"The Quest for 2:45"

June 14, 2004 with Bobby McGee
www.BobbyMcGee.com

A beautiful & very telling pic. Firstly you look great. Try to get the right forearm parallel with the right thigh. Try get the left forearm parallel with the left thigh, i.e. bend the arms more. Move the torso over towards the green image. Move the headline forward & drop the sight line considerably.

Gordo Technical Points

• Elbows drive back, g had been thinking forward
• Relax the shoulders rather than holding stiff
• Arms move in harmony, g had been moving independently
• Increase body lean -- stance line should be more "trailing thigh-hip-shoulder" -- g curving back at the waist, need to drive more forward rather than up -- previously was sitting in, now just curving back, pelvis must remain neutral
• Seek to lift cadence
• G balance is poor in terms of lower leg support -- more propriceptive work required -- this could sort balance out
• G quads/hammies need to release more to increase economy at goal IM pace -- important one that can easily be addressed
• G head pulls right, as does shoulder/elbow on that side -- better than last year but needs to be more neutral, focusing more forward, channel energy directly forward, don't radiate all around.
• The Three Keys -- Lean, Push, Cadence -- back to Big Toe point from last season

Lifting LT Pace From Above

• Concern is always determining a safe "fast" pace to pull LT pace up
• Safe method is to use tempo/steady/LT volume to push LT pace up -- but that's not as effective as a pull strategy and g's AeT/LT pace ratio is pretty tight
• Bobby Test -- 1600/1600/1600/400 -- 1600s are done best average effort, 40s RI after #1 & #2, 30s RI after #3 then max effort 400 -- take half the time of the 400, add to summation of 1600s and you have "max safe pace" for LT+ work.
• Sample session -- 5x1000 at MSP -- only about 30s RI -- then 12-16 mins active recovery -- then 5x800 at MSP RI designed to hold pace.
• Race week session for short course -- 5x1000 at MSP on 3 min RI -- one for IMC and the Baron
• Bobby likes these session done fresh (I explained the challenges with IM bike and swim volume)

For some reason this small pic is just about perfect! Perhaps you are starting out & creating momentum in order to overcome stationary inertia, something you should try to do all the time.

Run Specific Strength

• Get 4x mtn bike tubes to attach to a fence and use for warm-up -- hip harness
• Get old car tire and 20ft of cord -- tie cord to tire, make harness -- 8x100m drags 3x per week, cadence, body lean, drive forward

Nutrition & Sups

• Noticed my cracked lip and asked about my nutrition (very good, lip due to fatigue -- it happens...)
• Suggested that I take a little extra E at altitude
• Also review the literature on free form L-Aginine as well as CoQ10
• Glycerine can help a bit with the "burnt" lungs that I've been getting

Other

• Be careful on Mags, you can blow your season drag racing up there -- he was happy to hear that I had experience up there last season and didn't kill myself (new run partner this year though)
• Six muscle activation exercises -- scapula, tva, quad, glute, hammie, soleus
• Noted that science has a tough time advising guys like me because elite IMers are a small sample set and, therefore, difficult to research. As well, athletes that have managed to go under 2:50 are pretty unique -- Bobby thought that required an awful lot of "speed", I didn't see it quite like that (don't like to attempt things that require a lot of speed!) but said that it does require a very specific type of fitness. I pointed out that's why I'm coached by Molina and training with Coach Theman (Dave). Bobby also recommended Mark Allen as a guy that would have some insights into what it takes to run fast off the bike.
• We chatted a bit about overall training principles for triathlon -- a neat statement -- when an Oly distance triathlete is trained to crank for a 80K TT, then she's ready to work with me. If she's only trained for a 40K TT then there's not much that I can do. Optimize appropriate pace across race duration -- not three individual legs.

Notice how much you ride over your center line. Clearly see the arms compensating by the left arm playing outrigger & the right coming in almost as if you want to turn left. Notice the torsion in groin/hip area of the pelvis trying to accommodate the over stride & the swing phase leg (R in this case) causing the pelvis to sag down on the right side (see how much lower your right knee is?). Eyes are also aimed a little high in this pic. In all pics the elbows can be bent a little more. Hands good. Facial relaxation Fine. Wrists good too, can be bent in a smidge more. Can clearly see you pole vaulting on that left leg & decellerating & losing momentum from the overstride.

+++++

Bobby's Notes

• Cadence too slow (80) on jog pace. Work on speeding things up.
• Too upright. Be conscious of leaning forward
• Right arm further from body than left (left is correct)
• Turn head to right
• Center of Gravity too high
• Need work on balance
• Tend to right when running blind
• Need dramatic quad flexibility increase (as shown when fatigued)
• Emphasize rearward arm swing (use forward as counter balance only)
• Think of running (& stride length) as found behind you
• Focus eyes closer to you/lower
• Keep arms closer to body
• Check out core specifics with Jen Kerr (303 247 0687)
• CoQ10 & L-Arginine
• Swap out books
• Set up harness & tire system
• Key thoughts: Lean forward, elbows backward & extend ankles or push away with feet
• Think of power coming from inner thighs, big toe & ball of foot

5km Pace/Effort Determination Test. This test, the 5km P/E DT indicates your current 5km ability. Training to improve your 5km ability improves your 10km ability—which correlates directly with your ability all the way up to the marathon. The training pace is slightly faster than the pace determined in this test. This provides the pace for specific endurance track repetitions (muscle endurance) where short recovery periods between repetitions are used.

Approximately 5%-8 % of advanced training should take place in your “redline” zone (i.e. approaching maximum). If sessions designed for this purpose do not elicit these maximum HR values, insufficient recovery has taken place since the last hard session. This test is to determine the pace and HR effort of such sessions. These sessions improve your basic fast racing speed and your ability to finish fast.

