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Road Running

A few days out

but my training are to proceed. In the last two weeks I did some regular runs, 3 or maybe 4 runs average. In the last days I didn't run because I had a lot of work to do, and so no free time. Yesterday I went to the theater, but today I should go out to a free run. More at the end of the day due to the high temperatures, and also due to my sleep miss, other way for sure I couldn't do more that 20 min.

No schedules

Backing from an injury, business trip and vacations... A lot o time without run or with limited training. For now, backing to the road, but in a easy way, without schedules, just run. Yesterday I did 30 minutes, today I expect to to a little more. In a few week I try to start a new schedule, hope this time to end with a really race!

Man dies at Barcelona marathon

A 27-year-old Irish man has died while taking part in a marathon in Spain.

Colin Dunne from Co. Offaly fell ill while running in the race in Barcelona this morning.

The cause of death is not known at this stage but it is believed that it may be cardiovascular related.

source

BAA hosts new 5K run prior to Boston Marathon

The Boston Athletic Association announced today plans to host a 5K road race on the day prior to the running of the 113th Boston Marathon. The 5K will offer a fun and competitive course for athletes, and for those who have always dreamed of crossing the Boston Marathon finish line, a 'non-qualifying' chance to do so.

"The record closeout for the Boston Marathon registration is a testament to the popularity of the event and we are happy to be able to offer athletes another race in which they can participate in on the same weekend," said Guy Morse, B.A.A. executive director. "We look forward to the response and participation of runners in this year's 5K, as well as the competition and excitement it will bring to participants and spectators."

DATE: The B.A.A. 5K will take place on Sunday, April 19, 2009

more info...

Injury

For now and since last friday I'm not training due to an injury on twin muscles on my legs. I don't know if this is the correct muscle name in english! I feel better, already no pain, but I will still more a few days without run to do a safe recovery. I don't know what is the cause of this injury, but this is a recurring ijury, every time I keep a bigger period of timewith regular runs! I should checkout wnat if really the problem!

Rui Silva

Rui Silva won the 1500m at Athletics European championship. Congratulations!

If anyone had thought that Portugal's Rui Silva was yesterday's man at the age of 32, the 1998 and 2002 European Athletics Indoor Championships 1,500m champion proved them wrong.

Silva unleashed a ferocious sprint over the final 200m to claim his hat trick of titles, crossing the line in 3:44.38 to return to the top of the medal podium after an absence of seven years.

“The old Rui is back,” proclaimed the thrilled Silva, who was also the 2001 World Indoor champion and 2004 Olympic bronze medallist.

“Four the last four years, I haven't been able to compete in a major championships because of injuries or because I wasn't fit because of injuries so this gold medal makes me very happy.

“I've always been strong at the finish so between the bell and the next 150m I was very comfortable, although it was hard over the last 50m. I have to admit I thought someone might catch me,” he added.

source

Post marathon recover

At the same article can be found a list of problems after a run a marathon, and how to recover from them. Some of them I already felt:

Achilles Tendinitis
In early stages, Achilles tendinitis symptoms are present early during a run and again at the end of the run. Hills and speedwork can aggravate the condition. In later stages, the Achilles tendon will be painful with any running effort and also with walking. The tendon may be painful to squeeze. The tendon may creak when you move it, or you might notice a tender nodule or thickening. As was the case with plantar fasciitis, the tendon is often sore or stiff with first steps after sleep or after sitting more than 20 minutes. Self-care should include ice massage for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day until pain free; over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications and/or the supplement chondroitin sulfate; heel-lifts added to all of your shoes; gentle calf-stretching exercise; and avoiding shoes with low (less than 3/8") heel-to-ball height differential. When pain-free, begin strengthening with eccentric resistance exercises, such as standing on a chair on your tip-toes and (slowly) lowering your heel until you reach the endpoint, with your heel lower than the ball of your foot. Repeat this exercise 10 to 15 times. Progress to doing one foot at a time, then by adding weight (i.e., hold dumbbells) and reps as you become stronger.

the complete list here.

Risk Factors for Injury

Some excerpt from a very nice article on marathonguide.com.

Downhill Running

Aside from the climbing from mile 16 to 21, the Boston course is downhill. Particularly after Heartbreak Hill, the race takes a rather abrupt downhill route to Cleveland Circle. The amount of downhill running in general, and the downhill section after Heartbreak Hill (when fatigue has already exacted a toll) in particular can be a risk factor for developing such injuries as patellar tendinitis, patellofemoral syndrome, illiotibial band syndrome, anterior tibial stress syndrome, and stress fractures (among others) in the postmarathon period.

