Weekly Update

After two days of solid rain, runners were surprised when a picture-perfect weather window opened up for the Livestrong Austin Marathon on Sunday, February 19. But that wasn’t the only unexpected event.

Kenyan runner Jynocel Basweti surprised race organizers with a last minute entry into Sunday’s Livestrong Austin Marathon. But no one was more surprised than fellow Kenyan Edward Korir Kiptum, who trains in the same group with Basweti in Zacatecas, a mountainous city in north-central Mexico.

Right: Edward Kiptum, Bartosz Mazerski, and Jynocel Basweti.

“I was surprised to see Jynocel this morning,” said Kiptum, who had arrived Friday night as a guest of Jack Murray, owner of Jack and Adam’s Bicycles.  “We both had stayed the night at Jack’s house, but he [Basweti ] did not get in until very late last night. So when I saw him this morning at 5:00 a.m., I knew it was going to be a challenging race. I know he’s fast, so I thought he might win it.”

Yet another surprise occurred in the women’s race, when defending champ Desiree Ficker dropped out at five miles with a calf injury.

Sipho Ngxongo, a marathon runner from Durban, South Africa, led in the early miles, setting a brisk 5:05 pace, which translates to a 2:13 marathon. But Ngxongo was in over his head, and was swallowed by Basweti and Kiptum by mile five, which they passed in 26:30.

Coming down a long hill on South First Street, Basweti threw in a 4:57 mile and opened up a 15 second-gap on Kiptum.

However, Kiptum was able to close it, and the pair passed 10 miles side by side in 52:33. Navigating the uphill section on Enfield Road, Basweti grabbed a cup of water at an aid station and eased into the lead, and by the half-way mark (1:09:45) on 35^th Street, had again opened up a gap on Kiptum.

Basweti continued to push the pace, and by the time he hit 20 miles in 1:48:12, Kiptum trailed by a good 30 seconds.

At that point, it looked like Basweti had the race wrapped up, but Kiptum had a plan.

“I went out on the course and looked at the last couple of miles yesterday,” said Kiptum. “I saw where the downhill was in the last few miles, so I knew where to make my move.”

That’s exactly what he did. With just two miles to go, Kiptum put the hammer down, catching a struggling Basweti just after mile 24, and accelerating on to break the tape in 2:22:50.

“I know that I have good speed at the end of a marathon,” said Kiptum, whose marathon victories include the San Antonio Marathon in 2007, the Seafair Marathon (Bellevue, WA) in 2008, and the Deseret News Marathon (Salt Lake City, UT) in 2010.

“I came in on a bus all the way from Zacatecas yesterday,” said Basweti, who pulled up second in 2:23:52. “I was tired from traveling.”

Cedar Park’s Scott Rantall waged a battle with Polish marathoner Bartosz Mazerski for third place, but fell back after 18 miles with a side stitch, finishing fifth in 2:30:38, behind Mazerski (2:25:55) and Brandon Reiff of Reno, NV (2:27:45). Chad Ricklefs of Boulder, CO was sixth overall and first master in 2:30:53.

The women’s race had drama of a different kind. Defending champ Desiree Ficker who ran a heat-slowed 2:50.35 last year, and ran a career best of 2:39:30 at the 2009 NYC Marathon was looking for a little redemption. After switching her focus from triathlon competition to running, Ficker was hoping a 2:45 or better, but a calf injury been plaguing her in recent months. 

Unfortunately, after leading for four or five miles, Ficker, again bothered by the calf problem, dropped out.

That opened up a window for Shannon Bixler, a former Chicago-area runner now living in Austin and working at Luke's Locker, to grab the lead. Bixler, who had won the Fox Valley Marathon in St. Charles, IL last September in 3:06:10, quickly took advantage of the situation, pacing herself to a smooth victory.

Bixler ran negative splits, passing through five miles in 36:09, 10 in 1:11:14, the half in 1:33:19, and 20 miles in 2:21:50 en route to crossing the finish line in 3:02:28.

