August 2018
Last Saturday night I was getting ready for the Perth City to Surf Marathon the next morning, going through the runners conundrum of deciding how late you can set the alarm while factoring in eating and at least three toilet stops? I was going to run my 10th City to Surf in a row, part of a small group of runners who had the run the previous nine since the inaugural one in 2009. This streak was important to me and even though I had been battling plantar fasciitis since April I was in a position where I thought I had a good chance of completing the race. Of course there was other issues I also had to deal with, as well as being a 10-in a row marathon I also had to consider my 27 in a row sub 3 streak dating back to 2010. I had (have) plans to try to at least get in 50 in a row before I eventually get dragged back to the pack, kicking and screaming.
So here I was at 9pm setting the alarm for the morning when Jon would pick me up and together with Mike, Adam, Chris, Mark and a few more we’d join together and try and break three hours. The foot felt good and I had ran twice the previous week, which compared to the weeks before was a ‘big week’. Gone were the 700km months and the 150km weekly average, since April my weekly average was 50km. This ultimately was what made the decision for me. One last check of Strava ( http://www.strava.com In Strava we trust.) and I made the call to Jon and became a DNS (Did Not Start) for the third time in my running career. (I couldn’t make the Disney Marathon , the four day event, in 2015 when Chevron decided they had too many planners and terminated my contract ; and last year I pulled a calf muscle a week before Bunbury thanks to Mark and his ‘cappuccino of injury’) Looking at the Strava extract below I think you’ll agree this was probably the right call.
How did it feel to pull the plug on a ‘Spartan’ run and also drop out of the ‘runners who have run all the Perth City to Surf Marathons’ group ? (For runners who run 10 of any marathon they become a ‘Spartan‘, don’t ask me why ?) It was absolutely devastating. I suppose because I had got so close, I even packed my bag for the big day, I had delayed the inevitable decision to the very last minute and had been kidding myself for weeks that there was a chance I could run. I should have been honest with myself from the outset and went about getting my foot better in April and May instead of ignoring the plantar fasciitis and just hoping it would go away. In my defense I’m probably not the first and I won’t be the last runner who has adopted this policy of denial, it is the ‘runners way’.
On the morning of the race I awoke to prefect conditions and took the boys out for a walk. (I have two Golden Retrievers, Sydney and Spencer) My Wife would have realised my mood was probably bordering on depression because she elected to come with me and I must admit while I waited in the car there was a tear or two as I thought about all that I was missing. Of course I composed myself before she joined me and the moment in the car was shared between me and my boys. I think they understood ?
What next ? Luckily for us marathon runners there is always a new goal and for me it’s Rottnest in late October. I have raced the Rottnest Marathon 11 times and finished top 5 on a number of occasions (last eight positions 4,12,5,4,2,6,3,2 ) with two second places, my last one being last year where I missed out by less than 30 seconds. At fifty-one years young I reckon I got one more podium in me and will start on a 10 week training block to make that happen. Will there be tears, hell yeah, will it be painful, of course, will I enjoy it, guaranteed. This is why I run, this is what inspires me, being the best I can be and beating my time from yesterday with a better time tomorrow. I’m racing me from last year and I’m sorry ‘2017 BK’; you’re going down !!!
Right, the point of this post after I have digressed for so long. As well as the lack of training there was also the mental aspect of marathon racing that I was struggling with. Over the last 2-3 months I had grappled with weight as I let the training disappear but still ate the same and, truth be told, maybe even turned to ‘comfort eating’ , (as a few of my training buddies have over the years, who shall remain nameless..) the old ‘I’ll start training in ‘x’ days, so might as well enjoy the downtime’. You need to be careful the ‘downtime’ doesn’t suddenly become the norm. I had certainly let myself go mentally and this was probably the deciding factor in the end. The extra three kilo’s, lack of running, possible injury and mentally not prepared, wow, when you type that out I’m surprised I got so close to actually starting. I really was in denial, big time ! Sitting on my bed at 9pm on Saturday evening all these points came and hit me like a ‘tsunami’ and the call was made. In the light of day it was the right call but at the time, and even now, it still hurts but that’s marathon racing, you need to have all your ducks in a row and be extremely lucky to even get to the start line fully prepared, when you do take a deep breath and soak it all in, the next forty two kilometres are what makes it all worthwhile.
