December 2016
Today after a hard 30k Sunday run with the posse we all showered (Well covered ourselves in very cold water at the local surf club) before breakfast at Clancys Cafe for what we consider the best buttermilk pancakes in the Southern Hemisphere. (You would have seen a few images of these bad boys over the last few months so I won’t bore you with any more but today was a particularly good day for pancakes.) Anyway imagine our surprise when the T-train turns up wearing a triathlon top, it pains me to even type those words. I had attached an image of the sight I had to endure while I went one on one with Clancy’s best.
Now we all know the T-train ran the Bussleton half-iron man earlier this year (though we never talk about it.) as he was recovering from a nasty case of Plantar Fasciitis that he picked up in the Bunbury 50k race in 2015. Before this event I think Tony had entered just about every marathon or Ultra in WA (and placed or won most of them) for the previous couple of years. In the Bunbury 50k he was running well but had to DNF because of the injury. Now as we all know a bad case of Plantar Fasciitis stays with you a long time and is a real bugger of an injury. Every morning you wake up and hobble around like a 90 year old before it eventually (if you are lucky) calms down enough so you can continue with the day and even go for a run. Tony realised the only way to get over this injury was less running but he was keen to keep up his fitness so turned to the dark side, yep, he brought a bike and a pair of ‘budgie smugglers’. (Speedos to the non-Australian amongst us.)
For the rest of the year he would still run with us on Sunday but when we scuttled off to the Dome (Our restaurant of choice for the that period of the year as Michael Barton insisted we eat there so he could get his coffee card stamped. The things we do for each other as runners.) Tony would don his wetsuit (and thus save us from the view of him in his budgies pre-pancakes, thanks Tony.) and go for a ‘swim‘. You’ll notice I have put the word swim in italics, there is a reason for that. The T-train is a good runner but a very, very bad swimmer. One Sunday on the way to the Dome, to help Michael get a free coffee, we stopped and watched Tony swim. To this day I swear we watched him for at least 5 minutes and he didn’t actually move forward. He swims like a brick attached to another brick, and neither brick ever had swimming lessons. You’re getting the picture right. Luckily his riding was better and I feel towards the end of his training he was a half decent cyclist, still a good runner but as for swimming, he was still ‘challenged‘.
Tony did well at the half iron-man but the most important aspect of this little experiment was his overall general cardio fitness was certainly improved. He was looking a lot leaner and lost that puppy fat he was still holding onto. (albeit in his late forties!) To this end he was able to enter the race that broke him a year later and actually win it ! It had taken a year , a new bike and a pair of budgie smugglers but the T-train was back and better than ever. He then turned in a stellar year winning more ultras and placing in many more. He kept up the cycling but his swimming was sacrificed when I feel his Wife started to get concerned for his safety and insisted he only swam in water depots he could put his feet down if he got in trouble. (That was a joke by the way.)
So the point of this post is the T-train did what so many runners find difficult to do. He realised he was running too much, this had caused an injury which required rest but needed to keep up his fitness. He decided to cross-train. Being the competitive little bugger he is he also gave himself a goal and trained for a half iron-man. Luckily we didn’t lose him to the dark side and once his injury was cured, and the bike and smugglers put away, he was back 100% into running and had actually improved. Cross training it seems can be a good alternative to running or even a partner.
I must admit to cycling a few months of the year when it gets too hot to run twice a day. I run early morning and then commute to work by bike before returning home in the afternoon, normally on a longer route. I’ve even been known to sip the odd cappuccino in lycra but that’s our secret. When I cycle I make sure I go hard (no peloton free wheeling for me!) and also keep up a high cadence, avoiding the high gears as I’m not interested in those cycling muscles these gears encourage. As a runner a bike is a cross training piece of equipment that allows us runners to raise the heart rate and keep the general cardio fitness levels high enough so, if we have been forced to the bike by injury, when we return to running we haven’t slipped backwards too far, cardio wise.
As well as cycling there is swimming which is another great non-impact workout, and you get to wear budgie smugglers if you are under forty. Over forty the rule is board shorts in Australia and no one can ever wear budgie smugglers if you cannot see a beach. Other good cardio workouts are circuit classes, yoga, pilates (great for the core and so neglected by all runners) and any exercise routine that gets the heart rate higher. Just make sure it’s high repetition, low weights, remember muscle weighs more than fat so we don’t want too much muscle, much to my Wife’s disgust.
So is cross training as useful as cross dressing for runners ? On the evidence of the T-trains swimming I feel he’d be better of cross dressing but overall his 6 months of cross training was a success and he returned to running a better machine than when he left. I’m actually quite looking forward to getting the bike out in a few months and I may even treat myself to a new set of lycra, just got to make sure my Wife doesn’t catch me as in her view middle aged men in lycra is worse than cross dressing. Each to their own….
As you will know I have entered my first ‘real’ ultra marathon early in the New Year and a week before I turn 50. I have ran 16 ultra marathons before with the longest being the Comrades ultra in South Africa (http://www.comrades.com ). This race varies between 87k and 89k depending on road closures and race direction, they have an UP year and the following year a DOWN year, so to complete Comrades you have to run them both, a marketing man’s dream. (They even gibe you a back-to-back medal if you run the UP and DOWN in consecutive years for your first two Comrades. A free medal, what runner could resist that, not mo that’s for sure!)
