LSD for you and me

Taking advantage of almost-perfect weather (sunny, light wind, temp in 40s and 50s), I ran my final long run before the Colorado Marathon on Thursday.  Went slow and easy--two minutes slower than projected marathon race pace--and had no problems.  Today, I did a brisk hike for recovery/cross training.  Saturday's schedule calls for a one-hour maintenance run and Sunday is more cross training.  The three-week taper to the May 6 marathon has begun here in Hog Heaven.  

Since yesterday was another long, long run, I decided to re-visit the LSD debate once again.  On the one side are writers/coaches like Jeff Galloway (Olympian, writer, and running shoe entrepreneur) who advocate for lengthy, slow and easy, long runs.  Galloway claims that by extending the long run to 26 miles, runners can expect to improve their marathon times by 10 to 20 minutes.  See Galloway's marathon training guide, Marathon: You Can Do It!

On the other hand are writers/coaches like Jeff Gaudette (2:22 marathoner and coach) who argue that long runs over 18 miles are not necessary for the average marathoner.  For Jeff's views see here: http://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/marathon-long-runs/

Another Jeff, Jeff Horowitz, also contends that long runs over 18 miles are not necessary for good marathon performance.  He would substitute the extra-long runs with more intense running and more cross-training.  For Jeff's program, see his training guide, Smart Marathon Training.

I'm not taking sides.  I do what seems to work best for me.  Like most things in running (shoe choice, nutrition, etc.), there is no one-size-fits-all training regimen.  Experiment and find what works for you. 

Here's another excellent piece on the late Micah True, aka Caballo Blanco: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/track_field/wires/04/02/2080.ap.ath.missing.runner.2nd.ld.writethru.0856/index.html

The Associated Press has reported that friends of True have set up a foundation that will continue his work to aid the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyon.  One of those efforts, the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon that True started in 2003, will continue in 2013 with the support of the foundation.  See story here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/foundation-formed-to-keep-alive-runner-micah-trues-ultra-marathon-in-copper-canyon/2012/04/09/gIQAtSje6S_story.html

An autopsy has been completed, but results haven't been reported.

If you're near a computer Monday, you can stream the Boston Marathon live from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET) at UniversalSports.com.  It's sponsored by Timex and it's free.  For more, see here: http://running.competitor.com/2012/04/news/timex-sponsoring-live-stream-of-boston-marathon_50624

Colorado Marathon Countdown

With one month to go until the May 6 Colorado Marathon, my training continues to go well.  The possible groin tweak that I mentioned a couple of days ago seems to have disappeared.  At least I didn't notice it on today's 1.5 hour maintenance run.  In fact, I seem to have no lingering effects from last weekend's 27-mile long run.  Tomorrow's schedule calls for cross training.  I have a hill workout penciled in for Saturday and cross training again on Sunday.

Next week will be my final week of full-on workouts and will culminate with my final long run next weekend.  I'll begin my 3-week taper after that.  I'm getting excited!

I've used the ASICS GT-2100 series as a training shoe for several years.  They've kept me relatively injury-free and they are very durable.  I'm training in the GT-2160 now.  The latest model in the series, the GT-2170 will be the last.  ASICS is redesigning the shoe and will re-launch it in October as the GT-2000.  Here's an early look from the folks at Running Warehouse: http://blog.runningwarehouse.com/rs/asics-gt-2000-sneak-peek/

For trails, I wear the Saucony Peregrine and ran my only ultra marathon trail race, the Madison North Face Endurance Challenge 50K, in them.  Saucony has updated the shoe, and ultra website irunfar.com reviews it here: http://www.irunfar.com/2012/04/saucony-peregrine-2-review.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+irunfar%2FwAAy+%28iRunFar%29

Here's a Runners' World interview with elite ultra runner Scott Jurek about his friendship with the legendary Caballo Blanco who passed last week while running in New Mexico: http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/microsite/article/0,8029,s6-238-511-0-14280-0,00.html?cm_mmc=RT-_-Content-Profile-_-04042012-_-JurekRemembersTrue

Born to Run

Yesterday was cross training, and considering how I felt when I set out this morning, today should have been too.  There was nothing specific wrong with me; I just didn't feel motivated.  But that's not going to get me to Ft. Collins.  So, I laced up the ASICS and headed out for what started as a s-l-o-w run and ended up as a more-than-respectable six miles.  Somewhere between miles 2 and 3, I started feeling better (and going faster), and my pace for miles 5 and 6 was two minutes faster than for miles 1 and 2.  Workouts are often funny that way.  Like famous ultra runner Forrest Gump said, "You never know what you're going to get."

Considering that running is arguably the world's oldest athletic competition, it has inspired comparatively little literary output.  If I had to recommend a single title on running, it would be Christopher McDougall's Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.    

Journalist McDougall's spell-binding tale introduces the reader to a tribe of super-runners: the Tarahumara Indians from Mexico's remote Copper Canyons.  Intrigued by the Tarahumara's ability to run prodigious distances injury free, McDougall goes looking for the answer: an answer that he finds in mankind's evolutionary development.  Humans survived as a species because they acquired the ability to outrun their dinner.  Hence, we were born to run.

More controversially, McDougall claims that runners do not require fancy, and expensive, shoes to do what they naturally do.  In fact, he contends that modern running shoes, with their abundant cushioning, encourage unnatural heel-striking and cause, rather than prevent, running injuries.  (I doubt that McDougall is welcome at Nike headquarters.)   Following publication of the book, the debate over barefoot--or minimalist--running has raged with no definitive resolution in sight.  Interestingly, the big shoe companies have begun to hedge their bets and offer minimalist shoes along with their more cushioned, stabilized shoes.  (More on this in a future post.)

What makes "Born to Run" so much fun is not the controversy but the cast of outrageous characters--including Barefoot Ted, surfer-girl Jenn Shelton and her partner Billy Barnett, and gringo expat Caballo Blanco, who lives among the Tarahumara--and the unfolding drama of a race for the ages.

When your running's not going well and you need a little inspiration, check it out.