April 2022
The Lighthorse Ultra ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) is one of my favorite events for a number of reasons. Firstly its for a fantastic cause namely supporting those who have served to protect. The Ultra Series give free entry to any past or present servicemen or women who have served, which is bloody fantastic. Every year a few men and women from our armed forces come along and do the event in uniform some with backpacks, inspiring stuff. Next it’s a timed event so you’re racing for distance not time as such. This has the added bonus , or curse, of even standing still you are moving closer to the finish line, one second at a time. Next is the comradery of the event village which you pass through every two and half kilometres as well as seeing all the other runners on the loop. The number of runners changes during the event of course with the 24 hour runners starting at 3pm Saturday, the twelve hour runners starting at 3am Sunday morning, the 6 and 3 hour runners starting at 6am Sunday. So it starts quiet on Saturday afternoon, gets busy during the middle of the event and then dies down towards the final few hours. Either way the event village is a hub of load music, great smelling food and people doing their thing, be that sleeping, crewing or just bathing in the event.
Funnily enough the Lighthorse Ultra in 2019 was my first DNF , if you can actually DNF a timed event. I had entered the 12 hour , as there was no 24 hour at the time, and found myself racing with Jon Pendse who would run a top 5 Australian distance of over 140km . He totally cooked me and at around 30km I called it quits and scuttled off home, a broken man. The next morning I ran a controlled 35km from my house not realising I could have gone back to the event, ran the same distance and picked up a nice shiny medal and a respectable middle of the pack total. As it was my first timed event the concept was alien to me and I regret not staying for a nap in the car or returning the next morning. No worries, I have returned the last three years , for the 24 hour event, and podiumed every time. I learned from the experience and came back stronger and dealt with my demons. This is why I always say a DNF is so much better than a DNS as there is the opportunity to learn from you mistakes with a DNF. My only two other DNF’s are now my favourite races also , the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) and the Feral Pig 100 Miler. ( https://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) Running is weird.
I nearly didn’t make the start line this year. My no2 Daughter, Charlotte, came down with suspected mastoiditis Friday evening and after a trip to the local hospital was kept in for the night with another night planned. So that was it, I asked Rob to inform the race director, on Saturday morning, I was a DNS and begrudgingly unpacked my bags and began planning my stay at home duties looking after my other two daughters, the two dogs and the two Guinea pigs. While also keeping abreast of the Charlotte situation of course. Around midday my Wife called and told me the hospital was letting them out at 6pm that day so I was free to go and run around in circles for 24 hours. So I had just over two hours to repack my bag and get to the start line, no pressure. I made it with about half-an-hour to go thankfully and was ready for the Last Post, a very emotional part of the race.
I managed to get a berth in the Mind Focused Running marquee ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) and take advantage of the racing guru that is Rob Donkersloot for crewing. Rob has a wealth of experience including crewing for Mick Thwaites when he podiumed at the Badwater Ultra, ( https://www.badwater.com/ ) which as the name suggests is probably the hardest ultra on the planet. If you want to improve the mental side of your running Rob is the man and trust me ultra running is all mental. !
So we were ready, I had a crew I could trust, some training under my belt since Herdy’s frontyard and COVID and I was feeling happy to actually make the start line after the drama of the last 24 hours. As the name suggests the race is all about the running community paying their respects to the men and women who have served, or are serving, our Country. Pre start there is a bugler who sounds the last post, a military tradition, the Last Post is the bugle call that signifies the end of the day’s activities. It is also sounded at military funerals to indicate that the soldier has gone to his final rest and at commemorative services such as ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. It is very emotional and certainly puts things in perspective, gives you a mental edge to tackle what is ahead of you knowing what our servicemen and women gave up so we would be able to life our live safely and comfortably.
Frank Kaesler read the last paragraph of the poem by Laurence Binyon, ‘For the Fallen’, an ANZAC day tradition and then we’re off, lap one, 3pm Saturday afternoon.
