Endurance Nation | Triathlon Coaching, Ironman Training, Half Ironman, Beginner Triathlon

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It’s fall, and marathon season is in full swing. A disproportionate number of triathletes opt for a fall / winter marathon even though they have already had a relatively long season. We advise against running a marathon in the off-season, but if you do, you can still execute well and have a great race. Here is a relatively simple run strategy that can help you reach that elusive goal time on race day.

The marathon is a long day. Some people look at it as a “long catered run” while others are ready to set a new personal best. An effective pacing plan will get you to the latter part of the marathon ready to test yourself whereas a poor plan will only leave you with a lot of questions (and plenty of time to think about them).

Warm Up & Starting Strategy

Marathon starts are generally pretty crowded. Start heading down to the starting line about 30 minutes before race time. It’s at this time – once you have dropped your clothes bag off to race organizers or your support crew – to go pee for the last time and do a little warm up. Depending on your goals, your warm up will vary in length and intensity:

Regardless of your warm up effort, be sure to stretch/stay loose once you hit the starting line.  Even just bouncing up on your tiptoes will keep you loose and a bit warm.

Mile One to Mile Five – Warm Up Continued

Once the gun goes off, work quickly to get into a good rhythm. Do not be one of those crazy people weaving in and out of the crowd trying desperately to get on pace. That’s a great way to twist an ankle and waste a great deal of precious energy you’ll need at the end of your day. If you aren’t relaxed and smooth, then you are going too hard! Note: If you are in a large race and have a pace goal, do your best to seed yourself in a good place so you aren’t stuck behind the doode running as the Eiffel Tower.

We generally counsel athletes to figure on starting 30 seconds slower than the average pace they’d need to finish “on time”, and then taking 10 seconds off – per mile – until they are just below that mark. So for someone looking to run a 3:30 (approximately 8 minute per mile pace), we advise the following:

Mile Six to Mile Twenty – Steady Pacing

This portion of the marathon constitutes the bulk of your day. It is the longest leg yet if you are fit and tapered, you will be relatively fast through here.  Focus in on your race and your pace, ignoring the other athletes riding around you. Your goal is to maintain a pace just under the average split of your time goal. Veer from this conservative race plan and you can essentially kiss your race plan goodbye! Most folks feel pretty good at the halfway point only to have their hopes dashed by mile twenty.

Things should be much calmer at the six-mile point.  You have found your “pack” for the day and you will stick with most of these runners.  Keep the nutrition plan on target (yes, this is most important) – especially through the aid stations – as you prepare for the final six-mile push.

Mile Twenty to Finish – Bringing It Home

Make no mistake about it – you are working here. Even though the majority of your work is behind you, you still have to face the true challenge.  Your pace is moderate-hard (you might not be going any faster, just working harder to maintain the same pace) and you should be making a move on most of the field if you have paced yourself accordingly.

You are entering The Zone here. People you might have waved to before only get a ‘thumbs up’ or a nod, if that.  Your body is on autopilot and you are on a mission to get to the finish line. Continue your nutrition. Focus on maintaining good form and your pace.  You are moving aid station to aid station, preparing for that final run down the finishing chute!

Pace yourself well and you will be able to race your day. No Pace = No Race. Remember how you have trained for the last few months, for that is how you will race (no new tricks on race day!).  And most important of all: Remember to be thankful that you can do this race in the first place. Good luck and have fun!

Popularity: 9% [?]

One of the perks of living in the metro Boston area — aside from the sub-zero temps and snow-packed winters that mean I can’t train a lot — is the proximity of some really smart folks who are into athletics. The long-time popularity of the Boston Marathon, for example, means that there is quite a strong regional running community: teams, local races, group runs, etc. Most importantly it means that I have access to world-reknown experts like Dr. Thomas Michaud, D.C., one of the foremost experts in the world on foot biomechanics, foot orthoses, and gait analysis.

Dr. Michaud built his practice (literally) from the ground up, putting walls up, laying the floors, etc — and building new tools to do the analyses he wanted to perform. He’s the kinda guy with a couple of 400+ page books to his credit and a few patents…a nice guy to know.

Last time I was in, he was telling me about a recent article he wrote for Uta Pippig (also a patient/friend) regarding achilles injuries.  I was really impressed at how well Dr. Michaud lays out the challenges facing runners, common achilles issues and then offers some basic treatment options — ones that he would have you do if you showed up at his office anyway. You don’t find that kind of professional advice very often, and I think it’s worth checking out.

Here is the introduction:

“Despite its broad width and significant length, runners injure their Achilles tendons with surprising regularity. In a recent study of 69 military cadets participating in a six-week basic training program that included distance running, 10 of the 69 trainees suffered an Achilles tendon overuse injury¹.

The prevalence of this injury is easy to understand when you consider the tremendous strain runners place on this tendon; for example, during the push-off phase of the running cycle, the Achilles tendon is exposed to a force of seven times bodyweight². This is close to the maximum strain the tendon can tolerate without rupturing³. Also, when you couple the high strain forces with the fact that the Achilles tendon significantly weakens as we get older, it is easy to see why this tendon is injured so frequently.”

