toes

Podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan has come up with Correct Toes to help realign the bones in your feet and alleviate pain.   The clip here makes good sense- one reviewer here believes this may work but warns not to expect miracles- they could take months if not more than a year.  You can also check out some comments at google groups and this review.
I am wondering how it feels to run with them.   Definitely need shoes with a wide toe box.

Marathon Olympic Trials are Here!

Good luck to all who are participating in the Olympic Trials marathon tomorrow in Houston! The race will be broadcast on tape delay by NBC on Sat from 3-5 pm EST but you can listen to a live audio feed and twitter updates on flotrack.

Good luck to fellow Wisconsin native Rachel Booth that I had the pleasure of training with for a stint in Okinawa about 5 years ago. Last words I heard from Rachel on facebook were "I'm looking for BIG PR" (2hr 43:36).

Give Your Running A Boost!

In G1 (3-5 cycling bouts × 30-s all-out with 4 min recovery) significant improvements following training were found in VO2max (9.6%), power at VO2max (12.8%), Tmax (48.4%), peak power output (10.3%) and mean power output (17.1%).

A PRACTICAL MODEL OF LOW-VOLUME HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING INDUCES PERFORMANCE AND METABOLIC ADAPTATIONS THAT RESEMBLE 'ALL-OUT' SPRINT INTERVAL TRAINING

MY COMMENT: This is good strategy that should be easy to implement just 3 times a week. After a quick warm-up hammer some short hard 30 second bursts on a bike and feel the difference! They don't say whether these high intensity intervals were done seated or standing on the pedals-I assume standing would likely be more beneficial for runners.

Fish Oil May Speed Recovery

Based on these findings, omega-3 supplementation (3,000 mg/day) could provide benefits by minimizing post-exercise soreness and thereby facilitate exercise training in individuals ranging from athletes undergoing heavy conditioning to sedentary subjects or patients who are starting exercise programs or medical treatments such as physical therapy or cardiac rehabilitation.
-THE EFFECT OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID SUPPLEMENTATION ON THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE TO ECCENTRIC STRENGTH EXERCISE

Rational for High Intensity Interval Training

MY COMMENT: Today my workout was a 5 garbage miles in the morning, then after work 4 x 150 rotations of jump rope, 4 x 60 sec hard on a spin bike, and 4 x 100 meters swimming, followed by 4 x 25 meters with the kickboard and zoomer fins. This is facinating, especially for masters runners.

This is a long video, but listen to the first 10-15 minutes and you'll get the idea. THIS IS FACINATING!

The Kenyan Runner's Diet - Surprising!

About 86 percent of daily calories came from vegetable sources, with 14 percent from animal foods. As you might expect, the Kenyan-runners' diets were extremely rich in carbohydrate, with 76.5 percent of daily calories coming from carbs

Every 24 hours, the Kenyans took in about 600 grams of carbohydrate, with very little variation from day to day

just behind ugali in second place for calorie-provisioning was plain sugar, which provided about one out of every five calories (20 percent) consumed by the Kenyans over the course of the day.

Since the Kenyans relied so heavily on full-cream milk as a source of energy and protein, their daily consumption of saturated fat checked in at about 28 grams -- 252 calories out of the daily caloric quota of 3,000 or so.

the carb intake of elite distance runners in the U.S., the Netherlands, Australia and South Africa have been measured at 49 (!), 50, 52 and 50 percent of total calories, respectively, a far cry from the Kenyan total of 76.5 percent.3,4,5,6 The Kenyans appear to be doing a better job of fueling themselves for their high-intensity training, compared with their "peers" in other countries.

Source: Eating practices of the best endurance athletes in the world by Owen Anderson.

MY COMMENT: After reading this, I am OK with sugar in my tea. With all the hype surounding a low carbohydrate approach for effective weight loss, this is indeed a reminder that what's good for heavy people may not be good for the runner in training. If you didn't know, Kenyans are notorious for gaining weight during their down time.

Run With The Kenyans!

Facinating account of running with the Kenyans by Irishman Ian O'Riordan.

You must always add to what you have. Now, I don’t start with base, with mileage. I start with speed, then add the volume, which means you are extending the ability to sustain speed. You must also subject the body to every type of stimulus. If you repeat any one session more than three times it’s no longer a stimulus. So if something works, it’s time to change it. That’s why most of the traditional running methodology is bullshit.”

-legendary distance Italian distance coach Renato Canova , who occasionally contributes on the letsrun.com world famous message board.

-IrishTimes .com

High School Talent in Japan Runs Deep!

There are easily 40 high schools in Japan that can field boys teams with at least five athletes who have run sub-15 minutes for 5,000 meters. Some of them won’t race on Dec. 25 because they are the second-or third-best teams in their prefecture. By the middle of fall, the national list included 350 sub-15 minute boys and rising. By year’s end the number typically nears 600. -espn trackHS track & xc

MY COMMENT: Amazing! I am curious why we aren't seeing more depth from the Japanese at the world class level.

Do We Run to Eat?

“The diminished effect of dietary composition on the BMI of higher mileage runners could be due to improved fat oxidation with exercise,” Williams said.

Second to an enhanced internal combustion system that burns more calories, Williams also ponders whether distance runners are inherently good at adjusting their food volume to match their training volume, which relates to the earlier statement that runners understand the need to train more when they eat more.

MY COMMENT: This is exactly what I've been saying! Fat burning ability o the muscle trumps total calories expended for weight loss. Or maybe we really do run so we can eat more.

