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September
2006 Vol. 12 Issue No. 9
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Austin
Runners Tackle Pikes Peak
Close
to 90 Austin runners made the trek to Manitou Springs, CO to run the Pikes
Peak Marathon on August 19-21, making it the largest group
 of
participants from any city outside of Colorado. The second oldest
(continuously run) marathon in North America, it’s actually two races:
the 13.32 ascent up
Pike’s 14,115 peak, or the full 26.6 mile marathon ascent and decent, or
in some cases, the “double,” which involves a full weekend: running the
ascent on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday.
One major reason for the
huge Austin group was the Rogue Training Systems Pikes Peak training
program, headed up by Steve Sisson, now the assistant women’s track coach
at the University of Texas. Sisson was the first overall Austin finisher,
with a time of 5:45:36 for the full marathon.
Julia Wolfe
was the first Austin-area woman to finish the full marathon, posting a
very respectable 6:21:49.
Under Sisson’s guidance,
Austin runners trained for 21 weeks running trail races, and traveling to
other mountain runs for preparation. Many give credit to Sisson and the
rigorous workouts for their ability to complete Pikes Peak.
“I feel that I
would not have been able to do what I did, had I not taken his [Sisson’s]
program,” said Kirk McGlamery. “I consider some of his training exercises
to have been more difficult than the race itself—30 miles in rugged
Bandera in the Texas summer heat, for example. That tough training
prepared me mentally and physically.”
“It was tough summer
to get through—it’s a different kind of training. But I felt myself get a
lot stronger,” said Austin’s Sadie Barrs, who placed fifth in the 25-29
age group (7:18:21).
“I felt
like I was really well prepared. It’s hard to be on your feet that long,
and when you get there, it’s overwhelming how steep the mountain actually
is when you see it. Around here, you get up a hill and its over. Up there,
it just doesn’t end,” said Barrs.
“My race really
well. I didn’t have any expectations of how I’d do. I tried to hold my
pace up the mountain and I found out I’m a pretty good climber,” added
Barrs, who has a 3:37 marathon best and is a math teacher at Austin High
School.
“People would cheer
for you as they were coming down, and you were going up, so that was
great.”
The weather held up
well for the runners, with cool breezes and temperatures in the 40s,
although above tree line there was quite a bit of slush.
“My own race was a
little disappointing,” said Sisson, who had wanted to run faster but had
been hampered by a sciatic problem.
“But I
have to say. if it had not been for the team environment we went up there
with, I probably would have dropped out. We had a really tight-knit group,
so I really needed to finish the race for them. We had only one runner
overall who could not finish, and that was injury-related. Running Pikes
Peak is not like going to Chicago. It’s an incredibly difficult race. But
every one in our group stepped up. I’m so proud of them and how hard they
worked.”
Keepin’ Your Cool When the Going Gets Hot
The other
morning, heading out for a long run, I noticed Paul Seals, a training buddy of
mine, carrying an ergonomically designed water bottle that had an adjustable
hand strap. And to make it even more effective, he had frozen it solid the night
before. “That way, just holding it while I run has some cooling effect,” said
Seals.
A creative solution to a seasonal problem. Central Texas summers are nonstop
scorchers—no surprise there. What’s always been hard is to figure out when to
run, how hard to run, and how much to drink.
On the subject of when, there’s some debate. While it’s obvious that daybreak
running offers cooler temperatures, there’s a fairly large trade-off in
humidity.
“You’re sweat
just doesn’t evaporate in high humidity,” says Austin’s Bob Wischnia, of Devine
Sports. “So you don’t get the desired cooling effect.”
And that can
be a huge problem. Just consider Bernard Manirakiza in this past April’s
Statesman Capitol 10,000. The temperature was only in the low 70s, Manirakiza
was fit, lean and in the lead, but he succumbed to the heat nonetheless,
crumpling to the pavement in the final two tenths of a mile. Why? In his case,
the heat-related collapse was due to the extremely high humidity, coupled with
the intense pace, poor intake of fluids, and the fact that he was not yet fully
acclimated that early in the season.
Humidity is
deceptive, too. If you take a relatively balmy 85 degrees, but the humidity is
90 percent, you’ve got a heat index of 102, where extreme caution is needed.
An article in
the current edition of Runner’s World details the tragic story of Kelly Watt, a
promising cross country runner from Charlottesville, Virginia, who died last
July following severe heatstroke brought on by a hard eight-mile training run in
the remote hills outside of Charlottesville. The temperature was in the mid-90s
with very high humidity when Watt set out at about 2:00 p.m. Finishing the run,
Watt made it back to his parked car, but was too delirious and weak to unlock
the doors and get to his bottled water. Sadly, he collapsed, and lay on the hot
asphalt for several hours before being found. By that time it was too late—the
heatstroke was irreversible and he died a week later of multiple organ failure.
Contrast that
with Manirakiza, who received medical attention within a few minutes of his
collapse, and the lesson is clear: run with a partner during the extreme heat of
summer.
When that’s
not possible, there’s another fairly simple preventative measure that can make
all the difference: run slowly.
When running, we produce heat in a direct
relationship to the amount of energy we are expending, so speed is the primary
determinant of body heat production.
Other, lesser-known
contributors to heatstroke include insufficient sleep, excess weight, and
existing illness or infection.
What about
drinking? Interestingly, the International Marathon Medical Directors
Association revised their longstanding position on fluid intake and running. The
old version called for almost non-stop guzzling of water before, after and
during hot-weather running, but a spike in hyponatremia cases during marathons
called for a review. Hyponatremia, a potentially lethal condition, occurs when
an individual consumes too much water, diluting the body’s electrolytes and
dangerously lowering the blood’s sodium balance. It is typically
seen in long events of over four hours, as runners lose sodium through sweat and
are unable to replace it. The situation is exacerbated by” over-hydrating.”
The old line
was, “if you wait until you’re thirsty, it’s already too late.” The new evidence
states that thirst is actually a pretty reliable indicator of hydration needs.
“It’s
[thirst] the only system used by all other creatures on earth,” says Dr. Tim
Noakes, author of the Lore of Running. “Why should it be any different for
humans?”
So here’s your
prescription: drink plenty of ice cold beverages as your thirst dictates, get
plenty of sleep, run easy when the heat index soars, and find a training partner
when you plan a hard run in dangerous conditions. You won’t regret it.
Hopping Your Way
to a Faster 5K
Ask any distance runner what it takes
to get faster, and a typical response would be to add speed work to your
training, or to simply increase your training mileage. And while these
time-tested methods generally produce good results, there are other ways to get
help get you to the finish line of your next 5K faster.
One training adjunct, which has actually been around for quite some time and is
currently enjoying renewed popularity is “plyometrics.” Popular with track and
field athletes as far back as the early 1900s, plyometrics refers to a series of
drills consisting of hopping, skipping, bounding and jumping.
In a recent article in Runner’s World, Austin’s own Diane Vives, president of
Vives Training System, described plyometric drills geared specifically towards
runners that help improve balance, elasticity and power.
“There are a
number of exercises that help runners progress at any level,” said Vives, whose
website can be found at www.vives-ctl.com.
“The goal of
doing these is that they improve running economy and efficiency. I’ve found that
runners can maintain a higher overall workload over a longer period of time, and
are more resistant to injury,” said Vives.
Earl Fee, author of the Complete Guide to Running, further endorsed the benefits
of plyometrics in the March/April issue of Running and Fit News.
“These drills
assist in developing lower-body strength, speed, and power,” says Fee. “These
exercises also improve neural response, the essential component of quickness.
Plyometrics helps you maximize force while minimizing the time it takes to
achieve that force, that is, it aids in explosiveness.”
Explosive is
a word associated with sprinting, but recent studies revealed that explosive
strength training actually increases endurance by improving running economy—the
ability to get from point A to point B with the lowest possible energy
expenditure.
While there
may be some initial soreness after introducing new exercises, most runners
should be able to incorporate some plyometrics training without a problem.
Runners
should start with a light warm-up—jog for a mile or so. Recommended exercises
for runners are based on various hopping drills. Beginners should shoot for 40
to 60 foot contacts per session (a two-legged landing counts as two contacts),
with one to two minutes between sets. The drills should be done about twice a
week, preferably on a track or football field.
