Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.andynoise.com

The McFarland Track Club Summer Series #1

Originally uploaded by andynoise

chris and i went up to mcfarland to run this race. we got lucky with the weather and tried to forget how much gas cost and headed to race.

the race course is a about two miles south of the high school, west of 99. we found out that the mcfarland team runs from the school to this course as a warmup each day. we were able to spot the race because of the sea of red warming up at the entrance of the almond orchard.

coach ayon and his team warmly greeted us and told us about the course. it was basic a rectangle that ran through and around the orchards. these orchards are where the team runs daily unless it drives out of town to run in the hills.

the good thing about running in the orchards is that there is some shade and the distances are known because the fields are laid out in nice even half mile and mile intervals.

the race was a quick one and galvin won it in a sub 16 performance. at least 10 runners were under 18 minutes and my son, chris ran 18:15 for the 5k course.

hopefully more bakersfield runners will run the other races in this series this summer.

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.andynoise.com

1600

Originally uploaded by andynoise

my son christopher’ s first race was the following:

33:56 Jun 6 2006 Handicap Summer Series 5K – #1

and at the liberty frosh/soph invite (less than two years later) he ran 10:45 for 3200 meters.

his splits were 75,81,82,82,83,83,83,81, and 77. he went thru the 1600 in 5:20 which is almost his pr.

he has been training old school, with lots of high mileage weeks. a month ago, he ran a half marathon in 1:26 and he is now training to run a marathon in may.

he hopes to go sub 3.

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.andynoise.com

10k champ

Originally uploaded by andynoise

in may of 2005, christopher graduated from bakersfield college. this may, he plans on running his first marathon:

The Palos Verdes Marathon.

the csub peak run was a start to that goal. after being sick for a couple weeks and going through the rigors of the academic decathlon, i wasnt sure if he run very well. but i i knew that he had a shot at winning the race if the field was the same as it had been in the past.

when we got to the race, i looked around and thought that today was his day and he went out and won the race. the time wasnt fast and the field wasnt deep but a win is a win.

he has never won a race before. gotten second a few times but never a win. so with this boost he begins his marathon training.

to start, i had him run home after the race. so he ended the day with a little over 12 miles.

over the next couple months, he will be following the daniels’ marathon running formula. which is built around two quality workouts a week. he will also be running more local road races like the btc half marathon, the kern river 15 miler and the rio bravo 10 miler.

i hope he will also want to run some track meets this spring because the speedwork will make his marathon pace seem easy.

his main goal is to finish and get as close to 3 hours as he can. to break 3 hours one must run 6:52 miles. according to daniels book his 2 mile PR (vdot 55) predicts he is capable of doing it.

we shall see.

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.andynoise.com

chris at the half mile

Originally uploaded by andynoise

An Interview With America’s Unkown 3:56.00 Miler- Steve Sherer

Posted Thursday, February 7, 2008 -
LetsRun.com’s Robert Johnson caught up with 26-year old American Steve Sherer on Tuesday night (Feb 5) with a half-hour phone call.

complete interview HERE

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.andynoise.com

Kern County Championships

Originally uploaded by andynoise

Endurance Training for Distance Events – Joe Vigil (USA), coach of 2005 Athens World Championship medalists Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi, was the Congress Keynote Speaker. Vigil praised the goal of eliminating all barriers to promote and improve Athletics – ethnic, national, financial, racial, economic, etc. The Congress participants exemplified this goal. Athletics is the most important sport of all and endurance training is vital for distance running and other disciplines as well, and this Congress was dedicated to that. His remarks stressed the importance of long term development of aerobic endurance and the improvement of Anaerobic Threshold fractionalization towards 90% (threshold vVO2 in relation to VO2 Max).

