May couldn't have been a better month for training. I ran 50, and then 60-65 miles per week for four weeks. Not only did I run very consistent mileage but I added a track workout Tuesday mornings to good effect. It just so happens that a group of West Valley Joggers and Striders workout at the same time and I've joined some of their track workouts. The added competion really boosted the pace. Even the never-ending story of my orthotics seemed to be winding up into a pleasant resolution. Sprinkle on that sucess 200 sit-ups and 100 pushups every other night (trying for every night) and a more confident, relaxed approach to my training and I'm headed in the right direction, right?
But now my legs are fatigued to the point that I cut my long run on Saturday in half and cut out my Sunday run completely. I'm spinning on the bike at lunch today in the hope of removing some of the soreness so I can get back on the track tomorrow. My knees and quads are aching and I'm just plain tired.
Am I already overtrained or is this just the exclamation mark that I need to follow three weeks on one week off? I'll know by the end of the week as I'm running the SF Marathon course Saturday morning.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Big Sur Marathon 2007 3:11:43
-Seeing is believing-
Let that be a lesson to me. Donna Troyna, Grizzled Vet of 22 Big Sur marathons, told me exactly how to race the course. "Go out slow and save it for the Carmel Highlands", she said. Her advice only reiterated the advice in the Monterey Herald. Some lessons have to be learned the hard way and this is one of those lessons.
Big Sur is a hilly course. There is little or no flat terrain in the race. I had read this prior to the start but I didn't internalize it until I was experiencing it.
I went out much too fast. 6:10-6:40 for the first six miles. I somehow developed an inflated view of my fitness in the last month. I didn't understand the correlation between my long tempo & progression runs and marathon race pace. I ran 7:05 pace for 24 miles at Crystal Springs which was very close to a race effort. With hindsight I should have tried to run 7:00-7:05 pace at Big Sur. The effect of added competition on race day is consumed by the difficulty of the course.
By Hurricane point (the highest point of the race) I had stomach cramps and was having difficulty taking food. The gatorade I drank probably contributed to this. I've gotten really bad at drinking from cups. I poured more water over me than in my mouth. I found drinking water helped to alleviate the stomach cramps but when I took another GU I cramped again. This was the same feeling I had years ago in the Boston Marathon when I went out too fast and suffered through cramps and shortness of breath for the second half. I basically struggled to the finish with stomach cramps coming and going.
Gaps:
*Drinking from cups - I need to practice this (how sad is that?) or carry water with me.
*Race strategy - Need to correlate key workouts like 24 mile tempo at Crystal Springs or half marathon race to a negative split marathon strategy. I need to develop the discipline to negative split so that I can finish strong. I can always speed up in the last 10K if I feel I've left too much in reserve.
*Mileage - I averaged less than 50 miles a week from February through April with a max of 90 miles. Need to average 90 miles a week although it will take a long time to build to this level.
*Course Specific knowledge - if I want to run fast on the course I need to run it (at least half).
What's working:
*Orthotics - no problems during the race and only minor blisters under the arch by the finish. This is a huge victory because I've dealt with everything from shin splints to IT band problems during the buildup to Big Sur. I am wearing the orthotics full time now. I made changes to the orthotics, adding EVA slices and duct tape, up until the day before the race and it paid off with a pain free run.
*Yoga/stretching - I was loose and 'even' for the whole race. I didn't have any particular muscle problems.
Let that be a lesson to me. Donna Troyna, Grizzled Vet of 22 Big Sur marathons, told me exactly how to race the course. "Go out slow and save it for the Carmel Highlands", she said. Her advice only reiterated the advice in the Monterey Herald. Some lessons have to be learned the hard way and this is one of those lessons.
Big Sur is a hilly course. There is little or no flat terrain in the race. I had read this prior to the start but I didn't internalize it until I was experiencing it.
I went out much too fast. 6:10-6:40 for the first six miles. I somehow developed an inflated view of my fitness in the last month. I didn't understand the correlation between my long tempo & progression runs and marathon race pace. I ran 7:05 pace for 24 miles at Crystal Springs which was very close to a race effort. With hindsight I should have tried to run 7:00-7:05 pace at Big Sur. The effect of added competition on race day is consumed by the difficulty of the course.
