A Few Thoughts for Age Group Runners

August 19, 2012

Ed McNeely – Peak Centre for Human Performance

Master’s sport is growing rapidly in North America. I was speaking to a group of running coaches the other day and one of them made a statement that kind of puts everything in perspective “everybody becomes a masters runner, nobody can go back to being a junior”. With this in mind I would like to discuss a few things that every masters (or future masters) runner should consider.

Effects of Aging

Much research has been done on the effects of aging on performance. It has been accepted that there is a decrease in strength, aerobic power, anaerobic power, flexibility, balance, cardiovascular function, and reaction time. Before you become too depressed about this keep in mind that most of the research has been done on sedentary people who remain sedentary.

Exercise will slow the decline in physical functioning associated with aging (all the more reason to run). Those of you who take up running for the first time as a master’s aged runner may find that they are in better shape now than they were when they were younger. Many who come back to rowing after several years off find that they perform as well or better than when they were younger. A variety of reasons contribute to this a better training regime, more patience, better equipment, and the finances to hire coaching go a long way to improving performance.

I don’t want this to sound like runners are immune to the effects of aging they just have to kept in perspective. A recent study that examined 10k races found that, for the average runner, age accounts for about 33% of the differences in scores across the age categories for men and 21% for women. Technique, motivation, and physical conditioning were far more important for most runners. For the best runners age was a bigger factor and accounted for 90% of the difference in scores. This means that the top 40-year-old runner will most likely beat the top 50-year-old runner.

The rate of decline in performance due to aging is about 7-13% per decade. With the rate of performance decline accelerating after age 50. If year over year your performance times are staying the same it actually means you are improving by 0.7-1.3% per year. If you are seeing improvements you are further ahead than you thought.

Year Round Training

Many master’s run during the summer and fall, take 4-5 months off, then start up again. I have heard many of these people complain that they don’t seem to make any progress from year to year. Training adaptations will be maintained for at most 6-8 weeks unless a maintenance program is used. To maintain aerobic fitness 2-3 training sessions of 40-60 minutes should be done each week. This training doesn’t have to be running, cross training is an effective means of maintaining your aerobic base.

Training Hours

The number of hours you are willing or able to commit to rowing will affect your performance. To a point, more training means better performance. Elite International rowers will train 800-1000 hours per year. This is unnecessary and probably impossible for most master runners because of decreased recovery ability.

Commitments to work and family limit the number of hours that most master’s rowers have for training. If you have hit a plateau in performance you need to consider increasing your training time. A 10% increase in the number of yearly training hours can pay huge dividends in performance. However, unless you have regular coaching on running technique more that 9-10 hours of training per week is unnecessary for the master’s athlete.

Unless you were an elite runner, performance improvements are possible throughout a master’s career. With more resources and a little patience you will probably be performing better than when you were younger. Most of the normal effects of aging can be delayed with a well designed training.

___________________________________________________________

PEAK Centre staff have the highest certifications available in Canada for Sport Science. With their combined experience and education, PEAK Centre is at the forefront of practical Sport Science application.

ENDURrun- Stage 6- 10 km Time Trial – August 18, 2012

dmclaren

August 18, 2012

I am having problems linking photos, so you are stuck with text for now.

Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs. Self confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense.

–Thomas A. Bennett

Stage 6 the 10 km time trial Run as fast as you can? 0r save yourself for the marathon?

Woke up this morning with some residual soreness and tightness in my calf muscles …where that came from?

Well this stage course is virtually flat. We are transported to Elmira and we run back to race headquarters.

We carpooled to the start at about 7 :30.

There were 60 runners today (including the Sport, Guest and Relay teams. Lloyd starts us off at 30 second increments based on your finish time from Stage 5.

Running from Elmira on the highway you can see all the runners ahead of you. Fortunately , no one passed me today.

Weather was perfect for running today.Compared to the rest of the summer, almost chilly. Clear fresh air.

It is really nice running in the country. Seeing all the produce and fresh flowers.

Andrew (Susan M.’s husband) was out today with his kazoo (I guess it is awkward to bike and play his banjo)

Bob layed down the hammer and stamped his authority on this series by running the 10k in around 35 minutes.

Jackie is still in the lead for the women’s race.

My finishing time was 51:17 (2011 = 52:20 ; 2010 52:02)

Ed finished in about 53 minutes and Chris ran 50 minutes, so is now about 15 minutes ahead of me.

