Author: Marius

quite flat all through), tartan track and summer atmosphere. So I am looking forward to spending some time there 🙂 It is a place where you can put in the mileage needed without feeling the stress is brings with it. You train, walk around the small town, relax, have dinner and do some more training before the late evening comes. Together with plenty of other athletes, runningcamps and elites, that are there. Always people to run with, always plenty of time to relax. What you need in the middle of the summer to build some of the endurance back into your system.

I will probably take a short trip back to my hometown Sandefjord this weekend. To say hi to some people there before the real buildup for the Olympics starts. Plus get a chance to do some small testing in the training routes I have run in since I was a small boy. The easy stuff goes slower and slower year by year but luckily the fast stuff goes faster and faster.

In the meantime some easy runs here in Oslo. I did some extremely hard sprintwork yesterday and it could certainly be felt in the whole system. But from making me dead-flat-tired yesterday I am now back again to almost normal after a night of rest. Which shows me (once again) that recovery is more than fast enough – just like it should be 🙂

From Oslo,

Marius

St. Mortiz, Switzerland mid July for a two weeks stay there. It has been a while since I stayed long at altitude now (only a short one of May) so I am looking forward to triggering the aerobic system again.

After Rome I took two days totally off training. It felt right as I had pushed my limits very hard down there – with a fast start and hot conditions (great test before Athens) It has been long since I last did this, but it was refreshing. Then, yesterday I was hammering intervalls on the treadmill again, testing the lower end aerobic system as a start to the testing protocol. Today I went through a series of speed tests before resting with a two easy runs tomorrow.

My goal is to be the best prepared athlete on the 5000 meters start in Athens. Maybe not the fastest, maybe not the strongest, but at least the best prepared one. By monitoring my system from all views and angles at this time I can go into the preparation phase knowing what to focus on and what to just keep the same. And hopefully be at the start of Athens knowing I did absolutely all I could until then.

From Oslo,

Marius

there as best I could 🙂

The feeling was fine throughout the race. It was a fast opening pace, and even with a 29/60 first 200/400 I was way back in the field. Ideally it should have been a bit slower to get the system going a bit more gradual but with 28 fast runners on the startline you just had to go with it. From there on I tried to get a good rythm with some backs to stick to. First Mark Carroll, then Cragg of Ireland but they died off before the 3000 meters. At the 3000 I got into a vacuum and from there on I pretty much had to catch in on African runners and had no group to run with. So it was just to push on as much as you had lap by lap.

Three good races in a row feels good. I will need this stability in an Olympic year.

All well 🙂

Marius

those sessions most runners like to do every week or so, most of the year. I wished I could do so also, but my priority is to do the smart things to race fast, not feel great in practice 🙂

My plan for the Rome meeting ? To show stability. I have two races in a row now that have been very satisfying and with one more I will have proven that I am back to where I used it be.

The athletes will stay in the middle of Rome at one of the really old hotels (the Ritz). Great atmosphere and with several nice parks to run in. So I will do some longer, easy runs there before the race.

For the Norwegian viewers, the race will be broadcasted on NRK2 and the 5000 meter starts at 22.45 Norwegian time.

From Oslo, looking forward to Rome 🙂

Marius
PS : I found some pictures from the Bislett Games and added them to the link below.

(individual) anaerobic threshold at that current time.

The test is one of many I have developed over the years, most of them during my training together with former coach Frank who is still a good friend of mine. We got to the point where we had tests for almost any “system” needed in a 5000 meter race, at different times a year. I always try to develop those tests, but the work we did back then is so precise that it is still the real fundament for most of them.

I am feeling fine building up for Rome. Trying to fit in the work needed to perform again, everything closely monitored. This looks like an incredible year in the 5000 so no time to rest ; fantastic 5000 in the Kenyan trials, 13.14 at altitude for the winner – last years world champion. In addition to the World Record this year by Bekele and the probable start of El Guerrouj at Olympics we are looking at probably the best year ever in the 5k 🙂

All well,
Marius

Salvatore ITA
MACCAGNAN Mattia ITA
KIPCHOGE Eliud KEN 12.52 pr
LIMO Richard KEN 12.55 pr
LOMBARD Cathal IRL
CHEBII Abraham KEN 12.52 pr
KIBOWEN John KEN 12.54 pr
LIMO Benjamin KEN 12.55 pr
KIPKOSGEI Luke KEN 12.55 pr
KIPROP Boniface UGA 13.00 pr
GEBREMARIAM Gebre-egziabher ETH 26.40/10k
GENETI Markos ETH
BERHANU Dejene ETH 13.03 pr
BROE Tim USA
TADESSE Zersenay ERI
FITSCHEN Jan GER
BELZ Christian SUI
ABDULLAH Ahmad QAT
ZWEDIE Maregu ETH
GOUMRI Abderahim MAR 13.00 pr
BAKKEN Marius NOR
BELLANI Hicham MAR
KHAMATI Charles KEN World 10k Champ
KEINO Martin KEN
KIPLAT David KEN

I am looking forwad to such a race on one of my favourite tracks. On this I have one Norwegian record, 13.11 plus a 13.13 race. Very fast stadium, always good conditions and fast front pace.

Everything is ok. I have recovered well from the 3000 meter this weekend and all is focused towards Rome now..

From Oslo,

Marius

the aerobic system. That will be added nicely to the race this weekend.

Time for some rest after the Istanbul travel now..

Marius

the homestraıght. He barely made ıt past me after I responded wıth 70 meters to go for a 0.6 sec wın ın 7.46.5. Good to see that you manage to fıght ıt off wıth such a hıgh calıber 1500 and 3000 runner. The other athletes, wıth good personal bests dıd not manage the change of pace and fell behınd. Garcıa at 7.52, Weıdlınger 7.55 and Beltz 8.05ç

Tomorrow an easy run ın Istanbul cıty 🙂

Marıus

7.39 pr, Christian Beltz fastest European last year with 13.12, Roberto Garcia 7.39 pr, Gunther Weidlinger 7.44 and 13.17 this year plus Balasz Csillag 13.25 pr. For the European Cup on the level behind the Super League this is a very, very strong lineup. Last year a 7.55 won it in our group, but he would have been without any chance whatsoever this year.

So I am really looking forward to the challenge 🙂 It will be the perfect buildup for the Golden League in Rome in only two weeks time.

All is well here in Istanbul. I did an aerobic workout this morning, feeling fine. Nice and hot weather, the way I like it. Wish me look luck 🙂

From Istanbul,

Marius

Cup in Istanbul. It will be a very strong field there, probably even stronger than in the Superleague as we have nations such as Spain,Portugal and Austria in our group that all have very strong distancerunners.

Easy running tomorrow. I am enjoying the days now, a great boost with the Olympic Qualifier. Now I am done with that, instead of “chasing” the standard throughout the summer. From now on I can focus on what is important – peaking for the Olympics 🙂

All well in Oslo,

Marius