RYAN HALL IN BEST SHAPE EVER FOR THE NEW YORK MARATHON

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RICKS RUNNING RECEIVED THE
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A BIOMECHANICAL COMPARISON OF KENYAN AND JAPANESE ELITE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER’S TECHNIQUES

CLICK HERE

BUT DO KENYAN ATHLETES REALLY LEAN FORWARD WHEN THEY RUN?

Run to win: the training secrets

of the Kenyan runners

By Jürg Wirz CLICK HERE

APPROACHING THE 4 MIN MILE speed BARRIER!

Wed 28th
I ran over the sandhills in the afternoon at a moderate aerobic pace for one hour and seventeen minutes.
In the evening I headed over to Dunes fitness centre to meet up with the guys and girls, for the 6.30pm speed session. There was a really good turn out which included some really quick runners, Steve Wilko was here [ sub 2 mins for 800, when fit] Steve McLean [ fresh from his mountain 2 day marathon and with a 2.17, 800 m, p.b.] and Chris Dunn who seems to be flying right now.
We all did the first effort together about 600m along the wooden board walks of the pier.
The fast guys pulled away from me, I glanced at the Garmin which showed 12 mph, I relaxed a bit thinking this was fast enough until I got more warmed up!
Once we got onto the Prom we split into two groups, the fast group decided on 8 x about 400m with a min and a half rec.
Once again the guys pulled away from me and I finished a few seconds back, but like on my Monday session I got faster on the next effort and managed to hang onto their backs, looking at the garmin showed a steady 12.7 mph. I just about kept up for the rest of the efforts as we got even faster,.
Looking at the Garmin graphs shows me hitting a max 15 mph quite a few times, whats amazing is on my own I would only reach these sort of speeds on a flat out 100. I didn't time the efforts but I reckon most were around 70 sec 400m pace or better. Training with a group makes running fast much easier, if you train on your own you really should think of at least once a week training with a group, it could take you up to the next level! =45 mins

Trade Secrets of the Kenyans, Simple strategies to train like the world's best runners.

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CLICK ON PHOTO FOR KENYAN WORKOUT

Why do runners make drivers honk like geese?

By Scott Douglas CLICK HERE

20 x 400 !

20 X 400, 200 rec
A brand new challenge for me! I've run 8 x even 12 x, but 20 !!!
This was one of Pete Magill's sessions, to be run at 5k race pace [ about 10.65 mph, 5.38 pace for me] he tells you to run without timing yourself, to go on feel.
After a 10 min warm up I got straight into them, the prospect of 20 seemed very daunting!
The first couple were a bit on the slow side as I warmed up and my eyes adjusted to the dark, but soon I was getting faster and by the 10th felt quite confident that I was going to make it through. The drills seem to be working and I felt the best I've been for a long time.
I felt even better on the last ten and looking at my average pace over the efforts I look to be well under 5.30 pace, my fastest was at 5.05 pace!
10 mins easy then I ran the last 1 and 3/4 miles home at MP pace [ 2.45]
Starting to feel like I did before London, the new training seems to be working!

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO RUN A 2.05 MARATHON?

Training Log of one Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot
Marathon training:

Very interesting reading, it shows just how important the easy-mod aerobic run is [remember he can run a half marathon in 1 hour] in a well balanced training programme, also note he did only two interval session during the week.
READ MORE

My training

Following Peter Magill's advice I ran one hard and one less hard session plus a long slow run, rest of the runs at easy-mod pace. I will increase up to 10 hours running per week once I get into the new year.
Felt good most of the week until I got ill on Friday
Sun 25th
Easy run sandhills with Tess =43 mins
Sat 24th
After a stomach bug on friday I felt some what better but started to feel drained 40 mins into my long easy run over the sandhills and pinewoods, the last 2 miles felt like hitting the wall in the marathon, I guess the bug took more out of me than I thought! = 2.15
Fri rest

Nutrition for high performance sports

UNLOCKED THE SECRET TO FASTER RUNNING, REALLY!