The photo below shows the boys with their marathon finishers medals. Mike won his age group , 55-64, with a 2:59 finish (Is that an age group record for the run Mike?) while Jon was placed 11th overall and Mark L. made his Mum proud with another sub 3 finish. Mark C. is recovering from Boston, still!, and ran a good time for the 12k. Bart’s, far left of the picture, has a medal on but for the life of me I can’t understand how he got it or what he ran, if anybody knows let me know..!!!!
After writing this post I bumped into Mike on my lunch time run and he confirmed it was a City to Surf age group record, 55-64. His time of 2hours 59 minutes and 5 seconds beat the previous record by nearly a minute. Needless to say he is stoked as are we.
Monday of marathon week is a day to reflect on what has gone before and start preparing your mind and body for the good old fashioned ‘kicking‘ they are about to endure. There is no sugar coating the act of racing a marathon, it is a massive mental and physical test and any weakness will be found out and exploited, and we do this for fun ?
I’ve been booked in for a facebook video post tomorrow at The Running Centre ( http://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) where I will talk through my top 5 tips for the marathon week but might as well spill the beans here pre-podcast.
You cannot gain any fitness in marathon week. The ‘hay is in the barn’ and there really is no point trying to add more ! Me, personally, I’ll run an easy 10k Monday and then maybe one more Thursday and that’s it. There are other things to concentrate on this week, save the running for Sunday. Alternatively short, quick speed runs but watch your hammy and calf, you are so close, this week is more about prevention of injuries not encouraging them when you are tired after your training block. (You have been training right?) Maybe treat yourself to a relaxing massage but I’d avoid a hard sports massage this close to a marathon. A proper sports massage is painful and has been known, if done incorrectly, to do more damage than good. This week is all about gently gently does it, soothing tired muscles no beating the hell out of them.
Start thinking about your nutrition and hydraytion plan and while you’re doing that be drinking water or electrolytes. This week you need to spend a lot of time in a toilet moving liquids through your system. If you’re reading this and not holding a drink bottle then you need to go and get one. For race day you need to make sure you have a nutrition plan which will involve digesting a carboshotz ( https://shotznutrition.com.au/ ) or Gu ( http://www.guenergy.com.au/ ) or something similar every 45 minutes, more if you can stomach them.
I’m a big fan of carboloading and aim for 10g of carbohydrates for every kilogram of weight. So for a 70kg runner that’s 700g of carbohydrates a day for three days pre-marathon. Assuming the marathon is on a Sunday you’d start gorging of carbs from Thursday onwards. Please don’t go overboard by also gorging on sugar and fat; it is actually quite difficult to hit your carboloading target so some thought needs to go into your diet for those three days. Also carboloading only works if you are fully hydrated at all times, your urine should be clear and virtually drinkable (I’m assuming clear is virtually all water but have never actually tried drinking it, I leave that to Bear Grylls and my mate Ghosty) There is also a train of thought that you should deplete your glycogen stores pre-carboloading but this has shown not to be the case. With nutrition I am not expert (hard to believe I know?) so do your own research, what works for me may not work for other runners. Due to my Wife’s cooking I have an iron stomach and have never been adversely affected by any products while racing. If there’s a volunteer holding a packet of ‘X’ I’m taking it, c’mon it’s free why wouldn’t you ?
The marathon itself is the icing on the cake after all your months of training. The last 42km of your training, the race itself, is where you can enjoy yourself. This is why we do what we do. Don’t be scared by the challenge, more excited about the journey and the final destination. Of course there will be hard times along the way but always remember with every step you are nearer your end goal, the race is the real thing not a training run, with every step forward there is one less step to go.
