Peaking for a big race is a matter of properly balancing a drop in miles while maintaining or even increasing intensity of training in the days leading up to your event. Using the correct tapering protocol is one key to a successful peak performance on race day.
According to a study carried out at E. Carolina University as described by Owen Anderson in Peak Performance, experienced runners tapered for a 5K by running just 15% of their average weekly mileage in the week prior to their race. Each day during that final week they performed a descending number of 400 meter intervals at race pace: 8 x 400 the first day, 5 x 400 the 2nd day, 4 x 400 the 3rd day. On race day, the test group improved their 5K times by an average of 29 seconds! Who wouldn't be satisfied with that?
To taper for a marathon, Anderson, founder and editor of Running Research News, suggests starting out 4 weeks before your race with a 75%-50%-30%-15% plan. In other words, a month before your race, run 75% of your average weekly mileage, and the final week cut it to just 15%. He believes runners should drop any slow long runs as the race gets close, with that last week running a tempo-type descending interval program similar to what the E. Carolina runners followed.
Other research cited by Anderson has shown that as long as intensity remains constant, fitness can be preserved for up to 15 weeks despite a drop in volume by up to 67%!
I would not be foolish enough to try holding 15 week taper, but before any marathon I would recommend following these principles recommended by Anderson as closely as possible with one exception. I feel 4 weeks is a bit long for a taper. I like your last hard effort to be the 1/2 marathon trial 3 weeks out, followed by sufficient recovery.
With 2 weeks to go, cut back on the easy long stuff and keep the intensity high with some short intervals. I would substitute 20-25 minute tempo runs if you are not accustomed to high intensity intervals.
Here is another twist. According to Anderson, researchers at the University of Western Australia have uncovered a new protocol for boosting muscle glycogen before a long race. Athletes following a typical high carbohydrate diet were asked to perform a 150 second high intensity session (130 % V02 max) followed by a 30 second all out sprint. The next day muscle glycogen levels were found to have increased by 82% over the day before!
So along with cutting back your distance to just 15% of your weekly average, Anderson suggests performing an all out 3 minute effort 2 days before your marathon, then filling up on carbs and taking the day off before your race.
Anderson also believes it's a good idea to use the 3-minutes of hard running idea at the end of your regular moderate to easy workouts to prevent mid-week dips in your muscle glycogen.
Like anything else, this is something you should test before using prior to an important race. If you use a mini-version 3-4 day version before your time trial, in reality you will be extending your marathon taper out to nearly 4 weeks.
(c) Dave Elger, 2008 All rights reserved
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query taper. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query taper. Sort by date Show all posts
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Revisiting Your Marathon Taper
Back in May of 2008 I did a post on how to taper for a marathon (The Taper), citing research that recommended reducing weekly miles by 75%- 50%-30%-15% over 4 weeks, doing pretty much nothing the last week other than a progressive decrease in the number of high intensity intervals.
There is more. According to Owen Anderson, a 150 second all out effort followed by a 30 second all out sprint THE DAY BEFORE YOUR MARATHON causes your muscles to quickly supercompensate with glycogen so you are ready to go by race time (it goes without saying you need a high carbohyadrate diet for this to work) Glycogen without glucose gluttony: your new carb strategy for optimum performance.
In case you missed it, researchers at Ball State University (my alma mater) have taken another look at the taper ( Myocellular basis for tapering in competitive distance runners). Amby Burfoot summarized the findings in layman's terms at Runners World Peak Performance
According to Burfoot, Ball State researcher Scott Trappe recommends the following (keep in mind this study used an 8K distance for their test- not a marathon):
3 weeks before race: Do 75 percent of normal "midseason" training. Eliminate most medium-hard runs. Do usual interval training.
2 weeks before race: Same as above.
Last week before race: Do 50 percent of normal training. Eliminate virtually all medium-hard runs. Do 50 percent of usual interval training.
Trappe warns that runners have a tendency to do more tempo runs when they cut miles because they feel so fresh (I will attest that is 100% accurate!)- he recommends cutting those hard miles out so that you only do easy miles mixed in with your interval workout.
I wonder what percentage of marathoners actually DO intervals? If you follow the 3-day a week plan recommended by Run Less Run Faster, than I guess that means you'll either drop the tempo day or substitute a short interval workout.
Like anything else, it's trial and error, and don't try anything before a race that you haven't experimented with before.
There is more. According to Owen Anderson, a 150 second all out effort followed by a 30 second all out sprint THE DAY BEFORE YOUR MARATHON causes your muscles to quickly supercompensate with glycogen so you are ready to go by race time (it goes without saying you need a high carbohyadrate diet for this to work) Glycogen without glucose gluttony: your new carb strategy for optimum performance.
In case you missed it, researchers at Ball State University (my alma mater) have taken another look at the taper ( Myocellular basis for tapering in competitive distance runners). Amby Burfoot summarized the findings in layman's terms at Runners World Peak Performance
According to Burfoot, Ball State researcher Scott Trappe recommends the following (keep in mind this study used an 8K distance for their test- not a marathon):
3 weeks before race: Do 75 percent of normal "midseason" training. Eliminate most medium-hard runs. Do usual interval training.
2 weeks before race: Same as above.
Last week before race: Do 50 percent of normal training. Eliminate virtually all medium-hard runs. Do 50 percent of usual interval training.
Trappe warns that runners have a tendency to do more tempo runs when they cut miles because they feel so fresh (I will attest that is 100% accurate!)- he recommends cutting those hard miles out so that you only do easy miles mixed in with your interval workout.
I wonder what percentage of marathoners actually DO intervals? If you follow the 3-day a week plan recommended by Run Less Run Faster, than I guess that means you'll either drop the tempo day or substitute a short interval workout.
Like anything else, it's trial and error, and don't try anything before a race that you haven't experimented with before.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Unconventional Marathon Taper
I knew early on last Sunday's marathon that I was feeling very good, and fortunately I was strong enough to maintain a (relatively) strong pace through the entire 26 miles.
Many factors go into a good marathon- long runs, tempo runs, intervals, diet, weather, hydration, etc. One often over-looked piece of the puzzle is a proper taper.