I asked Younger Legs masters coach Pete Magill why he thought my race performances were going backwards this summer, his answer not only told me why I was getting slower but how to get faster again!
Pete says; 3 hard workouts a week is absolutely insane for someone our age (I'm 48 too). I wouldn't last a month doing that. And I doubt you'd see any improvement, even in the first weeks. One hard workout, one long easy-paced run, and one less-hard workout combined with as much volume as your legs can comfortably handle is the best plan for our age. Also, we don't respond well to the excessively long tempo or the tempo runs tagged onto the end (or in the middle of) our long runs the way some younger athletes do.

One of my masters athletes who I'm currently training for the marathon called me before his half-Marathon 2 weeks ago. He was panicked because his friends told him I hadn't been training him hard enough - not enough distance and not enough long tempo, etc. I calmed him down. And he ended up running his half-marathon PR ... by 11 minutes.
Be smart. Be sensible. And good luck!!! Pete

Straight away I thought to my training for the London marathon at the start of the year.
My training in Jan and Feb was not going well, I was doing 3 hard sessions a week, at the start of March two of my friends told my they were following a Runners World training programme, THEY SEEMED TO BE RUNNING WELL SO i THOUGHT I'D GIVE IT A TRY, THE PROGRAMME WAS JUST LIKE PETE RECOMMENDS,
After 3 weeks I ran a 20 mile race and flew round running 2.05, only a few seconds off my 2004 p.b. I kept getting stronger right through April and had a very good London running just a minute and a few seconds off my time of 10 years ago.
I checked through my old training logs and found a period at the end of 2007 when I was running really well, 58.30 in a 10 mile race on a cold Nov day, a p.b. in a 8.5 hill race and lots of high placings in trail races. Again the training I had been doing had just two hard days a week and followed Pete's recommendations! This period of good running came to an end when I increased my training to 3 hard days!
So there you have it, Pete is right, I have the proof right here in my training logs!
I'm going to follow Pete's plan up to Christmas and see how it goes.
If you read in this blog that I've increased to 3 hard runs a week please remind me I'm training to go slow!

MORE GOOD TIME SPEED RUNNING!

Thur
Got some really useful information from Peter Magil on why my training and racing has gone ' pear shaped' this summer, more on that later!
Easy run with Tess along the velvet trail plus Pete's running drills
= 53 mins
Wed
Location; Dunes sports centre, 6.30pm
I enjoyed myself running with the club, it turned into a really fast speed session with Chris Dunn pushing me hard throughout the run.
Once again I was amazed by the speed we reached running at 11.1 mph up the steepest part of the Selworthy road climb [ on my own I struggle to stop my speed dropping below 10 mph].max speed 13.8 mph
= 1.00

WARNING; THIS VIDEO MAY BRING A TEAR TO THE EYE!

Thanks to Dr Simon for sending in the video
TEAM HOYT

SUPER FAST 400'S AND LOTS OF 'FUN'!

Mon 19th
To cheer myself up after my depressing 10k performance I ran down to meet up with the guy's for one of Brian Davey's training sessions. It was great to be back hammering along the dark back roads in a fast moving group, this was Fun with a capital F!
I've really missed these sessions and have decided to do them every week through the winter, its just amazing how fast you go in a group I was regularly hitting 12- 13 mph on each effort.
max speed 14.1 mph total time 1 hour 40 mins
Shoes modified Nike Free's
Tue 20th
I've decided to just enjoy my running for abit and just run as I feel!
Enjoyed running over the sandhills with Tess before it went dark,
= 43 mins
Race Report

NATTERJACK SEASIDE 10K RESULTS, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY!

The good-Niz runs her first 10k in 2 years, the BAD and Ugly- that's me!
Report to follow.
RESULTS

Run with the Girls X/C Squad, more on Ryan Hall and a Kenyon workout !

Barry had me down to run a one mile TT on Wed, the afternoon was amazingly warm and humid, you could cut the air with a knife it was that thick!
I decided to run a mile at what felt like 1/2 m pace to fully warm up and I recorded 6.05, after a couple of mins jog I sprinted into my fast mile effort, it felt like hard work cutting through the humid air and I knew straight away I'd be on for a poor time, working very hard I finished with 5.38 [ only two weeks ago I ran a 2 mile tt at 5.37 p] oh well I tried my best. I finished with a steady mile in 5.55 and then jogged home.
In the evening Niz asked me to run with her down to the club session at Dunes
[ 6.30 pm] .
Carol and Christine had almost the full women's X/C Squad out, it was also nice to see some new guys and girls turning up for the session.
Anyways Christine got us to do 8 efforts over the ocean plaza bridge, I ran at the back deciding to take it easy but was shocked to find I was running at 5.20-5.30 pace and it seemed ridiculously easy, strange how running in a group helps you run so much faster than on your own!
PHOTO; The Hoodies SWAC WOMEN'S X/C TEAM

