Now several months removed from his victory at the USA Olympic Marathon Trials last November, Ryan Hall joins us for Episode 132 of The Final Sprint Running Podcast to share this thoughts on turning the page, the Olympic year, and beginning the next big chapter in his young, but already exhilarating career.
In the interview he talks about his preparations for his next race, this Sunday’s Flora London Marathon, his tapering strategy, expectations, not having a specific time goal, and many other details regarding his second trip across the pond.
Download the podcast to hear Ryan talk about how his younger brother Chad is adjusting to college life as he runs track and cross country for the University of Oregon. He also replies to some of the critical comments that readers have made on some of the other running websites about his faith. In addition, he explains why he enjoys blogging and he answers some of the questions that some of you have asked on his TFS Elite Athlete Blog (http://ryanhall.thefinalsprint.com), including questions about weight training for marathoners, why he’s running London instead of Boston, how he motivated himself back to the top of his game when he was struggling at Stanford and much, much more!
TO DOWNLOAD: Right click here and select “Save As”
Host: Jimmie Markham | Guest: Ryan Hall
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 17.7 MB | Length: 00:25:50
Episode Sponsored By: U.S. Army Special Forces
If your measure of success goes way beyond the mainstream, if you think limits are something to be pushed, if your greatest motivation is doing the impossible, we may have a career for you.
U.S. Army Special Forces.
Visit goarmy.com/specialforces.There’s strong and then there’s Army Strong.
Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!
Completing a marathon puts ordinary runners in the company of elite athletes—finishing a 26.2-mile run is an impressive accomplishment.
But you don’t have to be an elite athlete to join the ranks of marathoners around the world. With dedication and training, most runners can complete a marathon—and then have the satisfaction of being able to say, “A marathon” Yeah, I’ve done that.”
So don’t shy away from a marathon because it seems too hard, too long, too painful. With the right attitude and a good training regimen, it’s just 26.2 miles away.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tapering refers to the period just before a major race or game, when an athlete reduces workload to be in peak shape on the day of the competition. Ordinary exercisers can apply this training principle when they plan to enter a local race or charity event.
Top athletes must spend a tremendous amount of time training to be able to compete successfully. Their huge volume of work leaves them near exhaustion and before major competitions, they have to find the best way to reduce fatigue while retaining fitness. Many studies have been done to help athletes and coaches decide on the best strategy.
Researchers at the University of Montreal compiled the results of 27 scientifically acceptable studies. They concluded that the best duration of tapering is two weeks, the optimum training volume reduction is by 40 to 60 percent, and the intensity of workouts should be maintained (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, August 2007).
Training load during taper: Almost all of the studies agree that athletes should reduce the amount of work they do. While each athlete must decide on his optimal reduction, many bicycle racers drop from up to 400 miles a week down to fewer than 200, and many runners drop from above 100 miles to fewer than 40.
Read the rest of this entry »
“Once you’re beat mentally, you might as well not even go to the starting line.” -Todd WilliamsWhen I nervously pinned my bib number onto my new technical tee, slathered my body in Ben-Gay, and stretched my aching glutes and hamstrings, I knew that I was not sufficiently prepared for the 26.2-mile journey ahead of me.
I was too stubborn to admit defeat, but when mile 14 rolled by, I stopped. I frantically watched as the seconds ticked away and my goal time turned into a sad country song . . . the man of my dreams didn’t slip away, but the race of my dreams sure did.
Read the rest at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com
Need advice? Injured? Confused? Overwhelmed? Bored? ASK FLASH!
ASK FLASH is a free advice column to help you with all of your running, fitness and nutrition inquiries. To ASK FLASH — simply fill out the form at the conclusion of the column.
Since the Boston Marathon is just around the corner (about two weeks), let’s deal with a couple of time-sensitive questions about getting to the starting line on the big day.
