As published in UltraRunning Magazine Online
Runners, beware, you are about to enter the twilight zone.
This is the dimension that exposes long-held beliefs that cause of chronic burn-out. It is a journey into a wondrous land that defies dogma and disposes of the monotonous. A place where mindless, boring exercise goes to die.
Running can be boring. Especially when you do it a lot, and for a long time. There are days when I can’t bring myself to go for a run. Ever have one of those? You know, when the thought of going for a run makes you want to clean the kitchen, take out the trash or work on a project, like any project? It’s a quandary, especially if you’re trying to prepare for something like a half-marathon, an ultra marathon or whatever.
The solution? Try this out:
reading.
That’s right. Reading while training. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but it’s really not. Read on.
I’ve been putting a healthy amount of my weekly training in while reading the Wall Street Journal, the LA Times and the New York Times. I’m even adding in a regular dose of the Weekly Standard, Backpacker Magazine and an occasional book (usually non-fiction). I’m in the middle of Getting to US, a profile of some of the greatest coaches in sports by Seth Davis, and What Unites Us, reflections on patriotism by ousted CBS anchor Dan Rather.
The question of course is how is it possible to read and run at the same time. It isn’t. I don’t run while I read. And I don’t have to because I incorporate a lot of cross training into my schedule. The elliptical machine is one of my favorites, as is hiking at a steep grade on the treadmill wearing a 10 lbs weight vest. Another is simply riding a stationary bike. Each of these workouts can get my heart rate to an aerobic level. They also give my body a chance to rebuild after long and/or difficult workouts, all while catching up with what’s happening in DC, Pyongyang or Pennsylvania’s 18th district.
I’ve come to look forward to my reads during training. In fact, I truly believe I would have given up running ultras a long time ago if I hadn’t started incorporating reading into my training regimen several years back. What’s more is I’m usually blasting my thumbprint radio on Pandora while I’m checking the sports page or the latest Op-Ed. Did you note the juxtaposition of the WSJ NY Times? (Trying to stay balanced my friends).
In addition to rewarding my neurons, reading while training forces me to stay in a recovery zone. That is because pushing into the red zone makes it impossible to focus - on text, paragraphs or even titles. Everything becomes a blur.
Staying in my recovery zone allows me to build a solid base of fitness, the foundation for running strong at any distance.
Keep it real runners!
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Published in UltraRunning Magazine (2/13/15)
Pot. Toke it or leave it. That is the question. Unless you were baptized by a celibate priest, chances are you’ve toked, like everyone else around you. Heck, even if you haven’t, surely you’ve caught a buzz from the second hand smoke at a Neil Young or Nicki Minaj concert.
The Wall Street Journal published an article this week covering a debate within the ultra-running community, about using Marijuana. A quote from the piece gives the perspective from a 22 year old “professional” runner – If you can find the right level, [marijuana] takes the stress out of running. And it’s a post-race, post-run remedy.
The article’s subtitle asks: For Ultramarathon Runners, Marijuana Has Enormous Benefits—But Is It Ethical?
It took me a while to find my voice on this one. I think it was because, initially, I couldn’t see beyond my own jaded experiences on the topic. Starting with seeing my best friend’s house burn down in 6th grade, and freaking out at Scott S’s house over a bag of Chips Ahoy in 7th grade. And, possibly, ending in 11th grade when I stood on the bluff with several hundred people looking down on the Pacific Ocean, and wondering why.
I want to be careful here. Because the topic of marijuana is, by itself, a lightning rod for controversy and judgment. Throw ultra-running and performance enhancement into the conversation, and we have the potential for an electrical fire. Deep breath here people….
I saw the plume of smoke from 5 miles away. I could see it when I got on the school bus, and it grew larger and larger as the bus drove closer to my home. It wasn’t until I ran away from the bus until I knew it was his house. I saw him laying in an ambulance and I just remember being really scared. I wanted to talk to him, and ask him if he was ok. He was my best friend. But he was surrounded by paramedics working on him, and on the third degree burns caused by the fire started while he was making hash oil. Then the ambulance drove away, and took him away from me.
We all have our own reasons for doing what we do. In the end, it is what we take away from these experiences that we call our own. Why do people run ultra-distances? Ask 100 ultra runners and you’re likely to get 100 different answers. So, to get through this, I will write only what I call my own.
