"Holy sh##! They're sprinting!" - My Return to Speedwork

Enjoying the cool down after the shock of Colorado Gulch hill repeats.

With five weeks behind me since my slow-but-generally-positive-finish at Gorge Waterfalls 100k, I'm starting to re-build the volume and address some of the weak areas the early season has highlighted. The two most pressing both have to do with speed - or lack thereof: descending pace and flatland pace.

Never a fantastic descender, I nevertheless used to be able to tap out some pretty effortless downhill miles at a decent pace.  But that sensation has really been lacking lately. At both the White River 50 last summer and Gorge this spring, I was never able to enjoy the descents.  They felt more like a chore than anything else, which is a sad thing to write, let alone experience.  Not surprisingly, when you can't relax on the downhills of a race, even in the early-going, it can make things feel like much more of a grind than they really should.

How did this happen?  I think it's likely a combination of factors.  I'm getting older, of course. But I think that's largely an easy excuse.  The bigger issue, I think, is simply a lack of speedwork.  With spotty, at best, trips to the track for at least 5 seasons now, I've just lost the speed that makes it possible to bomb the downhills in training that can make for great cruise-control descents in races.

So, today, I officially started working on re-awakening those fast twitch fibers, meeting up for hill intervals with a new-to-me group of Thursday morning stalwarts.

Off the line for the first repeat, all I could think was: "Holy sh**! They're sprinting!"

You have to start somewhere.

Is There Anyone Else Out There...Who Loves to Taper?

I love to taper.  I love everything about it:  fewer runs, fewer miles, fewer UN negotiations with spouses for run time, less need to plan meals, and less need to quash that ravenous feeling every 30 minutes during big bouts of training.  It's just an all around pleasure, and one I seem to relish a lot more than others.  

Reading blogs and talking to folks, you'd think that tapering was some form of incarceration meted by race directors -- a prerequisite for participation to be suffered through rather than savored.  Maybe this is grandstanding by some, headgames by others, but overall it seems to be heartfelt that tapering removes them from what they love best:  running, and running a long way.  

At times, it can make me feel like less of a true runner to love to taper so much, to let my slothful inner core out to blink at the sun.  But, just as some folks love distance training and some folks love speedwork, I love tapering.  I wish only that it came around every Thursday like trips to the track.   

Ultra Rx: Shin Splints Massage

Looking to supplement the ice and ibuprofen therapy for your shin splints? Well, here's a nice video on massage tips from Livestrong.com. It focuses largely on lateral shin splints (pain on the outside of the shin), but should offer something for everyone with a good case of aching shins.

How to Massage Shin Splints -- powered by http://www.livestrong.com

Race Prep Milestone: The 10-Day Forecast

There are many waypoints and milestones on the way to a big race: the first double, the first 6 x 1200, the last long run, the beginning of the taper. For me, one of the best milestones is the posting of the 10-day weather forecast for race day. Coming as it does in the middle of the first taper week, when you're a bit burnt out but still have to get some decent miles, it not only tells you you're getting pretty close to toeing the line, but it also provides a welcome distraction and (false?) sense of empowerment as you begin to pull together the race day quiver and drop bags.

Coming off a long winter of snowy runs in the Rockies, things are looking great in Ojai, CA for the start of the Coyote Two Moon 100 ten days' hence: Sunny. Hi 72. Low 45.

2009 Race to Robie Creek Fills in 43 Minutes

Though not without its frustrations, registration for the Race to Robie Creek trail half marathon went much more smoothly than the previous two years (previous posts). As predicted, the 2200 spots filled quickly -- in just 43 minutes -- and they likely would have gone even quicker if the Active.com servers could have fully handled the huge volume of would-be runners. Most registrants needed to befriend the F5 key if they wanted any chance of breaking through the crush of traffic.

Pitched, with slight hyperbole, as "the toughest half marathon in the Northwest" the Race to Robie Creek is largely run on jeep trails and climbs 2,000 feet over the first 8.5 miles, followed by a blazing fast 1,700 foot decent to the finish.

See all Race to Robie Creek posts (Robie Creek posts).

Can Clothes Make the Ultrarunner?

Is it wrong to be motivated by a jacket? I know, we ultrarunners are supposed to be of a different breed -- spurred on by nature and the poetry of perseverance and camaraderie -- but, I have to admit that one of the things truly motivating me these winter days is the finisher's jacket at the upcoming Coyote Two Moon 100k.

