Ryan Hall's Blog, page 353

Ask the Experts: Tabor Stevens on Running Form, Endurance-Building Workouts and More

In this video, we asked ASICS professional runner Tabor Stevens a variety of questions about building endurance and maintaining running form.

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Angela Bekkala: 10 Ways to Survive and Thrive During Your Long Run

Photo: Nils Nilsen

The good thing about marathon training is that the term “long run” changes the farther you progress in your training. Before you considered training for a marathon, running 10 miles probably sounded somewhat nuts. Now it almost counts as an easy day.

The bad news is that just because the term long run has a new definition, doesn’t mean the miles will automatically fly by. Some days they will. But there will also be long runs that feel like they are taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r. You may even want to poke your eyes out from boredom and hang up your running shoes for life. Yet, you keep running, and in the process develop the mental toughness needed to carry you to the finish line.

Since “good for you” can be hard work, check out my 10 tips for making long runs the highlight of your week.

Plan

Plan for a day that works best for you, where you will be well rested and can devote a few hours to running.

Pick a new/favorite route

Plan a long run route that you will really enjoy. Even if it means hopping in your car early in the morning to drive to your favorite trail, putting in a little effort to plan ahead and pick an enjoyable location can make all the difference.

Run with a friend

Running with a friend or group makes the time pass much quicker. You have time to talk about everything including all the fun #RunnersProblems we experience.

Listen to music

I very rarely listen to music when I run outside (on the treadmill it’s a whole different story). But when I do, it keeps me entertained for those middle miles when the ‘newness’ of the run is gone and the finish line is still far away.

Break up the miles

Don’t focus on the final mileage goal. Instead break it up into smaller segments at a time. I’ve done a 14-miler with the first four at easy pace, the next six at race pace and the last four easy. It makes the long run go by quickly because you are focused on the segment instead of the entire distance.

Take it easy

Weekly long runs are generally done at a somewhat easier pace than something like a six-mile tempo run. In addition to spending time on your feet, longer efforts help your body learn how to use glycogen and burn fat stores, as well as develop efficiencies needed when running for a long period of time.

Play make-believe

Imagine what it is going to be like on marathon day. What will you wear? How will you feel? How will you get yourself out of a funk at mile 11 or 18? Visualizing yourself running the race prepares you for different race day scenarios.

Bring snacks

Whether it’s gummy bears, Salted Caramel GU Energy Gel or Clif Bar Margarita Shot Bloks, having something to eat for fuel during your run that actually tastes good can make all the difference. You’ll actually want to keep running longer just to have another shot of the sweet stuff.

Make post-run plans with friends

Make a date with friends for coffee, brunch, lunch or something that is fun. Just think of how you can impress everyone that you already ran a lot of miles before meeting up!

Be positive

The long run does more than build up your endurance—it builds up your mental strength even more so. During these runs, think of positive mantras that will keep you going no matter how tough the situation. Also, give yourself a pat on the back. Yes, it’s tough, but think how strong you feel, look at how far you’ve come in your training and remember how close you are to your goal!

 

 

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Lindsey Hein: Slowing Down

Photo: Shutterstock.com

It’s pretty simple to race faster. Run fast, work hard, recover, run easy and repeat. The key is to slow down on easy and recovery days.

If you slow down on days when your legs need to recover, they will be fresh for hard workouts. And the hard workouts are what help you run faster, therefore you want to execute them to the best of your abilities…. correct? You can’t always run hard. You just can’t.

If you are constantly running in a state of fatigue, you’ll never reach your full potential. Sure, you can gain some ground and knock your times down a bit for the short term, but there is so much more to give if you truly recover.

Each run serves a purpose. And a variety of runs (short, long, fast, slow, hills, etc.) help develop running strength, both mentally and physically. Recovery, whether through easy runs or rest, is also critical. Doesn’t it feel great to just go run and not have a worry in the world about how fast you are going? A calm, relaxing run talking to a friend might be my favorite workout.

Here are some tips to help you slow down:

Stop being scared

Just because you are running at a much slower pace than you intend to on race day, doesn’t mean you can’t go fast when needed. Stop doubting your abilities and remind yourself the days you slow down will have a positive impact on race day.

Enjoy the slow

Running slow feels good. Isn’t it nice to not breath hard, not feel like you’re stressing your body and simply enjoy it for what it is? Let’s get back to why we started running in the first place.

Find a friend

Chances are there is someone you’d like to catch up with. An easy run is the perfect opportunity to log both miles and friend time. If you can’t have a fluid conversation, you are running too fast.