Finally the most important tip of all, running a marathon is more mental than physical on race day. Some time during the race you will question why you are running and the easy option will be to slow , this is our good friend fatigue and he is here purely to protect your body, sent by the mind who is not convinced you can finish without blowing a head gasket. Every marathon I have ever raced I have wanted to stop , actually just about every race I have ever run I have wanted to stop, so far I never have. This is what Tim Noakes called the ‘Central Governor’ ( https://runnersconnect.net/central-governor-theory/ ) If you can master the mind, you can master the marathon’. I just made that up but I’m probably not the first to say it ? Anyhow, positive assurance/thinking is gold when you are running a marathon. See yourself finishing in the time you want and play that over and over again when you are in need of a pick-me up, think of all the things you have given up to be where you are and the sacrifices you and your family , and friends, have made to get you to this point in time. Use these thoughts to propel you to the finish. Every runner has their own mantra or reason that when the chips are down will help move them forward. All marathon runners need to find their mental toughness, it is pivotal to success but rarely mentioned in training programs. I’m mentioning it here and if you take nothing else from this post but this it has been a success. Research the central governor, it could be the difference between success and failure, if you can convince your mind you have everything under control you won’t be hearing from fatigue anytime soon.
Next Sunday I, hopefully , will be lining up for my 10th Perth Chevron City to Surf Marathon. This will be a first for me for a number of reasons. It will be the first time I have ran the same marathon event 10 years in a row. I was a similar streak for the Perth Marathon last year but was denied by a calf tear and missed it, funnily enough it was to be my 13th Perth Marathon and I missed it again this year because of plantar fasciitis. Maybe next year ? At the moment I reckon I am 50-50 for the City to Surf marathon but that didn’t stop me turning up for a photo shoot and an article that will appear in the local newspaper this weekend. Never been one to shy away from some great (or any?) publicity.
The main reason for my reluctance to commit to the City to Surf is a bigger streak I am currently on with my number of sub three hour marathon finishing g times, currently sitting at 27 in a row. Of course if I run the City to Surf and DNF I lose both streaks where as if I don’t run the City to Surf and wait until my PF is completely cured I reckon I got 10 years running sub 3 hour marathons. (or there about’s…) So do I roll the dice or take the easy option and stay in bed next Sunday and just pretend the City to Surf never happened. ?
Thinking about it just now I realized this would be my 13th City to Surf in a row, if you count the two half marathons I did the previous years before the marathon was added to the agenda. Must be a ‘13th’ thing, it really is an unlucky number ? Then again I’ve ran with ‘666’ on my chest on a number of occasions and have always ran well, funny that ? ( or not if there is in-fact an after life, a small price to pay for the number of sub three marathons surely?)
I am currently two sessions into a three session Extra Corporeal Shock Wave Therapy treatment plan with the final session scheduled in for next Monday, the week of the marathon. The foot will then be strapped up by the Doctor and I’ll start downing Voltaren like smarties for a few days. Please note I am by no means condoning taking anti-inflammatories ‘willy-nilly’ but in my case it is a risk I am willing to take, risk and reward people, risk and reward. As I always say to my many Daughters, ‘Do as I say , not as I do’; does that make me a bad parent, probably ? I’m confident with a shed-full of anti-inflammatories , the EWST treatment , the foot strapping, orthotics (unfortunately I don’t think the Nike Vaporflys 4% are built for orthotics so on race day I’ll probably run naked, that’s naked in relation to wearing orthotics!) and my high pain threshold (?) I’ll be able to finish and finish under three hours.
Fitness wise I am also rolling the dice as 3-4 months of only running slowly and on grass or trails will certainly have taken the edge of my general aerobic fitness. To compound the problem I’ve not run for nearly two weeks as I try and give the foot time to heal while I under-go ESWT. The only saving grace has been my Elliptigo which I have been using for the last week. I’m hoping this will keep my aerobic fitness level at sub3 levels. For anybody who needs a running fix without the pounding this , at the moment, is probably the best thing to use. (http://www.elliptigo.com ) I rode a 2 hour hills session on the GO today and it certainly gives you that feeling of a good ‘long run’ without the pounding that normally entails.
On a totally different subject this Thursday, 23rd August 7pm -9pm, I’ll be at the Run Nation Film Festival showing at the Luna Cinema in Leederville. ( https://runnationfilmfestival.com ) If you’re in Perth come along and say G’day. The film is currently doing the rounds in Australia so check out the website for your nearest showing. I watched the 2017 version and there were some great short stories, my favourite was obviously the runner who attempted the 48 hour track ultra with little or no training, it was brilliant. !