Now, Coyote race director, Chris Scott, is by all accounts no ordinary event tsar. His ultra hard races offer unique formats and are balanced with conviviality and an overarching sense of fun. And this uniqueness suffuses to race attire as well, whether it's the full bunny suit he dons to greet runners with Peeps, the propeller beanies race leaders wear, or the great finishers' premiums.

On deck this March for 100k finishers is a Patagonia Slopestyle Hoodie emblazoned with the Coyote Two Moon logo. And for whatever reason, I find my thoughts often turning to this trophy for motivation when the skies are gray and roads icy. That the 100k may not be offered again -- with the jacket therefore forever lost to the ethers if I miss my mark -- stirs the fires within even more.

Further stoking my fixation is likely the fact that this will be my first 100k and that I DNF'd my last race of 2008. Being able to put it on and zip it up will be a symbol of meeting the new challenge, overcoming a past defeat, and also muscling through a tough winter of training in the Rocky Mountains. That, and it's just simply a great looking jacket.

One of my training companions suggested I keep a photo of the jacket in my pocket on race day and take a look at it as the night drags on and energy wanes. And I just may do that, while of course also being spurred on by nature and the poetry of perseverance and camaraderie.

See my other C2M postings.

Poetry from Motion: Logging My Runs in Attackpoint

Running isn't quite as scintillating these days as it is during the wide open days of summer. All the trails we'd really like to hit are under at least a meter of snow, and after a number of weeks running on the same plowed routes again and again things are beginning to feel a bit stale, which leaves my mind looking for something, anything to focus on.

Lately a lot of my thoughts, especially during those runs in the wee hours, have focused on crafting the details for my attackpoint.org training log entries for that day. This is patently silly, of course. It doesn't take too much thought to enter distance, pace, and route. But it's certainly a fun distraction as you make way over dark, icy roads to think about what's worth noting and what's not.

My first thoughts are purely about the details. Was that 6.5 miles or 6.25? Did it have 1900 ft of elevation gain or 1750 ft.

Next, especially these days, are the conditions. I note temperature if it's less than ten degrees, just because it shows a bit of grit to get out there in the single digits or lower. Road conditions come next, where I'm finding I have an Inuit's winter vocabulary -- ice, glaze ice, crusty ice, compact snow, loose snow, deep snow, 3 inches new, and rarely, bare and dry.

Then come the more subjective notes: how I felt, what I saw, how the general arc of training is going. Things like this.

Finally, is bringing it all together succinctly and with a voyeur's eye. What will I be interested in re-reading when I look back, and what might people who read my log be interested in reading -- Attackpoint.org has a social networking component so training partners and complete strangers can see exactly what you're doing (or at least what you report).

Looking at my logs, you'd be surprised that so much of my running time is spent crafting, editing, and amending the often perfunctory notes. But as we all know, we can sometimes have a day's worth of experiences in a single run, and picking what to log and what to leave on the road is an art in and of itself.

RJ Review: Kahtoola KTS Aluminum Crampons

With deep snow giving the backcountry trails a long winter's rest, the quest for vertical feet can often be Quixotic for mountain-dwelling ultra runners. Relegated to plowed roads and paths, we do what we can to stack up some climbing and descending, like out-and-backs on 300 foot climbs, but all of it is in the shadow of the big peaks we truly want to attack -- the big boys with 3, 4, 5000 ft vertical.

Well, this week I tested out some great trail running crampons -- the Kahtoola KTS Aluminum (Kahtoola site) -- which put some of these peaks within reach.

The KTS crampons (retail $139.00) are made to fit over running shoes or light hiking boots, are lightweight (19 oz per pair), and have ten 3/4 inch points, which are aggressive enough to grip firmly in compact snow but not so sharp or long that you'll need to be sutured up if you take an awkward stride.

To test the KTS's, I mapped out a nine mile route that started with a 3.5 mile road run to the base of the Sun Valley, Idaho ski hill (Warm Spring side), then (after strapping on the KTS's) straight up the main 1.9 mile groomed ski run to the top (3200 ft vert; elev 9100 ft), and then down relatively run-able groomed trails to where I started (River Run side).

The upshot: on compact and well-groomed ski trails, the Kahtoola KTS crampons were near-flawless. They're quick and easy to put on. They grip surprisingly well on very steep ups and very steep downs. And, except for a tad of extra weight, they feel very natural when running.

I did have to readjust the straps a few times, especially after sections of very steep downs, but some more experience with the KTS's could help with this. Another quibble is that on very steep ups, the KTS's can cause your heel to slip, since the crampons simply can't flex as much as the running shoes want to. Overall, though, these are minor frailties.

