Untamed Runner

Team sports including American and international football, baseball, and basketball are far more popular than running. More fans crowd their stadiums and events, more people have it on their televisions and phones, and more people follow their news cycles. Most people can probably name or at least recognize a number of athletes across the major team sports while they might be able to name one or two current world-class runners. I would venture to guess that the longest distance most people are willing to watch is the 200M, maybe the 400M. If an American athlete could choose between being a world-class 400M runner or becoming a first-round NFL or NBA draft pick, from a financial standpoint there’s no debate.

Without a doubt, team sports (and all sports) require their athletes to push their bodies to incredible limits and beyond in order to compete with the best. Around the world, the best team athletes are some of the best overall athletes. When teams like the New England Patriots or the Golden State Warriors have historic runs of dominance, it’s a testament to their athletic talent, coaching abilities, and hard work on all fronts. But, running is one sport that allows us to see what the human body can achieve in terms of speed.

We know there are certain speeds that a human cannot achieve, such as sixty miles per hour. That is reserved for cheetahs. What we don’t know is how much faster than our current records a human body can go. The world record for 800 meters is 1:40.9 and some question whether a human can go under 1:40.0. On one hand, that sounds absurd; it’s just one more second. On the other hand, 800 meters is a relatively short distance and humans have been racing it for a long time at a high level of precision, so maybe that’s true. Time will tell. This is one reason running is so interesting. What is our terminal velocity at various distances?

This coming fall, Eliud Kipchoge will be making another attempt at a sub-two hour marathon. He came close in 2017, posting 2:00:25. It’s one of the big “Can a human do this?” questions and many resources will be used to have him either reach that goal, or let it continue to sit out there, teasing all of us.

I believe he’ll go under two hours on this attempt and I have five reasons for this, which I will reveal next week…

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Skratch Energy Chews Raspberry: Like many energy chews, these would be more difficult to take down mid-run though if you were in an ultra where you expected to stop for refueling, they would work. The flavor was good and so were the results.

Sources used:

https://www.ineos159challenge.com/

https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20784175/is-sub-1-40-possible/

The Untamed Runner celebrates its one-year birthday around now. Oddly, I don’t have the exact date I launched but it was sometime in late May. How does a running blog celebrate its birthday? By its author going for a long run and using Birthday Cake-flavored Gu for energy.

I got lucky and was able to do this by running to work one morning last, due to vehicle logistics with visiting family. This was a 13.5-mile, point-to-point run ending at a slightly higher elevation. It combined dirt trails, residential streets, and concrete running/bike paths. There is a shorter way for me to make the trek but that would involve a few miles on a heavily used road with no sidewalks. The extra couple of miles are well worth it to avoid that insanity. I managed to complete it at a faster pace than I had planned (given that it was three days after Bolder Boulder and had net elevation gain, I was pleased) but more importantly, it was an exhilarating way to start the day and celebrate one year.

To date, the Untamed Runner has featured a combination of race analysis, training anecdotes, posts focused on individual elite runners, overviews of the sport, and food reviews. The latter three have received the most enthusiastic feedback so you can expect more of that as the Untamed Runner strides ahead. For the next several weeks, I’ll be covering why running may yield more learning about human capabilities than many team sports (this will include an early prediction for the Ineos 1:59 challenge), the value of pacing, and a Badwater overview.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gu Stroopwafel Hot Chocolate with a Hint of Cinnamon: I was pretty excited about this one but the texture was a little more chalky than I would have figured. However, I was eating it prior to my run so it didn’t interfere with that. As far as energy goes, I would give this one a thumbs-up and it didn’t affect my GI at all, which is another bonus. It might just be difficult to take down quickly mid-run.

For years I did not run the Bolder Boulder, basically because I was avoiding an unnecessary commute into a traffic-clogged city. Yet for years I only heard positive feedback about the event and was encouraged by many people to give it a try. I finally ran it this past Monday.