Two-legged
ankle hops: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and using only your
ankles, hop up and down in one spot rapidly. Try for minimal foot contact time
with the ground.
Two-legged
small hops: Stand straight, and move forward with small, quick hops. Move your
arms together and as they move forward, hop forward. As your arms move backward,
move forward again. Repeat for about 10 meters.
Two-legged
big hops: With knees slightly flexed, jump forward as far as possible with a
strong arm swing from behind.
Fast feet:
Run in one spot on your toes with your feet barely leaving the ground. For a
variation, try moving over a distance of 20 to 30 meters with very short steps
and then suddenly accelerate into a fast running stride.
Runners who
add plyometrics to their program not only see better running economy, but also
recovery, an extremely important aspect of training.
“More than anything
else,” said Vives, who contributed to the book Training for Speed, Agility,
and Quickness, “I hear that the typical aches and pains runners feel after
half and full marathons are greatly reduced. And runners I’ve helped train
improve their ability to sustain a better pace more consistently.”
Stride Right to Race
Faster
Exercise
physiologists like to break training down into two simple concepts: stimulus and
response. Run fast 400 repeats on the track for example, and you’ll provide a
stimulus for increased fast-twitch muscle recruitment, quicker leg turnover, and
enhanced oxygen transportation to the working muscles cells. In short, you’ll
improve your running speed. Run fast to run fast—makes sense, right? But can
training that does not involve speed contribute to faster running? The answer is
yes.
Some of my
recent training has been with a running buddy of mine (John Ferguson) who just
ran the Inca Trail Marathon in the Andes Mountains of South America Memorial Day
weekend. Part of his preparation has involved the infamous “hill of life” trail,
which I wrote about last month. This past weekend, we ran from Town Lake up
Mount Bonnell, did hill repeats on the stairs up Mt. Bonnell and down the rugged
rocky path on the other side.
For good
measure, we threw in an out-and-back section that included the tremendous hill
on Mt. Bonnell Rd. on the north side of Mt. Bonnell. Coming up the hill I saw
Austin’s Sara Pizzocherro, a top marathoner who broke through this year with a
great 2:55:32 run at the Dallas White Rock Marathon this past December. You
don’t run under three hours in the marathon without putting in some serious
running. Workouts like Mt. Bonnell helped Pizzochero lop a full 18 minutes off
of her 2005 Freescale marathon time.
According to
Rogue Training’s Steve Sisson, hill workouts and drills are a primary a
component for building speed for any type of racing.
“This type of
training is primarily about the push-off phase of your gait,” he said. “What’s
happening is that you are isolating the muscles that are involved in the
push-off phase and developing power through resistance. Then when you get to the
flats, you’ll naturally have a greater stride length. It’s a ‘power output’
issue. I’ve run the Mt. Bonnell hills as a strength-builder for years.”
In addition
to simply running hills, you can also perform specific drills that develop a
powerful toe-off.
Owen
Anderson, PH.D., one of the foremost running physiologists in America, spent
time with the great runners of Kenya, and observed how they developed
their stride with a variety of hill-bounding exercises.
He suggests
finding a steep hill that's at least 50 to 75 meters long, and running hill
repeats on it once every two weeks. Alternate running up the hill at close to
top speed with "bounding" up the hill more slowly, with an exaggerated vertical
motion. Start with six repeats per workout and gradually increase to 10. After
you've finished the above workout, begin hopping up the hill on one foot for 15
hops, then shift to the other foot for 15 more hops. Walk for a few seconds to
recover, and then repeat.
Another favorite of the
Kenyans he recommends is “quick hops.” Once or twice a week, find a grass or
dirt surface and bound from foot to foot for about 30 meters at a time, trying
to maximize your "air time" while minimizing the amount of time each foot spends
on the ground. In other words, push hard and fast with the contact foot. Make
sure that you cover more distance with these bounds than you do with your normal
strides.”
Most runners
have been taught that it is counterproductive to force yourself to increase your
stride length, because it results in a “breaking effect,” and this is true. But
a longer stride that develops naturally from workouts will enhance your running,
not hinder it.
Notes: Carl
Stones outkicked Jay Hilscher by one second on Saturday at the Chuy’s Hot to
Trot 5K. clocking a 16:46. Chris Kimbrough posted a 17:57 to win the women's
race, ahead of 14-year old Ashley Isham of Cedar Park, who clocked an 18:37.
Wright Finishes Among Top Texans
at Boston 2006
Girl's Got Heart
 Katie
Wright was all smiles as she finished the 110th running of the Boston
Marathon on April17, making a strong showing with a 3:34:34 effort. But Wright
does not take her running for granted, nor her life for that matter. In the
short space of two years, the 23-year old special education teacher has become a
marathon runner to watch, in spite of a near-brush with death.
In 1999, when Wright was just 17, she was at a high school football game near
her home in Dallas, when she ran up to the top seats in the bleachers to join
her family. Feeling shaky, she laid down to rest, and that’s when her heart
stopped beating.
Wright had gone into a sudden, life threatening cardiac fibrillation—her heart
was no longer pumping blood. CPR was tried, but to no avail. Luckily, there was
an ambulance on hand at the game, and medics rushed to the scene. They were able
to shock her heart back into a normal rhythm, and she was rushed to the
hospital.
Wright was unconscious for the next 32 hours, and awoke remembering little about
the past two months.
“The
cardiologists working on me determined that I had an electrical abnormality in
my heart, and put in a special kind of pacemaker/defibrillator,” she said.
“It’s designed to regulate my heart rate and prevent events like that in the
future. I did have another episode in 2000, and they had to reset the device.
Since then I’ve been fine.”
Wright, who
had been a track and cross-country runner in high school, moved to Austin to
attend the University of Texas in 2001. Although she did not run there, she did
get interested in competing again, and in 2003, with her cardiologist’s
blessing, completed the Danskin Triathlon.
“One of my
training partners for Danskin was a swimmer, and since my background was in
running, she asked me to help train with her,” said Wright.
That was all
it took to re-launch Wright’s running career. In 2004, she worked up to a
half-marathon, and posted a 1:41 at 3M.
By then, she
was getting so fit that her cardiologist had to re-calibrate her pacemaker to
account for her low resting heart-rate (the hallmark of an efficient pumping
action), on one end, and adjust her top-end rate as well, for maximum output.
Wright joined
“Twenty-Six Two,” a training group for first-time women marathoners, and by
2005, she brought her half-marathon time down to 1:31. The Twenty-Six Two group
was aiming for the Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon in San Diego that June. Paul Carmona,
her coach with Twenty-Six Two, felt Wright had a shot at qualifying for Boston.
She’d need a 3:40 or better to do so.
Wright
smashed through with a 3:32:17, and looked ahead to Boston 2006. “I couldn’t
really believe it,” she said. “When I first started training with Paul, he
thought I could qualify, and in San Diego I felt great. Lucy Rojas, (a 3:06
marathoner from Austin) ran the whole second half with me, and that really
helped.”
On Monday,
April 17, along with about 125 other Austin-area runners, Wright ran the 110th
Boston Marathon.
“It was just
incredible,” she said. “People really love the marathon up there. I had friends
and family all along the course, and I they were cheering me on. Boston is such
a challenging course, but I’ve learned to go out conservatively in the marathon,
and I never felt bad.”
Like most
marathon runners, Wright plans to lower her time, as long as it stays enjoyable.
“I’m competitive,” she said. But I don’t want that to ruin the fun of it.”
Jeff Galloway on
Running the 10K
Jeff Galloway, who was a
10,000-meter Olympian in 1972, and is now one of the most popular running
authors and coaches in the nation, has some sound advice for runners on how to
run a 10,000-meter race.
“At distances
over 5K, you have to be more diligent in conserving resources,” said Galloway,
who runs a training program in Austin. “This is especially true in the 10K. You
still must run at an extremely fast pace for the 10K. Any little indiscretion
can cause you to lose a lot of time later. You don’t have much room for
mistakes. In the 10K, endurance, speed and mental toughness all come in to
play.”
Pace, pace, pace
Pacing for everyone is critical.
That’s where all of those 400, 800 and mile repeats on the track you’ve done
come in to play. In a 10K, for every second too fast you go out, you’ll lose
between 5 and 10 seconds per mile later, and that can really add up.