The KTS's are not -- as the Kahtoola website seems to imply -- a great choice for all types of snowy trail running. In anything looser than compact snow, you'll post-hole pretty much as you would in regular running shoes.

But, if you're lucky enough to live within striking distance of a good ski hill, and you're in desperate need of some vertical, the Kahtoola KTS Aluminum crampons could be just what you're looking for.

More gear reviews on Run Junkie (RJ Reviews)

The Long Run: A Dash of the Surreal

Today had one of those poetic moments that rise up to greet everyone who has put in enough time on the road or trail. Mine came in the form of a very small dog -- some kind of terrier no bigger than a loaf of bread.

About halfway through my long run and listening to the podcast of NPR's All Song's Considered top 25 show for 2008, I became taken by the song Furr by the alt-folk Portland band Blitzen Trapper. The tune's about a young man becoming part of a wolf pack, and as the lyrics developed,

I heard my mother shouting through the fog

It turned out to be the howling of a dog,

Or a wolf to be exact.

The sound sent shivers down my back,

But I was drawn into the pack

And before long,

They allowed me to join in and sing their song

So from the cliffs and highest hill

Yeah, we would gladly get our fill

Howling endless and shrilly at the dawn,

I looked down at my feet, and as if from the ethers, there appeared a small, light colored dog running alongside me on the snowy path. The quirkiness of the dog, combined with the lyrics so rich in my head, made for quite a confluence that seemed to reach beyond the simple: "stray dog tails runner."

We ran together for a few miles, with him never straying more than a few feet from my side; then as quickly as he came, he disappeared.

My wife, knowing my propensity for super-bonks and their related loss of mental focus, questioned whether there really was a dog at all. All I could say was "of course there was" while wondering quietly in my mind if in fact that were true.

The "No Excuses" Guide to Winter Running

Living at nearly 6000 feet in the Rockies it takes some creativity and at times a good kick in the tights to get out the door and run once winter laces her icy fingers throughout the mountains. But, if there's one thing I've learned over the past winters, it's that keeping up a steady schedule of running helps me hit my marks for the coming season. So, I thought I'd share some of the tips and tricks I find indispensable for getting out and running in these dark, snowy, icy, and very cold days of winter.

1. Forget the excuses and just run. This is by far the weightiest of tips in the list. Excuses can come fast and easy once the salad days of summer trail running slam to a halt. The best thing you can do is simply ignore them, lace up, and get out the door. Of course, if it's blizzarding and dark and you'd be in real peril of being cut in half by a snow plow, maybe a day off or trip to the gym is truly in order. Just don't let it become a habit.
2. Don't rely too much on the treadmill. Treadmills are great once in a while -- when you just need something different or conditions are just too miserable to get outside safely -- but nothing compares to running on the actual road (or road covered in ice and snow). The challenging conditions and varied terrain you get outside will make those first steps on bare road and dry dirt in spring feel like heaven.
3. Get some spiked shoes. The best thing I did last winter was buy a pair of Icebug spiked shoes (review). I don't wear them on every run in winter, but when the roads are mostly compact snow and ice (like they are here for the foreseeable future), you can't beat the traction and confidence they'll give you, especially in the dark. Plus, they're a great excuse killer (see tip #1).
4. Go with water bottles rather than a pack. There is no perfect choice for hydration in winter. When you're running for over an hour with the temperature near zero, things are going to freeze. Having run with both bottles and an insulated pack, bottles seem the best way to go, simply because once the nozzle freezes you can still unscrew the lid and drink your slushy sports drink. With a pack, once the nozzle/tube freezes (and it almost always will at some point), there's no easy way to get at its contents.
5. Go with less viscous gels. While I've yet to have a gel freeze on me, some of the more solid gels, like Gu, can turn pretty hard in cold temperatures. This makes them hard to eat and hard to squeeze out, especially with numb hands. More liquid gels, like PowerGels, stay pretty soft, even at zero degrees, which makes them much more palatable and easy to deal with.
6. Get a jacket with a hood. There's a lot to dislike about running jackets with hoods--that is, when you don't need the hood. But, when the snow is flying and you're running into a 15 knot wind when the thermometer reads minus 3, that hoodie quickly becomes your best friend. Personally, I love my full-zip whisper light Patagonia Houdini (review), and I know I'm not alone. For such a lightweight jacket it really performs, and the hood does a particularly great job as a fairing in a brisk head wind, ushering much of that cold air around your face rather than right into it.
7. Protect your face. When the wind is whipping and the mercury dips well below freezing, it's important to look out for your face. I like to put Kiehl's Non Freeze Face Protector on my ear lobes and exposed parts of my face. It really helps ward off freezer burn, and possibly frostbite, and just makes me feel more comfortable. Dermatone is good too. Plain old petroleum jelly should work as well.
8. Run with friends. Misery loves company, so find a group of friends as crazy as you are and pick times to run regularly over the winter. It's a great way to stay true to your plan and get your rear end out the door on those dismal mornings. Plus, you'll have great stories to retell on your long summer trail runs: "Remember when all our bottles froze by mile 9?" Good times.
9. Don't skimp on lighting and reflection. A good headlamp can make all the difference between a good run and a tedious run. Spend a little extra and after the first three runs you'll feel it's already paid for itself. Also, go to town on reflective wear: tights, vests, hats, etc. If cars think you look like the Electric Horseman, you've done things right.
   

