Author: Marius

1998), who came at the very end of the test. Outside, it was snowing, so even though I felt sleepy and tired, I managed to motivate myself for the test. And what a test it would be 🙂

I have done close to 200 tests over the last 3 years of this type. It is a very simple test of a series of intervalls at a gradually faster pace. The test is close to a normal training session, so it does not interfer with my regular training but it is simply a part of it. My heart rate was incredibly low on the warm up – almost 15 beats lower than normal (which is huge for an elite athlete). I started up the test, and as I progressed I could not believe what kind of speed I was running at – and how low my lactic acid and heart rate was. The curve was almost dead flat – as I ran faster and faster, my lactic acid and heart rate just very slowly got higher. I ended up breaking my old “all time best” test (or the “Ghost Session” like Frank Evertsen used to call it – because it seemed like a once in a lifetime day and test, that I have never even been close to after….until today- and we always used to talk about that special test as something strange 🙂 )

I think this is the first time in at least half a year I have been 100 % satisfied with the result of a session….I am a perfectionist, and I ALWAYS find something I could have done better. Today I cannot find one single thing. The altitude training and the work I have been done came 100 % together – strange for February, but a good indication that I am on the right track. So I will be satisfied for a day or two now, until I have a rough session again – and get more things to systematically think about and solve 🙂

Marius

no ice. Then muscle treatment and rest before a TV interview (with the Norwegian State Channel) – followed by a new training session (a test on the treadmill). Some more rest, then a strength training session. Right in the training session, I got company from the anti-drug staff at the Norwegian Sports Association. This happens about 4-5 times a year. So they followed me around until I had finished the session, and I had to take both a urine and a blood test. I am pretty much used to it, and the testers are nice. It is good that they test athletes, so I fully support that they come during practice hours. But that meant more waiting and an even longer day.

Then, late at night I was home…….today I trained easy and slept most of the day 🙂 Not used to stressful days like yesterday 🙂

All well,

Marius

Mondays test was very encouraging, and todays even better. So I am satisfied. They are run on a treadmill, and I test myself using lactate meters….I pinch myself in the finger (not using an automatic thing, I just use a needle and pinch my finger hard….hurts in the beginning, but you get used to it 🙂 ). That way I am not dependent on others doing it. So lots of sweat, blood and lactatestuff by the treadmill at the TIS (Top athletics Center in Oslo)

This week and next is important for me in my training. If I get those right, I am prepared for Kenya again…..and down there things will go automatic. In that way I am always in the hunt for better times – by always focusing on a limited number of weeks – either down in Kenya or in between Kenya. No time to rest.

I am also back in school again, but for every semester it gets harder and harder to follow lectures – your thoughts are somewhere else. I force myself to be there, because I like being with other people than athletes (and I love the great discussions there – political science is fun to study), but still it is difficult, because I really have a full time job with athletics. But we will see. I have a strange way of barely making things, but when it comes really down to the test, I usually get it right. Hopefully that will happen this time also.

Marius

better than last year, and I was feeling quite sharp. So I am on the right track 🙂

Very short from me.

Marius

is fine. In 3 1/2 weeks I will be down there again 🙂 Ahhhh, I love those short winters 🙂

The next week will consist of extensive testing. All blood parameters as well as performance testing. It is extremely important for me to monitor the changes going on, to observe at what time I perform the best after an altitude stay. That will be important when I want to peak later this season. I have a good team around me, so it should go smoothly. Years of careful planning is really starting to pay off for me. I am only 22 years old, but I feel (and know) I have come a long way when it comes to training physiology and how my body responds to training stimuli. I have made many mistakes, and I am learning every single day (hours of reading weekly), but I still feel I have a good grip on it. That is good to know, when you face your opponents. At the same time, the team around me, especially Frank is constantly challenging me in my training. He has some extremely clever ideas, that takes (even for me) days just do absorb as ideas, because they are so extremely hard and demanding. But once I have tried them (or at least most of them 🙂 ) I feel like I should have used them my whole carreer. That is a good sign. So no time to sleep and rest in the training when you have a person one week away from a Doctorate in Training Intensity (four pages of the discussion left), that can be curious and new thinking like a little kid.

Well people. All for now,

Marius

running behind Henrik. You know, the usual stuff down here at cinder tracks in the agricultural Africa.

But the training turned strange and extremely funny, when we went on our cooldown. Our hotel is about 12 km from the track, so we decided to run back there. The 12 km is through very rural areas – stepp landscape with no cars and herds/small mud-huts where people live. Well, Henrik wore his special Cuban national team full body suit at the track session (eg.Maurice Green/Flo-Jo). It looks a little bit worse then wearing a tight bikini…so wearing that, we went on into the distant Kenya….in areas where few people even have seen Mzungos (white men)…with Henrik wearing his tight white, red and blue Cuban body suit. It was the funnies run ever. The little kids got either shocked or scared..the old ones shook their heads, while the girls giggled in shock….I guess strange-Mzungo-Henrik will be the topic in the small huts as they are eating their Ugali (national maiz mix) :-)))

All still well here. Will always look like a Mzungo, but hopefully running like a Kenyan 🙂

Marius

I am getting stronger for each year.