“I’d say that
the 10,000 is run at about 85% of your maximum effort, whereas a marathon might
be 75-80%. A 5K might be 90% and over,” said Galloway.
“Theoretically, running even splits is ideal. But more and more, I’m seeing
benefits from negative splitting—where you go out conservatively enough to run
the second half faster. What I’m finding is that the resilience in the legs
allows you to really kick in.”
Mile 1—work into it:
Use the first mile to work into a
tempo, and find your pace. After going around the Capitol and hooking a left on
15th street, prepare yourself. Many first-timers don’t realize that
there is still a long way to go. You’ll come face to face with them here, and
you’ll need a strategy.
Miles 2 through 3: stride right
You may
encounter hills on the course. “Going uphill, you do have to compensate by
running slower,” said Galloway. Rather than checking your watch, go for the same
perceived effort as you ran on the flats. I find the best way to do this is to
monitor your breathing. If you are breathing more heavily going up the hill,
shorten your stride.”
Some runners
may pump their arms more vigorously going up a hill, and although that may help
a t first, it will raise the heart rate, and lengthen the stride- not what you
want.
“The bottom
line is you can use your arms more towards the end of the hill,” said Galloway.
“If you run the same stride going up hill, you have to work harder. Studies have
shown that as runners get faster, their stride length shortens. So quicker
turnover is the key here. Paradoxically, a longer stride takes more energy. So
you’ll get into oxygen debt early.”
As you go up the hill, the best technique is a slight shortening of stride, but
keeping the same rhythm.
The 5K mark—halfway there:
As runners approach the halfway point,
they shift from aerobic to anaerobic effort (with or without oxygen)— a subtle
change.
According to
Galloway, “When someone is running at their top capacity, they will begin
shifting into anaerobic running. It’s a steady onset of fatigue. So you must
pace yourself so close to what you can run.”
If you have
any downhills, take advantage, but beware.
“Again, it is
not a good idea to lengthen stride, but use a lighter touch and quicker and
turnover,” said Galloway. “You can go faster that way. You might increase your
forward lean slightly— that will increase your speed.”
Mile 4-5—relax and hang on:
This part of the 10K is like the
fourth lap in a mile race. You just have to get through it, and that calls for
mental toughness. You might slow down a bit, but not much if you stay focused.
Mile 6— Bring it on home:
The last mile will be almost totally
anaerobic if you are running it right.
“You have to prepare for the
finishing kick,” said Galloway. “The legendary 10,000-meter Olympic gold
medalist Billy Mills had a tremendous kick. He trained for it every day by
forcing himself to sprint hard at the end of every workout.”
Coming
towards the finish, friends lining the sidewalk will spur you on. Use the
emotion and momentum to quicken your stride and kick it on in to the finish
line.
Overall, everyone has the potential to take control of how they will run the
race, and how they will feel afterwards. And when you run it right, there’s no
better feeling.
Sprunt Posts
2:58 in Marathon Debut
Austin runner
Elsa Sprunt made her marathon debut a great one, posting a 2:58:41 at
Freescale.
 Things
went well, but that has not always been the case.
A year ago,
she was on her way to finishing the Distance Challenge series and ready to wrap
things up with her first marathon attempt at Freescale. But a foot injury
sidelined her one week after the RunTex 30K, and she was forced to sit out the
marathon.
“A week after the 30K, I felt like I had a foot cramp, but a doctor told me it
was a metatarsal stress fracture,” she said. I had to wear a boot cast, and
couldn’t run for six to eight weeks, missing the entire Freescale marathon and
several weeks after.”
But things are different for Sprunt this year. The 24-year old third-year law
student at the University of Texas placed second to Liz Shelton for the 2005-
2006 Distance Challenge.
Sprunt topped
her age group in all six races leading up to the marathon: the IBM 10K,
Pervasive 10 Miler, Motive Bison Stampede Half-Marathon, Decker 20K, RunTex 20
Miler, and the 3M Half-Marathon. In doing so, she leads all women in elapsed
time for the series.
Part of her success in 2005-6 is due to a change in training. Coached by Gilbert
Tuhabonye, Sprunt runs about 50 miles a week. She’s been building up her long
runs and getting in lots of intensity, with hill workouts and a variety of speed
sessions.
“On the
track, Gilbert might have us do 400, 800 and mile repeats. And he focuses on
building core strength, as well,” she said.
But more
importantly, her revised program allows for adequate rest.
“I still get
in the speed work and the long runs, but I makes sure I have at least one
quality rest day each week, ” she said.
A few weeks
ago, while winning her age group at the RunTex Miler, Sprunt battled 25 mile per
hour headwinds, but still managed to average 7:00 per mile. That bodes very well
for her three-hour marathon goal at Freescale.
“The RunTex
20 Miler was really brutal. It took a lot out of me,” she said. “The whole week
after that I was recovering. But Gilbert has us do a lot of drills and
stretching, so that really helped out. “
Woo Finds France’s Club System Very Competitive
Grenoble,
France is nestled at the foot of the Alps, and is best known for hosting the
1968 winter Olympics. It’s a city of ancient and modern history, and could not
be more different from Austin, Texas nearly 5,000 miles away. Except that both
boast vibrant running communities. Grenoble may even have a more competitive
racing scene than Austin.
Michael Woo, a top masters runner in Austin, can attest to that. Woo, 43, who
works for Freescale in technology development, lived there on assignment from
2002-2005.
“There’s no
question—it’s a lot more competitive there,” he said. “The first year, I had
trouble even placing in the top 50 percent for 10-12 kilometer distances, and I
was in good shape. It was a real eye opener. In Austin, I usually place in my
age group in most races.
“They emphasize place more than time in France. I felt intimidated by the fields
there,” he said. “I could run in the 35-minute range for the 10K, which would be
at the top of many master’s fields in Austin, and finish near the bottom in
Grenoble. I actually finished dead last once.”
Woo realized he had to start training differently if he wanted to race there.
So he made a decision early on to join one their running clubs—the Grenoble
University Club, which had about 25 masters competing.
“Our coach would have us do cross country runs on dirt trails throughout the
Alps. That was typical. The clubs are a national, funded by the French federal
athletics system,” he said. “It starts with youth runners, and allows promising
young runners to progress. So by the time they are in high school they already
have a really good running base.”
One major
advantage, explained Woo, is that the club system helps out everyone.
“Everybody
kind of works together in a club system. Each club has several coaches, and we’d
always do things as a team,” he said. “Here, it’s a lot more individualized. I
see more ‘mini-races’ in group workouts, and that’s not good. You need to learn
to do your workouts at 90 percent. And you hold off to race at 100 percent.
Here, I think a lot of people lose their races in workouts. With the club
system, it’s the structure and routine that helps— not overdoing it in workouts.
I noticed in Grenoble that the guys running 32-33 minutes in the 10K did their
mile repeats at 5:30, whereas here, we shoot for 5:10, trying to run at race
pace during a workout. Their system is really geared towards getting the highest
performance out of an athlete.”
According to
Woo, the cultural difference explains a lot. He believes that Americans live to
work, and the French work to live. And that gives them more time to devote
towards things like physical performance.
“They have
their kids in the club too,” he said. “So it’s a family thing. “Whether it’s
running or cycling, the culture is really set up for fitness.”
Back in
Austin since August, Woo is training alone because of his busy schedule, and
plans on running the Freescale Marathon.
This past fall, Woo went back
to Grenoble on a business trip, and found he couldn’t hang with his old club on
a training run. A week later, he placed fourth at the Pervasive 10 Miler.
“That really
puts it in perspective, he said. “You look at top Austin runners like Bernard
Manirakiza or Gilbert Tuhabonye, and they can beat anyone in town. In Grenoble,
there’d be guys right there with them.”
Rooney Tops Age Group at SunMart
50-Miler
Patience and
hard work are the hallmarks of distance training, and they are two lessons
Austin’s Shan Rooney has learned well. A relative newcomer to ultrarunning, she
did not even place at her first two attempts at the SunMart 50-Miler in
Huntsville. But this year, it all came together and on December 10, she cut an
hour and 20 minutes off of her previous best, and won her age group (30-34),
finishing 27th overall in a field of about 200.