The two previous years I had ran 192km and 196km, always falling short of the 200km mark. This was down to me only having a moving time of sub 20 hours (thankyou Strava, remember ‘Strava is life the rest is details’) , meaning I spent too long in the chair and not enough time running. Both these distances were good for a podium finish but the goal this time was entry into the elusive 200k club. This is the main reason Rob was brought into the team. His experience would get me the goal I was coveting, albeit it would come at a price.
At 3pm Saturday the 80 or so 24 hour runners set off on lap 1, I needed to run 80 laps for 200km. At the start I sat towards the front of the pack and made sure I was relaxed keeping the heart rate and effort level down. The early stages are all about dialing in a pace you think you can maintain for long distances. There is no early race spurt for distance or even changes in pace throughout the event. If ever a race encapsulated the meme ‘the winner is the runner who slows the least‘ , this is it. Slow and steady.
The two previous years I had tried to sleep between the 2am and 5am, the witching hours as I call them. These are the hours when the body expects sleep, it can survive without sleep outside these hours but the 2-5 period it really wants to sleep , thus the witching hours. In longer distance ultras, say a 200 miler, I always get a least 2 hours and normally three between these hours and feel so much better for it, I may push through if it’s the last day but normally I will always sleep in between this period. For a 24 hour race sleep really is a luxury and not needed and Rob was here to make sure I didn’t falter. To this end he left before dinner to make sure he was back to keep an eye on me from late evening to the finish. I will admit to having a sneaky 10 minutes while he was away knowing I would be limited when he returned. Unfortunately with the timing chip on my ankle he knew where I was at all times and could see , when I hadn’t moved for 10 minutes, I was in the chair.
The first few hours were unremarkable , running wise , which is what you need at the start of a 24 hour race. If you suffer in the first 6 hours you are in for a very long day at the office. Luckily Jon Pendse was not running as I have been in that situation before chasing Jon when he ran his Australian record pace, believe me it ain’t fun ! Anyhow I digress, today was a lot easier and as we transitioned into a top change, bye bye singlet, as the temperature dropped and nightfall arrived I was feeling good.
I always find the first 50-90km of any race hard, be it a 200 miler , 100 miler or , in this case, a 24 hour race. After 90km I tend to get into a rhythm and you start to prepare mentally for the task ahead. This race was no different and I was allowed a 5 minute break at 60k and a 10 minute break at 85km. The 85km break was actually the 100km break early as I was suffering albeit Rob was not happy. At the time I was in the lead, much to Mick Francis’s ( https://www.facebook.com/MickFrancisCoaching/ ) disgust that I was horizontal in my chair at the time. Mick, or Mighty Mick, as he is known in the West is an Ultra Running God and now coaches in his retirement. When Mick ran 24 hour races he never left the track , or sat down, unless he was changing his clothing. Albeit this was probably in the early 1920’s and things have changes since then. Anyway I maintained my lead over Conor Quinn, who was second last year running 200km and my main rival, as another great runner Andy Wait had encountered ankle trouble and slept , for longer than he wanted. Third place was Neily Rae who was consistently lapping and would eventually finish with over 170km. He was running for his son Zane and did him proud, a gutsy run and a massive PB !
After 85km there was no rest for me really bar some food stops and changing clothing. Rob kept me on the straight and narrow and listened to my varied requests when I came round each lap and went about his business. If I needed Red Bull I would ask and then next lap it would appear, hot tea, pizza, orange juice , my list of requests was long and varied but each time Rob delivered. I’m certainly no Phil Gore when it comes to preparation and prefer just to have a ‘Rob’ , a sort of real time Phil Gore. As I have said before a good crew is paramount to success in an Ultra.
In an Ultra spanning over 24 hours or longer there are certain times that boost your moral and sunrise is one the the biggest. Once the sun rises the world as you know it changes dramatically. No longer are you staring at a small sphere of light ahead of you , continually moving towards darkness. A sunrise is so special but more so when you have been looking forward to it for hours and running continually though the night. Normally, well in Western Australia anyhow, there is the added benefit of heat which later during the day can become a hindrance to some. With my Delirious West training I have now acclimatized to the heat and actually prefer it, the hotter the better. Sunday would heat up but I had my neck scarf, thankyou Margie Hadley, and my arm coolers, thankyou Rob Collins. With Rob filling these with ice each lap I was unaffected by the heat and ploughed on, always running (shuffling) forward. As the image below shows I was now dressed in red for the finish and conditions were perfect. A beaut image captured by Marco Noe, a very talented photographer.
