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www.atf-athlete.com/www.twitter.com/ATFathletesonly
Summer 2010,Vol. 15 No. 2
Permit #50 Fort Atkinson, WI
PA I D PRST STD U.S. Postage
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WE KNOW
BECAUSE WE RUN
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By the time most of you get your copies of Athletes Only, summer will be in full bloom, and you will, hopefully be tired of sitting around the pool or working at your summer job, or your fingers will have fallen off from texting (just please, don’t drive and text, not a good thing to do!). In the Summer issue is an eight-page training plan from your friends at Saucony. This year, you can sign up at www.twitter.com/americantf and, starting July 1, we’ll provide you with a daily workout. In the middle of the issue, please pull out (we put two staples in it, to make it easier to pull out of the issue), a poster with Chris Solinsky, who just set the American record for 10,000 meters on one side, and Allyson Felix on the other. The poster is from Nike. We also, from ASICS, have a 12-week training log that you can use to keep track of your summer running progress! When I interviewed Chris Solinsky, who’s from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, after his American record, he told me how important it was that he got in 20–30 weeks of good distance training. Your base makes the difference, and it will help you do well in cross country in the fall and track next spring. Have a great summer! If you’d like to know more about track every day, sign up at www.runblogrun.com for our daily blogs on track & field.
Volume 15, Number 2 Summer 2010 Larry Eder 608.239.3785 larry.eder@gmail.com Group Editor Christine Johnson Executive Editor James Dunaway Editor Larry Eder 608.239.3785 larry.eder@gmail.com Proofreading Marg Sumner RedInkEditorial.com Design/Layout Alex Larsen Writers Larry Eder, Dick Patrick, John Godina, Cregg Weinmann Photographers Victah Sailer (PhotoRun) Lisa Coniglio (PhotoRun) Printer/Prep W. D. Hoard & Sons Fort Atkinson, WI Special Projects Adam Johnson-Eder
ON THE COVER: Bernard Lagat, LoLo Jones and Christian Cantwell
CONTENTS 4 • Best Running Shoes 7 • Bernard Lagat 8 • LoLo Jones 10 • Best Running Shoes $80 or Less 11 • Christian Cantwell 12 • Chris Solinsky 13 • Allyson Felix 15 • Cross Country Training Program Presented by Saucony 23 • Bell Lap
Proud Member of The Running Network, LLC.
Larry Eder
Publisher, Athletes Only runblogrun@gmail.com twitter: @runblogrun www.atf.athlete.com 608.239.3785
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Athletes Only is produced, published and owned by Shooting Star Media, Inc., PO Box 67, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0067; 920.563.5551 phone; 920.563.7298 fax; Christine Johnson, President; Larry Eder, Vice President. Publisher assumes no liability for matter printed. Publisher assumes no responsibility or liability for content of paid advertising and reserves the right to reject paid advertising. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Publisher. Copyright © 2010by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the Publisher. Athletes Only is not related to or endorsed by any other entity or corporation with a similar name and is solely owned by Shooting Star Media, Inc. Publisher recommends, as with all fitness and health issues, you consult with your physician before instituting any changes in your fitness program.
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Bernard Lagat Bernard Lagat set American records this year for the 5000 meters, both indoors (13:11.50) and outdoors (12:54.12). And earlier this year, he became the first man to win the famous Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile for the eighth time! Here’s how excited he was about that, last January. “When I came over here, coach [James] Li told me, ‘Make sure you run smart and fast towards the end.’ I wasn’t worried. I was feeling very comfortable. “Last year it was different. Nick Wills took off very hard during the last three laps and it was really hard. Andy (Baddely) is a guy who has speed, and if you remember last September, he passed me to win the road mile on 5th Avenue, so I was worried especially against the guy who has run 3:55. “It’s just not speed that I’ve been working on. I knew exactly when to make a move and I increased the pace when I went through the two corners. By the time I looked back I knew the victory was mine and I was really happy with that. I looked back and there was no response from Kiprop, and I was free and clear. “To me it’s like winning the Olympics today. I’ve been here since 2001 and today I’m signing autographs for kids who in 2001 were not even born and to me that’s special.”