Prior to the Bolder Boulder, I had placed in my age group or better in eighteen straight races. I knew the streak would end on Monday, barring a significant time leap by me and some other faster runners dropping out.  In that way it was an odd approach to the race because I went into it solely focused on my time. Not only were my chances of placing slim, there were so many people running that unless you were in the front pack, you had no idea where you stood in the whole race, much less within your age group.

The race was a good reminder of a few things. Pacing is everything. Though my overall time was slower than what I hoped for, each mile, with the exception of the first one, was 12-15 seconds behind the splits I had penciled in, meaning my pacing matched what I expected on the course and I was able to run the miles, especially the latter ones, the way I had planned. (And how did I end up being that far off per mile? Being overly ambitious on a tough course and going out a little too fast contributed to it.) This relates to the second reminder, which is that the value of studying the course ahead of time cannot be overemphasized. At one point well before the end, a sign announces that you’re at the highest elevation point of the course. This is true, yet you have enough downhill remaining on the course that the final kilometer is a steady climb to the finish. In other words, you don’t just get to cruise. Knowing this, I didn’t rejoice at being at the highest point, I focused on pushing the pace so as to benefit from the downhill coming up, and bracing myself for the final climb.

I finished in the top 1.5% overall and top 4% in my age group (in a race with over 54,000 people, that equates to 777^th overall and 13^th in the age group) so given the size of the race, I was pleased. And, running a big race does have a lot of perks, including a closed course (ie not having to dodge other pedestrians on a public path/trail) and lots of spectators. In the meantime, summer running appears to be finally be here, in spite of our snow last week, so it’s time to put away the yak trax and heavy running coat and bring out the sunscreen.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gu Chews Strawberry: I used these one morning after having run the night before. I had to be careful because I was on race taper and needed to avoid moving too quickly, but I also wanted to feel energetic. These worked well for all three of my criteria. I wouldn’t use them during a race as they are very sticky and chewy, but as a pre-run food, they’re good.

Source used:

https://bb10k.bolderboulder.com/

Shortly after the conclusion of this year’s London Marathon my daughter asked me, “Who’s a faster runner, Bolt or Kipchoge?” She was referring to Usain Bolt, arguably the greatest sprinter of all time , and Eliud Kipchoge, the greatest marathoner of all time. This is an interesting question and not one that’s easily, or maybe possibly, answered.

In a previous post, I discussed how sprints are very different from distance races. You don’t see athletes switching between them during their careers because of the significantly different styles of training and racing. To answer the question of who’s faster, you couldn’t have Bolt and Kipchoge meet in the middle by setting up a half-marathon showdown. Kipchoge would dominate it. You might be able to use a 600M race but since neither man specializes at that distance, it wouldn’t be a fair comparison either.

Another possibility is to look at how they dominated their respective distances. Bolt won the 100M and 200M gold medals at three straight Olympic games starting in 2008. This was unprecedented and no other Olympic sprinter, male or female, has come close to this mark. He owns a variety of world records but the two most prominent are the 100M at 9.58 seconds and 200M at 19.19 seconds. Though he lowered these records multiple times, his final ones stand at 1.6% and .006% faster, respectively, than the ones he initially broke.

Kipchoge has won 12 out of 13 marathons he’s entered and has a current winning streak of eleven. These victories include eight majors, Olympic gold in 2016, and a world record of 2:01:39, which is 1.05% faster than the prior mark. He owns the fastest unofficial time of 2:00:25, as well as the third and sixth fastest official times ever, and has defeated all of the other current top marathon performers head-to-head.

Bolt and Kipchoge’s performances at high-level races is exceptional and they’ve made it look almost easy. During a replay of the 100M final at the 2016 Olympics, the commentators slowed down the footage and pointed out Bolt turning and smiling at the camera. That is nearly unfathomable at that distance and it shows how confident he was he would win. In the 2018 Berlin Marathon and 2019 London Marathon, Kipchoge could be seen directing the other pacers and runners during the race in an effort to keep the speed up. When he’s finished his last several races, he has enough left over to enjoy the crowd in the final stretch. What does all this mean? They’re not barely getting over the line in front of everyone else, they’re winning comfortably.

