City Coach | Coach Cane's Blog

Imagine How Slow She Would Have Been If She Hadn't Walked

Back in June, the New York Times' Tara Parker-Pope wrote the following under the title "Better Running Through Walking".  "To train for my first marathon, I’m using the “run-walk” method, popularized by the distance coach Jeff Galloway, a member of the 1972 Olympic team. When I mentioned this to a colleague who runs, she snickered — a common reaction among purists."  Well count me among those purists.  Or at least among those whose minds are not so open that our brains fall out. 

Like many others, I posted a comment at her blog.  And like many others, my comment was shot down by the author, who has no background in exercise science or athletics.  While TPP may control her blog, I control mine and posted about the topic without her editorial comments.  For those who can't be bothered to read what I opined at the time, I simply stated that while walking breaks are appropriate for those who are unprepared to run a marathon, the idea of a well trained runner going faster by incorporating walking breaks is in defiance of logic and science.  But the Galloway and his cult like to give bits of anecdotal evidence (some of which is accurate and some - like their claim that Ronaldo da Costa used Galloway's method in his marathon wins - is patently false) to support their argument.  Here's one they might want to leave out of the argument:

NYC MARATHON
November 1, 2009
Tara Parker-Pope
Finish Time:6:58:19

Pace:15:58/mile

As an postscript, it's interesting to note that TPP has now changed her tune.  Walking breaks are no longer the way to do your best marathon or go faster as she has previously claimed.  Now she says "The main benefit of the run-walk method is that it eases your body into exercise, makes marathon training less grueling and gives muscles time to recover, reducing the risk of injury. Walk breaks are an ideal way for new runners and older, less fit and overweight people to take part in a sport that would otherwise be off limits.

"The downside is that just as you are out on the marathon course about 50 percent longer than the average runner, your training time is much longer, too — four and five hours a weekend for long runs.

In other words, she is agreeing with what i said all along.

A Really Fast NYC Marathon

2009 NYC Marathon Timelapse from mdkmc on Vimeo.

Brooklyn photographer Mehmet Dokumcu set up a camera near the 10k point of last week's marathon and then did some time lapse magic to condense the whole race down to a minute. Kinda fun to watch.

5k at Yankee Stadium

Not only is Yankee Stadium the home of the 27-time World Series Champion New York Yankees, but now it's also going to be the host of what promises to be a unique 5k for charity.  On Sunday, November 15, participants will run the stadium's concourses, ramps, and stairs and then finish with a lap around the warning track.  Spectators can watch from the bleachers.  The event benefits the Damon Runyon Foundation, and 100% of all donations are used to support their cutting edge cancer research.  (Low administrative and fundraising costs are paid by Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets and from their endowment.) 

For more info or to register, check out their website.

Here's a little more about the charity and why I like them so much. 

We support the rising stars of science, emerging leaders who have great potential to achieve breakthroughs in how we diagnose, treat and prevent cancer. The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation selects the most brilliant early career scientists and provides them with

Damon Runyon's goals as a cancer research fund are to:

-Identify the best and brightest early career scientists into cancer research
-Accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into new diagnostic tools and treatments
-Enable risk-taking on bold new ideas

For Some, Meb's Not American Enough

When Meb Keflezighi won the NYC marathon Sunday, headlines screamed that it was the first American victory since the 1980s.  Yet for some, including CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell, Mr. Keflezighi is not American enough.  According to Mr. Rovell, Meb "is technically American by virtue of him becoming a citizen in 1998, but the fact that he's not American-born takes away from the magnitude of the achievement the headline implies... Keflezighi's country of origin is Eritrea, a small country in Africa. He is an American citizen thanks to taking a test and living in our country. ...Nothing against Keflezighi, but he's like a ringer who you hire to work a couple hours at your office so that you can win the executive softball league."

First of all, we're a nation of immigrants. Where do we draw the line on who we call a "real" American? What if Meb was born here but his parents were immigrants? Or their parents?  What if his family emmigrated the day before he was born?  Then would it be OK with Mr. Rovell if Meb draped himself in old glory? 