Sunday morning onwards was just about getting it done. I was ahead of target by about 7-8km’s at each of the turn arounds (the race changes direction every 3 hours) and had a good hour up my sleeve at the 12 hour mark. Rob kept me honest and I made a conscious effort to never walk while on the loop. Throughout the event I ran the loop and managed to keep this going the whole 24 hours, this was key to my ultimate success.
There are 7 turn arounds (where you change direction) and I treat each of these as a mini goal, in ultras you need to break it down into manageable goals rather than just concentrate on the finish which could be days away. I learnt this from my first attempt at the Delirious West where I remember running for 17 hours and realising that I probably had over 80 hours to go. That sort of mentality is a guarantee recipe for failure. Instead I should have been thinking about the next aid station, a 15-20km target and then hop from one aid station to the next until, voila, you’re home. A lesson learned from a DNF is invaluable and its the main reason a DNF is so much more productive than a DNS.
Racing for the win stopped a few hours before the end when Conor pulled the pin at 185km, happy and comfortable to grab second place and a hour or two relaxing in the chair. Of course Rob had other ideas for me but it was a relieve knowing the win was in the bag and then I was just racing myself to get to 200km and beyond. The early afternoon warmed up but every lap Rob added ice to my neckerchief and arm coolers and this was enough that the heat wasn’t a factor. I struggled with nutrition towards the end but the job was done and I had enough fuel to canter to the finish.
I hit the 200km target with about 45 minutes left and I was then allowed 5 minutes rest in the chair, the first time since 85km which seemed a lifetime ago. I could have stopped at 200k but actually enjoyed running nearly another three laps, just falling short at 207km. Mission accomplished. Could I have achieved this total without Rob ? Probably not, there were some dark times throughout the event and times when the chair was so inviting, just 5 minutes or maybe a tad longer. Thinking back to my two previous attempts I had spent so much more time pontificating but, and there’s always a but, I probably found the constant running so much more testing than running less but faster. To race a 24 hour and grab a total over 200km you can’t , or shouldn’t rest, but there may be a balance where some rest can help improve the overall average pace and thus get the same end result?
In the end the 24 hour runners set an Australian record for the largest number of runner to complete the 50km distance needed to be counted as an ultra in 24 hours. 76 runners completed the 50km or more and beat the old record, set by this event two years ago, by 19. Shaun Kaesler, the owner of the Ultras Series WA and SA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) , would have been so proud of this years record turnout and also running with his Family including his Wife Sarah who ran a great race for a top 5 finish in the ladies event. Other notable runs were achieved by Mel Maisey who used some of her many, many volunteer credits and kept on going right to end to run a massive 60km, Gemma Gore who came so close to 100km on her first ultra, her longest run by over 70km, that is a serious PB! The second and third females are trained by Mick Francis and in the next tent to me so I saw them push themselves to massive totals, well done Cheri Savin and Ilze Roux. Jen Millum and Margie Hadley taking out the 24 and 12 hour events, these two just get the job done time and time again, pure ultra racing royalty. To me everybody who crosses the start line is a winner in this event, everybody, I may have already said that but it needs to be typed twice. I cannot express in words the feeling you get when you run the 24 hour event in the Lighthorse, you’ll just need to sign up next year and find out for yourselves, you won’t regret it but if you want some time in your chair best avoid Rob.
Couldn’t leave with a few tips for going long. Number one is fisiocrem, this stuff does exactly what it says it will do , namely rejuvenate your aching muscles in the short term, i.e. for the event, be that a 24 hour or multi-day. I have used fisiocrem for 200 milers, 100 milers and any distance over 50km where I would have time to apply the creme. It certainly saved the day at the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) earlier in the year and didn’t let me down in the Lighthouse. A great product.