So who is the faster runner? Given how far they’ve been ahead of their competitors, I’m going to call it a tie, something neither one is used to but which seems appropriate.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Clif Bar Fruit Smoothie Filled Blueberry Acai: This seemed like it had potential but it wasn’t much different than a standard Clif Bar. The interior was still very chewy. I liked it, it tasted like Blueberry, and it had good energy, but if they’re more expensive than the traditional Clif bars (and I forgot to check the price comparison) I wouldn’t see any reason to pay more for them.

Sources used:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_metres

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/200_metres

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliud_Kipchoge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usain_Bolt

LetsRun carries extensive coverage of women’s and men’s marathons and running events and has enthusiasm for, and celebrates the successes of, both genders. Partly because of this, I recently started to suspect that American women may be better poised for near-term success on the world distance running stage than the men. This was reaffirmed by looking at a couple of items.

Earlier this year, the IAAF announced significantly more difficult qualifying standards for the 2020 Olympics. For example, the men’s marathon qualifying time dropped from 2:18 to 2:11:30. In the United States, the Olympic trials for middle and long distance runners takes every American athlete who has made the qualifying standard, puts them on the same track, and the top three finishers in each event advance to the Olympic games. For the 2020 trials, it appears they will keep the former time standards in place for allowing athletes to make the trials but the top three finishers, if they don’t have the new Olympic standard, won’t necessarily make the Olympic team.

LetsRun created a chart to show which of the top three finishers at the 2016 U.S. Olympic trials also met the 2020 standard. In other words, how would the Olympic team that year have looked if they had had to meet the 2020 standard? This chart included the 800M, 1500M, 3000M Steeplechase, 5000M, 10000M, and marathon. Since this is an argument for the distance runners, I’ll use just the 5000M, 10000M, and marathon results. On the women’s side, in two out of these three events the top three women finishers also met the new qualifying criteria. Not only did they have enough athletes with the new standard, but those athletes showed up and performed when it was necessary to do so. On the men’s side? Out of those three events, there were zero where all of the top three finishers also met the new standard. This wasn’t an issue of depth, for there were enough men in most of the events who had met the new standard but just didn’t finish in the top three that day. Credit the U.S. women for performing well when called upon. (If you’re curious, the results were similar for the 800M, 1500M, and 3000M steeplechase. The women would have gone three for three and the men were at zero.)

Given the dizzying array of data available for track races, I chose the marathon as the next comparison point. Taking the results from the six major marathons (Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, and Tokyo) from 2017 forward, American women have had a total of eight podium (or top three) finishes, and American men have had three. Among the men, it was two athletes who combined for the three finishes and for the women, it was a total of five unique athletes who earned the eight podium places.

American distance running is not in a position to start dominating any one event. None of those marathon podium finishes for the women or men came at Berlin or London, currently the two fastest marathons. But, Shalane Flanagan won the 2017 New York marathon and second place was Mary Keitany, the current women’s-only world record holder and at the time, considered the best female marathon runner on the planet. While she was dealing with a mild medical issue that day, one person pointed out that with how Flanagan ran the race, she would probably have won regardless. She followed up her 2017 win with a third place showing at the 2018 event, behind Keitany and Vivian Cheruiyot, the 2018 London marathon winner. Not a bad day out.

There are several American women who are showing significant potential including Jordan Hasay, Molly Huddle, and Emily Sisson. All have run well at major races. While Flanagan and Desiree Linden, the 2018 Boston Marathon champion, may be retiring sooner rather than later, there are technically five American women out there who can legitimately compete at the world level. It’s hard to say whether they’ll be able to challenge at Berlin or London but at the other four majors, they may be in a position to continue to make big statements.

