Back to Work (Base Training)

"The hard practice yesterday is just a warm-up tomorrow." -Anonymous

Season Objectives

The objectives of this Season are more abstract than a single race: one of the goals is to keep on progressing with my running speeds at all intensities, and to be able to run more while avoid getting injured. It's important to enjoy the running: to go on adventures, explore new routes and places on foot, to get joy out of the daily routine, and observe the progress. Still I need competition to spice it up. I want to make my new personal records to see where I have come with my training and to see where I'm going with it. The year will be divided into two parts: Training for 10K road race and training for standard 42K Marathon. The dates when I aim to be at my peak performance this season are April 20th for 10K racing at week 16 and October 13th for Marathon at week 41. I kicked off the Season 2014 on 4th of November and so far I've gone through 8 weeks of Base Training. Here's some of my thoughts about it.

Running

After having an off-season (3 weeks) running very little I started out with a conservative 70 km week. In Base Training the intensity is to be kept relatively low, but not to succumb to monotony. Every day is to be different from the day before. I varied between three running intensities during the week: Recovery, Easy, and Medium Long Run. The idea behind the Base Training is to build up the endurance and fitness in the body so that it will be ready to take the pounding of more intense 10K training. A good base is the foundation of intensive training and satisfying results. Without a proper Base, injuries will surely haunt when the intensity and distance are both there. In Base Training one can relatively safely add up weekly distance. From last season I learned that it is not wise to try to beat your previous week distance every week. This time I came out with a plan to add it up two weeks in a row, then dropping 20% of the training distance (a recovery week), then bounce back to where I was, and then the next week go for more distance. I built it up slowly and on the 7th week of Base Training I ran 96 km. That's my current record of distance ran in one week. I broke my previous record three times during this period of Base Training. My training log during my record distance week is presented in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Training log from week 51/2013.

This 8-week Base Training went exactly as was planned. I didn't suffer from injuries or even nuisances. I ran every practice that was planned, every day, for 8 weeks straight. That's 56 days of running streak (and counting) with minimum of 6 km running per day.

Figure 2: Daily Running distance (brown bar)
 and Running index (black line),
4th of November to 29th of December in 2013

Figure 3: Weekly Running distance (brown bar),
Average pace (green line), and Average heart rate (red line),
4th of November to 29th of December in 2013.

My daily running distance and running index during the Base Training are presented in Figure 2. The running index uses a formula that basically tells you how economic your running is. The weather, route, temperature among vast amount of other variables affect the running index but a general tendency can be seen from the line that the running has been more economical lately.

My weekly running distance, weekly average pace and average heart rate during the week is presented in the Figure 3. My weekly running distance has been going up with recovery weeks in between and at the same time my average running pace has gone up while my average heart rate has dropped. This describes very well the progress I have been making during the last 8 weeks. What these Figures don't tell for example is that lately the temperatures have been higher than in the beginning, so I believe there has been even more progress than what is visible in these figures.

Strength Training and Injury Prevention

My newest difference maker and useful trick for staying healthy has been the strength training. Not much at a time, but constantly. I want to run and I am not settling for some fixed amount per week. I want to run more and even more. Recently I have discovered that I really need to do constant strength training to be able to run more and without injury. I have now been doing a strength training program called IronStrength. I do it at home in my kitchen every Monday and Friday. Yes, that's right: it seems that my kitchen actually inspires me more than any gym. You don't need much to be able to do suitable strength training for distance runners. It's all about making it easy to start and be constant.

Figure 4: A "glass roller" from
the era before the foam rollers.

Other aspects of my injury prevention include cold baths, stretching and foam rolling. I take a 15 minute cold bath in my bathtub every time I run more than 10 km. I do couple times a week stretching by going through the biggest muscle groups in the legs. Unlike before, the trend now is to stretch in short bursts. I stretch 5 seconds, ease up for 2 seconds and then 5 seconds again. As many repetitions (about 6 reps) as it needs to get the muscles elongated. Foam rolling is something new that I'm implementing in my routine and so far I am not sure about it's efficiency. The foam roller does massage and stretching at the same time. I bought a standard foam roller, but I remember my grandfather (elite veteran marathon runner) always had the same old glass bottle (see Figure 4) that had a rough surface for the same task.

Running in Heat

I didn't have much of experience training at high temperatures before I started running in Argentina. The summers in Finland are great for training and they could be compared to the spring of Buenos Aires. Maximum temperatures at about 25 C (77 F). But when the summer starts in Buenos Aires, the daily maximum can reach up to 40 C (104 F). That is extreme case but the daily maximum hovers for weeks above 30 C (86 F). The Sun climbs up almost straight above your head and shines intense. And when it rains, it rains very hard for couple hours, then the Sun comes back. I have experimented and learned some things that I have found useful for training in the heat:

One should either go out running early in the morning or in the afternoon/evening when the Sun has started to set. They say your shadow should be longer than you are, that's when it's good to go out for a run. The heat will be out there but the Sun affects you less. I prefer running in the morning, so I get out at 7 to 7:30 am.

If you have to run during the day, then remember to use sunscreen. Go ahead use the most protective screen available. Apply the sunscreen 30 minutes before you go out to let it be absorbed, so that sweat won't take it away from skin. Be on the look out for shadows whenever available, they make a big difference.

The body adapts to the training at high temperatures in about 10 to 15 days. It's not that big of a deal after that. Your heart rate monitor is your friend when first running at high temperature. Take a step back with your pace: you are not suddenly in worse shape, it's just the heat.

I wear technical shorts and shirt, a cap or a visor and sunglasses. I don't eat before running. I want to feel light and in fact you want to have all the blood in the body available for circulation near your skin for cooling. I just drink fresh orange juice and a cup of coffee in the morning and then I'm off running.

Hydration is very important before, during and after training in the heat. When I run 18 km or more I carry a bottle belt with me. You need more water and less carbohydrate in your drink when running in the heat.

On-going Games

To keep running interesting I have some side projects going on. First of all the run streaking project: currently (today is 29.12.) my record and on-going streak is 56 consecutive days of running. The second project is to beat my previous weekly running distance record as often as I can. Not exceed it too much, just enough to make a new personal record. Much like Sergey Bubka did his world records in pole vaulting: by one centimeter at a time. One of the projects is keep on writing this blog, to analyze my running and share the experiences with people that are interested in what I do. The newest project is making running videos. I recently got me a Sony Action Camera and we shot the very first video to test the camera and editing software. Here it is:

What next? Tomorrow I will start my training and preparation for 10K road racing. It's a 16-week project and I look forward to running strong at the end of it. I don't have a time goal except I want to run the 10K as fast as I can. Stay tuned.

About Motivation

Worrying about what others think about you is for politicians, not for free men and women. Trying to imitate or copy someone else's path of life will always fail. Everyone has to find and walk their own path.

I recently received a message from a Friend concerning my motivation. Her question was basically this: 

"How did you get back to the World of sports? They always say that it depends on yourself, but to make an actual change in life there has to be some kind of impulse from the environment as well, am I right? I'm very curious!" -Frances Hilli

Figure 1: Monthly Running
kilometers

These days the World has plenty of more or less reliable statistics and numbers. If you start to compare yourself to others, in my opinion, there are only two possible outcomes: you become arrogant (when you are ahead) or you become discouraged (when you are behind). These two outcomes will every time take you away from the optimal. I love numbers and statistics, and they are one of my biggest motivators in my sport. But the key is to gather data of your own practice and performance. It is important mentally to focus and concentrate on things that are actually in your control. Not many things in life are completely in your own control. Running is great because it is simple. You will never have to battle inside your head that what if I just get someone else to do the running for me today. No you can't, and there is no doubt about it, you have to take every running step yourself. Do yourself a favor and don't compare yourself to others. I guarantee you that your life will be much more enjoyable. Share your experiences, but don't compare results. The only comparison that will benefit you is to compare yourself now and yourself in the past. Try to beat that person and you are on the right track. See Figure 1.