Inna Vishik of Stanford, CA followed 3:08:51, clocked in the same time as Pia-Maria Molin, 3:08:51. Austin’s Neilia Bliss was forth in 3:10:32, with Anna Scheinzbach of Gardendale, TX rounding out the top five in 3:12:11

The marathon featured a capacity of field of 6,000 runners with 12,000 running in the accompanying half marathon.

Siyabonga Nkonde, of Durban, South Africa, ran a superb 1:04:58 in the half, beating defending champ and local elite runner David Fuentes, who clocked 1:07:57. University of Texas track standout Allison Mendez topped the women’s field in the half with a 1:18:14, ahead of Austin’s Helen Rotich in 1:20:37.

See full results here.

Upcoming races:

Saturday, February 25

9:00 a.m. Run for the Bluebonnets 5K, Fisherman’s Park, Bastrop. See details here.

Believe it or not, how you run the marathon on race day is almost as important as all the training you put in to get there. That means that if you’re seeking a time goal at next week’s Livestrong Austin Marathon, you’ll need a strategy to succeed.

Let’s get a couple of basic tips out of the way. Starting a few days before the race, drink plenty of water, electrolytes, and make sure to focus on carbohydrates in your meals. Don’t try anything wild or new, though.

On race morning, get up two to three hours before the race, and eat a light breakfast like an English muffin and a banana, or some oatmeal, or a bagel and cream cheese. Warm up before the race by doing some easy jogging and stride-outs.

As for your strategy, fortunately, there are some tested approaches that seem to work well for most people. However, each race varies because of course and weather. The last time I looked, February 19 was supposed to start out in the mid 40s- absolutely ideal marathon running weather, if the forecast holds out.

That means your only obstacle to achieving your time is the course, and how you run the race. The course is not your typical “flat and fast” route. It has significant hills scattered throughout the first 17 miles. Yet many have set PRS here. How is this possible?

The reason, according to marathon legend Dick Beardsley, is that the Livestrong Austin course basically forces you to run smart. Beardsley says, that if you approach the first 17 miles with some reserve, you’ll be well rewarded in the final nine miles. Remember, this advice is coming from a 2:08 marathoner.

Many runner think that logically, they can “put some money in the bank” by hitting their half-way sp[lit several minutes ahead of schedule. This almost never works. Five to 10 seconds per mile too fast for the first half of a marathon can translate into more than a minute per mile slowdown in the last six to eight miles. Even elite runners have made that mistake.

Don’t forget to grab water and or sports drinks at the aid stations, regardless of the temperatures.  As you enter the final 10K, you’re going to feel fatigued, even on a good day. The trick is to mentally adjust, vary your stride to use different muscles, and know that you don’t have that far to go.

Often, runners like to focus on special words or feeling that help get them through. Marathon guru Jeff Galloway suggests you borrow his favorite three for getting through the last miles of a marathon: Relax, Power, and Glide. Relaxing always helps, “Power” affirms that you are well-trained and can do it, and “Glide,” prompts you to smooth out your ragged form. Works for me!

Upcoming races:

Saturday, February 18

9:00 a.m. Love Your Heart 5K at Landa Park, New Braunfels. See details here.

Sunday, February 19

7:00 a.m. LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon and Half Marathon (and Paramount 5K), downtown Austin. See details here.   

OK, two weeks to go before the big one- the Livedstrong Austin Marathon on February 19. No matter how many marathons you’ve run, there’s no getting around it: it’s still a big deal. All that training, all the miles, the hard work and commitment are about to payoff.

So now’s not the time to mess it up.

That’s right- ask any coach- with two weeks left, there’s really nothing in terms of training “gains” you can reap through workouts, but you run workouts  that compromise your upcoming marathon, and that’s what you don’t want.

For starters, your last long run should be absolutely no closer than two weeks out. The remaining two weeks should be made up of reduced mileage, with some shorter faster runs thrown in.

Many runners will fear that reducing mileage will result in loss of fitness or weight gain. While there should be no loss of fitness in the last two weeks, you should watch your diet to avoid gaining pounds. Without doing anything radical, focus more on vegetables and fruits, and keep animal fats to a minimum. Not only will that help you avoid weight gain, but you should enter the marathon with a “cleaner” system.