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LoLo Jones LoLo Jones is, arguably, the best indoor hurdler in World Champs history. Her Gold medal run in the 2010 World Indoor Champs in Doha, Qatar, was one of the most exciting races this writer has ever seen! The big challenge wasn’t the other competitors, nor the hurdles, but Jones herself. In her semi-final, Jones got out well, but gave it all up over the first hurdle, and was nearly out of the race by the second hurdle. She fought back and took the last qualifying position for the final, in a dismal 8.04. “If I had not had that meltdown in the semi final,” Jones told a post race interview, “I might not have won the final.” The final was a completely different race, and that is how LoLo Jones finally played it. Getting out third (behind Priscilla Lopes-Schliep and Perdita Felician), Jones got out well and over the first hurdle with remarkable vigor. Hurdlers are tightly wired athletes. They must manage their speed over and between barriers, two very disparate skills, unless you’re an elite hurdler. In the world today, there are about a dozen women hurdlers who can race at this top level. Six of them were in this final, so this race was stacked. Screw up, just like Beijing or Berlin, and there’s another hurdler ready to take one’s place. This is a tension-filled world. Jones controlled her tension like she managed her speed between hurdles, building a small lead after the second hurdle and busting the race wide open after fourth. Sprinting into the finish line, Jones ran a world leading 7.72, breaking the American record of one Gail Devers (2003), who had won three World Indoor titles over 60 meter hurdles. (We found out later that Devers texted Jones a congratulatory message after the race!) Besides an American record and championship record, Jones might consider the high jump as her next event. After her race, she nearly leapt to the very top of the pads put in place to stop the hurdlers and sprinters. Jones, once she knew she’d won, nearly walked up a 7-foot-tall set of pads at the end of the race! After the race, Jones made these observations to Vicki Oddi, USATF press person: “Excited is an understatement. I can’t believe what I just did, American record, championship record, first woman to ever win the hurdles back-toback. It’s unbelievable. Because I lost at USAs, that fired me up to come out here and win. I don’t even remember the race. I remember at the third hurdle, realizing I was winning and all I could think was, ‘Don’t hit a hurdle!’” So far this season, outdoors LoLo Jones is winning most of her races, having run a world-leading 12.65 for the 100m hurdles. Can she break the 100m hurdle world record? We think so!
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asics.com
sound mind sound body
running cleanses the mind and body
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Christian Cantwell Christian Cantwell is, well, a big guy who likes to throw 16lb. balls of steel. He’s the three-time world champion in the shot put—something no one else has ever done. At 6'8" and 308 lbs., Christian could be a superhero! On March 13, Christian won his third Gold medal in the shot at the World Indoor Championships. He had held the lead from round 1, in 21.60m. In round 4, Andrei Mikhnevich threw 8 centimeters farther than Christian! Andrei took the lead and Christian was in second, just where he’d been last summer in the World Outdoor. Would he repeat his comefrom-behind in the World Outdoor, where he won on the last throw? (Could you handle that kind of pressure?) In round 5, with only Andrei Mikhnevich left, Christian Cantwell called something from inside himself, went to the ring, took a deep breath, properly placed his shot under his chin and started to spin. When he let her rip, the shot went farther than his other throws, farther than Mikhnevich, and finally, hit the padding, giving the Gold back to Mr. Cantwell. His throw: 21.83m. Christian said this after the competition: “This competition was just unbelievable. When I looked at the board after the second attempts, I told myself, ‘This is going to be very hard.’ Probably, this was one of the best shot put finals in the history of World Indoors. I don’t know why everybody was so strong—it could have been everything—the circle, the crowd, etc. I’m not satisfied with my performance on 100%. After the second round 21.60m, I was trying too hard and my attempts were not very far. But, finally, I showed something better and turned it to my third Gold from World Indoors!”