So, that's my list. The key things that get me out the door and on the run during these short, cold days of winter.

What's on your list?

Photo Guide to Trail Runs in Sun Valley: Adams Gulch Trail - Harpers Loop

Although I should probably be resting my knee more than I am, I also feel some urgency to get some time on the local singletrack before things shut down for the winter. So, this morning I headed out on one of the classic loops in the Adams Gulch area near Sun Valley, Idaho: The Adams Gulch Trail -- Harpers loop. Although mileage estimates seem to vary a bit depending on who you ask, careful totalling from a 2005 Adventure Map put it at about 17 miles (including the Sunnyside and Lane's spurs, see below), with about 2500 feet of climbing.

I also used the run to pilot test a new feature for Run Junkie: photo guides to the Sun Valley area's best trail runs. Inaugural effort below (or click for full size photos/slideshow).

See all Photo Guide entries.

Low Miles. Big Week

I only ran three times this week, but it seemed like a big week nevertheless. First, I finally saw one of the great, athlete-focused physical therapists here in town about the nagging pain in my right knee, which just hasn't been getting better despite a pretty easy training schedule since Teton August 30 (previous post). His diagnosis was much better than the degenerative joint disease I'd feared: simple tendonitis likely caused by my "impressively" tight hamstrings and only mildly more flexible quads. The prescription: some easy running and a regular series of three stretches. Having worked with my kind before, he knew anything above a "Keep It Simple, Stupid" routine would never find purchase.

So far (now all of 5 days in ), I'm adhering to the plan, and although the stretching seems to be irritating things more than resolving them, I'm going to have faith that things will turn favorably over the next number of weeks. After all, he's helped athletes an order of magnitude more accomplished and injured than I.

Second, AJW and I got out for a fantastic 18 mile autumn run through Fox Creek, Oregon Gulch, and Chocolate Gulch on Sunday. The weather was ideal, the scenery spectacular, and the conversation, as always, entertaining. With frigid temperatures and snow upon us any day, runs like this are just gravy before a long winter of logging miles on icy pavement. They also remind me how lucky I am to live in an area filled with amazingly close in -- yet quickly remote -- backcountry trails and that's populated with a small, but fervent group of accomplished ultra runners (author excepted).

Finally, I had an epiphany about the '09 season around mile 10 during that Sunday run, thanks to some great and insightful conversation with Mr. Jones-Wilkins. My plan's been to try my first 100 miler next season, but I've been in a quandary over which one. They seem either front-loaded in late spring/early summer--where it can be hard to get the training miles because of the snow-pack here in the mountains; or they're back-loaded in late summer/early fall--where, frankly, I worry about training motivation, since my season's starting early with the Coyote Two Moon 100k in mid March.

Banking a bit on a lighter snow year than 2008, I made the decision to try to parlay my fitness from Coyote into an early season attempt at the Bighorn 100 in late June (assuming I can get in). Knowing myself and seeing how my motivation drained a bit in August this year, it seems like I should tap into that early season verve where you're often just thankful to be running on dirt rather than ice. That I'd be able to get in some big runs on Fridays while my boys are in school also assuages some of the concern about sending my wife over the edge with big runs on both Saturdays and Sundays, leaving her too often in solo survival mode with our banshee boys for hours on end.

To tempt fate (and my wife) even more, I'll probably put my name into the Wasatch lottery as well, just in case Bighorn goes well (or for that matter horribly wrong).

Of course, this all depends on the health of that nagging knee. But if I've learned one thing from my experienced running buddies, it's that good seasons begin with good planning. And you adjust as you need to. I'm beginning to get excited about the prospect of it all.