First of all, besides the obvious identify what are you trying to accomplish with your taper. You want to go into your marathon fully glycogen loaded, hydrated, and rested. You want an abundance of healthy, oxygen-rich red blood cells. You also do not want to taper down so much that your blood volume begins to drop or you begin to lose fitness.
I have no idea if what I did in the week prior to this marathon was optimal; all I know is it certainly did not hurt me and I felt great on race day.
Sun: 9.5 miles easy
Mon: 5 miles in 35 min (7 min pace)
Tues: 6 x 800s in 2:55, 2:53, 2:51, 2:54, 2:51, 2:49 with 2 min recovery
Wed: 5 miles at 7:20 pace feeling a little tired
Thurs: 3 miles in 18:44 pushing it pretty hard
Fri: 2 miles in 12:30 again pushing it
Sat: easy warm-up then 1 x 800 in 2:57 followed by 2 x 30 sec of hard running
Sun: race
See this post for some of the research behind this protocol.
Many factors go into a good marathon- long runs, tempo runs, intervals, diet, weather, hydration, etc. One often over-looked piece of the puzzle is a proper taper.
First of all, besides the obvious identify what are you trying to accomplish with your taper. You want to go into your marathon fully glycogen loaded, hydrated, and rested. You want an abundance of healthy, oxygen-rich red blood cells. You also do not want to taper down so much that your blood volume begins to drop or you begin to lose fitness.
I have no idea if what I did in the week prior to this marathon was optimal; all I know is it certainly did not hurt me and I felt great on race day.
Sun: 9.5 miles easy
Mon: 5 miles in 35 min (7 min pace)
Tues: 6 x 800s in 2:55, 2:53, 2:51, 2:54, 2:51, 2:49 with 2 min recovery
Wed: 5 miles at 7:20 pace feeling a little tired
Thurs: 3 miles in 18:44 pushing it pretty hard
Fri: 2 miles in 12:30 again pushing it
Sat: easy warm-up then 1 x 800 in 2:57 followed by 2 x 30 sec of hard running
Sun: race
See this post for some of the research behind this protocol.
Friday, May 30, 2008
26 Tips for Marathon Training and Racing: #3- Carbohydrate Loading
Every runner on the planet has heard of carbohydrate loading, and most major marathons sponsor pre-race carbohydrate loading dinners the evening before their race.
A word to the wise- don't get carried away! Some runners think loading gives them a license to eat as much as the last 72 hours, while others focus more on desserts and cookies. In other words, fat loading.
According to the Australian Institute of Sport, if you do it correctly, carbohydrate loading can improve run performance by 2%-3%. That may not sound like much, but 3% translates to 5 minutes for a 3 hour marathoner and 7 minutes for a 4 hour runner. That's not bad!
What's the trick to maximizing the benefits of loading carbohydrates? Over the years physiologists have found modest success with different protocols. Here are 2 of the best.
OPTION 1
As you taper your distance, do one last hard but short effort about 72 hours before your race. I like 4 x 800s.
Immediately following your workout, begin your focus on carbohydrates. This study in the European J of Applied Physiology found that glycogen loaded muscles will stay that way for up to 5 days as long as you rest and maintain a high carbohydrate intake. While its ok to start that early, I prefer 3 days.
Research has shown that muscles will stock more if you spread out your intake over 4 hours rather than eating 1 large meal following a hard workout. It makes sense to me that you continue this "carbohydrate grazing" technique following each of your short taper workouts.
A common problem associated with 3 days of carbohydrate loading is the disruption in your normal eating pattern. Your trying to stuff yourself when you aren't very hungry. Your reduced training load along with the extra fiber in many carbohydrate foods leaves you with no appetite.
OPTION 2:
More research out of Australia has uncovered an effective strategy that may work as well or even better (see Tip #5: The Taper). They found ample super compensation in athletes that performed 1 very hard 3 minute exercise bout followed by just 24 hours of carb. loading (pponline.com). Do this 2 days before your race and rest the day before.
Since it takes 10 hours or more for any one meal to break down and reach the muscles (drmirkin.com)it makes sense that what you eat 2 days before may be more important than that big pre race pasta party.
I always try to get a sufficient amount of fiber the day before, snacking on foods like popcorn or whole grain fig newtons. Stick mainly with high carbohydrate foods, but stay with food groups you are used to. For me, that's oatmeal, cereal, pasta, bread, fruit, and vegetables.
Since muscle glycogen is heavy and retains water, maintain a sufficient intake of fluids and keep an eye on the scale. You know you are ready when you are a couple of pounds heavy.
A word to the wise- don't get carried away! Some runners think loading gives them a license to eat as much as the last 72 hours, while others focus more on desserts and cookies. In other words, fat loading.
According to the Australian Institute of Sport, if you do it correctly, carbohydrate loading can improve run performance by 2%-3%. That may not sound like much, but 3% translates to 5 minutes for a 3 hour marathoner and 7 minutes for a 4 hour runner. That's not bad!
What's the trick to maximizing the benefits of loading carbohydrates? Over the years physiologists have found modest success with different protocols. Here are 2 of the best.
OPTION 1
As you taper your distance, do one last hard but short effort about 72 hours before your race. I like 4 x 800s.
Immediately following your workout, begin your focus on carbohydrates. This study in the European J of Applied Physiology found that glycogen loaded muscles will stay that way for up to 5 days as long as you rest and maintain a high carbohydrate intake. While its ok to start that early, I prefer 3 days.
Research has shown that muscles will stock more if you spread out your intake over 4 hours rather than eating 1 large meal following a hard workout. It makes sense to me that you continue this "carbohydrate grazing" technique following each of your short taper workouts.
A common problem associated with 3 days of carbohydrate loading is the disruption in your normal eating pattern. Your trying to stuff yourself when you aren't very hungry. Your reduced training load along with the extra fiber in many carbohydrate foods leaves you with no appetite.