5km Pace/Effort running can take the form of either fartlek, hill repeats or track work. In repetition work where the recovery is short as is the case here, the maximum training effect takes place during the short recovery period. During training of this nature the body learns to adapt to the numerous stresses of high intensity work—like the massive increases in blood lactate. The body rapidly adapts in these tough training conditions, allowing you to race at higher intensities for longer periods of time. For most runners this is under distance training, i.e. it is training at a pace faster than you would typically race at, for an event that is typically shorter than your racing distance—the 5km. It is high intensity training and occurs above the “Anaerobic Threshold” producing levels of lactate that initially inhibit performance and then as the athlete adapts to this training, it ultimately aids performance immensely.

Test requirements

• Stop watch
• 400m track
• Heart rate monitor
• Time for each repeat
• Start and end pulse rate for each repeat (optional).
• Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) displayed in the session and at which point it occurred (PPO) (Also optional)

In this pic you can clearly see that you are a little too upright. At least the front part of your head should be touching the angled line. Notice how far ahead of your CG your heel is going to land (pole vault again). In mid foot support phase (when your leg is directly under you) that heel should be against your butt or very close to it), that's not going to happen. As I explained today, that's why you are putting that heel down ahead. More quad suppleness, a little specific & functional hammie work & a consciously quicker cadence, shorter stride & 2:45 is a distance memory on the way to the 30's. Notice the back a little arched & tight & the head a little back. See a general, but very subtle something "wrong" with the upper body--almost as if you are fighting it. On still analysis things are so magnified--I know you wont freak out, but will rather be so surprized at how much can be done with only subtle small changes. Some upper body activation, relaxation & increased postural awareness & some drills to get the core firing & strong & lastly to improve balance will make a huge & pleasing difference at perception of effort, straight up reduced O2 consumption & reduced support structure fatigue.

Run three 1,600m (4 laps around a standard 400m track) repetitions at best effort. Allow 40 seconds of recovery between each 1,600m. After the last 1,600m, recover for 30 seconds and then run or walk 400m as fast as possible. Again be sure that you are rested and climatic conditions are suited to the demands of the test. Do what it takes to be able to validly repeat the test in the future. Again you are cautioned to begin this test conservatively. Base your effort/pace on what you perceive your current 5km shape to be. Use the Race Time Prediction Chart in the index and your 5-mile/8 km test to determine a feasible pace.

The 5,000m-prediction factor from the 5KM E/P DT is calculated as follows:

Divide the last 400m-time by 2; add this to the accumulative time of the three 1,600’s. This becomes your predicted current 5000m ability.

Example:

If 1,600 # 1 = 4:45

and 1,600 # 2 = 4:51

and 1,600 # 3 = 4:48

14:24

and 400 = 72 ÷ 2 :36

Predicted 5000m-ability: 15:00

From this we can prescribe logical track sessions for 5,000m/5km-track work. Simply subtract 2 to 4 seconds off the current 400m pace, (as this is what you can already achieve), and train at the new pace (which constitutes progressive overload), until a retest reveals that a new (normally faster) pace is required. For example: If 5 km current ability is 15:00, then track repeat work for 5,000m should be at 68-70 sec per 400m, or 2:50 – 2:55 per 1,000m. Any harder will lead to incomplete sets, breakdown and possible injury.

How to use the test data
It is important to know that this type of training is relatively high-risk in terms of injuries and exhaustion related problems like: chronic fatigue, overly stressed immune system and subsequent illness like flu and colds. This training can also cause emotional “bruising” and fear of training. That is why it should be carefully applied at relevant paces (hence the essential nature of this test) and in limited quantities. It is the final “arrow” to complete the advanced runner’s racing quiver. An excess of this kind of training causes runners to leave their respective sports more than any other. We suggest de-emphasizing the importance of always “hammering” these sessions and secondly ensuring that you are mentally and physically fresh when you do these sessions. If you cannot hit these high levels of speed, you are either not sufficiently recovered from previous training or are not yet conditioned enough, physically or mentally to manage them. This type of training is NOT recommended for junior runners under the age of 17 for girls or 18 for boys.

Soooooooo much better than last time. Wonderful. To nit pick, look what's happening with your R foot twisting out a little--notice the tension? Why? I think it's because the wrists are cupped (the wrists being connected to the ankles, remember?) So why are the wrists cupped & carrying tension? I believe it's still because you are not releasing the shoulder back some & staying too square to the line of travel. In order to accommodate the knee lift you need more counter balancing- release backwards, but this is being limited by the shoulders not releasing. All make sense? Let the shoulders travel through their natural ark (as we worked on during the session) & the tension will leave the arms, the tibia release more neutrally, you'll carry less tension, stride efficiency will increase & 2:44.59 will come a knocking just a little sooner!

The results from the 5km E/P DT can likely produce heart rates exceeding those of AT+. This type of training should then be any training done above the upper limit of the AT+ Heart Rate Zones.

The 5KM E/P DT should also provide an actual Maximum Heart Rate.

We can also correlate aerobic conditioning with anaerobic conditioning. If your current 5KM test indicates 15:00 for 5,000m then you should be capable of approximately 24:48 for 5 miles (8km) and 31:30 for 10km. By using the Race Time Comparison Chart in the index you can determine whether your shorter distances are better or you perform better over the longer distances. Use this information to guide you in choosing where your training emphasis needs to lie and where you are most likely to succeed in races. This exercise assists with planning race performances and with accurate prescription and interpretation of exercise and specific training sessions.