It’s well known that marijuana numbs pain, helps minimize nausea and alleviates fatigue. It is often prescribed for people with chronic conditions arising from ailments out of their control. It has been an effective remedy for cancer patients going through the agony of chemotherapy. I love that cannabis helps those that are suffering from disease. I can’t think of a better use for it.
But for ultra runners? Really? The question no one seems to be asking isn’t why a runner would want to mask pain or nausea. After all, it is human nature to want to minimize suffering. The real question is, why would anyone choose a sport like ultra running then turn around and choose to experience less than
the real thing? It would be like choosing to be a doctor, but not willing to see human blood. Or choosing to be a boxer, but not willing to take a punch to the face. Are you really what you say you are? Really. What are you? It was totally unexpected. But what isn’t when you’re in 7th grade with a new set of braces? When I took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie, I noticed the pain from the tightened metal on my teeth was gone. I chewed and chewed and chewed, in total bliss, smiling from the numbness of what we smoked.
Until I realized...I couldn’t feel or taste anything! Something was moving down my throat, but I knew this only because I watched my hand put it in my mouth and reach for another. What happens if I choke? Would I just stop breathing? Paranoia sets in.
I now move to the real question. Why do we choose ultra running? I think this is the crux of the issue. For me, it is the risk of coming face to face with my own limits – be it pain, fatigue or fear – and moving through these limits by relying on my own strength. It’s a big part of why I do this stuff. Some of the most memorable moments I’ve drawn from the sport were the most difficult ones, when I’m suffering.
There is a concept in mountaineering called topographic prominence. Peaks with high prominences tend to be the highest points around and are likely to have extraordinary views. These are the peaks that stand out among the rest, not because they are high in altitude, but because they are surrounded by deep, deep canyons and valleys.
The same concept exists in ultra running. And I will call this sensory prominence. And it means if you want to experience the highs, you have to be surrounded by and experience the lows. And these lows, in my humble opinion, should never be numbed or neutered.
He was one of the best in elementary school. A buddy to all of us. A teammate in little league. But when I picked him up hitch hiking on the PCH, he didn’t say a word. We were in high school now. But something seemed odd. He was so quiet in the car. When I heard the news months later, I didn’t put the pieces together. But now I know. He became a stoner. He was coming home from work, late at night, and he rode his motorcycle into the back of a parked car.
Then we stood there, on the bluff, wondering why.
It all comes back to what I’ve said before. Ultra runners are really just normal people. But they want something more in life. Something real, not material. Something they have to dig deep within themselves to achieve, and the deeper they dig, the more satisfied they are.
Smoke pot during an ultra? I think I'll just keep digging.
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Published In
(10/6/14)
Don’t know why I’m struggling with this one. I need to get a grip. Remind myself. It’s not like I’m putting the family cat down. And how would I know what that’s like anyway? We don’t even have a cat. I’m talking about a pair of shoes here. And wondering, when is it time to say goodbye?
It’s a little weird. To even be writing this. But I need to write it. I’m not sure why. Is it because I’m feeling really vulnerable right now, without a plan or a clue about to what to do? Or is it because I’m not ready to say goodbye, and looking for a reason not to?
Today, when I pulled my last pair Hoka Stinsons (original) out of a drop bag, I took a closer look at them. My trusted ones. I could see the ad hoc upholstery thread tightly clinched and holding the nylon upper to the thick rubber sole. Thankfully, the day before the Leadville 100, the owner of the house I rented gave me a cobbler style sewing kit equipped with this thread and a few massive, curved needles. I quickly went to work, sewing the upper section of the shoe back onto the rubber. I broke at least one of the needles as I dug deep into and out of the rubber.
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I know. You’re wondering, why is he doing this? Yea, it’s a little out there. Most people with half a brain would just buy a new pair of shoes. Out with the old, and in with the new, right? If only life were that easy. What if this particular pair of shoes were the only ones I could trust? What if I’ve run seven 100 mile races in these shoes? What if I finally broke down to buy a new pair, but learned to my disgust the manufacturer stopped making them two years ago?
I rolled the dice at Vermont. My trusted ones were literally falling apart at the seems. So I started the race with the new “generation” of Stinsons, called the EVO. It was a painful experience. My toes were screaming like long tailed cats in a room full of rocking chairs. Thankfully I had stashed my trusted ones in my drop bag around mile 48. The change couldn’t have come soon enough. It was like unleashing a dozen masseurs upon my feet. All I could do was smile.
