Marathons
Well after many weeks (months) preparing the World Masters is upon us. The first event I enrolled for was the 5k as I ran a 5k PB before my last marathon so thought a repeat would give me some confidence going into the World Masters marathon in a weeks time. Unfortunately there were several external factors I had not planned for and in the end I feel this race probably did more damage than good.
My week long holiday at Rottnest may not have been the most ideal preparation for the Masters and although I ran twice a day for the early part of the holiday I may have let myself go a bit with the ‘treats’. Truth be told my main treat of choice was a paleo banana bread which was probably good for me, the accompanying coffee was the problem. I must also confess to two glasses of wine which doesn’t sound a lot but it’s probably the same amount of alcohol I consumed for the previous 10 months. Add in tired legs from the half marathon and plenty of time scuba diving looking for crayfish and cycling everywhere and my first week taper was a bit of a disaster. (Although from a different viewpoint it was a great holiday and I’ve already booked in to Rotto’ again for next year, for the marathon this time, no more half marathons for me!!)
The Masters 5k was at the Ern Clarke Stadium in Cannington, Perth. I have raced a 10k in this stadium on three occasions previously. Must admit a 10k on the track is not my favourite race and running round a track 25 times can be a tad monotonous. How these runners who do 24 hour track ultras do it is beyond me ? (They must take solace in food of course because on a 400m track you are always within 400m of food…..) I wrongly assumed that 12.5 laps would be a lot easier. Today I was to be proved wrong.
The 5k was to start at 3:25pm but was a tad late so probably got under way nearer 4pm. This in itself was a problem as there was the issue with what to eat. I had decided earlier in the day that after breakfast I would use a Yelo muffin and coffee as my fuel for the race. I has these all done and dusted by 11am so logic dictated that by 3-4pm (after 1 banana) I would be ready to race. Truth be told I much prepare the 5k park run which starts at 8am and when I race these runs I normally do so on an empty stomach. Probably another mistake, Yelo muffins are not the prefect pre-5k meal. Pity.
It was windy which make the back straight feel pretty good but the home straight was a struggle. I did manage to get into a group for a few laps but was mostly battling alone.(Although I notice on the results a couple of French runners I had passed early seem to have magically finished a few seconds behind me. They are sneaky the French.)
I have attached the results below. Top 10 finish and 2nd Australian is a good result, position wise. I had hoped for a faster time but I feel the wind, racing last week, the late start, the American election etc. all played a part in me dropping 10-20 seconds. Truth be told I made a decision at the start to run with the leaders for the first few laps and a 3:11min/k first kilometre was, with hindsight, not the right thing to do. I did manage to put in another couple of half decent kilometres after that but the last two were a struggle, or should I say a ‘challenge‘.
Funnily enough I watching a 800m heptathlon heat before my 5k race and one of the runners bolted out of the traps like ‘greased lightning’, she probably has a 200m lead at the halfway mark. For the second lap it was obvious she had nothing left and she was nearly caught. What a difference a lap makes, even in an 800m race you can blow up. I did find some humour in that as I struggled home, though I would hope I did not look quite so ‘finished‘.
So what did I take from today.
- I am still not a fan of the track. Just too old I think.
- Went out too hard, too early and paid the price but that was always the game plan so got what I deserved.
- You can’t get a PB every time you put on a race singlet. (More’s the pity!)
- I need to be really careful with this last week of taper as i seem to have made a hash of the first one.
- Yelo muffins are not ideal pre-race nutrition. (This hurts the most.!)
Rottnest half went very well. Trusted in my training and yet again it delivered. Finished with a comfortable second place after racing for the first 2 kilometres and then realizing that my opponent was running my 5k pace and was relaxed doing it. I had discussed the start with my friend (coach?) Dan Macey last night and his final words were go out slow and build into it. I did smile to myself when the first kilometre came up at 3:15min/k with the second only marginally slower. Time to wave goodbye to Stuart Caulfield, the winner by over 3 minutes in the end. Please note Stuart was running in the 20-24 age group. Doesn’t matter how much training I put in, age and talent will always beat plain hard work unfortunately. It was nice to keep Stu honest if only for 2k !