I got out of sports during my year in the military (2002-2003). Before that I had developed some kind of variation of celiac disease or atopic skin type of rash that would get even worse in the dark winters. That rash made sweating feel disgusting. Couple of skin specialist doctors tried to do allergy tests etc. but no one could find a solution. By the way, the problem with western medicine is that it concentrates on treating the symptoms, not to get rid of the cause. Or was I suggested that I should move on to live in a warm and sunny country? Of course not. Actually, it could be a scandal in the newspapers. Anyhow, I got out of sports and thought that it was time to move on with life and concentrate on studying. As I look back maybe that was meant to be. My studies eventually took me to Buenos Aires for half a year in Summer in Buenos Aires (during Finnish winter). My skin and my mind started to heal. The sunlight has enormous effect on physical and mental health! No pill, cream nor expensive artificial treatment up today can compete with the effect of sunlight.

I measure all kind of stuff that I find relevant to view my progress and tendencies, because I love it. One can go to library and take a book about human anatomy, study it well and then think: "now I know much about the human body". Yes, you will know the vocabulary and current medical theories to describe the matters and you will be able to discuss these matters with a real doctor at their terms. You learned their language, that's good... for communication. But, here is the thing: to understand your own body and mind, you have to experiment yourself. One has to go out and get going to understand how and where that book applies in his case. We are all different, there are such vast amount of combination of human characteristics that there will never be two of the exact same. That book can't tell you exactly how fast you can run at the moment or at your best, neither can it tell when you will hurt yourself. Life would be pretty boring if it could. We can only throw estimates according to statistics. These are things that everyone has to experiment on their own and with their own bodies. My motivation comes from doing constant work, then analyzing the data and seeing the progress in the making.


The Answer

I will now try to give an answer to the initial question above. There are tons of smaller and bigger things that I have changed since the last two years. The best memories of my teenage years are the trips and vacations around sports. They started with trips to Sweden to play basketball every Spring. The Spring is always ahead in Stockholm, so it was a pleasant to go there every time. In the high school the school's athletics team made a trip to Albufeira, Portugal in the Spring and when I was maybe 18 or 19 years we went on to train in Pisa, Italy with Johan Liitiäinen. He was a decent 800 m runner from my athletics team. Running in different climate, environment and architecture felt unreal. The trips were short, about 2 weeks, but I got a taste of what it is like to live like an athlete in other countries and climates. Those were the best trips and I still think about them with warmth. The sunlight had immediate impact, but it was also sad that I could not bottle it and take it with me to Finland.

Then in 2010 I moved for the first time from Finland to live abroad for extended period, for 5 months. And I got to experience it how the climate change affected my body and mind. 8 years had passed without having the motivation to do the thing that I really love to do and for which I have talent. I was out of shape and I played goalkeeper in the football games that we played. I was probably the worst player on the court, but I did not mind. I was participating in sports. That was a huge leap already. I bought a gym membership and went there as well. But all that was just temporary, and they were not my passion. More about my background can be read in my first blog entry: http://finnforrestgump.blogspot.com.ar/2013/09/background.html

On April 16th 2012 I tried running after a long time. I was out of shape, but I decided not to give up that easily. Inside me I knew that this is the sport that I can be very good at. This is the thing in my life that I have talent for. Besides that it's nice to go outside for a run and enjoy the day and sun. I decided to make running a marathon my first goal. A popular and a result oriented choice. What I really had wanted (which I did not realize at the moment) was to make running a big part of my life again. I quickly realized that running filled much what I had been missing in my life. And it took away things that were keeping me down like alcohol and cigarettes. I felt that running could solve everything in my life. I just need to run and life will organize itself. And I have to tell this: now 20 months later I haven't been this healthy mentally or physically before since when I was 12 years old (and back then life was great). I can appreciate the sports in my life now more than ever.


My key points to staying motivated

First of all, to be truly motivated the activity should be one's passion. One can not be passionate about something just because a website, television or a magazine tells you that this is the new trend and that all the cool kids are doing it. Also, the result oriented thinking fails so many people. For instance, let's think about all these people who are fighting to lose weight. Their goal is to lose weight. Losing weight can not be the passion of anyone, or if it is there won't be much weight to lose after a while (or probably there never was). My tip to people that battle issues with overweight is to think about what is a thing that they would like to do that is physical exercise as well? If something is boring, you have to make a game out of it. Chopping wood for example. Commit yourself to chop one hour of wood per day until it feels too easy then make a new goal to chop 2 hours per day. Put your results in Excel and draw graphs. Think about ways you can chop more in the same time without cheating. Buy better equipment. Chop some more. You will end up with a huge pile of firewood to sell as you get more skilled and better shape, but don't mind that. In fact, if my running would produce some kind of side product I would be glad to cover my running gear expenditures by selling some firewood on the side. My running just produces carbon dioxide and so far no one has showed interest in buying it. The point being sometimes you have to tackle the goal indirectly. I do running to improve my performance, I want to be the best I can in running. It's not about actually winning it although I always try to win. But what I am really gaining from this is all the positive health benefits: the physical and the mental. The quality of my life has gone up significantly.

Figure 2: I agree on this one

Secondly, don't deny yourself things that you want. The diets. I don't believe in them. At my current level, I can run about 100 km per week. The only thing that matters is constancy of exercise. Plan sufficiently hard workouts but not too hard and then commit yourself to stick to the plan. The reward is that you can eat what ever you feel like as long as you are ready to hit it hard again tomorrow. That takes pretty much alcohol out of the question right away. Sorry, you can not nail your exercise in hangover. By doing more and more exercise with less time to rest in between, the body will tell you what it wants you to eat. Running has made me crave for more carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruits. I rarely eat meat anymore. I feel like it is too heavy to digest. Hamburgers, pizza? No thanks. But I will have a chicken salad with ten potatoes, please. I have not felt this healthy for a long time. Maybe once a week I crave for chocolate, so I get chocolate tablet and eat the whole thing.

Figure 3: The cheapest, the closest and the most
time-conserving gym that I have found in my area.

Thirdly. Don't make up excuses. Many people complain that the gym is too far or too expensive, they don't have time or whatever other inconvenience and they are ready to give up right away. One should see this as an opportunity to be creative. Think about ways how you can get in your exercise even though it seems that inconvenient and difficult. At the end of the day all those inconveniences can be solved if you just get a bit creative. One of the most popular excuses is the time. You can always have time if you just prioritize your life again. Rearrange yourself. It really is your decision. Don't blame anyone else from stealing all your time, take what is yours. Make the exercise part of your daily routine, a necessity. Run to your work, if it is too far away get off the bus or car before you arrive and run the last kilometers to get the work. "There's no shower at my work." Then ask some local gym if you can use their shower in the mornings. There is always a way get in the exercise if you really want it.

Last but not least. Avoid monotony. Vary the intensity, routes and music if you listen to it while doing exercise. These are just a few tips that work for me and some other people. Everyone has to think this in their own case separately and do their own choices so to get back on the right track to be healthy and happy.