I certainly understand why some people take issue with athletes who become world class runners elsewhere and then choose to become American citizens as a business decision.  For instance, Bernard Lagat was born and raised in Kenya, won medals in the World Championships and Olympics for Kenya, came here for college and became an American citizen in 2004.  I root for Lagat, but can't feel all warm and fuzzy as an American when he wins.  Meb is different.  He did not come to this country to be a runner, and this country did not bring him here because of his athletic talent. 

In fact, Meb's family came here as refugees when he was a child.  He was not a runner in Eritrea.  He is the product of an American high school and an American college (UCLA).  If Rovell wanted to use an accurate analogy, Meb would not be the ringer brought in to play for the softball team, he would be the accountant who is hired based on his credentials and earns his keep, who came to the softball team practices and became the star through a combination of talent and hard work. 

Meb Keflezighi is a true American success story, and the ignorance of a CNBC columnist, or anyone else who ignores the facts does not change that.

Marathon Recovery

Here's a reprint/post of a piece I wrote for Metro Sports Magazine a while back.

Congratulations - you’ve finished your 26.2 mile journey.  Now what?  What you do in the minutes, hours and days after the race is vital to how quickly you recover.  Here are a few tips for what to do after you grab your space blanket and your well-deserved finisher’s medal.

Immediately after

• Move. Cooling down prevents   blood from pooling in your legs and helps clear lactic acid.
• Drink. Because you may have   diluted your body’s sodium concentration, drinking sports drinks, or having a   salty food like pretzels with your water will help. 
• Eat. You should aim for   about 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight, along with a modest   amount of protein.  No need to eat right after the race if you can’t tolerate   it, but if you fuel up within 1.5-2 hours your body will replenish your   depleted glycogen supply more efficiently.
• Ice. If your muscles hurt,   ice will probably help. Though heat may feel more soothing, it can actually   aggravate the situation. Also try elevating your feet, and be sure to have a   pair of loose, comfortable shoes on hand after the race.
• Stretch. Stretching can   help, but you have to be especially careful. Remember that your muscles are   already spent, so you need to stretch very gently. 

The next week

• Rest.  Don’t worry – your fitness won’t disappear if you take it easy. Don’t try running yet, but walking for 15-20 minutes, or a quick swim or bike ride to get the blood flowing can help.
• Massage.  While a massage immediately after the race can aggravate your muscles, it’s great in the days after.
• Keep eating. Be sure to fuel your body with a diet that’s rich in complex carbohydrates as well as protein. Eat as many calories as you like, but try to make sure you’re eating good foods.
• Relax.  Don’t feel any pressure to rush back. Go for an easy jog 5-7 days after the race if you like, but don’t worry if you don’t feel great. Full recovery will probably take 4-6 weeks.

Guest Stars at Today's Nike Run

Today was the last run for the Nike Marathon training group.  Terence and I have been tormenting the runners for the last four month and I think the best part of running the marathon for them will be that they don't have to listen to me any more.

At today's run from Niketown we went for an easy 2-mile shakeout run to stay loose.  Before we went out for our run, Shalane Flanagan (4x American record holder, Olympic bronze medalist) and Sammy Wanjiru (Olympic gold medalist, Olympic, London & Chicago Marathon record holder) had an informal Q&A with the group.  It's always great to get some tips and encouragement from world class athletes.  It sounds like they're both going to be out scouting the course tomorrow, with the thought of racing next year.

The City Coach cheering section will be at 135th Street & 5th Avenue tomorrow to support all our Nike, Jack Rabbit and Terence, Bobby, Leanne, City Coach athletes who we've worked with over the last four months, as well as all our other friends who will be out there.  If you're not running, come on up and join us.  135th is a great spot because it's not too crowded and by then the runners often need a little support.

Good luck everyone.

Final Marathon Words of Wisdom

Don't even think of breaking a sweat Saturday.  Just do a short, EASY run to stay loose.