By Hurricane point (the highest point of the race) I had stomach cramps and was having difficulty taking food. The gatorade I drank probably contributed to this. I've gotten really bad at drinking from cups. I poured more water over me than in my mouth. I found drinking water helped to alleviate the stomach cramps but when I took another GU I cramped again. This was the same feeling I had years ago in the Boston Marathon when I went out too fast and suffered through cramps and shortness of breath for the second half. I basically struggled to the finish with stomach cramps coming and going.
Gaps:
*Drinking from cups - I need to practice this (how sad is that?) or carry water with me.
*Race strategy - Need to correlate key workouts like 24 mile tempo at Crystal Springs or half marathon race to a negative split marathon strategy. I need to develop the discipline to negative split so that I can finish strong. I can always speed up in the last 10K if I feel I've left too much in reserve.
*Mileage - I averaged less than 50 miles a week from February through April with a max of 90 miles. Need to average 90 miles a week although it will take a long time to build to this level.
*Course Specific knowledge - if I want to run fast on the course I need to run it (at least half).
What's working:
*Orthotics - no problems during the race and only minor blisters under the arch by the finish. This is a huge victory because I've dealt with everything from shin splints to IT band problems during the buildup to Big Sur. I am wearing the orthotics full time now. I made changes to the orthotics, adding EVA slices and duct tape, up until the day before the race and it paid off with a pain free run.
*Yoga/stretching - I was loose and 'even' for the whole race. I didn't have any particular muscle problems.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Text of Ryan Hall's training for London Marathon 2007 pasted below:
------------------------------------------------------------
By Brom Hoban
AMERICAN-STATESMAN CORRESPONDENT
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Americans have not had a reputation as great marathoners since the heyday of the 1970s and '80s. Back then, runners like Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar racked up multiple wins at both the Boston and New York Marathons. And let's not forget Frank Shorter or Joan Samuelson, who picked up gold medals in the Olympic marathon.
That was a generation ago.
Ryan Hall, left, ran the fastest time for an American and finished seventh in his first London Marathon in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 24 seconds.
But now it looks like we are staging something of a comeback.
Deena Kastor, who set an American record last year with her 2:19:36 win at London and won the bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, is one of the top female marathoners in the world. Meb Keflezighi earned marathon silver in 2004 — the first American man to medal since Shorter took silver in his second Olympic marathon 30 years earlier.
And on Sunday morning, running in warm conditions at the prestigious London Marathon, Ryan Hall ran the fastest debut marathon ever by an American. His 2:08:24 (seventh place overall) eclipsed the 2:09:41 debut record shared by Salazar and Alan Culpepper.
Kenya's Martin Lel won the race in 2:07:41, while China's Zhou Chunxiu won the women's race in 2:20:37.
Hall, who popped an amazing 59:43 to set an American record at the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon in January, trained specifically for the London Marathon after his Houston win, which was also his debut for that distance. And unlike Dathan Ritzenhein, another great up-and-coming young American marathoner, who had a disappointing debut at New York this past fall (2:14:01), Hall got it right the first time.
What's interesting about Hall, a 24-year old Stanford graduate, is that he trains with Kastor out at Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Obviously, they've figured out a successful approach to the 26.2-mile monster that has stymied so many young American hopefuls.
Coached by Terrence Mahon, who also coaches Kastor, Hall set about preparing for London about a month after his impressive run in Houston. Highlights of Hall's 12-week buildup for London included five tempo runs of 12 miles or longer, five runs of two hours and 15 minutes or longer and four marathon simulations running eight to 10 miles at a moderate pace and then putting in eight to 10 miles at marathon pace.
For Hall, a "marathon simulation" run means a 23-mile run as follows: 10 miles at 5:45 pace, 10 miles at marathon effort (4:55 pace) and then a three-mile cooldown. His 15-mile tempo runs were also done at 4:55 pace.
