If you tried to qualify for Boston 2008 but missed the qualifying time (or you want to qualify for guaranteed entry into New York 2008), check out this analysis of Boston qualifying times. Among other useful pieces of information, it lists the dozen or so certified US races that had the highest number of qualifiers for 2006 and 2007. Presumably this data indicates that their courses are both “fast” and “flat” — good candidates for your next attempt.
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…you can move on to the running message boards.
It truly is possible to spend too much time reading running-related message boards. One of my favorites is Lets Run (“Where your dreams become reality” — uh, okay). It’s more editorially schizophrenic than the Wall Street Journal.
On the one hand, you have threads with titles like “Who are the 10 hottest female steeplechasers?” On the other, you have incredibly wonky threads that give way to posts like this one (excerpted):
For the record I don’t agree with the model proposed by “Balance” either–several inaccuracies are present.
1) Pyruvate is initially a precursor to lactate during glycolysis. The equilibrium between pyruvate and lactate is such that cytosolic lactate concentrations are about 10 times cytosolic pyruvate concentrations. Pyruvate first though.
2) The formation of lactate from lactate which is catalyzed by lactate dehydrogenase *consumes* a proton rather than donates one. Pyruvic acid has a Pka of 2.49 while lactic acid has Pka of 3.86, therefore pyruvic acid is actually a stronger acid than lactic acid!
Do you actually want more? Here’s the whole thread.
When I find myself reading something like the above, I know it’s time to shut off the computer, go downstairs and do something more worthwhile with my dwindling time on Earth.
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This week’s training theme:
Hard days hard, easy days easy
I’ve been reading various articles about the training patterns of some of the world’s best marathoners (Ethopians, Kenyans and Japanese). And one of the common threads that emerges is: run hard days hard, run easy days easy. I’ve taken that to heart, especially the part about running easy days easy. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays are my recovery days, and I am making an effort (as it were) to run them very easy — low-to-mid 60%’s heart rate. It feels like I’m crawling, but I’m getting used to it. So that’s this week’s training theme.
On Thursday morning I did what I do every winter on the first extremely cold day of the year: I fell on my ass in our driveway. We had a windchill of 8 degrees. I was all bundled up and ready to go at 7:30 in the morning. I started down the driveway and instantly I felt my feet go out from under me and had the same mid-air thought I do every year when it happens, “I always forget about the black ice!”
Fortunately, I had two thick layers on and heavy gloves to help break my fall. I have colorful bruises on my right hand and elbow as a reminder. Otherwise, no injuries other than the ones to my ego. It’s too bad those bruises don’t last a year, because I know I’ll do the same thing next year.
So week 1 of my marathon training has concluded. And a successful week it was. I’m glad I spent the past couple of months building in certain kinds of runs around a weekly schedule that resembled what I’d be doing in training, as week 1 has felt like a natural extension of what I’ve been doing already, albeit slightly harder.
I am following Pete Pfitzinger’s 18 week, “70 miles and above” program from his book (with Scott Douglas), Advanced Marathoning. I plan to follow the schedule as laid out, although I’ve made a few modifications:
Hills. Nowhere do “Pfitz” and Douglas schedule hill runs, although they concede that they are important. So I’ve made some of the longer easy runs (or shorter long runs) into hill runs. I’ll do these no more frequently than two or three times a month. I’ll also be doing a fair number of my long and marathon pace runs in Central Park, where I’ll be running up and down hills. Yonkers has some fantastic, lung-busting hills, including the one I live on.
Long runs. The training schedules aren’t specific when it comes to long runs. There are different kinds of long runs (steady distance vs. progressive vs. “fast finish”). I’ll be running most of them as progressive runs, meaning I start out at a very easy pace and work my way up to marathon pace for the last miles.
Here’s the biggest potential flaw I see in the book’s training schedule: The authors only have two dedicated marathon pace runs in the plan, and they’re quite long at 12 and 15 miles. The first one isn’t until halfway through the training program; the second one is a full month later. It’s a big leap to go from no marathon pace running to a 12 mile run at that speed. In my humble opinion, this is a recipe for failure, as well as a potential blow to confidence. What happens when you get to week 9 and realize you can’t hack running the pace you’ve been supposedly training for over less than half the marathon distance?
So I’ll tack progressively more and more marathon pace miles onto my Sunday long runs (ending up at a long run with 9 miles at marathon pace), so I can work up to that first session dedicated to holding race pace over 12 miles knowing I have a fair shot at completing it comfortably. (I’m sure there was a much better way to write those last few sentences. But I’m totally exhausted!) More on long runs from Kevin Beck in Running Times and Greg Mcmillan.
Races as tempo runs. I’ll be substituting half marathon races for a few of the longer (12 mile) tempo runs. I’m doing this not only because I enjoy racing, but also so I can gauge my fitness under real-world racing conditions throughout my training. The half marathon pace is also just about perfect for a tempo run.