Now, ten itty gritty. Any coach worth his or her salt will tell you that you’re training gains are made during recovery. Think of the final two weeks that way. Sure it’s tempting to throw in a last all-out tempo run for a confidence booster. But the last thing you want to do is line up at the start on race day with dead legs. That’s why it’s necessary to taper. Yes, the dreaded word: taper.

Pete PfitzInger, an esteemed exercise physiologist and two-time Olympic marathoner with a best of 2;11:43 was a model of consistency during is competitive days, and has always been a reliable source of wisdom for marathoning.

“Despite the benefits, tapering is the most overlooked phase of marathon preparation,” says PfitzInger. “By giving you extra reserves, a well-executed taper will push "the wall" out past the finish line.”

“Tapering allows your muscles to repair the micro-damage of intervals, your energy systems to store up glycogen, your body to overcome the chronic dehydration of hard training, and that last bit of tendonitis in your knee or ankle or hip to finally go away,” adds PfitzInger.

Sounds good, huh? Then why is it so hard to do? Because we’ve been trained to believe that only pushing harder will yield results, and that tapering is a waste of time.

So what workouts, and how much should you run before February 19?

Here’s what PfitzInger suggests:

Two weeks out:
Monday- Take a rest day, cross train (walk or swim), or do an easy 30-minute run.
Tuesday- 45-55 minutes easy run
Wednesday- 30 minutes easy

Thursday- Warm up, and then three miles of 600-1,200 meter intervals at around 5K pace, but no faster.
Friday- Take a rest day, cross train (walk or swim), or do an easy 30-minute run.
Saturday- Take a rest day, cross train (walk or swim), or do an easy 30-minute run.
Sunday- Run 11-13 miles at your regular long run pace.

One week out:
Monday- Take a rest day
Tuesday- 30 minutes easy
Wednesday- Dress rehearsal for the marathon: Dress in you marathon gear and shoes, warm up, and run two to three miles at marathon pace. Thursday- Warm up, and then three miles of 600-1,200 meter intervals at around 5K pace, but no faster.
Friday- Take a rest day, cross train (walk or swim), or do an easy 20-minute run.
Saturday- Easy two-mile run.
Sunday- Set a PR at the Livestrong Austin Marathon

Remember- you’ve had the discipline to put in all those miles. Now have the discipline to skip a few. So, scary thought it may seem, don’t fear the taper.

Upcoming races:

Saturday, February 18

9:00 a.m. -Love Your Heart 5K, Landa Park, New Braunfels. See details here.

Sunday, February 19

7:00 a.m.- Livestrong Austin Marathon & Half Marathon, downtown Austin. See details here.

The 3M Half Marathon (January 29) may have done away with their elite athlete program, but that didn’t stop local elites Scott Rantall and Kelly Williamson from strutting their stuff.

The race saw Rantall (pictured left with Mancilla), a former Oklahoma State runner now running on Team Rogue, battle it out with Tlaloc Venancio Mancilla of Flagstaff, AZ, while the women’s race featured a duel bewteen pro triathlete Kelly Williamson overcame an early lead set by Jess Barton, also a triathlete to claim the women’s title.

From the start of the race on Stonelake Boulevard by Gateway shopping center in North Austin, Rantall and Mancilla tucked into a lead pack that included Austin’s Joe McCellon, Alex Cameron, a Portland, OR-based runner, and Stephen Ragg of Athens OH.

But the pair broke away from the five-pack just after the five mile mark, passed in 25:28, and began to test each other with surges, hitting the 10K mark (31:39) neck and neck.

The morning was chilly, but eight miles into the race, Rantall tossed off his gloves and seized the lead from Mancilla, opening up a 20-meter gap on Shoal Creek Boulevard. The fight was on.

Mancilla wasn’t about to give up, though, and pushed hard to pull even by mile nine (45:58), with McCellon, a former Texas Tech runner now living in Austin, a half minute back in third.

But with two miles to go, Rantall, a 2:20 marathoner originally from Australia, made a move that Mancilla couldn’t match.