The sewing had worked wonders. My trusted ones made it through Leadville, and looked to be primed for Wasatch. That was when I noticed the tread peeling off the bottom of the sole. I applied industrial bonding glue and stacked phone books on them. Unorthodox for sure, but would they hold up? I made it to mile 50, noticed some more peeling, and reached to snap off the small section from the shoe. What snapped off was a little more than I bargained for. The good news? Hokas work pretty well with no tread.
I don’t know why I’m struggling with this one.
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Me and Race Director Marie Boyd (photo Larry Rich)
n(excerpt published UltraRunning Magazine Aug 2013)
nFalls on trail take many forms. One of the more common isnthe slow motion fall. These usually happen when you are feeling a sense of gravitasnon the trail, a confidence you get from being out there for a few hours. One minute you are running along feeling like you're on top of the world. The next minute your foot strikes something other than the groundnunderneath you and your body begins falling like a giant sequoia. Timber! Your face,nperched like a nest at the top of the tree, is now approaching the ground at annincreasing rate.
nYour arms begin to windmill desperately. As the nest gains momentum toward the ground your reptilian mind takes over and makes a split decision: either keep flailing your arms like an idiot fighting the law of gravity, or acceptnyour fate and protect the nest. By the time you stop windmilling and position your arms tonabsorb the impact, you flashback to a time when you were the age of seven doing somersaults on the beach.
nJust before slamming into the ground, your reptilian mind tells your body to tuck and roll like you used to do in when you were seven. But it is too late. You hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.
nIt was 2:00 in the afternoon. I had been running fornsix hours. I wasn't sure which was hurting more, my body ornmy ego. I had fallen five times. Blood, seeping from my hands and knee a few hours earlier, had become a crusted black scabnof dirt and sweat. Fortunately, trickling through my veins was a nice cocktailnof endorphins and adrenalin.
nAs I climbed the steep fire road through the Tungston Hills, surrounded by the towering peaks of the Sierra Nevada’s, my eyes took stock in thenscene before me. I was deep inside a canyon looking up to the blue sky above. Low in the sky was a half moon, rising.
nThis year’s Bishop High Sierra 100k was the first ultra Inseriously considered cutting short, if not dropping out of all together. Early in the race, around mile 20, me kneenwas throbbing, my calf was cramping and a quad injury I sustained a few weeks before was starting to bark at me. I kept asking myself why not just drop out now?
nBut ultras work in mysterious ways. As the day progressed, I noticed another runner behind me whonis running strong. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and a white cap. While everyone else seemed to be slowing down, this guy was speeding up and running away from people. I pushed a little harder, attempting to stay out in front of him.nEventually, I entered an aid station and he was right behind me. As I reached for some water I noticed he didn't stop and continued on running. I gave chase and followed him through a mine fieldnof rocks, heat and sand. I finally relented and watched him run away from me, alone and into the hills.
nFrustrated, I reminded myself not to get too excited and to remember to run my race at my pace. By now I'm in total solitude and was working my way throughnthe final section of the 62 mile course. Across thenOwens Valley I saw the White Mountains, home of the 4,000 year old BristleconenPine Forest, which I planned to visit the next day. With about 10 miles to go, I still had another 1,000 feet of climbing, then a long six mile decent to the finish line.
nThen I rounded a bend in thentrail and saw a runner laying on the ground. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and white cap. Only now he was flat on his back. When I realized he wasn't moving Inassumed the worst. I quickly approached him fumbling for my salt tabs and water. I asked him questions to see if he was conscious. He responded, telling me he needed to rest because he was really hot. I offered my water and some electrolytes.nHe took both. I asked him if he was OK. He assured me he was.
nI proceeded to the Sage Summit aid station which was only anhalf mile up the trial. I explained thensituation to the crew and suggested someone drive up the hill and offer help. But before the crew could scramble a car I looked up the hill and saw him trotting along as if nothing had happened. Wow, I'm thinking to myself, this guy is the Terminator. I moved quickly out of the aid station on onto the trail.
nI hustled down the 500 foot descent and out along the trail in the valley below to the turn-around point. Here, like everyone, I grabbed an obligatory poker chip from a bag to prove I had gone the distance. The "my race my pace" philosophy was quickly succumbing to my new found urge to stay ahead of the Terminator. I took a mental note of my time at the turn-around, and I knew that for each minute that passed before I crossed the Terminator on my way back would equal a two minute lead over him. We crossed at 7 minutes and 30 seconds, a fifteen minute lead.
