Author: Marius

aerobic sessions yesterday in early evening weather when it was at the hottest. I was feeling strong but could of course feel the heat.

I keep following the selection process for other nations in the 5000 meters at the moment. It looks as if it will be by far the strongest field ever – especially if El Guerrouj runs. You will have some of the worlds fastest and strongest runners – with experiences from the marathon down to the 1500 meters. Making it unpredictable – other than the fact that it will all be very, very fast 🙂

On Sunday I will travel down to Lesvos, an island outside of Greece to do get (more) used to the heat. Then I will stay there as long as possible before entering the Olympic village. In 2000 I travelled 4 or 5 days before to Sydney (from the precamp) and that was too early. Now I have more experience and know exactly how to avoid those mistakes done down there.

Time for another run in the heat!

Marius

in some faster laps in the 15.

The field took off at fine steady pace, hitting the 400 in 59. One of the younger and quite talented athletes had the lead helping the field getting stretched out. After about 450 I took over the stayed in front for the remaining of the race. With about 250 to go I slowly pulled away from the last runner that had managed to stick with me. I got 3.41 and the next runner finished in a nice 3.44 – almost getting a pr. It is good to see that the other runners are challenging you like this – it is the way you have to go to get one step further.

I was feeling fresh, strong and comfortable throughout the race. Since Rome the 2nd of July I have run one single track session of intervalls (this last Monday). With all the mileage in there I was hoping to run around 3.40 to 3.42 in such a morning race. This provided me with good information that I am ready to taper for real now before Athens 🙂

Back in Oslo again,

Marius

Athens.

It is hard to run those kinds of sessions this close to an altitude stay. You have a down period, about either way how you do it. So you have to stay focused all through the session.

Rest and massage today with just some easy jogging 🙂 Just getting ready for the Norwegian Championships this weekend..

All well!

Marius

to recently.

I was suppose to run a track session yesterday of longer track intervalls but changed it last minute. I was already in a good climb on the endurance side and did not want to break this pattern. Which was hard as I really like those hard track workouts. But you have to do what is best for you – be smart, and be clearheaded. The gut feeling is good but when in doubt it is always better to go by prior experience and measurements. So I did a job looking back on my notes from previous years of training (I always travel with the last seven years of detailed training diary) and found some good references back to similar situations there.

I combined the endurance session with an evening sprint workout. Which was great in the nice weather. Just resting during the long recoveries on the track.

Today was another easy runs that I did with a couple of American marathoners that I have done the easy runs with recently. 2.12 and 2.18 guys one of them going to Athens for the US, the other one a crazy American living in Bangkok and training in China most of the year. Two nice guys with super work attitude. I like that type of runners. That do not hesitate but love the hard work you have to put in to be your best. Without that kind of mental strength you will have a hard time succeeding in distance running..

Tuning back to Norway very soon,

Marius

from day one until the day of return.

From tomorrow it is only four weeks until I run the Olympic prelims, the 25th of August. Before that I will travel down to precamp on one of the Greece islands for an acclimatization period. It is important to get away and into such an environment before such a great thing as the Olympics. The setting makes you mentally prepared for what is ahead – in a totally different way than staying at home. But I will travel into the Olympic city as short of time as possible before (a couple of days) to prevent the stress there. No need to spend too much time in that chaos :)) The precamp will be arranged by the federation and is seems like the chief Toemmernes is doing a good job preparing it to fit the athletes perfect. Those small things matter for an event that is held only each fourth year.

Before that I will run the Norwegian championships in Floroe a bit over a week after arrival back home again. I am entered in both 15 and 5000 but will decide which one to race just shortly before. I am looking forward to racing in Floroe, it is one of my favourite place to race. Quite fast track – almost like the old Bislett stadion, (something that can be quite rare around here as we for some strange reason have no fast Mondo tracks in Norway) so very nice to run on. A good place to get some racing before travelling down there.

All well !

Marius

the town. A group of Ethiopians and more Kenyans. Plus we have the Swiss athletic schools. I feel a bit bad for some of them, because every second day they are on the track “hammering” intervalls. This at altitude at a very young while probably already doing more work than they are used it.. not much time to rest or build endurance to say the least.

I have now got a hold of an “elite pass” for the St Moritz area, which includes free entries for most things around. Including the bus that travels around the small town. Which is no small benefit – it is pure relief not having the walk/climb up to the St Moritz Dorf every day from St Moritz Baad where we live. The town itself is located about 70 meters higher in altitude – plenty enough to tire up tired legs 🙂 But I like going up there daily – it is the perfect little Alp town and a great place to relax, sit and read between trainings 🙂

From St Moritz,
Marius

Jori Jansen (about 1.45 800) a group of Kenyans, the Polish Olympic steeple team plus Norways Stine Larsen (2.27 marathon). In addition to that many other marathoners getting ready for the Games. Quite inspiring with so many great ones in such a very small and intimate place at the same time.

Todays hard sessions went fine. Though it turned out longer than planned as I got a couple of misses during it (probably due to altitude) and I always re-run those intervalls to ensure that the session turn out exactly like planned. So it is good to stay disciplined. Today my “lack” of that added about 6 km of hard work 🙂

Time for some rest now,

Marius

atmosphere is great.

I live just by the StMoritz Baad, about 100 meters from the running track and 20 meters from the endless paths surrounding this small town.

The weekends up here is especially quiet and nice. As you go on runs you meet families going on bike rides, horseriding groups, campers, people sunbathing, barbequeing all around you. Just the perfect holiday atmosphere while at altitude 🙂 For a runner used to travelling to Eldoret (not a very good “family holiday location” :)) ) this place is a nice change.

Tomorrow is a hard session up here. I do not need much of an acclimatization really, 1800 meters is no real altitude after so many days up high (though plenty high enough to give you a lift in fitness). So I can go pretty hard already tomorrow. Up here I have one single aim : to build as much endurance as possible in as little as possible time. Thats it and I know how to do it – it is only a matter of focus. My spikes are with me but will only be used if they can help me achieve that one single aim.

All well from Switzerland,

Marius

to competitions the lower you can go and still have a good effect. My system is so fine tuned at the moment that I only need some small adjustments/adaptions so keep on going. The altitude stay down there will be aimed at exactly that 🙂

On with the packing !

Marius

or explosive elements this kind of adaption is no problem. But when you go mile after mile on almost the same speed around your anaerobic threshold just to build the optimal muscle chemistry you need to find some kind of variation on this. It is actually quite easy and gives you a great effect. Like last week all of those runs were outside on cinder, this week they are done on treadmill, next two weeks in altitude, next one on cinder, the one after that on treadmill again. Just minor changes but each time you sense a stabilization in effort, speed and lactate you push things by changing some of the outside factors. Training is a matter of adaption, change of rythms, stretching the body further – and you should never get too far away from this element or you will level off at some point or another.

In the winter alot of these things will be changed/adapted through the intervall length etc but now in the summer I like to keep a similar pattern (not much so periodization, only micro cycles) throughout to keep in total control of the endurance element.

This will be combined with a bit of sprint work on Thursday, just to freshen up abit. Then, a few days later off to St Moritz for altitude 🙂 Time to do the last preparation before the Olympics. I cannot wait to get there, to push the body allthrough in one of the nicest running places around 🙂

All going well,

Marius