Reflections on Boston Marathon 2011

Mutai ripping off a 2:03:02!!

Trimming the field right move for Boston Marathon*

The people who run the Boston Marathon form a type of cult.
They're a bunch of energy bar-fueled, short short-wearing, Gatorade-infused, lithe superhumans.

Or are they?

Recently, the Boston Marathon has been bombarded by joggers. You know, the more regular people. They eat real food, wear longer shorts, occasionally drink soda, and would be better titled simply "runners."

True, they do decide it would be fun to run 26.2 miles fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which is more than a little crazy, but they're normal. Ish.

If time parameters would help you to better categorize "superhuman" and "runner," a "super elite" might run consistent five- or six-minute miles (or, in the case of this year's winner Geoffrey Mutai, consistent 4:42 miles) while a "runner" might run consistent eight- or 10-minute miles, depending on their age.

Don't scoff at these "runners"; they train crazy amounts and are fantastic athletes. They do a seemingly superhuman thing: jog at a relatively fast pace for 26.2 miles (or a few hours). They just don't run for a living.

This abundance of "runners" has caused problems for the Boston Marathon. This year, 24,338 people ran the race. Countless more people qualified for the marathon but didn't get in because registration sold out in eight hours and three minutes. Yep, that many people wanted to run the Boston Marathon.

And there aren't that many superhumans out there qualifying; it's the more-normal "runners" who fill the spots.

These "runners," and this year's quick sellout, have caused a change in Boston protocol; starting in 2013, all qualifying will decrease by five minutes. For 2012, registration for the marathon will not be first-come, first-served like this year; it will be a fast-runner, fast-serve. So the runners with the fastest qualifying times will get first priority.

Oh, the hullabaloo - many "runners" are upset. It's even harder to get into the Boston Marathon now.

I think the change is a great idea. It ensures that Boston remains an exclusive cult ... er, club. It keeps the Boston Marathon as an elite-runner event - not entirely composed of super-elite distance runners, but definitely just elites and the fastest "runners."

I think raising the bar is a good thing; it gives people something to strive for. I mean, I'm not the one running 26.2 miles, so I wouldn't know what it feels like to qualify but not run the Boston. But this procedural change will capture the magic of the Boston Marathon - it's elite.

*with credit to the "Phillyburbs.com"

12 Really Great Race Tips

12 Tips for a Better Race

***2:03:02 in Boston last week - fastest marathon ever. Epic.

(more to come on that later this week!!).

Race Day Do’s & Don’ts:

1. Check to make sure your racing equipment is in good shape. Racing shoes should have plenty of life in them. Don’t wear brand new shoes right out of the box for any race. Get in at least 1-2 specific workouts at the goal pace you are shooting for so you know that they fit well and won’t give you blisters. You should also try out your clothing beforehand to assure comfort, avoid any chafing problems and to make sure that they are breathable in any type of weather. Socks should be new if possible as you don’t want them bunching up inside your shoes. Don’t forget hats, gloves, sunglasses, extra socks and even an extra pair of shoelaces.
2. If you have more than one pair of the same style of shoe then make sure you pack a left shoe and right shoe in the bag. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen athletes pack two of the same shoe and then panic to find someone with an extra pair of shoes to borrow for the race. No one needs that kind of stress, nor do they need to have a race ruined by a last-minute snafu such as this one.
3. Pack your gels, powders and sports drinks that you will need for the race. Don’t expect to pick some up at the expo or local store. If you plan on drinking the sports drink that they will have available on the race course then get some to try in training. If it doesn’t work for you then pack sports gels and take them with water along the course.
4. Increase your intake of antioxidants on race week. This becomes a time of high stress and if you meet it head on with an extra dose of vitamin C you will help to fight off most colds. Zinc is also a great immune booster and can help to keep a cold at bay if you are feeling a little run down. Same goes for B complex vitamins.
5. Get more sleep. Never underestimate the restorative properties of sleep. However, don’t sleep in later than normal on race week. It is best to stick to your normal morning routine as much as possible. Go to bed an hour earlier at night to get a little more recovery and give you some extra pep in your step.
6. Stay hydrated, but don’t overdo the sports drinks. As you back down on your training volume you will not need as many recovery drinks or as many empty calories. However, you should keep the water coming so you can flush out any toxins produced from your final bouts of heavy training. Eat good food that is nourishing to your body and will aid in your recovery. Eat a colorful array of fruits and vegetables. Don’t forget to eat good sources of protein. Avoid eating too much dairy products as they can clog your lymph system. Keep caffeine intake to a minimum. Put the preservatives back on the shelf.
7. If travelling to a race then plan early so you know your driving directions, time constraints, what reservations need to be made for housing and restaurants. Last minute navigating means extra stress that you don’t need. An ounce of prevention…you know what I mean.
8. Review the race course – either online, with a map or in person by running or driving over the course. Don’t expect course marshals to always know the right way to go. Most are volunteers and they haven’t studied the full course map. Make it your responsibility to know how to get to the start and to the finish– especially if you plan on being anywhere close to the front of the pack. If you run ultras or adventure races then this becomes an absolute necessity. Getting lost in the woods is not only no fun, it is dangerous.
9. Have a race plan. Stick to its intent. Don’t be afraid to change it if the conditions warrant. Extreme changes in hot or cold will mean you need to adjust your pace to fit the conditions. Do the best you can to understand the principles of your plan so you can make smart game-day decisions.
10. Keep with your habits and routines. Race weekend is not the time to experiment. Save that for your next training phase.
11. Plan on enjoying yourself during the race. Work hard to reach your goals. Celebrate afterward.
12. Before the gun goes off take 3 deep breaths. Relax, focus in and put all negative thoughts out of your mind.