OPTION 2:
More research out of Australia has uncovered an effective strategy that may work as well or even better (see Tip #5: The Taper). They found ample super compensation in athletes that performed 1 very hard 3 minute exercise bout followed by just 24 hours of carb. loading (pponline.com). Do this 2 days before your race and rest the day before.
Since it takes 10 hours or more for any one meal to break down and reach the muscles (drmirkin.com)it makes sense that what you eat 2 days before may be more important than that big pre race pasta party.
I always try to get a sufficient amount of fiber the day before, snacking on foods like popcorn or whole grain fig newtons. Stick mainly with high carbohydrate foods, but stay with food groups you are used to. For me, that's oatmeal, cereal, pasta, bread, fruit, and vegetables.
Since muscle glycogen is heavy and retains water, maintain a sufficient intake of fluids and keep an eye on the scale. You know you are ready when you are a couple of pounds heavy.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Do A Hard Run 3 Weeks Before Your Marathon
I know that the Hansons do this, too, about three weeks out from a marathon. A lot of people think if you can do 16 to 20 miles at marathon goal pace, without a taper, you should be able to then take a two-week taper and then do the whole marathon at that pace. -Josh Rohatinsky speaking about a 20 mile time trial he did at 5 min per mile in his NY Marathon preparation runnersworld.com Josh ran 2:15:22 in his marathon debut, placing him 9th in the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Marathon Taper Reminder
Every once in a while I have to go back into the archives and reread some of my old posts. Here is a marathon taper article I posted in May. The theme is high intensity/low volume.
So far the long range weather forcast calls for a sunny weekend in Seattle!
So far the long range weather forcast calls for a sunny weekend in Seattle!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
The Day Before a Race- What Should You Do?
Since I am racing tomorrow, this is definitely a day to take it easy. As I see it, there are 3 options to experiment with the day before a race:
1. no running
2. easy running
3. some easy running with a 2-3 minute tempo run. This would be a scaled down version of the marathon taper I wrote about in an earlier blog. Marathon Taper.
Since I did a 12 minute tempo yesterday, all I am doing today is some very easy jogging. I was out on the trails with the dogs for a very easy 60 minutes. A little long but I don't believe that will be a factor (I wasn't going much faster than a walk- in fact I did walk the short steep hills). My race is not until 6:30 pm so I'll get an extra 10 hours or so of rest and hope for the best.
1. no running
2. easy running
3. some easy running with a 2-3 minute tempo run. This would be a scaled down version of the marathon taper I wrote about in an earlier blog. Marathon Taper.
Since I did a 12 minute tempo yesterday, all I am doing today is some very easy jogging. I was out on the trails with the dogs for a very easy 60 minutes. A little long but I don't believe that will be a factor (I wasn't going much faster than a walk- in fact I did walk the short steep hills). My race is not until 6:30 pm so I'll get an extra 10 hours or so of rest and hope for the best.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Distance Running Tip- The Taper!
Less than 2 weeks ago I raced a distance slightly less than 10K and felt great! I'd like to reproduce that feeling this weekend in a half marathon, so will try to duplicate that taper. Prior to that race, I did a long run the weekend before with a quality interval session on Wed. This week, I did 14 miles on Sunday and today (Wed) I did a 2 mile hard effort. I felt very strong- under 12 min despite the misfortune of missing a turn thus having to do an abrupt 180 to get back on course. I could definitely tell that my leg speed and not breathing was the limiting factor. Maybe it's time for 400s? I felt leg fatigue the rest of the day so didn't do anything else.
I'll run an easy hour tomorrow and do the 2 x 800s on Friday, then hope for the best. On Sunday I plan to go out at 6:15 per mile and see how long I can hold it. Pray for good weather!
I'll run an easy hour tomorrow and do the 2 x 800s on Friday, then hope for the best. On Sunday I plan to go out at 6:15 per mile and see how long I can hold it. Pray for good weather!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Marathon Training Update- 3 Days to Go!
I seem to have forgotten another important rule- enjoy your taper! The days leading up to your marathon should be easy- short and maybe quick. Over the years I've come to the conclusion that I don't need a long taper, so until today have been focusing on quality and perhaps not cutting enough quantity. It's time to relax!
Today was great- an easy, comfortable 55 minutes on trail with the dog- felt good, and my legs certainly needed a break. Remember, the work has already been done- the purpose of maintaining high intensity in those final days is to keep blood volume levels from dropping and perhaps increasing muscle glycogen storage and enzyme activity. The low volume is required to allow full muscle recovery.
Check out this great tapering article by Owen Anderson, who cites research that found runners using 500 meter high intensity intervals (but running only a total of 6 miles for the week) improved significantly more than runners who rested or stuck to all easy running.
I'll do a few 800s tomorrow.
Today was great- an easy, comfortable 55 minutes on trail with the dog- felt good, and my legs certainly needed a break. Remember, the work has already been done- the purpose of maintaining high intensity in those final days is to keep blood volume levels from dropping and perhaps increasing muscle glycogen storage and enzyme activity. The low volume is required to allow full muscle recovery.
Check out this great tapering article by Owen Anderson, who cites research that found runners using 500 meter high intensity intervals (but running only a total of 6 miles for the week) improved significantly more than runners who rested or stuck to all easy running.
I'll do a few 800s tomorrow.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Distance Running Tip- Be Ready on Race Day
Summary for Sept 19- 25
run: 47 miles
bike: 12 miles
swim: 1000 meters
My tri season has ended (2 races- spring and fall!) and I'm taking a breather from swimming and the bike to focus more on running. The temperatures and cooling and the weather has been fabulous the last few days!
I had a decent week with a long run of 12 miles on Sunday and quality intervals on Wed. I'm feeling better on hour runs but I still haven't done anything over 13 miles. I also haven't been on a sustained tempo run for a while, but at least that changes with tomorrow's 10K in Seoul.
Last month I did something a little unusual prior to racing - 2 x fast 800s on Friday, and another on Saturday (I even did a 4 mile bike!).
Why would I run fast like that the last 2 days before a 10K? Call it an experiment based on a version of this post I did a couple of years ago on how to taper.