Distance

Face it, even if you log your prerequisite long runs before the race, 26.2 miles is still a long way to run. Some runners are better prepared for the distance than others. For those marginally prepared for the distance, racing 26.2 miles can be an additional risk factor for postrace injuries. The muscle fatigue resulting from running farther than you are accustomed can linger for days, weeks, or even months. During this postrace fatigued state, you may be at risk for many of the overuse injuries that can befall a runner.

Intensity

A well-prepared runner out to enjoy the Boston Marathon experience while cruising well within his or her capacity will nevertheless stress his or her system to some degree. However, the cumulative lower extremity stresses absorbed by runners really pressing their limits can be exponentially greater. On the one hand, "bonking" and pressing on is one example of pressing one's limits. On the other hand, screaming to a new PR can equally stress one's limits. Completing such an intense effort can predispose you to postrace recovery problems.

Log update

With a very small run: only 30 minutes. No time for more, the dinners was waiting for me :)

Mumbai runs marathon for peace, in memory of victims

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Thousands of runners, many with messages for peace scrawled on their T-shirts, participated in Mumbai's annual marathon, its first international sporting event and the biggest public gathering since the attacks in November.

Even before the first light of dawn lit up the CST train station, the starting point and one of the sites attacked by Islamist gunmen, runners posed for pictures against its imposing Gothic facade, their fingers parted in the victory sign.

read more...

Next race

in portuguese :(

Numa iniciativa do
Grupo Desportivo de São Domingos
por ocasião do 6.º Grande Prémio do Pinhal/Sertã
Sertã, 28 de Março de 2009 (Sábado)

Local de concentração:
Sertã – Alameda da Carvalha (junto ao tribunal)
Trajecto nas artérias principais
Horas:
15h00

mais informações sobre a corrida de são domingos.

Log update

This week I did a ran 4 times: not bad! Anyway all days I did just a easy or medium dificulty run, and I not follow the planning. It's hard to have time for all.
Log updated.

No time to training

...so, run more fast. I did a quick training yestarday because I just had 30 minutes of free time, and so I run fast instead of doing the planned run, a little more than pace, and it was a good training. I feel good.
Log updated.

New training program - try again

The goal for the last training schedule have failed. At least some of them: i could not be running in good shape to do a good half marathon. Some of the reasons are the few free time, less than I estimate, and a injury at the end of the schedule. Maybe some lack of motivation.
Now I will put again the same schedule program, only change the dates on it. Starting on very first week after the ending of the another one. The schedule:

The detailed explanations and refereneces here.

Scedule for November 2008 - January 2009

Back to the road!! :)
Bellow is my training schedule for next 3 months. It's an adaption of the last two scheduled, based on the Hal Higdon Intermediate and on Advanced Half Marathon Training Programs.
Bellow can be found a copy of the meaning of each training, from Hal Digdon.

Easy Runs: The runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and sometimes Fridays or Saturdays are designed to be done at a comfortable pace. Don't worry about how fast you run these workouts. Run easy! If you're training with a friend, the two of you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can't do that, you're running too fast. (For those wearing heart rate monitors, your target zone should be between 65 and 75 percent of your maximum pulse rate.)

Stretch & Strength: Mondays and Wednesdays are also days on which I advise you to spend extra time stretching--and do some strength training too. These are actually "easy" days, so don't overdo it. It's wise to stretch every day, particularly after you finish your run, but spend more time stretching on Mondays and Wednesdays. And don't forget to stretch while warming up for your hard runs. I can't emphasize this strongly enough: Advanced runners need to spend more time stretching than Novice or Intermediate runners! That's because you probably run faster and train harder, which can stiffen the body. And don't forget at least some strength training, which could consist of push-ups, pull-ups, use of free weights or working out with various machines at a health club. Runners generally benefit if they combine light weights with a high number of repetitions, rather than pumping very heavy iron. For more information, see: Stretch & Strengthen.

Distance: The training schedule dictates workouts at distances, from 3 miles to two hours, the latter which (depending on your ability) may actually take you further than your half marathon race distance. Don't worry about running precise distances, but you should come close. Pick a course through the neighborhood, or in some scenic area where you think you might enjoy running. Then measure the course either by car or bicycle. As an Advanced runner, you probably already know the distances of many of your courses. When the prescribed workout (as on Sundays) is in hours rather than miles, forget distance entirely.

Rest: Rest is as important a part of your training as the runs. You will be able to run the long runs on the weekend better--and limit your risk of injury--if you program some easy training before and after. Be realistic about your fatigue level--particularly in the closing weeks of the program--and don't be afraid to take a day off.

Hills: Some hill training will help strengthen your quads and build speed. Look for a hill between 200 and 400 meters long. Jog or walk an equal distance between each repeat. I prescribed only three hill sessions, all in the first half of the program, but if you want to do more hill training, be my guest. You can substitute hill repeats for any of the interval workouts, or even in place of a Tempo Run or two if you want.