As most avid readers of my blog will know ( Assuming I have any avid readers apart from my Mum of course?) I’m a big fan of distance. Distance unlocks running dreams, assuming you can first of all lock up dreams but you get the idea. Phil Maffetone, the guru of slow aerobic running constantly with some speed work closer to a goal race ( https://philmaffetone.com ) is a big influence on the way I train. I also follow Arthur Lydiard who took normal runners and turned them into champions, it is well worth researching both of these methods for improving.
Lydiard based training is based on five critical principles:
- Conditioning – At the start of any Lydiard training cycle, there is a long phase of aerobic running to build endurance and lay the base for a strong performance on race day.
- Response Regulated Adaptation – Trying to run at training paces that are not aligned to your current fitness level is not a recipe for success. Lydiard plans adjust your effort levels based on how you are responding to training stimulus to optimize your fitness improvement.
- Feeling Based Training – Learning to accurately interpret the language of your physiology allows the runner to stretch the training envelope while avoiding the perils of overtraining.
- Sequential Development – Unlike many running plans that seek to develop multiple facets of running fitness at the same time, Lydiard training is based on a philosophy of developing the building blocks needed for a good race day performance individually over a longer training cycle to allow optimal fitness development.
- Peaking – The later phases of Lydiard training are designed to guide and sharpen the runner to a point where they are in peak condition on race day in an excellent position to run the best race possible.
The Lydiard Training Pyramid
A typical Lydiard plan includes five distinct training phases over (ideally) 24 weeks.
While it is a longer training cycle than what you may be used to, the length of the cycle allows the safe development of running fitness as each phase builds on the previous one. The individual runs are not significantly different from what you might find in another training approach; it is the overall structure and flow of the plan that sets Lydiard apart.
Aerobic Base Building – a period of aerobic runs (run by overall time, not mileage) at a variety of paces to develop stamina and a base of conditioning.
Hills – Develops the leg power and flexibility that will be needed to support faster running while continuing to develop the aerobic base.
Anaerobic Development – Adds faster running (tempos and intervals) to prepare the runner to be able to handle race pace.
Integration – Race distance specific tuning and sharpening including shorter distance time trials.
Taper – Final preparation for race day.
“It’s not the best athlete who wins, but the best prepared.” The mantra of legendary New Zealand running coach Arthur Lydiard, whose training methods are as relevant today as they were almost 60 years ago when he first sprang to prominence.
During the 1950s, Lydiard formulated a systematic approach to athletic conditioning that propelled New Zealand to the top of world middle distance and distance running and produced 17 Olympic medallists. Aside from his central claim to fame as the founder of what was to become the world-wide phenomenon of jogging, Lydiard’s logical and fundamental approach to conditioning still forms the foundation of many of the programmes top level athletes in sports as diverse as running, swimming, figure skating, cycling and American Football, use today.
Lydiard discovered running for sport when, unfit and middle-aged, he struggled to run five miles with a friend. For the next 10 years during the 1950s, he used himself as a guinea pig, experimenting with his training to formulate a system, perfected over the following decades, that would conquer the world. Central to his plan was periodisation – the importance of training in phases and peaking for races. For Lydiard, running to your potential was about having a substantial mileage base and not overdoing your anaerobic training. Most importantly, there were no shortcuts. It was a simple premise – the more mileage you got under your belt, the greater your stamina and aerobic capacity. Simple, but devastatingly effective.
According to Lydiard, any successful training programme must culminate in a goal, race or event, that means planning months in advance, and dividing your training into sections for base conditioning, hill training, speed development, sharpening and tapering. His programme is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but the principles are sound for runners of all abilities. So if you are serious about preparing for that 10K or half-marathon, start counting down those weeks with the Lydiard training system below.
“It’s not the best athlete who wins, but the best prepared.” The mantra of legendary New Zealand running coach Arthur Lydiard, whose training methods are as relevant today as they were almost 60 years ago when he first sprang to prominence.