“I didn’t know whether he (Mancilla was sandbagging me, just hanging back or what,” said Rantall. “At the end, my legs started to feel pretty good, so I just started to push it. I didn’t know I had it won until I saw the finish line.”

Rantall broke the tape by the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum in 1:07:14, with Mancilla clocking 107:30. McCellon was third in 1:07:43.

“The race was just going back and forth, but he was stronger than me in the last two or three miles. He just pulled away, and that was it for me,” said Mancilla.

In the women’s race, Barton headed out at around a 5:40 pace, while Williamson (pictured at right), coming off a very successful 2011 triathlon season, was content to hang back a bit, running with Austin’s Chris Kimbrough.

But right around the halfway mark, she seized the lead.

“I kept her in sight, maybe about 10 seconds ahead,” said Barton, currently training in Boulder, CO. “But then the downhills took their toll on my quads, and that was it.”

“I tried not to worry about her running right behind me,” said Williamson. I just wanted to run my race and my pace. I knew I had a pretty good lead by mile 10, so at that point, I was running for a fast time.”

Fast indeed, as Williamson’s winning time of 1:14:42 was a personal best by more than two minutes.

“At 10 miles, which I passed in just over 57 minutes, I figured I was on personal record pace,” she said. “I’m ecstatic, because my fastest half-marathon time before today was 1:17.”

Kimbrough, a nationally ranked master’s runner, took third in 1:16:20. Though technically she was the first master, she went with her top three finish, yielding the master’s title to Isabelle Ledroit of Montreal, Canada, who posted a 1:24:23. Joseph Ekuom of New Paltz, NY claimed the men’s master’s crown in 1:13:46.

Rantall’s win at 3M, the fourth race in the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge, puts him in the lead headed into the Livestrong Austin Marathon on February 19, the final race in the series. Williamson, who is not entered in the Challenge, will be competing in the Ironman 70.3 Panama in two weeks. Both runners pocketed $1,500 for their efforts.

See full results here.

Upcoming races:

Saturday, February 4

8:30 a.m. Cupid’s Chase 5K in Georgetown (downtown at Main Street). See details here.

So- you’ve been putting in the miles, and you’re headed for the LiveStrong Austin Marathon (February 19). Don’t look now, but there’s just one month left to go!

What does that mean in terms of training?

First, off, you’re probably in shape to run the marathon now- so the last month is really just the finishing touches. Still, there are many that may feel they need one more 20-plus mile run to get in, and that’s OK.

For those not running the 3M Half Marathon next week, that’s the window for a last long run of 20 or over. Any closer to the marathon would risk residual fatigue. Likewise, use caution at 3M. You basically have to make a decision: do you want to set a PR in the half-marathon or the marathon? Because you’re not going to do both three weeks apart.

In fact three weeks out from the marathon may be the ideal time to do a very long, easy run. Marathon guru Jeff Galloway, who always errs on the conservative side, recommends a long run of 28-29miles three weeks out, assuming you’ve built up to that distance and have already covered 23-25 miles at a time in at least one previous long run.

If you are four weeks out, and still feel the need to get in two 20-plus runs, that’s OK too, Galloway told me.

Four weeks out, do a long run of 20 to 22. Then, two weeks out, do one of 25-26 miles, walking where needed. You just want to cover the distance,” he said.

“The one thing I’ve always found that helps people avoid the wall is the very long run of more than 25 miles,” said Galloway.  “It will make you not only more physiologically prepared, but psychologically as well.”

So what do you do in place of the long run in the remaining two weekends prior to the marathon? Interestingly, Galloway recommends 5 X I mile at about 20 seconds per mile faster than marathon goal pace two weeks out, and 4 X I mile (same pace) one week out.

The  purpose of those workouts is twofold: one, by substituting a short run instead of a long run, you do not build up any fatigues; and two- by running at a good clip, you maintain the training adaptations you’ve worked so hard for over the past four to five months.