After Stu left I settled down in to a pace I was confident I could maintain to the finish and was happy with a 1:17:06. The conditions were brutal and I felt for the marathon runners. This year was the first year the marathon started nearly 2 hours later than normal and the weather had not been kind. I was done by 9:45am but most of the marathon runners had not even hit halfway. It got very warm very quickly. So massive kudos to anyone who ran the marathon today, you earned your medal.
It wasn’t easy running the half and seeing all the marathon runners working so hard. Running 2 laps on Rotto’ is hard work but the 4 lap course tests you like all good marathons should. Add in the 4 hills (I missed one when I was discussing Rotto’ a few days ago!) and times that by 4 gives you 16 hills and the heat was brutal.. All my friends reported suffering to new extremes and I was very quiet when asked how the half went. Couldn’t really compete with their ‘war stories’.
So todays lesson is again ‘trust your training’, if you put in the hard yards you will be rewarded on race day. I’ve said it so many times but this needs to be repeated, running is an honest sport, if you put in the time you will be rewarded. I’ve questioned myself over the last 4-5 weeks as I’ve been running some serious kilometres and then racing at the weekend. So far I’ve not been let down. Now though it is taper time and this is a difficult time for us runners. We love to run and the thought of not running does not excite me but I realise it is for the greater good. I must admit to sneaking out for a 10k recovery this afternoon but I did take it easy and I’m a big believer in the benefits of running on fatigued legs.
So I have a week in Rotto with the family for the first week of my taper culminating with the 5k World Masters track on Saturday. This is a starter for the main course on November 6th, the marathon. ( http://www.parth2016.com ) It’s been a long journey to this race and I can see the finish line, just got to try and not run as much as normal. How hard can that be ?
Finally a bit shout out to Thomas Millard who ran 3rd male in the 5k and also first in the under 12, 20:25. It gets better, his sister, Jessica, was first female in the U12 and 7th female overall, 25:12. That is great running and the two of them are certain stars of the future. What a family, must be something in the water in that household. Outstanding.
This weekend is the Rottnest marathon, probably my favourite marathon and one unfortunately this year I am going to have to miss. I’ve ran ‘Rotto’ ten times but being two weeks out from the World Masters marathon was just too close. I am big believer in a day a kilometre (‘ish) to recover, at my age anyway. It normally takes me between 3-4 weeks to really get over a marathon. I know other runners who can recover a lot quicker. My mate Tony ‘T-train’ Smith takes about 12 hours and always winds me up on Strava the day following a marathon by running a sub 4min/k average run. Suicide but he seems to get away with it.
Rottnest is a small Island 30k from the Perth coastline. A pristine Island with numerous untouched beaches and no cars allowed so everybody bikes, or runs. It really is from a by-gone age and I’ve been holidaying there since the kids were babies. This year there is an inaugural half marathon so I have a race to keep me interested but it’ll be just two laps rather than the obligatory four I’m use to. ( http://www.rottnestisland.com )
Each year we stay in the same apartment on the beach and as you can see from the photo below when I say on the beach I mean on the beach. A week at Rottnest is the perfect ‘down time’ after the Winter running season and the last marathon of the year. I have the 6 inch ultra marathon in December ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com ) but that’s more of a long training run getting back to nature running some glorious trails. Next race of any significance isn’t until March next year when I race the Darlington half, then it’s Perth, City to Surf and Rottnest again. Maybe throw in an ultra or two, a sprinkling of shorter races and off we go again. Almost forgot the Australia Day Ultra in January ( http://australiadayultra.com ). I may race the 100k but I’m worried I’ll put too much weight on !!
Right back to Rottnest. A four lap course, with four good hills, runner unfriendly in my view. i.e. long undulating up sections with sharp down sections where you seem to get to the bottom too quickly before the next rise. It also gets pretty warm and windy. Finally did I mention the four hills, remember you need to times that by four for the four laps. So 16 runner unfriendly hills, 4 laps, it gets hot (and humid!) and windy. I’m not selling this am I, but the reason I love it so much is because of all the aforementioned issues. It is a hard marathon and these days there are fewer and fewer hard marathons where everybody is looking for a quick course. Rottnest is more about finishing rather than a time. It’s about going back to a by-gone age where life was just simpler and enjoying running a small marathon with good friends. There’s even a good pub on the Island where everybody congregates afterwards with the compulsory marathon war stories which get wilder and wilder the more they drink. This is then followed by the obligatory run to the last ferry when you realise you’re late.
