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Lead Stories: Monday, October 6, 2008

Your First Marathon:
You Can Do It!

Posted November 12th, 2007 at 6:30 PM by Andrew Goodman

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Motivation, Training Tips, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

crossing finish line boston marathon 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.
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ASK FLASH:Base Building, Boston Marathon Predictor, and Flash on a Mountain

Posted April 1st, 2007 at 3:32 PM by Joshua Flash Gordon

Section: Running & Training, Columns, Training Tips, Ask Flash

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.

Hope all you folks are enjoying the nice weather that is finally rolling in this time of year! Keep the questions coming…

Q. Most of the time, summer is the time to put in the miles and build a base for the fall races. Previously, all that was advocated was long slow easy aerobic running during the base building stage. Lately, some schedules have been written to include tempos, strides, etc … in the base building stage. What is your opinion?
~Base in Baltimore

A. To answer your question, let’s begin by asking what is the purpose of the base training period? Every period and every run should have a purpose. Yes, fun is an acceptable purpose. The base training period is primarily about preparing yourself mentally and physically for the demands of the more rigorous portions of your training program. Whether you are training for a 5k or a marathon, you can’t declare a fitness resolution and get at it whole hog. So, how exactly should the base training period be performed to prepare for the tempo runs, long runs, fartleks, intervals, hill workouts, strides, and other components that most running programs rely heavily on?
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Endurance training techniques for runners of all levels

Posted January 5th, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Emily Hoskins

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Unlike many recreational activities, training for a marathon is serious business. If you fail to train properly you not only run the risk of not finishing, but you could seriously injure yourself.

There are several types of endurance training out there, so finding the right one for your personal goals and needs is crucial. The types of aerobic endurance training differ in duration, frequency, and intensity which will lead to different physiological adaptations within the body that improve your overall fitness level.
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First Marathon Uncertainties

Posted December 7th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

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”.

It’s perfectly natural for a runner to have a lot of uncertainty while training for his or her first marathon. There are so many things to question yourself about …

Am I running enough miles? Am I getting enough rest? Should my longest run be 18 or 28 miles….or somewhere in-between? How many 20 mile runs should I do? Should I structure walking breaks into my long runs? Should I do speedwork? If so, what kind and how much? Should I use sports gels and/or powerbars during my long runs? And on….and on!

Different marathon training plans or “experts” will give you conflicting answers. All are right and all are wrong for your specific needs!
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Marathon Training: Long Run Time and Total Weekly Mileage

Posted November 23rd, 2006 at 12:00 PM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

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 don’t like to apply precise, limiting criteria, whether percentage or time based, to the relationship of the long run to total mileage on a week by week basis. For instance, some people, including some experts, suggest that the long run should be limited to a certain percentage of weekly mileage. Some say that it shouldn’t be longer than 20-25%. Others say 30-35%. Still others say that it is OK to go as high as 40%. Bob Glover suggests that it can go as high as 50%. On the other hand, Jack Daniels says it should be limited to 25-30%. The recommendations are all over the spectrum.

Applying the criteria of somewhere in the 25-35% range, which is where most of the recommendations that I have seen fall, would limit the 40 mile/week runner to a long run of 10-14 miles. I think that is inadequate to prepare to run a marathon seriously. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ultimate speed workout for marathon training

Posted November 14th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

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”.

runner seawall1.gif I think the consensus of most experienced marathoners is that a balanced training program that includes a mix of lactate threshold (LT), hill training, VO2max, anaerobic, and marathon pace (MP) sessions is the best way to improve and optimize marathon performance.

Most also agree that the emphasis in such a program should be on LT and hill work, although a growing number also advocate extensive MP training. Except for novice programs, most “cookbook” marathon training programs include all of the above in one form or another and to one extent or another. In fact, most training programs for distances shorter than the marathon also include the same “speedwork” ingredients, except for MP runs, but the mix of them changes for the shorter distances.

However, I believe there is a specific “speed workout” that is superior to all of the above. It provides more training benefit, with little or no additional risk of injury, than the “standard” speed workouts. Run correctly, it is a “balanced” workout within itself that includes all of the speedwork elements, except for MP running. And it is much more fun than any of the other speed training workouts.

So, what is this “ultimate” speed workout? It’s 10k racing. Not 5k racing. Not half marathon racing. But, specifically, 10k racing. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tapering 101: My Approach & the “Conventional Wisdom”

Posted October 19th, 2006 at 4:00 AM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

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”.

boston marathonb.jpg 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[…].