Speedwork: If you want to race at a fast pace, you need to train at a fast pace several days a week. The training schedule begins with 400-meter repeats, but also includes 800- and 1600-meter repeats in later weeks. Walk or jog between each repeat. You can do the 400 and 800 repeats on a track, although you may want to do the 1600 (mile) repeats on the road. Run Fast.For more information on speed training, see my book, Run Fast.

Warm-up: Warming up is important, not only before the race itself, but before your speed workouts above and pace workouts below. Most Novice runners do not warm up, except in the race itself. This is okay, because they're more interested in finishing rather than finishing fast. You have a different goal, otherwise you wouldn't be using the Advanced program, so warm up before you run fast. My usual warm-up is to jog a mile or two, sit down and stretch for 5-10 minutes, then run some easy strides (100 meters at near race pace). And I usually cool down afterwards by doing half the warm-up distance.

Tempo Runs: This is a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near 10-K race pace. A Tempo Run of 40 to 60 minutes would begin with 10-20 minutes easy running, build to 20-30 minutes near the middle, then 5-10 minutes easy toward the end. The pace buildup should be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about two-thirds into the workout. Hold that peak only for a minute or two. I consider Tempo Runs to be the "Thinking Runner's Workout." A Tempo Run can be as hard or easy as you want to make it, and it has nothing to do with how long (in time) you run or how far. In fact, the times prescribed for Tempo Runs serve mainly as rough guidelines. Feel free to improvise. Improvisation is the heart of doing a Tempo Run correctly.

Pace: A lot of runners look at my training schedules and ask, "What do you mean by 'pace?'" I mean "race pace," the pace at which you expect to run the half marathon. Some workouts are designed as pace runs to get you used to running the pace you will run in the race. In Week 10, for example, I ask you to do "5 m race pace." Hopefully that is self-explanatory. You might want to do a short warm-up before starting each of these pace runs.

Long Runs: As an experienced runner, you probably already do a long run of around 60-90 minutes on the weekends anyway. The schedule suggests a slight increase in time as you get closer to race date: from 90 minutes to 1:45 to two hours. Don't get hung up on running these workouts too fast and forget about how many miles you cover. And, yes, you may actually find yourself running further than 13.1 miles when you run two hours. Run at a comfortable, conversational pace, except on those days where a 3/1 run is prescribed. A 3/1 run is one in which you run the first three-fourths of the distance at a comfortable pace, then accelerate to near race pace over the last one quarter of the workout. (You should finish refreshed, not fatigued.) The schedule below suggests doing your long runs on Sundays, and while you can do them Saturdays or any other convenient day, you will generally find it easier to run the long runs the day after the pace runs instead of vice versa.

Cross-Train: Normally I don't prescribe cross-training for Advanced runners. That's because you're usually more focused on pure running than Novice or Intermediate runners. But if you find that cross-training helps you prevent injuries, or if you enjoy it, feel free to substitute cross-training on one or more of the easy days. Notice I used the word substitute. Usually it's not a good idea to add cross-training, particularly hard cross-training, to an existing schedule under the mistaken belief that it will make you stronger. It may actually cause you to overtrain, which can have a negative effect on performance, because you never get a chance to rest. What form of cross-training works best? It could be swimming, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or even some combination that could include strength training.

Juggling: Don't be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day and week to week. If you have an important business meeting on Thursday, do that workout on Wednesday instead. If your family is going to be on vacation one week when you will have more or less time to train, adjust the schedule accordingly. If this means running hard on successive days, so be it. Program in an extra day of rest to compensate. Be consistent with your training, and the overall details won't matter.

Racing: Most experienced runners enjoy racing, so I've included three races during the training period: one every third week, building from 5-K to 10-K to 15-K. There is nothing magic about those particular distances, and there is no necessity to race. Plug in whatever races look interesting from your local area wherever they fit in your schedule. (See "Juggling," above.) You can use races to test your fitness and predict your finishing time in the half marathon and what pace to run that race.

Slow

My training still going is slow way. Just 1 or 2 runs a weeks. Sometimes 3, but just esy runs. I must restarts the harder runs immediately. Last week I give blood, and so delayed the restart.
Tomorrow I will try a quick but fast run.

Schedule cancelled

I stop following the rest of my schedule training program. At this Christmas season I did 2 or 3 easy runs per week, but never take note of that, and so I don't log the activities in the training program. Also I have no race scheduled for the next times and so I will abort this program, but not the training.
I will continue with the same frequency, I try to do a best training: repetitions and long runs.

Did nothing

.. no update needed. Some flu and also no free time, and so I didn't the usual training, neither the gym session.

Some fun links:

• www.youtube.com
• www.okkut.com
  

Log update

Just another log update