Rottnest really is special and I urge you to click on the link at the start of this post to see the Island for yourself if you are not in Western Australia. You never know next year we may be lining up together at the start line together.
While waiting for a red light this evening on run number 14 for the week I couldn’t help but smile while thinking of one of those motivational quotes about Joggers stretching and jogging on the spot while they wait for the lights while runners just stand there pi**ed off they had to stop, this sums up the attitude of runners. We run and that is what we do. None of this jogging on the spot rubbish, we move forward, if we can’t we wait patiently until we can. Up and down jogging on the spot is not running, also I suspect gains no forward motion with Strava ( http://www.strava.com ) so a complete waste of time and effort.
So how did run number 14 feel the week.? It actually felt good and dare I say even relaxing. It seems my body is getting use to running twice a day but unfortunately with summer coming these opportunities will start to disappear with the onset of Perth’s 40 degree days. After the Masters marathon it’ll be time for the bike to come out of it’s 9 month hibernation and after an early morning run it’ll be bike time as I commute to work. Will one run and two rides a week equate to two runs a day ? We’ll find out early next year when I start racing. I hope I can keep this new level of fitness but if I do drop off a tad I’ll be making a big effort to return to this current level of running fitness.
This morning we were discussing the amount of injuries that occur at the end of a training block pre-race. In my opinion if you don’t keep a good level of fitness and each time you train is like starting new you run the risk of injury each time you come near to completing your training block. My new Sports Doctor friend backed up my opinion about starting fresh each time for a new event. He also mentioned he sees a lot of injuries in triathletes who train for one race, say an Ironman, as a bucket list item. They start from scratch and push themselves for this one race. After the bucket list item is ticked it’s back to the bar with a shiny new Ironman tattoo never to be seen in lycra again. The same goes for the marathon bucket list chasers. It’s all or nothing but unfortunately without the foundation you run the injury tightrope. So when you near the end of your training block is when you are most likely to get injured, just basically pushing yourself too hard.
I believe if you keep a good foundation there is no need for that step-up in fitness levels needed by adding so much extra workload. As I race bi-weekly I’m always ready and so really the step up needed is negligible. I mentioned linear of non linear periodisation in a post earlier in the week.
This weekend was about running my last long run pre-Masters ( http://www.perth2016.com ) and also put in a big week. 180k is a pretty big week and more importantly no real niggles or issues. This week I have 4 more days of training before a weekend off pre-Rottnest half marathon, then the Masters 5k track the following Saturday before the Masters in November 6th. Three races in 3 weeks, the final part of my 5 races in 6 weeks. Can’t wait, what else is there ?
As most of you will know I have been training very hard since the middle of the year for the World Masters in Perth. I have sacrificed my favourite marathon for this event ( the Rottnest marathon, though I am still doing the half, silly not to really) and have put my life on hold (that bit was relatively easy as I really do not have a life outside running ?). Anyhow looking at the competition in my age category, 45-50, I am aiming for an age group podium. If I run to the best of my ability I may have a chance, either way I’ll give it my all, as is my way.
Yesterday I received an email from John Shaw asking about drink station drops off for the race. John is coming from over Queensland and was worried about the ability to pick up his bottles on the course. The race director, Dave Henderson, and WAMC President, arranged the drink drop offs so John was happy enough. Anyway John went on to say he was looking for an Australian record (trying to take the record held by John Gilmour of 2:41 for the 60-64 age group. ) John actually holds the single year World Record for a 63 year running a marathon, running 2:45 at the Gold Coast marathon this year. This achievement is made even more remarkable when you find out John only took up running 4 years ago at 59 years old, 95kg and totally unfit. I have attached an interview with QRun below.
If John follows my 7-8 years PB window he still has 2-3 years to improve. I reckon if he can stay unjury free and finds the right marathon on a cold morning he’ll go sub 2:40. John could possibly keep breaking world records every year he ages. Now that would be worth blogging about !
I’m looking forward to running with John in three weeks. If it all goes to plan we may be spending quite a bit of time together on the course……
A Shaw Thing: John Shaw’s amazing journey to a world record
We were fortunate enough to interview John Shaw, an amazing athlete approaching his marathon running prime at 63 years young. He broke the world age record for the marathon at the recent Gold Coast Airport Marathon in July.
Benita Willis: Firstly, congrats on your run at GCAM 16 and your achievement of the single age world record at 63 years old and (2hr45min23sec). What was your lead up like? How did you feel in the race itself?