Another great product is Bix Hydration tablets. The three flavours are great tasting but more importantly easy on the stomach, which is so good when you are drinking a lot. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/en-au ) The owner and founder of this range , Vlad Ixel, knows a thing or two about ultra running. ( check out his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCikqAT5S16931CQN_tC7EtQ )
To prevent chafing you need this product. It works. ( https://squirrelsnutbutter.com/ ) I can’t say too much more about this product. It helps you get to the finish line chafe free, which can be very, very important ! Actually forget can be, it is very important , as one who has suffered severe chafing in the never regions knows !
Right that it’s then. Never thought I was in the running for a win but will take it and, at 55 years old, not sure how many more I have coming my way but if this is the last one then so be it. I run these events to spend time with people I love, finishing at the pointy end is a privilege that I don’t take for granted and there were so many heroes on the course over the 24 hours, so many. In this event everybody is winner, everybody.
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With the Lighthorse Ultra 24 hour race ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) less than a week away its time to talk about tapering, every runners nightmare. I have found with age comes wisdom and now I embrace the taper before a race and adjust according to the event. My good friend Dave Kennedy, 6 Inch Trail Ultra race director ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com/ ) doesn’t believe in tapering for ultras and over time I have certainly ran more before a longer event albeit distance over pace, just ticking the legs over I suppose. I wouldn’t launch into tempo or threshold runs the week before an event but am quite happy to run every day at a relaxed pace and noting more than 10k.
Remember the number one rule of tapering, you can only do too much on the week before a race, never too little. So if you do nothing for the week you will not lose fitness. The only caveat is you probably need to adjust your diet and drop the calories at the start of the week before launching into a carboloading frenzy three days before the event. Another caveat, for ultras, the carboloading phase is probably not as necessary as there will most likely be a smorgasbord of tukka during the event, also weight isn’t as big an issue as say for a marathon runner. Ultra running really is the sport that keeps on giving.
From an old post of mine :-
For the 6 inch ultra marathon in December last year I experimented by not tapering nearly as much as I would for a marathon. On the week of the event I actually ran twice a day Monday through Thursday and only had 48 hours rest before the race. Admittedly all runs on race week were slow and easy but I still managed over 80km’s pre-race. On the day I felt great and ran a good race for a 7th place finish but more importantly I was 4th quickest over the second half of the race. I actually ran my first negative split for an ultra. The week before the ultra I had ran 140k so there really wasn’t a taper period to talk off. ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com )
Could this work for a marathon ? I don’t think so. The ultra is normally ran at a more subdued pace and although longer I feel not as testing as ‘racing’ a marathon. (Well ultras less than 100k, when you get above 100k I’m sure it becomes a tad more testing that a marathon. Once I run further than 100k I’ll confirm?) In an ultra the race pace normally decreases brings your overall cardio fitness in to play more than resting the legs a few weeks before. If you haven’t got the fitness a two week taper will not help, you’ll still be underdone. With a marathon, as the distance is less, you normally have the fitness required to finish the event, the tapering helps more by letting tired muscles recovery.
Also I feel running a good ultra is more dependent on the nutrition and hydration plan, get this right will benefit you so much more than a taper period. Again get this plan wrong and the taper will not save you. In an ultra any mistakes will be paid for, that is a certainty. In an ultra there is no where to hide.
Researching tapering and ultras on the web and there are stories advocating no tapering and setting PB’s while others advocate a 3 week steep taper and lean more towards relaxing rather than stressing about the event. All have their pro’s and con’s and as with all things running there’s no one shoe fits all. It really depends on the runner and also their experience and fitness. The more experienced runner with a good foundation of distance training under their belt will be more likely to be able to go into an event without tapering. They will not need the confidence boost that comes from a good taper as much as someone with less experience. Remember a good taper will also aid confidence and going into any race this is important, anything that helps put you in a positive mindset is welcome and needs to be embraced,
Of course if you have any niggling injuries an enforced taper may be called for. When this happens there is nothing you can do about it, just sit back and smell the roses concentrating on things you can influence like carboloading. Now carboloading, that is a whole new post and one I shall tackle next. Until then enjoy this article below by Ian Torrence which highlights ‘peaking’ rather than tapering as a benefit, pre-ultra. Ian is part of the Greg McMillan stable of writers so has a wealth of knowledge and experience to call upon. (Please note I do not advocate the Joe Kulak method of peaking described below but as you can see in the photo below my friend Jon is convinced it works… ?)