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Chris Solinsky Chris Solinsky broke the American record for 10,000 meters on May 1, with his fine run of 26:59.6. At 6'¾" and 161 lbs., he’s a pretty big guy. “I was definitely bigger than you should probably be as a distance runner. My teammates always make fun of me for being fatty and stuff, and [the] first [time] they said [that] after the race was, ‘That’s probably a fatty world record.’ I’m used to it. At least, in the training group, it’s in jest. It’s okay. To quote my dad, “‘No one ever told a bumblebee he wasn’t scientifically supposed to be able to fly.’ That’s the mentality that I’ve had. And it’s almost been a blessing, because it’s allowed me to be durable, being bigger and sturdier.” On June 4 in Oslo, Chris ran 12:56.66, for 5000 meters, three places behind Bernard Lagat’s 12:54.12. (Bernard set a new AR.)
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Allyson Felix Allyson Felix has been a professional athlete since she was 18 years old. Since 2005, Allyson has won three Gold medals at the 200 meters in world championships (2005, 2007, 2009), two Olympic Silvers (200 meters, 2004, 2008), plus a Gold at the 4x400 meters in Beijing! Allyson did the following blog on her IAAF online diary. We thought you might find it fun to see what she’s thinking about! “I’ve been busy doing a lot of promotional work with my new sponsor and run in three meets outdoors at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational, the Mt. San Antonio College Relays and the Penn Relays. “I along with my team-mates also went to speak at Joanna Hayes’ program that she does at her alma mater J.W. North High School in Riverside, Calif. called ‘10 Hurdles to Success.’ We had a great time sharing with the young women about body image and our own experiences. “My first races outdoors have been on relays. It still feels the same as most years even after my limited indoor season where I ran at the USA Indoor Championships and the World Indoor Championships on the 4x400m Relay in Doha since I really trained through it. “This year is already proving to be really exciting. At Mt. SAC, one of my relay mates from high school Erica Fleming was there, some other friends, my parents, brother Wes and Godmother were all there to support me. “I think I have competed at Mt. SAC since my sophomore year in high school in 2000 and I have great memories of me and my relay mates from high school who are three of my best friends to this day. We would always have the best time with each other and competing there. “I had so much fun running at Penn last weekend. The atmosphere was unreal and the rivalry with Jamaica even makes everything more exciting. “Usain Bolt drew a lot more fans to Penn this year which was great because they also got to see all the other talent that was there. It made the environment even more energetic if that is even possible. The noise from the stadium was absolutely incredible and hard to hear at some points which is awesome.” Allyson won her opener, on May 14, in the first Diamond League meet, in Doha, Qatar. Coming off the turn even with three other competitors, she ran 50.8 to win the 400 meters on a very windy, humid evening! See how she runs at the USA Outdoor Champs June 23–27 in Des Moines. (We’ll cover it on www.runblogrun.com, so don’t miss it!)
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The workouts are broken into four sections of 3 weeks: intro, build-up, challenges, ready to roll. Each week, you’ll be able to find more comments (and assistance) at www.americantrackandfield.com/sauconyxc2010. If you have questions, email us at atfsaucxc2010@gmail.com and we’ll respond within 24 hours! If you sign up at twitter.com/americantf, we will provide your daily workout, when you get up in the morning (provided it’s after 6 am GMT).
just have to be consistent and get through the rough days and everyone, from the daily jogger to the world class have rough days! In this issue, you have pieces on Why Summer Mileage Is Important, from Roy Stevenson, and interviews with Molly Huddle, Nate Jenkins and Magdalena Lewy-Boulet. So, get in a run with your friends, read this issue, sign up for our daily training schedules and put in the miles over the summer!
Our goals are to get you fitter than you’ve ever been before, using key running workouts, some key exercises for core, and common sense. There’s is no secret to getting in shape, you
Larry Eder, American Track & Field larry@runningnetwork.com with you, and you’ll strain a muscle or get tendonitis, which effectively puts you out for the rest of the season.