And here's a nice touch. Many marathoners consider 20 miles plenty of distance for their furthest long run, but three weeks before London, Hall ran a full 26 miles at a moderate pace — a practice recommended by Jeff Galloway, who has coached thousands of marathoners.
"It gave me a lot more confidence that miles 20-26 aren't something to be scared of, just respected," Hall wrote on his blog.
But beyond the sheer talent and smart training, maybe it's Hall's positive attitude that serves him best.
A few days before London, he said, "I will step to the line knowing that I have done everything I could do to be ready for this, and then the fun part begins. 26.2 miles testing my body and celebrating all the hard work that has gone into this one moment, and it all happens on two hours one Sunday morning."
------------------------------------------------------------
By Brom Hoban
AMERICAN-STATESMAN CORRESPONDENT
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Americans have not had a reputation as great marathoners since the heyday of the 1970s and '80s. Back then, runners like Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar racked up multiple wins at both the Boston and New York Marathons. And let's not forget Frank Shorter or Joan Samuelson, who picked up gold medals in the Olympic marathon.
That was a generation ago.
Ryan Hall, left, ran the fastest time for an American and finished seventh in his first London Marathon in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 24 seconds.
But now it looks like we are staging something of a comeback.
Deena Kastor, who set an American record last year with her 2:19:36 win at London and won the bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, is one of the top female marathoners in the world. Meb Keflezighi earned marathon silver in 2004 — the first American man to medal since Shorter took silver in his second Olympic marathon 30 years earlier.
And on Sunday morning, running in warm conditions at the prestigious London Marathon, Ryan Hall ran the fastest debut marathon ever by an American. His 2:08:24 (seventh place overall) eclipsed the 2:09:41 debut record shared by Salazar and Alan Culpepper.
Kenya's Martin Lel won the race in 2:07:41, while China's Zhou Chunxiu won the women's race in 2:20:37.
Hall, who popped an amazing 59:43 to set an American record at the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon in January, trained specifically for the London Marathon after his Houston win, which was also his debut for that distance. And unlike Dathan Ritzenhein, another great up-and-coming young American marathoner, who had a disappointing debut at New York this past fall (2:14:01), Hall got it right the first time.
What's interesting about Hall, a 24-year old Stanford graduate, is that he trains with Kastor out at Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Obviously, they've figured out a successful approach to the 26.2-mile monster that has stymied so many young American hopefuls.
Coached by Terrence Mahon, who also coaches Kastor, Hall set about preparing for London about a month after his impressive run in Houston. Highlights of Hall's 12-week buildup for London included five tempo runs of 12 miles or longer, five runs of two hours and 15 minutes or longer and four marathon simulations running eight to 10 miles at a moderate pace and then putting in eight to 10 miles at marathon pace.
For Hall, a "marathon simulation" run means a 23-mile run as follows: 10 miles at 5:45 pace, 10 miles at marathon effort (4:55 pace) and then a three-mile cooldown. His 15-mile tempo runs were also done at 4:55 pace.
And here's a nice touch. Many marathoners consider 20 miles plenty of distance for their furthest long run, but three weeks before London, Hall ran a full 26 miles at a moderate pace — a practice recommended by Jeff Galloway, who has coached thousands of marathoners.
"It gave me a lot more confidence that miles 20-26 aren't something to be scared of, just respected," Hall wrote on his blog.
But beyond the sheer talent and smart training, maybe it's Hall's positive attitude that serves him best.
A few days before London, he said, "I will step to the line knowing that I have done everything I could do to be ready for this, and then the fun part begins. 26.2 miles testing my body and celebrating all the hard work that has gone into this one moment, and it all happens on two hours one Sunday morning."
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Orthotic Saga -Continued
What about the saga of the orthotics? Still working on closing that chapter of my running career. I met with Dr Chuck Starrett again to tune my orthotics and his expertise truly shone. He made all the adjustments necessary and the orthotics went from a nice idea to near perfect.