nAs I climbed the long switch backs I had just descended I kept an eye on the Terminator. He was was getting smaller as he headed toward the turn-around and I continued to gain elevation. Other runners were making their way down the switch backs and we exchanged words of encouragement. When I reached Sage Summit aid station for the second time I had another six miles of virtually all down running to go. It was then that I finally began to relax and absorb the moment.
nThanks to the Terminator, I reached the finish line with a new found respect for pushing the envelop. I don't know what more one can do than fall to the ground during a 100 kilometer race to show resolve. The Terminator went 120%. What would I have done without him?
nI offer a hearty thanks to all the volunteers who provided exceptional support to us runners throughout the entire race, and especially to Marie Boyd for her twenty years of her volunteer service as race director. Marie is stepping down this year as RD and no replacement has been identified. There is talk that this might be the last year for the Bishop High Sierra Ultra Marathons which I hope doesn't become reality. Any takers?
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(published in Ultra Running Magazine March 2012)
1. Find new routes everyday. I mean everyday. Take them.
2. Cycle your training. Plan your peaks and valleys. From month to month, week to week, and day to day. There’s a time to push, and a time to pull back.
3. Don’t forget your posse. Run with them regularly. Swap stories. Talk about running. Talk about life. They keep you grounded. They remind you why you run.
4. Lay low every once in a while. I’m not talking about for a couple of days. Or even for a couple of weeks. I’m talking about for a couple of months. Find something else to do.
5. Commit. To a goal. To an event. Any event. Preferably one that inspires you. If you can’t, rest easy. It’s not the end of the world. If you can, smile, and enjoy the ride.
6. Tune in. To music. To audio books. To talk radio. Whatever entices you while you run. Stream music (vs download) and listen to anything, anytime, and be surprised.
7. Tune out. Don’t think, just do. Let your mind drift while you run. Like a tumbleweed in a warm desert wind.
8. Wander. Leave home with no particular place to go. No routine. No plan. Just run.
9. Stop regularly on a run. Look around. You will be amazed at the little things that look back at you.
9.5. Always remember this: Running is not a job. It’s not a duty. It’s not an obligation. It is your life, at that moment. Keep it real. Embrace it.
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My Pacers Bino and Chris
Yesterday The Orange County Register published an article I wrote about my experience leading up to and running the Angeles Crest 100 mile endurance run. Click here to read it.
Enjoy!
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Published in Ultra Running Magazine September 2011
A friend of mine once said it. No matter how focused you are on your training. No matter how committed you might be to accomplishing a goal. Sometimes life gets in the way.
After 23 years of running, I’m still learning how not to fight this rule, but to embrace it.
This morning I hitched a tandem up to my mountain bike and my seven year old and I rode around our neighborhood. We stopped at a playground and I pushed her on a huge tire swing. She laughed and giggled as I spun her. Then we rode away until we arrived at a coffee shop where we stopped for a snack and I played music for her on my IPhone.
My difficulty is this. I have a hard time hitching tandems, or pushing tire swings, even hearing giggles when I’m hunkering down for a 100 mile race. Its not easy to explain, but it is easy to understand. Life is a plethora of priorities. But for each priority I choose today, I must also choose to put off another for tomorrow.
Over the last six months I’ve been hunkering down a lot, training and racing more than I ever have. But recently I’ve come to realize that sometimes running gets in the way. I have no regrets about my running, and its been a great year for me. I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve also learned that running is a really just a metaphor for life. The ups and downs that it brings. I’ve faced some challenges in my races this year. Yet overcoming these has helped me build confidence and trust in myself along the way. I recently wrote that it's the simple things, those that we take for granted, that matter the most. The moonlit path under a steely blue horizon during an ultra. Surely we all need to be carried away on our own moonlit path. But for the beginning of every path there is also an end. And we need to notice when we arrive at the end of these paths. And when we do, we just might find someone there for us, laughing and giggling.
Yes, it’s the simple things. They matter the most.