A look back at the week:
Total mileage: 65.0 miles
Paces this week:
This week’s quote:
Hills are speedwork in disguise.
— Frank Shorter
Coming up in training week two: More of the same!
Filed under: racing, resources, training, westchester | 2 Comments »
Just a random post to check in.
The big news of the past week was, of course, the big two races in New York: The mens 2008 olympic trials, during which elite runner Ryan Shay died. What can you say that hasn’t already been said about this? It’s just very sad.
The other big event was the NYC marathon, for which Paula Radcliffe staged a spectacular comeback. And Gete Wami came in second to win the World Marathon Majors — netting her a purse of half a million greenbacks — just 5 weeks after winning the Berlin Marathon. That’s called “running for the money.”
Since my last post, I recovered from the dreadful cold and took a quick trip out to Las Vegas. Since I’m so lazy, I’ll just point to my sister’s blog post about this fabulous family trip.
I will add that we did two runs while there, an 8 miler and a 15 miler. Las Vegas is hands down the worst place I have ever run. We basically did a huge circle in both cases, with the famed Strip in the middle. But all the streets are 6-12 lane jobs, so it’s incredibly noisy and the air is filthy with exhaust. The average humidity is something like 6% most days, so you’re constantly dehydrated. No wonder we only saw one other runner. Probably another idiot tourist.
At the conclusion of the longer run, we managed to get trapped behind a 64 acre construction project while trying to get to Dean Martin Blvd. We ended up getting rescued by hotel security, who had to drive us back to our hotel. That was pretty comical.
This week was spent getting over jet lag and ratcheting up the mileage yet again. The week’s not over yet, but barring disaster I should top out at 70 miles this week, which I’ll hold for three weeks, followed by a recovery week. And that’ll be it for the base building phase. It’s hard to believe I ran 26 miles during the week in June that I started this oddysey. I was looking over my running logs and found that in 2006 I averaged just 20 miles per week. My marathon training was around 40. And until I started base building in June, my 2007 average was 30 miles per week.
It’s amazing how adaptable the body is. These days, a 10 mile run is like a four mile run used to feel. In fact, it’s now my favorite distance. It takes about an hour and half and I’m pleasantly tired at the end, and very relaxed. So that’s my favorite run of the week (this may also have something to do with the fact that I do this one on Fridays). I’m wondering what my favorite “no big deal” distance will be a few months from now — 12? 14? 16?
No injuries so far, knock wood. I’m hyper vigilant to the point of paranoia. The past two days I’ve had very slight, intermittent shin discomfort on one side. So no progressive long run on Sunday, just an easy 18 miles. I monitor my resting pulse every day and run very easy if it’s more than 4 beats above normal. And I’m sleeping like a fiend some nights. If I need 9+ hours, I sleep 9+ hours. Going to bed at 9 o’clock does feel a bit weird, though. I suppose I can use the writers’ strike as an excuse soon.
The weather has been fabulously cold in the mornings — mid-30s, which is perfect for me. And there are more races than I can run to choose from in the next three weeks. Next weekend I’ll either do the Nyack Hospital 10K or the Mamaroneck 5 Miler. Haven’t decided on which one yet. Then a 5 Mile Turkey Trot in Rockland (if the weather isn’t horrible like last year). And — again, weather permitting — the Hot Chocolate 15K in Central Park on December 1, two days before I kick off my 18 week training program.
Finally, we’ve decided that in light of the fact that we’re both trying to “lose what we won in Las Vegas” (no, not money; just a few extra pounds), we’re going to go out for Thanksgiving dinner at a local place (An American Bistro in Tuckahoe) rather than make a bunch of stuffing and other food that will further derail us as “leftovers.” I’ll probably do turkey and trimmings for Christmas, but within reason.
So there you are. Race reports to come.
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Some people collect sea shells. Others collect porcelain figurines. I collect online calculators.
Here are some of my favorite running- or fitness-related calcs:
Equivalent performances calculator
I use this one a lot. Not only does it give equivalent times for races of varying distances (along with pacing information), but it also supplies target pace ranges for key running workout types. Note that this is not a “performance predictor”. This I’ve learned the hard way. Also note that the target workout paces can be on the aggressive side.
Here’s a more souped up equivalent performances calculator. I like this one because it can factor in things like temperature, elevation, wind speed and altitude if you’re feeling very wonky.
Race pace calculator 1
This is a very handy race pace calculator, because it allows you to play with different positive or negative split scenarios. I’m sure I’ll end up using this for my next marathon, as I learned in my last half marathon that I run well when I do “very negative” splits. And that’s a positive thing.
Race pace calculator 2
If you just want to know what your even splits would be, this is the calculator for you. You can also print out a pace band to tape around your wrist.
Want to know what your VO2 max is? Use this VO2 max calculator to find out.
Wondering how fast your poor old legs would take you if they were just a bit younger? Calculate your age graded equivalents — and either weep or rejoice.