Why Summer Mileage Is Important By Roy Stevenson If you want to run your absolute best in the upcoming cross country season, laying down a conditioning base by doing lots of summer mileage is essential. Without it, you won’t run anywhere near your full potential in your fall cross country races and your chances of injury are greatly increased. Your racing peak is greatly determined by the depth of the fitness foundation you develop over the summer. Having superior aerobic fitness enables you to maintain your race pace over the cross country course, and still have enough left to finish fast. Running a solid summer mileage has dozens of physiological benefits, including developing your maximal oxygen uptake (your ability to take in and process oxygen), improving your cardiac output efficiency (your heart’s ability to deliver and adequate blood supply to your running muscles), and greatly enhancing your muscles’ ability to process oxygen and store and utilize glycogen for fuel. Contrast these great benefits doing summer conditioning mileage with turning up at your first fall cross country practice out of shape. You’ll spend the entire season just regaining your aerobic fitness, so your performances won’t even be close to what you could have done if you did your conditioning over the summer and arrived at your first workout ready for the faster training that your coach is giving you. And here lies another of the major benefits of doing a good fitness base over summer. You’ll be ready for the higher-intensity workouts like tempo running, track interval sessions and fartlek workouts that your coach will be throwing you into almost immediately. The better your aerobic fitness, the less your body will have to tap into the anaerobic energy systems. This means you won’t be fatigued as easily because your muscles are able to hang on to their glycogen fuel longer, and you’ll be able to deal with lactic acid accumulation much better if you’re in excellent aerobic shape. Another reason why summer mileage is important is because all of that long running strengthens your muscles, tendons and connective tissue. Conversely, if you haven’t put in some good summer mileage, you’ll have a high probability of getting injured as you try to keep up with your fitter team members; eventually the stress on your muscles and tendons catches up
The starting point for every successful cross country runner is to do lots of steady paced distance running from June through August. Most of your summer running should be continuous aerobic running at a pace fast enough for you to improve your fitness (not slow jogging), but not so fast that you overtrain. One guideline that coaches use is that you should be able to talk while running. Another, more scientific method commonly used these days is by using a heart rate monitor to make sure that you stay within your ideal training zone. For most of your long running you should keep your heart rate at 65% to 75% of your maximal heart rate. How do you establish your maximal heart rate? Easy. Go to the track, warm up, and run a mile as fast as you can. Note your heart rate immediately after you finish. Do as much of your summer running on softer surfaces like grass, dirt roads or trails, and beaches. You should be running between 25 to 70 minutes every day, depending on your age and whether you’ve been running for a year or two previously. Include one long run every week to keep improving your base and run different distances every day to give your legs a break on the shorter days. The following schedule will give you some idea of how to do this. Beginning runners should stick to the low end of these workouts, and more experienced runners can go to the high end. Monday: Short recovery jog (20–30 minutes) Tuesday: Easy paced run (30–50 minutes) Wednesday: Medium distance run (40–80 minutes) Thursday: Easy paced run (30–50 minutes) Friday: Steady paced run (40–60 minutes) Saturday: Faster run over hilly course (30–60 minutes) Sunday: Long run (45–90 minutes) When possible, try to run with other teammates of your ability. And because you’re going to be racing cross country, you should get used to running hills hard during your summer training sessions. This will give you a big advantage over your teammates and competitors in your races because hill running develops endurance cardiovascular fitness and helps strengthen your gluteals for cross country surfaces.
2010 AT&F Cross Country Summer Training Program, presented by Saucony, is produced by Shooting Star Media, Inc. Copyright 2010. Design/Layout: Alex Larsen; Proofreader: Marg Sumner; Publisher: Larry Eder. Photos: All photos courtesy of PhotoRun.net. Twelve-week daily training program can be found at www.american-trackandfield.com, and www.twitter.com/americantf for daily training updates. http://www.american-trackandfield.com.