I'm taking a more conservative approach this time, running 2 x 800s on Friday in 2:57 (9 seconds slower) and an easy 3 miles on Saturday followed by a comfortable 6 x 200 at race pace. I felt flat on the 800s (10 mile day on Thurs was too long), but better on the 200s. The real taper comes before a half marathon on October 10.
As everybody knows, better to error on the easy side.
Last month at the DMZ 10K I averaged 6:20 per mile- the goal tomorrow is 6:15 (the race is a short 9.28K)
run: 47 miles
bike: 12 miles
swim: 1000 meters
My tri season has ended (2 races- spring and fall!) and I'm taking a breather from swimming and the bike to focus more on running. The temperatures and cooling and the weather has been fabulous the last few days!
I had a decent week with a long run of 12 miles on Sunday and quality intervals on Wed. I'm feeling better on hour runs but I still haven't done anything over 13 miles. I also haven't been on a sustained tempo run for a while, but at least that changes with tomorrow's 10K in Seoul.
Last month I did something a little unusual prior to racing - 2 x fast 800s on Friday, and another on Saturday (I even did a 4 mile bike!).
Why would I run fast like that the last 2 days before a 10K? Call it an experiment based on a version of this post I did a couple of years ago on how to taper.
I'm taking a more conservative approach this time, running 2 x 800s on Friday in 2:57 (9 seconds slower) and an easy 3 miles on Saturday followed by a comfortable 6 x 200 at race pace. I felt flat on the 800s (10 mile day on Thurs was too long), but better on the 200s. The real taper comes before a half marathon on October 10.
As everybody knows, better to error on the easy side.
Last month at the DMZ 10K I averaged 6:20 per mile- the goal tomorrow is 6:15 (the race is a short 9.28K)
Monday, December 1, 2008
2:55:51!
Weather for the Seattle Marathon was almost perfect- overcast and 50s, light wind. I went into this race with some confidence that I could break 3-but you never know what you'll feel like on race day.
Frank Shorter once said that he knew in the first mile if he was going to have a good race, and I've always believed in that if I've done the work and the right taper.
Back in the 70's when I was running marathons under 2:30, I noticed that in my best races,the fastest 5 mile split fell between 10-15 miles, and that has always been my race plan.
My splits in Seattle:
5 mile: .....................33:00...... 6:36 per mile
10 mile: 1:05:51........ 32:51....... 6:34 per mile
15 mile: 1:38:28....... 32:36...... 6:32 per mile
20 mile: 2:12:06........ 33:38.... 6:44 per mile
25 mile: 2:47:14........ 35:07.... 7:01 per mile
I always anticipate a slowdown between 20-25, and this course included a significant climb right after 20- not unlike Boston's famous Heartbreak Hill. Overall, I held together well the last 5. According to the marathon website unofficial results, I finished 20th- passing 24 runners from halfway to the finish, with 2 passing me.
The race was very well supported- I took small sips of Gatorade, water, or both every 2 miles. I took a GU 5 minutes before the start and approximately every 30 minutes during the race. Might be my imagination, but I felt better a few minutes after every one.
marathon website individual result
Frank Shorter once said that he knew in the first mile if he was going to have a good race, and I've always believed in that if I've done the work and the right taper.
Back in the 70's when I was running marathons under 2:30, I noticed that in my best races,the fastest 5 mile split fell between 10-15 miles, and that has always been my race plan.
My splits in Seattle:
5 mile: .....................33:00...... 6:36 per mile
10 mile: 1:05:51........ 32:51....... 6:34 per mile
15 mile: 1:38:28....... 32:36...... 6:32 per mile
20 mile: 2:12:06........ 33:38.... 6:44 per mile
25 mile: 2:47:14........ 35:07.... 7:01 per mile
I always anticipate a slowdown between 20-25, and this course included a significant climb right after 20- not unlike Boston's famous Heartbreak Hill. Overall, I held together well the last 5. According to the marathon website unofficial results, I finished 20th- passing 24 runners from halfway to the finish, with 2 passing me.
The race was very well supported- I took small sips of Gatorade, water, or both every 2 miles. I took a GU 5 minutes before the start and approximately every 30 minutes during the race. Might be my imagination, but I felt better a few minutes after every one.
marathon website individual result
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Marathon Training Update- Jan 25
am: 1 mile with Sumo, then my 17 mile loop in 2 hrs flat, about 6 minutes faster than last week. I was 60 minutes at the 8.5 mile turn around compared to 63 a week ago. This was a hard workout but I can go faster with a taper, racing flats, and less clothing. (I forgot my 5 Hour Energy, but carried a bottle of watered down Dr Pepper)
Total= 18 miles
Total= 18 miles
Sunday, November 30, 2008
My Favorite Marathon Quotes
If you feel bad at 10 miles, you're in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you're normal. If you don't feel bad at 26 miles, you're abnormal." --Rob de Castella
"I felt like I played in a very rough football game with no hitting above the waist". -Alan Page, former Nfl football star
We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon. -Emil Zatopek
"I always say if the marathon is a part-time interest, you will only get part-time results." -Bill Rodgers
"You don't run 26 miles at five minutes a mile on good looks and a secret recipe" --Frank Shorter, 1972 Olympic Gold Medalist
"When you taper for a meet it's like getting a haircut, you never know if it's any good until it's too late. Bob Bowman
If we trained horses like we did people, we'd kill them." - Bob Bowman again who coaches swimmer Michael Phelps (both are appropriate for the marathon)
"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming." --Frank Shorter
Are you Frank Shorter? "No, but I used to be." -Frank Shorter
Why am I reading this the day before a marathon??
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Top 10 Marathon Tips
I recently took a peek at a marathon training website that gave the following Top 10 marathon tips.
1. Keep hydrated:
2. Check your shoes:
3. Eat your big pasta meal two days before the race:
4. Relax the day before:
5. Pace yourself correctly:
6. If the weather is bad – adjust your finish time:
7. Be careful with power gels and energy replacement products:
8. Mentally divide the race into sections:
9. Try walking:
10. Walk around after the marathon:
Here are 10 that I came up with:
1. Taper. I like to cut mileage but maintain or even increase intensity in the week prior to a marathon. Short but quick runs or mini-interval sessions work best. This will maintain blood volume without muscle breakdown
2. Run something very hard or very long 3 weeks before your race. This is a very effective strategy. Three weeks is ample time to recover and come back even stronger. I recommend a half marathon race or your longest run here. You'll be amazed!
