Author: Marius

the electronic one at distances over the 400 meters. But that will be confirmed later by the Federation. I do not know the rules 100 %

Either way I am satisfied with the seasons debute. I have never raced a race with that much training in my legs, and so few track sessions on tartan (mostly on cinder this year) and my endurance seems exceptional. I know that the Kenyans I raced are much closer to max shape at the moment, because they need some fast times early to get into good races later in the summer. I am NOT satisfied with the fact that I had the four Kenyans in front of me, but I take it for what it is worth : in one month they will probably be behind, and the time I achieved was much better then I expected. Quite strong for the first race of the season 🙂

My splits were even – 60-61-62-62-59. I followed the pacemaker until the 1200 meters, when the Kenyans took over. I did not have the regular track sting in the stride to follow and they quickly got a few meters that I was quite not able to catch up with. Later in the season I will.

So I am on my way ! Looks extremely promising for the rest of the summer. Now it is just to pack and get ready for St.Moritz, Switzerland on Saturday and 3 weeks down there at altitude :)))

Finally racing !!!

Marius

report back from there the evening/night after the race. All fingers crossed :))

Marius

have the feeling of uncertainty that I always have before the first race of the season. But I like to look at it in a positive way : it is a way of preparing your body for preforming well. Why is it that you race better than you train ? Why it is “impossible” to run as fast in a practice run compared to a race ? Simply because your human instincts reacts to special contition and your are 100 % alert before and under a race. Without this uncertainty and tension in your body you will not perform as well. I believe you have to play with your body, even when it comes to mental reactions that might feel uncomfortable at the time. There is a reason why they are there, and it is my task as an athlete to use them to the fullest and best. A performance is always the sum of all factors and reactions, physical and mental.

My physical condition is fine. I have not been more then 4 weeks on the tartan track so far because of only cinder tracks in Kenya(compared to 8 weeks before my season debute last year with 7.42 3000), so the interesting thing will be so see how my “sting” in the stide is. How smooth I can rest at high speeds. I can float at “regular” speed in practice now, but the question is how it will be when I repeat this in a race and have to conserve energy to spend the least possible power. I would say that I was better prepared last year for the 3000 meter seasons opening considering this, but I am much better prepared for the season in general this year. All tests show it.

Looking forward to racing again !

Marius

the winter I have time to go there to get proper matching, but in the summer when I stay long periods in Norway I need some real competition in training here also. Then it is perfect to just bring some Kenyans here :-))

Two of the athletes have been to Norway before. Last year one did 7.45 in the 3000 meters and the other did low 8.30s in the steeple. Then there is a third guy, Kosgei, who started running is November. He has just been killing the other ones in practice down in Kenya. I watched him do 2000 meters and 1000 meters down there, and he was flying leaving the others far behind. Should make some strong times for the summer. The 7.45 guy and the steepler are only 17 and 18 years old, so good prospects (and yes, the are/actually look that young, they are not 25 saying that are 16 🙂 ) The steepler has progressed well over the winter, winning the Rift Valley regional in cross country (the hardest cross country region in the world, for sure !), beating the Kenyan runner who later got second in the World Juniors in Belgium. But in Nationals he lost his shoe in the start, and had no change is the high grass at the Ngong Race Track – so he did no qualify for Belgium.

Looking forward to some good sessions over the summer 🙂

Marius

trained so incredibly hard when he was at his best (he did sub1.43/1.44 all years from 1994-2000 !), and it is to great inspiration to talk to a person like him. He had the talent, but he also did all the dedication and work needed. We discussed some training, and he gave me some good tips. I like his type of person – very pratical in the thinking, and extremely result oriented.

I remember¨when I was a young 1500 meter runner in 1997. I did a race in Finland, where I ran 3.48 for my first international meeting. It was a youth race in the middle of the Helsinki Grand Prix. Vebjørn ran the 800 meter there, and was our GREAT hero after winning the Olympics the year before. I will never forget how he took care of us younger runners after our races – talking to us, giving us tips and just being positive and down to earth to us. He was the only one of the Norwegian and Nordic athletes in general who did so, and it showed what a great character he has. That means 100 times more for a young runner then just reading about it in the press.