There is more to it

To get physically in good shape is the first step, but it does not end there, oh no. I have realized I haven't been yet very deep in the game after reading a couple of books of ultrarunners. But what I have experienced already is that I get to a whole new level spiritually when I'm spewing my guts out on the side of the road. In running, that is indeed a reward. You don't get there every time even when you try. It is a sign of accomplished hard work and the feeling is tremendous when your heart is pumping at maximum rate at the same time. If you haven't felt it (yet), then you are missing out. That is a door to the Other Side. Even the most cynic can become a free spirit floating in the universe, for a short moment at least. One couldn't care less about economy crisis or debt at that moment.

Take responsibility of your actions and choose to do what you love to do!

Body Composition and Somatotype

Introduction

At the end of the Season it's good to relax a bit physically and mentally. Let the blisters and aches heal before the Base Training begins again. It is also a good time to head for Doctor's office and take some tests to see what's going on in the body and to see which direction should you tweak your plans next Season. I had a blood exam taken of me, a cardiology test of gradual exercise on a bike, and an anthropologic exam to measure my Body Composition and Somatotype. Ask for as thorough as possible exams. My blood tests came out all lights green. I had some pretty good METS (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values in the cardiology test. But if there were signs of warning found in these tests, now would be the perfect time to adapt. Adjust training program, check your nutrition and so on. I have been eating kind of whatever I feel like, and I have noticed that by adding more and more Training Load my body craves healthier food. But I will discuss my experiences on nutrition and food in a separate blog entry. There are tons of small details that add up in the equation of performance and health. And yes, one CAN be fit and unhealthy at the same time or the other way around.


Body Composition

In physical fitness, Body Composition is used to describe the percentages of fat, bone and muscle in human bodies. Because muscular tissue takes up less space in our body than fat tissue, our Body Composition, as well as our weight, determines leanness. Two people of equal height and body weight may look completely different from each other because they have a different Body Composition.

Doctor A. Cernadas, a specialist in sports medicine, measured my dimensions according to the methods of Heath & Carter. 25 different measurements were made and entered to Excel to calculate certain anthropological values. My stretched height (standing as straight as I could with my lungs full of air) was 185,4 cm and my weight 79,4 kg. A recent photo of me and my current Body Composition are presented below in the Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1: Recent photo of me.

Figure 2: My current Body Composition, 8.11.2013.

Translations for the elements in Figure 2: Masa adiposa is body fat, masa muscular is muscle mass, masa residual is residual mass, masa ósea is bone mass, and masa de la piel is skin mass. My body fat is 19,5%, muscular mass is 49,6%, residual mass (entrails, organs, lungs) 13,3%, bone mass 12,3%, and skin mass 5,4%. In the Figure 2 on the right side can be seen a comparison of me to the average unisex human being calculated as if everyone's height was 170,18 cm. The line in the middle at value 0 is the average. I weigh just a notch less than average, I have very little fat, my bone mass is about average, I have little bit more than average muscular mass and my residual mass is high, which means that my lungs, heart, entrails and other organs are large. Fun fact: The most out of line value of the measurements was the perimeter of my head. It was found out that my head is exceptionally small, to what my wife replied: "that explains so much".


Somatotype

"The technique of somatotyping is used to appraise body shape and composition. The somatotype is defined as the quantification of the present shape and composition of the human body. It is expressed in a three-number rating representing endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy components respectively, always in the same order. Endomorphy is the relative fatness, mesomorphy is the relative musculo-skeletal robustness, and ectomorphy is the relative linearity or slenderness of a physique." -Heath & Carter

Table 1: Anthropometric dimensions, 8.11.2013.

Ten anthropometric (study of humankind) dimensions are needed to calculate the anthropometric somatotype: stretch stature, body mass, four skinfolds (triceps, subscapular, supraspinale, medial calf), two bone breadths (biepicondylar humerus and femur), and two limb girths (arm flexed and tensed, calf). My anthropometric dimensions measured 8th of November 2013 are listed on the left in the Table 1.


1. The equations used for Somatotype Analysis from the measured anthropometric values:

Endomorphy = -0.7182+0.1451(X)-0.00068(X^2)+0.0000014(X^3)

Mesomorphy = [0.858(HB)+0.601(FB)+0.188(CAG)+0.161(CCG)]-[0.131(H)]+4.5

Ectomorphy:
If HWR>40.75, then Ectomorphy = 0.732(HWR)-28.58
If HWR<40.75, and >38.25, then Ectomorphy = 0.463(HWR)-17.63
If HWR<38.25, then Ectomorphy = 0.1 (or recorded as ½),

where
X = (sum of triceps, subscapular and supraspinale skinfolds) multiplied by (170.18/height in cm);
HB = humerus breadth;
FB = femur breadth;
CAG = arm girth (corrected);
CCG = calf girth (corrected);
H = height;
HWR = height / cube root of weight.

2. Plotting somatotypes on the 2-D somatochart:

X-coordinate = ectomorphy - endomorphy

Y-coordinate = 2 x mesomorphy - (endomorphy + ectomorphy)

3. Somatotype attitudinal distance (SAD) is the exact difference between two points in a 2-D somatochart. 

SAD between two points, a and b, in a somatochart:

SAD(ab) = {[ENDO(a)-ENDO(b)]^2+[MESO(a)-MESO(b)]^2+[ECTO(a)-ECTO(b)]^2}^½,

where

ENDO = endomorphy;

MESO = mesomorphy;

ECTO = ectomorphy.

Figure 3: 2-D Somatochart: typical elite marathon runner (red)
and my current (blue) somatotypes.

According to Figure 3 my current somatotype is close to typical elite marathon runners' somatotype. There is in fact very little I should change if I aim to run a marathon as fast as I possibly can, which I do. But let's say I want my somatotype to be exactly the average elite marathon runner's somatotype, then what should I do. My current somatotype coordinate is 0,9-4,0-3,0 (endo-meso-ecto) and the average elite marathon runner has 1,8-4,4-3,7. My endomorphy (relative fat) is lower, my mesomorphy (musculo-sceletal strength) is just a little bit lower, and my ectomorphy (relative linearity) is somewhat lower as well. In the Figure 3 we can see that my mesomorphy is higher than the comparation point. And that is because of my lower endomorphy. In other words my lack of fat compensates for the lack in strength and leanness. And that makes my current somatotype almost perfect for marathon running.

Well then, my somatotype is suited for running marathon, that's good, because I want to excel in that sport. But then it got me wondering, what other sports are there that would be perfect for my body structure, and what should I do to transform myself to a rugby player, high jumper or sumo wrestler. The relation between different sports is also interesting. Closest to my interest is the fact that the distance runners on track running 5000 and 10000 meters are leaner and have less fat than marathoners. I dug some images of the somatotypes for male athletes in different sports (see Figures 4 and 5).

Figure 5: Male somatotypes in different sports.

Figure 4: Male somatotypes in different sports.

This is all somewhat obvious if you just look at a person, or the elite athletes in different sports. The elite athletes all possess the stereotypic somatotype or body structure which just happens to be close to optimal for given sport. Indeed, there are methods of Somatotype Analysis from photographs. The sports that require more skill (say soccer or tennis) are not that dependable that the elite athlete has the optimal somatotype. Although running is a skill that takes years and years to master, and still you can always improve, it's a lot more simple than almost any other sport.

