running

It is no small wonder that I don’t run with an iPod or mp3 player, simply because I find this to be a great time to get away from all the distractions of daily life. The peacefulness of hearing my feet strike the ground, my breathing, and then, my thoughts. And then – the moment. That precious moment. And another. And another. It’s almost like a string of pearls – each moment beautiful of it’s own accord, strung together one by one. A time when all stands still, when stuff just doesn’t matter, but the moment does.

Today’s 3M half marathon was a great reminder of how running provides us not only with an environment in which to "let go”, but also a metaphor for life as we know it. This metaphor also stands to remind us of how we err in daily life, and how we can excel.

Even when you know that stuff happens, that distractions rule your existence, it’s a challenge to rectify it. It is so hard to simply “be in the moment” and to let go of our attachment to emotions, drama, angst, anger, frustration, discontent, and a plethora of unpleasant stuff. And let’s face it – can you be self-actualized when you are chasing stuff around all day?

I am starting to think that our currently held beliefs on running and, specifically, running a marathon, are creating a new type of health risk.

The November 23 issue of the Austin American-Statesman has an article by Fit City writer Pamela LeBlanc entitled “Are slow runners ruining marathons?”. In it she refers to a recent article in the NY Times on the same topic. Here is the original NY Times quote:

“From 1980 to 2008, the number of marathon finishers in the United States increased to 425,000 from 143,000 … In 1980, the median finishing time for male runners in United States marathons was 3 hours 32 minutes 17 seconds, a pace of about eight minutes per mile. In 2008, the median finishing time was 4:16, a pace of 9:46. For women, that time in 1980 was 4:03:39. Last year, it was 4:43:32”.

She states that “making an effort to lead a healthy lifestyle is important, and having a goal like a marathon — whether you run it all or walk part of it — can help”. She then states that “proper training is crucial to prevent injury”.

And therein lies the quantum leap. I would totally agree with LeBlanc as she makes note of two critical issues – fostering active lifestyles, and doing so safely by preventing running injuries. But is it possible that the increased levels of participation – and the slower overall pace of the runners – combined with a high rate of running injuries, could actually be creating a greater health risk?

Principles define training. Principles can lead you to personal best performances, injury prevention, and health – if they are simply applied correctly.

Historically, running has a social and coaching culture that would have you believe that very diverse methods are required to train for different events. For example, most would assume that training for the 800 meters on the track would be in complete opposition to training for a 100 mile trail run. One is 200 times longer than the other. Currently-held beliefs would tell us that these events utilize different “energy systems”, that one event is anaerobic while the other is aerobic, that one event is for those with lots of fast twitch muscle fibers while the other is only for those with a predominance of slow twitch fibers, that perhaps a specific periodization or structure of training is required, or even more commonly, that perhaps a certain number of miles of training are necessary.

These traditional methods make some assumptions that, sadly, have not stood the test of time or science.

Much of the traditional thinking assumes that the cardiovascular system is the primary limiter of performance – and thus the primary aspect to address in training. But as we’ve built a body of knowledge in the sports sciences, this has been found to not be the case. The central nervous system and neuromuscular system are the primary limiters of performance, and thus issues such as power output should define the training plan. The greater the power output (at any given distance), the faster you go.

What does this mean from a practical application?

I have coached runners of all skill levels and paces, and through a wide variety of event distances. And the one common element that links events like the 800 meters and a 100 mile run is that the training principles are the same. Yes, the same.

“Buy now and avoid the Christmas rush”. Imagine – in June, I actually saw a sign proposing that people start thinking about Christmas. I am fully a believer in “advance planning and preparation” but to me, even that was a stretch.

One area in which advance planning and preparation will pay dividends (whether you've been naughty or nice!) is in getting yourself ready to prepare for marathon training. The Austin marathon is in February, and many of you have probably just gotten to the point of having defrosted from this year's Freeze-scale Marathon (apologies to Freescale – but this Canadian still found it COLD). Yet here I am proposing that you start thinking about it now.

But it's only June, you reply.