What did he do? He added cork resin as a foundation around the heel of the right foot as well as EVA support in the midfoot. This makes the orthotic much more stable and really fills up the arch. The left orthotic he rounded to let it move more in the shoe so it wasn't quite so overwhelming. I ran six miles right after my appt with him and felt pretty good. I found that I needed remove the shoe insert so the right orthotic could sit as low as possible in the shoe. It also took a few runs to realize that the shoe insert needed to be cut down so the insert and the orthotic were flush. With some (can you guess?) duct tape I fit the two together and the tempo run today was flawless. My IT band was bothering me before but not after I made that adjustment. The left orthotic is just a little too unstable so I propped it up with a long narrow strip of EVA from another shoe insert and it is working perfectly.
I have run the last ~ 50 miles with these orthotics and the next big test will be the marathon (Big Sur). I haven't felt any more than a slight twinge in my shins since starting with them which is a great sign.
What did he do? He added cork resin as a foundation around the heel of the right foot as well as EVA support in the midfoot. This makes the orthotic much more stable and really fills up the arch. The left orthotic he rounded to let it move more in the shoe so it wasn't quite so overwhelming. I ran six miles right after my appt with him and felt pretty good. I found that I needed remove the shoe insert so the right orthotic could sit as low as possible in the shoe. It also took a few runs to realize that the shoe insert needed to be cut down so the insert and the orthotic were flush. With some (can you guess?) duct tape I fit the two together and the tempo run today was flawless. My IT band was bothering me before but not after I made that adjustment. The left orthotic is just a little too unstable so I propped it up with a long narrow strip of EVA from another shoe insert and it is working perfectly.
I have run the last ~ 50 miles with these orthotics and the next big test will be the marathon (Big Sur). I haven't felt any more than a slight twinge in my shins since starting with them which is a great sign.
11 Days left to Big Sur Marathon
Almost time to start the taper for Big Sur International Marathon. My training hasn't quite acheived the mileage I intended but the quality workouts seem to be paying off. Here are a few of the highlights:
- One 90 mile week (followed by a thirty mile recovery week)
- 2 long tempo runs of 24 miles; first at 7:12 pace, second at 7:06 pace
- 1 long fartlek run with 13x1 mile run w/ 1/2mile recovery, pace averaged about 6:40
- 2-3 hard workouts a week including tempo runs during the week including loops of 1/2 mile hill
- Getting very close to racing weight - been at ~142 for last few weeks (need to get to 139 for next Sunday)
Where does this leave me for the race 4/29? Itching to race and hopeful I can break 3 hrs! I've felt strong throughout the long tempo runs and was able to drop the pace down over the last six miles. I certainly am not underestimating the hills on the Big Sur course but I'm hopeful the hills on the Crystal Springs/Sawyer Camp trail where I did my tempo runs were a good approximation. I'm confident I can run at least 3:06 if conditions are favorable but I believe I can run a little faster with competition.
I'll publish my race plan next week.
- One 90 mile week (followed by a thirty mile recovery week)
- 2 long tempo runs of 24 miles; first at 7:12 pace, second at 7:06 pace
- 1 long fartlek run with 13x1 mile run w/ 1/2mile recovery, pace averaged about 6:40
- 2-3 hard workouts a week including tempo runs during the week including loops of 1/2 mile hill
- Getting very close to racing weight - been at ~142 for last few weeks (need to get to 139 for next Sunday)
Where does this leave me for the race 4/29? Itching to race and hopeful I can break 3 hrs! I've felt strong throughout the long tempo runs and was able to drop the pace down over the last six miles. I certainly am not underestimating the hills on the Big Sur course but I'm hopeful the hills on the Crystal Springs/Sawyer Camp trail where I did my tempo runs were a good approximation. I'm confident I can run at least 3:06 if conditions are favorable but I believe I can run a little faster with competition.
I'll publish my race plan next week.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Balancing speed & distance
I've already mentioned that a week or so after the Woodside 50k I went to the track and couldn't run faster than 6:27/mile. This was a wakeup call that my mix of training needs to change and focus more on speed. But a few weeks after this I ran 37 miles and pretty much beat any fast twitch fibers out of my legs.