Try not to prove anything in the last several weeks before the marathon. It’s very easy to do more harm than good. While you can substitute a 5K race in place of one of the mile repeat workouts, it’s unwise to race at any other distance, or do any kind of big “confidence boosting” mega workout at this point.

The type of lead-in to the marathon recommended by Galloway goes a long way towards setting yourself up to run your best on race day. How you run the race is the other big variableundefinedstay tuned for that story!

Upcoming races:

Sunday, January 29

6:45 a.m. 3M Half Marathon at Stonelake Blvd.- Gateway Shopping Center. See details here.

Olympic Trials marathon races often produce surprises. It’s not unusual for a total unknown to emerge from the pack and win the race. But the surprise of the 2012 Olympic marathon trials held on a three-loop course in Houston Saturday January 14 was that there were no surprises.

Early leaders Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman set an ambitious pace, running through the half at around a 2:06 pace, but in the end, reason reigned them in, and it was the patient Meb Keflezighi (the 2004 Olympic silver medalist),  who won the men's race in 2:09:08, followed training longtime training buddy Hall (2:09:30) and Abdirahman, 33 (2:09:42). For Keflezighi, 36, it was his third Olympic team, and Abdirahman, 33 his fourth.

No surprises in the women’s race either, as Shalane Flanagan, an Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters four years ago in Beijing, won in 2:25:38, setting an Olympic marathon trials record in the process. Hanson-Brooks runner Desiree Davila of Rochester Hills, Mich., came home second in 2:25:55, while Kara Goucher, a bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters at the 2007 world championships, finished third in 2:26:06.

Just about anyone on hand would agree that the men’s and women’s races represent a true resurgence in American marathoning.

Austin Runners Macsas, MacPherson Trials Report
Austin was proud to send two elite runners to the marathon trials: Scott MacPherson, running his first marathon, and Allison Macsas, competing in her third. Both runners compete for Team Rogue Elite and are coached by former Longhorn great Steve Sisson.

Macsas,27, set a four-minute PR of 2:40:47, placing 45^th out of 152 finishers, while MacPherson ran 2:27:15, finishing 80^th in a field of 85.

 “I’m getting a feel for the marathon, and building confidence,” said Macsas, whose previous best was a 2:44:50 in Vancouver last May. “I know when it will be tough. I feel much more in control of the distance and felt strong the entire way.

Runners were treated to perfect weather: low 40s and sunny, with almost no wind

“Steve told me to trust my training, and to now that it will hurt and prepare to suffer,” said Macsas. “But also to know that you’ll get through it,” said Macsas, who competed for the University of Tampa.

Macsas had been running 100 miles a week for the buildup, which she began in October.

“Steve’s approach with me is to do some over-distance- I handle distance really well,” she said. “I’ve been doing that kind of volume for about two years now. I did a couple of 30 miles runs. And I did some 26-28 runs with some up-tempo sections and a fast 10K finish. It simulates the marathon really, really well. Those workouts are great not only for fitness, but for your mind as well. I definitely drew off that experience in this marathon.”

“Today was as good as anyone could feel in a marathon. We were running in a pack. We went through 20 and they all started to drop off. It was hard, but I never had a moment of doubt. I felt strong the whole way. Mile three of a marathon is nothing, it’s mile 18s to 26 that count. I was ranked 131^st going in, so I’m happy to finish 45th.

I think I can get into the 2:30 range. I don’t regret anything today. The difference I’ve seen going from my first to my third marathon.

MacPherson, who was in great shape and hoping to go way under 2:20, apparently went out about 10 seconds per mile too fast and paid for it later. But he learned some valuable lessons in his first 26.2.

Don’t we all.

“I got a big slice of humble pie yesterday, but I was happy to eat it,” said MacPherson, a former Razorbcak track and cross country star. “Honestly if I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing. I was shooting for around 2:14, but I didn’t have the luxury to run a practice marathon. My first marathon was the Olympic trials. It was about really competing. I put my nose it and tried to mix it up. The marathon definitely got to me. It’s not just another 5K or 10K on the roads. We just couldn’t fit in a practice marathon before the trials. I can tell you that next time I race it. I’ll respect it a lot more. My legs started cramping at mile 14. It was by far the most painful run I’ve ever done. “

“Overall, I think it will make me a better marathoner in the long run. We’ll have to adjust my training in the future. I’ll have to have more mileage.”