Running is such pure form of physical stimulant and so efficient that you can go from being fresh to destroyed in less than a minute (400 m running). For comparison: a one minute football game sounds silly, doesn't it? Why is it essentially impossible to play one minute of football with such intensity that after the one minute you need to come out of the game and call it a day? That's because the ball is a huge distraction. The more physically demanding and less skill-oriented the sport, the closer to the optimal somatotype one should be to make his personal best. This is a video of probably the highest level of competition in distance running on our planet: 12K cross-country championships of Kenya. Their heights and weights differ, but they all share a similar somatotype.

Schedule for 2014

Introduction

Figure 1: Lasse Virén getting up during 10,000 m Olympic Final.

According to the legendary and revolutionary distance training coach, Arthur Lydiard, the single most important factor in planning a training schedule is the date of the competition. This is the competition where you want to perform at your best. Everything done (including racing) before this is part of preparation for the Big Event. The best trainee of distance running in his time was my compatriot, Lasse Virén. He probably was not the best athlete in the field, nor the most gifted, nor genetically superior, but he was the best prepared and was performing at his very best when it mattered, when others couldn't. He won twice both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m competitions in the Olympics, consecutively in '72 and '76. He planned his training in four year cycles always performing at his best in the Olympics. He performed quite poorly in the years between the Games, and received a lot of critic for it especially in his home country, only to shine again when the stakes were at the highest.

The inventor, Arthur Lydiard, was a high school drop-out, shoe factory worker from New Zealand, who later revolutionized distance running training, after doing his own experiments of running training. Until then, most of the distance runners trained running too hard and too fast in the practice. Lydiard taught that most of the training is to be aerobic, jogging. To go fast you have to learn to go slow. Since the prime years of Lasse Virén the game has changed, but the principles of Lydiard still apply.


My Season

My season will be divided in to two parts. In the first part, the first 6 months, my goal is to run a decent 10K Road Race in April. In the second part of the season and my primary goal of this season is to be running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October. So far I have no goal times, I just plan to improve every aspect of my distance running, and perform in the goal races to my current potential. The Chicago Marathon is known to be on a fast and flat course. Over the years this course has produced four world records. But more important than these competitions and results is to keep on making progress and build up the amount of training that I can take. In the larger picture I am on the Quest to find out my true potential as a distance runner.


Setting Out the Schedule

Figure 2: Plan for the Season 2014.

The frame of my 2014 Schedule and Plan is presented on the left in the Figure 2. I will begin my Season on the 4th of November after having been resting for 3 weeks after my previous Season. Besides the planned 4000 km+ of running next year (or five to six pairs of running shoes), I will be doing cross-training twice a week in the form of circulation practice program called Iron Strength (developed by Dr. Jordan Metzl). Iron Strength program is designed for distance runners. Overall at the hardest part of the training I will be doing 9 practices per week (7 running, 2 cross-training). Cross-training is important to prevent injury while running. Not just that, but I will be stronger and run faster and longer with more strength.

The Season begins with 8 weeks of Base Training: aerobic running 7 times per week. Still trying to avoid monotony and effort. I try to mix it up with longer, shorter, Easy Runs, Recovery Runs, all the possible combinations, maybe throw in an occasional Fartlek practice. The goal is to build up my weekly kilometers during the Base Training, so that I can just add intensity later, but keep the distance the same. One sure recipe for injury is to try to add intensity and distance at the same time. The rule of thumb is first the distance, then the intensity.

I should be able to handle 90 to 100 km kilometers per week by the time I will start with the 16-week 10K Training Program in the New Year 2014. The 10K Program has 4 weeks of Hills Training, during which I plan to run the Hills 3 times per week. Really focusing on building the running strength. The 10K Race Prepararion phase includes Intervals and Time Trial running. The focus is on finding the speed. The last six weeks of the Program I will run Tune-up Races, once a week, leading to the Goal 10K Race. That Goal 10K Race result will be of great importance when I try to estimate my current marathon pace (and goal marathon pace) for the 18-week training leading to the Chicago Marathon in October.

Then back to fully aerobic running (end of April): 6 weeks of Base Training, building up the amount of kilometers I can handle up to 115 to 120 km, before adding intensity in the form of 18-week Marathon Training Program. I will go through the 4 training phases in the Program: Endurance (6 weeks), Lactate Threshold + Endurance (5 weeks), Race Preparation (4 weeks), and Taper (3 weeks). More details and experiences will be revealed later.


Caution

Planning is fine, analyzing is better, changing the plan is the best. The most important thing is to listen to the feedback and signals coming from the body: recovery, sleeping, appetite, aches, moods etc. and react before going too far. The Plan is just ink on the paper (or numbers in a spreadsheet). It's there to push me forward, or to hold me back. It's a simple guide that I believe can take me to another level, but the real deal of training is much more complex. My Plan will live and change, if not, then I am just being STUPID.

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My References:
Base Training - Running to the Top (Arthur Lydiard)
10K Training Program - Running to the Top (Arthur Lydiard)
42K Training Program - Advanced Marathoning (Pete Pfitzinger & Scott Douglas)

2013 Season Recap

Training

The 2012 Season ended up in running my first ever Marathon on 13th of October 2012. After the Race my legs were tired and hurt for three days. After one week of almost complete rest I enrolled to the local gym Mr. Mundo. I started strength training by following a program planned by the Director of the gym, Hernan Brisco. I went to the gym 4 times a week for 5 weeks, a total of 20 practices. Core and legs training is the most important for marathon runner but you can't forget the upper body. The idea of strength training in the gym for a marathoner is not only to get more strength, but to fix imbalancies in the muscle groups to prevent injuries when running. Triathlonists train more hours and get less hurt. Why? Because they have more balanced and versatile training than marathoners. The strength training program needs to be designed in a way that you do not cause more imbalancies but you fix the ones that exist and build strength balanced without building too much muscle.


November to December

Figure 1: 3:30-Program training progress.

19th of November (week 47) I started a 3:30-marathon training program. The Program included running six times per week. After I started to follow the Program I quickly noticed that I was kind of pushing my limit. I did not have energy to go to the gym for strength training anymore. I could follow the Program 4 weeks before I had to quit. In the fourth week my legs felt heavy going in to the practice. I had developed shin splints and my right leg hamstring bothered me as well.

I figured out that my Base was not sufficiently good for following this Program. I would have to cut back the intensity and go to low intensity Base Training. I was fine with that. I decided that I would run the Buenos Aires Marathon again in next October, so I had plenty of time to build my Base and then do a marathon specific training program. My progress of key workouts during the first four weeks of the 3:30-program is presented in Figure 1.


Second Off-season

Figure 2: Delicious food at the beach in Cartagena, Colombia.

After I had slightly burned myself out with the 3:30-program, I eased up with the training during our vacations in Cordoba, Argentina (Christmas) and Colombia (New Year). They say holidays are the best time for an athlete to train. But this year I had to make an exception. And I think I made a wise choice of giving up the 3:30-program, slowed down, rested well, both physically and mentally. During the second off-season I ran Recovery Runs and Easy Runs three times a week until the end of the year 2012. I tried twice running at altitude in Bogota, Colombia (2700 m elevation) as an experiment. And took completely off from training the week 2 of 2013. Just laying on the beach and spending quality time with my wife in Cartagena, Colombia. The best thing for me in Colombia is the FOOD! Someday I will return, and just run a lot and eat the healthy, unprocessed, natural food. The colombians are also great cooks. Every restaurant or kiosk I visited, the food was delicious, not to mention the meals that the locals prepare in their homes.