More wicked smart information after the jump…

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This is it’s own special category b/c of several reasons. First, it’s critical to get the layering right so that you can survive (A) in the winter time w/out freezing your bits and pieces off and (B) survive come next year when you face the competition. Let’s face it, regardless of the type of trainer that you have, you aren’t getting the same workout as you do when riding outside. If you are going to continue riding outside, however, you need to be prepared for all conditions. Here’s a list of what you need… Why Ride Outside In The Winter? 1. B/c you look like a bad ass. Impress your friends and nemeses alike by braving the bitter cold to get a workout in. 2. B/c it’s better for you. No trainer can replicate riding outside. Period. 3. B/c you have an excuse to buy some super technical gear. One word: Wind-block. Astronauts don’t have it this good. 40-Degrees and Up: You have it pretty easy. In fact, I wouldn’t call what you have “winter”, but let’s not get into that. If you are planning to ride outside, in addition to your shorts, short- and long-sleeve jerseys, you will need: * a solid base layer * a pair of lightweight gloves. Make sure the fit is just slightly loose (helps keep you warm). * a pair of booties. Even good w/ shorts in some weather, booties keep those poor little toes warm. Once these bad boys get cold there is no going back. * a pair of ear warmers. Thin and lightweight, they’ll do just the trick to take the edge off the air. * a pair of knee warmers. The perfect “i don’t know what to wear in this weather” gear. * a pair of long spandex. No pad needed (your run tights will do) * a pair of arm warmers. These are good in any weather and can make a cold ride that much better. * a wind block vest. Money for those long descents and super light to carry. * a winter jacket. If it’s just too cold, you can always reach for this over your base layer. try to get one w/ pockets in the back and armpit zippers to manage your temperature. 40-Degrees and Below: You will need all of the above gear, including: * a pair of winter gloves. Lobster gloves come to mind as they keep a nice buffer. Not easy to flip off those drivers, but you can’t win them all. * a pair of wind-block bib-tights with a zip over the belly. Think Assos. Your winter riding will be super easy. Note: You get the one w/ out the pad so you can wear your bike shorts under it for another layer. You’re so smart. * a balaclava top. So money. You will thank me again and again. Why all this gear? It’s pretty simple: riding outside is tough. You are working against the clock. You only have so much time before something becomes unbearable. Once your toes and fingers get cold, you have like 45 more minutes before things get dangerous (ie. they stop working – hint, bad for braking or trying to drink). Your toes and fingers get cold only if you haven’t wrapped up your belly and head. Unless you forgot your booties and gloves (don’t be THAT person!), the increased blood flow to your belly (think internal organs) and head (think BRAIN), there is less to go around for the rest of your body. So, start off right by protecting your core and you can stave off the inevitable…at least for another 30 minutes or so! Happy riding… Coach P

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Ah, the dog days of winter. They are a coming my friends…are you ready? If you are still living in the land of “Ooooooooooh, those red and yellow leaves are really pretty”, you’ll wake up one morning to look like this dude on the left (yikes!), wondering what hit you. Don’t be like this dude…be prepared. Fine, you say? How do you get started, you say? Stop with these annoying questions you say? :-p Okay, okay, I will. There are two ways to gear up for the winter: the right way and the wrong way. My wife will say there are another two ways: the expensive way and the cheap way. I will do my best to navigate you through the maze of right and wrong, expensive and cheap….from the ground up. (If you want more info, send me a note or post in the forum and we can follow up there). $$$ = Supa expensive; $$ = moderately so; $ = a deal/steal/your spouse will approve. Swimming: Only change here is making sure you have the right post-swim gear. More athletes get sick w/ wet hair after swimming than you or I can imagine. Don’t be a bonehead, wear a hat. That was easy. Cost = $ If you buy two of these (or keep the one really clean), you can use it running or under you cycling helmet. Multitasking, baby! Running: Also not that hard, as you are generating a lot of heat as you run. Want to be warmer…just run harder!!! Seriously though, you need to start from the inside out. You will want a nice base layer to keep you warm. I prefer a nice snug shirt (wicking or not is up to you), as the fit alone helps me to stay warm (think underarmor). Cost = $ (about 25 bucks). I will typically layer this with a long sleeve shirt that is a bit looser and typically a mid-weight material (here is the Axuwool T from Patagonia). I like this option as it has a zipper for ventilation. Cost = $$ (90 bucks for a longsleeve is a lot). Next later on top of this is typically a wind-breaking vest. I go right to my cycling gear on this (double dipping here saves money later!). Something along the lines of Performance Bike’s IllumiNITE Vest will do the trick…light weight enough to be a good layer, good enough for most moisture, zipper for regulating temperature and reflective for running in less than ideal conditions (i.e. winter evenings, storms or better yet, winter evening storms). Cost = $ (50 bucks for a double duty vest is a deal!) For the worst conditions, I will use some heavy duty item such as a Gore Tex Full Jacket (repels wind and rain). The key with this is a nice snug collar (no hood needed), some storage room (back pocket), long enough to cover a fuel belt so your winter drinks don’t freeze up, and zippers under the arms (more zippers!) to regulate that temperature. If I am going with the vest and it’s cold, but not cold enough for the big Gore jacket, I usually add my arm warmers (best dang invention since sliced bread). They store easily, can be rolled up or down to regulate heat and accentuate your killer biceps. What more do you need? Coming next…what goes on your bottom half???

Popularity: 9% [?]