Crack or Cookies?

Craving a milkshake? You might be a junk-food addict

A new study finds just looking at a milkshake activates the same areas of the brain that light up when an addict sees cocaine

When potato-chip makers came up with the slogan "Betcha can't eat just one," it wasn't false advertising.
At least, not for people hard-wired to crave junk food.
According to a new study involving young women, just looking at a milkshake activates the same areas of the brain that light up when an addict sees cocaine, Reuters reports [http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/04/obesity-food-addiction-idinn0428159220110404].
Researchers found the most brain activity among women who rated high on a scale of addictive eating behaviour.
"If certain foods are addictive, this may partially explain the difficulty people experience in achieving sustainable weight loss," writes lead author Ashley Gearhardt of Yale University in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Previous research confirms what junk-food addicts already know: It's tough to kick a fat and sugar habit.
In a 2010 study [http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v13/n5/abs/nn.2519.html] at Scripps Research Institute in Florida, scientists found addictive behaviour in rats given an unlimited supply of high-calorie foods.
Over time, the rats showed less activity in the pleasure centres of the brain and needed to eat more to get a junk food "high." And unlike rats given a healthy diet or restricted portions of junk food, the rats offered a self-serve buffet of sweets and fatty treats started bingeing, doubling their initial weight.
Food advertisers play a big role in the obesity epidemic, according to researchers in the milkshake study, who suggest that reducing visual "cues" - such as billboards - would help food addicts avoid temptation.
In other words, out of sight, out of mind.

Another Reason Why "Golf is a Good Run Wasted!!"

Pro golfer Kevin Na shoots a 16 ... on one hole! 

Kevin Na set an all-time PGA low, carding a 16 on the ninth hole Thursday at TPC San Antonio during the Texas Open. | AP

Any weekend golfer is familiar with a “snowman,” the term used for scoring an “8” on a hole.

But what do you call it when you card a 16? A double snowman?

Well, for weekend golfers it rarely gets to that point because a compassionate playing partner usually allows the hacker to pick up his ball before it reaches double digits.

Such is not the case on the PGA Tour.

Kevin Na, playing in the Texas Open, recorded a tour-record 16 on the Par-4 ninth hole at the TPC San Antonio on Thursday. Amazingly, he shot a 4-under-par 64 on the other 17 holes, but his meltdown on No. 9 was epic.

Even the announcers had a hard time keeping track of his shots, at one point saying, “I’m not even sure what stroke he’s playing.”

A Good Runner - But Not A Great Runner

A good runner, but not great - great article from the BBC News

                                          Martin Lel breaks the tape in 2008
Different ways of seeing stats:
Marathon winners are getting faster. But don't be fooled into thinking this means distance running is in rude health, says Michael Blastland in his regular column.
When my dad ran his first marathon, it was considered a strange, almost deranged pursuit. Few tried. There was no Great North run. The mass participation we see today was unknown in the UK.
Meanwhile in the US in the late 1970s, Jim Fixx put on his trainers, lost 30 kilos, wrote The Complete Book of Running, became a jogging guru and helped start a boom. The boom came to the UK.
In 1981, the London marathon began, motivated by race-founder Chris Brasher's experience of the New York marathon. Since then, the London event has multiplied five or six times in size - from about 6,000 finishers to about 34,000 last year - and become the inspiration in turn of hundreds of thousands.
Winning times today would have stretched the imagination of those who ran it 28 years ago. Faster by nearly 20 seconds in every mile of the men's race, and 30 seconds per mile in the women's race, the pace at the front of both the men's and women's races would feel to many spectators like a two-hour sprint.
The winner last year was within a whisker of two hours five minutes - astonishing. By many measures, marathon running has enjoyed a phenomenal boom.
But something odd has also happened, not in the headline performance of winners, nor in the steady increase in popularity.
To discover what's peculiar, we need to look deeper - at the distribution of times across the field. It's a good lesson that there's seldom a just one story - in this case, that winning times are being cut - for any lump of data.
The chart, below, shows how many people finished within certain times at one of the first London marathons, and again last year. These were not unusual races in their period.