The marathon is the deciding event.

My marathon times have not been that spectacular so I have no idea where I will be at the closing ceremonies on Sunday. I am in about 23^rd or 24^th spot.

The trick is to run within myself and run my own race. There is room to make up times.

We are going to Lloyd and Julie’s house tonight for the Endurrun social (and maybe a swim).

Because this is the 10k report it is short,

Marathon report when I return.

This course is the same as the half marathon, where it all began 7 days ago. We run the same loop twice..yuk.

ENDURrun – Stage 5 – 25.6 km – August 18, 2012

dmclaren

August 17, 2012

Stage 5 – lets run UP a ski hill for fun.
ENDURrun 2011 – Stage 5: The 16 Mile Cross Country (or 25.6 KM for you metric folks out there.)

When the guy says go, you start to suffer – or you might as well not be out there. It’s a small piece of your life, make it hurt. — Aaron Cox, US Mountain Biking Champion

I am having issues with inserting picutres of the Stage 5 winner Sebastian Porten, in a time of 2:04 and ahead of Bob. (but will try soon)
Jackie still maintains the lead in the women’s ultimate ranks.

After a relaxing day off running on Thursday, it’s back at it on Friday, and this next stage is the toughest stage of the whole competition. This is where the training (or lack thereof) becomes evident for all to see. This is a demanding stage (for me anyway).

This is a very pretty course, despite the f**king ski hill, which, after 5 times, sucks the energy from you. But I digress.
As Sean says, running hills is all “elbows and arses.”
The run consists of five 5km loops through Chicopee Ski Club in Kitchener. Start off with 1-2km of some flat trails, then a climb up a service road to the top of the hill, almost 50m of elevation. (Similar to Around the Bay. Up over up and over and up again. Then into another small trail section with some switchbacks, then back up to the top, and straight down one of the front faces. You then run straight up the face of the largest hill. Once at the top, again, into the bush for some more trail sections, then down the back hill, around to the front, up some more trails to about half-way up, then straight down the last hill and through the start/finish line. Each of these trails have switchbacks.
The one advantage in running loops, is the way the sun filters through the bush and changes the look each time.
The first downhill caused my knees to complain and if you try to fly down, you tend to lose some of your running form.

My roomie Ed has about 5 minutes on me and Chris has 6, so I figured if I could stay even and keep them in sight, that will be good.

Paul drove Ed and I and we picked up Vickie and got to Chicopee around 7:30 I forget how close everything here is, compared to the City. The most excellent volunteers were running around setting things up, so we just hung out at the chalet, chatting and slowly getting ready. The sun was shining, and there were few clouds in the sky. Temperature was going to be around 25 during the run, with little humidity. That much was good news.
As we were waiting for the race to start, we were looking with (insert appropriate term for dread here) up the big hill which we were shortly going to be climbing. FIVE TIMES.
Soon it was time. Lloyd did the roll call, gave us last minute instructions, and with a “On your mark, get set, GO!” we were on our way.
We took off on the new part of the course. This was required as both sets of the ski hill `switchbacks`were taken out (to make way for the straight downhill portions. Slow and steady was the key. My plan was to do around 3 hours but any faster than that would be welcome. (after all , it is only 25km , right? And I was being delusional)

There is a nasty uphill (yes before the ski hill) which goes up, turn left, then go up some more,turn right and yes one more slight `rise` then a waterstation into some bush with switchbacks. This is also a moutain bike course. Then out of the bush and run down hill.
I actually liked this, because everything is working today so was able to actually fly down the hills. My goal was to continue running all the hills, except THAT one. I think the Brimley Hill training and my consistent weight lifting actually helped me accomplish this for the first 3 loops. On the 4th I was able to run 75% of the hills, (run a few flag markers, and walk one) This actually helped me run the majority of the ski hill too.
All the leaders started to lap me through the 3rd loop, and I got to wish them well, and talk with them a bit.
Speaking of loops, I was getting tired, and on my 4th loop, the thought of having to climb that hill again was wearing me out.
One of the runners I had passed previously was catching up, so had to push my final lap. Then I spotted Ed going up the hill.
Any way on my final loop, I saw the 4k sign and thought, hey I can run a 6 minute k. Well 8 minutes later arrive after flying down the last hill and (thinking I looked strong) surged to the finish in 3:19 not bad though.
Ed was about 100 meter ahead and I caught up with him and we sprinted to the finish line. We were even for 200 meters then with 25 meters to go he found another gear and cruised through the finish line and beat me by 3 seconds.