For Full Olympic Marathon Trials results, click here.

Upcoming races:

Saturday, January 21

8:00 a.m. - River Road Half Marathon in New Braunfels. See details here.

8:30 a.m. New Years Resolution Run 5K at Brushy Creek. See details here.

9:00 a.m. - Gorilla Run 5K in downtown Austin. See details here.

Marathons tend to dominate runners’ attention this time of year. And why not? Next week is a big one with the men’s and women’s Olympic trials in Houston on January 14, followed by the Chevron Houston Marathon on the 15^th.

Top entrants in the men’s trials race include Ryan Hall (2:04:58); Meb Keflezighi (2:0-9:13); Dathan Ritzenhein (2:10); Brett Goucher (2:10:36); Jason Hartmann (2:11:06); and Nick Arciniaga (2:11:30). Top entrants in the women’s marathon field include Desiree Davila (2:22:38); Kara Goucher (2:24:52); Magdalena Lewy Boulet (2:26:22); Amy Hastings (2:27:03); and Shalane Flanagan ( 2:28:40).

Top local runners competing in the Olympic Marathon trials include Rogue Elite’s Scott Macpherson and Allison Macsas.

Should be an incredible pair of races, as these fields look to be among the most competitive ever.

Pretty inspiring stuff, and considering that area runners are gearing up for their own marathon efforts, including the LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon on February 19, it might be a good time to take a look at what kind of training lessons we can learn from these elites.

Former Austin coach Greg McMillan, who now coaches McMillan Elite out of Flagstaff, Arizona believes in “full spectrum” training. That means that, according to McMillan, runners should do workouts in that focus on endurance, stamina, speed, and sprint.

What McMillan is getting at, is that there is more to marathon training then the weekly long run. “There are many, many physiological and psychological benefits for marathoners to perform workouts outside of the marathon-specific training,” said McMillan in an article in Running Times magazine.

One suggestion to accomplish the “full spectrum” approach is to rotate through a 21-day training cycle, rather than doing the same workouts every week.

Here’s another tip from the experts: Do a lot of your marathon training at your marathon goal pace, but- and here’s the catch- do it on tired legs. The way to do that is to combine a tempo run with a medium to long run. Another way is to extend your marathon pace run up to 18 miles or so. Unlike a very slow long run, which many runners do week after week, an 18-mile marathon pace run is an excellent dress rehearsal for the marathon itself.

Obviously, we don’t all have the time or inclination to train like elites, but we can certainly learn a few lessons from them!

Upcoming races:

Saturday, January 21

8:00 a.m. - River Road Half Marathon in New Braunfels. See details here.

8:30 a.m. New Years Resolution Run 5K at Brushy Creek. See details here.

9:00 a.m. - Gorilla Run 5K in downtown Austin. See details here.

So another year in one of the greatest running cities anywhere is drawing to a close. Looking back, 2011 saw some great events and performances by individual runners.

Scott MacPherson, the 24-year old former Razorback track star confirmed his status as the top guy in Austin, winning the Statesman Capitol 10,000 with a rare sub-30 clocking (29:58) and a 48:49 victory at the Run for the Water 10-Miler on October 30.

MacPherson, who has been putting in 100-plus mile weeks, will be running in the Olympic trials marathon on January 14- gunning for a 2:14 or better.

Former Longhorn track ace Betzy Jimenez emerged as the women to beat in Austin with victories at the IBM Uptown Classic 10K (35:38) and the Run for the Water 10-Miler (59:05). Despite these strong showings at longer distances, Jimenez, who now competes for Team Luke’s Locker, says she’ll be focusing on the 5,000-meter distance in 2012.

Other Austin runners rising to the top in 2011 include IBM Uptown Classic 10K champ Matthew Kutugata ; Lorin Wilson; Distance Challenge leader Joseph McCellon; Scott Rantall, the Aussie transplant who won the Frankenthon Marathon; Allison Macsas; and Decker Challenge Half Marathon champs Luis Gutierrez and Jaime Schmidt.