 On
December 10, at Huntsville State Park, an hour outside of Houston, the
conditions were absolutely perfect—about 44 degrees and slightly overcast. After
a 500-calorie breakfast of “SPIZ,” an energy drink, Rooney set off on the
first of four 12.5-mile loops. Fortified by sports drinks and gels, and
listening to country music on her MP3 player, she motored along the pine forest
trails at a 9:56 pace.
“I was
hurting on the last loop,” she said. “But I thought back on my training runs,
and the two 100-milers I’ve done, and was able to push on through. I know I’ve
felt worse. In 100 milers you feel like your legs are going to fall off, but in
50s, your quads get pretty cramped.”
Rooney
(left), who moved to Austin four years ago with a job as a medical technician,
ran for the University of Minnesota in the early 90s.
“We ran the
3,000 (just under two miles) back then, and that was considered long distance
for women,” she said.
After
college, she got interested in marathons, and in 1995, at age 23, ran Grandmas
marathon in Duluth, Minn.
“I was
thrilled to complete it,” she said. “The long run has always been my favorite
part of training, and the marathon just felt right. I’ve done about 15 since
then, with a best of 3:20 (Grandma’s ’99).”
But further
distances beckoned. Though she had never run trails, or had never run further
than the marathon, she set a goal of running an ultra for her 30th
birthday. Sure enough, a week after December 2, 2002, she ran her first SunMart.
It was a learning experience.
“I had done a lot of back-to-back long runs, maybe a 30-miler on Saturday and 15
on Sunday. But the wheels fell off at mile 44 that day. I think I actually sat
down and started crying.”
From that
race Rooney learned that she would need to strengthen her legs even more. That
called for hill repeats, weight work, squats and lunges.
And she
changed up he training.
““Once you
pass, say 35 miles,” she said, “you rely on the strength that you know you’ve
built. And you need to learn patience. I’ve found that running only three days a
week builds in recovery,” said Rooney. “And I’ll do cross-training on the other
days.”
On Tuesday,
she might get in a 10-mile tempo run, Thursdays are 8-10 miles of hill repeats,
and Saturday’s she spends all-day on the trails, running maybe 50 miles.
“We do repeat
10-mile loops on the Barton Greenbelt, refueling at each loop. Part of the
10-mile loop includes the ‘Hill of Life,’ a half-mile extremely rocky descent,
and ascent on the way back.”
Her family
thinks she’s nuts for running so much, but ultrarunners tend to hang out
together, so Rooney gets a lot of support. Her main training partner, Doug
Gimenez, and other members of the Hill Country Trail Runners stick together for
weekend training and race excursions.
Back in
Austin, Rooney can still feel the effects of Saturday’s 50-mile race.
“Going down
stairs right now is pretty painful,” she said, “but by next Saturday, I’ll hit
the trails again for 10 or 15 miles.”
Notes: Phil
Kochik of Seattle won the SunMart 50 Miler in 5:46:54, while Nikki Kimball was
sixth overall and first woman. Two Austin-area runners finished ahead of Rooney:
Bill Patience of Georgetown (50-55 age group win in 7:10:55); Marlene Hall of
Cedar Park (16th overall, and third woman finisher in 7:37:32) and
Kelly Heath (8:01:03).
Johnson Improving at All Distances
There are
several Austin-area women on the roadracing scene that can win just about any
race on any given day. Desiree Ficker comes to mind, as does Chris Kimbrough
and Liz Shelton. Add Meredith Johnson to that list.
Johnson has
been improving steadily over the past several years, lowering her 5K to a swift
19:05. A
 quick
look at her 2005 record tells the story. With wins at the
Steiner Ranch 5K, Shoes for Austin 5K, Children’s Cup 10K, Daisy 5K, Pflugerfest
5K, and the Bluebonnet 5K, Johnson has had an impressive year. And just
in October, she claimed an overall win, beating all men and women at the
Clean Air 5K in Leander.
Johnson, who graduated Southwestern with an education
degree in 1999, was a swimmer and soccer player in high school, and dabbled in
track.
When she was 22, a mother’s day gift of a baby
stroller kicked off her running career. “I’d go out and run for 30-60 minutes
just to get my son to go to sleep,” she said.
Johnson had no structure to her running until she met
and married Henry Fluck, chief of police in Cedar Park. “I really picked up my
running after meeting Henry,” she said. “He taught me to change up my workouts
so my body would adapt. In order to be able to compete at a high level, you need
a lot of help. Henry is my coach and a great supporter— he makes it all
possible.”
With the right training, Johnson’s improvement has
continued at all distances. Personal bests this year include a 1:07:39 for 10
miles and 40:30 for the 10K. She’s also a talented triathlete, consistently
winning her age group in any event she enters, with a focus on the sprint
distance.
A big believer in variety, Johnson may include in her
weekly training a 45 minute tempo run, 3 x1 mile in 6:00 pace or better, hill
training and a long run. She also teaches weight training, indoor cycling and
aerobics at the Cedar Park YMCA. “With children, you have to plan your workouts.
If you really want to be better, you have to manage your time wisely,” she said.
“I do a lot more racing than
most people do,” she added. “I love the competition and excitement. It brings
out the best in you.”
Gazelle Training Helps Sapp Set PR
in Chicago
Before
joining Gilbert's Gazelles, long runs just never worked for Carrie Sapp. But
after training with the Gazelles, the pieces began to fall into place. One
Sapp’s passions is humor—the 32-year-old account manager for Marketing Matters
often performs stand-up comedy around town.
 But for
Sapp, an avid runner, the marathon has been no laughing matter.
Although
she’s done eight of them, some had pretty dark moments. Two years ago, Sapp
returned to her hometown to run the Columbus (Ohio) Marathon. Attempting to
qualify for Boston, Sapp set out at a 3:40 pace. Things went reasonably well
until about mile 23, when she became delirious.
“I collapsed
at the finish line, and had to be hooked up on IV line,” said Sapp. “I made the
mistake of running through the aid stations, and got totally dehydrated.”
Still, Sapp
managed a 3:46, a personal best by 10 minutes.
“After that
race I was scared,” she said. “I was kind of spooked by the marathon.”
But runners
are resilient, and Sapp still had Boston on her mind. She decided to get serious
about her training, and joined a local training group called “Gilbert’s
Gazelles,” coached by 2002 Statesman Capitol 10,000 champ Gilbert Tuhabonye.
Carrie Sapp
“ I hadn’t
been training at the level I needed to run 3:40 or under,” she said. With the
Gazelles, I did track, speed and hill workouts. I would never have done those on
my own—that helped me push myself to new limits.”
Sapp did
quite a few long runs too, at least five over 20 miles. It was a more thorough
preparation than ever before.
“We made sure
to run those long runs slowly, to ensure adequate recovery, but picked them up
in the last five miles,” she said. “For the first time, the long runs clicked
with me.”
Setting her
sights on Chicago as a Boston qualifier, Sapp trained through Austin’s brutal
summer, getting in the majority of her miles well before the sun came up.
And in the
final week or two leading to the marathon, the whole country was caught in a
heat wave. Not only did Austin’s temperatures soar over 100, but even Chicago
was still hazy, hot and humid.
But at the
last minutes, things changed.
“We really
lucked out,” said Sapp. “The weather broke in Chicago just in time. Marathon
morning was low 40s at the start. It was a little overcast— just perfect. We
couldn’t have asked for better conditions.”
Along with over 200 other Austin-area runners, Sapp arrived in Chicago Friday
night, and felt confident and ready.
On Sunday
morning October 9, after breakfasting on a bagel with peanut butter washed down
with Gatorade, the race was on.
The first
couple of miles were a blur, but Sapp fell in with a 3:40 pace group and stuck
right with them, hitting the required 8:20 per mile pace with ease.
“The pace
actually felt slow to me, and I considered picking it up. But memories of past
“survival shuffles” helped me to decide not too. It was difficult, because
others I had trained with were moving ahead, but it was probably the best
decision I made.”
At mile15,
Sapp finally decided to pick it up, sensing it was going to be a good day.
Passing Comiskey Park at around 21 miles, Sapp had a bad batch, but regrouped
and held on for a personal best of 3:37:00.
“For me, the
feeling of having qualified for Boston is like getting a spot on the Olympic
team, especially after my early marathon experiences,” she said.
Prescription for Tired Legs: Run
the Half-Marathon
Tired of
building up for the marathon? Legs weary, nagging injuries, no time for the
family? Why not train for the half-marathon? It’s a great distance for a number
of reasons.