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It was October 1993. I was standing on the side of Alii Drive watching the Hawaii Ironman. Mark Allen, four-time champion of the event at the time, had just finished the 112-mile bike and was beginning the marathon. As I watched him run by, five minutes behind the leader, I noticed his smooth cadence in the sweltering heat. Could he catch the athlete ahead of him? As the veteran chased his younger rival in the final hours of this grueling race, I knew the real race didn’t begin until the run, Allen’s strongest event. I also knew, despite being nearly a mile behind the younger athlete, Allen trained using what is now known as the Maffetone Method.
The antithesis of the "no pain, no gain" training that emphasizes pushing your body to exhaustion, the Maffetone Method is a holistic, low-stress method of training. Created by Dr. Phil Maffetone this method trains the body to burn fat for fuel, giving the athlete the key to the vault that stores the body’s energy reserves. It essentially teaches one to run slower, in order to run faster, longer. The principles behind the method are designed to maximize the aerobic system that is responsible for 99% of the energy derived in endurance events.
As the race wore on, the younger runner found himself struggling to hold his lead. His early poise slowly gave way to a grim reality. He was no longer the hunter, but the hunted. With every step, Allen’s stride grew stronger, his confidence bolder. After some 125 combined miles, Mark Allen overtook his rival to win the race, setting a new course record. Allen went on to win an unprecedented six Hawaii Ironman Championships using Dr. Phil Maffetone’s training principles.
Dr. Phil Maffetone is described as "one of the most sought-after endurance coaches in the world." He entered the endurance sports scene in the late 70’s. In addition to working with some of the world’s top endurance athletes, Dr. Maffetone has written dozens of books and articles on health, fitness and nutrition, including Complimentary Sports Medicine, Training for Endurance, The Maffetone Method, and In Fitness and In Health. I caught up with Dr. Maffetone this summer while he was traveling through Europe and giving lectures.
Will: First thank you for doing this interview. It is a pleasure and a privilege to interview someone of your stature and to share your insights with my readers. I'd also like to say thank you for the contribution you have made to the world of endurance training.
Exactly how and when did you get started in the field of endurance coaching and training?
Dr. Phil: I’ve always been athletic, especially in track and field, starting in high school. When I first opened my office in 1977, I had gotten out of shape, so I started walking, then began jogging and soon was training for the NY City Marathon. I met a lot of local runners, and many started coming to see me for their injuries. I soon realized that most injuries were associated with various training and lifestyle imbalances. I applied exercise physiology, biofeedback, nutrition and various coaching methods in addressing the needs of athletes who had a full spectrum of injuries.
A key feature of my practice from the start has always been looking at the big picture, the so-called holistic approach. If a runner had knee pain, there was a good chance the cause of the problem was not in the knee but elsewhere – and sometimes not just the foot (which was common), but factors such as nutrition or stress. Often, training was associated not only with physical injuries, but fatigue and poor performance. So it became a necessity for me to consider more than the injured part, but to evaluate a runner’s training log, diet, shoes, and whatever else could affect health and fitness. As a result, I soon began implementing "coaching" as part of my practice.
Will: One of your trademarks is the 180 Formula, which is designed to develop the aerobic capacity of endurance athletes. How did you come to develop the 180 Formula?
Dr. Phil: I started using heart rate monitors in the late 1970s, and all I had as a guide were the old 220 formulas. But training at these heart rates seemed to induce excessive stress after a very short period of time. I tried searching for the scientific rationale for these formulas and realized there were none. So I began evaluating runners on a treadmill using slower paces, attempting to find a less-stressful and more effective training pace. I eventually performed these tests with a gas analyzer (the athlete would breath through a tube so oxygen and carbon dioxide could be measured), which gave me important information on fat- and sugar burning at various heart rates (along with other factors such as VO2 max).
I began using training heart rates based on the highest fat-burning levels before the shift to more sugar burning took place. These training intensities were much lower than the 220 formulas, much less stressful, and I saw much more rapid improvements. For example, athletes could soon run faster at the same heart rate, and even burn more fat for energy (and not just while running, but at all times). I soon realized a new formula would be very useful as most runners were not able to have an expensive treadmill evaluation, and the 220 formulas were unacceptable. By experimenting with the math (I basically worked the numbers backwards), I was able to get a formula that correlated extremely well with what the treadmill tests were providing. This became the 180 Formula.
A heart monitor is a simple biofeedback tool (the hardware), and the 180 Formula (the software) is what makes it useful. Biofeedback can help any athlete because it’s a means of more objectively evaluating progress (or lack of it), impending injury and ill health, and other factors. (I’ve used biofeedback in many other ways throughout my career, including developing various biofeedback techniques such as those for muscles and the brain.)