During the 1950s, Lydiard formulated a systematic approach to athletic conditioning that propelled New Zealand to the top of world middle distance and distance running and produced 17 Olympic medallists. Aside from his central claim to fame as the founder of what was to become the world-wide phenomenon of jogging, Lydiard’s logical and fundamental approach to conditioning still forms the foundation of many of the programmes top level athletes in sports as diverse as running, swimming, figure skating, cycling and American Football, use today.
Lydiard discovered running for sport when, unfit and middle-aged, he struggled to run five miles with a friend. For the next 10 years during the 1950s, he used himself as a guinea pig, experimenting with his training to formulate a system, perfected over the following decades, that would conquer the world. Central to his plan was periodisation – the importance of training in phases and peaking for races. For Lydiard, running to your potential was about having a substantial mileage base and not overdoing your anaerobic training. Most importantly, there were no shortcuts. It was a simple premise – the more mileage you got under your belt, the greater your stamina and aerobic capacity. Simple, but devastatingly effective.
According to Lydiard, any successful training programme must culminate in a goal, race or event, that means planning months in advance, and dividing your training into sections for base conditioning, hill training, speed development, sharpening and tapering. His programme is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but the principles are sound for runners of all abilities. So if you are serious about preparing for that 10K or half-marathon, start counting down those weeks with the Lydiard training system below.
PHASE ONE (10 WEEKS)
Developing aerobic capacity
The first phase in the Lydiard programme, and the most important, is about building an aerobic base, the foundation on which you develop your distance running. The 10-week period is about getting miles under your belt, and as many of them as you can manage, in order to increase your aerobic endurance. The capacity you develop determines the success of your programme. As Lydiard explained: “The bigger the foundation, the bigger and higher the house can be built.”He suggested starting out with out-and-back running to learn how to even your pace (10 minutes out, 10 minutes back) and increase the duration of the run every second or third day. The goal is to return in the same time or slightly faster. If it takes longer for the second half of the run, you have paced yourself too fast. ‘Train but don’t strain’ was another of Lydiard’s favourite sayings. The object of these runs is to be pleasantly tired – it’s likely your cardio will develop quicker than your poor old body, leading to injury, if you push yourself too hard, too soon.
An ideal training week during this phase, or marathon conditioning as Lydiard called it, would include two or three long runs, and shorter, easy runs in between. Start with times or distance you are comfortable with and gradually increase the length of the run until you can go for two hours without collapsing in a sweaty heap by the kerb.
PHASE TWO (4-6 WEEKS)
Hill circuit training/ leg speed
Hill training – tw0 words to strike fear into the heart of every runner, but a necessary evil to boost power and flexibility in your legs, improve your range of motion and start activating anaerobic metabolism.Lydiard used three different exercises – steep hill running, hill bounding and hill springing – in order to produce a more economical running style. Ideally, you should find a hill with a flat 200 to 400 metre area for sprints, a 200-400m slope for bounding and a moderate downhill section for recovery. Failing that, you can work out on a treadmill, adjusting the incline for each section of the circuit.
Warm up for 15 minutes before bounding uphill with “a bouncing action and a slow forward progression”. The slower the forward movement, the more resistance will be felt. Once you reach the top, jog easily on the spot for three minutes before running downhill with a fast, relaxed, springy action. This will develop leg speed and also stretch the leg muscles. At the bottom of the hill, include several sprints, ranging from 50 to 400 metres. This marks the end of one complete circuit. Lydiard suggested including the sprint sections every 15 minutes, so that you don’t overdo the intense anaerobic training. Go through the circuit again until you have been working for an hour. Do this hill circuit three days a week with the alternate days used for leg speed running.
For leg speed training, Lydiard recommended 10 sprints of 120-150 metres on a flat surface at three-minute intervals. Run with a normal stride but try to move your legs as fast as possible. Warm down thoroughly afterwards for 15 minutes.
PHASE THREE (4 WEEKS)
Track (anaerobic) training
Lydiard described the anaerobic training phase as “the icing on the cake”, but it’s necessary if you want to race well. The objective is to develop big oxygen debts which stimulate the body’s metabolism to battle against fatigue.Basically, during this phase it doesn’t matter how much you do or how quickly you do it, as long as you finish the session completely and utterly knackered. However, as a practical guide, Lydiard advises fast running for a total of about three miles or 5,000 metres, i.e 12 x 400m, 6 x 800m, 5 x 1000m etc with a recovery jog of an equal distance in between. Perform these sessions at the track or on flat ground three times per week for four weeks. Use the remaining four days for a long run, leg speed work and sprint training drills to develop strength, form and speed.