Success, according to Joe Vigil, comes by getting into the minds and hearts of the individual, and
Deena Kastor is proof of this: she ran 40,000 miles over eight years in preparation to get to the WC bronze medal! The aerobic component is the most difficult and long term to develop in distance running, especially in the developed world. Psycho-social ramifications of Africa have been revealed in a study which estimates that the average 18 year old east African is 18,000 miles ahead of an American in aerobic endurance training! There is little or no exposure to television, computers, automobiles; culture dictates endurance and cardiovascular development. For distance training, volume is acceptable until you reach 80-90 miles/week and then there is decreasing return and increased injury potential. Threshold Running becomes the key after obtaining the VO2 uptake. Africans run much more at threshold pace! Heart Rate at threshold pace is 168-172 beats – determine the velocity and then use this for percentages of threshold pace.

Athletes must Train to Train and then Train to Win – an athlete cannot compete week after week – this interrupts the training protocol and long term development. Preparation for competition includes course modeling and education. Mammoth Lake in California was the site of a long hill similar to the one in Athens; Vigil’s athletes trained specifically for the marathon by running the similar course seven times in the weeks before going to Greece! Kastor remarked that the Athens course was easy – nothing like Mammoth Lake! (Vigil also observed that women are tougher in training than men for mental and emotional toughness overall and in handling workouts. Men worry; women just get out there and do it!)

Technical and speed training is vital. Vigil incorporates neuromuscular training for speed and technical efficiency, and speed is included daily if only through 6×100 speed accelerations! The marathon takes a lot out of an athlete, but if one observed Kastor’s form at the end of the marathon in Athens, it was beautiful, and her last 5K was 16:05!

Protocol is athlete centered and administratively supported, but coach driven training! The coaches determine what happens, and administrators take care of funding, etc. Psycho-Social Relationships are stressed and athletic maturity improved – teach athletes what work and dedication means! Get ready to run with the best in the world! Athletes must also show integrity and values. In Portugal, Coach Vigil asked Ethiopian runners and coaches why they were buying anything at a clothes market regardless of size; they responded that someone in their village would be able to wear it. Meanwhile, the Americans were buying tailor made coats for themselves.

Testing is also possible without fancy equipment. Use the Balke Test, start training at 60% of Max VO2 uptake and go up from there! Adapt runners to MAX VO2 mile pace by running 3-5 x mile at that pace with 2-3 mins rest. Threshold pace will increase with greater mileage and Max VO2 pace will drop as well without any speed work. Start with 4-5 miles of threshold runs and work up to 14-15 miles at that threshold pace. With Drossin, as mileage increased over five years, threshold pace dropped to close to max VO2 pace and fractionalization of 83% (max uptake / threshold pace). Men are 10% higher than females in physiological terms, yet Drossin was much closer to the men than 10% on uptake. The difference was threshold pace due to strength / mechanical differences. The vVO2 is vital – know your athlete’s mile time and develop the training protocol based on that!

Critical factors for training are:
 increase in strength, flexibility, reactive impulse (neuromuscular training)
 improve fractionalization towards 90% (threshold VO2 in relation to VO2 Max) – Anaerobic Threshold pushed higher!
 incorporate speed workouts faster than race pace to develop better running economy at race pace
 have knowledge of the top 10-15 times in the world in your event and train to achieve those times!

Endurance athletes train 365 days a year – there is no down time! Vigil tests once a year for basic physiological data and runs four blood profiles a year – red blood cell mass, enzyme profile, etc. Diet is critical, and can be fixed after blood analysis. Immediate short and long term adjustments are made after training sessions, and Vigil is constantly reading research articles daily to keep up with the scientific aspects of training. Vigil’s typical outlook on life is reflected in his approach to distance training: “Do endurance training daily, eat as though you were a poor man, and don’t let your mind go to sea – have a curiosity in life!”

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.andynoise.com

 

Edquist, Andrew 10 Bakersfield 4:56.10Originally uploaded by andynoise

Hi Coach:

I hope you are excited and ready to begin a great 2008 track season.

There is no better way than getting your whole track and field staff
together and come to the LA84 Foundation Track and Field Clinics.

They are all free to all coaches and interested adults, and they cover
all events in track field; furthermore, all the presenters are great
coaches.

Bring all your coaches, each can attend his or her specialty area or learn
about a new event.