American men do have some runners who may be able to contend at the world level and it may be that both genders will put on a strong showing over the next couple of years and at the 2020 Tokyo games. But for the moment, it appears that the best odds for American distance running success will be from the women’s side.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Clif Bloks Spearmint: These are a new flavor in this line and taste like a chewy breath mint. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a breath mint right before running so it was a new sensation. GI-wise, they were good. Energy wise, they were fine. I used this on a day when I was rested and felt pretty average, so I don’t think they gave me a significant boost.

Sources used:

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2017/11/shalane-flanagan-wins-2017-new-york-city-marathon-1st-american-winner-40-years/

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/03/ethiopians-birhanu-legese-20448-and-ruti-aga-22040-ignore-poor-weather-and-win-first-marathons-of-their-careers-in-tokyo/

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/03/our-worst-fears-realized-usatf-will-not-honor-top-three-finish-at-the-us-olympic-trials-unless-you-have-the-standard/

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/04/2019-boston-marathon-tracking-live-leaderboard-and-results/

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/04/2019-london-marathon-results-tracking-and-live-leaderboard/

https://www.marathon.tokyo/en/about/past/2017/press-release/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Berlin_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Berlin_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Boston_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Boston_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Chicago_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Chicago_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_London_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_London_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_New_York_City_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_New_York_City_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Tokyo_Marathon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jepkosgei_Keitany

A mild cold last week kept me sidelined from running for a few days. Because the cold was mild, I debated whether to run anyway. There were three basic possibilities if I had hit the trail. The two most likely ones were prolonging the illness or making it worse. The third and least likely one was that the bug would just go away with no consequence. So, that led me to the decision to rest. I will emphasize that I am not a medical professional or trained coach but I’ll share the guidelines I follow when making a decision on whether to run when I’m sick, especially when I’m getting towards the end of the illness. One general rule of thumb I keep in mind is that if you stop running for illness or injury, you don’t start to lose fitness for seven to ten days. Obviously you’re not gaining it either, but at least you can get it back quickly. Also, to keep this post from getting to novel length, the types of illness I’m referring to below are mild to nasty colds or stomach bugs. When dealing with more severe issues, it’s good to consult with a doctor.

There are the very easy decisions on whether to run while sick, such as when the symptoms are so severe that the thought of even going to the store or a short walk sounds excruciating, much less going for a run. Obviously I’ll stay in and rest. This tends to happen on at least the first day or two when I’m feeling crummy.

Next come the relatively easy decisions. These are on days three or four, where I feel like I could knock out a few miles but I know that it would sap me and possibly prolong the illness. I can’t think of a good reason to run in a situation like this, as I’m not doing my body a favor.

Then there are the difficult decisions. These happen on day five or six where I’m starting to get back to a fairly normal state. On one hand, I don’t want to relapse. On the other hand, sometimes it’s good to just go out and start running again and not take on the symptoms of a hypochondriac. So, I consider several things here. If I have a race coming up and I do feel legitimately better, I may run a very light three miles to see how it goes and to shake my legs out. But, if I have a trip coming up and I’m hoping to get some good running in while travelling, I may give myself the extra day rest. If I have nothing planned, I will lean towards running three miles at an easy pace.

The most difficult decision on when to run are the times I suspect I’m coming down with a bug but it hasn’t slammed me yet. Do I go out and get one last good workout in, knowing I’ll be sidelined? Do I rest? Part of the difficulty is in determining whether I’m getting sick or if I’m just wiped out from a long week. Generally, I consider how I’ll feel after I’m done running. If the thought of going out for a run gives me the sense that I’ll be inordinately exhausted when I’m done, I’ll back off. Otherwise, I will probably lean towards the run, then hope for the best.

