Category: News

there as best I could 🙂

The feeling was fine throughout the race. It was a fast opening pace, and even with a 29/60 first 200/400 I was way back in the field. Ideally it should have been a bit slower to get the system going a bit more gradual but with 28 fast runners on the startline you just had to go with it. From there on I tried to get a good rythm with some backs to stick to. First Mark Carroll, then Cragg of Ireland but they died off before the 3000 meters. At the 3000 I got into a vacuum and from there on I pretty much had to catch in on African runners and had no group to run with. So it was just to push on as much as you had lap by lap.

Three good races in a row feels good. I will need this stability in an Olympic year.

All well 🙂

Marius

those sessions most runners like to do every week or so, most of the year. I wished I could do so also, but my priority is to do the smart things to race fast, not feel great in practice 🙂

My plan for the Rome meeting ? To show stability. I have two races in a row now that have been very satisfying and with one more I will have proven that I am back to where I used it be.

The athletes will stay in the middle of Rome at one of the really old hotels (the Ritz). Great atmosphere and with several nice parks to run in. So I will do some longer, easy runs there before the race.

For the Norwegian viewers, the race will be broadcasted on NRK2 and the 5000 meter starts at 22.45 Norwegian time.

From Oslo, looking forward to Rome 🙂

Marius
PS : I found some pictures from the Bislett Games and added them to the link below.

(individual) anaerobic threshold at that current time.

The test is one of many I have developed over the years, most of them during my training together with former coach Frank who is still a good friend of mine. We got to the point where we had tests for almost any “system” needed in a 5000 meter race, at different times a year. I always try to develop those tests, but the work we did back then is so precise that it is still the real fundament for most of them.

I am feeling fine building up for Rome. Trying to fit in the work needed to perform again, everything closely monitored. This looks like an incredible year in the 5000 so no time to rest ; fantastic 5000 in the Kenyan trials, 13.14 at altitude for the winner – last years world champion. In addition to the World Record this year by Bekele and the probable start of El Guerrouj at Olympics we are looking at probably the best year ever in the 5k 🙂

All well,
Marius

Salvatore ITA
MACCAGNAN Mattia ITA
KIPCHOGE Eliud KEN 12.52 pr
LIMO Richard KEN 12.55 pr
LOMBARD Cathal IRL
CHEBII Abraham KEN 12.52 pr
KIBOWEN John KEN 12.54 pr
LIMO Benjamin KEN 12.55 pr
KIPKOSGEI Luke KEN 12.55 pr
KIPROP Boniface UGA 13.00 pr
GEBREMARIAM Gebre-egziabher ETH 26.40/10k
GENETI Markos ETH
BERHANU Dejene ETH 13.03 pr
BROE Tim USA
TADESSE Zersenay ERI
FITSCHEN Jan GER
BELZ Christian SUI
ABDULLAH Ahmad QAT
ZWEDIE Maregu ETH
GOUMRI Abderahim MAR 13.00 pr
BAKKEN Marius NOR
BELLANI Hicham MAR
KHAMATI Charles KEN World 10k Champ
KEINO Martin KEN
KIPLAT David KEN

I am looking forwad to such a race on one of my favourite tracks. On this I have one Norwegian record, 13.11 plus a 13.13 race. Very fast stadium, always good conditions and fast front pace.

Everything is ok. I have recovered well from the 3000 meter this weekend and all is focused towards Rome now..

From Oslo,

Marius

the homestraıght. He barely made ıt past me after I responded wıth 70 meters to go for a 0.6 sec wın ın 7.46.5. Good to see that you manage to fıght ıt off wıth such a hıgh calıber 1500 and 3000 runner. The other athletes, wıth good personal bests dıd not manage the change of pace and fell behınd. Garcıa at 7.52, Weıdlınger 7.55 and Beltz 8.05ç

Tomorrow an easy run ın Istanbul cıty 🙂

Marıus

the aerobic system. That will be added nicely to the race this weekend.

Time for some rest after the Istanbul travel now..

Marius

7.39 pr, Christian Beltz fastest European last year with 13.12, Roberto Garcia 7.39 pr, Gunther Weidlinger 7.44 and 13.17 this year plus Balasz Csillag 13.25 pr. For the European Cup on the level behind the Super League this is a very, very strong lineup. Last year a 7.55 won it in our group, but he would have been without any chance whatsoever this year.

So I am really looking forward to the challenge 🙂 It will be the perfect buildup for the Golden League in Rome in only two weeks time.

All is well here in Istanbul. I did an aerobic workout this morning, feeling fine. Nice and hot weather, the way I like it. Wish me look luck 🙂

From Istanbul,

Marius

Cup in Istanbul. It will be a very strong field there, probably even stronger than in the Superleague as we have nations such as Spain,Portugal and Austria in our group that all have very strong distancerunners.

Easy running tomorrow. I am enjoying the days now, a great boost with the Olympic Qualifier. Now I am done with that, instead of “chasing” the standard throughout the summer. From now on I can focus on what is important – peaking for the Olympics 🙂

All well in Oslo,

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