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1. How does cross country help you prepare for track and roads? Cross country is important to me because, although it isn't my best event, it requires a lot of strength and toughness, so nothing prepares me better for every other season, from the track to the roads. Also, you have to love the gritty, gutsy, down-and-dirty nature of the cross country race! 2. What was your first experience with cross country? My first XC experience was the start of my first season of XC as a senior in high school. I won a 2K race in a meet with three teams competing and mistakenly thought it was going to be that easy all the time! 3. What was it like racing the World Cross Country? World cross is a confusing and exciting experience but definitely one of the coolest races out there. It’s hard to know who to aim for and everyone up front is intimidatingly fast! But I kept my head in the race by thinking of the goal of the team medal and knowing whereabouts I'd have to finish and which countries I had pass for us to score low enough to get it. 4. What would you tell runners about racing XC? I would tell high school runners to relish the team experience if they can, because if you're lucky enough to have a solid team it’s the best part of running cross country. Running for the rest of the team is a great motivator to get the best race out of yourself and have fun at the same time! 5. Any tips on running hills? Hills feel a lot better if they've been practiced, so go work those glutes on some hill repeats! Also, I like to push the downhills, it can catch the other guy off guard. 6. What are your feelings on core training? Core training is pretty important in keeping form-efficient, and I think it helps me run taller and straighter. I try to do a half-hour of core work three times a week—usually med ball throws, stability ball curls, and bridges. 7. Any nutrition tips? A good nutrition tip I have been better about lately is getting a recovery drink or protein bar in within a half hour of finishing a workout or long run. Also, I've been keeping up on the iron supplements and trying to get some extra vegetables in my diet! 8. Why do you run? I run because I like the purity of the sport.
Molly Huddle took 19th in the World Cross Country Champs in Poland on March 28, where the U.S. women's team took the Bronze medal. On May 1, she won the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford University. Molly graduated from Notre Dame University. In high school, she set junior records for the 2 mile (10:01) and the 5000 meters (15:36). She has run 10000 meters in 31:27:12, 5,000 meters in 15:17.13 and 8 kilometers in 26:07.
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1. How does cross country help you prepare for track and roads? Cross country tends to go out hard and force you to hurt early. It makes you compete and to move without concern for how much longer you have to go. This is key to getting a max performance on the roads. Also, it’s just better work muscularly and really helps build up your strength and your muscle endurance. 2. Any tips on running hills? On the ups, run an even pace up them. Don't attack the bottom. Ease into the bottom and increase your effort as you climb so you’re attacking the top onethird. Then double your efforts across the top. So often runners take a breath and lose a step at the top of the hill. There is no reason for it. You will recover now that the hill is over so attack and get a few strides on everyone. Then really attack the downhill, open up and let your legs free wheel as fast as they can, you won't recover any less on a downhill if you’re sprinting instead of breaking, I promise. 3. Any feelings on core training? I think it’s important but that it shouldn't be your total focus. So I think if you do 10 minutes 6 days a week you are going to be doing very well. The key is consistency. Don't kill it for one season then do nothing for the other 9 months of the year. Keep it up yearround. The biggest thing with the core work you do is that it has to be 360 degrees. Don't do crunches or sit-ups that work just the abs. Do things like pedestal routine that work your abs, back, hips and butt in every direction. 4. Any racing tips? Each race is different. In general you want to run an even pace and move up through runners that have gone out too fast. But really be prepared for many contingencies. Be agressive in the middle of a race when people are stuggling. A small move in the middle mile of a 5K can be crushing to your opponents. 5. Any tips on nutrition? Eat real food. Not processed stuff. Eat stuff that you know what it is. I have no idea what an Oreo is, for example. Sure it tastes good, but that ain't food. Same can be said for a Pop Tart or a frozen dinner. Eat fruits and veggies. Eat meats—a hot dog is not meat! But a steak is, as is a chicken breast or thigh. Eat bread without added high fructose corn syrup. You'll be shocked how many breads and cereals add that for no real reason. Dairy, eggs and whole grains are other great things I haven't mentioned. Basically stay out of the aisles of the grocery store and stick to the edges. Oh, and just so you don't think I'm no fun—homemade cookies qualify as real food, as do most ice creams. 6. Why do you run? I run to find the limits of this body I was given. I figure I only get one shot at being here and I have this amazing thing to sculpt and work with and I want to find out exactly what I can chisel it into. I remember killing myself during my first track season to try and break 6 minutes in the mile. I put so much time and effort into it. But now I have reshaped my muscles, my organs, my very cells to such a degree that my struggle long ago seems unimaginable.