What's striking is the strange disappearance of good runners. That's good runners, rather than great - those who are far better than most, but not world-class, the kind who would impress at club level.
In 1982, a time of two hours 40 minutes would have placed you 457th. Last year, it would have been good enough for 184th - this despite the huge increase in competitors.
Matthew Parris, the Times columnist and former MP, finished in 1985 in the best time ever by an MP - an impressive two hours, 32mins, 57 seconds, for 385th out of about 20,000. Last year, this would have placed him 83rd out of 34,000. The year before (a hot day, admittedly), his time would have been good for 46th.
Of course, the weather can make a difference and you would expect some variation anyway. But not of this order, especially given that the old-timers argue the course is quicker these days (corners smoothed, cobbles carpeted, etc). But whilst there is now a flood of finishers at four hours-plus, it's become no more than a dripping tap just below the top.
Demand for places is high
How does this affect the way we think of the health of the sport? We could say that road running, including the marathon, is best measured by how many take part. On that basis it looks vibrant. We could look at the times of the winners, or at Paula Radcliffe - for years the best female marathon runner in the world - and we could say that excellence thrives (although not for the best British men, who are off the pace.)
So does it matter if the equivalent of the bottom half of football's premier league, the good but not great, has all but disappeared? It might, if this is where champions begin. Or it might matter simply for its own sake.
Where have all the good runners gone? There should be several hundred people out there in the UK who could perform to a high standard, but don't. It could be that good runners are avoiding the glitzy, big ticket events. But road races around the country are not recording good times in the numbers that they used to be.
The London marathon is glorious. To complete it on any terms is an achievement. But where is the tradition that pre-dated the boom? It was a small part of British life, to train and race as hard as you could on the heels of the best, important only really to those who loved it. But they did love it and the data suggests that, ever so quietly and amidst all the success, a part of running is dying.

Excuses Are Like Butts - everyone has one...

The Excuse Machine

How to shut it down, pull the plug and put it on the curb...

Ah, excuses. Those words we eloquently string together in an attempt to convince ourselves (and others) that we are infallible, despite the fact that something is not happening as it should be. Cue the ornate hand gestures, dramatic intonation, and facial expressions—all choreographed to garnish these prepared statements—and voila, you’ve activated your excuse machine.

Excuses are everywhere. They come from students who forget their homework, staffers who miss meetings, dieters who eat junk food, and politicians who don’t keep their promises. It’s human nature to get derailed from our best intentions, and excuses help soften the blow and justify our going off course.

The excuse

The real danger comes, however, from relying on excuses to not only right the wrongs of the past, but pre-pay for the wrongs to come. As Benedict Carey explained in a recent article in the New York Times, “some protect the ego by working on their excuses early.” Carey quotes psychologist Edward R. Hirt who references the line “I coulda been a contender,” from the movie On the Waterfront. Hirt goes on to say that “in the long term, that may be easier to live with for some people than to know they did their very best and failed.”

Excuses rob us of the ability to fail, because they cushion the fall. For the athlete, failure should be considered a right of passage. If we don’t tap into our potential because we’re afraid we won’t succeed, we’re going against everything that endurance racing is about. We are the mascots for potential. Just look at the everyday people who sign on to the challenge of a triathlon with equal parts fear and excitement in their eyes. Look at the accomplishments of Dick and Rick Hoyt, a father and his paralyzed son who have completed more than 1000 races together. Look at your own history. Think back to the time when multisport racing seemed crazy to you. Before you tackled triathlon you probably could have come up with 100 excuses to get out of combining a swim, bike and run all on the same day. Now you pay money to do it on purpose!

As a "once upon a time" coach, I heard a wide range of excuses from athletes—from the reasons they couldn’t get to a workout, to the breakdown of why a particular training session didn’t go as planned. We’ve all used the excuse machine at some point, but it’s time to pull the plug.

Successful athletes don’t make excuses, they make plans. Here are some tips to help you ditch the cop-outs and own your training program for better or for worse.

