Becoming the best distance runner

http://friendfit.com/fitblog.php?u=10290

Hi guys, making another post here. I'll tell you about why it's imperative that I become the best runner out there. I joined this site as a means of getting more support out there, because it feels like I'm working this hard and winning and nobody gives a shit.

During my high school years, within the sport of cross country (distance running) I wasn't that great of a runner, and my coach, who's white, was a closet racist. He once stated "He didn't run track because he's too busy stalking white girls". It was a pretty offensive comment that he made. He didn't have a lot of respect for black people/other minorities as well. Some of my other HS teammates we're like that to. The high school it's self wasn't even that great of a school for me to be in.

Anyways, fast forward now and I've graduated from there. I plan to get back at those people by winning tons of races, getting cash for winning and getting support from the running community. I started this training in January of 2010 and it's the end of January 2011 and I'm much faster now, a little faster than my racist competitors now. I've got until mid-2014 to train to achieve elite status and I'm already pretty far into it, only into 2011.

Anyways, my racing season starts in June and if you all live in Maryland or the Washington DC area I'd like for you all to show up just so you could see me in person, racing and winning. I'm also hoping that by the time I'm done college, I'll have a job and be able to run in an elite racing group, so maybe you all will see me on ESPN.

Running stats as of Jan 31st, 2011:
1 Mile race - 4:53.6
2 mile race - 10:26.5
5 kilometer race - 16:57
5 mile/8 kilometer race - 27:56 to 28:05
10 kilometer race - 35:13
10 mile race - 59:00
Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) - 1:18:21

By the time I'm done with college (2014), I'm hoping to be at this point:
Mile time - 3:50 (breaking the 4 minute mile)
2 mile time - 8:10.8
5 kilometer race - 13:17
5 mile/8 kilometer race - 21:53 to 22:00
10 kilometer race - 27:35
10 mile race - 46:13
Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) - 1:01:23

I'll be updating this thread with how well I'm running in the races starting in June. I hope to see some of you people there at these races if you live in this area.

My next post that I'll make talks about how awesome it is running at a specific inclination, which is what makes my training systems so effective.

 

The most important difference between treadmill running and running anywhere else is that the treadmill forces you to run a certain speed. If you get tired or change your mechanics while running over ground, it’s easy to slow down. The treadmill forces you to match its speed—if you don’t, you’ll come off the back. This is a key aspect of creating your optimal training environment: We try to find the best way to teach you to move better, so you are more powerful and more efficient with every step. Designing an optimal training environment helps improve your conditioning for the demands of your sport, and there are several keys to using our treadmills that help make the difference.

Scientific research has shown that hill running produces force in a way that is very similar to what the best sprinters do in an all-out sprint (see the graph). You’re on your toes, have better knee drive, settle your pelvis in a more stable and effective position, move your arms more powerfully and generate a more forceful push-off. These are the movement patterns of the best sprinters, what speed coaches are constantly trying to teach. Research also indicates that hill running recruits key muscle groups at two to three times the level attained while running at the same stride frequency on a level grade (see the red, firing muscles in the skeletons). Again, this teaches the body to send stronger, more precise signals to your muscles.

Reasons for performing study: Capillary stress failure-induced (exercise-induced) pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) during intense running in horses is thought to involve both intravascular (i.e. mean pulmonary arterial pressure [Ppa] >100 mmHg) and extravascular (e.g. negative inspiratory pressure swings) mechanisms.

Hypothesis: That inclined running would reduce breathing frequency (coupled to stride frequency) and increase tidal volume thus increasing lung volume changes and intrapleural pressure swings resulting in more pronounced EIPH.

Physiologically speaking, hill running...

1) Increases your aerobic capacity that enables you to use less oxygen at increasingly longer distances.

2) Improves your running economy that enables you to use less oxygen to run at a faster pace.

3) Increases your stamina that enables you to run farther at a given pace.

4) Builds strength in your gluteals (buttock), quadriceps (front of thigh), gastrocnemius (upper calf), and soleus (lower calf) muscles.

Biomechanically speaking, hill running...

1) Improves/increases your stride length and your stride frequency.

2) The reactivity rate increases in your ankle flexion which enables you to "pop" off the ground more quickly, so that you can spend less time on the ground and more time in the air.

3) Teaches you how to run relaxed.

Ever wonder what makes the Kenyans such great runners? In a word...hills! However, a lot can be learned from their hill training methods.

Hill running will give you stronger legs and build your endurance and speed.

Too many citations to post on here for where I researched this data.

 

Closest thing I had to racism was a white substitute soccer coach, asking me if I could 'run like a deer,' while I was warming up with splits. Guess he figured because I was tall, black and lanky (when I weighed 200lbs anyway), I could burn.



other than that, i never had any overt racism from sports leadership, so I could imagine that sucked for u. Anyway good luck with your goals. That's what keeps me motivated.

 

Oh yeah and by the way, he didn't say that in front of me. Someone else told me that he made those remarks. Anyways, it's nice meeting you buddy. It's great to know this is a comfortable place to air out my opinions and grievances.