January to April

Base Training. The Summer on the southern hemisphere lasts from December to March. During that time the temperatures in the day are very hot for training. The best time to go out running is early in the morning or late in the evening. I prefer running in the morning.

I got back to training on week 3. I started an experiment in which I tried to add 3 kilometers of running every week. Starting from 37 km, 5 times of running in the first week. Next week I ran 40 km. The intensity level was low, just Recovery and Easy Runs. I was teaching my legs and body to get used to the pounding and weekly distance that would be ahead of me when I would start to train according to a marathon training program. But for now I had 4 months time to slowly build my Base, while trying to stay healthy and uninjured. I added sixth running practice to my weekly schedule and ran uninterrupted and without injury until week 14. At week 13 I already ran 71,9 km. I had added to my weekly schedule Fartlek (Speed play) and Long Runs. My Easy Run pace had increased during the Base Training from about 5:25 min/km to 5:00 min/km at the same effort. I was making great progress while constantly adding my training quantity. I was all the time kind of close to pushing my limit, but still steering clear from injury. "Training, not straining" goes the saying implemented by the late great distance training coach Arthur Lydiard.

Figure 3: Eccentric Achilles Tendon strength training.

But then it hit me on week 14. My right Achilles Tendon got sore, and I could not complete my daily runs without pain. I stopped running and started doing a so called Iron Strength circulation training designed by Dr. Jordan Metzl, who writes a column on Runner's World. Eccentric strength training is vital in treating and preventing the Achilles Tendinitis that causes pain to the Tendon while running. Without proper treatment the Achilles Tendinitis will eventually prevent running. I was less than one month away from starting 3-hour marathon training program and my priority was to get healthy before the program begins. So I took off almost two weeks from running and did a few times the Iron Strength practice and eccentric Achilles Tendon strength training three times per day.

Two weeks before the begin of the marathon training program I got back to running. My Achilles Tendons felt alright again. To treat this kind of injuries, resting is not an option. Resting will take the pain away temporarily, but it will come back when you run again. The key is to change something: get more strength, change the position of the feet, or both. The day before the start of the marathon training program I went out and bought new running shoes, Asics Kayano 19. I was consulted at Club de Corredores that I should go on to get my feet scanned and get me a pair of custom made insoles from a company called Sporthesis. I did and instantly my Achilles Tendon problems were over. I ran 736,4 km in total during the Base Training from January to April while spending 64 and half hours on the Road.


May to October

Marathon Training. I started training specifically for the 2013 Buenos Aires Marathon on week 18, 29th of April. I had 24 weeks to go until the Race. I had built a pretty solid Base during the previous four months. Running up to 72 km per week. Now was the time to add effort and intensity to the training. The first week of the marathon training program I ran six practices with Friday as a Rest day. I totaled 56,5 km running Recovery Runs, Easy Run, Long Run, Marathon Pace Run, Tempo Run and Hills. The frame of training every week is basically the same except some of the training circulate in different cycles. I ran Hills and Intervals every third week. Recovery Runs, Easy Runs, Long Runs, Marathon Pace Runs and Tempo Runs once every week. The most training I did 4 weeks before the Main Event, running 89,9 km, including 8 x 800 m Intervals, 8 km Tempo Run, 14 km Marathon Pace Run, and 32 km Long Hard Run.

Figure 4: Recovery Run progress.

Recovery Runs

Recovery Runs (PK1) are the lowest intensity running practice. The effort level is around 70% of the maximum heart rate. In my case I run the Recovery Runs at about 130 bpm average HR (my max HR is 185). The warm-ups and cool-downs are also included in Recovery Runs category in addition to the easy Monday when I usually ran 6K Recovery Run practice.

The Recovery Run progress is presented in the figure 4. As can be interpreted from the table I increased my Recovery Run pace during the 24 weeks from about 5:25 min/km to 5:10 min/km. Recovery Run is all about low intensity. The closer to 130 avg HR the better the practice!

Easy Runs

Figure 5: Easy Run progress.

Easy Runs (PK2) are run with slightly more intensity than the Recovery Runs. The effort is about 75% from the max HR. Still deep in the aerobic effort zone. I ran Easy Runs on Wednesday, which was another easy day of the week. The usual Easy Run practice was 6K. During the training program as I got fitter my Easy Run pace got faster from about 5:00 min/km to 4:40 min/km. The progress is presented on the right in Figure 5. My objective was running about 140 bpm average HR (75%).

Figure 6: Long Run progress.

Long Runs

The cornerstone of marathon training is the weekly Long Run. Long Runs are included in shorter distance training as well but in marathon training they are the single most important weekly practices. Most of the Long Runs I did with constant pace. When I got fitter I included some Long Hard Runs, both the 32 km Long Runs. The one Long Run marked with asterisk (*) is a Half Marathon Race. I did my Long Runs usually on Sunday mornings.

The progress is presented in the Figure 6. During the Long Runs I also practiced drinking while running and tested the sports drinks that they would be okay for me to consume during a race.

Figure 7: Marathon Pace Run progress.

Marathon Pace Runs

Average 3-hour Marathon Pace (VK2) is 4:16 min/km. My primary goal during this year was to be able to run sub-3 hour marathon. In the beginning of the Marathon Training I was not fit enough to keep up that pace without turning the practice in to a Tempo Run practice. Marathon Pace runs should be run under the Lactate Threshold effort level, that way keeping it aerobic, but close to the anaerobic effort level. By experiment and recent experience I have come to a conclusion that my Lactate Threshold is at about 160 bpm HR. Lactate Acid is always formed even at the lightest actions that you do. When the effort level is risen for example from walking to running, more Lactate Acid is created. When the effort is kept under the Lactate Threshold, the body is able to deal with the Lactate Acid without it being accumulated in the muscles. Marathon cruising speed is done at the effort just under the Lactate Threshold.

During the Marathon Training I first had to run slower than my goal pace. Later in the Program I could run at the goal pace and in the latter part I could even go under it without using too much effort. I ran the Marathon Pace Runs on Thursdays or Saturdays, once per week. The progress is presented in the Figure 7, where the one marked with asterisk (*) is the 2013 Buenos Aires Marathon Race.

Figure 8: Tempo Run progress.

Tempo Runs

The Tempo Runs (MK) are run at the Lactacte Threshold and over it. They are tough workouts that provide very efficient training stimulus to the body. The effort level is hard to very hard, almost the maximum that you can get out of the body in practice. But it is still important to remember not to sprint too much at the end. That would just turn the practice in to a Race and it is not a desired effect, because it takes more time to recover from that. That's why the gained benefit from sprinting at the end is lost, and you even risk an injury for no actual gain.

In the beginning I run shorter Tempo Runs starting from 5 km at about 4:00 min/km pace. My Tempo Runs got longer and I got faster at the same time when my fitness improved. The longest Tempo Run was 10 km at 3:48 min/km pace. The Tempo Run progress is presented on the left in the Figure 8. The one marked with asterisk was a 10K Race in Hämeenlinna, Finland. As you can see, you can get a lot more effort out of the "engine" when you have a number on the chest. That's Sports Psychology 101 right there!

Intervals

Figure 9: Intervals progress.

I've heard many marathoners don't like running intervals. Then I must be an exception. I love intervals. They remind me of the old days when I trained for 400 meters. The intervals are the bread and butter of milers and 5K to 10K runners. Interval training improves VO2max (maximal oxygen consumption) which is very important for milers and 5K to 10K runners. Marathoners also benefit from having a high VO2max, but it is not that dominating characteristic.