John Shaw: Overall training went very well with only a minor hip and hamstring injury along the way. I became confident of running a fast marathon time in May when; during a solo training session; I ran a half marathon PB of 1:19:26. Then 2 weeks before GCAM I did a 35:06 PB in a 10km time trial. Unfortunately 3 days before GCAM I suffered a minor hamstring twinge. Still, on race day l felt relaxed and ready. I soon settled into a comfortable 3:46 pace rhythm. Unfortunately the hamstring issue was making my calf’s work a lot harder. After 18km they were on fire and my pace slowly drifted out to 3:50’s. By 35km they were low 4:00’s. Even though not everything went to plan I was still elated to break that single age world record. I was also stoked to finish 70th out of 5467 runners with only 5 aged 40 or older ahead of me. 2 included the winner and 3rd place. For bragging rights I even beat Steve Moneghetti but I very much doubt he raced it. It may have been more of a long fun run for him.
BW: Take us back a few years to when you were 59 years old in 2012 and a couch potato weighing 96kgs… Why did you decide to get into running? How hard did you find it at first?
JS: I am an “accidental” runner. In May 2012 I decided to loose weight by walking. 12 weeks and 1000km later I reached my goal of shedding 20kg. During that period I attempted to run once but quit after 400m. Soon after I chanced upon a “Couch to 5km” running program and decided to sign up. On day 1 I ran a slow and painful 5km non stop. On day 2 I was upgraded to the 10km program. As weeks and months passed I ran further and faster. My first race effort was late Dec 2012 at Wynnum Parkrun where I managed a respectable 23:04. After that run I was hooked
BW: Were there any particular races along the way (since 2012) that you did and afterwards thought “I can get that WR?” or was it just a progression of fitness and confidence that lead to your 2:45 run?
JS: In was mid 2014 when my coach, Peter James, first mentioned world records. Though it freaked me out he certainly got my interest. Since then we have been gradually working towards State, National and World records. It continues to be an ongoing process
BW: How much has having a coach helped you to achieve your running goals so far? Do you have a running group or prefer to train alone?
JS: Without Peter I would be like a North Korean rocket – fast but aimless. By mid 2013 I realised I had potential but knew I needed a coach who understood me as a runner and a person. Through a friend I met Peter. He knows how to get the best out runners of all ages; especially older runners. He is the sole reason for any success I have had so far or will achieve.I do mostly train alone apart from a weekly speed session with Peter’s group (PJ Express) along the river at Milton or West End. It is a small group full of extraordinary achievers. Sometimes I go simply to for “human contact” Marathon training is a lonely existence and it helps to occasionally mix with like minded runners.
BW: I know as we get older, we have to be even more careful with the training volume and intensity. In my opinion it is even harder to train as you can’t get away with little mistakes you once did as a youngster. How do you handle your training load? Do you do any cross training?
JS: My coach is very mindful of making sure I do not overdo it. Problems and injuries only occur when I lose the plot and do not follow instructions e.g 3km pace instead of 5k pace intervals.Fortunately I do have an advantage over similar aged runners in that I had a 43 year break from running – from age 16 till 59. So I still have “young” legs that have never been beaten up by years of racing.For cross training and during injury downtime I use a Bionic Runner (run4.com). It is a stand up bike invented and sold worldwide by Brisbane local, Steve Cranitch. It replicates running without the pounding but still gives you a solid aerobic workout. Late last year I suffered a serious calf injury while training for a half marathon. With limited running and lots of Bionic Running I still managed a 70sec PB. As I have lazy glutes and hamstrings I now do 2 gym sessions per week with kettlebells etc.
BW: What would a typical marathon prep training week look like?
JS: A typical week in the middle of a marathon program would be:
Mon am: 10km recovery
Mon pm: 14km progression
Tue am : 16km easy
Tue pm: 10km easy
Wed am: 22km mid week long run
Wed pm: Gym
Thu: Threshold speed session
Fri am: 20km easy
Fri pm: Gym
Sat: Rest day or Parkrun
Sun: 25-32km long runBW: Do you still do some work or are you happily retired?
JS: I am self employed and run two niche businesses. I am fortunate to be able to make work fit around my training and races
BW: I understand you recently received an email from Strava’s head office in San Fransisco about your run at GCAM 16? How did you feel being recognised internationally from a company like Strava after uploading your race data after your 2hr45 run on the Gold Coast?