We are three athletes left now, the seven others have all gone home. It has been a very social training camp, with extremely good training discipline. Since all of the athletes, except Kristian and Olav who are coached by my eminent co-webmaster Arve Oian, is coached by Frank (or closely helped by him), the training is much the same for all. And all of us are feeling great, hitting right at the intensity we want. So people are getting into “the system”, after some practicing. It will be interesting too see how we run this summer 🙂

Well, I better send this posting….the net is slow here today. And slow in Kenya is definately the same as sloooooow in Europe…

Marius

mondays hard training, followed by a fast progressive long distance run of 18 km the morning after. I take it as a compliment, and it is fine to run alone also. I am used to it. And in a few days, I will find some other ones to train with. Plenty of good runners up here 🙂

Training is still going well here. I am doing all I want and much more. Just like I want. Then I will go back to Norway in about a week, and stay in Norway for four weeks, before going down here again for another 3 weeks.

I talked to the coach who was the head coach of Daniel Komen and Ngeny plus Sammy Kipketer and the rest of the Puma Kim McDonald group from 1993-2000 (both in Kenya and in Europe). He is now out of the team, because of disagreements with Moses Kiptanui. But he was the main man behind their training, and is now without a job, so he gives me some very good training information. I will ask for his permission to write an article to put out on this page….stuff never been published before : how to coach a 12.39 5000 meter runner/7.20 3000 meter runner and a 3.44 miler and Olympic 1500 m. champ. Should be a good and interesting article 🙂

You see runners all over Eldoret, as usual. Only yesterday I saw Paul Ereng (Oly 800 champ 1988) at the Supermarket, Philip Boit (only Kenyan to be in the winter Olympics ever – in the cross country skiing 98) at the Net Shop, Wilson Boit Kipketer (World Champ Steeple) at the hotel I live, Julius Achon (Ugandan 1500 m. runner – around 3.30) by the swimming pool, and a person who I am almost surtain was Olympic 1500 m.Champ Ngeny – posting a thankyou letter to Daniel Komen at the postoffice :-))))) So quite an intersting place, Eldoret – for us runner enthusiasts.

All well from Eldoret

Marius

running rythm goes very good together. We blood-tested him for lactic acid during the workout today (after lots of convincing first….he was afraid of it 🙂 ), and just like we have seen before – his intensity was right under his anaerobic treshold, with 2.8 mmol/l lactic acid. I had 2.7, so we were right there together. His natural running feeling made him hit right at it, without ever checking it or learning how to. One of the advantages the Kenyans have, but it can be learned by us “western” athletes as well.

On Saturday we will go to Kip Keinos farm 15 minutes outside Eldoret to watch the finale of the Energizer cross country series. It will be fun. I raced one of the local races last year, and it is absolutely CRAZY. It is like high school cross country in the US (at least in Illinois) where you have 300 people on the start. Except in Kenya, they have no pace judgement at all (full speed from the beginning, and if they get tired they are simply “out of shape” 🙂 ), no control over the arms and always changing the rythm. Very exciting, as long as you are not in the race yourself. After last years experience, I will watch this year…..

All well from Kenya,

Marius

many places when travelling, and been to many training camps, but there simply is no other place for distance training that compares to Kenya. The temperature is around 20 degrees C in the morning, going up to 26-30 during the day before going down again in the evening. We usually run at 7.30 am and 5 pm. It is great to be out in the fresh air up in the highlands on the soft red cinder, just floating through every stride. In five days down here I have gotten all motivation and strength back that I will need for the rest of the winter. Because of the Olympics I got a slow start to the training (even though I have been doing the work I wanted) in the sense that I was going through the motions, without really putting everything into it. That is usually how it is when starting up for a new year. It takes some time to put the old behind and look straigh forward for the coming year and challenges.

We are 10 people down here. They are Henrik Sandstad (14.09 5k),Susanne Wigene (15.41 5km at the age of 21) Kristian Gautesen (around 9 min 3000), Anita Haakenstad Evertsen (2.33 marathon, 96 Olympic participant, Linn Nybraaten (about 10.30 3000 m.) and Olav Humlebrekke (4.04 1500 m.) Also Frank Evertsen, my phhysiologist from the Olympic Training team (Olympiatoppen) is with us, with the two children he has with Anita (2 months and 2 1/2 years old). So it is a good mix of elite runners and serious runners at national level, with an age range of 19 to 32. They are all doing very well, and especially Henrik and Susanne are looking extremely strong in the hard AT (anaerobic treshold – right before you start accumulating lactic acid in your legs eg. “getting tired”) training sessions. I think they can surprise some people this summer !

The rest of the day, when we are not training, we are doing absolutely nothing. I think Kenya is the only place I can really relax….in Norway I am always running around having things to do. Here you are totally isolated….no phones ringing, not much email, really nothing to take care of. At the hotel next to ours, they have a very nice swimming pool with sun beds and everything, so we relax there. It is like being on holiday at altitude ! Then, right down the street a Swiss man has started a gym, with all kinds of equipment, so we do our strength work there. 200 meter up the street is Kipchoge Stadium with a cinder track of good conditions, and 400 meters away from the hotel, we have the great stepps with hundreds of miles of red hard packed mud paths to run on. What more can you ask for ? 🙂

I have to go now, but will try to update later this week,

All well from me,
Marius