The final weeks before an event are the toughest to get right. The common notion that all hard work must cease and inactivity must ensue is incorrect. It’s also foolhardy to continue amassing mileage and tough workouts as race day nears in hopes of improving fitness. Depending on your approach to this all-important time period, you may be left feeling lethargic or simply exhausted. A runner with the proper peak will feel rejuvenated and ready to go on race day.
Greg McMillan, my mentor, has devised a set of rules to live by as race day approaches. Greg explains, “By studying peak performance research – both physiological as well as psychological – as opposed to just the tapering research, I’ve been able to dial in how to truly peak on race day. It works for all athletes no matter where you find yourself in the pack come race day.” By placing Greg’s simple and effective system into context, let’s get you prepared for your next ultra.
1. Do not drop running volume drastically
Though there are some that prefer three weeks to peak, two weeks seems to be the most popular choice. During the first week of a peak, drop the length of each run by 10 to 20 minutes. The week before your event, drop volume by 20 to 30 minutes per run. I recommend that ultrarunners limit their last long run(s), done a week before the key event, to 90 easy minutes (regardless of the distance of the event). This is enough to give you that long run feeling, but short enough that muscle recovery and glycogen-storage continue. Light, non-impact cross training can be done in lieu of runs, but only if you are used to those forms of exercise.
2. Keep the routine
Run, eat, sleep, work, and socialize when you do normally. Your body and mind have achieved stasis over the past few months of training. Keep them both happy and the keel even. Now is not the time to experiment with new workouts, forms of exercise, foods, and social events. Use the extra time not spent running for sleeping and sticking to “safe” hobbies.
3. Keep the intensity and build confidence
Before the 2007 JFK 50 Mile, I had an exchange with fellow competitor Andy Mason. Nine days before the race, he completed a round of very quick mile repeats on the track; his last quality workout before the race. I knew he was fit and feeling confident. That year, Andy finished in the top ten.
Though most ultrarunners do not need to perform a tough round of mile repeats before their next race, they might consider doing some sort of confidence-building workout 10 days to two weeks out from their event. This workout, however, should be in tune with recent training. Running a 30-mile training run or time trialing up and down Hope Pass (like the author) a few days before a race is neither smart nor beneficial. A moderate length workout that you’re familiar with, that is aerobically challenging, allows for adequate recovery before race day, and demonstrates your fitness should be the order of the day. If you don’t routinely perform hard hill, stamina-building, fartlek, or fast finish workouts then this is not the time to start. Maintain your current training and follow the guidelines for reduction in mileage as mentioned above.
Now is also the time to reflect on all of the training you’ve done thus far. Remember that you’ve done the work necessary to get you to the finish line.
4. Stick to the original race plan and have fun
No one starts a race without a goal. Whether it be to keep your Grand Slam hopes alive, finish your first ultra, or win the event outright, don’t lose sight of why you’re out there. Be deliberate in your actions and calculate each move you make on the race course. Run your own race and enjoy the time you’re having on the trail or road. Greg McMillan sums this up perfectly, “Let’s face it. Most of us aren’t going for an Olympic gold medal here. We are simply enjoying the challenge of doing our best. There is no real pressure, so quit putting so much on yourself. We run for fun, and you should remember that. Have fun!”
PEAKING FOR MULTIPLE RACES
What if you’re gearing up for several important races that are separated by a few weeks or less? The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, as well as others of that genre, and several race series like the NorCal and SoCal Ultra Grand Prix are perfect examples. In essence, you are recovering and peaking in unison between events. There are two ways to approach situations like this:
1. Reverse taper
This is like returning from injury. Gradually and slowly increase the length of your post-race easy runs and avoid fast and difficult workouts. You won’t reach your normal training level, but you’ll satisfy the need for a few runs before your next event.