You can all have lunch together or go our afterward for awhile and really plan your track season.

The dates are…

January 12 at Mt. SAC-Beginning/Intermediate Level

January 26 at Mt. SAC-Advanced Level

February 9 at Murrieta Valley HS-Beginning/Intermediate Level

The very best track and field clinic series geared directly toward the high
school coach will begin Saturday, January 12, with the first LA84Foundation
Beginning/Intermediate Level Clinic to be held at Mt. SAC College beginning
with registration at 7:30 AM.

Not only is this great clinic series, which attracted more than 800 coaches
last year, free to all coaches and interested adults who want to attend
but every coach who attends the entire day at each clinic will also receive
a free copy of the LA84Foundation 450 page coaching manual along with a
certificate of completion.

All event areas–sprints, hurdles, distances, throws, jumps, and
vault‹ willhave four hour specific beginning and intermediate sessions;
furthermore, there will be other sessions including understanding the biomechanics
of track and field events, how to teach Olympic lifting for all events,
recruiting potential athletes, developing core strength, dynamic warm-up,
and many other important sessions.

There will be two more great clinics offered: an Advanced Level Clinic
will be offered on January 26 at Mt. SAC and another Beginning/Intermediate
Level Clinic will be offered on February 9 at Murrieta Valley High School.

Once again, all three of these clinics are absolutely free to all coaches
and interested adults. You can pre-register, see the full clinic agenda
for each clinic and get additional clinic information by going to our web
siteŠ
www.LA84Foundation.org

You can also contact Devin Elizondo at the LA84Foundation (323-730-4618) or
our clinic coordinator, Tim O¹Rourke, (626-890-1192) for any additional
information.

Hope to see you,

Tim O¹Rourke

btc half start

Originally uploaded by andynoise

By Jeff Galloway
For Active.com
May 30, 2007

You can gain control over the amount of fatigue in a race or long run by taking walk breaks, starting at the beginning. According to numerous surveys, you’ll also run faster — 13 minutes faster in a marathon with walk breaks than in a continuously run event.

Walk breaks help you mentally break up a challenging race or workout by concentrating on one segment at a time. Because you erase a lot of the fatigue with each walk break, your legs are strong at the finish — you can celebrate that evening and recover fast.

Erasing fatigue

Most of us, even when untrained, can walk for several miles before fatigue sets in simply because walking is an activity that we can do efficiently for hours. Running takes more work because you have to lift your body off the ground and then absorb the shock of the landing.

The continuous use of running muscles produces much more fatigue, aches and pains than running at the same pace while taking walk breaks. If you walk before your running muscles start to get tired, you allow the muscles to recover instantly — increasing your capacity and extending the distance, while reducing the chance of next-day soreness.

The method involves strategy. By using a ratio of running and walking, adjusted for the pace per mile, you can manage your fatigue. Using this fatigue-reduction tool early gives you the muscle resources and the mental confidence to cope with the challenges that can come later. Even when you don’t need the extra strength and resiliency bestowed by the method, you will feel better during and after your run.

The run-walk method is very simple: Run for a short segment and then take a walk break — and keep repeating this pattern. Beginners will alternate very short run segments with short walks. Even elite runners find that walk breaks on long runs allow them to recover faster. There is no need to be totally exhausted at the end of any long run.

Here are some tips:

A short and gentle walking stride
It’s better to walk slowly, with a short stride. Long strides can cause shin irritation. Relax and enjoy the walk.

No need to eliminate the walk breaks
Some beginners assume that they must work toward the day when they don’t have to take any walk breaks. This is up to the individual, but is not recommended. Remember that you decide what ratio of run-walk-run to use. As you adjust the run-walk to your liking, you gain control over your fatigue.

How to keep track of the walk breaks
There are several watches which can be set to beep when it’s time to walk, and then when it’s time to start running again.

Walk breaks on long runs
Walk breaks can be taken according to the following schedule. Feel free to walk more or cut both of the segments in half. For example: 1:00 run/2:00 walk could be converted to :30 run/1:00 walk.