I haven't tested my VO2max at any training facility. I don't know how accurate the Polar VO2max test is, but the best value I have scored with it was 71 ml/kg/min. That is pretty good result. According to literature a typical elite marathoner has VO2max between 70 and 75 ml/kg/min, so I am right there with my oxygen consumption. That is probably one of the reasons why the interval paces McMillan has calculated are quite easy for me. Especially when I ran the 4 x 400 m intervals during the taper. 

I ran intervals once every third week. My progress was highly visible as can be seen in Figure 9. I was very content when I finished the 8 x 800 m intervals three weeks before the Race. I felt I was in pretty good shape to be able to run strong all of those repeats.

Hills

Figure 10: Hills training.

If you don't want to go to the gym to do strength training for legs, then run Hills! I ran 7 times hills: some of them as intervals, trying to hammer the 100 m hilly sprints repetitions. When I was practicing in Finland I could run hilly routes and hit the uphills hard to make a bit different type of Hills practice. Sometimes my hamstrings reminded me of their existence. The stiffness at my hamstring was the usual reason to cut short the practice before injuring myself. In a way there was no progress in my Hills training, but I am not training to run uphills as fast as possible. It is just a means of adding strength.


Summary

My 2013 Season is presented in numbers in the Figure 10. Compared to the 2012 Season, let it be that was only half year long, I increased significantly the kilometers (from 650 km to about 2600 km) and intensity. I was injured a lot less which is a sign that I did not try to reach too much at once. During the Season my fitness, running economy, speed and endurance all took giant leaps forward. I am looking forward to continue training in 2014 and I sure hope that a similar trend of progress goes on. I also learned what marathon training is about.

Figure 11: 2013 Season in numbers.

Racing

Figure 12: After 10K Race in
Hämeenlinna, Finland

I raced only three times during 2013. My first Race was a 10K in Hämeenlinna, Finland on 9th of July. Eleven weeks in to the 24-weeks Marathon Training Program. 42K and 21K Races were ran that day as well, but I took part in the smaller 10K Race. The day was nice, not too hot, temperature maybe 25 C, sunny, no wind, a very nice Finnish summer weather. The route had a couple hills but nothing big. A total of 150 runners finished the 10K Race including all the categories. I did not have any pacing plan, I just went with the flow, letting my brain dictate the pace and enjoying the competition without too much stress about the outcome. I started off too hard, running the first kilometers at about 3:40 min/km pace. I faded in the second part running the slowest kilometer at 4:10 min/km pace. I was 10th in the overall results with a time of 39:51 (average pace 3:59 min/km). There is a special atmosphere in the Races in Finland. Racing is hard, but fair. Giving up is not an option here. I think we, the Finns, are more competitive than the people in most parts of the World and take racing quite serious even though it is just a local competition with a few hundred participants. Or maybe it is just because of that. Anyway I hadn't felt that sensation in 10 years. It was good to be back.

Figure 13: Finishing 21K.

On 8th of September I raced in the Arnet 21K Buenos Aires Half Marathon. That Race was an important part of my marathon training just 5 weeks before the Main Event of the Season. I made my best result of the Season in this Race. I had a pacing plan to run about 1.26 (average pace 4:05 min/km). But I ended up running it 1.23:17 (average pace 3:56 min/km) and finished at position 197 of 14510 total finishers. I lacked discipline and was a bit reckless in the start but luckily it worked out great for me. This was a big confidence boost for me and after the Race I was quickly already eyeing the 42K, eagerly willing to go out and kill it.

The Main Event of the Season was the Personal 42K Buenos Aires Marathon. My Race Recap can be read here.

Special thumbs up to Aki Rissanen (the masseur of Finnish Athletics Team and my old team mate) for massaging my hamstrings and teaching me eccentric hamstring stretches that helped me to get rid of hamstring trouble and allowed me to start sprinting and generally run faster!

Personal Maraton de Buenos Aires Race Report

Introduction

The Buenos Aires Marathon Route (see Figure 1 below) includes very few hills and those few that there are, are not long nor steep. The Race is at sea level. But why this marathon is not the fastest possible is because the air in Buenos Aires is sometimes very humid. The Race is set to run in the Spring (in Octobre), temperatures typically at the start (7:30 am) about 15 to 17 C and during the Race rising over 20 C. It is a nice Route to tackle if you are a Tourist. The Route takes you to many of the most famous sights in this city. And for once the streets are closed and you can enjoy the city without the chaotic traffic. You will see how the rich and the poor are living in this city: the inequality gap and contrast is huge for me (I'm from Finland, one of the countries with the most equality in the World). I think running this marathon is a better way to explore the city than any sightseeing bus, and probably takes less time and effort!

Figure 1: The Route of Marathon of Buenos Aires 2013.

Pacing Plan

Five weeks before the Buenos Aires Marathon (Main Event of the season) I run Arnet 21K Buenos Aires as a very hard practice racing almost all-out. I considered this run as a Very Hard Long Run. My initial plan was to run with an average pace of 4:05 min/km. Instead I started out fast and my plans were thrown out of window. I decided after the first kilometers to just let my subconscious ("Central Governor") do the pacing for me. It worked out very well. I run the whole distance strong, managed to pick up even more pace after 10K mark, and only faded just a little bit in the last 2 to 3 kms. My time (1.23:17) was 3 minutes faster than what I had planned. Average pace was 3:56 min/km. And this race was in the midst of the hardest part of the training. I felt really confident after the 21K race that I could run even faster the marathon than what I had planned in 5 weeks after tapering.

I use Greg McMillan's pace calculators for reference when I try to figure out my practice and racing paces. So far I think the paces in training I have been using have been pretty close to my ability. According to McMillan if you run 21K in 1.23:17 (3:56 min/km), you can expect to run the 42K in 2.55:16 (4:09 min/km), and vice versa. There are a lot of things that the pace calculator obviously can't take into account. I am learning now by trial and error. But my 21K Race 5 weeks before gave me confidence to make a Pacing Plan of 2.55:00 Marathon.

The plan was to start out just a bit slower the first 8 km, running a pace of 4:15 min/km. After 8 km mark the plan was to go for my marathon cruising speed, 4:07 min/km, and hold on until 32 km mark. And then Green Flag for the last 10 kilometers. The average pace of the Race would then be 4:09 min/km in about 2.55 total race time.


Energy Plan

My muscles and liver were charged with glycogen from loading carbohydrates 4 days in to the race. I planned on taking three energy gels with water during the race. 15K, 25K and 35K at the water aid stations. In between the water stations there are Gatorade sports drink aid stations, a total of 7 of those stations.


The Race

The Race day morning was cloudy, temperature at 17 C and very humid 90%. The air was quite heavy to breathe and it would only get worse as the day goes on. But overall the weather and the Route was pretty alright for making a good time.

Figure 2: Waiting for the Bang

I got a good spot to start in the Race near the top. My legs felt good, everything was fine, trying to hold back, but still I run the first kilometer 4:03 min/km. 12 seconds faster than what I had planned. I thought: "OK. Well the Game is not over yet. Remember what happened last time (21K five weeks ago). I have now banked some time and that's it, now just slow down to the pace in the plan." And that, my friends, is the ultimate self lie that your mind feeds you when racing. Happens every time. For some reason there is an in-built need in ourselves that when we make a mistake, we start looking for different angles and point of views that better justify our own actions (and mistakes). It has to be some kind of defense mechanism against discourage and depression. Part of the Game is to have sufficient strong mindset that you don't fall to these temptations and distractions that the race throws at you.

