False Sense of Pride

Many marathon runners look down upon distances below the full marathon (42.195kms) . You will find marathon runners talking crap about shorter distances like 10k and 5k runners. This, according to me, comes from people who are extremely ignorant and have no knowledge about running.

What these guys don't understand is that if you want to do a marathon within 3:30 then you need to develop speed that the 21k, 10k and 5k training plans provide you with. These schedules help you develop endurance, speed, strength and tapering. Also, if you look at most sub 3:00 hour marathon training plans, they will tell you two things (a) Develop a base for speed training by going through atleast 4 weeks of intervals, tempo and fartlek runs (b) Start believing in God. You will need him.

Anybody can run a marathon. If you have never ran before and if you are willing to, then I can help you run your first marathon within 8 months. Long distance running is an extension to walking. You have learnt how to walk before, you will learn quickly how to start running. Once you do that, it is an exponential growth. You will graduate from 10k to 21k on sunday morning when you are extremely guilty of drinking too much beer on the previous friday night. That's simple. What you can't do that easily is to increase your speed from x to y. It takes months if not years to shave off 5 minutes.

Next time if you see someone on throwing shit at short distance runners tell them to go take a nice long lonely run.

I still enjoy running marathons and will not stop until I crack the 3:30 code. However, after the last 21 days of speed training, I have started to respect shorter distances much more than before.

Wake up Early

Some tips to wake up early

Tip 1 - Go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning
Tip 2 -Get out on a 20-30 minute run/walk/jog each day after adequate stretching
Tip 3 - Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, which acts as a stimulant and keeps people awake. Sources of caffeine include coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, alcohol, diet drugs, and some pain relievers
Tip 4- A warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine can make it easier to fall sleep
Tip 5- If you can’t get to sleep, don’t just lie in bed. Do something else, like reading, watching television, or listening to music, until you feel tired
Tip 6 - Do not eat a heavy dinner after 8:00 pm.

I must confess that for the last one month after the marathon, I simply have no motivation to wake up early. I have to be studying for my Gmat but studying has never been a motivating factor for me. This month's goal is 5k in 18 minutes and I just downloaded a program that will help me get there.

As I mentioned earlier, I am out of long distance running for the first 3 months and will focus purely on speed. The ultimate goal is to do a marathon in sub 3:45 this year and definitely a dream target of 3:30. The coach factor kicks in tomorrow.

Dean's Suggestions

Running in Chennai is one of the hardest things to do. The heat can kill you and this place is simply not friendly to long distance runners. You sweat a lot in Chennai and when sweating you not only lose water but also electrolytes. Dean, who is an ultramarathoner gives some advice on what you can do when you run long distance in hotter climates.

1. Slow down: If you’re trying to PR or qualify for Boston, you might consider scaling back your expectations and using another race. This can be a difficult decision, especially if you’re dedicated months of training to the effort, but look what happened in Chicago yesterday.

2. Stay well hydrated early on by drinking lots of fluid: Maintaining proper electrolyte balance is also important, so drink a sports beverage that provides at least 120mg of Sodium per 8 oz. serving.

3. Be sure to wear wicking clothing: Cotton is out. Clothing that wicks moisture away from your skin and pulls it to the fabric will help your body cool itself.

4. Pour water over your head and jersey if need be. This will further aid the evaporative cooling effect.

5. Chew on ice (if available): Chewing on ice will help lower your core temperature and allow fluids to move more readily from your gut into your blood system.

6. Lastly, look for the classic signs of dehydration: increased heart rate, reduced sweating, and loss of overall body weight.