Podcast it

I find podcasts to be amazing for solo, slow runs. Comedies, inspirational, educational, there are a gazillion out there–figure out what you enjoy.

Throw in some strides

Some people struggle with slowing down because they want that feeling of intensity when they finish a workout. Strides are great for training in the first place and throwing them in at the end of an easy run will give you the “good workout” feeling you desire. Not to mention, they help you loosen up and become a stronger, more economical runner.

Now, go run slow. And have some fun!

 

 

 

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Theodora Blanchfield: Injuries Happen, Here’s How to Deal With It

Photo: Shutterstock.com

If you’re a runner, the following timeline and scenario may sound all too familiar to you.

May: Excited to be a part of the26Strong program; plan on running the Chicago Marathon as a goal race to crush my 3:56 PR, hopefully getting under 3:50.

June: Begin training. Everything is fabulous!

July: Injury hits. Specifically, my SI joint, with excruciating pain in my back and my glutes. (Yup, literally a pain in the butt.)

When you have big goals, an injury can be downright terrifying. I don’t have time for this–I have a race to train for!

But here’s how to deal with an injury while training without totally losing it both mentally and physically.

Get medical attention as soon as you can.

I waited about a week before going to a PT — until I realized the pain was so bad that even walking hurt. I listened to everything my PT had to say.

Everyone and their mothers (and Google!) will have opinions on what you should do for your recovery. It’s fine to listen to them, but consult with your doctor or PT before trying something new. For instance, many people suggested I go for a massage. I was really nervous that I’d get a massage therapist that would make it worse instead of better, so I stuck with the soft tissue massage my PT did in our sessions.

Focus on what you can do.

I’ll admit I didn’t get here right away. I spent a few days being terrible to be around. I was cranky and sad and any talk of workouts — running or otherwise — had me back in tears again. I took a day or two to sulk, and then I started working with my PT to see what I could do. When she told me I could swim and do yoga, I decided I was going to become the best damn yogi/swimmer I could. And once I was able to start exercising again, the endorphins came back. While I was still disappointed I couldn’t run, it didn’t feel as nearly as devastating as it did when I thought I couldn’t work out at all.

Be as cautious as you can.

While I was disappointed I couldn’t run, I knew that this was not the time to be a hero. Any time I felt sharp pain or struggled with my range of motion in a yoga class, I immediately backed off. As annoying as it was not to be able to do my favorite activities, I knew that the more I listened to my PT, the faster I’d be back in the game. (And sure enough, she said that I listened better than any of her other clients!)

Know when you need to change your goals.

Marathon training schedules are typically built to allow some wiggle room for life — illness, injury or just being busy at work. But if you miss more than two or three long runs, you’ll probably want to re-evaluate your goals. Maybe this means you “run for fun” instead of going for a BQ, drop down to a half, or maybe you even decide this isn’t the year for you.

Rest, rest, rest!

I run social media for a fitness company and write a fitness blog. Working out is a huge part of my life. But, I know that 98 percent of the time I go hard and probably don’t give myself the rest and the recovery I need. Although running didn’t cause my injury, it was still a much-needed reminder that I’m not invincible. As much as I love running and working out, as a busy New Yorker, it was nice to have a little more time to take leisurely walk with my dogs and stop and smell the roses. (just kidding, he probably peed on them.)

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Pippa Middleton Finishes Sweden’s 47-Mile Swim-Run

Pippa Middleton and teammate Jon Bartholdson running in one of the legs of the 2015 Otillo Swimrun. Photo Courtesy of @otillorace Instagram

On Sept. 7 (a day after her 32nd birthday), Pippa Middleton completed the Ötillö Swimrun World Championship. The athletic younger sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, woke up at 4 a.m. to swim 6.1 miles and run 40.3 miles (for a grand total of 47 miles) interspersed between 26 archipelago islands in the Baltic Sea off of Sweden’s eastern coast.

The royal sibling came in 82nd place, crossing the finish line in 13 hours, 4 minutes and 24 seconds with teammate Jon Bartholdson, brother James Middleton, and his teammate James Matthews. She competed in the race to raise money for the Michael Matthews Foundation, set up in honor of James Matthews’ brother who died in a mountain climbing accident.

“It was one of the hardest things I’ve done,” Pippa told People magazine. Less than three months ago she traveled to Kenya and finished her first marathon in 3:56:33.

However, this year’s 10th annual race was especially difficult due to heavy winds and big waves in the Baltic Sea where 50 transitions from water to land took place.

In her post-race interview, Pippa recaps what the toughest parts of the race were for her. “It feels pretty special,” Pippa says exhaustingly between breaths in the video. “Throughout the race, we had doubts about carrying on and ‘How are we going to finish?’ But we made it.”