If you do find yourself under the weather and need to take a few days off, you probably shouldn’t make up the mileage you lost once you’re well. Doing so could increase your risk of injury. While your fitness should remain for seven to ten days, and while you can probably add a few extra miles to the week when you’re coming back, a significant increase could be problematic. Also, you can look at the positive side. Your muscles have had a chance to relax and loosen up and for the workouts you do have planned when you’re back, especially the speed ones, you may feel a lot more fresh while doing them. I’ve felt the extra boost from rest for the past several days and the running has been very enjoyable.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gatorade Tidal Punch. This is part of their “Flow” line. I can’t place the flavor on this one. However, it’s acceptable. It’s also a very light type of Gatorade which makes it ideal for pre- and in-run consumption. I drank this before doing a seven mile run with some significant hills while pushing my daughter in the Bob. I felt good the whole time and the pace was solid, so I’ll give it a thumbs-up.

One struggle for many runners is finding new scenery and training routes to avoid monotony. Since most of us work within geographic and time limitations in our lives, we find routes nearby that we enjoy but that we may use over and over again. Don’t despair, there is much to enjoy from running the same road or trail repeatedly. This may involve tuning in to music or a podcast (but do so safely and mind your surroundings) yet there are visual ways to keep yourself engaged while running.

Changes in the season alter our views dramatically. In the spring and summer in our area, you might see blue herons and muskrats and in the fall and winter, it’s thousands of geese. Year-round, there are owls and coyotes on the move. From November through March you might see what everything looks like after a heavy wet snow versus a howling blizzard. The vegetation takes on a different look depending on whether there’s been sufficient rain. The trail has various personalities based on the amount of water that has changed it.

Most places vary in their appearance, usually just a little, every day. Running at different times allows you to see the trail or path in different kinds of light, whether it’s from the sun, your headlamp, or, if you’re fortunate, the brilliance of a full moon. Every type of light, from early dawn to the middle of the afternoon to sundown, gives everything a slightly altered look.

Beyond natural differences, there are the human-caused ones. The other day, I was running along a familiar path and there was a bag of fresh bagels next to the trail with no one in sight. Were they forgotten, were they left there on purpose? Next to a sidewalk I go along frequently, there’s an outdoor pool in an apartment complex that hasn’t been drained since last summer. Questionable maintenance standards? One evening there were four kids on bikes who were all attached to a makeshift trailer and speeding down the trail. This was clearly an act of creativity but who knows what they were up to?

If I’m focused more on speed training, I don’t notice anything except the watch and how I feel. The upside of repeating the same route on these workouts is comparing my times with prior ones and making goals for future ones.

Running familiar paths will bring many benefits, even if it’s just the knowledge you’re on a trail or road that you know well and that you’ll get in a run that you’ll be pleased with on some level. Enjoying the new amid the familiar can occur in many parts of our lives and repeating routes allows us to see that balance played out well.

While running a standard predawn route this morning, there was nothing too unusual but I did I catch the familiar scent of the fried chicken being cooked at King Soopers. On that note, I’m heading to dinner and here is this week’s food review (not fried chicken):

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Chocolate Coconut Roctane Gu: I’m not a big coconut fan but I figured I would test this one. In situations where it would have been impolite to decline a coconut-flavored dessert, I’ve eaten coconut cake, pie, etc. This tasted a lot like those, with a dash of chocolate. For those of you who like coconut, this bodes well, as there was positive feedback at these various dinner parties for the coconut-flavored desserts. The wind was up the day I used this and I had run hard the day before yet I felt good. While the taste was not to my liking, I think this product would be good for those who like coconut.

New Olympic qualifying standards for track & field and the marathon were revealed, unleashing a torrent of opinions. These primarily revolve around the argument that the impact of the US Olympic trials has been lessened. Previously, entry times for the trials matched the Olympic baseline times and for runners who qualified for the trials, finishing in the top three guaranteed a spot on the team. For spectators, watching the trials meant seeing the team form based on the results. Now, that may not be the case.