Ed is still ahead of me and Chris smoked the course and is now 15 minutes better than me.
On a brighter note, I am still 1st in my age group(insert winking smiley face here)

NEXT UP: A (relatively easy?) 10km road run, with a net downhill, on asphalt.
Stage 6 the 10 km time trial. We run in reverse order of our Chicopee finish.
Well this stage 6 course is super flat. We are transported to Elmira, and we run back to race headquarters.
Last years stage results
2011- 3:20
2010- 3:17

ENDURrun Stage 4 – hilly 10 miler – August 15, 2012

dmclaren

August 15, 2012

EndurRun- Stage 4- the hills are alive with the sounds of runners.
10 mile hilly route.
We runners are all a little nutty, but we’re good people who just want to enjoy our healthy, primitive challenge. Others may not understand running, but we do, and we cherish it. That’s our only message.
— John J. Kelley
There are no people pictures with today’s post, as we finished late.
This is a sample of the course.
Jackie and Bob are still the overall winners and also now the King and Queen of these mountain stages. I will get some pictures from Chicopee (or maybe I will post a picture of the beer float from Thursday’s planning session.
Wednesday was a weird day.
1) you get to sleep in
2) you aren’t sure when and what to eat for a 6 pm start
3) you can’t (shouldn’t) have a beer in the afternoon.
Lloyd isn’t kidding when he called this the hilly 10-miler. It is truly all up and down. Maybe one little flat section, but when you start on an uphill and finish on an uphill….
We took roll call and then walked down the road to the start area. As soon as the Garmin wearers acquired satellites , Lloyd counted down and we were off. One of my roomies, Ed is now 5 minutes ahead of me after the Bechtel 30k run, so my plan was to remain close to him and also try and stay ahead of Steve (3 min behind) and Chris (he was 2 min behind) to retain my standing.
For the majority of us mid-packers, this event is not truly competitive (and we may never reach the podium, there are some fun challenges among all runners, particularly if we are within minutes of each other.

The first couple of Ks are somewhat easy before spreading out along the tiny flat section. Then we hit Wilmot Line and all those hills. Up, down, up down, up down… I flew down the hills and worked hard on the ups and tried to stretch it out on the downs. Felt good for the first few hills , then started to fall behind those ahead of me.
Horror Hill loomed large ahead of me and the other runners were strung out and looks like ants and my goal was to run ALL of the hills. I like how there were spectators here and there in addition to the great folks at the aid stations cheering us on (they were a 3km intervals) As well as all the photographers. There are so many photographers out this year. we are all going to be able to find some great running photos of ourselves this year. And we can purge the “grim” shots.
This year the runners felt like elites, as they had a pickup truck with Chris filming and two others taking pictures of us on course.I tried to cheer on all the front leaders as they flew by me tonight. Almost there now. 6K to go.
We also passed the 80 k sign (whoopee the journey is half completed)
I could still see Ed and two other runners ahead of me but regardless of how hard I thought I pushed the pace I could get no closer.
Susan’s husband Andrew was at the top of one of this hills playing his banjo riffs, which does help us get up in a happier frame of mind.
Finally the down hill… so I dropped my arms and flew down the hills running about a 4:34-38 min km. Running fast downhills means you have to focus on form and turnover. Still those nasty uphills appeared but I drove up and still looked (to me anyway) to be running .
I could see some guys struggling ahead of me. Hmmm, maybe I could catch at least one of them. One of them was walking the uphills, and I thought I was faster, but the balance of the downhill kept him ahead of me. At the 14km mark I thought , 1 km to go pick it up.. oops I got to the 15km mark and “oh yea” it is 16 k (10 miles = 16 km right)? Soon was back pavement and heading for the finish. You have to run for at least 600 metres uphill to the finish line. No way was I getting anywhere near Ed so he now has 7 minutes up on me.
Final time was 1.34:14. I it is great hanging out with all the competitors this year. All are such great people.
Chris flew through this stage and is now 5 minutes ahead of me. I am still ahead of Steve tho.
I am really looking forward to resting tomorrow. Although the day after is not as sore as some runs.
Going to Heuther Hotel get together in the afternoon. This is a micro brewery with fresh beer…..and Beer floats (with Stout, icecream and a brownie) so yes I have the gone to the dark side.
We have invited some of the other runners so will see how many show up. This is becoming a rest day tradition, and a good one at that.
Yes ,the EndurRun is such a hard life.
Friday is Stage 5 at Chicopee Ski hills – 5 loops of a 5.1 km route or about 25 kilometers.
Prior year comparisons:
2011 = 1:32
2010 = 1:32
2009 = 1:31

Let the games begin.