Will: Mark Allen, six time Hawaii Ironman Champion, and Stu Mittleman, elite ultra runner and world record setter, are two athletes you've written about and that used your training program to become world champions. Now they are coaching and, I assume, using your methods. Do you still collaborate with them or other former athletes that you coached and who are now coaching themselves?
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Dr. Phil: Yes, I have kept in touch with many of the athletes I’ve worked with, and some are coaching with programs based on my approach because it helped make them successful. Mark Allen is a great example. I started working with Mark around 1984, and he used my program in what I would describe as the perfect way. The intention of my program is not to give a pre-conceived, cookbook plan, but to help build a balanced body in an individualized way. For endurance athletes, developing the aerobic system is the foundation because it provides almost all the endurance energy for training and racing. It’s also important to continually evaluate our endurance needs and make the appropriate changes to training, racing, diet and lifestyle as we develop, and grow older so we can continually improve both health and fitness. As a doctor and coach, my job is to assist athletes in this endeavor, and Mark Allen was particularly good at putting this foundation, and philosophy, into practice. He learned how his body worked, performed MAF Tests regularly, used his heart monitor honestly, ate right for his body’s needs, etc. His discipline brought him success.
Will: How strict should one be when running at or below MAHR (max aerobic heart rate)? For example, if I'm running below MAHR for an hour workout, and my heart rate creeps up and over my MAHR by five beats for 10 minutes or so, is that really a big deal?
Dr. Phil: It could be a very big deal, especially if it happens often enough. The problem is, you
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don’t know how often is too much – you may not know it’s a problem until you do your MAF Test and find out you’ve not made progress for the past month (the MAF Test measures how fast you can run at your MAHR). The real question is this: Are you training at the proper max aerobic heart rate? If you are, you’ll get maximum training and health benefits at that heart rate. As you go over that rate, those benefits can start to disappear, and worse, you can do harm. So why risk such rewards by running at a little higher heart rate? This is an important training discipline.
Training at a heart rate higher than MAHR produces real stress. This results in the production of stress hormones that could cause a number of physical and chemical (and even mental/emotional) problems – from mechanical imbalances and blood sugar stresses to reduced fat burning. These are also the foundations of overtraining which is associated with performance breakdowns, poor physical health, depression and other problems (I have a detailed article on my website called The Overtraining Syndrome)
A very common mistake is training at a heart rate too high – and for some runners, even two or three beats too high can have serious consequences. So when using the 180 Formula, be honest. When in doubt, use a lower number as this won’t cause any problems, and the loss of possible aerobic benefits will be insignificant.
Will: Running ultras is usually synonymous with running hills, often long hills. Many runners power walk these hills, which keeps their heart rate down. Yet many elite runners do intervals on hills that are 3 or 4 miles long, running for up to 20 or 30 minutes at anaerobic threshold. Can this kind of training fit into your program?
Dr. Phil: Yes, anaerobic training can be very helpful. But whether it’s hills at higher heart rates, track intervals, or weight training (which is always anaerobic regardless of your heart rate), incorporating anaerobic training before fully developing your aerobic system can be a problem. Consider that in an ultra distance event, 99% of your energy comes from the aerobic system, and only 1% from the anaerobic system. So the more well developed your aerobic system, the more your body is equipped to race long distances. This is the foundation of training that Mark Allen and other great endurance athletes developed.
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nOnly after you build a great aerobic system should you add anaerobic training, if at all. The MAF Test – which measures how fast you run at your MAHR – is the best guide that helps determine when you’ve accomplished this task. As you build the aerobic system, you should be able to run faster at the same heart rate, including the hills. For example, if initially you can’t run up a hill without going over your max aerobic heart rate, eventually you’ll be able to accomplish this as your aerobic system develops. You’ll also race faster – having done no anaerobic training.
nAdding anaerobic training to your schedule may improve your pace further, but you risk overtraining; it’s a fine line for many athletes. Three other important features of anaerobic training: 1) it won’t take much to benefit from it, 2) you will need more rest/recovery from it, and 3) if you perform too much of it, the aerobic system can quickly deteriorate. To be safe and still obtain benefits, I often suggest only three or four weeks of anaerobic training to get maximum anaerobic effects, and for many ultra runners, just a single, longer workout once a week. Consider a 10 or 15K race as a very effective way to get an anaerobic workout.
nSo if you’re going to add anaerobic training, proceed carefully and only after allowing your aerobic system to become well developed, and perform a good aerobic warm up and cool down around it. Be sure to monitor your MAF Test every two weeks or so during this period, and if you start running slower at your MAHR – stop anaerobic training immediately.
nMost importantly, anaerobic training is a significant stress, as I discussed earlier. The average person who has a full time job, a family and other things to do in life often has little room for another stress.