On another note, I'm going to beat their asses down this Summer! I can't wait for it!

 

i really miss scholastic sports

i keep thinking of going back into martial arts, just for the high level, man to man competition

:smt074

schedule is pretty sealed off tho...enjoy it while you're still young

 

I wish you best of success. What does your training consist of and what does your diet look like?

Keep us posted, I'll join you with the updates.

 

My diet basically consists of normal food, although I never eat any junk food, candy or sodas.

I train 7 days a week, every single day consistently, unless there's some unforseen reason of why I can't get to a training facility to run. The only official day that I take off from running is on Christmas. So since there's 365 days in a year, I get about 360-362 out of the 365 days running on average.

 

I completely cut soda from my diet. Can't stand the stuff now.

You remind me of one of my old roommate tho. This guy would go running at the crack of dawn, before classes. He used to do 26 miles in about 3 and a half hours. He still runs til this day too. Seen him in the news at a marathon.

 

That's cool to hear man. Anyhow, in my area I've missed only one day so far (January 27th) because of the snowstorm in the area and roads with ice on it. I commend your roommate's effort to run a marathon, regardless of how fast it was. I'll be attempting my first marathon in 2013, which is a ways away. I'll also have to meet with some sports doctors before then so they can guarantee that I make it through the whole race safely while maintaining a high running speed.

 

he was an adamant cross country runner in high school, and continued to do it in college. He was a solid motivator also. I remember him being pissed off at me, for telling him that I would never be able to run as much as he did. He gave me a 'boot in the ass' and said that if I tried, I would get there eventually.

He also made some kick ass brownies...

man i miss living on campus

 

No disrespect but you told me a whole lot of nothing. I was hoping you would go into detail or are you just spontateous with it and have no set plans?

 

The entire system is on my Facebook. I'll post a link to it here, but if you still can't see it, just add me as a facebook friend.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=750322221

Tell me if you can see what's there. If it's not, just add me as a friend, I'll add you by tonight and you'll see everything by tomorrow morning. You have to click the Notes section on Facebook. I've got about 20 notes on there, all of them dedicated to running.

For instance, you'll be able to see all of the 2010 races I ran with all of the stats listed plus a self-evaluation of how I did. For instance, here's this one.

<h1>Kensington 8k: September 25th, 2010</h1>

Race Position = 18th/535 runners
Race Time = 32:33 w/ 18:50 5k split
Race Percentile = Top 3.3%
Results Website = http://www.youstartifinish.com/100925 Results - Kensington 8K Overall.htm

http://www.youstartifinish.com/100925 Results - Kensington 8K Age Group.htm

http://results.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?rsID=99938&orgID=234639&pu bID=2

Age Group Position = 1st place
Age Group Win/Loss: 5 wins, 2 losses (71.4% wins, 28.6% losses)

Kensington Town Hall
3710 Mitchell Street
Kensington, Maryland

<img src="http://kensington8k.org/photos/about_photoc.jpg">

 

I don't have a Facebook but thanks for the info.

 

No problem. One thing that I do need to focus on is to get a slight increase in the amount of miles I'm running per week. Eventually I'm looking forward to running around 60 miles per week which averages to about 8.6 miles per day. As my pace per mile goes down, it would make logical sense for my average daily mileage to increase since the average time I'd be running would stay in the same range or increase. Anyways, be patient, June will be here before you know it and things will really get fired up.

 

hi

nice to see it.. it's a good thing to post :weedman:

 

Correction to my earlier post, the first race I'm running on 2011 is on Sunday, April 3rd. It's a 10 mile road race and I anticipate that I'd complete the course in 57 minutes.

Here's the links:

http://annapolisstriders.org/
http://annapolisstriders.org/cp10mileapp2011

Also by the way, I've kind of changed my mind on what I was saying about being on ESPN, I don't have to be an olympic-caliber runner, just a winner within the Washington DC area running community.

 

Just pulled a 45:39 8K yesterday for St. Pat's. Not my best time, but I'm slowly getting back into shape.

 

Good work, anyways. From the signals my brain/body has given in response to me running, I've had to take a few days off. Running at a 5:51 mile pace on the treadmill is sustainable for me, but it takes quite a lot out of me to carry that out for 40 minutes consistently. My goal is to run like that for 60 minutes consistently, then I would up the speed by +0.1 MPH. Then, on a treadmill, I would be going 9.3 MPH at a 2.5% incline, which is equivalent to a 5:48 mile pace. However, I could run at a faster pace per mile than that for distances as low as the Mile to the 10-kilometer distance.

If you need any help with your running or you run into an obstacle, just type in a message here and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

 

Hi Mike if I am trying to improve my running for endurance what type of routine do you recommend?

Right now I can go for about 8kms without stopping (about 5 miles using a mixed hill/flat program on a treadmill or outside on fairly easy terrain) but would like to be able to do 10kms (somewhere just over 6 miles). I'm no athlete and not planning to be but I love the chill out and challenge of running.

 

Lower the speed on the treadmill a bit while varying the incline. If your inclines are around 5% or so, set your maximum incline to 4% with a lower speed so you could cover more distance on the treadmill.