Does Running Make You Smarter?

Ben Kaplan

August 15, 2012

By: Nikki Reiter

The time to return to school is just around the corner and you’ve spent all summer training and chasing personal bests on the roads and trails. Did you also realize that establishing these habits is also going to make you smarter? More specifically, aerobic exercise (such as running) has been shown to have positive effects on our ability to reason and process thoughts. Dr. Paul van Donkelaar is a professor of neuroscience at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus in the school of Health and Exercise Sciences, met with me to discuss how exercise leads to improved cognitive functioning. Once an elite rower, Dr. van Donkelaar is now an avid runner who likes to train and race for health, to be social and enjoy the occasional beer 😉

Cognitive Function and Aging

It has been shown that a higher level of aerobic fitness later in life is positively associated with cognitive functioning. The mechanism for this ‘better thinking power’ is due to increased oxygen-carrying blood flow to the brain, which usually declines as we age. Furthermore, decreased brain blood flow can decrease our motor performance, or our ability to perform tasks with our body. Decreased brain blood flow means that less oxygen and nutrients are making their way to the neurons and astrocytes of the brain, making it more difficult for them to process information. When we process information more slowly or inefficiently, our behaviours – whether they are movements, thoughts, feelings, or emotions – start to suffer.

So Why Does Exercise Help?

The cognitive changes associated with decreased brain blood flow don’t often affect every day functioning; however, they may affect the ability to learn new skills, or those that require a fast response. Most importantly, it’s thought that exercise may be able to ward off cognitive disorders such as vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Other benefits include improved long-term memory and spatial abilities. Simply put, aerobic exercise helps our brains maintain the ability to better adapt and respond to the demands we place on it.

Good News for All Generations

Researchers have shown that young to middle aged endurance-trained individuals have higher resting levels of blood flow to the brain. This is highly encouraging for immediate gains, such that maintaining a regular exercise regimen could potentially lead to improved learning and exam writing performance. Of course, long term gains include a potential lifetime of strong mental health.

The other good news is that otherwise sedentary elderly people who start an exercise program can attain some of the same benefits in brain blood flow and cognitive function that are observed in people who have exercised throughout life – so it is never too late!

Happy Running!

***

Nikki Reiter holds a master’s degree in biomechanics and is a Mizuno Running Brand Ambassador and the Women’s Cross Country Running Head Coach at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus in Kelowna, BC. She is also the Laboratory Coordinator in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBC Okanagan where she facilitates undergraduate laboratory learning.

The Brain Behind Brainsport

Ben Kaplan

August 15, 2012

By: Karen Karnis

Brian Michasiw has been interested in running shoes since he was a kid. While his friends had pictures of cars and celebrities on their walls, he had pictures of running shoes. When he was 14, he talked the owner of a local running shoe store into giving him a job as a stock boy and janitor. Through high school he ran track, cross country, road races and triathlons.

Over the years, he worked his way up to a management position in that running shoe store, and after high school, decided to keep working full time while going to university. However, he found his economics class dreadfully boring and ended up failing. It didn’t faze him, though; after all, he had already figured out what he wanted to do with his life.

So in 1991, Michasiw and his girlfriend at the time, Debbie Harksen, opened their own running specialty shop: Brainsport in Saskatoon, SK. Michasiw describes the first few years as “lean,” since there weren’t many investors willing to take a chance on two twenty-somethings.

While the romance didn’t last, the business partnership continued until 2000 when Michasiw bought out Harksen, who continued to work there until 2004 when she moved to Edmonton to start her family. Meanwhile, Michasiw found love at Brainsport’s Run Club, marrying runner Elizabeth Stack. The two have a son, Oskar (7) and two daughters, Lydia (4) and Harriet (6 months).