3. Avoid the temptation to run long the week before the marathon. It won't do anything to help you and will likely hurt you.
4. Acclimatize. Recall recent years when Chicago and Boston were run in unseasonably warm tempertatures and thousands were caught unprepared. If there is a chance temperatures will be warmer than you are training in, put on some extra layers- enough to make you sweat. Acclimatization takes 7-10 days.
5. Dress appropriately for the weather. What you wear on race day is a crucial decision. Typically temperatures are cooler at the start, than proceed to increase as the race progresses. Four hour marathoners could be looking a significant difference in temperatures from start to finish. You can also underdress and run the risk of hypothermia if temperatures stay cool, the wind picks up, or it rains.
6. Calories. Consuming calories is extremely important during a run exceeding 90 minutes. The average marathoner should target 200 calories per hour.
7. Hydration. Drinking is important to keep up with your losses during a marathon, however, during the week prior it makes little sense to hydrate, urinate, hydrate, urinate, hyrdate, and urinate. It's not like your body has the ability to store excess water a week in advance. Drink an adequate amount of fluid the day before and the morning of your event, but make sure you stop drinking about 2 hours before your start time or you'll looking for some privacy during the race.
8. Run even pace. Good advice here. Your goal should be to run the second half of the marathon within a couple of minutes of the first half.
9. Run the shortest distance. Cut the corners and turns as closely as possible. You might be able to save up to a minute on some marathon courses.
10. Run behind somebody into the wind. This can be a huge energy saver on a windy day.
Bonus: TAKE PRECUATIONS NOT TO GET SICK! Prior to and during the Tour de France, cyclists go to extremes to minimize risk of catching colds or flu. Don't touch door knobs, handrails, and other commonly touched objects without washing hands after. Avoid contact with people who are sick. I like to make sure I get my Lifepak Nano 2 x a day.
1. Keep hydrated:
2. Check your shoes:
3. Eat your big pasta meal two days before the race:
4. Relax the day before:
5. Pace yourself correctly:
6. If the weather is bad – adjust your finish time:
7. Be careful with power gels and energy replacement products:
8. Mentally divide the race into sections:
9. Try walking:
10. Walk around after the marathon:
Here are 10 that I came up with:
1. Taper. I like to cut mileage but maintain or even increase intensity in the week prior to a marathon. Short but quick runs or mini-interval sessions work best. This will maintain blood volume without muscle breakdown
2. Run something very hard or very long 3 weeks before your race. This is a very effective strategy. Three weeks is ample time to recover and come back even stronger. I recommend a half marathon race or your longest run here. You'll be amazed!
3. Avoid the temptation to run long the week before the marathon. It won't do anything to help you and will likely hurt you.
4. Acclimatize. Recall recent years when Chicago and Boston were run in unseasonably warm tempertatures and thousands were caught unprepared. If there is a chance temperatures will be warmer than you are training in, put on some extra layers- enough to make you sweat. Acclimatization takes 7-10 days.
5. Dress appropriately for the weather. What you wear on race day is a crucial decision. Typically temperatures are cooler at the start, than proceed to increase as the race progresses. Four hour marathoners could be looking a significant difference in temperatures from start to finish. You can also underdress and run the risk of hypothermia if temperatures stay cool, the wind picks up, or it rains.
6. Calories. Consuming calories is extremely important during a run exceeding 90 minutes. The average marathoner should target 200 calories per hour.
7. Hydration. Drinking is important to keep up with your losses during a marathon, however, during the week prior it makes little sense to hydrate, urinate, hydrate, urinate, hyrdate, and urinate. It's not like your body has the ability to store excess water a week in advance. Drink an adequate amount of fluid the day before and the morning of your event, but make sure you stop drinking about 2 hours before your start time or you'll looking for some privacy during the race.
8. Run even pace. Good advice here. Your goal should be to run the second half of the marathon within a couple of minutes of the first half.
9. Run the shortest distance. Cut the corners and turns as closely as possible. You might be able to save up to a minute on some marathon courses.
10. Run behind somebody into the wind. This can be a huge energy saver on a windy day.
Bonus: TAKE PRECUATIONS NOT TO GET SICK! Prior to and during the Tour de France, cyclists go to extremes to minimize risk of catching colds or flu. Don't touch door knobs, handrails, and other commonly touched objects without washing hands after. Avoid contact with people who are sick. I like to make sure I get my Lifepak Nano 2 x a day.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Will Alan Webb Make The Olympic Team?
Holder of the American record for the mile, Alan Webb has not looked sharp in any races leading up to the Olympic Trials, which kick off this Friday. Then again, Webb has never run very well when it's counted- Olympics or World Championships.
These quotes pretty much say it all- Webb and his coach Scott Raczko are groping for answers on how to taper and peak for an important competition. He could very well run great in August and September but not be on the Olympic team.
He hadn't planned to wait so long to open his season but made the decision to back off in training when he felt the hard work he was doing had become counterproductive.
"Eventually, I got to the point where I just hit it so hard I got to this plateau," Webb said. "Then, eventually, you start coming down the other side.
"That's pretty much what happened. So I said, 'All right. Chill out. I've got some time.' I didn't ever really stop running. It was more like I chilled out for a couple weeks, sort of medium-hard training. All that stuff I was doing before, I'm going to gain that back. I still have that base there." -The Oregonian
These quotes pretty much say it all- Webb and his coach Scott Raczko are groping for answers on how to taper and peak for an important competition. He could very well run great in August and September but not be on the Olympic team.
He hadn't planned to wait so long to open his season but made the decision to back off in training when he felt the hard work he was doing had become counterproductive.
"Eventually, I got to the point where I just hit it so hard I got to this plateau," Webb said. "Then, eventually, you start coming down the other side.