I have only seen that kind of character in one other top athlete – and that is Sebastian Coe. I had a similar experience in 1998, when I was still only running 1.51 in the 800 meters. I ran a youth race at the Bislett Games Grand Prix, and got second. After the race, I managed to get into the VIP section, where I knew Seb Coe was. Together with Vebjørn, he has always been my running hero. So I approached him, and introduced myself ( I already knew his father Peter Coe well, and had visited Mr. Coe in England previously). What Seb did, was to start asking me about my training. When I said it is going well – he just laughed and said : “Not good enough, I want details”. So I ended up discussing MY training day by day, with the man who did 1.41 in the 800 meter back in 1981 ! That kind of interest in a young athletes is nothing by admiring.

Even thought I will probalby never reach the levels of Vebjørn and Seb, I still know that we have young athletes who look up to even athletes like myself. One of the reasons being that it has been years since a Norwegian run somewhat fast in the longer distances, and mzungos in general fall behind all the time. So I at least try to stay in touch with some of the up and coming athletes. Thatis also one of the reasons why I spend so much time on this page – to inspire younger athletes.

Like my former coach at York high school, Mr. Joe Newton, whispered in my ear right before I went back to Norway in 1996 : “If you ever reach the top, never forget the young people who come behind you”

All well, Marius

a Norwegian and Nordic record. So I like the track and the place.

One of the meet directors is my manager, Ståle Jan Frøynes, and he always comes up with good pace makers for me. We are hoping for the same this year. I will run the untraditional distance of 2000 meters there. I wanted something longer than 1500 m, but not as long as 3000 meters. The field will be quite good. At least three Kenyans, all good for low 7.40s in the 3000 meters/maybe even high 7.30s. So I will have good competition. Plus my training partner Henrik Sandstad will run there.

I have planned for the post-altitude to kick in right at the meet, but you never know. Before the seasons opening you always have this feeling “is everthing ok?”…..have I done the right training over the winter etc.etc. But usually it turns out well. The only thing I am worried about now, is that the race might come just a bit early for me, because I have run only about 2 weeks on a tartan track so far. I have done track work several times a week every week over the winter (with spikes and everything), but in Eldoret they only have cinder tracks. They have tartan tracks in Nairobi but that is 4 hours away. So I just hope that my “track stride” will be tuned in before Florø.

All going well with training. There is nothing like real track work !

Marius

were also of very high caliber. You basically can do two things to recovert between given training sessions : sleep well and eat right. I think diet is highly underestimated in importance. I am NOT talking of losing weight, but simply recovery and being able to work more because you recover quicker. The Sears diet works well (www.drsears.com), and I use many aspects of it – but it is individualized by Dr. Dag Viljen Polesynski, a Norwegian expert in the field (eg. I have a far greater content of mono/polysaturated fat in my diet – helps the endurance). We have worked on it for about a year now with him and found out what works perfect for me. I am lucky to have such people around me – willing to share their knowledge and fit it to what I need as an individual. I could not have run well without them.

All is very well. I am starting to get a good “sting” in my stride, and track sessions feel comfortable. I know I am unstable these days after altitude, but I still feel in shape. About a week more and I will get the post-altitude “go-go-go” feeling. You feel like a god for about a week 🙂

Summer has come to Norway now. 20 degrees sun. The track up by the Sognsvann Lake where I lived was filled with athletes in all ages today. Quite inspiration to see that others also like to do the sport you love. I will go there more often now, to keep in touch with the other athletes.

So, everthing going as planned,

Marius

prepares you mentally for something in 4 years tiem, and you get to share this feeling with others with the same goal. It gives you a break from the regular routine, and you can exchange valuable information with people trying to reach in the same direction. Just to get out of the mental “track” setting, can help you bring new ideas into your system. Most athletes tend to stick to their sport, but sometimes the really interesting ideas to develop are in other sports close to yours.