As time went on, Michasiw noticed that despite the fact that Brainsport carried walking shoes and sandals, many non-runners were reluctant to come to the store since it was “for runners.” So in 2004, he opened Pedestrian Shoe Fitting Centre in the unit next door to Brainsport. Pedestrian caters to walkers, hikers, and anyone needing casual footwear; it also hosts an evening walking club and a weekday morning stroller group.

In 1992, Michasiw ran his first marathon, winning the Saskatchewan Marathon for the first of what would eventually be five times – so far. His most recent win was in 2010, but 2011 was a pretty impressive race as well; not only did he come in second, but he set a new personal best at 41 years of age, 19 years after his first marathon. He credits his recent improvement to working with a coach, Jason Warwick, but says that Warwick hasn’t just helped him with his running.

In 2007, Warwick, also a writer, was travelling to Kenya to work on a documentary looking at why Kenyans run so fast – and why Kenyan runners give so much to their communities – and he invited Michasiw to join him. Michasiw says:

We stayed at Kip Keino’s High Altitude Training camp near Eldoret. We brought new and gently used running shoes to give to the athletes. My goal was to fit the athletes in the camp the same way I would fit them if they came into the shop. I fit several marathon runners, whose times ranged from 2:21 to 2:09(!). I also fit a young athlete named Asbel Kiprop who went on to win a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Michasiw says that the trip truly changed his life, making him see how lucky he is to have the life he has, and the ability to run for pleasure, rather than using running as a route out of poverty. While Brainsport had always accepted donations of gently used running shoes, the store was inundated with donations after Asbel Kiprop won the gold medal in Beijing. “We now redistribute about 5,000 pairs of shoes a year,” says Michasiw. “Some are sent overseas, but many stay here. I think it’s important to remember that people here are also in need,” he adds.

Over the years, Brainsport has been recognized multiple times by the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, including winning the 2011 Saskatoon Business Excellence (SABEX) Business of the Year award. The Independent Running Retailers of Canada (IRRC) also recognized Brainsport as their Canadian Store of the Year in 2008 and 2009. This is due, in part, to their community involvement, as well as their ability to provide excellent service.

When you go to Brainsport for a new pair of shoes, they start with you – not with the shoes. They’ll measure your feet, assess your gait, and discuss your training, goals and injury history. “We are committed to extended sizes and widths,” says Michasiw. “Our more business-savvy competitors see that small or large sizes don’t generate much profit, but we are determined to fit all shapes and sizes of feet.”

Michasiw says his customers love Mizuno. “It is perceived as one of the most technical running brands available. It’s a perfect fit for a running specialty shop,” he says. His favourite shoe is the Wave Musha 4.

Twenty-one years after starting Brainsport, Michasiw is still as content as ever with his decision to open the store instead of finish his degree. He delights in helping customers find the perfect shoe – especially if it is the one factor stopping the customer from achieving a goal. But he also remembers how it all started, saying, “As silly as this sounds, I love to organize the stock room.”

The SeaWheeze – Revolutionizing Events

Ben Kaplan

August 15, 2012

By: Magi Scallion

Sometimes you don’t get to run all the events and you’ve got to crew or volunteer. It’s not so bad – quite fun actually – and a great excuse to spend a day outside.

Today I was a course marshal captain for the SeaWheeze half marathon in Vancouver. The best part of the day was watching 7500 runners ascend their final hill before running the final 2 km to the finish. However, the sweet golf course I got to drive about in was also nice!

The event started in downtown Vancouver – right by the Vancouver Convention Centre – before heading across the Burrard Bridge to a loop in Kitslano, back across the bridge and then around the seawall in Stanley Park. The route… and weather… could not have been better! With 7500 runners and over 600 volunteers there was some great energy in the air.

The event was all about setting and achieve goals – so all of the runners were treated like winners! Prizes for the top 3 were limited (I think they only gave an award to the first place male and female) but everybody got to have an amazing experience – manicures, massages, organic fruit at the rest stops… and more. There were two great bands – Hey Ocean and Fun – that played at the post event concert and sunset yoga on the beach in Kitslano.

What a day! I enjoyed volunteering… but I needed to go for a run when I got home, as I was so inspired!

***

Born in Nova Scotia and emigrating to British Columbia via Ontario and Alberta, Magi has been running the entire way. Primarily defined as a cross country ski racer, Magi has competed nationally and internationally in that sport. The highlight of her career was competing in the World University Games and the World Cup races in Canada in 2007. Cross country skiers rely heavily on running for cross training and Magi has become an accomplished trail and mountain runner, representing Canada at the World Mountain Running Championships in 2005 and the winning numerous national championships medals.