"That's pretty much what happened. So I said, 'All right. Chill out. I've got some time.' I didn't ever really stop running. It was more like I chilled out for a couple weeks, sort of medium-hard training. All that stuff I was doing before, I'm going to gain that back. I still have that base there." -The Oregonian
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Discovery Trail Marathon Update (Sunday)
The course has been marked- weather has been very warm the last few days. A late 9 am start has me worried, but the long range forecast for Sunday calls for cooler temps. moving in and 49% cloud cover. weather forecast for Sunday . My other concern, since the course runs point to point east to west, is wind. As of now the 11 am forecast calls for NNE winds at 6 mph.
I am in the middle of taper week, but I prefer to call in "peaking week". This is the week I try to do something nearly every day at a pace that is equal to or quicker than marathon pace. Yesterday I did a 5K in 20:30, while today I hit 6 x 800 back on the Discovery Trail in 3:05 down to 2:54.
I am in the middle of taper week, but I prefer to call in "peaking week". This is the week I try to do something nearly every day at a pace that is equal to or quicker than marathon pace. Yesterday I did a 5K in 20:30, while today I hit 6 x 800 back on the Discovery Trail in 3:05 down to 2:54.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Marathon Maniacs are Unbelievable!
In the 70s I used to think that 1 or 2 marathons a year was plenty. A month to recover, 4.5 months of hard training, taper, then race again.
Along came Doug Kurtis, a guy who broke new ground in the 80s and 90s by running sub 2 hr 20 min marathons every 3-4 weeks, even into his 40s. I turned 40 in 1993, and ran 2 hr 34 min at the 94 Boston (ok- so it was year of the tailwind). Kurtis won the masters that year in 2 hr 15! I always thought he was some kind of genetic freak to be able to recover that quickly.
Then I heard about the marathon maniacs (marathonmaniacs.com).
If I hadn't met some of the members, I might have a hard time believing they can do what they say.
To be in the Marathon Maniacs Hall of Fame, you have to do one of the following:
1. 51 marathons in 1 year....FOR 3 CONSECUTIVE YEARS!
2. Run a marathon in all 50 states...3 TIMES!
3. Complete a 100 mile race... 99 TIMES!
3. 333 LIFETIME MARATHONS OR ULTRAS!
Not sure how many are actually in the Maniac Hall of Fame, but I have met one aspiring member- Van Phan is nearing the end of her 3 consecutive years of 51 marathons or ultras. Incredible!
Along came Doug Kurtis, a guy who broke new ground in the 80s and 90s by running sub 2 hr 20 min marathons every 3-4 weeks, even into his 40s. I turned 40 in 1993, and ran 2 hr 34 min at the 94 Boston (ok- so it was year of the tailwind). Kurtis won the masters that year in 2 hr 15! I always thought he was some kind of genetic freak to be able to recover that quickly.
Then I heard about the marathon maniacs (marathonmaniacs.com).
If I hadn't met some of the members, I might have a hard time believing they can do what they say.
To be in the Marathon Maniacs Hall of Fame, you have to do one of the following:
1. 51 marathons in 1 year....FOR 3 CONSECUTIVE YEARS!
2. Run a marathon in all 50 states...3 TIMES!
3. Complete a 100 mile race... 99 TIMES!
3. 333 LIFETIME MARATHONS OR ULTRAS!
Not sure how many are actually in the Maniac Hall of Fame, but I have met one aspiring member- Van Phan is nearing the end of her 3 consecutive years of 51 marathons or ultras. Incredible!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Marathon Training- The Long Run
“The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat.” - Bill Squires
There is no getting around the fact that long runs are crucial to a successful marathon training program.
1. Unless you are very experienced, long runs do not have to be fast. They are about building "resistance to fatigue", not speed.
2. You don't just start at 20 miles without following some sort of progressive build-up phase. Most would be marathoners are safe by adding 1-2 miles per week to your longest run, up to an absolute minimum of 15 miles. Everybody has an opinion on how far your long runs should be, and I am no exception. Depending on your speed, I recommend stopping most long runs at 2-2.5 hours, not to exceed 3, even if your projected time is 4 hours or slower. If you use distance as your measuring stick, I don’t recommend running beyond 20 miles in training. Based on personal experience, I think 18 miles is long enough, especially for beginners, provided you do enough of them. Running too far in training requires longer recovery, and trust me, if you can run 18 miles every weekend for a month, you can do 26.2 following a proper taper.
3. Surface. I believe that if you do most of your long runs off-road you recover faster. Ideally this would be on firm grass or trails that allow you to run at a respectable pace. I've found that many trails, especially those that are hilly, rocky, or at altitude, are run at a pace that is just too slow. If you can only cover 10 miles in 2 hours and hope to break 3 on race day, you might be better off back on the roads. The ideal situation would be to run on a smooth dirt or firm trail most of the time, then as your race draws closer mixing in a couple of your long runs back on the road.
4. How long? Unless you come from an ultra marathon background, I favor 18 miles as the long run upper limit for most runners because, as I mentioned earlier, recovery is so much faster than following a run 20 miles and beyond. Efficient, light weight runners are capable of going longer and may choose to do so because they can recover faster.
5. How many? Here is where my opinion varies from most marathon progression programs, that typically allow 2 weeks between your longest runs. I like to build up to 18 miles, and then maintain that distance for 4 consecutive weeks. Ideally, your first 18 miler comes 7 weeks out from your race and your last one 4 weeks out. Here is my 16 week progression for weekly long runs beginning with 8 miles:
Sample Progression of Long Runs
Week 16:....8 miles
Week 15:... 9 miles
Week 14:...10 miles
Week 13:...11 miles
Week 12:...12 miles
Week 11:...13 miles
Week 10:...14 miles
Week 9:....15 miles
Week 8:....16 miles
Week 7:....18 miles
Week 6:....18 miles
Week 5:....18 miles
Week 4:....18 miles
Week 3:....12-13 miles (race simulation)
Week 2:....12 miles
Week 1:....10 miles
race
I also like the 18 mile distance because the 9 minute per mile runners can still finish under the 3 hour limit (2 hr 42 min at 9 min pace).