Read more here:

Anatabloc Testimonial

I love the plyometric drills! More on Anatabloc here.

European Cross Country!

World Champ Paul Tergat could only manage 3rd in this race- if you watch the entire video the finishing straight is absolutely brutal!

Chuck Engle- Marathon Junkie

Marathon Wins: 134
Average Time: 2:42
2011 Total Marathons: 44
2011 Wins: 33
Sub 3 Hour Marathons: >235





Chuck (#473) has now not only run a marathon in all 50 states, he's WON a marathon in every state. Truly an amazing runner. marathonjunkie.com

Anatabloc- New Anti-Inflammatory Made from Tobacco!

The active ingredient in RP006 is anatabine, a compound found in tobacco that seems to have dramatic anti-inflammatory properties (The left axis of the graph represents an inflammatory molecule). source: Roskamp Institute

I know of no research on anatabine related to endurance, but it's plausible to believe that it may enhance recovery.

Anatobloc is expensive- $89 for a one month supply, however that could be cheap if it provides relief for many who suffer from chronic conditions related to inflammation (of which there are countless, including Alzheimer's- see the link here about clinical trials).

Parent company Star Scientific (CIGX) also markets a dissolvable tobacco product called Stonewall that is sold by AAFES. Recently I recommended it to a soldier attempting to quit dipping, and low and behold he stopped by on Friday to report he's been dip free for a week while using it!

Runners Sick at Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Marathon

Soon, the 50-year-old Las Vegan was doubled over from stomach cramps "worse than childbirth." Violent vomiting and explosive diarrhea almost kept her from crossing the finish line.

As Ragsdale reached another water station, she saw water being pumped from a nearby fire hydrant with white hoses into a plastic lined garbage can. Event volunteers wearing plastic gloves would dip cups into the cans and pass them off to runners. -account in Las Vegas Review Journal

Lots of runner feedback on the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon facebook page.

Also troubling is the claim by many that the course was between .3 and .5 miles long (letsrun.com)

Kara Goucher Interview

We're going to go in really tired. We have a really hard long run today (Monday, two days ago), and we're asked to keep our mileage up at an all-time high through the week this week. So we're going in with really tired legs. We don't have great flights. We get in pretty late, like 11:30 at night Friday. So for us, it's really just a dress rehearsal of what it feels like to run the second half of a marathon tired. Certainly, none of us are going to run PRs, but it's more just practicing being tired, what that feels like. We're going to have our fluids set up. It's very different than I've ever approached a half-marathon before, because I've always gained a lot of confidence from running a good fast half, whereas that's really not the goal this time. The goal is to run a decent one extremely tired and know that when I'm rested, I can go twice the distance. runnersworld.com

MY COMMENT: Goucher will be running a half in Miami this weekend along with Shalane Flanagan.

I'm not sure it's a good idea to go into a half marathon less than 100% just a few weeks away from the Olympic Trials- If she runs great, no problem, but a poor showing will do nothing for her confidence level, not to mention what it will do to her recovery. A hard 13 mile run while tired is easy to implement in training- for me a race is the place to evaluate whether or not your training is working- so you should be rested.

I'm a bit surprised with what she had to say about the difference in training programs between Salazar and Schumacher. Hopefully it works out.

Gerry Lindgren Facebook Quotes

When you are in REALLY GOOD shape, do things nobody else would dare to try, like a 10-mile run with the first mile at 4-minutes. Sprint an ALL-OUT quarter mile midway through a workout. Challenge the limits!!!!!!

I did that THREE times in my running life. THREE different times I changed to a different reality and it was amazing. Only once in a race; Mt. Sac XC 4-mile race in 16:08. That one is still on the wall of records at Mt. Sac.

I averaged 25-35 miles a day for over 7-years to reach the top of the distance running world. Now people say doing such a thing is impossible. They say you will be hurt if you run that much. People BELIEVE them and so when they attempt to just run, they get hurt. KNOWING you will get hurt allows injury to happen. If you didn't know or instead if you KNEW you would not be hurt, you would not suffer injury running extreme miles.

When you keep track of milage you build a box around your running; You create a REALITY of how many miles you CAN run. You assume those miles will equate to something special. They won't! Think of miles as the "Wax on Wax off" of running. They are the price you have to pay for running well in the spring. Pay your dues; OVERPAY your dues; But don't count them. It defeats the purpose.

You can buy the book, ($90!) but why not just look him up on Facebook? Gerry is of very few Americans to take down Steve Prefontaine and remains one of the most incredible American distance runners ever!



As for Lindgren's potential: Following his '65 freshman year he ran
27:11.6 for 6M, finishing one-tenth behind Billy Mills; both shared the
World Record, when it was faster than the existing 10K WR based on
conversions. It was his only Collegiate Record at the distance. At 10K,
he twice set CRs, getting down to 28:40.2 in '67. At 3M, he set a pair of
CRs, with a best of 12:53.0 in '66. This mark was only 0.6 seconds short
of Ron Clarke's 3M WR, and at a time when both were faster than Kip Keino's
WR 13:24.2 for 5K, and inferior performance on conversion. The 12:53.0 was
faster than Prefontaine ever ran as a collegian, even considering
conversions. In the 5K, he set a pair of CRs, with a best of 13:33.8 in
'68. And throw a 3000 CR of 7:58.0 in '65 on top of that. -Some notes on Gerry Lindgren ...by John Molvar

Jim Ryun Talks About Altitude Training and Jack Daniels