For one thing, it’s more natural to run 13.1 miles than it is to push yourself
through 26.2.
“Marathons beat you up. Our culture often pushes people to go out and run a
marathon when they are still beginners. I call it marathon-mania,” said
Steve Sisson, (left) who heads up Rogue Training Systems.
“Training for a marathon is not really any fun, whereas the half-marathon pace
feels so easy and comfortable, it feels like a perfect pace— a lot like your
tempo training run pace which is 20-30 seconds slower than your 10K race pace,”
he said. “Most 5/10K runners can run a really good half-marathon because the
pace feels easy compared to the shorter races. I just think it’s a nice, happy
middle ground. It can be a really rewarding experience.”
Clearly, one
major benefit is the recovery process—it’s no comparison to the marathon, with
most runners back up to speed in about a week or so.
“You can race and train for half-marathons without detriment to your other
racing,” said Sisson, who is currently accepting runners for his half-marathon
training program, aimed at preparing runners for the Freescale Half-Marathon on
February 19th, 2006 and/or the 3M Half-Marathon on January 29th, 2006.
Unlike marathon training, long runs in Sisson’s program only go up to 15 miles,
maybe 18 for advanced runners. The cornerstone of the program is the weekly
group long runs held on Saturday mornings, and the mid-week quality runs on
Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. The basic format is a gradual progression in
miles, with a quality workout, which could be hill running, a tempo run, a
varied pace workout, or fartlek (speed pickups).
“We change it
up all of the time- that helps keep from boredom and also provides a different
stimulus,” said Sisson, a former University of Texas track star and Statesman
Capitol 10,000 champion.
Total mileage
for the half-marathon training program is very tolerable: 15-25 miles a week for
beginners; 25-35 for intermediates, and 35-40 for advanced runners.
“We are not
mileage-obsessed. People need to be able to respond to the training and handle
the physiological adaptations,” said Sisson.
Overall, it’s a structured ramping-up of training after the long, hot summer.
In addition
to group runs, participants get web-access to a special private forum, an online
training log, race-specific articles, and e-mail with the coaches.
“We stay
pretty well connected with our group,” said Sisson. “The majority of our success
has been with beginning runners, but we’re moving more towards performance-based
training for more advanced runners.”
People can sign up for
the Rogue Training Half-Marathon program at
www.roguerunning.com
Stride
A Key Component to Running Economy
Although Frank Shorter, the last
American man to win Olympic gold at the marathon distance, had a VO2 max
(maximum oxygen uptake expressed in ml/kg/min) of “only” 71, he had superb
running economy, and was able to cover the 26.2-mile distance with great
efficiency.
Running economy, simply put, is how much energy it costs you to get from point A
to point B, in terms of processing oxygen and accumulating lactic acid. It’s
long been considered the Holy Grail of running, in part, because it is so
elusive. Ultimately, your running economy is determined by a variety of factors,
from genetics, to weight, to stride frequency and length.
While it’s not possible to change your genetics or build, you can improve your
running economy by optimizing your stride length and frequency.
Noted exercise physiologist and coach Jack Daniels has observed that leg
turnover determines stride length, and by focusing on hitting about 180 steps a
minute you will move your stride towards the optimal length. Daniels chose 180
based on advanced runners, and uses it as a “ballpark” figure to strive for as a
way of increasing turnover. And he notes that longer is not better, as elite
runners tend to take shorter strides. It’s all about air time, according to
Daniels.
“The main problem associated with a slower turnover,” Daniels writes in
his book Daniels Running Formula, “is that the slower you take steps, the longer
the time you spend in the air. This displaces your body mass higher, and leads
to a greater ground landing shock. A shorter stride means a lighter stride.”
Daniels
advises that optimal stride rate should feel like you are running over the
ground, not into it.
“Try to get the feeling that your legs are part of a wheel
that just rolls along,” he says. “Try counting the strides of one leg for one
minute and see how close you can get to 90.”
“Optimal stride length and
running turnover are really two sides of the same coin. Stride length, both
natural and optimal, increases at faster speeds. The key is to discover the way
your optimal stride length feels, and it will follow you at any running speed,”
says Daniels.
In short, optimal stride
length enhances running economy.
Jack Youngren, PhD, a researcher at the University of California in San
Francisco, contributing to Kevin Beck’s new book “Run Strong,” says that
“at any given speed, if you run with a stride longer
or shorter than optimal and adopt a slower or faster turnover, you will use more
energy. If you study a group of experienced (but not elite) runners, you’ll find
that many of them select stride lengths longer or shorter than their personal
ideal, suggesting that many runners have some room to improve their running
economy—and therefore their performance—by tinkering with their running stride.”
“Many runners can probably benefit from adopting a somewhat shorter stride
length and faster turnover,” writes
Youngren.
“There are, however, no magic numbers that can be applied to all runners looking
to optimize their running form.”
Prusaitis
Finishes Fifth Hardrock 100
Running 100
miles in a month is average for many Austin area runners. Elite runners pack
that much into a week. But ultrarunners cover that distance in a single
race—often over some of the most difficult terrain possible.
You’d think one of those a year would be enough to satisfy even the toughest
runner, but Austin’s
Joe Prusaitis (seated) is en route to
completing five of them this summer.
In early July
he finished his fifth Hardrock 100, a race with a reputation as the most
difficult ultra anywhere around. It’s a treacherous course, running through the
San Juan mountain range in southern Colorado, traversing 11 13,000 foot peaks,
and one 14,000 footer. And to add to the fun this year, there more than the
usual amount of snow left in the upper reaches, while snowmelt gorged the rivers
runners had to cross.
And then of course, there’s the altitude—oxygen gets thin up there. At 14,000
feet, you breathe approximately 60 percent of your normal amount of oxygen. (The
air at 14,000 feet is still 21 percent oxygen; however, there is about 60
percent less atmospheric pressure; so, in effect, the 21 percent at a 14,000
feet yields 60 percent less than the same 21 percent of at sea level).
To acclimate
Prusaitis got up there two weeks early, and only three weeks after nearly
dropping out of the Bighorn Mountain 100 trail run in Wyoming due to
dehydration. But he was ready.
“I like running in the mountains,” said Prusaitis. ”They give you a 48-hour
cutoff, so really you just have to keep going. It’s more a strength of will.”
This year’s Hardrock was more difficult than in the past, because of the snow,
which turned to ice on the steep slopes, just below the summits in the dark.
“Here you are
at 13,000 feet, and if you slip, you’re going to fall several hundred feet. And
you have to watch out for people above you as well,” said Prusaitis. “Oxygen
deprivation doesn’t just affect your breathing, it affects your thinking as
well. You become stupid or more emotional. I’ve seen tough competitors just
start crying at the top of some of these peaks.
At 6:00 a.m. Friday morning, about 125 runners started he race— a 100-mile loop
beginning in Silverton Colorado.
Prusaitis
found that the fatigue was actually worse at first, with the hardest part in the
early climbs over the two 13,000 peaks Little Giant and Green Mountain. By the
time he reached the aid station at 20 miles, he was feeling pretty bad.
“That’s the
worst part of the race for me,” he said. “At that point I was already behind the
48-hour cut-off pace. But that didn’t concern me. Because I know I get faster as
the race goes on.”
By the time he hit the Sherman aid station, which is around 30 miles, Prusaitis
felt great. Downing a milkshake and some sausage, he was ready to tackle the
remaining 70 miles. He was on top of Handies, the course’s only 14,000-foot peak
when the sun went down.
Using a
strong flashlight, and a headlamp, Prusaitis navigated down the snow, ice, steep
rocks and scree (loose rock and pebbles).
He passed through Ouray at 5 am. Saturday morning, 58 miles into the race, and
at 70 miles, a he stopped for a popsicle passing through Telluride, the last
major city on the course, before crossing over another 13,000 foot peak to Ophir
“By 80 miles,
I was starting to get pretty delirious. Nothing tasted good. People can drop out
from stomach problems, foot problems, or altitude sickness. I fear the stomach
problems the most— because without fuel, you just can’t go,” he said. “With 10
miles to go, you start to get a zombie like euphoria. You’re excited about
finishing, but you have no energy to show it.”