Note the race simulation with 3 weeks remaining. Here is where you test your capability for maintaining marathon pace or faster for about half the distance. This won't prepare you for what's in store the last 6 miles, but can be a big confidence booster none the less. If you can schedule a half marathon race here, do it.
6. BE FLEXIBLE! There are many variations to long run build-ups. For example, Jeff Galloway recommends building up to distances of 26 miles and even longer, allowing a full 2 weeks in between. Hal Higdon uses 20 miles, as do most other programs, allowing 2 weeks in between. I like to stop at 18 so I can bounce back for another mid week quality workout before repeating the long one the following weekend.
7. The long run is more than just putting in the distance. Here is where you experiment with shoes; clothing, hydration and what form of calories work best for you (gels, liquid, or something else). Once you get beyond 15 miles, I would break out the shoes I plan to wear on race day for a test run or two, just to make sure nothing unexpected happens after 2 hours in them.
8. WEIGH YOURSELF BEFORE AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER ALL LONG RUNS! This is overlooked by the majority of marathoners, but avoiding dehydration is absolutely essential in preventing "the wall." You must try to drink enough to minimize large drops in body weight during long runs (4% or more). If you weigh 150, an acceptable loss would be 3 pounds (2%). Lose more than 6 pounds (4%) by 20 miles and you may have a long 6 miles ahead.
9. BUY A GPS OR MEASURE! Back in the day before GPSs, I used to estimate miles run based on time and how fast I thought I was running. More often than not I was off by 1 or maybe 2 miles on long runs, usually going shorter than I thought. Unless you measure or have a GPS, your 18 miler may actually be 16!
NOTE: Back when I was 43 years old, I ran 2hr 39 min at the 1997 Disney World Marathon placing 7th overall. My long runs were only 17 miles, but I had 3-4 weeks in a row where I did 2 of those every week- Sunday and Tuesday. Even though I had not run farther than 17 miles in a workout, I was very strong those last 6 miles!
(c) Dave Elger, 2009 All rights reserved
There is no getting around the fact that long runs are crucial to a successful marathon training program.
1. Unless you are very experienced, long runs do not have to be fast. They are about building "resistance to fatigue", not speed.
2. You don't just start at 20 miles without following some sort of progressive build-up phase. Most would be marathoners are safe by adding 1-2 miles per week to your longest run, up to an absolute minimum of 15 miles. Everybody has an opinion on how far your long runs should be, and I am no exception. Depending on your speed, I recommend stopping most long runs at 2-2.5 hours, not to exceed 3, even if your projected time is 4 hours or slower. If you use distance as your measuring stick, I don’t recommend running beyond 20 miles in training. Based on personal experience, I think 18 miles is long enough, especially for beginners, provided you do enough of them. Running too far in training requires longer recovery, and trust me, if you can run 18 miles every weekend for a month, you can do 26.2 following a proper taper.
3. Surface. I believe that if you do most of your long runs off-road you recover faster. Ideally this would be on firm grass or trails that allow you to run at a respectable pace. I've found that many trails, especially those that are hilly, rocky, or at altitude, are run at a pace that is just too slow. If you can only cover 10 miles in 2 hours and hope to break 3 on race day, you might be better off back on the roads. The ideal situation would be to run on a smooth dirt or firm trail most of the time, then as your race draws closer mixing in a couple of your long runs back on the road.
4. How long? Unless you come from an ultra marathon background, I favor 18 miles as the long run upper limit for most runners because, as I mentioned earlier, recovery is so much faster than following a run 20 miles and beyond. Efficient, light weight runners are capable of going longer and may choose to do so because they can recover faster.
5. How many? Here is where my opinion varies from most marathon progression programs, that typically allow 2 weeks between your longest runs. I like to build up to 18 miles, and then maintain that distance for 4 consecutive weeks. Ideally, your first 18 miler comes 7 weeks out from your race and your last one 4 weeks out. Here is my 16 week progression for weekly long runs beginning with 8 miles:
Sample Progression of Long Runs
Week 16:....8 miles
Week 15:... 9 miles
Week 14:...10 miles
Week 13:...11 miles
Week 12:...12 miles
Week 11:...13 miles
Week 10:...14 miles
Week 9:....15 miles
Week 8:....16 miles
Week 7:....18 miles
Week 6:....18 miles
Week 5:....18 miles
Week 4:....18 miles
Week 3:....12-13 miles (race simulation)
Week 2:....12 miles
Week 1:....10 miles
race
I also like the 18 mile distance because the 9 minute per mile runners can still finish under the 3 hour limit (2 hr 42 min at 9 min pace).
Note the race simulation with 3 weeks remaining. Here is where you test your capability for maintaining marathon pace or faster for about half the distance. This won't prepare you for what's in store the last 6 miles, but can be a big confidence booster none the less. If you can schedule a half marathon race here, do it.
6. BE FLEXIBLE! There are many variations to long run build-ups. For example, Jeff Galloway recommends building up to distances of 26 miles and even longer, allowing a full 2 weeks in between. Hal Higdon uses 20 miles, as do most other programs, allowing 2 weeks in between. I like to stop at 18 so I can bounce back for another mid week quality workout before repeating the long one the following weekend.
7. The long run is more than just putting in the distance. Here is where you experiment with shoes; clothing, hydration and what form of calories work best for you (gels, liquid, or something else). Once you get beyond 15 miles, I would break out the shoes I plan to wear on race day for a test run or two, just to make sure nothing unexpected happens after 2 hours in them.
8. WEIGH YOURSELF BEFORE AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER ALL LONG RUNS! This is overlooked by the majority of marathoners, but avoiding dehydration is absolutely essential in preventing "the wall." You must try to drink enough to minimize large drops in body weight during long runs (4% or more). If you weigh 150, an acceptable loss would be 3 pounds (2%). Lose more than 6 pounds (4%) by 20 miles and you may have a long 6 miles ahead.