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Will: Running a 100-mile race places a different kind of stress on a runner compared to a marathon or even a 50 mile race. Depending on the course and the level of the athlete, one can expect to be on their feet for up to 20, even 30 hours or more. Should one use a lower heart rate range when training for a 100-mile race as compared to training for shorter events like 10ks or the marathon?
Dr. Phil: Many athletes enjoy training at heart rates below their max aerobic level, so I think this idea is fine. But it’s not necessary to train slower. Running ‘wear and tear’ is essentially the same at a 140 heart rate, for example, whether your pace is 12:30 or 9:30 per mile. (Perceived exertion, however, is different at these two paces.)
For most runners, training at max aerobic heart rate during all runs (except the warm up and cool down) is most efficient to build the aerobic system, including a high level of fat burning and aerobic speed. Ideally, training should incorporate the full range of aerobic muscle fibers – from those that move us very slow to our fastest aerobic pace that does not exceed max aerobic heart rate. This is easily accomplished when a proper warm up, which begins very slow, and cool down, is a part of all training runs.
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In addition, and since the ultra races can be very long, training the body to endure being on your feet is also important. For this I prefer walking, which can be a very important part of building the aerobic system. It also incorporates additional very slow moving aerobic muscle fibers not usually trained when running slow. I even had Mark Allen walk during certain phases of training for the Ironman races.
Incorporating walking into your schedule is easy. For example, you can perform a long walk as part of a warm up, then slowly increase your pace to run at MAHR, finally slowing down to finish with another long-walk cool down. Depending on the event you’re training for, your level of fitness and time, you might make this a long weekend workout with a two-hour warm up walk (getting faster as your go), then a two-hour run followed by a two-hour cool down (getting slower at the end). Add or subtract time based on your particular needs.
For most runners, I don’t believe it’s necessary to cover the race distance, or even the estimated time of the race, during training. The body is quite capable, physiologically, of covering much more distance (and time) than it does during normal training.
Will: I've been reading some of my fellow bloggers who are using the 180 Formula in training, but are racing marathon distances (or less) at a much higher heart rate, in some cases 20 or more bpm higher than their MAHR. They seem to be getting positive results. Should one expect to have a higher "racing" heart rate than "training" heart rate at marathon distances or shorter? What about for longer distances, such as a 50 or a 100 mile runs?
Dr. Phil: When you’re in races of marathon distance and less, you normally run harder than a training run – it’s an anaerobic event. So your heart rate should be much higher in this type of race than a training run. The longer the race, the less difference between the training and racing heart rate. In events of 50 or 100 miles, this may not be the case as your race pace may be similar to your training pace.
Will: One of the biggest challenges in a 50 or 100 mile race vs. the marathon is the need to consume calories throughout the entire event to sustain energy. This is often difficult because the stomach doesn't always cooperate. What advice can you give to athletes regarding nutritional needs in races lasting up to 24 hours?
Dr. Phil: my advice is generally the same for any endurance athlete needing to consume calories during a race: find out what works for you. This involves experimenting during training (not racing). I can make some basic suggestions. The first is water – you’ll usually finish the race dehydrated, so drinking small amounts of water throughout the race, and often, is important.
Carbohydrate liquids can provide both nutrient (carbs) and water. These carbs actually help maintain our fat-burning process. I prefer monosaccharide carb liquids because they don’t require digestion (which uses energy), so there’s no stomach bloating or gas from undigested carbs, and you can absorb the sugar much easier. These liquids include fruit juice (I don’t recommend citrus) diluted with water, and honey diluted with water. Vegetable juices work well too, but I’ve known only a few athletes who used them. (I also like adding sodium chloride to this type of drink.)
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Solid carbohydrate foods are important too, but use those that are easy to digest. The best are ripe fruits. While they are in a monosaccharide form and don’t need digestion to get the sugar available for energy, they do need to be well chewed.
