Marathon: You Can Do It

I have always thought barefoot running is the most dangerous thing a runner can try (Just look at the bleeding feet of Abebe Bikila who won Gold at while running barefoot at 1960 Olympics).

My thought on barefoot running was changed a little bit when I read the following advice on runners world magazine.

Go Barefoot Once A Week
Strong feet and lower legs, plus flexible ankles, equal fewer injuries. One of the best ways to gain this strength and flexibility is by barefoot running, according to McMillan, because you have to work harder at each toe-off and landing. “Try to do a few barefoot strides or some light jogging equal to between one and three laps of a track once or twice each week,” he says. Level grass works the best.

Source: Runners world UK dot com

I will try running barefoot and see how it goes.

Tags: Bikila, Ethiopian Runners, Inspiring, Marathon, Olympics, Running

Paul Tergat will be running at 2008 New York marathon. He just finished second at last week Lisbon half marathon.That will give him confidence going to New York Marathon.

I doubt whether the old warrior has the endurance to compete at high level. At 39 years of age he seems to have been edged out by new young distance runners from Kenya. Just look at the ages of Kenya marathon team at Beijing Olympics.

1. Martin Lel - 30 Yrs

2. Robert Cheruiyot - 30 Yrs.

3. Samuel Wanjiru (Olympic Gold Medal winner)- 21 Yrs

Back in May he finished 19th at Bangalore 10K, the Indian National daily termed his performance “a forgettable 19th”

But 2008 has been the year old athletes got back their groove. Romanian Constantina Tomescu 38 won Gold in the womens Olympic marathon and in the pool American swimmer Dara Torres won silver at ripe age of 41 years. Old is gold!!

Tags: Inspiring, Kenyan Runners, New york marathon, Olympics, Running

I was having a look at the new marathon route for 2008 StanChart Nairobi marathon and I noticed that, around the 3K mark there is a steep hill. It is the point along haile selassie avenue. Runners in the half and full marathon will run up and down the steep hill near NHIF building.

Difficulty of Running uphill.

Running up hill means runners will be forced to switch into anaerobic respiration very early in the marathon. If you pant heavily at a flat course, imagine how difficult it will be running uphill.

Because of the extra effort required to run uphill many runners might run out of glycogen stores early in the race.

Difficulty of running down hill. 

The biggest myth of running is, running down hill is easy. Running down hill knocks the hell out of your knees and heels.  I have also noticed, when am running down hill that is when a stomach cramp is triggered.

The Best way to prepare to run up the hill.

Do plenty of speed work. Speed works are done in anaerobic respiration. The more you get used to run with little oxygen getting into your muscles, the easier it will be to run uphill. Alternatively do hill repeats during your marathon training.

Carbon load. The week before the marathon eat plenty of complex carbohydrates. carbohydrates are stored in our bodies in the form of glycogen. During running the gycogen is burned to produce energy.

For the unfit, that is, any runner with less than two months of training, the wise thing to do is to walk up the hill.

Tags: , Marathon, Nairobi marathon, Resistance, Running, Training, uphill

The word “marathon” has its roots in ancient Greece?

According to historians, during a Greek war, a soldier named Pheidippides ran from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon. “Nikki!” was the word he yelled out upon arrival, which translates into the modern term “victory.” Yet, unfortunately, as soon as this word leapt from his lips, he fell to the ground and died giving new, literal meaning to the phrase “my job is killing me.”

The good news is that Pheidippides boss didn’t let his effort go unrecognized.

Like any great boss, the ruling government made sure that Pheidippides’ name went down in history. Pheidippides’ run from the town of Marathon to the city of Athens was acknowledged as the original marathon course. Then, some time later, a historic run was made from the bridge of Marathon to the Athens Olympic Stadium in his name. Yet, the biggest honor to Pheidippides is that marathons are still being run today!!

Tags: , athens, history, Marathon, Marathon Running, Running

After breaking the world marathon record for the second time Haile Gebreselassie must surely be singing Britney Spears song “I did it again…”

The ever smiling 35-year-old Ethiopian became the first man to run under two hours, four minutes as he clocked 2:03:59 at 2008 Berlin Marathon.

After the win I quickly checked the records and I noticed it is the sixth time the marathon world record has been broken over the flat Berlin courseIs it possible?

The last time he broke the record he was asked whether it was possible to run the marathon in 2 hours flat, the following was his answer

“Sure, it will happen,” he told reporters on Monday. “But when? Will it be in 20 years? Or 40 years? Nobody knows. The more technology develops, the more athletes will run faster. I believe one day it will happen.”

Lets us see how the time has been brought down from the past to the present.

In 1895, Spiridon Louis of Greece ran in 2hrs 58 minute.It wasnt until 1925 that American Albert Michelsen became the first man to run under 2hrs 30mins, by running in 2hrs 29mins. It took another 40 years for the time to go below 2hrs 10mins when Derek Clayton of Australia ran in 2hrs 9mins in 1967. 40 Yrs later Haile Gebresellasie is the second man to have ran below 2hrs 5mins.

Making an educated guese I think it will takes us another 40 plus years before we see a marathon runner running on 2hrs flat.

Tags: Haile Gebreselassie, Marathon, Marathon Running, Running