The Wisdom of Olympic Champion Gelindo Bordin
by Brom Hoban, 11/17/2004

How often do you get training tips from an Olympic Marathon gold medalist and Boston Marathon champ? Austin runners were treated to just that, when Gelindo Bordin, one of history's all-time great marathon runners, came to RunTex in Austin on November 17 as the featured speaker for a marathon training clinic.

Bordin won the 1988 Olympic Marathon in Seoul in 2:10:32 and in 1990 he won the famed Boston Marathon in 2:08:19. In both races, Bordin used his patient, come-from-behind strategy. He also won the European marathon title twice, in 1986 and 1990, the first man to do so.

Now 41, and a shoe designer for running company Diadora, Bordin shared many stories of his legendary marathons, as well as his thoughts on marathon training and racing with a small crowd at the Riverside store.

Here are a few of his insights about marathon training and racing:


. You must conserve your glycogen when running the marathon. If you want to run three hours for example, even a small increase in pace in the first half, say 6:40 instead of 7:00 minute pace will burn sugar. The secret is to run an even pace, and burn a "mix."

. You need to respect the distance, the training, and the recovery.

. You must learn to take your time. It is easy to say but difficult to learn. The difficult part is to stay behind, and believe. That is not easy. I believe that is still the best way to run the marathon- even for the everyday runner. You must conserve your energy.

. Learn to be positive and relax. You cannot do more than what you are able to do.

. I believe that it is important to do workouts at marathon pace, from 18-25 kilometers. It does not have to be one long run. It can be broken up. This again has to do with burning fat. You must prepare well for the marathon.

. For training, shoes are incredibly important. They are the only things that can protect you from injury. I think that very athlete needs a different model. Heel strike, toe strike.some need more cushioning, some more flexibility. This is especially true for training, rather than racing, and it applies to any brand.