Pace per mile Running Walking
8:30 5:00 1:00
9:00 4:00 1:00
10:00 3:00 1:00
11:00 2:30 1:00
12:00 2:00 1:00
13:00 1:00 1:00
14:00 0:30 0:30
15:00 0:30 0:50
16:00 0:30 1:00
17:00 0:25 1:00
18:00 0:20 1:00
19:00 0:15 1:00
20:00 0:10 1:00

Note: In 5K and 10K races, many veterans find that they run faster times when walking every mile for the first half of the race.

Walk breaks:

Give you control over the way you feel
Erase fatigue
Allow endorphins to collect during each walk break — you feel good
Break up the distance into manageable units (”I can go for two more minutes”)
Speed recovery
Reduce the chance of aches, pains and injury
Allow you to feel good afterward — carrying on the rest of your day without debilitating fatigue
Give you all of the endurance of the distance of each session — without the pain
Allow older or heavier runners to recover fast, and feel as good or better than the younger (slimmer) days

——————————————————————————–

For more information, see Jeff’s books Marathon, Half-Marathon, Running — A Year Round Plan, Walking — The Complete Book and Galloway’s Book on Running, 2nd Ed. These are available, autographed, from www.RunInjuryFree.com. Join Jeff’s blog: www.jeffgallowayblog.com

Incorporating walk breaks into a marathon can help you complete it without being overcome by fatigue.
Article Tools
Print this article
Email to a friend

——————————————————————————–
Copyright © 2007 Active Network

kern invite

Originally uploaded by andynoise

Planting the Seeds of Success

Teamwork keeps the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project ticking

The Hansons-Brooks Distance Project team meets every morning at 7:30 at either Rochester Hills Duck Pond or Stony Creek Metro Park in Shelby Township, MI. None of the 14-man team is allowed to skip or reschedule. “We don’t have rules,” says Hansons-Brooks co-founder Kevin Hanson. “We have levels of expectations. Everyone meets in the morning at the same time every day whether they are running the same loop or not.”

The concept of “team” is part of what makes the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project such a professional outfit. In this respect, the group mirrors the most successful running systems in the world, the Japanese, Kenyan, and Ethiopian. Not coincidentally, each morning in Addis Ababa, the top Ethiopian runners gather at 7:30 at the national stadium. The Hansons have taken the seeds that have generated the greatest successes in distance running and planted them in suburban Detroit.

“It’s been proven,” says team co-founder Keith Hanson. “All of the best runners in the world train in groups. The success and improvement of these runners prove that it works. It’s something we have sorely lacked in the U.S.”

Hansons athlete Brian Sell, a top contender to make the U.S. marathon team for Beijing 2008, has gone from a 2:19:57 at the 2003 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon to a 2:10:47 at Chicago in 2006. That kind of progress motivates—and rubs off on—the other team members. “The advantage of having Sell is the same advantage Greg Meyer had in having Bill Rodgers,” says Kevin, referring to two members of the old old Greater Boston Track Club. “When someone you see every day is doing it, it’s easier for you to do it. There’s not that level of uncertainty, like ‘what does it take?’ Here’s what it takes. Right here.”

The group-training concept is also part of the Hansons’ corporate philosophy. They might not have the fastest men competing in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon, but they will have the most visible. The 13 Hansons-Brooks competitors will wear bright yellow, red, and black-trimmed uniforms, and will arrive in their logo-splashed Saturn bus.

“We dress the same to help our sponsors,” says Kevin. “Instead of seven runners [dressed differently] coming into a room, it’s ‘Oh, there’s the Hansons-Saturn-Brooks Group.’”

Train to the Terrain
The Hansons have always been advocates of course-specific training. To prepare for the 2006 Boston Marathon, the team trained on a 26.2K course that mimicked the course in Boston and even featured signage. The team achieved great success—four placed in the top 15.
This year, they visited the Trials course in New York, went home and set up a loop that mirrors the Central Park layout, then returned to New York several weeks later to complete a 26.2K simulation run in Central Park.