JS: That email came right out of the blue. I was blown away and have no idea how they discovered my race upload. Strava congratulated me and they also want to do an article. Later that same day the run was up on their Facebook page. Since then I have had “Follow” requests from runners around the world. It is amazing when you consider they have over a million users and my upload was simply one of tens of thousands that are uploaded to their website every day.
BW: What are your future running goals and races ahead?
JS: My next major race is the marathon at the World Masters Games in Perth on Nov 6th 2016. My primary goal is Gold. If all goes to plan I will attempt to break the Australian 60-64 age group record of 2:41:07 set in 1981 by a legend; John Gilmour. Apart from improving PB’s for various distances the 2017 focus will be the GCAM. I have unfinished business and will target a sub 2:40. Yes I will be older…yet faster!
BW: Thanks for the interview, we at Qrun wish you all the best and following your career with keen interest!
Yet again the topic of nutrition came up on our weekly double bridges 17k lunchtime run. Mike who is chasing an age group record at the Perth marathon next June, targeting a sub-3 at 55, has the odd indulgent blow out on a regular basis. He loves his beer, takeaways and putting a few lbs on every now and then. Jon has been struggling with his weight recently and only last year I phoned him once and caught him ordering a Big Mac at McDonalds. For the kids apparently but I don’t believe a word of it. Anyway weight is so important for performance and unfortunately for us runners less really is more. The less you weigh the faster you are going to go (see a previous post on this subject) Anyway after chatting to Mike and Jon as we ran lunchtime I decided to mention them in my blog and also post a good article by Matt Fitzgerald on the “New Rules of Marathon Running”. If it came from Matt it must be so…. enjoy.
Before the article by Matt I need to discuss the second part of the post, how much are you willing to give up? For me the question is simple, just about everything. I don’t really drink, try to eat well (with a sweet tooth this is sometimes a challenge; see my post reference Yelo cafe in Trigg, Perth ( http://www.yelocornerstore.com.au ) and love to exercise rather than socialise. I’ve probably taken my Wife out for a meal bi-annually and as already mentioned she now has a great social life while I babysit and get an early night pre-morning run. For me the rush of running as well as I can and still hitting PB’s at nearly 50 makes the sacrifices well worth it.
For all runners the decision needs to be made sometime in their career, what are you willing to give up to be the best you can be? For Mike it may be beer and for Jon the family trip to McDonalds, we’ll see.
Right over to Matt and a great article on Marathon Nutrition.
When Meb Keflezighi and Ryan Hall reached the 23-mile mark of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon as co-leaders of the race, they were on pace to finish in 2:08:34. Keflezighi wound up stopping the clock at 2:09:08, Hall in 2:09:30. In other words, both runners hit a wall — not catastrophically, but enough to have felt it.
The third man to reach the 23-mile mark, Abdi Abdirahman, also slowed down over the last 3.2 miles of the race, as did the fourth- and fifth-place finishers. In fact, you have to go all the way back to 12th place to find a runner — Ricky Flynn — who held pace over the final 5K of the Olympic Trials marathon.
Yes, pro runners hit that imaginary but very real physiological wall, too, but it’s not nearly the problem that it is for the rest of us. Roughly three out of every four participants in any given marathon cover the second half of the race at least two minutes slower than the first. Many runners slow down even more dramatically after the 20-mile mark, where the wall traditionally hovers. By contrast, less than one in 10 half-marathon participants slow down by a comparable amount, and in races shorter than 13.1 miles hitting the wall is a rare occurrence.
The most common cause of hitting the wall is muscle glycogen depletion. Glycogen, a fuel derived from dietary carbohydrates, is stored in relatively small amounts in the muscles and liver, where it waits to be delivered to muscles via the bloodstream in the form of glucose. Most runners have enough glycogen in their bodies to run 13.1 miles at a good pace. But the marathon is fundamentally a metabolic challenge. If you run the first half of the race even one percent too fast, you risk depleting your glycogen levels. Finishing a marathon without hitting the wall requires storing and conserving enough glycogen fuel to avoid running out of it somewhere between 20 and 26 miles — which, as the statistics show, is not easy to do.