The ultra in January is 100k but on a flat 12.5k loop, ( http://australiadayultra.com ) which means you run the out and back loop eight times. The midnight start will also be challenging as grabbing any sleep pre-race will probably be difficult, especially when you add in the pre-race nerves. It will also take an hour or two to set out all the food and drink I intend to consume over the 100k race, it is an ultra remember. I have described running an ultra in another post as an ‘eating and drinking competition’ with the first person to consume enough food and drink to get them to the 100k mark first the winner. More about the eating and drinking apparently ? Remember my mate Jon put on weight after running this event last year. He also finished second ! Could he have eaten less and done better , who knows as it’s a fine balancing act. Eat too little and you’ll burn out and not finish as you’ll run out of fuel. Eat too much and you’ll probably go to sleep, only joking, you can do as much damage with too much fuel onboard, probably blow a seal or worse the head gasket; love my engine comparisons. Saying that I’m typing this while consuming an apple crumble and ice cream so does this count as ultra training , interesting concept, my mate Jon would probably concur with me that eating is actually ultra training as much as the exercise part.
The other 13 ultras I have run have all been less than 64k and as such have needed no extra training on top of the regular marathon training I embrace weekly. I adjust my target pace down and then off I go, into the ultra world with a skip and a jump. Can this approach also get me to an end of a 100k ultra and , on top of the distance factor, will it be able to allow me to compete for a podium finish. No point running if you haven’t got a serious goal to aim for, otherwise we’d all be ‘joggers‘ and that would not do at all.!
100k with no real long runs over 30k, probably not the best way to train for an ultra but I’m relying on my double days and high average mileage (currently around 140-160k a week) to get me through this one. I’m betting my cardio fitness coupled with my stubborn running personality will be enough to get me through the hard times which, apparently in ultras, is a given. Never DNF’d a race in my life and won’t be starting any time soon. I’ve got my race goals all set out of course, there’s a few of them. 1. Podium, less than 8 hours finish. Highly unlikely given my lack of real distance in training. 2. Podium, time unimportant. 3. Sub 9 hours and a finish that doesn’t kill me. 4. Sub 10 hours. There is no number 5. Funny even typing this post I can see the major flaws in my master plan but hey, it’s ultra running.?
I’ve added an article on some tips for ultra success. Reading through these I may have a few ‘challenges’ ahead but if it was easy everybody would be doing it, wouldn’t they ?
The Medics Know Best: 10 Tips For Ultramarathon Success
Crossing the finish line at an ultra requires a sound gameplan.
The medics at ultramarathons get a first-hand look at where races go wrong. Here is their advice to get you to the finish line.
When it comes to participating in ultras, the medical team is one group of volunteers you usually don’t think about until you need them. And they have the privilege of seeing you at your worst—from ankle sprains to dehydration, vomiting to compromised kidney function, blisters and more.
Runners are a stubborn lot, often viewing the medical team as a last resort. But, believe it or not, their goal isn’t to pull you from a race.
“I want everyone to finish,” says Dave Heckman, a firefighter paramedic from Engine 7 of Woodside Fire District in the San Francisco Bay area and a 12-year volunteer at the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race in July through the California desert. “I always hope people recover and keep going.”
The medical crew at Badwater sees its fair share of heat-related sickness, dehydration, exhaustion, sunburns (cover up!) and blisters. Many of the medical team members are ultrarunners and endurance athletes themselves, a benefit when it comes to understanding what racers may be experiencing–not just physically, but mentally as well. During the 2014 race, members of the medical crew shared lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Thanks to Heckman (who circumnavigated Death Valley National Park in 2012 during the hottest month in U.S. history), Chris Frost (an EMT from Parker, Ariz., with nine Badwater 135 finishes to his credit) and Dr. Darryl Macias (an Albuquerque, N.M.-based ER doctor, runner and climber who has climbed Aconcagua and runs mountain races) for their insights.
Preparation is 90 Percent of Success
In addition to running and training, ultra preparation involves studying the course, knowing what conditions to expect, dialing gear, testing hydration and fueling strategies.
Practice Hydration and Electrolytes
Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance can end a race. Practice it during training and stay on top of it while racing.
Train For the Race Environment
That may mean sauna or heat training for hot temperatures, hill running for a course with significant elevation changes or spending some time at altitude for a high elevation race. It’s important to acclimatize yourself and know how you’re going to handle the conditions.
Keep Moving
That is, unless you need to take a break. Constant forward motion gets you to the finish line, but sometimes a few minutes of sitting or resting can be an energizing boost. It’s important to know what works for you. And remember, walking counts as moving.
Recover on the Run
Learning what to do when you feel bad and sticking with your goal, even through low points (because there will be low points), is critical. Taking on food, water and electrolytes can help you recover physically, and mental diversions (talk to your pacer, sing, map out a truly relaxing vacation) are often useful in making it through low points.