At 98 miles,
Prusaitis, had to cross a chest deep snowmelt river, holding on to a rope so he
wouldn’t get swept downstream. There he saw a longtime friend and rival, 69-
year old John DeWalt waiting to cross.
“John left his trekking pole and water bottle and I carried it across for him. I
was freezing. We probably lost 15 minutes there. He’s my idol—I can’t believe
what he does at his age,” said Prusaitis.
At 3:00 a.m., Prusaitis crossed the finish line back in Silverton, placing 46th
in 45:27, seven minutes after DeWalt and just three hours before the cut-off
time, and handed DeWalt his trekking pole.
In August, he’ll do the Leadville (Colorado) 100 and a week later, he’ll run the
Cascade Crest Classic 100 in Washington. And finally, he’ll wrap things up in
September with the Bear 100 in Idaho.
“When I turned 50 in January, I decided to celebrate by doing five 100s,” said
Prusaitis. “I wanted to start the second half of my life with a bang. For me,
the enjoyment of doing them is more important than finishing the races.”
You’re Fit,
But Are You Heart-Healthy?
Over and over again, the age-old
argument rears its head: which is better for health and weight-loss: diet or
exercise?
The answer is
both. If you want to gain true fitness and health benefits, you must exercise
and eat a healthy diet. Being thin alone does not guarantee good health, nor
does exercise. The fact is that diet and exercise have different benefits, and
each needs the other.
Many runners
have a sense of invincibility, but running can only go so far in terms of
maintaining health. If you’re running well, and at a weight you like, it’s easy
to shrug off the importance of diet. But it would be a mistake. You can be lean,
fit, and win your age group at local 5Ks, and be not far from a heart attack.
A few months ago, I ran into an old rival— Mike Northcutt— at the finish of a
half-marathon. Northcutt, 50, has been running for more than 20 years, and with
a marathon best of 2:57, the guy is no slouch.
“I had a
heart attack last year,” was the first thing he told me.
This was
nearly unbelievable news. How could it be possible? At about five feet
seven, he weighs in at a lean 130, and of course, he’s been running forever.
But, of course, I had no knowledge of his diet. Turns out, his diet was likely
the culprit, since Northcutt had no real history of heart disease in his family.
“I had episodes of fleeting chest pain,” said Northcutt. “But I paid no mind to
them. I thought ‘I’m fit and lean, nothing could be wrong with my heart.’ One
day I was working outside, and my left arm went numb and I got really sweaty and
felt sick. Still, I figured it was just indigestion, and I would be fine after a
couple of cokes. Fortunately, my wife drove me to the hospital. I was in the
middle of a heart attack. I had three blockages in my heart, and doctors ended
up putting three stents in.”
Ultimately, Northcutt’s running worked both for him and against him. It helped
him survive the heart attack with no damage, but because of his running, he had
felt he could get away with eating anything, which led to the blocked arteries
to begin with.
“When you’re
lean and fit, you feel protected,” he said. “I ate a lot of junk for 20 years—
lots of fried foods, chips, high-fat foods—you name it.”
Since the
heart attack, Northcutt has totally changed his diet.
“They sent in
a dietician while I was still in the hospital,” he said. “Now I don’t eat any
fried foods, and keep the fat to a minimum. Also, I eat a lot of blueberries—
they’re full of heart-healthy antioxidants, and I eat a lot flax seed too, which
helps your blood cholesterol profile.”
Northcutt’s doctor told him he could start running again as soon as he felt
strong enough. He waited three months, and then started back, but it took at
least a year before he felt like his old “running” self. Now he’s back racing,
and giving younger guys a run for their money.
“At 50, I’m
basically running as well as ever, and I plan to continue for the rest of my
life,” he said.
“Since I
changed my diet, I have a whole different outlook on food and exercise. I
feel much better— I even think more clearly, and I have an overall sense of
well-being. And my running continues to improve, too.”
Dowland Still a Threat at 50
Keith Dowland remembers winning Chuy’s
Hot to Trot 5K when he as in his 30s,
 back
in 1990. Now, 15 years later, Dowland was happy to run further back in the pack
on Saturday at the 22nd annual edition of the race.
One place
back, that is.
Dowland, who turned 50 this past March, clocked a 16:36,
finishing second to
John Hedengren (15:40), 23 years his junior.
Anissa Angelosante of Kingsland won the women’s race in 17:59, ahead of 13-year
old Ashley Isham in 19:07.
“I often go out too hard in races,” said Dowland. “But at Chuy’s I went
out a lot easier—about a 5:15 pace. That helped me a lot in the last
mile.”
Because the
field was so deep, and Chuy’s is not a fast course, Dowland didn’t start his
stopwatch, but raced for place rather than time. The strategy worked.
“I knew
Hedengren was going to be it, so I was racing for second,” he
said.
Originally
from Dunedin, a college town in coastal New Zealand, Dowland has been in the
United States since 1979, when he attended college at the University of Nevada
in Reno, and later at Western State in Gunnison CO, where he competed on the
track and cross country teams.
Since moving to Austin in 1985, he has been a steady fixture on the racing
scene, always among the top finishers of any race he enters. Over the years,
he’s won the Schlotzky’s BunRun twice, the Gruene 10K a time or two, and after
turning 40 in 1995, has taken numerous masters titles, including three wins at
the highly competitive 3M Half Marathon.
While it would be easy to say Dowland, who has career bests of 30:20 for the
10K, and 14:22 for the 5K, has kept on racing well into his 50s because he is
simply a gifted runner, there is a bit more to it then that.
“I took about
three years off in my late 30s by design. I wanted to be competitive again when
I turned master. I did the same thing in my late 40s, before turning 50,” he
said.
When Dowland
hit 40, he ratcheted his training back up again, running in the 32-minute range
for the 10K, mid-15s for the 5K, and 1:09:59 for the half-marathon.
As for his
longevity at the top, Dowland revealed a little secret. “I’ve never run a
marathon,” he said. “I think that helps keeps my speed up—not doing the marathon
training. I think I would have lost some speed to the training and the wear and
tear.”
Currently,
Dowland, who works for a tax firm, runs about six days a week, logging 65 miles.
And he gets in at least three hard sessions a week.
“At the
moment I’m focusing on shorter intervals like 12 x 400. In January and February
I did a lot of mile repeats and 1000 meter repeats both on the track and also on
the trails at Town Lake.
Since turning
50, Dowland has not only dominated that division, but has continued winning the
masters division outright. He turned in a 34:06 to take the top masters
spot at the Bayou City Classic 10K in Houston three days after his birthday, and
posted a 35:13 for first master at the recent Statesman Capitol 10,000. A few
weeks ago, he ran the BunRun in 16:28, where he again won the masters division.
“I still
think of myself as competing in the masters, rather than 50-plus,” he said.
I’m enjoying it. But you have to be patient. You can’t force it.
The thing is it just takes longer. When you’re younger it takes about a month to
get racing fit. When you’re 50 or so, it takes more like three months.”
Not getting injured is important too. Aside from a few achillies
and hamstring problems, Dowland has learned how to avoid most injuries. And when
he does run into trouble, he resorts to aqua jogging- the only type of cross
training he’ll do.
“You get to a stage where you’re out of the danger zone,” said Dowland. “Your’re
running more up on your toes, so your less likley to pound. I think certain
muscles have to be strengthened through running, not weight work.”
And Dowland, who barely weighs 135 at 5’ 10”, doesn’t watch his
diet.
“I once had my diet anyalized,” he said. “They told me to drop
beer and ice cream. But I didn’t. You have to enjoy life. And I still enjoy my
running as much as I did 30 years ago. Taking time off and then getting serious
again at the beginning of each decade seems to work for me.”
“I’m probably going to run hard competively for another few years, back off, and
then give the 60’s a whirl.”
Never Underestimate the 5K
Runners often
comment that they’d rather run a 10K or a half-marathon than a 5K. “The 5K
is an intense, non-stop effort for all three miles,” I’ve heard.
And it’s true. Running a good 5,000-meter race, which combines almost a perfect
blend of speed and endurance, remains very challenging. Because you are racing
at close to your VO2 max (the maximum ability of your body to deliver oxygen to
working muscles), there is little margin for error, compared to say the 10K,
where you’re probably motoring along at about 85% max.