Write it Down

When you do need to miss a workout, pretend you need a “doctor’s note,” and write down the reason. Now look at what you wrote. The more explaining you’ve done, the more likely it’s an excuse. Why? An excuse serves as “carte blanche” for the person who is making it, so the person usually feels the need to provide enough information to justify their desire to act as they wish, not as they should. Consider the person who can’t do a workout after a skiing accident. The note would read “broken leg,” as opposed to, “I’m not feeling that great, so I’m going to stay home today.”

Stop Feeling, Start Doing

Excuses nestle in a subjective cocoon of phrases like “I should,” or “I feel like.” The excuse machine loves feelings, because there’s no right and wrong when it comes to emotions. That’s why it’s up to you to just do the workout despite your reasons to skip it. When you’re training, you should treat your goal like a priority—the way you would treat a job or a significant other. Your responsibility is to plan around your needs for this goal. Rather than use your time to earmark reasons you can’t do something, use it to map out the way you will do it. Eliminate the possibility for common excuses such as having “no time” by planning your workouts in advance and coming up with a Plan B to turn to if it “feels” like something could impact your schedule.

Be Realistic

If you’re making excuses about something on a regular basis, it’s time to be honest with yourself. Maybe your life has changed in a way that makes it too difficult to train for a certain race. It’s better to admit that and move on to a more obtainable goal than to continue moving from one excuse to the next as your training log collects dust and your goal looms overhead. Hanging on to a goal you’re no longer committed to forces you into a pattern of behavior that will ultimately compromise your self-motivation and eat away at your discipline.

so quit your bitchin' and get off your ass.
johnny boy

Around the Bay - a Canadian Success!

Unless you were Kenyan runner Josephat Ongeri trying to make up the 33-second gulf that separated him from the leader, chances are you didn’t know about Kitchener’s Derek Nakluski’s (above, in red, #15) commanding win in North America’s oldest foot race.  A Canadian had not won the Around the Bay race in 15 years and like a tree falling in the forest, for most Canadians it didn’t happen.

Despite the fact that most Canadians run or have tried running at some point in their lives, coverage of the sport in the mainstream media has been relegated to the Life and Arts section of both national newspapers.  If running were archery or lawn bowling, sports in other words, that have a small following, the lack of media coverage for the contenders in the sport would be understandable.

But this isn’t archery or lawn bowling or even darts.  This is running, a sport practiced by millions of Canadians and an endeavour that up until the early 1980s fielded the kind of contenders that made the world stand up and take notice.  The last time Canada sent someone to the Olympic marathon was in Sydney and the last time a Canadian contended in Boston was before many runners were even born.  The media should be at least wondering what’s happened to Canadian distance running in the intervening thirty years.

But they haven’t.

That isn’t to say that the national dailies aren’t interested in running, it’s just not directed towards the athletes who win.  Indeed, both the Globe and the Post have weekly columns and even the Peterborough Examiner has dipped its toes into these tepid waters by celebrating the trials and plodding tribulations of the Canadian everyman and woman.

Nakluski’s win didn’t fit with this kind of storyline.  He wasn’t a recovering drug addict or recently rescued from a mine.  Nor was he blind.  He likely never struggled to quit smoking or even grappled with his weight.  His mission on Sunday was singular and if he had a cause it was of the most primitive and primal nature; the need to go faster than the guy in front of him.  It’s doubtful he was in the depths of self-actualization as he ascended the escarpment in those final gruelling miles but rather, wandering how far back the other guy was and whether or not he could hang on to the lead.  More simply put, he was too damn fast for the morality tale that is the sure-fire harbinger of media attention.

On Monday morning no one asked Nakluski what he eats for breakfast or how he trains or how many hard miles he runs in a week because beyond the weekly saccharine advice for the neophyte jogger neither the Post nor the Globe cared.  Most recently the latter publication seemed to set a new low in a desperately shallow pool by providing the inane mantras of such running luminaries as a CBC meteorologist, TSO’s chief percussionist and (my personal favourite) the founder and president of something called “Cake Beauty.” In that same week Canadian media deemed it insufficiently newsworthy to bother reporting that Dylan Wykes and Reid Coolsaet had contended in the renowned New York Half Marathon, placing 11th and 13th (respectively) among some of the best distance runners in the world. It’s hard to imagine a 62 minute half-marathon not being considered worthy of some kind of mention but there it is.

McLuhan was right, the media is the message and the message for a generation raised on the self-esteem sophistry of Oprah is that less, in every aspect of the sport, is always more. There are days now when it feels like the forces of the popular “everyone’s a winner” marketing campaign and the requisite celebration of the five-hour marathon at the expense of real achievement, is all that there ever was.

Someday soon a Canadian athlete is going to break Drayton’s Canadian marathon record set in the 1970s.

Will anyone care?