Today Magi runs for fun… and it’s a lot of fun! Epic mountain runs, city cruises with friends, and more keep her happy and occupied outside of work and school.

Mushroom and goat cheese quiche

WhatsCookin

August 14, 2012

My friend Renée sent this recipe in the week before my wedding. Let’s just say that the level of disorganization that currently characterizes the Shuffler household could best be described as “epic”. Please bear with me.

Renée found the original recipe here. She made a few small changes that I’ve noted in italics. Renée’s comments on making the quiche: “Pie crust making method was super easy! Will use this method again in future.”

Ingredients

Crust:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons ice water (or more)
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Filling:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 medium red onion, peeled & diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 large clove garlic, peeled & minced
4 ounces mixed mushrooms (oyster, cremini, portobello or white button), stemmed & cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
8 large eggs (Renée decreased the eggs to 5 and added 1/3 cup milk)
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped (about 2 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (can also use Swiss or smoked gouda)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Prepare crust: Cut the butter into small pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor with the flour, thyme, salt and 1/8 tsp. of the pepper. Pulse several times to combine. Pieces of butter should still be visible. Mix the water and vinegar and slowly add to the flour mixture, pulsing to combine as you do so, until the mixture comes together. You may need to add a little more ice water. You want the crust to come together when pinched, but not to be a wet, sticky ball. Use your own judgement and add the water carefully.

3. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a ball. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap and, using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a circle about 4 inches across. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes while you make the filling.

4. Prepare filling: In a sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and there is no liquid in the pan. Set aside to cool.

5. After the dough has chilled and rested, roll it out between the two sheets of plastic to fill a 9-inch pie plate. Peel the plastic off the top and carefully transfer the crust to the plate. Peel the other layer of plastic off. Gently press the crust into the pie plate and trim the edges. If you like, give the edges a decorative fluting. (The crust may be made ahead to this point and refrigerated for 1 day or frozen for up to 1 month).

6. Whisk eggs, then add oregano, basil, nutmeg, white pepper, sea salt and black pepper.

7. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, scatter the cheeses and sautéed mushrooms in the crust, and pour the egg mixture over the filling.

8. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the quiche is slightly puffed, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

ENDURrun Stage 3 = 30k trail run August 14, 2012

dmclaren

August 14, 2012

Stage 3 – Bechtel Park 30 km trails
The essential thing in life is not so much conquering as fighting well. –Baron de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games
Pictured here are the stage winners and still champions Jackie and Bob and the final runners Sean and Heather. Who showed that determination is the key to any race. (and yes that is a Guiness in Sean’s hand, presented to him by a fellow runner)
Stage 3 of 7 ..Trail Race. 30km. 5km loop. Each loop run six (6) times. Hilly and demanding course, with parts asphalt, grass, dirt, and wood chips. Eight (8) hills per 5km loop, for a total of 48 hills to ascend and descend. This stage separates the men from the boys, the women from the girls, the strong runners from the casual runners. And the stupid from the smart.
To succeed in this stage, you need two things. Firstly, you need the requisite training, which is hills (strength) and trails. The trails here are not very technical or difficult, but still challenging for one who has not done enough of them, or any at all. Secondly, you need a mental will of steel, because doing the same loop six times is enough to drive anyone crazy.(but we are marathon runners, so insanity is a gift). I had been training on Brimley hills, so my mental (ha ha) attitude was good.
We woke up today with really nice temperature, but calling for rain. We went through the usual pre-race routine: use the bathroom for the last time, chit-chat with the other Ultimate participants, who were were now starting to know by name, stretch our aching legs, and get ready for Lloyd to start us off. Soon it was time to start. We assembled at the start line, did the roll call, got our last minute instructions, and were off!
My goal was to go out conservitively because I should know by now what is happening. Tried some of the Vega pre-exercise poweder and that helped with the first two loops (remember what I said at the beginning?) Well I didn’t pay attention to my innerself and went our hard thinking I could hang on. Wrong. I resolved to run all the hills with no walking. The first loop went very well, (despite a call to….. wait….. TMI…) and I finished it in around 32 minutes, only 5 more of these and I’m done! Somehow I thought I might be able to do this stage in 3 hours or at least less than last year. (look up vainglorious)
On the second loop ran about the same time and then it started to rain.
Then the 3rd loop came up and as the expression goes “the wheels fell off” I had no kick in my legs at all. To comfort myself I started thinking of any songs with running in them.
This is a very pretty course. From the start, you run on grass (beside a cemetery) then some pavement, entering some rolling hills beside a dog park , then running in a a groomed forest trail beside a river and back out to the start.
Between k 4 and 5 Gravity became my friend on the downhills and I chanted Brimley, Brimley on the up hills.
On the 4th loop some of the runners I passed previously asked if I was slowing down, so to put a positive spin on that I said, no you are speeding up. On the six loop, my roomie Paul came into sight behind me which set a fire under me to get this damn race over. (Plus I didn’t want him to get any time on me. I did thank him after for making me pick up the pace.
Pretty soon, the finish line was in sight. I ran across, to the cheers of the runners already finished, and crossed the line around 3:25 (I forgot to stop my watch) but to entertain the others waiting for me, I dropped down and ala Usain Bolt, did 10 push ups.