Good pacing is paramount. You’ll burn through precious glycogen stores more slowly if you maintain a consistent pace than you will if your pace is erratic, even if it averages out to be the same. Proper training also helps. A good marathon training plan will increase your capacity to store glycogen and improve your running economy and fat-burning capacity, enabling you to burn through stores at a slower rate.
But pacing and training aren’t enough. You must also maintain an appropriate nutrition plan throughout your training process. However, the thinking behind marathon (and half-marathon) training nutrition has shifted in recent years. Follow these six rules to maximize your training and avoid the wall in long-distance races.
Old Rule: Runners don’t rely as much as non-athletes on diet for weight management.
New Rule: Runners rely more than non-athletes on diet for weight management.
Until recently, exercise scientists believed that variables such as VO2max (or aerobic capacity) and running economy were the most powerful predictors of running performance. But recent research has revealed that body composition is equally important. One study involving elite Ethiopian runners found that those with the least body fat had the fastest race times.
Each runner’s optimal racing weight falls near the bottom end of his or her healthy weight range because excess body fat is dead weight that increases the energy cost of running. A typical runner who sheds just one pound of body fat could see a one-minute improvement in his or her marathon time without any change in fitness.
The runner’s goal of reaching his or her ideal racing weight is more challenging than the average non-runner’s goal of staying within his or her healthy weight range. To reach racing weight, runners have to eat more carefully than non-runners must eat to avoid becoming overweight.
Complicating matters for runners is something called the compensation effect. The more a person exercises, the more his or her appetite increases and the more he or she eats. Simply ignoring the increased appetite is not a viable solution, but neither is an extra-large, double-cheese pizza.
Instead, runners must increase the quality of their diets. High-quality foods such as vegetables are less calorically dense than low-quality foods, satisfying the appetite with fewer calories. The six high-quality food types are vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, whole grains, lean meats and fish, and dairy. And the four basic categories of low-quality foods are refined grains, fatty meats, sweets and fried foods.
Take-Away Tip: When training for a marathon, fuel with high-quality foods to reach the starting line lighter. Muscles burn less glycogen at goal pace, meaning you’re less likely to hit the wall.
Old Rule: The high-carb diet recommended to runners in the 20th Century was a mistake.
New Rule: The current carbohydrate-moderation fad in running is a mistake.
Back in the 1960s, Swedish researchers discovered a high-carbohydrate diet increased muscle glycogen stores and thereby boosted endurance running performance. The practice of pre-marathon “carbo loading” was born out of this research. Subsequent studies revealed a high-carbohydrate diet also increased runners’ capacity to absorb heavy training loads day after day. Sports nutritionists have recommended high-carb diets for runners ever since.
Well, most sports nutritionists recommended high-carb diets for runners almost ever since. Lately, some experts have suggested a low-carb diet is better, arguing when runners maintain a low-carb diet their muscles become better fat burners, an adaptation that spares muscle glycogen in marathons and thereby pushes back the wall.
Studies have shown that low-carb diets do indeed increase fat burning during running. However, this effect has not been linked to improved endurance performance., Meanwhile, new research has reconfirmed that runners aren’t able to train as hard on a low-carb diet because it produces chronically low glycogen stores.
A study conducted by Asker Jeukendrup and colleagues at the University of Birmingham, England, compared the effects of a 41 percent carbohydrate diet and a 65 percent carbohydrate diet during an 11-day period of intensified run training. On the low-carb diet, performance levels decreased and the runners’ self-reported fatigue levels increased. On the high-carb diet, performance and energy levels were maintained.
Take-Away Tip: The amount of carbohydrate a runner needs to handle his or her training is tied to the amount of training he or she does. Use this table to determine how much carbohydrate to include in your diet.
Average Daily Training Time (Running and Other Activities) Daily Carbohydrate Target 30-45 minutes 3-4 g/kg 46-60 minutes 4-5 g/kg 61-75 minutes 5-6 g/kg 76-90 minutes 6-7 g/kg 90 minutes 7-8 g/kg >120 minutes 8-10 g/kg
Old Rule: Drink plenty of sports drink every run to boost performance.
New Rule: Do some “fasting workouts” to make muscles better fat burners.
Sports drinks aid running performance by limiting dehydration and supplying muscles with an extra source of energy. But you do not need a sports drink on every training run. Research has shown that sports drinks have no effect on performance in hard runs lasting less than one hour or easier runs lasting fewer than 90 minutes.
