Author: Marius

three weeks to fully recover at sea level before going up again to get the full benefit of both the altitude training and the post-altitude work. Ideally about 4 weeks. But because of the weather I will only stay home a bit over 3 weeks this time.

Interesting read yesterday. I found an article yesterday where Paula Radcliffes coach, Alex Stanton, was quoted that her marathon training made her whole system of training complete. It is interesting thoughts. They actually manage to use the marathon training for improvement in shorter distances. Many athletes go up to the marathon but are unable to find the right combination with shorter work and just end up staying at the marathon. But when you know that the marathon runners in general are the athletes with the highest anaerobic threshold and you at the same time know that the one single factor that best will determine the performance in 3/5000 meter is the anaerobic threshold pace you have (showed in many studies), then you can see that the combination of marathon work and 5000 meter training (if done correctly) can make great results.

I especially think this is the case for sea level athletes. It is a way to bring the endurance up to the level that high altitude runners have from natural altitude (and training) from birth.

All well !

Marius

altitude stay. Mostly in terms of location. But we ended up with Kenya because it is easier to monitor progession at a place we have been before. Plus the travel is easy and the time change is minimal. We will stay there for some weeks – a bit shorter than last stay (that was six weeks) and hopefully the Norwegian spring has started when we return 🙂

Marius

but that was on a 300 meter track with more spacing from the altitude stay before. I would rank this race as very close to that.

It was a great experience to once again be on a running track and in the racing position. It has been over 6 months since I last raced and about a year and a half since I was running with an ok body. So I am glad I did this, even off minimal track workouts.

Rest day today and some easy endurance work tomorrow 🙂

Marius

and team brings all the enthusiasm and energy needed to get Norwegian Track where it was in the mid 90s (several in finals of int champs and several medals).

Will update more after Stockholm. Wish me luck :))

Marius

good, with three sub 13:00 5000 meter athletes with the addition of Rui Silva an indoor specialist with 3.30 in the 1500 meters. So it will be just like a strong outdoor Grand Prix race.

It is three years since I last raced indoors and my personal best is 7.53. After a miserable last year I hope to get in the 7.50s again. I have done three sessions on the track so far this year – not much, but at least enough to get a feel for the surface.

I am looking forward to racing again 🙂

Marius

Tue 18 Feb 00:00
Startlist M 3000 m View this event only
Lane/Order Start no Competitor Nation Born
1 50 Ferdinando Vicari ITA 1973
2 51 Gunther Weidlinger AUT 1978
3 52 Martin Pröll AUT 1981
4 53 Michael East GBR 1978 (Commonwealth 1500 Gold 02)
5 54 Rui Silva POR 1977 (3.30/1500 meter)
7 56 Luke Kipkosgei KEN 1975 (7.27 3000/12.55 5000)
8 57 Marius Bakken NOR 1978
9 58 Salah Hissou MAR 1972 (7.28/12.50 5000)
10 59 Tom Mayo GBR 1977
13 62 Mark Bett KEN 1976 (12.55 5000 meter)
14 63 Martin Keino KEN 1972 Pace

younger did some good for the future indoor feeling.

I am feeling better for each day now. In about a day or two I will be starting a very nice period after altitude. I will use that time to test my body as much as I can. I have been longer at altitude than before on the last two Kenya stays and the training has been harder. Therefore it is important to see how actual times and sessions correlate with previous years (mostly 2000 and 2001)

I have put out some new pictures on the web (under Pictures and Kenya 2003) I hope more will come after the next stay down here. Also take a look at the webpage of my friend, Henrik, at http://www.aktorg.com/sandstad There you will find more photoes :))

All going well !

Marius

but the downregulation post-altitude simply knocks you out. So only that one session today.

Back again on ice, snow and negative degrees C… It is great to be back but I wish it was more like last year when you could even run in the forest this time a year..

Easy tomorrow and a track session indoors on Tuesday.

Back home,

Marius

with the “smell” of tartan as you were running the workout. After many sessions on cinder and treadmill this winter it was nice to finally feel the surface you like the best.

All well 🙂

Marius

high altitude and a body a year or two stronger (compared to 2001 and 13.09) has made me capable of training harder for much longer periods at altitude. But I know I have to be careful – I have several indicators of training stress and have to keep myself within the limits.

Toast, eggs (total about 200), chicken and ugali. It is time to get home now for some pizza now (we tried to order it down here but got some tomatoe mess stuffed onto a local chapati mix instead..)

I got an email last year from a visitor to this site when I had been in Bolivia (for about four weeks) last year and he complained that I spent an awful lot of space talking about the local lamas and that it was probably time for me to get back to Norway again. Guess it feels like that now 🙂 You are getting so (too) used to things down here – the cows walking all over the place during the runs, the Kenyans coming not one hour late to appointments but one day, ugali starting to taste well etc.etc.

A few more days of training left :))

Marius

and airplane personell (they claim to be non-military cargo transporters but we do not believe them 🙂 ), about twenty clanmembers/family close to one of the 32 Somalian warlords who are at the Somali peace conference plus a group of American missionaries that come and go and hold big ceremonies in the churches nearby (some which has 10 000 members..) Lots of noise and different sounds during around the breakfast tables…

Training is going well. I feel well in control of things despite the extremely hard work I have been through. It is satisfying to look back at the training done and know that it will benefit you during the summer 🙂

Only a short period to go,

Marius