Category: News

Another very hard Monday session the other day. With great variation of speed, length and continious recovery (quite fast running), a 50-60 minute session can bring be extremely challenging physically and mentally.

Published: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 by Marius

Therefore, it is on those sessions it is the most important for me to have people on the sideline, doing registration underways and pushing through the difficult parts.

On Monday, Leif Olav was not around due to travel and Ståle had meetings all day so we had to come up with a third option in a very short time. Luckily, the sprinter John Ertzgaard was around on the training center, just finishing up the training. So he stepped in for them. And the session turned out great. He is very professional as an athlete (a 20.40 200 meter runner quite young, but has been hampered by a single difficult achilles problem- operated two seasons ago) and his professionalism was clearly shown when he was leading the session also. Quite nice to be pushed through like that and inspirational with another voice around once in a while 🙂 Hopefully he will be back 100 % this year, as the European Champs is a great possibility for the sprinters as well as distance runners. After so many difficult years but still holding this kind of professional attitude he deserves to succeed more than most so will be nice to see.

We have moved into the lower extremeties in school now, going through all the muscles, ligaments and connection point – plus of course the full examination of injuries + other functional difficulties. You feel like you are learning something important every day while doing that and you get a very, very clear understanding of all the major running injuries/problems as well – from a mechanical standpoint. It is so logical if you add that knowledge to knowledge of running 🙂

Time for an evening run now.

All well from Oslo!

Marius

For the third season in a row I am off to Southern Europe for the Eastern training stay. This time I will start with a few days in Barcelona before continuing the stay in Italy.

Published: Tue, 04 Apr 2006 by Marius

In Italy I will join the group from SK Vidar for the third year in a row. Quite a nice group going down there, a total of around 20 athletes on all levels. We will be staying a bit north in Italy so the temperature for running should be ok this time a year – probably +/- 20 degrees C. Training is going well. An easier week now before going hard on the training camp. Treadmill session yesterday and some easy sprint runs on the track this afternoon. Nothing special but plenty enough to keep the shape while at the same time resting. Next update from the sun 🙂 Marius

I am well into training here in Italy now, in the small city around 2 hours drive south of Milano. Monday was an AT session and today is a long track session on the nearby Mondo track.

Published: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 by Marius

Training here is good. Nice, soft paths around the lakes surrounding the city. Plus parks to run intervalls in around the track area.

On Mondays session I was running together with Oeystein Sylta, a 8.40 steepler. Though I am slightly stronger considering the lactate it is close enough to be training together (I just adjust myself down one notch). On those sessions it is motivational with some company as most of those sessions are run alone on the treadmill while back in Norway. He should have a good season if he continues like this – monitoring training closely and training with great consistancy.

We are in the middle of a group of larger cities around here so plenty of time for small trips around the area such as Venize. Though on the hard training days you have to be careful and rest, on the easy ones is is nice to see some of the places around here 🙂

All well from Italy,

Marius

underneath ; city of Mantova

Plus back to school again and more on the skeletal muscle system, ligaments and the working of the different systems of movement. Lots of reading now, before going into a period of tests and exams going from the very beginning of June up until around the 15th.

A very nice session in Mantova yesterday before going back home, in the park next to the stadium there. Dead flat and very hard surface – just like I like it this time a year. So got a good float on the 1000 meters and getting lacate tests done in between runs in the nearby car ( I usually run with the lactate meter in my hand on the runs, but it is more convinient on the a bit faster stuff to just leave it somewhere)

Next week will still be going hard, trying to push as much as possible on the hard AT runs (=be well rested and fresh – plus get  a good float) and maybe a longer track session in racing flats very controlled. The snow is about to melt around the track also, so should be possible.

Brief update, back in Oslo again!

Marius

Nice to be back on the Sognsvann track again – after the snow has melted. First track session there on Monday, a longer one of 12 km in racing flats at increasingly faster pace with short recoveries.

Published: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 by Marius

I have many tests  on those sessions, so nice to have something to compare the lacate values with. With about 5500 tests in total now you  can always find a reference 🙂

A threshold session today and yesterday on the treadmill. Trying to flatten about the curve around the AT as much as possible at this time – before moving more into a track focus.

Not much new other than that. Only about a month until the first of the tests/exams at school now, so memorizing the names,functions, starting point and insertion of the muscles of the body in addition to bones, ligaments + joints. Very busy days (though very relevant and interesting:) ), so trying to balance  every hour of the day. But it sure is challenging – as sponsors, press and others want bits of you as it gets closer to the season. So trying to keep communication open there, think about priorities – as this is by far the most busy period of the year.

Hopefully some outdoors faster runs soon also, outside of the track. But first I need to hit the mark I want on the treadmill tests 🙂

All well from Oslo!

Marius

After a winter with much more slow than normal, plus a pretty cold spring so far the temperature now has hit around 20 C. Good to finally get a feel for that kind of weather again.

Published: Sat, 06 May 2006 by Marius

Training is going fine. On Monday, another long track session that Øystein joined in on. So we alternated leading the intervalls. Not an all out kind of session at all – just floating through and “resting” behind eachother as the other one was pacing. But good total amouth, getting nice km of running economy at a faster pace.