In 2016, the Olympic and trials qualifying standard for the men’s marathon was 2:19. If a US runner qualified for the trials with a 2:18:59 and then finished third there with a 2:16:00, they would have lined up in Rio to make their attempt at a medal. The new men’s Olympic standard is 2:11:30. For an aspirant in the marathon, they can still run under 2:19:00 and make the US trials. However, if someone qualifies for those with a 2:14:00 personal best, runs a 2:11:35 at the trials on February 29, 2020, and they finish in the top three, they would either need to post a 2:11:29 between then and May of 2020, which is absurd, or hope their IAAF world ranking qualifies them.

Does this rule change matter for U.S. runners? Galen Rupp is the only current American athlete who has routinely posted marathon times that are under the new standard and that are within striking distance for podium finishes at major races. Since 1964, American male distance runners have earned 9 medals at the Olympics. This is out of 117 medals that were awarded (5000M, 10000M, and the marathon at all the Olympics from 1964-2016, but not including the 1980 summer games, which the United States boycotted). Given the current top times that many U.S. runners have posted, it’s possible they will earn more at the next Olympics, maybe even likely, but with the domination of African runners, adding more than three is unlikely.

Changing the standard to 2:11:30 (and lowering the times for the other distances) might affect the interest and importance of the trials, and it impacts any other runner in the world who would have qualified with a time in the former ranges, but it’s unlikely it drastically changes the probability of who will win medals. Do you only allow people in who are very likely to medal?

Doing so runs counter to the spirit of the sport. The Olympic trials represent an obtainable dream for a fair number of top distance runners. One could argue that for the 2024 games, the trials qualifying time could be changed to match the Olympic ones so that top three finishers still are guaranteed to make the team. But, you would only have a handful of runners out there, which isn’t as exciting for them or the sport. Also, a couple of relatively unknown women who were not at the top of the marathon world have won the trials in the past. While they probably had the race of their lives at the exact right moment, it’s those types of achievements that give other runners fuel.

Many people thrive on achievement and goals, whether it’s a world record in the marathon or completing a 5K. When you cut down on the ability of people to achieve goals and it’s not due to problems having developed under the former rules, it makes the sport more elitist. It’s not like the Olympics expanded the running field for the last summer games and dealt with major logistical issues because of it. Countries are limited to a certain number of athletes they can send and the field has not been bloated due to more and more people hitting their standard times. It’s been three runners per country for each event for a long time.

A 2:19 marathon still requires the athlete to run a 5:18 mile pace and there are a limited number of people out there who are capable of that. In the grand scheme of things, having the Olympic course open for an additional eight minutes or so to allow extra competitors is beneficial to the world running community. When Brazil hosted the 2016 Olympics, one of their stars would not have been able to participate under these new rules, and he is no slouch on the road.

American and other countries’ distance running programs are unlikely to yield the same caliber or number of elite athletes as Ethiopia, Kenya, and other African countries. Yet it serves no one to cut down on the number of current spots on the Olympic starting lines. The IAAF’s rationale, that it will encourage more runners to compete at their meets and improve their world rankings which will be used to help determine the Olympic teams, is sound. And, under that, the United States probably will still send a full roster of distance runners to the Olympics. Yet, there’s no guarantee that it will and the trials are less likely to serve as the final determinant of that roster. The new rules restrict qualification to an event that’s already highly selective. We’ll see what happens as we get closer to trials season.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gatorade Arctic Blitz: Some Gatorade drinks can be a little much to handle in the mornings. This one, part of their “Frost” line, bucks that trend and does it well. I’ve used it a few times for early morning runs and it fuels me and my GI feels good.

*Edited to include a new Gatorade review. The first posting contained a repeat review.