She even impressed race organizer and founder Michael Lemmel who told People magazine that with the exception of winners Bjorn Englund and Paul Krochak who clocked in at 8 hours, 29 minutes, finishing within 12 hours or finishing at all is quite a feat. There were 20 teams of two who failed to complete the course.

In celebration of her finish, Pippa had a gin and tonic with lime shortly after crossing the finish line.

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3 Quick Runs You Can Do on Busy Days

(Photo: Shutterstock.com)

This piece first appeared on Women’s Running.

More, more, more! It’s cliché to say we live in a world where more is perceived as better. Run more miles to get faster! Foam roll more often to prevent injures! Strength train more frequently to get stronger! Eat more green veggies!

What do you do when you don’t have more time to run? Here are solutions to fitting in three different key training workouts when time is limited.

Problem: You only have 30 minutes to run and you can’t make it to the track for speed work.

Solution: Speed Bursts

Run for 15 minutes at an easy pace. Then alternate running 15 seconds fast with 45 seconds slow. Do this five times. End the workout by running for 10 minutes at an easy pace.

Problem: You don’t have enough time to increase the distance of your weekly long run due to family or work obligations.

Solution: Fast Finish

Run the same distance you ran last week, but run the last mile or half mile at tempo effort or what feels like 10K race pace.

Problem: You don’t have enough time to wait for your GPS to catch a satellite before your tempo run.

Solution: Out and Back

Run in one direction for a set amount of time. When your time is up, turn around and run the same route in the opposite direction but try to make it back to your starting point in a shorter amount of time.

 

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Fifth Avenue Mile Brings Star Power to New York City Streets

Jenny Simpson was the 2014 champion of the 5th Avenue Mile. Photo: NYRR

More than 6,000 runners will be in New York on Sunday for the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile. And once again, the front of the pack will be filled with star power.

Jenny Simpson and Shannon Rowbury, both past champions of the event and world-class 1,500m runners, will be looking to add another victory to their resume. They will be joined on the men’s side by Americans Matt Centrowitz and Bernard Lagat and New Zealand’s Nick Willis. All three have won the event in the past, and have decorated track careers in the 1,500m.

Among the other interesting names racing are:

– 11-year-old Jonah Gorevic, the age-group world record holder in the mile for 10- and 11-year-olds.

– Mike Brannigan, an 18-year-old with autism who’s the Paralympic world record holder in the 1,500m.

– Tiki Barber, the former NFL running back who’s now a media personality.

The 5th Avenue Mile covers 20 blocks of the iconic street bordering the east side of Central Park in Manhattan. It starts near East 80th street and finishes near East 60th street. The course is a slight downhill the first and third quarter-miles, a slight uphill the second quarter mile, and flat the last quarter mile.

The men’s and women’s professional races will be televised live starting at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN2, and in the New York tri-state area on WABC-TV.

 

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Shoe Of The Week: Nike Air Zoom Odyssey

The Nike Air Zoom Odyssey provides loads of support in a posh, flexible package.

Motion control shoes are a mostly dead category—that’s not to say there aren’t runners who don’t need major support, but instead of an over-controlling shoe they need more lower leg and foot strength, flexibility and agility—but the new Air Zoom Odyssey is a modern outlier that serves runners who severely overpronate. The Odyssey is a maximum support shoe with a duplicitous personality, a model that combines soft cushioning and a flexible demeanor with loads of reinforcing structure. Although its key stability feature is unique—a ribbed, firm medial post that runs the entire length of the shoe—it’s the cushion, comfort and surprising agility that make this shoe special. If there is such a thing as an energetic control shoe, this is it. Unlike traditional max support shoes that are heavy and clunky, this one has lighter/faster inklings in its DNA similar to many of its neutral or light stability counterparts. A smart blend of firmer and softer foams in the midsole—including Nike’s Dynamic Support platform—plus an engineered mesh upper and Nike’s updated Flywire arch support system combine for a snug, secure fit and smooth ride. Our wear-testers noted they could feel the support in the heel, but reported that it was more subtle throughout the rest of the heel-toe transition. “Honestly, I wouldn’t know that was even a shoe stability/support shoe if I wasn’t told in advance,” says wear-tester C.J. Haas. “It’s very stable, but it runs like an energetic neutral shoe.”