PHASE FOUR (4 WEEKS)
Coordination
You have now developed all three elements of your running make-up (aerobic, anaerobic and speed), but that doesn’t mean you can race well. Phase four is about combining these three elements so that you can run distance efficiently and smoothly by simulating race situations.Lydiard called this process, ‘sharpening’ – testing for your strengths and weaknesses as you prepare for your race. There are three workouts in this phase, as well as some speed work. The first is an anaerobic session done at a greater intensity but lower volume. Lydiard recommended five laps of a 400m track, sprinting 50 metres, then easing off for 50 metres – effectively interval training with 20 sprints. The workout sharpens your anaerobic capacity and gets you into racing shape without exhausting your body.
The second workout is a time trial at the distance which you are training for – so if you are preparing for a 10K race, run 10K. Ideally, it should be done on a track where you can record every lap to determine your weaknesses.
Add sprint training sessions and a leg speed workout (120m x 6, after warming up and exercising) on another day before completing the third workout at the end of the week, a long run, done at a nice relaxed pace.
PHASE FIVE (1-2 WEEKS)
Freshening up
You cannot train hard and race well at the same time. According to Lydiard, the 10 days before your race is when you should be freshening up – reducing your training load while preparing mentally and physically for the competition ahead. The length of freshening up depends on the individual, so train every day but keep the faster running low in volume and the longer runs at an effortless pace. It is important to realise that you have trained for the race so you need to stay fresh and sharp. You can’t be race-ready if you’re still doing hard repetition training.
Tomorrow I’m having Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) in my last attempt to finally get rid of this Plantar Fasciitis that has been hanging around since the Australian Masters Games in April this year. I know what most of you are thinking, ESWT sounds like something from ‘One flew over the cuckoo’s nest‘, (For all the younger readers of this blog that film is an absolute classic starring a young Jack Nicholson; he was a famous actor once !..worth watching, that and ‘The Shining’…I digress…)
So what is ESWT ? Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) involves the conversion of a sound wave into a shock wave that is applied repeatedly to a specific area of the body. The technique is similar to lithotripsy, which is used to treat kidney stones. In recent years the technique has become popular in the treatment of a number of recalcitrant musculoskeletal conditions including tennis elbow, achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, and tendinitis of the shoulder.
There are several theories about how this treatment works but the most accepted theory is that the micro-trauma caused by the repeated shock waves increases the blood flow to the area and this promotes healing. The treatment is simple, quick and non-invasive.
I have heard good things from a number of my running friends who have had miraculous recoveries using ESWT so I figure I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Currently there is very little chance of me completing my 10th Perth City to Surf Marathon (in a row) on August 26th and also continuing my sub3 streak. Of the two the sub3 streak is the most important so if I feel there is a DNF or a 3 hour plus finishing time I’m not risking racing. Reading the information on ESWT it seems three visits , spaced a week apart, is the minimum for a total cure; or at least get me to a point I can run unimpaired. This coincides with how long I have left before the marathon, just less than 3 weeks, what could possibly go wrong ?
Of course this is not a 100% guaranteed cure but the odds seem pretty good and they must be better than my current rehab programme which seems to have me going backwards rather than forward. Either way I’ll have something new to write about over the next few weeks and I’m sure a lot or runners reading this post have had, or are going to have, plantar fasciitis.
I’ve written posts lately about missing the lads as I spend hours running around in Kings Park, alone, hiding from the asphalt protecting my PF in my foot. If ESWT works I’ll be able to join this motley crew in a few weeks for another 42.2km of fun, fun , fun. Last year it was a duel between Jon, on the Keto diet, and Mark (and Matt Fitzgerald) going all in on the good old fashioned carbohydrates. ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2017/08/28/matt-fitzgerald-wins-by-a-muffin/ ) Unfortunately this year Mark has succumbed to a foot injury that has seen him sidelined since Boston but Jon is going from strength to strength and won the last marathon he entered. This was his fourth of the year and he is in the form of his life, maybe all that bacon and eggs really do work ? Worth investigating as , let’s face it people, bacon and eggs taste good, real good….