This last saturday we were visiting Laguna Beach and I ran 10 hilly miles in 1:20:00 in the morning. Then I ran 8 hilly miles in the same time with a fast finish in the afternoon with Scott White. I'm not advocating dropping long runs over 20 miles but limiting the slogfest 5+ hour runs and alternating tempo 20+ mile runs one weekend with a double day of the same mileage would make for better recovery and not limit fast twitch muscle recruitment.
This last saturday we were visiting Laguna Beach and I ran 10 hilly miles in 1:20:00 in the morning. Then I ran 8 hilly miles in the same time with a fast finish in the afternoon with Scott White. I'm not advocating dropping long runs over 20 miles but limiting the slogfest 5+ hour runs and alternating tempo 20+ mile runs one weekend with a double day of the same mileage would make for better recovery and not limit fast twitch muscle recruitment.
Saga of the Orthotic Search
It all started with overtraining for a marathon whose start line I never
crossed. I was training for the Silicon Valley Marathon when I took four
days off from training and everything else to vacation in Vermont and
attend a friend's wedding. I returned to what was eventually diagnosed
as achilles tendinosis in my right leg.
crossed. I was training for the Silicon Valley Marathon when I took four
days off from training and everything else to vacation in Vermont and
attend a friend's wedding. I returned to what was eventually diagnosed
as achilles tendinosis in my right leg.
What to do? It was October and too close to the marathon to heal and
have any sort of race so I embarked on physical therapy. I did?lt run
for about five weeks. Then it became clear that PT wasn't helping.
Soreness was gone but still couldn't run in Nike Air Structure Triax or
Supernova Control without pain. I finally took control of my own
recovery and started experimenting with superfeet.
I bought a pair of Mizuno Wave Inspire's and ran with a combination of
blue and black superfeet. I finally found that blue SF on the right and
plain factory insoles in the left worked great. It took about 5 runs to
work through the combinations but it paid off. I ran pain free (knock on
wood) from November through to a successful 50K in February 07.
Running with only one orthotic was troubling. My right leg felt great on
long runs and my left was just a degree or two from perfect. It bears
noting that I ran my long trail runs and the race in the Wave Ascend
which is best described as a torsionally rigid neutral trail shoe. My
left leg went numb for about a mile during the 50K but without loss of
power. In December I went to see a podiatrist recommended by a friend
and got fitted for orthotics. I didn't receive the orthotics until mid
January so I decided not to train with them until after the race.
Race completed successfuly and now the same combination of Wave Inspire
and blue superfeet (right foot only) is causing shin and knee pain.
Different model for the Inspire and this could be part of the problem. I
also have more than just casual pain in my left leg running in the Wave
Ascend without an orthotic.
Soooo... Back to the test matrix. Thursday 3/1 I ran with a waist pack
full of orthotics and ran successfully in the Adidas Supernova Trail, a
moderate stability shoe, with black superfeet in each shoe. This is
probably the right combination finally, moderate stability and moderate
support in the black SF.
Last week I ran some tempo with the Wave Rider and my custom orthotics.
Wave Rider has even less stability than it used to so I was fooled by
history. But it is such a comfy shoe I couldn't resist. The run was
moderately successful. There was too much wind to run consistent tempo
but my legs felt well aligned and smooth. My knees were sore after the
run which could be the orthotics or the lack of stability in the shoes.
In general is feels like the right custom orthotic is a great fit but
that the arch in the left is too high. It would be worth trying the
Supernova Trail and the Wave Inspire with the custom orthotics now that
i'm recovered from the last two long outings.
Lessons learned:
A moderate stability shoe with a smooth heelstrike and good cushioning
would provide the best foundation for orthotics.
If I can get the custom orthotics dialed in I should be set. I just need
to test them out again.
Mizuno is good but Wave Inspire might have too much stability. Nike
Structure Triax is soft but has a poor heel to toe transition. Might
try Brooks or Saucony. Asics just feels blah. Until Adidas improves the
Supernova Control itls off my list.
Thomas Clarke, PMP
IT Program Manager
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408-822-3372
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