Price: $150

Weights: 10.4 oz. (men’s 9.0), 8.1 oz. (women’s 7.0)

Heel-Toe Offset: 12mm, 27mm (heel), 15mm (forefoot)

Info: Nike Running

RELATED: Shoe of the Week: New Balance 1500v1

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Ryan and Sara Hall Adopt 4 Ethiopian Sisters

Ryan and Sara Hall with their daughters, Hana, Mia, Jasmine and Lily. Photo: twitter.com/sarahall3

Thursday was a big day for Sara Hall. The 32-year-old was named as part of the elite field for this fall’s Chicago Marathon, and later announced that she and husband Ryan have adopted four Ethiopian sisters as their own.

“We are so excited to introduce you to these 4 sisters, now officially our daughters, adopted from Ethiopia! Hana, Mia, Jasmine & Lily Hall,” Hall posted to her Facebook page.

The Halls, who have spent a considerable amount of time in east Africa—including training stints each of the last two springs in Ethiopia—founded the Hall STEPS Foundation in 2009, a non-profit movement to fight global poverty through better health. In six years, they’ve redone a maternity clinic in Senegal, funded a clean water project in Mozambique and helped build a hospital in Kenya.

RELATED VIDEO: Ryan Hall Talks About Training In Ethiopia

“Ethiopians are such a humble people in general,” Ryan Hall told Competitor.com last year. “I think I really took that away from them. You could be a world-class runner and you would never even know it by the way they act. They are very humble and very down to earth. Everyone just works really hard.”

Nomadic in nature, the Halls, who are devout Christians, have homes in Redding, Calif., and Flagstaff, Ariz. They have no other children.

RELATED: For First Time, Halls Tackle Marathon Together

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Kastor Headlines Strong American Field at Chicago

Kastor, shown here en route to her world-record half-marathon run in Philadelphia last fall, will try to add the American Masters marathon record to her resume on Oct. 11. Photo: PhotoRun.net

At 42 years old, Deena Kastor still has records on her mind.

The American marathon record-holder from Mammoth Lakes, Calif., will attempt to break Colleen De Reuck’s American masters record of 2:28:40 at the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 11. Kastor, the Olympic bronze medalist at the 2004 Athens Games, had an impressive 2014 campaign where she set the Masters world record in the half marathon, running 1:09:36 at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon, and finished 11th at the New York City Marathon in 2:33:18. In Philadelphia, Kastor broke three other records—15K (49:03), 10 miles (52:41) and 20K (1:05:52)—en route to a third-place overall finish.

“Racing in Chicago has always been special,” said Kastor, who will race the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles in February. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since my first marathon win here. I’m proud to return the Bank of America Chicago Marathon this year to celebrate that accomplishment and continue to push myself towards new goals.”

RELATED: Chicago Marathon Doing Away With Pacemakers

A strong group of American women will follow Kastor to Chicago, including reigning U.S. marathon champion and 2008 Olympian Blake Russell. Sara Hall, will line up for the second marathon of her career in Chicago, and is looking to rebound from a disappointing debut in Los Angeles this past March. Lindsey Scherf, who ran a 2:32:19 personal best at Grandma’s Marathon in June, will also be in the mix, as will Sarah Crouch, who cracked the top 10 at Chicago last year in a personal best of 2:32:44.

Florence Kiplagat of Kenya, the half-marathon world record-holder who ran 2:25:57 at Chicago last year, headlines a strong women’s field, which also includes 2:21 marathoner Mulu Seboka of Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s Amane Gobena, who ran 223 at the Paris Marathon in April, will also be in the mix.

On the men’s side, 2012 Chicago Marathon champion Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia returns to the Windy City in search of a second title. Kebede, who ran his personal best 2:04:38 in winning the 2012 race, will have his hands full with a strong international field that includes three other runners with PBs under 2:05 (Sammy Kitwara, 2:04:28; Dickson Chumba, 2:04:32; Endeshaw Negesse, 2:04:52). Wesley Korir, the 2012 Boston Marathon champion who ran his personal best of 2:06:13 at Chicago in 2011, is also in the field.

“I have great memories for Chicago, both the battle the late Wanjiru and I had in Chicago and my victory are memories I will always carry with me,” Kebede said in a release.

Fernando Cabada of Fresno, Calif., who ran 2:11:36 at Berlin last fall, enters the race at the top American entrant. Others include marathon debutante Sean Keveren, of Charlottesville, Va., who ran 1:02:52 at the U.S. Half Marathon Championships in January, and Malcolm Richards, who sports a 2:15:49 personal best from 2013.

“My focus is to run fast and beat some good people,” Cabada said. “I am hoping I can lower my 2:11:36 PB by a minute or two and have been training with this as my goal. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity, to show the running world what I am capable of.”

To check out Chicago’s complete elite lineup, visit chicagomarathon.com. 

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