What’s more, other studies suggest the carbohydrates in sports drinks act as a physiological crutch by limiting some beneficial fitness adaptations that occur in response to training. Improvements in the muscles’ fat-burning capacity and other adaptations depend partly on the depletion of muscle glycogen stores during workouts. Sports drinks attenuate glycogen depletion and thereby blunt the body’s adaptive response to the run. Sports drinks are imperative for longer and harder workouts, but relying too heavily on them in training may make you less fit.
Take-Away Tip: Use a sports drink during roughly half of your runs lasting between one and two hours and during all of your runs lasting longer than two hours.
Old Rule: Carbo load before a race.
New Rule: Fat load, then carbo load before a race.
Earlier I said a low-carb diet — specifically a high-fat, low-carb diet — increases fat burn during running, but this benefit comes at the cost of reduced training capacity. For this reason, it’s not recommended runners use such a diet as their normal training diet. However, research has shown that a short-term high-fat diet that immediately precedes the traditional pre-race carbo load offers the best of both worlds. 10 days of fat-loading are enough to increase the muscles’ fat-burning capacity, while the subsequent three-day carbo load ensures muscles also have plenty of glycogen available.
In 2001, Vicki Lambert, an exercise scientist at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, tested the effects of 10 days of fat loading followed by three days of carbo loading on endurance performance in cyclists. After warming up with two hours of moderate-intensity cycling, Lambert’s subjects were able to complete a 20K time trial 4.5 percent faster after using this protocol than they did when carb loading was preceded by their normal diet.
To get these benefits in your next marathon you’ll have to get 65 percent of your calories from fat every day for ten days starting two weeks before your race. This means virtually everything you eat will need to be high in healthy fats. Recommended staples for fat loading are avocadoes, Greek yogurt, cheese, eggs, nuts, olives and olive oil, salmon, and whole milk.
Take-Away Tip: Switch from fat-loading to carbo-loading three days before your marathon. Aim to get 70 percent of your total calories from carbs during this period.
Old Rule: Drink plenty of water before your marathon.
New Rule: Drink plenty of water and a little beet juice before your marathon.
Every runner knows it’s important to hydrate before the start of a marathon, but it’s easy to go overboard. You don’t have to drink a lot to achieve full hydration after a night of sleep, and any excess will only force you to wait in long toilet lines before the start and — worse — stop for bathroom breaks during your marathon. Limit morning of, pre-marathon fluid intake to 24 ounces and don’t drink anything in the final hour before the race begins.
Here’s another suggestion: Instead of drinking water before your marathon, drink beet juice. Why? Beet juice is packed with dietary nitrates, which help blood vessels dilate, increasing blood flow to muscles during exercise. Studies have shown that drinking half a liter (about 17 ounces) of beet juice two to three hours before running can enhance performance.
Take-Away Tip: See if beet juice helps you by testing it before some practice runs. A word of caution: Don’t try it for the first time on the morning of a marathon.
Old Rule: Drink as much as you can during the marathon.
New Rule: Drink by thirst.
If you’ve been a runner longer than a week you’ve probably been advised at least once — perhaps dozens of times — to hydrate during your race with a sports drink at a rate sufficient to offset weight loss from sweating and to provide 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour. The rationale behind these recommendations is that full rehydration elevates performance by aiding thermoregulation and reducing cardiac strain, while absorbing carbs at the highest possible rate enhances performance by maintaining blood glucose levels and delaying muscle glycogen depletion.
Lately, however, these longstanding guidelines have been challenged by studies indicating that, during running, such high rates of fueling cause gastrointestinal discomfort and offer no performance benefit compared to simply drinking by thirst. A new study conducted by Ian Rollo and colleagues at England’s Loughborough University, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, provides the strongest support yet for this new “obey your thirst” philosophy.
Nine experienced recreational runners participated in the experiment. Each completed a 10-mile road race on three separate occasions, drinking nothing during one race, drinking a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink by thirst during another race (which came to an average of 315 ml per hour), and drinking at a prescribed rate aimed to provide the recommended 60 grams of carbs per hour in the third race (which came to 1,055 ml per hour).
In addition to timing the three races, Dr. Rollo’s team took measurements of dehydration, core body temperature, and gastrointestinal distress. Performances in the no-drinking and prescribed-drinking trials were almost identical. But, when allowed to drink according to their thirst, the runners covered the 10-mile course almost a minute faster on average.