Second kilometer 4:08 min/km, third kilometer 4:08 min/km. Still banking time, and running feels so light and easy. "Maybe if I just keep on this pace until 32 km I will be alright?" I ended up running the first 8 km with an average pace of 4:09 min/km. My 10K split was 41:30. I was running strong, without nuisances, still feeling optimistic about my chances. Sandra was cheering for me at 11K. I felt great. From 10K to 15K I run couple of kilometers too fast. Kilometer 14 was 3:58. In my original plan my pace was 4:07 min/km until 32K. I did not run another kilometer in the Race under 4:10 min/km after 15K mark. At about kilometer 19 I started to feel it in my guts that I had gone out too fast. My 21K split was 1.27:39, average pace so far 4:09 min/km. I was right on time to run a 2.55 marathon. But my legs were quickly becoming really heavy. "This is how you are supposed to feel at 35K, not 22K." I would have to put in more effort to maintain my pace. And I was very far away from the Finish Line. I had to drop down pace or I would crash in no time.

I set out that morning to break the 3-hours. My legs gave in at about 21K mark and soon after the half way mark I was running 4:25 min/km pace and slowing down constantly and inevitably. There was nothing wrong with my energy levels or hydration, there was nothing that I could try to fix. I just plain and simple had gone out too fast and trashed my legs during the first part of the Race. The last two kilometers before I retired from the Race were 4:30 min/km and 4:40 min/km, over 30 seconds slower than what I had intended. I pulled out of the Race at 26.5 km. I felt a bit angry and disappointed at myself, but there was nothing to do to pick up the pace anymore. I decided not to try to jog to the Finish Line. This Race was not a once in a lifetime opportunity. Just one tough day in a Runner's life. A regular Sunday.

Figure 3: Heart Rate (Red Line), Running Speed (Grey Line)

My Polar Race Data from the Race is presented in Figure 3. The static in the grey line is caused by distractions to the GPS by the tall buildings in the center of the city.

Result: DNF, withdrew from race at 26.5 km after running 1.53.


The Lesson

It is NOT invaluable to race and have to pull out. On the contrary, I obtained good data for my Polar. You have to run too fast in a Race to learn about your limits and restrictions. You can learn a lot about your capabilities when you exceed them. Sometimes you run (like my first Marathon) a "perfect" race without actually knowing how you did it. It might feel that you executed everything brilliantly and achieved the best possible result. How would you know that it was a perfect race if you don't have something that really has gone over the limit to compare to? That "perfect" race that you did might not be that perfect if you only knew better your capabilities. Once you find out how to run a perfect race by testing and investigating your running, all you have to do is try to repeat it. Until then, experiment! Don't run around brainlessly. In shorter distance racing testing your capability by running different strategies is easier because you can run them more often. But marathon is special in a way, that if you aim to run the best possible time and result at your current fitness level, you don't have much CONFIRMED information about your marathon capability at your disposal. You can try to estimate your current marathon running capability but you really learn about the limits and capabilities by trial and error.

This week I confirmed myself that I have more fast twitch muscle fibers than what I expected when I decided on my marathon pacing. I run faster shorter distances (5K, 10K, 21K) than what I am capable of running the full 42K marathon according to many tables that try to estimate marathon finishing times. I have to take this in to account when I plan my pacing for the next marathon. Five days prior to the race I run 4 x 400 m intervals: the imaginary typical 2.55-marathon runner's 400 m interval pace was very easy for me. That, my recent marathon performance, and knowing that my marathon training was in balance convinced me that I have more fast twitch muscle fibers (and other characteristics that make me relatively faster at shorter distances) than the imaginary runner in the McMillan Pace Calculation Tables. In the future I have to adjust the paces accordingly.

2013 Marathon Training

Training Program Structure

After studying literature about marathon specific training from books and internet sites I decided to go with the 3-hour marathon 24-week training program from Finnish Marathon Runners website as the frame to learn how to train for a marathon. For my first marathon my Base was so weak that I could only include in my training program Recovery Runs, Easy Runs, slow Long Runs and a bit of Tempo Run, nothing more. This time my Base was a lot better and I could do way more kilometers since the beginning and higher intensity training.

Table 1: Training Program structure

The 3-hour Marathon Training Program structure is presented in the Table 1 above. The acronyms in the table are RR (Recovery Run), ER (Easy Run), MP (Marathon Pace Run), and LR (Long Run).

This training program includes 6 days of running per week, once a day. Fridays are completely off from training, Rest days. Every Monday I run 6 km Recovery Run. On Tuesdays I have either Tempo Run, Hills, or Intervals, a very high intensity day. On Wednesdays I run 6 km Easy Run. Thursdays is either Marathon Pace Run or Tempo Run. Fridays are Rest day. For me it is very important that I rest one day per week physically and mentally. On Saturdays I run Marathon Pace or every third week a Recovery Run. Sundays is the Long Run.

As you can see, this program is constructed in a way that every other day is hard practice and every other is easy practice. There is also difference in the weekly work loads. Two weeks harder, one week easier, more or less. This is crucial so that you don't burn out.

When you are out there doing the practice, concentrate and stay focused. Whatever the practice, do it well but stay relaxed. It's not serious, it's FUN. The practice is the best part of my day. The heart rate monitor is a very useful tool to control the effort. Without a heart rate monitor runners tend to run the easy practice with too high intensity and then the hard practice with too low intensity. The idea is to use the whole spectrum of the effort level. The training program has 7 different type of running practice. When learning to train running, one important thing to learn right away is to distinguish and feel the difference between different type of the practices. One should understand how and why each practice is done.

All of those 7 running practices ultimately aim to make you a faster marathon runner. The marathon cruising speed is constructed of lots of pieces. More than just these 7 running practices. Marathon is NOT just endurance. You need sufficient endurance to be able to run 42 km, but the faster you aim to run the marathon, the more speed and strength you need to go with the endurance. I think the best word to describe the combination of speed, strength, and endurance is stamina.

Training Progress And Experiences

Recovery Runs

Every Monday I run 6 km Recovery Run. Warm-ups and Cool-downs are run at Recovery Run effort which is about 70% (130) from max HR (185). Recovery Runs are very easy. At the start of the Program my Recovery Run pace was around 5:25 min/km, and in the end of the program I run 5:10 min/km pace with the same effort.

Easy Runs

Easy Runs are just a notch harder than Recovery Runs, about 75% (140) from max HR (185). On Wednesdays I run my weekly Easy Run. In the early part of the Program I run my Easy Runs with pace around 5:00 min/km and in the end as my fitness improved I run them around 4:40 min/km pace.

In my experience the heart rate monitor is very useful in Recovery and Easy Runs to monitor that the effort is not too hard. Not once did I have problem running with enough effort, it was always that I had to hold back. The heart rate monitor does a good job at that. It is very important to run slow enough.

Long Runs

The Long Runs are the cornerstone of any Marathon Training Program. I run my Long Runs on Sundays. Most of the Long Runs, I run with the traditional approach: I run with quite low effort (75% from max HR) and try to teach the body to use fat as fuel. The ratio of carbohydrates and fat used as fuel changes along with the effort. The more intense the effort, the less fat the body uses. One key aspect of running a fast marathon is to be able to use fat as fuel while running fast and with pretty high intensity. The body learns by practice.