If you're in NYC, get to the expo now - before all the out-of-towners get here and crowd things up.  And get through the expo quickly.

Set your clock back Saturday night.  It's an early wake up for a late race.  Don't make it earlier than it has to be.

If you're starting on the lower level of the Verrazano, stay away from the edge of the bridge.  You're standing below the world's largest urinal.

More Marathon Tips

• Start conservatively and don't get frustrated by the early congestion.  Don't waste a single step traversing the road to get past slower runners.
• If you're going to have a friend pace you along the course, be very specific about where they're to meet you.  And don't try to have the rendezvous on a crowded section of 1st Avenue or elsewhere where it may be impossible for them to find you. 
  
• Cut the tangents.  Just as you don't want to bob and weave, you don't want to take one step more than you need to when turning a corner.  The course is measured along the tangents, so anything else is cheating yourself. 
  
• Don't weigh yourself down with a fuel belt or Camelback.  And in the name of all that's good and holy, don't carry a bottle in your hand.  They might make sense in training, but not on race day when you have water and Gatorade Endurance every mile.
• Use the crowds and their energy to your advantage.  Steal their energy - don't waste yours running across the road to say hi to them.  Those extra steps may seem trivial, but you'll want them back later in the race.  The exception is when passing the official City Coach cheering zone at 135th and 5th.  There, you may give a hint of a wave and perhaps a nod of acknowledgment.
  
• Stick with your hydration and caloric intake plan even if you don't feel hungry or thirsty.  If you wait until your body's asking for it, it'll be too late.  You'll need the fluids and calories if you're going to avoid hitting the wall.
• Nothing new on race day.  No new clothes, no new shoes, no new food or drink.  Go with what you know.
  

NYC Marathon Course Preview

Today let's take a look at the details of the NYC Marathon course. 

The start is the hardest part of the NYC course as you climb the Verrazano.  If you're lucky enough to start near the front, be careful not to go out too fast.  In fact, if you race well it should be your slowest mile of the day because of the elevation gain.  If you're starting toward the back, you may be tempted to weave around folks to make good time up the hill.  Resist this temptation at all costs.  Make sure that you run 1.0 miles in the first mile.  Wasting energy trying to get around other runners will certainly bite you in the butt later.  It may be frustrating to shuffle for the first mile, but the good news is you'll still have 25+ miles to make up any lost time.  After you reach the top of the bridge, you'll have a fast, downhill mile.  Once again, don't waste energy by attacking the hill to aggressively.  Lean into the hill gently and relax.

Once you exit the Verrazano, you're in Brooklyn.  This will be your first exposure to the cheering crowds, and the terrain on 4th Avenue is flat and fast.  Settle in and find a steady pace - preferably right around your overall goal marathon pace.  Just as you need to resist the urge to go too hard in Staten Island, don't let the excitement of the crowd push you too hard just yet.  Harness the energy.  Don't bother giving a high-five or hugging your adoring fans.  When you pass the Williamsburg Savings Bank building (they're condos now FYI) you'll still have great crowds and fast terrain.  Mile 10 is on Bedford Ave.  The terrain continues to be flat and fast.  At this stage you should feel great, and hopefully will have maintained a solid pace in Brooklyn.  Once again, you need to be disciplined.  Too many marathoners decide that they feel good after 10 miles and think they can adjust their goal.  Now's not the time to think on your feet. Stick with your game plan.  Assuming that you're feeling comfortable, that plan should be to pick up the pace slightly for the next several miles.  An adjustment of 5-10 seconds per mile is enough. 

You'll reach the halfway point on the Pulaski Bridge as you enter Queens.  The bridge is a little challenging.  Don't push it too hard on the ascent.  The next few miles include some rolling hills and turns.  Be sure to cut the tangents so you don't have to cover any extra ground.  (NYRR has made a few changes in the course this year which eliminates some of the tightest turns, so it should be a touch faster than in the past.)