I took my Daughter to a book fair a few weeks ago, not expecting much, but imagine my surprise when I found a section on running, you little beauty, old library books at give away prices. Ten minutes later I exited the fair with a whole new library of potential posts for my blog. The first book I’ve devoured, or am in the middle of devouring, is “Road Racing for Serious Runners” by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas. Both of these runners have impeccable pedigrees and this book lets the reader in on some of their training strategies. (These guys must get on well as they have also co-written another running classic in “Advanced Marathoning“, which is also worth having in your library ; or kindle for the younger readers amongst us?)
My take away from this book is the way the authors describe the five workouts that runners need to improve their racing.
- Short, Fast speedwork to improve leg turnover and running form.
- Longer repetitions of two to six minutes at 3k to5k race pace to improve maximum oxygen uptake.
- Tempo runs of 20 – 40 minutes at 10-mile race pace to delay lactic acid build-up.
- Long runs to build endurance.
- Easy recovery runs to allow top effort on hard days.
Well there you go, simple really and truth be told no major revelations. All five types of workouts/runs are ingrained in the training programmes of most, if not all, coaches. What makes a difference is using these different workouts at the right time and pace tailored to your target race distance. Common sense would dictate that for marathon running you would put more emphasis on the long runs compared to the short, fast speedwork and conversely a 5k runners would be the opposite. How Pfitzinger and Douglas add value is the way they combine these workouts tailored to improving race performance, albeit looking at Pfitzinger’s example of a two week marathon training program at the beginning of the book makes me wonder if maybe the good old fashioned ‘distance is key‘ approach is the answer.?
In fact getting the right training program suited to an individual runner is anything but simple, it is actually very complicated and this is why you need either experience or a good coach; or both I suppose. In sunny Perth there is really only one coach or choice, The Running Centre ( http://therunningcentre.com.au ) , with Raf and his team of merry trainers. I worked with Raf in 2015 and with his help I had an outstanding 2016 reaching PB’s and times I thought beyond me. His secret, he basically had me change my daily routine and build in the 5 runs mentioned above. I found initially I was good at running at around the 4min/k pace, for long periods of time, but could not run much faster and chose not to run much slower. This training regime came about after I read an article in Runners World (I think?) about a runner who worked with coaches who decided that if you ran your marathon pace all the time when you actually raced this would be your ‘normal pace’ and thus sustainable for the duration. In the article it was actually a success with the runner achieving his target time of a sub 2hrs 40minutes marathon. I went down this running path for a period and although my results didn’t worsen I was finding the monotony of running the same pace constantly was beginning to test my love of running.
Raf put me on a training program with the ultimate goal of running a sub 2hours 40 minutes marathon and although I never achieved this target I did get very close the following year (running a 2:41:41 in 2016) using some of Raf’s training nuggets , the main one being ‘there is no such thing as junk miles’. Looking at how my training changed I can see now I was really being coerced into incorporating the 5 different workouts described by Pfitzinger and Douglas. No longer did I run all my training runs at the same pace and the fist thing I did was add distance and drop the pace, significantly. To do this I added in double runs and I firmly believe double days (distance) unlock your running dreams. If you take nothing more than that from this post or even blog I have done you a great service. As I have always maintained the second run is about .smelling the roses’, not pace just purely distance and time on legs. I find these runs the most enjoyable these days, maybe old age creeping up on me?
