Author: Marius

degrees C when the race started, about no wind and humidity.

The plan was to go out at a pace for the Olympic Qualifier and I passed the 1000 meter in 2.37 and the 2000 in 5.15, right on pace. Then at 3000 meter I was right at 7.55, exactly the same time as when I ran 13.09 back in 2001. But I was hurting pretty badly at this point, starting to lose touch with the leading group after the started to push the pace down to a 60-61 lap. Luckily I managed to get in touch again with that group and that probably saved much of the race. With 1000 to go the pace started to drop dramatically, up to 65 seconds lap on the leaders. If I had applied to brakes on and just rested at this point I probably would have had no chance on the Norwegian record and the change in rythm could have interferred with the even pace I was in. So I decided to keep on going, around the field to push it as even as possible. It proved a wise choice, as it gave just that little energy boost I needed at that time 🙂 The crowd really helped from there on and I was very, very pleased with the 13.08.27. And it was fun to see the front of those races after falling far back and behind during the last two years..

One thing is the time itself, another thing is seeing that the work you have applied works well. I have been even more focused on the core areas I believe in this year ; aerobic/high end aerobic drilling (the exact lactate parameters on almost each session) and throughout measuring of resting plus performance parameters to ensure a constant adaption while at the same time in balance. Sometimes tricky to do when you have to plan the training yourself, but very challenging as you find it to be more and more objective as you go along… That is also the main reason why I really do not have to race myself into shape and can do this kind of a race right off training – I can trigger those things much more controlled through that kind of “objective” designed trainingwork.

I took an easy jog this morning, will rest this afternoon plus just one session tomorrow. Then back on the treadmill on Monday to get a standarized endurance session. This will give me an idea of how well I have recovered after the race – and how many days I have to wait for more track work.

Back in Oslo 🙂
Marius

will watch the Ostrava meeting this evening, with Bekele trying for the 10.000 meter WR and that will probably help a bit also 🙂 I have been in this game many years now, running international meetings/championships for the sixth year in a row so I know how to deal with the pre-race stuff. One of my strengths is that I always run as well as I am trained to. I never let pressure or outside factors tip me over in one way or another. You need to have that kind of security within yourself in order to compete at this level..

Easy treshold work tomorrow to trigger the aerobic system before the race. I have tried a variety of models for the last days before a meeting and this is part of what I have found working well time after time.

Other than that, plenty of rest and mental recovery 🙂

Marius

rest without any problem, but on some things you need somebody there to do the watching. So I got help during the track session today. I was feeling fine and hopefully it will bring give me that little extra in the legs before Friday. In addition to that we did some very easy, but clever passive plyometric (jumping) work do increase the leg spring/tension before the race. Small stuff but important at this time.

It is hard to say where I am, but at least I will give it a shot for the Olympic Qualifier.. but I will need a good race day shape plus all the peaking factors coming together at the same time. Now most of the work is done, only small adjusting factors to go 🙂

Marius

the younger Bekele who ran 7.45 in the 3000 meters just the other day. Very impressive by the someone only 17 years old..

I will travel to Bergen on Thursday. It will be a bit strange to fly over there and run the Bislett Games as I am used to driving five minutes downtown for the meeting ; in very familiar surroundings that I see daily here in Oslo. But the new stadium in Bergen is a good alternative, though, it looked great when I saw it just a few weeks agao.

Things are going fine in the buildup. If I am lucky and things go well I should have a change of getting somewhere near the 13.21 Olympic qualifying limit. It will in case be a good progression from last years 13.33. Either way, I am looking forward to a seasons debute now..

From Oslo,
Marius

the muscular system varies quite a bit during this period.

All now is focused on Bislett and I cannot wait to run there. I had originally planned to make my seasons debute at Florø but a small inflammation behind the knee makes the meeting come just a few days early. I have had it for a period now (it has been there on and off for several years) so no real news, even to the Florø organizers. It does not affect the Bergen meeting or the buildup but it would not be clever to risk making a small thing into something bigger just a few days before the Bislett Games. My manager Ståle Jan who is also the meet organizer in Florø is very clear on those things.

