While most settled for watching Dick Clark and waiting for the ball to drop, a Scotsman named William Sichel was taking the ultra-marathon scene by storm. He ran in the new year by winning one of the toughest races on earth, the Across the Years 72-hour event held in Phoenix.
For three days he ran, sleeping little and logging more miles than most Americans would in a year, and more than most well trained marathoners would in a month. During the 72-hour event he saw temperatures ranging from near freezing at night to over 100 degrees during the day. All told he ran 269.36 miles through the Arizona desert. He ran almost continually and finished 34 miles more than the second finisher.
Hard to imagine beating someone by more than a full marathon distance.
Although tis sort of event might be enough any mortal, for him it is a warmup. He will follow-up with a 6-day race aiming to cover 567 miles during the Athens International Ultra Marathon Festival starting on 3 April. The 55 year-old runner will be running on an outdoor cinder circuit used during the 2004 Olympic Games.
With all that pounding, he’ll need more than a soft track and a truck load of Gu. We wish him luck!
Dr. Christopher Segler is Marathon Runner, Ironman, as well as an award-winning podiatrist, and sports medicine foot surgeon practicing at the Doc On The Run: San Francisco Podiatry Sports Medicine House Calls. For more information about heel pain, bunions, ingrown toenails and ankle pain, and other common causes of foot pain, you can order a FREE copy of his book, My Fit Feet, by visiting http://www.MyRunningDoc.com or http://www.AnkleCenter.com.
Showing posts with label track. Show all posts
Showing posts with label track. Show all posts
Friday, January 2, 2009
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Train Smart and Injury Free for Your Marathon
No matter how you might characterize yourself in terms of your running ability or aspirations (marathon runner, casual, triathlete, etc.) you are at risk of running injuries if you are reading this article. The reason is that all runners who choose to run with a specific (albeit sometimes vague) goal in mind, never, ever, lack sufficient motivation to train.
Distance runners, as a breed, are different from other people. They get up and run when it is dark. They exercise when it is hot. They exercise when it is cold. And they usually do it all with a single goal in mind. That goal could be to run one's first 5K. It could be to finish a marathon. It could even be to qualify for Boston. The one common thread these goals share is that they simply cannot be achieved without sufficient initiative and dedication.
If one happened to be strong as an ox, but half as smart, it is possible that the senseless runner might show up on the starting line and actually finish one of the aforementioned events, without sufficient training. This however, would probably result in some level of injury. It would certainly be a recipe for an unenjoyable, if not painful, event. So that is where this short series of articles comes in. As a podiatrist, foot and ankle surgeon, runner and triathlete, I will (hopefully) steer you in the right direction…away from injury and toward a memorable day with a great race, and an accomplished goal.
In this series of articles, we will discuss specific common injuries and the means to avoid them. We will discuss training, shoes, common mishaps and mistakes, all in order to allow you, the running neophyte, marathon hopeful, or seasoned runner to avoid injury.
So, given that you are now likely already a couple of weeks into the your Marathon or ½ Marathon training program (…you are following a program right?) we should talk basics. Simply put, you should have a goal and a means to get there. That means you have a sensible, reasonable training plan or schedule to keep you on track. Lucky there are many sources which have already done this for you. Now all you have to do is stick to it! The point I want to make is that as a highly motivated athlete (and you are, if you are reading this) you are at serious risk of overtraining.
You do not get stronger, faster, better by running yourself into the ground. Your body actually suffers tissue damage on your long runs, speed sessions, etc. You get stronger when you recover. The process of rebuilding those tissues is what leads to stronger muscles, increased biomechanical efficiency and improvement. This happens after, not during, those runs. Granted you need to put in the miles, but fight the temptation to squeeze in a few extra miles on your scheduled rest days. It will not help. Rest or cross-train as instructed in your training program! The folks with the CTC who devised the marathon and ½ marathon schedules will not lead you off course. Trust them, listen to them, and you will feel strong on race day.
I wanted to share a quote I heard long ago about marathons. "When it comes to a marathon, no one can do it for you. That medal is earned with black toenails and long runs in the dark." If you have experienced the black toenails, you have already suffered a preventable injury. I've done it myself, so don't feel bad. Next week we will talk about shoes…your first line of defense against injury.
Christopher Segler, DPM, AACFAS
Award Winning Foot & Ankle Surgeon
Doc On The Run: San Francisco Podiatry Sports Medicine House Calls
What is MyRunningDoc.com
MyRunningDoc.com is a new website created only for runners and triathletes in order to provide you with all the resources you need to Stay Fit, Go Long, Run Fast, and Be Strong. Our focus is injury prevention. With that in mind this site has been created for you...the educated active athlete. Created by award-winning podiatrist, foot & ankle surgeon and multiple Ironman finisher, Dr. Christopher Segler
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