Marathon: You Can Do It

By any measures, 2008 was a very good year for daily running tips dot Com and myself. I accomplished many of the goals I set for myself and saw some amazing growth from the blog and most important I was able to run my first sub three hours marathon.

At the start of the year the blog was hosted on wordpress dot com, it is now self hosted with it’s own domain.

Start training many months in advance

My running goal at the start of 2008 was to run a sub three hours marathon at the 2008 Nairobi Marathon, which is run in October. Am happy to say I achieved this goal by clocking a New P.B of 2 hours 54 minutes.

Speed works and hill runs

I started marathon training in February. For five months I did a 25K run once a week on Sunday mornings. In July I started serious preparations for the marathon that consisted of speed work and and hill running.

Years Of Training Equals Marathon Experience

After three years of marathon running I arrived at the start of 2008 Standard Chartered Nairobi marathon feeling strong and confident.  I was able to maintain a constant pace of 4 minutes per kilometre from the start to the finish. I did not suffer any leg cramps in the final stages thanks my continued training. After I crossed the finish line I was surprised to find myself walking comfortably that is when I realised I could have run a faster time if only I had pushed harder.

The question is will I continue improving in 2009 or have I peaked?

Thank You for an Awesome 2008

I want to thank everyone who help make this blog what it is. Without you, daily running tips  dot Com would just be like any other of the 120+ million blogs in the sphere. Thanks to you, this blog has become something special.

Happy New Year and let’s make 2009 the best ever!

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

Catherine the great has been one of the most consistent Kenyan runners. She is a four-time winner of the Boston Marathon. She has run 12 sub-2:26 performances and three sub-2:20s in her career. Runner’s World ranked her the No. 1 Runner of the Year for five years.

In an interview with running times magazine she revealed the secret to her longevity in the sport. Her training plan has been designed to avoid over training and fatigue.

Weekly Training Milage 

Catherine  runs 75 to 90 miles per week. “This way I can keep my body fresh, and recovered,” she reasons.

Interval Training 

Long repeats with short recoveries. Short recoveries are a hallmark of Kenyan training. She does 1K repeats

Run fast one day, slow the next day

On easy days her pace does not creep any faster than 7 minute per mile–slow considering her 5:17 per-mile PR marathon pace.  On easy days, if you start pushing then the next day you cannot give 100 percent.

The long run. 

She does easy speed up to 22 to 23 miles maximum.

Her philosphy is run hard, rest easy

Tags: kenya Runners, long runs, Marathon Running, Running, Training

One cure of a foot injury is to change your running shoes.

I was reading the blog of Bald Runner, a Philippine runner and this is what he said about his experience with the Asics Gel Kinsei 2.

“I bought an ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2 running shoes after looking for some cure to the pain on the rear end of my right foot. After using it for my running workouts the pain on the rear end of my right foot slowly disappeared”

Cure for Painful Feet While Running

I don’t think it was the Asics Gel Kinsei 2 that cured his foot injury. I remember at one time I used to feel pain on my feet while running, the pain disappeared when I started running with new running shoes. Painful feet while running is mostly caused by worn out running shoes. A new running shoe is the best medicine.

Facts About the Asics Gel Kinsei 2 by bald runner

1. It is the “heaviest” running shoes of ASICS and it advisable to use this only on your running workouts and not for road races.
2. This is the most expensive running shoes of ASICS and with its price, you can buy two (2) pairs of an average-priced ASICS shoes or NIKE
3. It is a very noisy shoe, according to bald runner when you step on the road it makes noisy sounds.

Tags: Asics, foot injury, Nike, Running Injuries, Running shoes, Trainers, Training

5 K, It’s the perfect distance: 3.1 miles require relatively little build-up, the training doesn’t take over your life, and the race is over fairly quickly unlike the half marathon or marathon.

Training for a 5K

According to a runners world article I read , by logging only three or four runs per week, you can be ready to toe the line of a 5K in just five weeks.

If your goal is just to finish, your training runs should be at a comfortable pace. If you are aiming to beat a time then you should consider adding some faster training to your schedule, it is the best way to improve your speed and endurance.

Running Tip For 5K

Don’t start running at a fast pace. Start slowly and save energy for the last mile.

Tags: , Marathon, Running, Training, training tips

Due to its high-impact nature,  injuries are part of running. Marathoners run on hard streets. The impact of each stride is three to four times a runners body weight, transferred from ankles to knees to hips. 

1. Body weight cause of running injury.

The heavier a runner, the higher the impact on the body. A runner who is overweight will experience extreme stress on the ankles, knees and hips. 

2. Over training causes running injury.

3. Lack of rest causes running injuries

Rest is important because it allows your body to repair muscle tears  caused during running.

4.  Poor running technique causes running injury.

Watch out against a running method that causes twisting of the ankles. 

5. Worn out running shoes causes running injuries. 

Worn out running shoes are like a car with shock absorbers. Running shoes help to reduce the impact of running. Poor running shoes increases stress on your feet, ankles and knee. 

Safe running 

Tags: Running Injuries, Running shoes, Trainers, Training