Hopefully I will find a good rythm on todays session. Just gliding through. With the season so close you need to find the smoothness, so that those early laps will come easy 🙂

Marius

work now, I am just waiting for it to hit in as good as possible..in the meantime I am getting physioterapy from the Top Athletics center and Klas Eliasson. Just as with running, you have to have talent plus the willingness to learn/work hard in that field also. He is, in my mind, one of the most talented plus openminded physios out there. And of course, he has also been guided by Johnny Høgseth the “prime man” in Norway on muscle tension/muscle overuse. Surprisingly few have adapted this kind of treatment – even though it is extremely effective, much, much more so than “normal” massage therapy. It is a method which not only helps you heal injuries/overuse but also helps you perform better from applying it by adjusting muscular tension. Quite unique..
He was working this weekend to take care of myself plus some of the sprinters. Just routine work, but very important.

Bislett under two weeks away. The meet organizer has put out the startlist for the races now, take a look at it at www.bislettgames.com Extremely strong field with plenty of sub 13 workclass athletes and others capable of going under also. So no time to rest in that race :)) Either way I am looking forward to it. It is time to start now after a long winter of training.

Time for an easy jog around the Sogsvann lake..

Marius

running stride as much as possible. This small stuff gives you the little extra in the stride, especially when you only use it for “supercompensation” right before important meets. You get a fast adaption and hit the platue just as you are about to compete.

I have done this alot in my earlier years and picked it up again in 2001 – together with Henrik. And had very good experiences with it. So I am sticking to that this year also.

Time for a very, very easy longer run now, to loosen up the muscles after this mornings jumps.

Marius

extra work but got pulled out of the session by him towards the end to save some power for the next hard training. This time a year it is good to have someone there to limit yourself once you are 100 % focused and in the middle of hard work 🙂 I can keep going, going and going – which is my strength and my weakness. My way of giving in is giving a bit extra (not in running “hard” anaerobic stuff, but by forcing the body into the “right” system mode again) but sometimes, when the timing is very close to competitions you have to watch yourself much more closely on that.

I can also sense some warmer weather coming over Oslo now. Which is important – it gives you the little extra edge during the trainings plus Oslo is a really nice place to be when the weather is nice. Lots of people outside – both downtown and up here by Sogsvann. The whole city goes through the transformation from a small capital to a urban center in no time 🙂

All well,
Marius

very important weeks in terms of peaking. You have to hit it right, not only on the peaking factors but also manage to keep as many as possible of the other factors the same (endurance, health etc) This juggling is what matters when it gets this close. So things are quite busy right now – trying to make things as optimal as possible..

I will soon do another track session, moving up in intervall distance. The sprint coach is back again from a training camp in France. That will be helpful as he has seen me run many times before. Plus his very positive attitude is very helpful when you have to get through those tough (but precise) training sessions. Someone to keep the athlete on his toes. Though I actually did get some good feedback on yesterdays long endurance session around the Sogsvann area ; my manager Ståle Jan suddendly appreared right there in my normal training route. Very strange, he lives a couple of hours away from Oslo but just for some reason came right there at that time. So he watched me closely as I came by and we had a discussion on it later that evening. Some people just seem to appear when you least expect it 🙂

Time for some easy running now..

Marius

soften them up abit. No need to take any chances as the track season is soon underway.

I am gradually and steadily tapering the training now. The key is to get the best out of the winter but at the same time hit the training intensity with just as much precision during the summer. Alot of athletes do quite a bit of good work during the wintertime, but go overboard when the spring finally arrives and end up with a very early peak. Training in the US I know all about that :)) You would have absolutely nothing left when the really important races came around – especially in the longer distances. Due to overrracing and overspeed – a result of a lack of experience and lack of good guidance.

I wonder how many good athletes could come out of the American college system with a bit more overall planning. You have some great schools on that, such as Stanford, but in general too little endurance work – with too hard intensity (and too many races) plus very little real periodization makes alot of talents just disappear through the system. It would be fun to eventually go over there myself – when I am done as a competative runner, to see if you could help out on one of the schools. Because the facilities and the number of runners being so good – you have to get results all those factors taken into consideration. And I would love to spend some more time in the US – those two years over there was alot of fun.

Tomorrow will be two easy runs before another good week of training -and the 17th of May celebration on Monday 🙂

from Oslo,
Marius