UP NEXT: Tomorrow’s stage is an evening race, starting at 6:00 …. the very hilly 10 Miler. The only race I know where you start and end on a very severe uphill, and not quite, but close to Brimley.
Comparisons (I am going backwards)
2011= 3:20
2010 = 3:19
2009 = 3:17

How hard is hard?

RHellard

August 14, 2012

Yesterday, I posted about how hard easy was. Well, here is the other end of the spectrum.

How hard is hard?

I use the terms hard, tempo, up tempo and easy purposely because they are vague—each is different for everyone, and they changes every day as a result of many factors. I try not to get too caught up in numbers and prefer people feel their way through some workouts. When I want something specific, I ask for it.

The short answer to how hard is hard (and how easy is easy) is: it depends.

More specifically, it depends on how long the workbouts are, as well as the workout, and how much rest is involved.

Notice, I use the term workBOUT and workOUT. Do not confuse them.

Remembering that the longer the running component it is, the lower the intensity ought to be, but the more rest you get, the higher the intensity should be. It’s kind of like 1 step down the intensity scale for each minute longer of workbout duration and 1/4 step higher per 15sec more rest. As an example, 8x1km will be run at a lower intensity than 40×200 even though they total the same distance—shorter workbouts and rest more often means you should go harder. Armed with that piece of knowledge, you can simply follow this guideline: look at the length of the workbouts, the total workout volume, and how much rest is involved, and then assess your efforts based on this information.

The longer answer expands on the previous answer: the longer the workbout, the lower the level of intensity, and the shorter the workbout, the higher it should be. For example, a hard workbout of 2min should be harder than a workbout of 4min, which should be harder than a workbout of 6min. At the same time, the rest interval has a lot to do with how recovered you are, and therefore how hard you can push. In running, 45sec rest is not much after a kilometer, but it is sufficient for a set of 5-10 times 200m moderately hard. That said, the harder you go, the more rest you would have to take to achieve similar levels of effort. Conversely, the more rest you are assigned, the harder you should go. During that rest period, the less energy you expend , the more recovered you will be, so the harder you will be able to go when it is time to. This lazing around recovering has to be balanced off with staying loose and in the mental groove, so laying down or standing around chatting may not be as productive a use of the recovery time as walking, running really easily (almost walking) and/or shaking the legs out in the final seconds of rest.

Similarly, a workout with a total volume of hard stuff of 5k should be harder than a workout with a total volume of hard stuff of 8k.

The actual difference in how hard you can/should run for most lengths of intense workbouts is only 1-5 percent from short to long, so it is not much easier the further you go. The table below shows the difference in paces for a 60min 10k runner doing 200’s, 400’s and 1000’s.

200m—5:40/km or about 1:08/200m

400m—5:50/km or about 1:10/200m

1000m—5:55/km or about 1:12/200m

Like I said, it’s not much of a difference and what you should take from this is the effort, not the time. It’s almost as hard, but not quite.

All of this, of course, assumes good and safe conditions.

The main thing to bear in mind when assessing how hard to go is that you always want to A) finish the workout, and B) finish it in one piece. You also do not want to go so easy that you feel unfulfilled when done, so the volume of running will help dictate how hard you go, at least in the beginning. You can always wind things up as the workout progresses.

All that said, no matter what the workout, you should always finish like you could do another piece of hard work, but quite happy that you don’t have to.

Rick

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