On the Run: Vorberg Gulch in Pictures

Left without a camera on each of the most amazing runs of the past season, I vowed to not let it happen again and finally replaced our broken point-and-shoot with a Panasonic Lumix FS5 from Costco. Ten megapixels with a classic Leica 30mm lens, it's nice enough to take good photos but light enough for the long haul and cheap enough to not feel a horrible loss when it breaks on a good tumble.

I took it out for a test run this morning on the local Vorberg Gulch--Carbonate loop, a great eight mile run with about 1200 ft of climbing that feels remote but is basically right on the edge of town. Developing technique notwithstanding, it seems like it'll be a great camera to chronicle those epic backcountry runs of '09 and beyond.

On the Run: A Warm Bottle Morning

You'd think coming within twenty yards of a snowy-racked bull moose or even passing a deer hunter on one of the most popular hiking/running trails here in Hailey would have been the red-letter event of my Friday 17 mile run. But, neither of these could quite beat out filling my bottles with warm water that morning, which I did haltingly since it seemed to truly put an end to the '08 season and begin the concatenation toward -10 degree, pitch-black snowy morning runs.

Two hours later, though, as my bottle valve started to freeze on the wind-blown Carbonate ridge, I knew it'd been the right move, even with all the baggage that went with it.

(Depiction of moose encounter by Cash Dart, age 6)

Off-Season Thoughts: Patience and the Long Pause

I have to admit that my thoughts of late have been somewhat consumed with the D.H. Lawrence classic, Lady Chatterly's Lover, and not for the reasons you might think. No, for its insight into the importance of seasonal rest.

Coming to the end of the '08 season with the sting of a DNF on my final race (previous post), it's been more than a little hard to settle in to the off-season. I've been obsessed with thoughts of '09 races and practically have to lash myself to the sofa to make sure I get the rest I need to let my injuries heal and muscles rejuvenate.

And it is just this state that has sent my mind over and over again to the closing pages of D.H Lawrence's classic as I try to remind myself that there's a time for training and a time for resting.

As is fairly common knowledge, and largely revealed in the title, the heroine of the work, Constance Chatterly, took a bit of a liking to the hired hand, Oliver Mellors, which resulted in the pursuit of shall we say various physical activities. In the end, the two remain together - complete and happy - but for the moment physically separate. In a lengthy letter to Constance, which closes the book and was supposedly inspired by parts of Frazer's The Golden Bough, Mellors goes on at length about the importance of rest and rejuvenation to maintain the magic they share. In the one section I'm able to print here, he says that it "takes patience and the long pause" to truly realize nature's creation.

So, this is what I've been thinking about, Lawrence's great line: "patience and the long pause."

As much as I want to charge ahead with training, as much as I want to get to the '09 season, it's really the time for patience and a long pause. Time to rest and rebuild. If it worked for two frisky Victorians, that should be good enough for me.

Glidepath to 2009: Zeigeist Half; Coyote 2 Moons; and the Folly of a 100

It's been a crazy week since Teton (race results; personal post). Now six full days adrift since my drop at mile 45, I feel for the first time that I'd finally brought my body back into calorie balance. It certainly seems I'd dug myself a pretty deep energy deficit last week, and in retrospect it was probably amazing I made it as far as I did, so I'll try to stop beating myself up about it.

I took five full days off this week, running a pretty easy five miles today. It was nice to be out running without any serious training plan in mind. Just a free and easy trot on some single track with free and easy thoughts about some short fall races and the '09 ultra season.

The only race I really have left on the '08 calendar is the Zeitgeist Half Marathon in Boise, November 1. For a road half, it's fairly challenging, with about 1,100 feet of climbing, and there are always some speedy roadsters toeing the line. The distance and the climbing shouldn't be a problem, but my speed is in the tank after injuries and ultras, so I have some tempo runs and a few trips to the track ahead of me this fall.

After Zeitgeist, it'll be back to skiing and the dark, cold, icy runs that make training in the high mountains that much more interesting. It's strange, but some of my best runs surface on the early morning icy roads. Just like those big summer runs on technical single track, there's something about a snowy -10 degree run that really strips you down to pure effort and desire.