Start too
slowly, and there’s simply no time to make up you deficit. Go out like a bullet,
and you’ll learn a “lactic “ lesson as your legs turn to lead and your record
attempt goes down the tubes.
“The secret to a great 5K,” writes Olympic Marathoner turned exercise
physiologist Pete Pfitzinger in American Running and Fitness News, is selecting
the fastest pace that you can maintain for the distance.
Basically, that will be about the same pace as what you’ve done your mile
repeats in training.
Another aspect of the 5K that’s tough is that you have to mentally concentrate
the whole way. Often, in longer races, you have the luxury of letting your mind
wander a bit without any negative consequences.
“During a 5K,
the effort you need to maintain is too intense to allow a lapse in
concentration,” says Pfitzinger. “Fortunately, you can learn to maintain your
focus by practicing this skill during training. Rehearse running fast yet
relaxed, and become aware of how to find the fastest pace that you can hold
without tightening up.”
Another
useful tip for running better 5Ks is to do a long warm-up. Warm-ups are
beneficial for any distance, but especially important in the 5K because you need
to launch out from the starting line at close to your VO2 max. I know one runner
who ran a 17-mile training run, and then followed that with one of his better
5Ks. Realistically, two to three miles of easy running mixed with “stride-outs”
should do the trick before a 5K.
While longer
races offer more room for error and a chance to relax, 5Ks do have one very big
advantage: you can pretty much do them as often as you like. There are plenty of
opportunities, and the recovery is quick. The next two or three months have
dozens of 5Ks to choose from, so you can experiment with different racing and
training strategies.
Ultimately, you’ll find that
an even pace with a fast finish is the gold standard for 5K racing, as it is in
most distances. The challenge is training yourself to run that way.
Don’t Give in to the
Years
While the general population dreads
the major hallmarks of aging, like turning, 40, 50, or 60—runners tend to see it
a bit differently. Entering a new age division is a fresh chance to hit the
races and see how you stack up against the rest of your peers. It’s an
opportunity to excel.
As an added motivation to keep running, it’s been documented that fit runners in
their 40s and 50s have substantially greater aerobic capacity than sedentary
individuals in their 20s.
But runners slow down just like everyone else. The trick to hitting those new
age brackets successfully depends on minimizing the slow-down process.
In athletic performance, aging is an amalgam of different factors, ranging from
genetics to injuries that slow or curtail training. Long story short- we all get
slower. But there are ways to counter the years and maintain some decent speed.
It might be inspiring to know that recreational runners who keep up regular
running of 25-50 miles a week as they enter their 40s, experience a
proportionally smaller drop in performance than elite athletes who drop from 120
miles a week to 50 miles a week upon becoming masters runners.
Runners entering their 40s who want to stay competitive need to maintain their
anaerobic capacity— the ability to use energy without using oxygen. In an
article in Running and Fit News, four-time Boston Marathon champion Bill
Rodgers, now 57, notes that anaerobic capacity tends to dip with age faster than
“aerobic capacity”— the ability to utilize oxygen. One reason for this is fairly
obvious: people tend to do less high-intensity running as they age. Let’s face
it—if you’ve been running for 20 years or more, it’s hard to keep up the drive.
If you want to race though, you’ll need to. To make speed work less of a chore,
and to ease back in to faster stuff, you can build in an anaerobic workout to
your regular running. Rodgers suggests including some fast pick-ups of 20
seconds at a pace you would use for 800 to 1600 meter repeats. Throw in 10 to 12
of these in a session with 30 to 60 seconds rest between each.
Another not-so-fun aspect of aging is the accumulation of greater body fat
percentage and lesser bone density. Fortunately, both of these can be countered
to a large degree by adding weight lifting to your routine. As a weight-bearing
exercise, running itself helps bone density, and weight lifting can help
maintain lean muscle mass.
Many masters runners can run close to their best-ever performances. Just look at
Mexico's Andrés Espinoza, who ran his world masters marathon record of 2:08:47
at age 40, a career best. But don’t expect miracles. Above all, allow for
greater recovery time. While you may still be running fast, there’s no surer way
of slowing down than getting injured from inadequate rest. Workouts that you
bounced right back from in your 20s might take a couple of days of easy running
to recover from in your 40s and 50s.
Stay motivated, keep up the intensity, get enough rest, and you just might pick
up a few of those age-group trophies.
Behind
the Scenes at Freescale with Race Director John Conley
It’s the day
before the Tangamanga Marathon, and from his post in the lobby of the hotel
Caravelle in the high desert air of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Freescale Marathon
Race Director John Conley spots Kefah Keraro, a Kenyan runner he knows. The two
chat, and plans are made for Keraro to come run Freescale.
That was last June, on one of Conley’s quarterly trips to San Luis Potosi,
Zacatecas and
 Toluca,
Mexico, where he knows that large groups of elite Kenyan and Mexican runners
train for much of the year.
Three-time Freescale champion
Andrzej Krzyscin (standing at left) with John Conley.
“In areas like Zacatecas, the terrain is at high altitude and very rugged,” said
Conley. “The Kenyan runners like that. They use these areas in Mexico as a
year-round base to jump to the U.S. and race the prize money circuit. The cost
of living is cheap in Mexico, so the prize money goes a long way. Both the
Mexican and Kenyan runners tend to be more aggressive, hungrier athletes. When
Andres Espinoza set his world masters record of 2:08:43, he was training there
in the mountainous region just north of Zacatecas.”
Conley too is
active for most of the year in his never-ending quest to make Freescale the best
mid-sized marathon in the country. He typically kicks off his recruiting in the
fall, networking with athletes and agents both the Chicago and then New York
Marathons. Already rated as one of Runner’s Worlds’ top 20 marathon picks,
Conley seeks to elevate the event even further by attracting the best field of
elite athletes possible.
Conley’s efforts are paying off. In the 14 years since the first Freescale
Marathon (originally Motorola Marathon), the men’s winning time has gone from
Albert Puente’s 2:24:00 (1992) to Mohamed Nazipov’s course record of 2:11.14.
The women’s times have seen an even greater drop, from Kay Jones’ 3:31 in 1992
to Tatiana Borisova’s course record of 2:30:37, set last year.
The runners
themselves are a rare breed— capable of running mile after mile at a faster pace
than most folks can circle once around a track. Lean, fast and racing fit, they
come from points as far afield as Mexico, Australia, Poland, Kenya, and Russia,
lured by the fast course and the $100,000 of total prize money. Only a few of
the elites, like Clint Verran of the Hanson-Brooks racing team, are American.
“John has a
low-key approach about recruiting runners,” said Kevin Hanson, who is in Austin
to coach Verran. “I met him in Japan when I was there with my team for the Chiba
Ekiden— a five-person relay team marathon. I was just hanging out and most of my
team wasn’t interested in eating the sushi and other Japanese foods. But John
was, and when we were hitting the Japanese restaurants. Some people try to give
you a sales pitch, but John simply said he had a great marathon, and to contact
him when we had a runner ready. And now is the right time for Clint.”
“We tend to
attract Eastern Europeans, Russians and Kenyans,” said Conley.
For some of
the international field, just getting into the country in time to toe the
starting line can be a challenge. Only last week, Keraro was detained by
immigration officials at the Mexican border and missed his start at the 3M
Half-Marathon. It was a technicality—an unstamped paper, and Keraro is currently
staying in Santa Fe, New Mexico before he comes to Austin for Sunday’s marathon.
Typically,
the athletes work with their agents in an elaborate process to get what is
called a P1 visa that allows them to travel and win prize money. The agent has
to go through most of the effort. They have to prove that their athletes have
run a certain time—they must have certified race results showing that they are
exceptional runners.
“P1s can last
up to five years,” said Conley. “But if you go back to Kenya, for example, you
need an invitation to return. This is one reason many of the runners train in
Mexico— it’s easier to go back and forth to the United States.”
Some of the
runners choose the U.S. as home-base. A number of the Russians coming to
Freescale, such as 2004 champion Tatiana Borisova, train in Gainesville FLA.
Other favorite elite training grounds for foreign runners with P1s include
Flagstaff, AZ; Boulder,CO; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, where three-time
Freescale champion Andrzej Krzyscin is currently training.
Initially,
when Krzyscin was doing his winter training in Albuquerque in 2001, he choose
Austin on his own, but he keeps coming back because of the friendship he's
developed with Conley, and the good feelings he has about Austin.