Keep a Positive Attitude
This is supposed to be fun, relatively speaking! At some point in time, you actually wanted to run whatever race you are in. Remember that and stay positive.
Take Good Care of Your Feet
Address small hot spots before they turn into angry blisters. Put on fresh socks when needed and try to keep your feet dry. Your feet are your transportation to the finish line, and proper foot care cannot be emphasized enough.
Eat Real Food
Many runners get to a point during a race where not only can they no longer stomach gels and chews, but nothing sounds appetizing. Have options and test food during training. Know what works for you. Peanut butter, honey, bananas and soup are good options. When you do take on food, slow down for a few minutes to allow your body to absorb the calories. Your heart rate needs to be below 160 to absorb calories. Take advantage of slower uphill portions to take on food.
Trust Your Crew
You chose your crew for a reason. Their goal is to help get you to the finish line. Remember that when you’re exhausted, sore and (possibly) grouchy. Listen to them, pay attention to their advice and trust them. Being kind is always appreciated too.
Accept That Ultras Are About Suffering
There is nothing easy about an ultra. Accepting that before you get to the starting line means you won’t be surprised when things become difficult. Pain management, sleep deprivation and low points are all part of it. But they also make your successes that much more rewarding.
I had some spare time this week so decided to reacquaint myself with one of my favourite running books “The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing’, by Dr. Phil Maffetone. If you read just one book this year make it this one. The Holy Grail of running books in my opinion with some advice that will change your running life for the good. Admittedly there are a few aspects of the book I’m not so sure about but each too his own, for the most part it preaches good old fashioned common sense tips from a man who had experience measured in decades and a list of World Champions that includes perhaps the greatest triathlete ever , 6 time Hawaii Iron-Man Champion Mark Allen. ( https://philmaffetone.com )
Maffetone divides his book into three sections. The first one deals with building your endurance foundation before moving onto Diet and Nutrition and finishing off with a section on the importance of self-care and injury prevention. That just about covers the running spectrum as we know it. As I said before it really is the holy grail of running books.
I won’t spoil the book for you if I summarise, very quickly, what Maffetone is all about but must stress this is a summary, you really need to read the full monty to get the full picture. In the first section he preaches building endurance by training constrained by a heart rate figure dictated by following four simple rules. This is your Maximum Aerobic Training (or Maximum Aerobic function), once you have calculated this heart rate figure you then train to stay below it, not interested in pace or time. The theory is the more you train at this reduced pace, in the aerobic zone, the fitter you become. Over time the pace will increase while the heart rate will still be stable. This is the theory behind his technique, similar to the Matt Fitzgerald train slower, to race faster. ( http://mattfitzgerald.org )
I must warn you Maffetone may not be for everyone’s taste. He has some radical theories on running shoes preferring as little support as possible and pouring scorn on the ‘high heel‘ padding favoured by the shoe industry as a whole. I must admit to changing over time from the good old fashioned Asics Kayano’s to running these days in Nike Luna Racers. I’m light on my feet and very much a Supination (under pronation) foot strike. This means I can generally run in any shoe and have a garage full of all different kinds of shoes (I never throw out an old pair of running shoes, too many good memories, much to my Wife’s disgust ) I understand running shoes are so important to all runners so will reserve judgment on selecting running shoes as to me it is so personal and each person is different, I cannot really condone sweeping statements about footwear selection.
Maffetone’s next section is on nutrition and again he has some great sections which I’m sure will help but also some very ‘interesting’ ideas on carbohydrates particularly a two week test where you take carbohydrates out of your diet completely to see if you are carbohydrate intolerant. I couldn’t bring myself to do this as I love my carbs so yet again me and Dr. Phil have a small difference of opinion. He has some great points on Protein, Fats, Electrolytes and Water as well as offering great advice on nutrition for endurance athletes. A really good read and worth digesting. (That was a play on words by the way.)
Finally Maffetone dives into the importance of self care and avoiding injuries. Another great section and all good common sense advice. Yet again he pushes the limits with his advice about avoiding sun protection as Vitamin D is good for you, living in Australia with it’s high skin cancer rates I find it hard to agree with him on this point. He is also very anti-supplements which I probably agree with him but again I may need to sit on the fence.
So to sum up, in my opinion, Maffetone is spot on when it comes to building endurance by slow running using your heart rate as the limiter, combined with distance. His thoughts on nutrition and injury prevention is provoking and again in my opinion for the most part credible, there are also great sections on over training, competition, reducing stress, improving brain function and even training at altitude, I highly recommend this book with the caveat that there are some ideas that may be out with the normal consensus of the running community but this may not be a bad thing. Finally, as with all running literature, you take out what applies to you. For me it was the building the endurance base and slowing down my ‘slow’ runs. There were great nuggets of useful information but I also felt some ideas didn’t resinate with me, these I chose to ignore.
One thing I do agree with is Maffetone’s thoughts on steak and eggs. He loves them and so do I , so tonight Dr. Phil I’m having steak with a couple of eggs and salad, the sacrifices one makes for his sport.