Figure 1: Racing As Key Practice.
Arnet 21K Buenos Aires, 8th Sept. 2013

For the Long Runs I used a combination of heart rate and pace monitoring. I would start out running and monitor my heart rate. When I reached about 75% (140) effort level (after running 2 to 3 kms) I would check my pace (5:00 to 5:10 min/km). From then on I would monitor both my heart rate and pace trying to keep them steady. In the latter part of the Long Run practice I would ignore the heart rate and just concentrate keeping the pace steady. The heart rate starts to rise when the fatigue starts to take effect. I would finish the Long Run at comfortably tired state. What a dose of endorphin!

When I was more fit in the latter part of the Training Program, I would run a couple so-called Long Hard Runs (LHR). Both of the longest Long Runs in the program (32 km) I run with LHR pacing. A 32 km Long Hard Run is devided in to two parts: the first two kilometers is a warm-up, then the 30 km is run at pace about 15 to 20 seconds slower than the estimated marathon race pace. In my case my estimated marathon at that time was 4:10 to 4:15 min/km. I run the LHR at 4:30 to 4:35 min/km average pace. It's a pretty tough practice, but nowhere near an all-out. The Training Program included three 32 km Long Runs, but one of them I changed to a Half Marathon Race, more on that later.

Marathon Pace Runs

Marathon Pace Runs are my favorite practice. Once a week I got to run this practice. It feels like you are running quite fast, but you don't have to push like in Tempo Run. The idea is to run the estimated marathon pace, get used to the pace and how it feels. In the beginning of the program I did not quite get up there because I wasn't fit enough. I run at about 4:25 min/km pace. If I would stubbornly just push my pace to the 3-hour marathon pace (4:16 min/km) I would have turned my Marathon Pace Runs in to Tempo Runs. Yes, it is about to get used to the actual race pace, but it is also about getting practice done with the 80 to 85% effort level. Running the marathon pace teaches you to run more relaxed and economic near the Lactate Threshold, but still under it. As I got fitter my Marathon Pace Runs got faster. In the end I run about 4:10 min/km Marathon Pace Runs, up to 14 km.

Tempo Runs

Tempo Run is probably the toughest practice in the program. But one gets used to hard runs and actually you can enjoy them. Reminder: Tempo Run is NOT a race. The idea is not to push too much. Just push a little bit. Train to run smart. Try to finish strong without dropping the initial pace. The first Tempo Runs in the program are 5 km and the longest in the latter part was 10 km. The effort level is nearly maximum that you can get out in practice. Up to the red zone, over 90% heart rate. Tempo Runs are scheduled once per week in the Training Program. The Tempo Run pace is good indicator what your actual marathon running potential is. In my case, I believe, because I have the marathon training balanced (I haven't skipped Long Runs, for example) with a 6 to 8 km Tempo Run pace of about 3:45 min/km, I can expect to be able to keep up 4:10 min/km marathon pace in an actual Marathon Race. That is 0:25 min/km slower.

Hills

Running the Hills is very useful in running practice. Running uphill trains strength in the legs. And when this strength is then brought back to running flat like a typical marathon course the legs are strong and your running speed is increased. One can also do uphill jumping. The longer the hill, the more cardiovascular the practice. If you want to make the Hills practice more of a strength practice run shorter and steeper hill with more intensity.

One of the problems I have encountered with training in Buenos Aires is that there are very few (if any) hills. Topografically it is one big pancake the whole city and its surroundings. I have thought about it and one way to solve the problem would be running stairways of tall buildings, or run the treadmill inclined in the gym. Running does not require very steep or large hills, and I had never come across with this dilemma in Finland. But luckily I found out (accidentally) that some of the very few hills in this city are quite close to where I live. The hills are not long or steep, but they are sufficient for short and fast hills running. Way better than nothing!

The Tuesday practice in the program varies between Hills, Tempo Run and Intervals. So every third week I had Hills training. I run 7 times Hills during the 24-week training program. Twice I run in Finland where I could get in different type of Hills practice. I could run hilly routes in Finland and just hit the uphills hard and controlled with good running posture.

Intervals

Every third week on Tuesdays I had the Intervals practice. I have done a lot of track/interval practice in my past and it was kind of nostalgic to run again the intervals. I don't have a running track at my disposal in Buenos Aires, so I run the intervals on the pavement measuring the distance with my Polar GPS. But I got to run the Intervals practice three times on brick-dust track in Helsinki, Finland. A total of 7 times 800 m Intervals. In the beginning of the Training Program I run 4 x 800m and at the toughest part of the Training Program I run 8 x 800 m. In between the Intervals I would jog slowly 400 m. My heart rate slows down to about 130 bpm (70%). My average running pace improved from 3:38 min/km (4 x 800m) to 3:25 min/km (8 x 800m).

Racing As Key Practice

I followed the Training Program fairly accurately whenever I did not have injury. But I made two major enhancements. Week 11 I run a 10K (39:50) race in Hämeenlinna, Finland and week 19 a 21K (1.23:17) race in Buenos Aires. Not only were they test runs to see where I was with my fitness, but racing can indeed serve as a very good hard work-out as well. As long as you don't taper too much and peak out in middle of training program. The 10K race fit my plans very well, because I had to take a couple of days easier anyway before the race because of traveling. The 10K replaced a Tempo Run and lifted my training load level back to where it is supposed to be during training. I got valuable information about my fitness at that moment so I could adjust correctly my training paces. The 21K I run better than I expected in the midst of heavy training. That gives me confidence to plan my pacing a bit faster in the upcoming marathon. Half marathon gives you a very good indication about your ability to run the full marathon. The 21K served as a very Hard Long Run when the training load was at highest 5 weeks before the marathon. I still managed to pull out a surprisingly good effort and that really gives me confidence to the actual race that I am preparing for.

Training Load

The Polar heart rate monitor software has a feature called Training Load. Running practice is cumulative. Training is not about one or two practices, but training continuously keeping a load on the body and mind with constant training. But one has to make sure not to load the body with too much training. Resting is as important as the training itself. As you get fitter you recover faster, and you can do more training with less rest. The so-called overtraining state is reached when you train too much with too little rest. The Polar Training Load helps you to track where you are at with your training load.

Notice that overtraining state is not easily reached. But if you don't ever reach the overtraining state in your running career, then you have never trained as hard as you could. So far I have never been there. A full blown overtraining state takes you out of running for months, even up to a year. The key is to learn to listen and respect the signals coming from the body and rest a day or two when the body is asking for it. It is important not to follow too rigid the training programs. The Training Plan is just a guideline. Once again the body does not care what you have planned on paper. The body cares what you actually do and how much recovery you allow before the next practice.

Figure 2: Planned (grey) and Actual (red) Training Load 29.4.-13.10.2013.

My Training Load during the 24-week 3-hour Marathon Training Program is presented in Figure 2. As you can see I did not miss a lot of practice during the training program.

Outroduction

I have now reached the present day in my blog. I wanted to give you readers the chance to join my journey of running starting from the very first track practice so you would have more perspective to understand better my philosophy and decisions in running and training. Tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM I start my Main Event of this season: Personal 42K Maraton de Buenos Aires. Race and Season Recaps will follow.

Thanks to everyone who's been reading this blog and for your precious feedback. I love running and analyzing it because it is not an exact science, but it can be measured and analyzed in great detail. The greatest prize that I have won so far has been when someone around me has become interested in running by seeing me run. I don't know of a better gift to give to anyone than running. It's very simple but at the same time complex and very challenging.