References used:

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/03/did-the-iaaf-just-kill-off-some-of-the-significance-of-the-olympic-trials-iaaf-announces-new-qualifying-system-entry-standards-for-2020-olympics/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Summer_Olympics_boycott

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5000_metres_at_the_Olympics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10,000_metres_at_the_Olympics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathons_at_the_Olympics

https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a25770488/2020-olympic-marathon-trials-field/

http://www.usatf.org/Events—Calendar/2020/U-S–Olympic-Team-Trials—Marathon/QualifyingStandards.aspx

https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/united-states/galen-rupp-196507

http://www.usatf.org/Events—Calendar/2016/U-S–Olympic-Team-Trials—Marathon/Qualifying-Standards.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_marathon

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-02-27-0002270286-story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/many-of-brazils-top-marathoners-get-their-start-running-as-trash-collectors/2016/04/17/e9b3cc3a-fb37-11e5-80e4-c381214de1a3_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.11edf2e88043

Air Force Forgot To Enter Its Distance Runners For Mountain West Conference Meet, Colorado State Won Team Title As A Result.

The headline on this article pretty much says it all. Someone (or someones) on Air Force’s coaching staff neglected to enter their runners for a conference championship meet. There are several preventative lessons from the article and one on effort which I will get to further down the page. While most of this may come across as “duh” statements, it’s also the case that occasionally reading and hearing basic reminders in all facets of life is valuable so that we don’t create unnecessary stress.

1. For most of us, we can enter many races up to the morning of the event (large and/or popular races being an exception). We don’t need to send in our names days or weeks ahead like college programs. Still, it’s good to enter in advance and, if possible, do early packet pick-up so you can get your race number prior to the event.

2. You always want to allow ample time on race morning for unexpected delays in getting to the starting line. Two of my last three races I’ve had only a few minutes for warm-up compared to my normal preference for a longer routine. This occurred in spite of allowing an extra 15 to 20 minutes in addition to the time I thought I would need.

3. When you get to a race, make sure that you’re entered in the appropriate distance and that your name matches your bib, etc. At a race a couple of years ago, someone was registered for the mile and ran the 5K. While their 9-minute finish time would have been a whopper of a world record for the 5K, they were in the wrong race. Not only was this unfortunate for them, it also took the race officials time to recalibrate the results.

4. Look at the course map ahead of time and once on the course, pay attention to course markings and race officials’ directions. In my last race, a runner who was a decent distance ahead of me (too far for me to say anything) blew right past the turnaround point, kept going, and lost many places in the race.

5. Run hard until the end and don’t assume anything. The following is not to advocate taking advantage of someone else’s mistake or misfortune, and higher placing doesn’t feel quite as good when it’s due to mistakes or issues with rules. But, everyone who shows up is expected to abide by the same rules, run the same course, etc. and that is also part of the event. On one hand, it was unfair for the Air Force distance runners to not be able to contribute towards the team’s points because of a bureaucratic error by their coaching staff. On the other hand, allowing Air Force’s distance points to count would be unfair to the other teams who did everything correctly to make sure they were entered and registered on time. A couple of years ago, I could have sworn I finished fourth overall in a race but I was awarded third place. After verifying this with the race officials, all I could figure was that one of the people ahead of me either dropped out, was disqualified, or had run the wrong race. In my example, I had worked to maintain my place during the latter stages of the race even though a podium finish seemed out of reach. With the example in the article above, CSU could have shown up “knowing” they weren’t going to win the team title and settled. Though their win came from a paperwork mishap, it still paid off for them to show up and compete at their best effort. So, this bit is to advocate always racing at your best level even if you’re sure of how the results will play out and you’re tempted to cruise through the event.

Life doesn’t always allow us to carry out tasks or do events in the most ideal way possible. Sometimes you just have to run through the airport even though you allowed for plenty of travel time. Sometimes you have to work late to get a project done, even though you started early and budgeted your time well. But, you can cut down on the probability of things going wrong with your races (and adding stress to an already wired morning) with a little planning ahead.