I don’t recommend grains (flour products like breads), potatoes and most sports drinks because they contain carbohydrates bound together that must be digested before they can be absorbed. For example, white sugar (sucrose), maltose sugar products (including maple sugar products) and other commonly used carb sources contain two sugars bound together that require digestion. Grains and potatoes are made up of three sugars bound together (called starch) that require even more digestion. Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth and most athletes don’t chew sufficiently for this phase of digestion (especially liquids). During a race (and even training) digestion is normally very inefficient, so give your gut something easy to deal with. Creating digestive stress commonly causes intestinal upset – gas, bloating, and even diarrhea. And, you may not get the full load of nutrients from your foods.
But there’s another issue just as important. The whole idea behind building the aerobic system is to burn more body fat for energy. You’ll also burn more fat during a race, providing a significant amount of your energy needs. This makes the supplemental nutrition part – eating during a race – a lot easier because you won’t need as much. Supplemental carbohydrates are important during and immediately after racing, and very long training sessions, but not before you train and race.
Will: Your book Training for Endurance discusses the "chemical injury" which describes the impact stress can have on athletes. For those of us who work full time, have a family, and try to squeeze in training and racing, how critical is stress if we are also seeking to improve our performance?
Dr. Phil: In the truest definition, stress may be our biggest problem in sports; it’s usually the factor that limits an athlete’s potential. So the more you can moderate stress, the better you’ll train and perform, and the healthier you will be. Stress can be physical (e.g., bad running shoes), chemical (e.g., poor diet) and mental/emotional. Pick each category and do a self-assessment: many stresses can be eliminated by making simple changes, which then allows the body to better deal with those you can’t change.
Those who combine busy lives and try squeezing in training and racing can induce significant stress if not careful. This is another reason why staying strictly aerobic during all training is a good recommendation for most athletes. In addition, reduced training volume can sometimes reduce stress so much that you end up healthier and racing better. Continual and honest self-assessment is the best place to start.
Will: Are there any methods that you can recommend to athletes that can help them deal with stress?
Dr. Phil: In addition to eliminating the unnecessary stress from your life, improving brain function not only allows the body to better adapt to stress, but it can help training and racing. I’ve incorporated many types of biofeedback during my career, including EEG (electroencephalograph), which measures brain waves. The brain’s alpha waves in particular can dramatically reduce stress hormones allowing the body to recover and adapt better. Listening to music can significantly increase alpha waves.
My approach has always been to teach athletes how to do things on their own, and regarding this question, I developed a way to do a form of biofeedback that helps reduce stress easily and without equipment. I call it Respiratory Biofeedback, and on my website there’s a short article called The 5-Minute Power Break which describes this very simple technique. In a 5-minute session you perform on your own, a lot of great brain function can be established which will help reduce the harmful effects of stress.
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Will: I've noticed on your website that you are very passionate about music. What are some of your favorite types of music? Who are some of your favorite artists?
Dr. Phil: About six years ago, I woke up and realized I needed to learn music because I had so many original songs in my head that had to come out. So I dropped everything and became a songwriter. Along the way I realized the music I was writing (like other music) had profound effects on the brain. Today, I include music performances in many of my lectures, play out regularly and have just recorded my second album (with more than 200 songs written). I first learned about music therapy in the mid-1970s, but being a part of the process as a songwriter has been quite fascinating.
I like almost all music, and I write what would be called folk-rock, although I’ve written a lot of rock, country and other styles.
In recent years, traveling with the Red Hot Chili Peppers as their doctor allowed me to learn a lot of music theory, and meet a lot of great musicians, many of whom I’ve listen to for years. With my songwriting, I work with producer Rick Rubin, and spending time in LA has brought me to many studios to see other music greats. I also worked with Johnny Cash in Nashville, which was a profound experience.
My favorite artists are many, starting with the Beatles and Bob Dylan. Others include Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Mozart, James Taylor and many others. Also, discovering great but little-known singer-songwriters is a continually wonderful experience.
Will: What inspires you?
Dr. Phil: Things that get me excited. These include music (listening, writing and playing for others), learning (I still read the medical/scientific journals regularly), continually building my health and fitness, lecturing and teaching, and love.
Will: Thank you for the great interview and I look forward to reading more of your articles and books!
Dr. Phil: Thank you, Will. Keep up the good work. Almost all my articles, along with a number of book excerpts, are posted on my website (for free). And, of course, my music is there too.
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