2. The Joe Kulak Method
When I asked Joe Kulak what he did between each of his four 2003 Grand Slam record- setting 100-mile races, he quipped, “I sat on the couch and drank beer.” If beer is not your drink of choice, water works just as well. The reality is that you can’t gain fitness in the two or three weeks between long ultras. Recovery will be your best “workout” while preparing for your next event.
My last marathon was 2019, the Perth City to Surf marathon finishing in 2 hours 55 minutes, this was my 45th marathon, my 32nd sub three marathon and number 29 in a row sub 3. Remember for runners it is all about numbers. Looking at my running spreadsheet, you have a running spreadsheet right? You never know if one day Garmin Connect or Strava may just disappear and Zombies will rule the world, when this happens at least I’ll have my running history on my spreadsheet. Anyhow as always I digress, I have only ran four marathons since 2017 so have decided that I need to run one more sub three hour marathon this year. Luckily a few of my running buddies are sub 3 virgins, imagine that ? Rob, Adam, Scotty and Jeffrey have all yet to run sub 3 and the boys have been putting in some hard yards on a Tuesday morning running track, Rob has even got a coach and is following a program.
As the image above shows I use to be a show-pony , back in the day, and while never the fastest marathon runner I was able to spend some time at the pointy end and managed to run 2 hours 41 minutes three times. This was also before the carbon plate shows that give you 4-5% performance enhancement for a mere $340. If they’d be around in my day I’d have broken the two forty barrier I’m sure but it was not to be and I got old and found ultra running. Check out the video below, with hindsight this video is so funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQEVoI7tQtY&t=166s
Right here they are, the rules I abide to and will help you achieve your goal when it comes to running marathons, or any distance really. I’ll spend time on each in more detail but for the moment I’ve set them out in a list below.
- Run Further. Add distance, not speed.
- Run Faster. This is about adding pace after you have got your foundation after rule 1.
- Don’t get injured. This is the hardest rule to obey as you always want to do more of rule 1 and 2 which can result in an injury. (I even hate typing the word!)
- Nutrition, nutrition and nutrition… Did I mention nutrition. It’s all about the proper fuel.
- Weight. So important, use to believe because I ran 100k+ a week I could eat what I wanted. Not true.
- Baseline, document and evaluate everything. If it isn’t on www.strava.com it didn’t happen. Once you set a goal you have to be able to know how far you have come to achieving this, small steps but constant feedback. So buy a Garmin and start recording , everything !!!
- Sleep. So underestimated but the bodies way of refuelling and preparing for the next day of running. Common sense but so often ignored.
- Consistency. No point running 100k one week and then nothing. Marathon fitness is built up over time and this works hand in hand with rule number 1.
- It’s all in the mind. After 32k a marathon is down to mental strength and the ability to persuade your body you can still perform at your desired pace without falling to fatigue, which is the minds way of protecting itself. Never underestimate the power of the mind in long distance racing.
Feel I should be able to find 1 more rule. It’s always 10 rules right ? I wonder what happened over the years to all good rules number 11 which never made the cut.
- Run Further. Add distance, not speed. My weekly average has steadily increased year on year with this year being the first I will break the 100k a week average for the year. In 2012 I was injured with a nasty calf knot, that I didn’t treat, which explains the delta compared to the previous year. 2014 my training had plateaued which is why I turned to Raf ( http://www.therunningcentre.com.au ) to train me in 2105 where my distance increased by 10%. I have taken this training forward and will probably increase another 10% this year. Distance first, everything else comes once the ‘foundation of distance’ has been achieved.
- Run Faster. This is about adding pace after you have got your foundation after rule 1. 2011 was a break out year for me after 3-4 years of building a good running base. I had ran 3 Comrades campaigns in 2008-2010 ( http://www.comrades.com ) so my distance foundation was well and truly complete. In 2011 every time I put on a bib I was confident of a pb. It was a wonderful year. Unfortunately in 2012 I had a nasty injury which set me back but towards the end of the year I was able to train consistently again and in 2013 I was again rewarded with a magical year of running.