For the getting over the top portion: a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that Yomif Kejelcha missed the indoor mile world record by running a 3:48.46, .01 shy of the 3:48.45 mark. This past weekend, he broke that record by posting a 3:47.01. That’s a large gap, relative to the distance and the speed these athletes are running. It’s possible he could try to lower it again but as he’s primarily a 3000M and 5000M runner, I would imagine that breaking world records at that distance would be enticing.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gu Hoppy Trails: A couple of times I’ve gone for a run after a late-afternoon holiday lunch where I’d had a beer or two. Based on that, I was going to jokingly review beer as a pre-run energy food and give it a thumbs-down. It made me sluggish and I’m glad I was only going a few miles. However, Gu has introduced Hoppy Trails and it tastes just like beer. Unlike actual beer, this product gives you a boost during your run. The company is very clear that there is no alcohol and they also don’t put any caffeine in it. The hoppy flavor isn’t overpowering. While I wouldn’t use this as a go-to gel, given the number of runners who love beer as a post-run refreshment, this is a good way to sneak that flavor in before and during the run without compromising your energy level. In fact, you’ll enhance it.

References used:

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/03/air-force-forgot-to-enter-its-distance-runners-for-mountain-west-conference-meet-colorado-state-won-team-title-as-a-result/

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/03/wr-kejelcha-mile-indoor-34701/

This past summer, I wrote a blog post on making race adjustments based on various factors. Circumstances over the weekend gave me additional material in the same vein.

It was 5:45 a.m. this past Saturday. I was sitting in my study, drinking coffee, and looking out the window. In three and a half hours, I would be running the Snowman Stampede 10K in Littleton, CO. At the beginning of the week, the weather looked good for the race: mid-30s to low 40s, maybe a snow shower the night before, but with a 9:15 start and sunshine in the forecast, the paths would be fine by the time we toed the line.

Sunshine at the start was the only part of the early-week weather forecast that stayed constant. Otherwise, the Snowman Stampede lived up to its name. Six or seven inches of snow fell between Friday evening and Saturday morning and the temperature was in the low 20s. The course was mostly covered in a thin layer of snow (plows had been out) and one longer section at the end featured two wide tire tracks down a path with deeper snow in the middle between them.

Normally in a race I have a goal time in mind and, by looking around the starting line, I can make a fairly accurate guess on how the placing will play out. Well before the race started (starting in my study and concluding when I passed the nasty auto accident on I-25 during my drive down) I figured that I should go into the race with the mindset of it being a half race, half hard distance run. I did not pick a goal time and my mental tally of the competition was by reflex as my primary focus was to not wipe out and get injured. When the race was over, I had accomplished that goal. I would stand to run the next day.

Doing a cool-down run (cool-down being a debatable term) with some friends afterwards, we talked about how we had done. It wasn’t until that point that I realized the extent to which I had adjusted my race expectations. While I conscientiously didn’t worry as much about time, normally during a race I’ll keep track of how many people are in front of me and whether I can catch them. Not so that day. Though I had accurately guessed on the people who would finish ahead of me, I had been so focused on the path that the best answer I could come up with was that I was either 4^th or 5^th overall and ultimately, it turned out to be 5^th.

My time was disappointing when I crossed the line but I had checked expectations further north on the highway. However, it turned out that the course was 6.6 miles, instead of 6.2. Some other runners and I think the turnaround sign may have gotten knocked down or covered in snow and the staff on the course used the next logical landmark which was a bridge. Knowing that, my time was much more palatable.

In some ways, it was pleasant to have a race where my focus was somewhere else. Though I and probably everyone else would gladly have preferred at least a dry course, there’s also a bonding among your fellow racers in circumstances like these, which can make the event more fun and yield good stories for years to come.

The race organizers sent everyone a solid discount for a future race due to the poor conditions. This was surprising as it was impressive that the staff and volunteers even showed up given how treacherous the roads were that morning.

My next scheduled race is in mid-April. For that one, it can be 50 degrees with sunshine or howling, blowing snow. Similar to the Snowman Stampede, I’ll be ready to toss aside any time goals and change other expectations if the weather is garbage.

Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gatorade Fierce Grape: I like this drink primarily as a recovery beverage. I’m not sure why, but it sits a little heavier with me if I use it before or during a run. However, as a recovery drink, it’s outstanding and it tastes like a slowly-starting-to-melt grape snow cone.