Ever wonder how much faster you could run if your dropped a few pounds? Find out with this weight change effect predictor. How much ice cream and cheesy poofs can you continue to eat while still losing weight? Find out with this calorie intake calculator.
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“…you probably won’t get much protection from common colds by taking a daily supplemental dose of vitamin C, according to an updated review of 30 studies,” so says this article.
Taking vitamin C did nothing for most people except “…they found that people exposed to periods of high stress — such as marathon runners, skiers and soldiers on sub-arctic exercises — were 50 percent less likely to catch a cold if they took a daily dose of vitamin C.”
If you’re a marathon runner, you could read this one of two ways: you’re lucky that you can do something to prevent colds besides washing your hands and being a hermit — or — you’re putting your immune system under a ridiculous amount of stress in pursuit of your sport.
Either way, I’m going to keep popping those C’s.
Filed under: reading, resources | 1 Comment »
In my previous post I reviewed a few running publications. One that was not included in that review is Ultrarunning magazine. With each new issue, I realize that I am not Ultrarunning’s ideal subscriber. This is because the more I read it, the more I become convinced that I never want to do an ultra event. On the other hand, a half marathon used to seem insurmountable.
When I read Ultrarunning, I get a glimpse into a subculture of which I’m not a member. One article’s subject is likely to appear as a byline on another article. This is a small community – maybe numbering in the thousands in this country. Ultrarunning is truly by, for and about ultrarunners. Printed on the kind of paper stock used in high school yearbooks, held together with staples, it’s charmingly amateurish — a labor of love for its publisher, perhaps.
The point of this post is that, if you look carefully, you can often find art in the unlikeliest of places. There is one regular feature of the magazine that I do look forward to every issue and that’s the “finisher photos” by photographer Larry Gassan. He snaps photos of people who have just completed events like the Western States 100, a grueling race up and down California’s Sierra Nevada mountains in summer.
These portraits are wonderful. They capture the exhaustion, elation and – most of all – the pride of the finishers. Here’s one of my favorites, from another race (the Angeles Crest 100), of Ashley Idema, first woman across the finish line. Sure, she looks like she’s been run over by a train, and more than a little relieved. But she also looks radiant and strong, ready to take on the world. Which she already has, in a way.
A good portrait photographer captures the personality of his or her subjects, but also leaves some mystery there to keep you guessing. That’s happening in many of these photos. And that’s what maks them art.
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You know you’re a runner when…
…you have more running magazines than news magazines coming into your home.
I recently got an offer to subscribe to Peak Running Performance for a buck. I love a bargain, so I signed on. For a mere dollar, I get a PDF version of the magazine dumped into my email in box every two months.
The magazine is on the short side, but the articles are of fairly good quality and offer a variety of topics. And they have titles that make me laugh, reflecting subject matter that appeals to, shall we say, a “narrow audience”? How about this months’ feature, entitled “Say Goodbye to Your Gastrointestinal Discomfort!”
It’s a bit like a miniature version of Marathon & Beyond (yet another one I subscribe to). That publication is like a little book. It has subject matter similar to PRP, but with the addition of race reports, historical pieces, personal essays and human interest stories. PRP’s content tends to be more limited to the nuts and bolts of training, nutrition, racing strategy, and injury prevention and recovery.
Anyway, both rags make for good post-run bath reading.
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I discovered a very nice Web site for the Boston 2008 trials. Chock full of interviews, photos etc. with those fast, skinny ladies. I only have to knock 1:09:03 off my best marathon time to join them!
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I’m a morning person, which is why I got up bright and early on a Saturday to tackle the freelance work that looms: an outline for a brochure on retirement income options. But I’m sitting here staring at a jumble of source material and my eyes and brain are swimming. So I’ll “warm up” with a blog post. It’s not procrastination. Just, um, oiling the gears.
We’ve been on a diet for the past six or so weeks that has us eating frequent meals, in small portion sizes, of nutrient-dense foods. It’s worked too — I’ve lost about 12 pounds. I’ve got 12 more to go. Halfway home! Of course, since next weekend is my birthday, there will be a slight pause in progress. But at least we’re making a smaller cake and using the “reduced fat” recipe (applesauce substituted for oil).
The diet is heavy on whole grains and legumes. For the first week, we ate brown rice and black beans, seemingly every 20 minutes. I got very sick of brown rice and black beans. So, I’ve branched out and have discovered the following interesting grains and beans:
You can make some good meals by mixing and matching these ingredients. I’ll post some recipes that I’ve found later on, but here’s a really good quinoa recipe Jonathan found on Cool Running.
I’m also going to sing the praises of Trader Joe’s. They sell, among other things, spelt (which I’d never heard of) in a nice little box with some things thrown in to make it interesting. And most of what they sell in the grains dept. comes with a recipe or two already. Plus they’ve got some great whole grain muffins that weigh about five pounds apiece and fill you up for hours.
I could go on, but I won’t — but check out Trader Joe’s Fan’s blog for more of the madness.
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Races Like a Girl 