Nate Jenkins was 7th in the 2008 Olympic Trials marathon. His personal best at the marathon is 2:14:56, his PB at the half is 1:04:14 and he has run 4 minutes for the road mile. His main goal is to finish in the top five at a World Marathon Majors events (Berlin, London, Boston, New York, Chicago).
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1. Why is cross-country important to you? Cross country training has become an important part of my training because it adds balance and variety to my marathon routine. The softer, uneven surface allows for some new stimulation and makes running on smooth roads that much easier. 3. What was it like racing the World Cross Country? The 2010 World Cross Country in Bydgoszcz, Poland was one of the most memorable and fun experiences in my running career. Being a part of the best USA team assembled in a very long time allowed setting high goals not only individually but also as a team. My goal for placing in top 20 and bringing home a World cross medal could not have happened without the hunger and competitive blood of my teammates. Now I can cherish our achievement and experience forever. 4. What would you tell high school runners about racing XC? My strongest recommendation is that when preparing to race XC an athlete should incorporate training on grass, dirt and hills. It’s important to train on the same surface you will race. But mainly, have fun with it. It’s a great sport and you have an opportunity to be a part of a team, so have a good time with your teammates! 5. Any tips on running hills? Drive the arms; keep the eyes fixed on the top of the hill. Hills are a great place to “break” a competitor, as well, especially if you’ve trained for them. Don’t forget to run hard on the downhill, too, because being aggressive when gravity is helping you can put even more distance between you and the competition. 6. What are your feelings on core training? Core exercises are very important in my daily routine to stabilize the trunk area. Every muscle relies on your abs, hips and lower back, which is your trunk area. The benefits of these exercises help prevent injuries and improve ability to maintain good running technique when fatigued. Some examples include variations of planks, hip raises, crunches, sit-ups and leg lifts. My daily Active Isolated Stretching and Strengthening routine also requires the use of core muscles. 7. Any nutrition tips? Oh yes! Nutrition is very important. Simple and healthful nutrition will bring out the best runner in you. I always recommend that athletes: 1. Prepare wholesome meals, including plenty of whole grains, fish, lean meats, vegetables and fruits. They'll provide essential nutrients, help fuel your workouts properly and aid in your post-run recovery. 2. Drink water frequently in small amounts throughout the day. 3. Maintain energy levels by spreading the calories out. Small meals every 3 hours or so will prevent fatigue. 4. Make sure to find that magic pre-workout window of when you should have your last meal. Too much or not enough food before and after workouts can make a difference in your performance and recovery. I use GU energy gels and recovery drinks to optimize my pre-workout nutrition and post-workout recovery. 8. Why do you run? I run because I’m passionate about the sport. I love to reward myself with racing after putting in months and miles worth of training. I love the process of working towards a goal and love the feeling of achieving my goal. I enjoy the journey of bettering myself and am always curious how much better I can become.
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vii saucony.com
Magdalena Lewy-Boulet took 20th in the World Cross Country Champs in Poland, her former home; the U.S. team took the Bronze medal. On April 12, Magda ran her personal best in the marathon of 2:26:22, to take 2nd in the Fortis Rotterdam marathon. Her PB at the half marathon is 1:11:47 and her PB at 10,000 meters is 32:33.02.
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WE KNOW
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saucony.com
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SOUND THAT KEEPS YOU GOING WHEN NOTHING ELSE WILL. The best of both worlds: adidas meets Sennheiser. A total of 120 years of experience in sports and sound brought together. The result: the new Sennheiser/adidas sports earphone range. Specially developed to meet the needs of today‘s athletes. The earphones are robust and sweat-and water-resistant. They‘re also secure and comfortable to wear, even during the toughest workouts. And the clear sound turns every beat into an adrenaline rush.
www.sennheiserusa.com/sports
• SUMMER 2010 • atf-athlete.com
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SUPERFOAM. CRAZY. THE KEAHOU II IS ALL ABOUT CUSHIONING. IT’S ALSO ALL ABOUT STABILITY WITH THE GUIDEGLIDETM MID-SOLE AND VENTILATION WITH THE FLOW COOLTM AIR SYSTEM. ALL THAT, AND IT’S STILL LIGHT. PHYSICS, MAN. CRAZY.
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