"I met John in 2001 when I came to Austin,” said
Krzyscin. I was planning to stay in the US to
train in Albuquerque. I finished second that year. Over a beer, we became
friends, and stayed in touch. The next year, I contacted him directly, and asked
if about racing Freescale again. I invited John to Poland last year, where I
organize a 10K. In 2004, when I spoke with him, I was considering being
defending champion, but decided to run as a rabbit. I really like the Freescale
marathon-I've made a lot of friends there. John is a good man, that's why
athletes come to Austin. The fact that athletes come to his race without
appearance fees says a lot about his personality.”
Aside from
Conley’s efforts and connections, some of the elites are attracted to the
marathon for it’s speed and the chance to set a notable time that will propel
them to future heights. Several of Freescale’s past winners have done just that.
“Dimitry
Kapitinov held the Freescale course record of 2:15:16 in1996 and later
became Russia’s national marathon champion with a time of 2:09,” said Conley.
“And Pauel Loskutou (Estonia) ran Freescale in 2002, posting a 2:16:11, then
later that year finished third in the European Championships, and also ran a
world-class 2:08 in Paris.”
Some come
strictly in search of a quick paycheck. But Conley re-tooled the prize money
structure to discourage that.
“I noticed
that place 6-10 were getting slower. In 2001, 13 guys went under 2:20, and 10th
place was 2:19:07. In contrast last year only five guys went under 2:20, and 10th
place was 2:28. So I realized that they were coming in for low-hanging fruit— I
was rewarding them for mediocrity. The prize structure is now set up to reward
excellence, focusing on the top five places. If a guy runs under 2:09, he can
get $30,000- same for a woman if she runs under 2:26. And if the bonuses are not
awarded this year, they roll over and stay in the budget for next year. So the
possible purse gets even bigger.”
The prize
money constitutes most of the budget for elites, as there are no appearance
fees. But a number of elites simply sign up on their own, looking to set a
career best. The course’s reputation as lightening-fast has only improved over
the years. When Bart Yasso of Runner’s World selected Freescale for the “Race of
the Month in the February issue, he noted that the
Association of Road Race Statisticians (ARRS) rated the Freescale Marathon
course to have the greatest "race-time bias" [RTB] of any marathon in the world.
The RTB is an "objective way to determine which marathon course is the fastest,
" according to ARRS statistician Ken Young. Using a formula that examines
factors such as money incentives and weather, runners competing in the Freescale
Marathon may enjoy as much as a 90 second on this course.
“The fast downhill course certainly plays a role
in getting these elites in,” said Conley. “We’ve created a culture where they’ve
learned ‘if you want to run fast, come to Austin’.”
“Directing the Freescale Marathon—it’s a dream job,” added Conley, whose wife
Stacy, the only other full time year-round staff, serves as runner services
director.
“If you’d have told me
10 years ago that I’d be doing this for a living, I would have told you were
dreaming. I’ve always loved the sport, and I had the right exposure at the right
time. Now, to be a part of the sport and have a position of such responsibility
in a major event is a privilege. I don’t see myself as a just a caretaker— I’ve
always wanted to elevate marathoning beyond just an “oddity” to push it to a
recognized sport in all of athletics. That’s one reason why I push for the elite
athletes. I want the marathon and the city of Austin to be recognized as a place
where all athletes, both average and elite can come have a good time and race
well.”
Keep Track of
Your Miles in 2005
One of the easiest running
resolutions you can make for 2005 is to keep a daily training log. It doesn’t
matter if you use an online log such as the free
RunTex log here, or a regular
spiral bound book; what matters is that you note your daily runs in it.
Keeping a record of your running is a simple act that has a lot of positive
repercussions: it serves as a personal reference and an ongoing history of what
has worked for you and what has not.
Noted running author George Sheehan
once wrote that in running, “We are all an experiment of one.” Training logs
allow you to refine that experiment.
Looking back over 20 years of
recorded training and racing, I’m absolutely amazed at some of the workouts and
races I ran. In 1983, for example, I ran 11 miles the night of New Year’s Eve,
and the next morning ran a five-mile race in 29:47. In trying to duplicate
that feat in subsequent years, I learned that running 11 miles the night before
was ill advised.
Besides the times and distances you run, there are plenty of little details that
end up being important. A well-kept log reveals lots of information about how
you were feeling at the time, how the weather affected you, and how your energy
level was.
Running expert Jeff Galloway, who will be in Austin on February 11-13 to hold a
clinic for the Freescale Marathon, states that, “As
you learn to record important little details—how many days it takes you to
recover from a long run, for example—you'll see trends in injury risk,
improvement, and running enjoyment. By noting soreness in your body's weak
links, you can pinpoint when an injury started, and often find the causes.
Learning to read early warning signs from logbook entries allows you to make the
training adjustments necessary to sidestep trouble now and in the future. Over
years of recordings, you'll come to know your strengths and limitations as a
runner and as a person.”
In addition to waxing nostalgic for my glory days, I often use my training log
to see what workouts I was doing before a successful race. In preparation for
the upcoming RunTex 30K, for example, I checked what workouts I was doing before
running that race in 2:15:06 in 2001— my personal best for that course. Noting
that my 2001 workouts are a bit out of reach for my current state of fitness, I
check 2003’s times. I see that I ran a decent 2:33:39 there last year, and that
going into the race I had done some “tempo” runs such as three miles at 6:52
pace.
That knowledge allows me to set a realistic goal for this year. In fact, goal
setting is probably one of the best reasons to keep a training log.
“Whatever your goals may be, a logbook can sustain your inspiration and keep you
on track,” says Galloway. “Logbooks also allow you to dream a bit. They're the
perfect place to record "visions" (optimistic but realistic projections of what
you think you can attain six to 12 months ahead) and to lay out a training plan
to transform those visions into accomplishable goals. Along the way, the
reviewing of training details will help keep you on target for success.”
Ultrarunner
Castillo Sticks With It
 Ultrarunner
Carmen Castillo of Austin has run the SunMart 50 Miler
in Huntsville for the past three years. But the 2004 race on December11
was different for the 29-year-old brand analyst at Dell.
“I
lost my mother last June,” said Castillo. “Running became my therapy. I
knew it would help me through.”
This
year, in July, Castillo began her annual buildup for SunMart, but with a
different focus. Somehow, the loss of her mother made her train harder.
She literally worked her way through the grief.
Castillo began running about five years ago, entering the Statesman
Capitol 10,000 after a former boyfriend got her interested in running.
She quickly built her way up
to a marathon, and ran the Motorola in 2000.
“I ran it in 4:45. It was just a matter of finishing,” she said. “After
that, I got the bug, I really liked the fact that I kept accomplishing
more and more and meeting different people.”
It wasn’t long before Castillo began to get interested in running
further than a marathon. She discovered a local group called the Hill
Country Trail Runners, and hooked up with a number of dedicated training
partners.
Seasoned ultrarunner Joe Prusaitis, who founded the group, told her: “If
you can do a marathon, you can do an ultra.”
Castillo’s first SunMart, in 2002, was not easy. It took her12 hours and
30 minutes, and she finished in the dark, as they were shutting down the
course. “My longest run going into that was only 32 miles,” she said.
“It was kind of painful. But there is no other feeling like finishing an
ultra. It’s different from finishing a marathon. You’re doing something
that you never thought you would do.”
For
2004, the core of Castillo’s ultra training consisted of back-to-back
weekend long runs of 15 miles on Friday and 30 on Saturday, either on
the Barton Creek Greenbelt or at Bastrop State Park. Throughout the
summer and fall, she built her Saturday long run up to 40 miles. And she
did more hills.
“One
weekend this year I had a 40-miler scheduled, and it was pouring rain.
But we had to do it because SunMart was coming up. There were about
eight or nine of us running that day. We started at 7:00 a.m. and
finished at 6:00 p.m. It was an all-day affair.”
On
December 11, in her third SunMart, the hard work and dedication really
paid off. Castillo grabbed third place in the 18-29 age group,
navigating the four 12.5 mile trail loops through the piney woods of
Huntsville State Park in 11 hours and 16 minutes, by far her fastest
time.
““Ultra’s are always emotional,” she said. But I love to run. “If
you don’t love something, you won’t be dedicated to it.
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