9. BUY A GPS OR MEASURE! Back in the day before GPSs, I used to estimate miles run based on time and how fast I thought I was running. More often than not I was off by 1 or maybe 2 miles on long runs, usually going shorter than I thought. Unless you measure or have a GPS, your 18 miler may actually be 16!
NOTE: Back when I was 43 years old, I ran 2hr 39 min at the 1997 Disney World Marathon placing 7th overall. My long runs were only 17 miles, but I had 3-4 weeks in a row where I did 2 of those every week- Sunday and Tuesday. Even though I had not run farther than 17 miles in a workout, I was very strong those last 6 miles!
(c) Dave Elger, 2009 All rights reserved
Monday, May 12, 2008
26 Tips for Marathon Training and Racing: #13- Hills
Mt Fuji Climbing Race - Took me 4 hours to finish this half marathon!
Running hills should be a REQUIRED component of your training if the marathon you are training for has any significant change in elevation, up or down.
Run up a hill and you can immediately feel the difference compared to flats. Breathing becomes labored very quickly, and quads fatigue rapidly. Instead of moving your body mass horizontally, you've added a vertical component that dramatically increases energy expenditure and recruits additional muscle fibers.
There are any number of ways to add hills to your training. Because of added stress on the Achilles tendons, calf muscles, and knees, beginners should proceed with caution. While there are many different types of hill workouts, here are some that are commonly used:
Option 1: Design a 4-5 mile route that includes 2-4 significant hills.
Option 2: Find a hill that measures 300-400 meters and run repetitions up.
Option 3: Find a long hill several miles long (common in the mountains).
Option 4: Find a short, steep hill, and run repetitions up 10-15 seconds hard.
According to Amby Burfoot of Runners Runners World, Dr. Gabriel Rosa, coach of many champion Kenyan runners, uses a strenuous hill workout every 10 days. One favorite is a 13 mile run that rises over 4,000 feet. Pretty tough when your starting point is already at altitude!
How do you fit hills into your training routine? The regular interval day is such a critical piece of your training, I would not give that up to do hills. I prefer to add this workout as a substitute for the weekend 5K or tempo workout twice a month.
Here is hill workout that I like that not many other marathoners are practicing. On one of my scheduled easy or off days, I like doing hill repeats on that 300-400 meter hill with a bike! Stand on the pedals as long as you can to simulate running, but sit when you have to. I think you'll find 5-6 of those is plenty!
Many coaches typically introduce hills early in a marathon build-up, then abandon them after their athletes have built strength and move on to a speed focused phase. Why risk losing the benefits? Stick with them until your taper or switch exclusively to the bike.
(c) Dave Elger, All rights reserved 2008.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Why Miles are Important in Marathon Training
"Where you may get some advantage in high mileage--if you can stand it--is in the substrate, the metabolic level that relates to glycogen storage. With volume over 100 miles, you're depleting yourself on a chronic basis and forcing yourself to replenish your glycogen stores day after day."
"If you can push the depletion level of the body in races from 60-90 minutes to two hours by training, you can maintain a higher intensity, which translates to a better running speed. That is where volume mileage has the advantage over high intensity training." -Al Claremont
William J. Fink of Ball State University suspects Claremont's assumption may be correct, but also suggests that volume training may result in a neuromuscular training effect, a more efficient recruitment of all available muscle fibers, which allows the work load to be parceled out over the distance more effectively: "When a runner doubles his training mileage, we often see no change in his maximum oxygen uptake (max VO2), his ability to deliver oxygen to the muscles. So we are forced to look to other areas to determine why volume training results in better performance." (Note: Bill Fink was head of the Biochemistry room in the Human Performance Lab at Ball State- I spent 2 years in there doing whatever I could "not to screw something up." He definitely knew his stuff, especially with a Ph D in Theology!)
"If you're talking about the reasons high mileage results in fast times, I'm not sure we know what we're looking for yet. Most scientists probably have not zeroed in on the real causes." -Jack Wilmore
article by Hal Higdon for ultRunr.com
MY COMMENT: 100 mile weeks are common among world class marathoners. I did it in college and for a short period after I graduated. I clearly remember feeling pretty beat up by Wednesday, however just one easy day was all I needed to bounce back and feel great. How fast you run those miles is also a consideration. 100 mile weeks will leave you feeling very strong after a taper, however to sacrifice quality for the sake of a reaching a mileage goal is not the best idea for running a fast marathon. You need to find a way to inject some quality in those weekly miles in the form of intervals or sustained tempo runs. Finding an ideal mix of distance and quality is the dilema all serious marathon runners must face.
"If you can push the depletion level of the body in races from 60-90 minutes to two hours by training, you can maintain a higher intensity, which translates to a better running speed. That is where volume mileage has the advantage over high intensity training." -Al Claremont
William J. Fink of Ball State University suspects Claremont's assumption may be correct, but also suggests that volume training may result in a neuromuscular training effect, a more efficient recruitment of all available muscle fibers, which allows the work load to be parceled out over the distance more effectively: "When a runner doubles his training mileage, we often see no change in his maximum oxygen uptake (max VO2), his ability to deliver oxygen to the muscles. So we are forced to look to other areas to determine why volume training results in better performance." (Note: Bill Fink was head of the Biochemistry room in the Human Performance Lab at Ball State- I spent 2 years in there doing whatever I could "not to screw something up." He definitely knew his stuff, especially with a Ph D in Theology!)
"If you're talking about the reasons high mileage results in fast times, I'm not sure we know what we're looking for yet. Most scientists probably have not zeroed in on the real causes." -Jack Wilmore
article by Hal Higdon for ultRunr.com
MY COMMENT: 100 mile weeks are common among world class marathoners. I did it in college and for a short period after I graduated. I clearly remember feeling pretty beat up by Wednesday, however just one easy day was all I needed to bounce back and feel great. How fast you run those miles is also a consideration. 100 mile weeks will leave you feeling very strong after a taper, however to sacrifice quality for the sake of a reaching a mileage goal is not the best idea for running a fast marathon. You need to find a way to inject some quality in those weekly miles in the form of intervals or sustained tempo runs. Finding an ideal mix of distance and quality is the dilema all serious marathon runners must face.
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