Then on Tuesday, the Federation had a press conferance concerning the season of 2005 – for the elite group. Including information on some of the race plans for the ahletes. Unfortunately, the season at home here starts very early this year, with the normal highlight of the regular track season already the 2nd of June at the Bislett Games. I saw this challenge early – as the exam period in school is right at that time. I waited the decision as long as possible, but the load in school is just way too much to be ready for a race at that time. Weeks of very little sleep and heavy days in hospitals + reading in those exam weeks challenges your priorities so something had to go. It also has to do with future responsibility – you just cannot run away from school material and “gamble” on the exams – when you know you get patients to take care of in the future that may just need you in that particular field. That means that the season will be pushed forward with about a months time of what is normal – to the beginning of July. And go on until the middle of September if things go as planned.

The nice weather now is a good chance to double up a bit on the sessions – running a bit harder on the mornings when I have quality sessions in the afternoon.

From Oslo, feeling fine.

Marius

some “private”pictures from Italy from the long distance group of SK Vidar – see the running pictures on the bottom of the page. Some from the track sessions of Øystein and myself.

Pictures from Italy

Some quite cold days here again, so back on the treadmill to get full effects on the training sessions. So progressive 1 minute intervalls on the treadmill today with short recoveries. It gives you long periods of high heart rate while at the same time keeping your muscular system sharp until the end without lowering the ph in the muscles too much.

Published: Thu, 18 May 2006 by Marius

Another track session this Monday – also in racing flats. These sessions gives me a good feel with the track without burning out the system too early on. Nice and controlled with the lactate meter so ensure the the shape is not peaking in this time a year 🙂

Took a short look at the starting field at the Bislett Games yesterday. Seems strange not preparing for that for the first time in nine years. But hopefully this will be a once in a career time with no collitions with exams like that in the future..

Soon starting the plyometrics/jumping exercises of the year – or taking them from doing it about each 10th day to about 3 times a week to ensure good elasticity in the lower extremities muscles. It is extremely important for the longer distances (just look at the Kenyans….) and probably  one of the most neglected areas in most training programs.

Just a small update!

All well from here:)

Marius

Except for the winters sprint sessions, I have yet to use the spikes on trainings this year. But hopefully by the middle of next week they will be tried on for a session or two 🙂 So preparing myself for that – and making sure that the legs are ready for it. Plenty of fysio..

Published: Sat, 27 May 2006 by Marius

The next week will be pretty heavy in terms of training, as well as the first part of the next one. After that in about three weeks, off to St Moritz and altitude there. St Moritz is probably the one of the nicest places in the world for training, so going there for the 5th year in a row.

The altitude there will be perfect now. If you do altitude training with the precision needed, it has an extreme effects on the system. I would say that it works for all athletes, at least over 1500 meters – it is just a matter of knowing how to do it well. If you know that, it is one of the most potent things you can do as an elite athlete – and one of the things one should do get out that last of the full potential. So really looking forward to that.

All well other than that. Cannot wait for some faster work on the track when the summer comes around 🙂

Marius

A bit over a week until I am leaving for St Moritz, right after school exams are finished. The good thing about St Moritz, is that I am standarized trails/running distances from all seasons since 2000. The only other place I used to have that was in Kenya – until they started putting up fences everywhere in the middle of most of the different test routes..

Published: Thu, 08 Jun 2006 by Marius

That means that the control of pace vs. lactate vs heartrate is almost as good as back in Norway, making it easier to taper into the important races in July/August.

I will be arriving down to race the Rome Golden League 5000 meter a bit under 2 weeks after arrival back home. The timing is 100 % focused on the European Champs and the competition there – but it suits well in with that race also.

Tomorrow a track workout, touching race speed for parts of it together with Leif. It will be gradual, with the last part of it in spikes. Long in terms of length so not looking forward to it alot…you have to really struggle through it – but having run so many years, you just need some of those workouts to really stretch your body ; much more so than just running shorter & faster.

Up in St.Moritz, we will be at least four Norwegian runners probably including Bjørnar who just got the European Champs qualifier with a 8.34 steeple. Plus of course a number of international athletes that are there to prepare for the upcoming Golden League races. Looking forward to that – the quietness of the Swiss Alps plus the building up to the track races 🙂

All well from here,

Marius

I am heading off to St Moritz tomorrow morning for the altitude stay there. So last track session at sea level this evening – some progressive 400s before taking it easy tomorrow + travelling down there.

Published: Sat, 17 Jun 2006 by Marius

I finished the last exam on Thursday so just getting lots of rest and sleep after that. I was examined with a patient with pain in the foot  – that after clinical examination turned out to be a nerve root affection in the lower back that had disturbed the innervation of some of the foot nerves and therefore “paralyzing” those parts of the foot. Quite challenging as you really had to ask the patient the right kind of questions to rule of things plus be very clear in your actual practial + neurological testing. Very refreshing to have finished all of that and now focusing only on one thing 🙂

I will stay for two weeks down in St Moritz. A bit longer than I have normally been up at altitude this winter. This is partly because of the lower altitude(1850 m vs 2100 in South Africa) plus the very nice and quiet atmosphere there that will be nice now before the buildup before the European Champs.

Next update from St Moritz!

Marius