Run With The Kenyans!

Facinating account of running with the Kenyans by Irishman Ian O'Riordan.

You must always add to what you have. Now, I don’t start with base, with mileage. I start with speed, then add the volume, which means you are extending the ability to sustain speed. You must also subject the body to every type of stimulus. If you repeat any one session more than three times it’s no longer a stimulus. So if something works, it’s time to change it. That’s why most of the traditional running methodology is bullshit.”

-legendary distance Italian distance coach Renato Canova , who occasionally contributes on the letsrun.com world famous message board.

-IrishTimes .com

High School Talent in Japan Runs Deep!

There are easily 40 high schools in Japan that can field boys teams with at least five athletes who have run sub-15 minutes for 5,000 meters. Some of them won’t race on Dec. 25 because they are the second-or third-best teams in their prefecture. By the middle of fall, the national list included 350 sub-15 minute boys and rising. By year’s end the number typically nears 600. -espn trackHS track & xc

MY COMMENT: Amazing! I am curious why we aren't seeing more depth from the Japanese at the world class level.

Do We Run to Eat?

“The diminished effect of dietary composition on the BMI of higher mileage runners could be due to improved fat oxidation with exercise,” Williams said.

Second to an enhanced internal combustion system that burns more calories, Williams also ponders whether distance runners are inherently good at adjusting their food volume to match their training volume, which relates to the earlier statement that runners understand the need to train more when they eat more.

MY COMMENT: This is exactly what I've been saying! Fat burning ability o the muscle trumps total calories expended for weight loss. Or maybe we really do run so we can eat more.

Read more here:

Anatabloc Testimonial

I love the plyometric drills! More on Anatabloc here.

European Cross Country!

World Champ Paul Tergat could only manage 3rd in this race- if you watch the entire video the finishing straight is absolutely brutal!

Chuck Engle- Marathon Junkie

Marathon Wins: 134
Average Time: 2:42
2011 Total Marathons: 44
2011 Wins: 33
Sub 3 Hour Marathons: >235





Chuck (#473) has now not only run a marathon in all 50 states, he's WON a marathon in every state. Truly an amazing runner. marathonjunkie.com

Anatabloc- New Anti-Inflammatory Made from Tobacco!

The active ingredient in RP006 is anatabine, a compound found in tobacco that seems to have dramatic anti-inflammatory properties (The left axis of the graph represents an inflammatory molecule). source: Roskamp Institute

I know of no research on anatabine related to endurance, but it's plausible to believe that it may enhance recovery.

Anatobloc is expensive- $89 for a one month supply, however that could be cheap if it provides relief for many who suffer from chronic conditions related to inflammation (of which there are countless, including Alzheimer's- see the link here about clinical trials).

Parent company Star Scientific (CIGX) also markets a dissolvable tobacco product called Stonewall that is sold by AAFES. Recently I recommended it to a soldier attempting to quit dipping, and low and behold he stopped by on Friday to report he's been dip free for a week while using it!

Runners Sick at Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Marathon

Soon, the 50-year-old Las Vegan was doubled over from stomach cramps "worse than childbirth." Violent vomiting and explosive diarrhea almost kept her from crossing the finish line.

As Ragsdale reached another water station, she saw water being pumped from a nearby fire hydrant with white hoses into a plastic lined garbage can. Event volunteers wearing plastic gloves would dip cups into the cans and pass them off to runners. -account in Las Vegas Review Journal

Lots of runner feedback on the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon facebook page.