In event news, the LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon announced a sponsorship extension 10-year commitment on the part of the LIVESTRONG, the foundation started by Lance Armstrong to raise money to fight cancer. The sponsorship, which will see the marathon through 2020, bodes well for the health of the Austin running scene.

“The relationship that began last year between the Austin Marathon and LIVESTRONG was inspiring and laid an exceptional basis to expand the partnership; it will only take off from here over the next nine years,” said John Conley, race director for the LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. “We have an opportunity to create an even more competitive and attractive marathon for our runners while we extend the LIVESTRONG and Austin Marathon brands at both the local and international levels. If you thought last year’s event was good, just wait until February 19.”

The 3M Half Marathon, widely considered to be one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the United States, saw another great international field, with Kenya’s Stephen Muange holding off Ethiopian Girma Tolla to top the men’s field, and Hirut Mandefro of Ethiopia nailing the women’s win over Russian runner Svetlana Demidenko.

Looking ahead, 3M has announced some changes for its 2012 event, scheduled for January 29. First-off, the course has changed. Not to worry, it still follows much of the same downhill route, but with a different finishing area.

Still a point-to-point, north-south course, the new route will finish on Congress Avenue at 17th Street, near the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

“For the past several years, the race finished at Waterloo Park, but scheduled park construction meant we needed to find new finish area,” said Matt Fagan, 3M Half Marathon and Relay race director. “We worked with the city to retain the features runners have come to expect and enjoy from our race: a point-to-point, mostly downhill course with long straight-aways that run through various Austin neighborhoods.”

The 2012 race will once again start on Stonelake Boulevard, near the York Boulevard intersection in Austin’s Arboretum area. The rolling, urban course, certified by USA Track and Field, begins 262 meters (860 feet) above sea level and finishes at 164 meters (545 feet) above sea level. With a 4.5 m/km drop, this fast, mostly downhill course is ideal for setting personal records.

Upcoming Events:

Saturday, January 21

8:00 a.m. – River Road Half Marathon, New Braunfels. See details here.

9:00 a.m. - Gorilla Run 5K, downtown Austin. See details here.

Many runners fear that marathon training will sap the speed from their legs. It’s one of those long-held myths that persists, though it’s been proven otherwise. Sure, you’ll be fatigued the day after a long run, and adjusting as you build up mileage takes time. But fear not, you will not lose your speed.

I recall talking with Keith Pierce and David Fuentes (two of Austin’s top marathoners) just after they finished one-two in the 2010 Schlotzsky’s 5K in 14:35 and 14:47 respectively-both setting personal bests for the distance. Pierce was coming off an Austin Marathon win, and Fuentes was building up in marathon training.  They both felt they were in peak shape (speedwise), as evidenced by their times.

“Marathon training has not hurt my 5K times at all,” commented Pierce at the time. “I’ve been doing some speed work, so I think that helps. My previous 5K best is 14:51,” said Pierce, pictured at right.

Jeff Galloway, who has coached thousands of runners, and was on hand at that race, commented that, “It’s very well documented that when people extend the length of their long runs, certainly in marathon training, that they create an infrastructure of better capillaries in the muscles, and there’s more blood available to delivered in their pathways back to the heart. Basically, you create a better plumbing system, and what they are finding in faster races is that marathon-trained runners don’t build up as much lactic acid (a metabolic waste product), and can process it more effectively.”

In an article in the September 2011 issue of Competitor magazine, Mario Fraioli cites elite coach Brad Hudson, who was coaching Dathan Ritzenhein before Ritzenhein selected Alberto Salazar to coach him. At the time, Ritzenhein, had recently run a personal best of 2:10:00 at the 2009 London Marathon and followed that up three months later with a personal best of 27:22.28 in the 10,000 meters at the World Championships in Berlin. He then set an American Record run in the 5,000 at Zurich, posting a 12:56.27–a personal best by 20-seconds.