- Don’t get injured. This is the hardest rule to obey as you always want to do more of rule 1 and 2 which can result in an injury. (I even hate typing the word!) In 2012 I succumbed to a calf knot which took me out for over a month. I struggled to recover from this and as you can see from the table I only ran 3 pb’s for the year compared to 13 the previous year and 10 the following year when I recovered. If this doesn’t back up this rule nothing does.! Don’t get injured, so easy to type but in reality one of the hardest thing for a runner to do, period.
- Nutrition, nutrition and nutrition… Did I mention nutrition. It’s all about the proper fuel. So underestimated by so many runners. The number of times I hear the old ‘I run xxx kilometres a week so I can eat what I want’ . Not true, imagine putting low grade fuel in a Porsche, eventually the head gasket blows and you are faced with a serious bill, not to mention a misfiring engine. The human body is a finely tuned machine and should be treated as such, we all know what is good food and what is bad (normally the nice tasting stuff!), avoid the bad and put in the good, easy really. (bar the odd Yelo muffin of course, we are after all only human.) I’ll be exploring nutrition more next year when I have one more go at a sub 2hr 40minutes marathon.
- Weight. So important, use to believe because I ran 100k+ a week I could eat what I wanted. Not true. This is another golden rule so often ignored. Runners can run so much faster is they hit their racing weight rather than a running weight. My go to man , Matt Fitzgerald, when it comes to everything running even has a website dedicated to this. ( http://www.racingweight.com/ ) If Matt has a website dedicated to this subject it must be important.
- Baseline, document and evaluate everything. If it isn’t on www.strava.com it didn’t happen. Once you set a goal you have to be able to know how far you have come to achieving this, small steps but constant feedback. So buy a Garmin and start recording , everything !!! Contentious subject here. I’m a Strava addict and I know it but the purest will be horrified. You need a baseline to see improvement, set new goals and realize your goals. Buy a Garmin and to quote a small clothing company ‘just do it’.
- Sleep. So underestimated but the bodies way of refuelling and preparing for the next day of running. Common sense but so often ignored. Sometimes the most obvious, common sense tips are the ones ignored. Sleep is when your body repairs itself, the more sleep the more repairs can be completed. It really is that easy, go to bed and dream about running.
- Consistency. No point running 100k one week and then nothing. Marathon fitness is built up over time and this works hand in hand with rule number 1. I feel the figures from my running log back this up. I’ve steadily increased the duration consistently year in, year out (bar injury) and have reaped the rewards with 2016 being my fastest year yet as I move towards my
fifthsixth decade. (Thanks Dave Kennedy) Running is all about getting out there on a regular basis again and again and again. Time on feet initially and then add pace before targeting certain distance with different run types, most important thinkg to note though is always consistently putting on the trainers and just running. ‘If you build it they will come’ type approach, keep running, build the foundation and the personal records will come. (This also works for baseball pitches apparently.) - It’s all in the mind. After 32k a marathon is down to mental strength and the ability to persuade your body you can still perform at your desired pace without falling to fatigue, which is the minds way of protecting itself. Never underestimate the power of the mind in long distance racing. Finally another massive part of running, the Noakes ‘central governor’. I’ve talked about this at length in various posts on this site. With experience I believe I can mentally finish a marathon stronger now then when I first started. I know what to expect and to this end can persuade my old friend fatigue to stay away for longer allowing me to achieve better finishing times. The mind is such an important part of running and needs to be trained as much as the body. When you race a marathon you will spend time in the ‘pain box’, the runner who can spend the most time in this little box of joy, before opening the door and embracing the old enemy fatigue, will run the fastest. I spoke to Steve Moneghetti after the Perth Marathon this year after he ran the 3hr30min bus and asked him how the professional athletes are so much faster than us recreational runners. His answer surprised me as he replied that a professional runner can stand more pain and this gives them the advantage need to push through and achieve the faster times. Again turning off the ‘central governor’ and spending more time in the ‘pain box’ avoiding fatigue and thus not slowing down. Common sense really, thanks Steve.