And I've been thinking a lot about these winter runs as I've been starting to plan (some would say obsess over) the '09 season. Crazily, I may bust out '09 with the Coyote 2 Moons 100k (19,000 ft of climbing) in Ojai, Ca in mid-March, should I be able to get in. Most likely, we'll still have two feet of snow on the ground here, so running all the miles and vertical to make it worthwhile would be a huge challenge. But, it's practically in my home town, and we'd planned a family trip down there around that time, so the cards seem about as aligned as they could be. Plus it just seems like a great event, and the Patagonia finisher's jacket alone is worth the price of admission (for more, see post on Coyote Two Moons 2009 Applications).

Beyond Coyote, I'm not so sure. But, I have to admit to looking at a heck of a lot of 100 mile sites, and may decide to try my inexperienced hand. Bighorn, Tahoe Rim Trail, Leadville, Cascade Crest, Angeles Crest, Wasatch - they're all more than intriguing. It could be pure folly, I know. And I may be using the whole idea of doing a 100 as a foil against my recent disappointing drop at Teton. But, in the past, I've used my frailties as a springboard to bigger accomplishment, and maybe my Teton experience is just what I need to give me the courage (or unwarranted chutzpa) to actually pick a 100 and toe the line. Cheers. 

See my other C2M postings.

Steep "Incline" to Beijing

It's old school, and it hurts, leaving world-caliber athletes grovelling at its unrelenting grade. It's the short, steep climb near the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs called the Incline. Olympic athletes from skaters to wrestlers to triathletes tackle the one mile, 2,000 foot climb to test their fitness and mental mettle, with some coming away with failing grades.

Of those who excel on the steep pitch, triathlete Mark Fretta holds the unofficial record of 16:42. Many others fair less well, blowing up before the top and getting passed by those many decades their senior.

Some links to Incline history, facts, and lore:

• Up a Mountain, Olympic Dreams are Carved (NY Times)
• Manitou Incline (YouTube)
• Incline Club
• Manitou and Pike Peak Railway (Wikipedia)
• Manitou Incline Busy Season Has Begun (Ultra Rob's Adventures)

(photo by cpt.spock used under Creative Commons)

RJ Review: Asics Gel-Trail Attack 4

With the snow melting quickly and muddy earth starting to dry, we at Run Junkie have been hitting the trails hard after a long, ascetic winter. And we finally feel ready to pass judgment on this year's new batch of trail running shoes. Today, we take a look at Asics' 4th edition of the light, stable, and durable Gel-Trail Attack.

Not wanting to mess with a good thing, Asics showed good sense and didn't change too much from its previous version. The most notable differences are the brighter colors (picante & sun), the less integrated (and more comfortable) tongue, and a more complex tread that seems to work just as well, if not better than, the previous pattern.

Looked at on its own terms, the Gel-Trail Attack 4 (retail $80.00) doesn't have much at all to dislike. For being such a light trail shoe (10.9 ounces), it handles well on tricky, steep single track descents and has fairly good toe-bump protection. It has enough cushioning and support to handle a long stretch of pavement on the way to (or coming back from) the trail. And it just feels good on - key to any shoe you'll be wearing in the wilds for hour after hour.

If it has one major drawback, it could be that it's just not beefy enough to hold up to big big miles week after week in the backcountry. In many ways, it's a racing flat for the trail, and if you feel you're going to be pounding out 80 - 90 mile weeks up and over mountain passes you might want to look for something with a bit more substance. But, if your goals are a tad more modest, the Gel-Trail Attack 4 is a hard shoe to beat.

More shoe reviews on Run Junkie (shoe reviews).

Doctor in (Endurance) Training: bonking, blood chemistry, and the sleep monster

From the never-too-late-to-write-about-it file, comes a neat little piece from the venerable British Medical Journal (BMJ). Written in 2004 by then medical student Akbar Lalani, the piece, titled Endurance (pdf), chronicles his training for the ultra Marathon Des Sables, the 2008 edition of which is going on right now and finishes April 2 (race site). With his detailed yet fairly digestible approach, Lalani discusses topics like sleep, bonking, glycogen storage, and blood biochemistry in a manner quite different, and in many ways more illuminating, than that of most marathon and ultra pieces. One notable quote: "Based on blood results alone, a marathon runner might be admitted to a coronary care unit as creatine kinase concentrations rocket to 10 times normal."

Kenyan Running Camps Not Just for Kenyans

Despite the post-election strife that ravaged most of Kenya recently (previous post), many international runners with Olympic hopes have been flocking to the Kenyan high plains to try and capture the magic of its fleet-feeted natives. The Kip Keino running camp in Eldoret has runners from Estonia, Guyana and Sri Lanka, and seems to be bringing out the best in them as reported today on Eurosport.com (story).

(photo by World Resources Institute Staff, under Creative Commons)