“I like the fact that the [New York] course is not completely flat,” says Keith. “That suits our group very well. We are really excited about how that will play out.”

Together We Rise
Of the 14 male athletes training together on the Hansons-Brooks team, only one—Ryan Sheehan—is not running the Trials Marathon. Sheehan, who placed fourth at the New Haven 20K Road Race this year, has yet to run a marathon.

“One of our goals is to have a big group of guys run 2:15, 2:16,” explains Keith, “and from that group will emerge the 2:10, 2:09, 2:08s. I think you are seeing that. When you have second-level guys pushing the top level, people recognize that they have to improve to stay on top.”

There is a palpably competitive atmosphere around the team. In that way the Hansons program has the feel of a typical Kenyan camp. They push one another in training, yet when they are up against everyone else, they feed off and support one another. Only when, and if, it comes down to just them, do the individual or tribal rivalries emerge.

The runner the brothers seem most excited about, besides Sell, is Luke Humphrey. A native of Sidney, MI, and a Central Michigan University grad, Humphrey placed 11th at the 2006 Boston Marathon. He was prepared for a breakthrough race in Chicago last fall; his one-second PR of 2:15:22 there didn’t reflect true fitness and capabilities. “Luke was trained for sub-2:13,” says Kevin. “We had a group working together at 2:15, but it ended up being extremely windy, and he was left out on his own. The other guys reeled him in. So at the end Luke looked like Mike [Morgan] and Kyle [O’Brien] and Chad [Johnson], who all ran the same time. But he’s not. He’s actually better than that. But nobody’s seen it yet. So we’re expecting big things from Luke.”

Sticking With It
The team dynamic has bred long-lasting loyalty in Hansons members. “I attribute still being in the sport and being competitive to these young guys I train with every day,” says 32-year-old Clint Verran, who will be making his third Trials appearance next month.

Verran, who works as a physical therapist, both with the team and in the community at large. He was one year into his studies when he hooked up with the Hansons. “I came on board as one of the first three guys,” says Verran, a graduate of Eastern Michigan University whose forté has always been steady-pace racing. “In 1999 they bought their first house. I’ve stayed for eight years because anytime I travel, I quickly remember how hard it is to motivate yourself to train and push real hard on your own.”

Someone with Verran’s experience goes a long way toward creating stability in the system. “I’ve been down that road,” says Verran, who finished 11th in the 2000 Trials, then fifth in 2004. “I’ve run more marathons personally than the whole [rest of the] team combined. Even the Hansons’s coaching philosophy was developed from my marathoning. When I came in 1999, the program wasn’t about the marathon. But they humored me, and said if I wanted to do the marathon that they would train me for it.”

The atmosphere on the Hansons’s team is professional, says Verran. He attributes this focus to Kevin, who devotes the same attention to the high school girls team he coaches as he gives to his professional charges.

“Kevin hates to lose and is a schemer to win,” says Verran. “He still takes his girls from Sterling Heights to the top in the state meet every year. And there is nothing special about that town. But every single year, he has success. And it’s the attitude of success. I’ll do what they say. It has paid off for me.”

pool training

Originally uploaded by andynoise

practice will be at the racquet club to do a water workout with gabby’s mom.

  

running_factorOriginally uploaded by andynoise

Start runs very slowly but accelerate until at the end you are running very, very hard.
Run sessions very, very hard.
Follow runs with a full range of stretching, drills, sit ups and medicine work.
Watch TV at all times between training except when eating or reading.
Take a nap if there is nothing on TV.
Eat ugali as much as possible. Does your sweat carry the feint smell of maize? If not eat more ugali.
When you walk, walk slowly. Very slowly.
Run only on grass or tracks. Walk to the park rather than running there. Remember to walk slowly.
Make your tea using milk instead of water and add sugar in the kind of quantity you would normally add milk.
Do not train in the rain unless absolutely necessary.

Get a Great Night’s Sleep with the Sleep Number®  bed, only at Radisson Hotels & Resorts.