The article below was written by Reid Coolsaet a top ranked marathoner in Canada. At the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon last September his time was 2:11:23 – the fastest by a Canadian in 24 years. Reid spent time in Kenya at Iten, the breeding ground for running superstars. The article is good in that it emphasises all the things I talk about on this blog. As I have said many, many times running is not rocket science, just common sense really and lots of hard work. To run faster you need to look at the people who are running the fastest and learn from them, try to be more like them. The main points (for the lazy readers amongst you who won’t finish this post!) are consistency, train hard, rest hard, soft surfaces, group training, proper warm up, nutrition and Hakuna matata
Kenyan distance runners have been dominating the world scene for more than 30 years. Just last month, a Kenyan, Mary Keitany, was the first woman to break one hour and six minutes in the half-marathon when she set the world record at 1:05:50. Last year, Kenyan men won four of the five world major marathons and lay claim to 60 of the top 100 ranked marathoners.
An astonishing 239 Kenyans broke two hours and fifteen minutes last year in the marathon. (By contrast, Canada had three under the same time – and that was a good year for us.) Factor in the population of the two countries (Kenya, 39 million, Canada, 34 million), and it’s evident just how excellent the East African country is at producing world-class distance runners.
As a marathoner, I wanted to observe first-hand how these great athletes were training and living. For one month this winter, I went to Iten, Kenya, and immersed myself in the culture of Kenyan running. Iten is a small town of 4,000, about 300 kilometres northwest of the capital, Nairobi, and is home to many of the world’s best distance runners and hundreds more who make a living winning road race purses.
It’s not a coincidence that the rural town sits about 2,400 metres (about 8,000 feet) above sea level where athletes benefit from training in thin air. I soon learned, however, that there are many other reasons why Kenyan runners dominate. Here are some tips that all runners can incorporate into their training in order to run like a Kenyan.
Consistency. Running – a lot – is the key to distance running, and the Kenyans are no exception when it comes to logging many kilometres day in, day out. Most of the runners I met run at least twice a day but some run up to three times. If you can squeeze a few more kilometres into your week, without compromising quality, you will reap the benefits.
Train hard. The motto “train hard, win easy” is exemplified by Kenyan runners. If you want to run hard come race day, it’s best to prepare with some sort of speed session (intervals, fartlek, tempo) one to three times a week to get used to the specific effort of your race pace.
Rest hard. After bouts of hard training it is vital that the body has time to repair and recover for the next training session. Kenyan runners incorporate naps into their days and get to bed early. Plus, they don’t run hard all the time; most people would be surprised on how slow they run their recovery runs. Make sure you’re not running hard every day and take it easy the day or two after a hard run.
Soft surfaces. Running on dirt trails rather than pavement is much easier on the body. When I was in Iten, all of my running was on trails and dirt roads (of course, this is easy to do when there is only one paved road in the area). Seek out soft surfaces for most of your running, and your body will thank you.
Group training. Seeing a Kenyan run alone is the exception to the norm. Kenyans run in groups during speed sessions as well as their easy runs. Running with a group can provide that extra push during hard runs and it can help keep the easy runs leisurely with chit-chat. Many running stores offer group runs if your friends are too lazy to join you.
Proper warm-up. Many times while I was running with Kenyans I was surprised how slowly they would start off. It’s best to ease into your runs, and it is especially important to do some easy jogging before any type of speed session or race.
Nutrition. In Iten, a 100-mile diet would seem absurdly long. Kenyans eat fresh food that usually comes from small-scale farms in their region. Ugali (a cornmeal dish) is their staple carbohydrate of choice and is served with beef or chicken stew and veggies. It’s important to replenish carbohydrates and protein soon after a run and get the proper fuel into your body.
Hakuna matata. The Lion King popularized the Swahili phrase “hakuna matata” which, loosely, translates to “no worries.” Kenyans keep stress to a minimum by embracing hakuna matata in their everyday lives. It’s important to leave stress behind to allow your body to perform at its best, and sometimes the best way to relieve stress is to head out the door for a run.
Throughout my month in Kenya, I gained fitness, but more importantly, I came away motivated and inspired. To test out my fitness I went to Belgium to compete in a 10-kilometre cross-country race where I surprised myself with a fifth-place finish; the rest of the top eight were African. Training with the best runners and taking advantage of altitude training allowed me to perform much better.
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