Q. I have been training for the Boston Marathon for the past few months and during a 20 mile run last week I developed pain on the inside of my right knee. I was diagnosed with Pes Anserine Bursitis and told to take anti-inflammatory medication, ice, and stretch. I was also offered a cortisone shot, but, did not get one because I don’t know too much about them. Could you please give me your opinion on cortisone shots? The marathon is in two weeks and I would love to run it pain free!
~ Just Shoot Me in Wounded Knee, South Dakota
A. So, you got yourself a case of the Goosefoot Bursitis, huh? I must confess that in the past I have always refused offers for cortisone shots. So, I am probably a little biased against them. Maybe I’m just afraid of the needles.
Another concern that I have is the stated risk of weakening the tendon. However, many studies and articles seem to support cortisone shots as a safe and highly effective option for the type of inflammation that you are battling.
Read the rest of this entry »
I vividly remember my first marathon. I can still visualize the preparation, the excitement and anticipation, the effortlessness of the first half of the race … and the pain and agony of the last eight miles!
I hit the “Wall” during my first marathon, and I hit it hard! By the brutal end, my pace slowed by nearly two minutes per mile, and my second half of the race was 16 minutes slower than the first. Parents covered the eyes of their children as I lurched by them, and grown men wept at the sight of me. It was ugly.
I’d like to say that this was an isolated incident, but it happened in my next three ‘thons as well. Finally, I decided enough is enough, that I was either going to learn how to remove the Wall, or stop running marathons altogether. Needless to say, I preferred the first option, and began studying up on how to scale the Wall.
First, what is the “Wall“? Our bodies are primarily fueled by high-octane glycogen (carbohydrates) during a marathon. The other fuel we use is fat, which uses oxygen less efficiently. Our bodies tend to burn off the glycogen first, and once that is depleted, it will switch over to fat. This causes you to slow down, feel fatigued, and hit the “Wall”.
Read the rest of this entry »
Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.
Running an optimum marathon requires the following 4 things:
(1) An accurate and realistic assessment of a target time.
This is absolutely critical. Be too optimistic with your goal and even a starting pace that you think is a little conservative will really be too fast and will result in a lot of lost time as you slow in the latter miles. OTOH, set a very conservative goal time and you will lose more time in the first half than can be overcome in the second half. If hot and/or humid weather is expected during the race, it is necessary to adjust the realistic goal accordingly.
Read the rest of this entry »
Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Make sure to also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.
I think that too many marathoners taper too far. If anything, I have always done the opposite and not tapered enough. However, I think that is the better approach….it’s also counter to “conventional wisdom” that says that it’s better to do too little than too much during a taper. I think that is the kind of negative thinking that has contributed to the decline of the American marathoner[…].
A note from the TFS: We are pleased to welcome Jim Fortner as a guest contributor to The Final Sprint. Jim is an extremely knowledgeable runner and talented writer. Make sure to also check out “Jim2’s Running Page”, his own personal running and advice site.
Below you will find his latest post about cramps; where they come from and strategies to prevent them. Enjoy.
I believe that there are several causes of cramps. Therefore, it’s necessary to deal with several factors to avoid them. The key factors are early race pace, hydration, minerals, electrolytes, weather, being adequate trained and a sufficient taper.
I experienced leg cramps (calves) in my first 3 marathons that slowed my pace considerably and reduced me to some walking after 21 miles. I almost had problems with them in my 4th and 5th marathons. I occasionally felt ripples/spasms in my calves as they bordered on cramping. I was able to fend them off each time they threatened with more of a forced forefoot landing for a few strides. But, my pace was still affected. After that, I have avoided them completely in my 16 subsequent marathons. (Except for my 18th when an experiment with Gallowalking/pacing brought them on….but that’s another story. :) ) In the process, I have adopted several techniques that I think are effective against cramps.
© 2006-2008 The Final Sprint, LLC | Privacy Policy | Design by The Blog Studio
The Final Sprint, LLC is owned and operated by Adam Jacobs
The Final Sprint