Also troubling is the claim by many that the course was between .3 and .5 miles long (letsrun.com)

Kara Goucher Interview

We're going to go in really tired. We have a really hard long run today (Monday, two days ago), and we're asked to keep our mileage up at an all-time high through the week this week. So we're going in with really tired legs. We don't have great flights. We get in pretty late, like 11:30 at night Friday. So for us, it's really just a dress rehearsal of what it feels like to run the second half of a marathon tired. Certainly, none of us are going to run PRs, but it's more just practicing being tired, what that feels like. We're going to have our fluids set up. It's very different than I've ever approached a half-marathon before, because I've always gained a lot of confidence from running a good fast half, whereas that's really not the goal this time. The goal is to run a decent one extremely tired and know that when I'm rested, I can go twice the distance. runnersworld.com

MY COMMENT: Goucher will be running a half in Miami this weekend along with Shalane Flanagan.

I'm not sure it's a good idea to go into a half marathon less than 100% just a few weeks away from the Olympic Trials- If she runs great, no problem, but a poor showing will do nothing for her confidence level, not to mention what it will do to her recovery. A hard 13 mile run while tired is easy to implement in training- for me a race is the place to evaluate whether or not your training is working- so you should be rested.

I'm a bit surprised with what she had to say about the difference in training programs between Salazar and Schumacher. Hopefully it works out.

Gerry Lindgren Facebook Quotes

When you are in REALLY GOOD shape, do things nobody else would dare to try, like a 10-mile run with the first mile at 4-minutes. Sprint an ALL-OUT quarter mile midway through a workout. Challenge the limits!!!!!!

I did that THREE times in my running life. THREE different times I changed to a different reality and it was amazing. Only once in a race; Mt. Sac XC 4-mile race in 16:08. That one is still on the wall of records at Mt. Sac.

I averaged 25-35 miles a day for over 7-years to reach the top of the distance running world. Now people say doing such a thing is impossible. They say you will be hurt if you run that much. People BELIEVE them and so when they attempt to just run, they get hurt. KNOWING you will get hurt allows injury to happen. If you didn't know or instead if you KNEW you would not be hurt, you would not suffer injury running extreme miles.

When you keep track of milage you build a box around your running; You create a REALITY of how many miles you CAN run. You assume those miles will equate to something special. They won't! Think of miles as the "Wax on Wax off" of running. They are the price you have to pay for running well in the spring. Pay your dues; OVERPAY your dues; But don't count them. It defeats the purpose.

You can buy the book, ($90!) but why not just look him up on Facebook? Gerry is of very few Americans to take down Steve Prefontaine and remains one of the most incredible American distance runners ever!



As for Lindgren's potential: Following his '65 freshman year he ran
27:11.6 for 6M, finishing one-tenth behind Billy Mills; both shared the
World Record, when it was faster than the existing 10K WR based on
conversions. It was his only Collegiate Record at the distance. At 10K,
he twice set CRs, getting down to 28:40.2 in '67. At 3M, he set a pair of
CRs, with a best of 12:53.0 in '66. This mark was only 0.6 seconds short
of Ron Clarke's 3M WR, and at a time when both were faster than Kip Keino's
WR 13:24.2 for 5K, and inferior performance on conversion. The 12:53.0 was
faster than Prefontaine ever ran as a collegian, even considering
conversions. In the 5K, he set a pair of CRs, with a best of 13:33.8 in
'68. And throw a 3000 CR of 7:58.0 in '65 on top of that. -Some notes on Gerry Lindgren ...by John Molvar

Jim Ryun Talks About Altitude Training and Jack Daniels

Adjust Your Intervals!

Coming off a marathon 4 weeks ago, I am starting to get back into my normal training routine that includes 800 meter intervals on artificial turf. Prior to the marathon I could rip off 10 and keep them all under 3 min.

Yesterday, after 4 in 3:06, I realized that I am simply not ready to pick up where I left off. Rather than quitting, I took a long 4 min break, then ran another in a more comfortable 3:16, finishing off with 2 x 1 mile in 6:37 and 6:27.

In retrospect, if I'd started out with 3:15 I would have been fine, but as it is I salvaged a pretty decent workout. Friday I'll see if I can fit in some 400s at 90.

Sidenote: I am still focused on accumulating and tracking sub 7 min miles per week.