Another great run I love incorporating into my weekly schedule is the Mona Fartlek, this is so much fun and all over in twenty minutes, distance is determined on pace of course. I have written various posts on this run and have been lucky to meet the man himself a few times. ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2016/09/27/mona-fartlek-one-of-my-favourite-sessions-for-some-serious-pain-box-time/ ) I highly recommend all runners use this , or something very similar, daily in their training program. For the Tempo runs I use my 14k progressive Yelo run. As the name suggest a progressive run starts slow with each kilometre run at a slightly increased pace, culminating in a sprint to the finish at threshold pace normally, assuming all goes well. Again I’ve written a few posts on my 14k Thursday morning progressive, surprise, surprise. ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2017/11/10/progressive-runs-a-holy-grail-of-training-runs/ )
Easy runs with the boys on a Sunday morning is the staple diet of all runners and my favourite run of the week, well the post-run bit is my favourite bit as there is nearly always pancakes or waffles with good coffee. This is a runners reward for the two or more hours spent training (gossiping) with friends. All training programs incorporate a long run at least once a week for marathon runners and this really is the bread and butter (and waffles) of a marathon runners training program. Avoid it at your peril, although there is the caveat that if you have enough experience and weekly distance you may be able to get away with more shorter runs on a regular basis and miss out the one long run on the weekend but why would you ?
So, to sum up this post, look at your training week and try and incorporate some, or all, of the 5 different training runs described by Pfitzinger and Douglas; you’ll be a better runner for it.
Since April I have been struggling with Plantar Fasciitis, what I consider one of the worst injuries due to the fact there is no light at the end of the tunnel, let me explain. With a good old fashioned sprain, tear, fracture or even a break there is normally a set period of recovery, a tear may be a few months, a strain even less and even a break a number of months; with all of these there is always , well normally, guaranteed improvement with time and a set ‘return to running‘ date to aim for. Plantar Fasciitis is different, it can linger for a very long time and has been know to finish the career of many good runners. I suspect it is out of frustration that eventually a runner just has enough of running round in circles , on grass, in the dark, alone. Trust me people I’m there at the moment as you can see from one of my Strava runs below. (Remember, if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen…probably, http://www.strava.com ; follow me on Strava with the link at the bottom of this post)
What is worse with Plantar Fasciitis is you really need to protect the foot and so are constrained by running on grass or trails; which is fine but lonely as most of your (mine) running friends are on the beautiful asphalt ; and who can blame them ! ? Thus I have been having lots of ‘Kev time‘ lately. A positive is my new headphones supplied by Jaybird which arrived just as I started out on my injury journey. (Link to my post on the wireless headphones, built by runner for runners is here : https://www.runbkrun.com/2018/07/21/do-headphones-make-you-run-faster-or-smarter/ Please make sure you check these out as the more hits from my blog the more chance I get of getting more free gear. Note: they really are very good wireless headphones and, if you are in the market for a pair, these bad boys are the ones to get!) I digress…
So to the point of this post reference the drugs being the answer, what was the question ?. As a newbie runner I really had no idea that most of my running buddies were as good as professional drug dealers. Truth be told I only found out the day before my first Comrades run in 2008 when my fellow runner, who shall be known as Phil (as that is his real name) dragged me down to another runners bedroom (known as Richard, for that is his name!) where he was handing out high quality Voltaren tablets to all and sundry. Unbeknown to me these anti-inflammatories were the staple diet of the ‘older Comrades runner’ so I put out my hand and wolfed a few down, just to be on the safe side. This tradition has continued for most of my marathons from that time on , probably more of a placebo but I justify it as, at the end of a marathon block of training, there must be something, surely, that needs some help becoming un-inflammed. (Is that a word?)
As I’ve got older I find I am certainly more open to taking as many tablets as possible and on a number of occasions have helped myself to some of my Wife’s better, prescription, anti-inflammatories. In for a penny , in for a pound type attitude. This came back to bite me on one occasion where, unbeknown to me, there was also a tablet to be taken with the strong anti-inflammatories to help with any possible side effects. These said side effects were eventually embraced by me which meant a very long toilet visit and an upset stomach. My Wife found this very amusing.
Of course I am not advocating ‘popping pills‘ for no reason but merely advising that as a runner you will get niggles or sprains and rather than suffer in silence get yourself down to the local chemist and get some anti-inflammatories, these really do what they say on the packet. They also have their place to really help with a known area of concern by blitzing the problem before/while embarking on remedial exercise; short term of course. I’m by no means advocating long term NSAID use, that would be silly, although there have been studies advocating using aspirin daily but that helps with heart conditions etc, as with all thing medical Dr.Google has the answer.