Rollo says that further research is needed to determine why the runners performed better with intuitive drinking, despite becoming significantly more dehydrated and taking in 70 percent less carbohydrates compared to the prescribed-drinking trial. One possible explanation is suggested by the runners’ subjective ratings of gastrointestinal discomfort, which were significantly higher throughout the second half of the 10-mile race in which they were required to drink more than desired.
So after the City to Surf marathon I gave myself one day off before launching into a 100k recovery week , followed by three 100 Mile weeks (160k+) including the biggest ever week of my running career this week , 190k and 14 runs. Today I managed a 30k long run this morning, wolfed down a few pancakes, took the dog for a walk and then snuck out for a 12.3k run to give me the 190k and 42.3k for the day. So here I am typing this happy to know that it’s time to turn the distance foundation into pace pre-racing.
The Running Centre did a survey of a number of athletes recently who had trained with them and broke the 3hr marathon mark. They examined their 10k times, half times and marathon times in-conjunction with the number of kilometres trained over a set period. While looking at different training methods, different zones i.e. did they train mostly at tempo pace or more recovery runs, or thresholds etc. After all this analysis the end result was basically distance was the most over riding dominant factor. He who runs the longest will normally run fastest. Running is an honest sport and basically the more you do the better you get. It’s ain’t rocket science. (I wonder what people who study Rocket Science say when they’re talking about complicated matters… like Rocket Science, they have to say ‘well you know, it is Rocket Science’ or maybe ‘it’s ain’t Quantum Physics’.. ?)
Over the next 6 weeks I have 5 races planned starting next Sunday with a 10k, then the following weekend the Fremantle half, ( https://www.wamc.org.au/major-events/fremantle-half-marathon/ )a week off and then the Rottnest half. ( https://www.wamc.org.au/major-events/rottnest-marathon-fun-run/ ) Then it’s straight into the World Masters Games ( www.perth2016.com ) for a 5k starter on the 29th October before the reason behind all this high distance training, the World Masters Marathon on November 6th. I’m hoping for a podium in my age category (45-50). As I have home advantage (the course is the same one as the Perth Marathon which I have run the last 3 years ) and will be acclimatised, maybe it’ll be enough.
This will be a good test of the distance Golden Rule no.1 morphing into pace, Golden Rule no. 2. Maybe 5 races in 6 weeks is a tad testing but i wouldn’t have it any other way.
In August this year I ran my 8th Perth City to Surf marathon. After my 2:47 at Perth earlier in the year I put in a massive training block of about 8 weeks to get ready for this one, including a record 620k cumulative month. It all came together on the day with a 1:19 half and a finish time of 2:41:41, just 30 seconds outside my PB. Maybe the sub 2:40 dream is back on at 50 years old; 50 is the new 20 apparently.
On the back of this I have changed my training to extra distance and more double-up days. Still some speed work but more 80% -20% between distance and speed. Lots of racing in-between marathons has also helped.
This was my 12th Perth Marathon and I was coming into some form so was hoping for 2:45 – 2:50 and went through halfway dead on target. Last year I was injured before Perth , after some quality training, and this had played on my mind and I blew up to a 2:49. At halfway I was even contemplating dropping out as it’s an out and back twice course so you have the option to step of the course at halfway and just go home! I’ve never not finished a race and that kept me going, anyway that was last year.
This year at halfway I feel great and this spurred me on to a good second half and a 2:47 and change finish. 6th place, just outside the prizes for top5 (for the second year ) Managed to grab an age group win so all-in-all a good day and a springboard for the City to Surf marathon in August.
First post on the World Masters in Perth October/November 2016. I’ve entered for the 5000m and the Marathon (you’d be mad not to really!) . I ran the Perth City to Surf marathon end of August so have 6 weeks of solid 150k a week training ahead of me. Ran a 100k recovery week last week and on for 160k this week so so far all going to plan.
The 5000m is a bit of fun really as it’s on the track and I only run track normally once a year max. The marathon is a different matter and I’m determined to try and place in my age group. This is made all the more difficult by being 49 and 10 months in a 45-50 age group ! If only they held it next February my task would have been so much easier. No worries, if you haven’t got to work for it, it ain’t worth working for.
I’ll use this category to track progress towards October 29th for the 5k and November 6th for the marathon.