Training for the week
Mon
16 x 10 sec fast , 20 sec easy plus running drills
Tue
Easy fartlek, felt really strong!
Wed
one mile tt plus club run in evening
Thur
Core training
Fri
Easy-steady sandhill plus running drills

Train the Kenyan way
Great simple workout to improve both speed and strength
CLICK HERE

Ryan Hall told he 'runs like a girl' by Asics R & D department!
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO'S

'THE MIND MECHANIC' AND THE CHIMP!

Steve Peters is the man who trains the minds of the world beating British cycle team.
READ MORE

Fitness show reveals difference between sexes

What drives men and women? Psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters believes he knows and explains in TV's My Big Fat Cycle Challenge READ MORE

Meet the mechanic of the mind with an inside track on winning gold

STEVE PETERS taught Chris to control his inner chimp this was the emotional and irrational side of him that would emerge before races, potentially destabilising him.

As Chris says: When I let my enormous inner chimp out before races, I started thinking irrationally like a pessimist with a tremendous sense of foreboding, wondering all the what ifs, about crashes and mistakes.

READ MORE

RYAN HALL, a 24 mile insight !

RYAN HALL on Twitter

THINK YOU TRAIN HARD ? THEN WATCH THIS VIDEO!

JOSH COX

Nike Heelless Prototype Running Shoe and the Chicago Marathon

Modified with a junior hacksaw!
I was inspired after reading Jamie's blog to attack a pair of old running shoes, once I found it worked and the road test went well I moved onto modifying my Nike Explosions. The results are good I can now run in a more natural style with a neutral ankle position and ball of the foot landing, I now feel more bouncy on my feet and feel like I'm running faster and smoother!
If you saw Sammy Wanjiru winning the Chicago Marathon you can see the running style I'm trying to aim at!
A Zero heel lift allows for a more more powerful stretch reflex action from the calf and tendons.
Ok, so get an old pair of running shoes and cut the heels off with a hack saw, do a few test runs and if you are happy with the results move on to a pair of your normal trainers!

GOOD TIME, LONG TIME, RUNNING!

2000 ft of fun! I arranged to meet Eddie for a long hill run at one pm, this meant I could get 4 hours in bed after a hard night shift. The alarm went off at 11.50, I guess I'd just gone into a deep sleep as the alarm brought me around, the thought of just 10 mins more in bed was to good to resist! I woke with a jolt! Shit I'd over slept, I jumped out of bed and rushed to put my contact lens in, Dam it fell to the floor and I had to search for a good 10 mins to find it! I quick call to Eddie,
" sorry going to be a little late!
Eddie's training for an off road marathon so we ran for 2 hours over the hills of Parbold and Ashurst Beacon [ basically two fell race routes in one go]. conditions were idea and it was good fun blasting up and down the hills and running over the dirt paths.
We took the first climb steady up stoney lane, I even had time to look around at the local scenery, once at the top we took a left then followed the road for a bit until we got to the quarry path. A quick detour down a narrow path and we came out above the quarry pool, Wow! what a awesome panoramic view! We scramble and slid down the rocks and then head downhill, running a loop round to the start of Hunters Hill. I really enjoyed going up Hunters hill with the wind on my back, I pulled away from Eddie half way up, working at driving my knees forward and up, I was flying!
Once over the top we head downhill through the fields at high speed. Next stop Ashurst Beacon, I felt good again and half way up push the pace, as we reach the church we turn left and follow the cobbled path up to the beacon, near the top it get really steep but I find driving my Knees forwards and up gives me good progress.
Talking to Eddie at the top he said he was trying to push into the ground but it did not feel right, so I told him to try concentrating on knee drive, it works!
At the top we turn left and go past the starting point for the Ashurst Beacon race, flying downhill I reach 14.6 mph, near the bottom we turn left and follow along the dirt paths until we reach the Leeds Liverpool canal, over the bridge and the climbing starts in earnest once more, up along the side of the old Parbold quarry. the path gets really steep for a bit, but soon I come out onto the top of Parbold Hill and wait for Eddie to catch up!
WE cross the road and follow the Parbold race route for a while,climbing through peaceful fields and dirt tracks, one last plunge downhill through the fields again and we make it back to the car,
We finished the run feeling good about life! A run to remember, for sure! = 2.00