Hudson did not think that Ritzenhein lost any speed during marathon training, crediting the consistent use of hill sprints, drills and strides to keep leg turnover, while also making the transition to traditional speed work for shorter races easier and more effective.

“The training was already done,” Hudson stated on his site,” commented Hudson. “He (Ritzenhein) just needed to get in shape from the post-marathon layoff and gain some coordination. I don’t feel like he lost any speed from marathon training.”

When Hudson refers to coordination, he’s talking about the ability to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers- needed for 5K and 10K speed.

For this he recommends a session of short hill sprints--six to ten repeats of 8- to 10-second sprints on a steep grade at maximal effort once or twice a week after an easy run as an “effective way to keep fast-twitch muscle fibers firing, increase overall power, and improve your efficiency before you begin transitioning to specific speed sessions.”

So, as you build towards the LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon, or if you’re planning on running the Chevron Houston Marathon, don’t worry. You’ll still have your speed when it comes to the Statesman Capitol 10,000 on March 25, 2012.

Upcoming races:

Upcoming races:

January 1

2:00 p.m. Resolution Run 5K at Brushy Creek in Round Rock. See details here.

Last week Luis Gutierrez and Scott Rantall were chased by Joe McCellon through the hills around Decker Lake in the Decker Challenge Half Marathon. McCellon eventually finished third, leading top runners to ask: who is this guy?

As a youngster in Alvin, TX, Joe McCellon was ranked sixth in the state his senior year at Alvin High School, posting impressive times like a 4:22 mile, 9:30 for two miles, and 15:26 for the 5K.

After high school, McCellon headed north to Lubbock to study exercise science at Texas Tech. There he competed in indoor track at the 800, mile, 3,000 and distance medley relay, setting a personal best for the 3,000 of 8:35. An outstanding cross-country runner, he posted times like 25:03 for the 8K, and 20:44 for four miles.

Some collegiate standouts give up running after college, either not wanting to pursue the sport professionally, or moving away from the training it takes to compete seriously in road races.

But not McCellon.

 From l-r: Lorin Wilson, Matt Kutagata and Joe McCellon

“I’m always going to be a runner,” he says. I’ve been in Austin for six years now, and I had been running a little. About a year and a half ago, I was in a more competitive race, and realized I could be up there with those guys. So I started training more seriously again.”

Now 30, and living in Austin, McCellon works 50-60 hours a week as a bar manager at Chez Zee, and that takes its toll, but he says you do get used to it. He’s been regularly finishing in the top three of some very competitive races. Matter of fact, you’ll almost never see him going for an easy win in a small race. Even last fall’s Donkey Dash 5K, where he placed fourth, featured top local runners David Fuentes, Paul Morris, and Gutierrez.

At the IBM Uptown Classic in early October, McCellon dueled with Lorin Wilson and Matt Kutagata, grabbing third in 32:04. This guy just won’t shy away from tough competition. A few weeks after IBM, on October 30, at the Run for the Water 10 Miler, he faced off against Rantall, an accomplished Aussie marathoner and almost caught him as the pair powered up Cesar Chavez, eventually finishing second 53:18 to Rantall’s 53:10.

“I seek out tough competition, and there’s tons of competition here,” says McCellon, who competes on Team Mizuno. “I could go do the smaller 5Ks and win them, but what’s the fun in that? You’re not going to see how good you are unless you race against the best.”

The ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot Five Miler on November 24 saw a familiar script: McCellon chasing after some of the top talent in Central Texas. Though he clocked a speedy 25:25 tying for third, Chris Hare won the race in 25:02.

But consistency does have its rewards.

Though he has not won any events outright, he is currently ranked number one on the leader board for the Austin Fit Distance Challenge.

“I’m ahead of Scott (Rantall) by 15 seconds right now. It will be exciting to see how things go at the 3M Half Marathon (January 29). I’m hoping to run around 1:08. I’ve heard the competition there is great. Then I’ll do the Austin Marathon, and follow that with Boston, which is my main focus,” says McCellon.

Upcoming races:

January 1

2:00 p.m. Resolution Run 5K at Brushy Creek in Round Rock. See details here.