Your next bridge is the Queensboro Bridge.  While this is a challenging one, the "wall of sound" awaits you on the Manhattan side.  When you head up 1st Avenue, you'll have a slight uphill for most of the first 1.25 miles, then downhill to 96th and back up most of the way to the Willis Avenue Bridge.  As you head north of 96th Street the crowds thin and you'll probably start to feel the miles.  Keep your concentration and discipline, as the next few miles are mentally challenging. 

You'll hit 20 miles as you enter the Bronx.  While I've stressed the need to stay disciplined and not go "off script" by speeding up and trying to "bank time" earlier in the race, now's the time to listen to your body.  If you've raced conservatively, you may find yourself able to pick it up a little. 

The course in the Bronx has been extended slightly this year, as you'll head across 138th, north onto Rider Avenue, west on 140th and south on Rider Avenue before picking up 138th again.  You'll soon cross the Madison Avenue Bridge and re-enter Manhattan.  Look for the official City Coach cheering section on the right side at 135th St as you head down 5th Avenue.  The farther south you go, the deeper and louder the crowds will get.  You'll need them as you head downtown on 5th Avenue, as there's a gentle but seemingly endless incline south of 110th Street.  You'll enter Central Park at Engineer's Gate and it's mostly downhill from there.  Exit at the bottom of the park, run along Central Park South, then re-enter the park at Columbus Circle.  From there, no matter how tired you are, you can gut it out to the finish at Tavern on the Green that you all know so well. 

Marathon Carb Loading

With the NYC Marathon just around the corner, let's go over a few glycogen loading basics. 

Keep in mind that your body can only store about 2,000 calories worth of glycogen.  Fully loading your glycogen tank - coupled with prudent race day nutrition - will help ensure that you avoid "hitting the wall".  Despite what the old school used to say,  there's little or (probably) no reason to deplete your glycogen stores before loading.  Because you're tapering and significantly decreasing your caloric expenditure, in most cases all you need to do is eat normal sized portions of complex carbohydrates in order to fill that tank.   Nancy Clark - perhaps the best known and most respected sports nutritionist puts it best, "loading up on an unusually high amount of fruits and juices might cause diarrhea. Too many white flour, low fiber bagels, breads and pasta might clog your system. As Marathon King Bill Rodgers once said 'More marathons are won or lost in the porta-toilets than they are at the marathon...' Fuel wisely, not like a chow hound.

Just as there's no need to stuff your face all week, if you plan the 3-4 days before the marathon correctly, there's no benefit to a large pre-race dinner.  In fact it can work against you by causing gastrointestinal distress.  Have a large, healthy, high carb lunch and then a lighter dinner. Keep in mind that even if you overeat, you can't make your 2,000 calorie tank can't hold 2,500 calories, but it can land you in the porta-potty along the course.  While you're loading, be sure to stay well hydrated with water and other fluids.  Watch out for alcohol and too much caffeine, as they are diuretics.

This isn't an English class, but let's look at the word carbohydrate and make note of the word "hydrate" in there.  Glycogen holds 3x its weight in water.  That means that if you fill your tank properly, you'll probably gain a few pounds throughout your loading phase.  That's fine.  It's normal.  It's healthy.  Relax.

On race morning you need to eat a light breakfast in order to replenish the few hundred calories that you expended while sleeping (or flailing around in the bed trying to sleep) and to stabilize your blood sugar.  Since you'll have plenty of time between breakfast and the race start, you don't have to be too conservative, but be careful if you tend to have a "nervous stomach".  Our friends at Nutrition Energy suggest Cereal, Pancakes and syrup, Applesauce, Bagels with Peanut Butter, Noodles, Fig bars, Oatmeal, English Muffins, Ensure, Boost, Energy bars, Bananas, Sports Drinks

On race day, you'll probably burn about 500-600 calories more than you can store.  That means that you need to get some calories in during the marathon, or risk someone dropping a piano on your back some time around mile 20.  Gels and sports drinks are usually your best bets.