My training is going well. In a bit under 3 weeks I will do my seasons debute in Florø at a 2000 meter there, if everthing go as planned. I will get to race against three strong Kenyas, so it will be an interesting seasons start. I had a comfortable track session today, just to ensure that I am on track. And I think I am. I floated well, and Frank was very pleased with the way things looked. Now it is just to make the adjustment to the racing season smooth, without losing the great base training I have worked on through the long winter.

The post-altitude feeling is starting to come. I hope it will hit in like it usually does 🙂

All well,

Marius

those of you in Norway/the Oslo area it is a great oppurtunity for a different idea on diet to perform better in your running. This stuff actually works ! I use it myself, and will have a 15 minute talk about it in the seminar. They have put the price low (only 200 nkr) so that everyone can attend. No more “carbo loading” people…:) That is the old way…..the new way is the optimal balance between proteins (30 %), fats (30 %) and carbos (only 40 % – most with lots of fibre/low glycemic index). This is quite interesting stuff, and helps your performance and restitution. Most definately worth a visit.

Marius

VÅRENS VIKTIGSTE IDRETTSSEMINAR?
Møt Barry Sears, PhD – USAs mest profilerte forsker
”Optimal idrettskost for maksimal ytelse”

Søndag 6. mai kl. 12-16
Auditorium A, Norges Idrettshøgskole (Sogn)

Biokjemikeren Barry Sears (www.drsears.com), tidligere professor ved MIT, er en pioner innen bioteknologi og har 12 patenter i kreftbehandling og diettkontroll av hormonell respons. Han har solgt mer enn 3 millioner bøker i USA. Suksessen startet med boka The Zone, som ble en bestselger (Finn din Sone, Hilt & Hansteen 2000). Den forklarer hvordan man kan øke prestasjonene ved å optimalisere inntaket av karbohydrater, fett og protein, samt hvilke kosttilskudd man bør ta kan motvirke skader og holde seg frisk! Sears lanserer boka Hold deg ung i Sonen (Hilt & Hansteen), fredag 3. mai 2001.

Plan for seminaret:
12:00-12:10 Velkommen: Dag Viljen Poleszynski, dr.philos.

12:10-12:30 Fedon Lindberg, dr.med., Vekt i Balanse, Oslo:
Optimalt idrettskosthold

12:30-12:45 Marius Bakken (friidrettsutøver):
Norske idrettsutøvere og ”Sonedietten”

12:45-13:30 Barry Sears, PhD
How to enter The Zone

13:30-13:45 Questions and answers

13:45-14:15 Pause – forfriskninger/væskeinntak

14:15-15:00 Barry Sears:
The Zone and athletic performance
Nutritional supplements as insurance

15:00-16:00 Bjarne Østrud, professor i biokjemi v/Universitetet i Tromsø:
Kritikere møter deltakerne til debatt/dialog

Deltakeravgift kr. 200 betales ved inngangen

VEL MØTT!

experienced it before, as I normally feel lousy the days after I come down. But I am starting to see a pattern in this : I am getting so used to altitude now, that it takes extremely short time to get used to it when I go up, and I feel better and better sooner and sooner when I come down. That is a good indication that my body is adapting to the altitude training well. Times and results on quality sessions always tell the truth.

I came back in perfect timing for the Norwegian spring. When I left a bit over 2 weeks ago, the forest paths were covered with snow. Now the snow is gone, and I can once again run on the nice, soft cinder there. Right outside where I live (50 meters) the forest areas start, and nice, wide cinder paths stretch hundreds of km into the forest. Quite unique for a capital like Oslo. And only 300 meters away is a nice outdoor track, and 500 meters away is the Top Athletics Center with treadmills, test-labs, physioterapists/doctors and excellent training facilities. Just the perfect place to be for a runner in the spring/summer and fall…..as Kenya is perfect in the winter.

Marius