Why tempo runs and sprint training are so important in your quest to run faster

Arthur Lydiard's training plans include a fair few Time Trials or Tempo runs as well as quite a bit of sprint training, here are some of the scientific reasons why they work!

How to Offset Muscle Fatigue , The other limiting factor

CLICK HERE

5.44 pace for 5 k seaside tempo run

Brian asked me to help him measure out some distances over 100 and 200 m along the old coast rd.
After I asked him to pace me on his bike round the first half of the Southport Seaside 10K course. I asked Brian to ride at 5.45 pace and I would try and hang on. It helps alot to have someone to follow and the first mile seemed easy in 5.45,
I was feeling quite strong and smooth, working at driving my knees forward as quickly as possible, 3 k went by in 10.46 without a problem but at 4 k you have to run across a small section of grass field which was sodden by yesterdays very heavy rain, this dropped my speed down under 10 mph, I picked up a big stone from the gravel path in my shoes tread and as I got back on the old coast road the shoe made a loud tapping sound, dam! Concentrate-concentrate, I was picking up speed again and I hammered the long finishing straight along rotten row, finishing with a 12.8 mph sprint finish with 17.58 on the Garmin for 3.13 miles [5.44 pace]. Maybe if this had been a race I might have managed around 17.30, but anyway it was a good warm up for next weeks 10k race. CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE

ON SUNDAY MY BROTHER ANDY RAN THE LOCH NESS MARATHON
Read Margot's report HERE

MY TRAINING FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS AND HOW MANY 'VIRGINS' ARE RUNNING THE LONDON MARATHON

Barry was quite interested to hear that I was running in the 'VIRGIN' London Marathon, he reckoned I'd have a good chance of winning, as there could not be many 'virgins' left in Britain!!!
Here is my training for the next 2 weeks to take me up to my target 10k [thanks Barry].

Training ---

MON --- J --- 1hr run with 10 x 100 mts sprints & 100 mt jogs between

TUE --- B -- 1 hour with light fartlek

WED --- L -- 200 mts and 3k T/Ts --with 5 mins between

THU --- W -- 45 mins jog

FRI -- O -- 10 x 100 mts fast strides with 300 mt jogs between

SAT --- L --- 5k T/T

SUN --- A/W -- 2hrs easy

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MON --- H -- 16 x 45 mt dashes with 55mt jogs between

TUE --- B -- 45 mins with light fartlek

WED -- L -- 1600 mts --or 1 mile T/T

THU --- W -- 50 min jog

FRI --- Rest day

SAT --- A/W -- 20 mins + N -- 3 x 100 mt strides + 5 min jog .

SUN --- Race .

LONDON MARATHON 2010, I MAKE THE GRADE!

I will soon be consulting with Barry Magee on when to start my Marathon build up after getting my London Marathon acceptance. Exciting times ahead!

TRAINING FOR THE WEEK
Sat 3rd
Long steady run with Tess over the big sandhills and through the pinewoods, very windy! =2.16
Fri 2nd
Easy run with Niz along the velvet trail
= 33.30
Thur 1st
5k tempo run [road] 3.11 miles at 10.0 mph av, 6.00 min per mile pace, this was 8 sec per mile slower than my best time just before the London marathon in April. 18.39, total with warm up/cooldown
=50 mins.
Wed 30th
Long easy run over the big sand dunes , inc running drills, felt very tired, =1.38
Tue 29th
6 mile tempo run on the Clieves hill circuit, 1min 6 sec faster than last month [ felt quite strong] 6.17 p, 9.5 mph av, 37.44, total time = 1.17
Mon 28th
Easy fartlek session on the sandhill 6 course.
30 sec-1 min-2 min-3 min-3 min - 2 min - 1 min - 30 sec with = recovery
= 1.07