Pre Races Nutrition- Buddy Edelen

"After a lunch of cheese sandwich, ice cream and chocolate, Buddy had steak for dinner on Friday evening, June 14, 1963. He washed dinner down with three pints of stout and slept easily for 8 1/2 hours. Awake at 7:30, his pulse was 42 beats per minute. He had four soft boiled eggs, four pieces of toast, a large cup of coffee with milk and finished breakfast with two bars of chocolate."

-A Cold Clear Day account of Buddy's eating routine prior to setting the marathon world best time of 2:14:28 on June 15, 1963.

For the Tokyo Olympics, Buddy had a couple of cases of stout shipped over so he didn't have to break from his normal routine. USA officials were not amused.

Buddy Edelen- One of America's Best Distance Runners You Never Heard Of

OK so maybe you have heard of Buddy Edelen, and if so, then you can appreciate what a special talent this guy was.

How can it be that an American who set the world best time in the marathon (In 1963 he ran 2:14:38) does not get mentioned among the greats? Edelen was also the first American under 30 minutes in the 10K and 2hr 20min in the marathon- two very significant distance running milestones.

Edelen won the 1960 US Olympic Marthon Trials in 90 plus degree heat by THREE MILES! Perhaps as a result of that race or not allowing a proper recovery, a bad case of sciatica prevented him from competing for a medal in Tokyo, yet he still managed to capture 6th.

Check out his training diary prior to his marathon world best- amazing! (from South Dakota Runner)

June 1: 3 sets of 10 x 110-120 yard sprints (30 in all), followed by a swim
June 2: 10-11 miles steady, followed by a swim
June 3: 22-23 miles in 2:03-2:04, followed by a swim
June 4: 3.5 miles; 7 x sprint series of 55-110-150-220; 3.5 miles
June 5: 10.5-11 miles in 54-55 minutes.
June 6: A.M.-6 miles hard; P.M.-4 sets of 5 x 440 in 64.8, with 220 to 440 jog recovery between: "Tremendous workout."
June 7: 20 x 440 in 70-71, with a 45-second jog recovery between
June 8: Club track meet: mile in 4:23; 880 in 2:07; 110 leg on sprint relay
June 9: 22-23 miles in 2:01, followed by swim: "I am less stiff after today's run than I have been in ages."
June 10: 4.5 miles from school, then swim
June 11: A.M.-4.5 miles to school fast; P.M.-25 x 440 in 67.4, with 60-second jog recovery
June 12: A.M.-4.5 miles to school fast; P.M.-11 miles in 55-56 minutes, then swim
June 13: No running
June 14: No running
June 15: Marathon

Note: June 6,7,8 is an incredible string of workouts. No hard easy program for Buddy.


Edelen's autobiography, A Cold Clear Day by Frank Murphy, is a captivating account of this great American runner.

Sadly, Edelen succumed to cancer in 1997 at age 59.

Top 10 Running Blogs

Mine did not make the list published by Outsideonline.com. I admit that I've been lazy latey- I'll try to post more in the future! The Top 10 Running Blogs.

While you are there, the Top 10 Fitness Blogs are also worth a look.

2012 Olympic Marathon Trials Jan 14

Time is running (no pun) short on Olympic marathon hopefuls. Houston is hosting both men and women competing for the coveted top 3 spots on January 14 (houston2012.com)

Marathonguide.com offers a complete list of qualifiers topped by Ryan Hall as the top male and Desiree Davila on the women's side.

More are expected to sneak in this weekend at the Las Vegas Half.

How do the Pros Warm-up? Lots of Drills and Dynamic Flexibility!

Elites know that a warm-up pre-race sends the message to the body that something's coming and it had better be ready. That's why their warm-ups are timed down to the minute for the start of the race. Here four top Americans share their warm-up strategies for their respective distances.

Source: runningtimes.com

MY COMMENT: I should pay more attention but to be honest I rarely do any of this before running- maybe after if I have time.