The Qwer Old Fella's Marathon Method

7:30 a.m.14 miles. 5 miles at a moderate pace followed by  4 miles of  ‘egg shells – technical climbing’ and 4 miles downhill at an honest pace, all rounded off with a 1 mile cool down. The idea here, is to perfect the technical element and then increase the run before the technical aspect of the session.

And so it begins and what a way to begin. That was a terrific session. Difficult (in terms of the technical aspect) but enjoyable.

The idea of the egg shells is to ever so slightly exaggerate knee lift – not like the normal high knees that most runners do. As well as focusing on lifting the knees, the 4 mile climb should be carried out – as much as possible – on the toes with minimal back kick and fast and light feet. The shoulders should be pulled back (imagine a rope pulling you back down the incline) and the torso should remain over the hips. It’s imperative not to lean into the hill and scuttle up. Technique is everything. The effort feels like mp and develops into threshold, although the pace is slow.

For the first two miles, I found it difficult to blend the different aspects. Between the second and third miles, I felt comfortable with the technique. But in the final mile, I struggled to hold form and found myself leaning into the incline.

Tonight, I have an easy 6 scheduled. Tomorrow is interesting: I’m doing Power of Threes by three.

Tomorrow, I’ll outline the 'Qwer Old Eegit's Marathon Method'. During the week, I'll explain how the egg shells fit in with 'The Method'. I'll also explain the mechanics and reasons for the Power of Threes, amongst other things, and how they fit in to the ‘Cardinal Pillars’. Now there's a cheeky little phrase 'the 'Cardinal Pillars'. What's that all about?

9:30 a.m. 8 miles recovery run. I had planned to start off with a trial run of my Power of Threes, but my legs were mashed (in a good way) from yesterday’s 20 miles (a 14 and a 6) - the 14 miler included 4 miles of egg shells, which is the likely reason for my legs feeling mangled. So, the Power of Threes will kick start tomorrow morning’s Crazy Cubans, which is a crackerjack workout.

Anyway, The Qwer Old Eegit’s Marathon Method. Here’s the basic outline:

It’s a 3 year plan. Year one focuses on developing 5k and 10k times (14:50 and 30:50 respectively are the goals by September 2013 – aged 48).

Year two (aged – 49) focuses on the half (1:05), while maintaining and developing the 10k (30ish).

Year three is all about the marathon (sub 2:20). I’ll be 50 in the January and I’ll be running a marathon in the September/October of that year - 2015.

Nothing special about that, apart from the fact that it seems to be dragged out over 3 years, when it could be done in 12-18 months. Not so. There are many reasons why I need to take three years and I will explain them over the next few days.

Although the 5k-10k, moving on to the half, before hitting the marathon isn’t revolutionary, I think that the way I will approach the three year goal of the marathon is in fact unique. The devil’s in the detail. I will, however, be drawing on the methods of others and adapting them, as well as throwing in some of my own little Bamisms.

Something to consider is my age and the apparent challenges presented by ageing. I hope to debunk many of these myths – although I do accept performance deteriorates as we mature.

Tomorrow, I’ll look at the ageing 'thing', as it will lead in to the reasons for a 3 year plan and the necessity for ‘egg shells, Cubans, Power of Threes, Cardinal Pillars, and many more unusual forms of witchcraft…

9:30 a.m. 7 miles, including Power of Threes by two and Crazy Cubans by two. Lads, what a workout. I intended to do three sets of each but opted for two sets as it was my first go and form was the priority. That said, my form was embarrassing.

What a killer and yet great fun. This is as hard, in terms of effort, as a session of mile repeats but the variety makes it so much fun –  the concentration levels have to remain high at all times. I’ll explain the session tomorrow (I want to look at ageing today) but the bottom line of the session was that it exposed many weakness. I was pants. But that’s why I’m excited. If I’m running 5:20-5:26 pace for 5k off one year’s training with only a handful of workouts and my strength and power and coordination are all appalling, then there’s massive room for improvement.

Sometime back, there was an article in Athletics Weekly – UK based running magazine and a very good one at that – entitled ‘Growing old gracefully’, by Roy Stevenson (he has a master’s degree in exercise physiology and coaching from Ohio University and he teaches exercise science at Seattle University). Here are the summary points of his article:

System Effects of Ageing on Running Performance

Cardiovascular system - Heart becomes less efficient and works against increased resistance. A decrease of 8-10% per decade in the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to the muscles occurs with ageing. There’s a decline in maximal heart rate, maximal cardiac output, and leg blood flow to exercising muscles of 10-15%. (You wouldn’t believe my MHR – most teenagers would die to have a MHR like mine.)

Aerobic capacity – Moderate decline in maximal heart rate and stroke volume. Oxidative enzyme activity decreases by 10-15% in older runners.

Lactate threshold - May actually increase with age when expressed as a percentage of VO2 max.

Respiratory system – Less efficient, primarily due to stiffening and loss of elasticity of lung tissue and chest wall. Decreased ability to clear air passages. Maximum breathing capacity decreases by about 60% between ages 30 and 80. Vital capacity and forced expiratory volume decreases linearly with age, starting between ages 20-30.

Muscular System – Progressive loss of muscle tissue starting at age 40. Rate of muscle protein synthesis is reduced. Changes in muscle fibre composition: decrease in number and size of type-ll muscle fibres of 10% after age 50 and reduction in size of type-I muscle fibres – therefore decreased strength and endurance.

Running economy – Stays approximately the same, but we have to run with faster leg turnover to maintain our racing pace because of shorter stride length.

Body composition – (pay attention Jake) Muscle tissue declines, fat percentage increases, 8-12% decrease in basal metabolic rate.

Flexibility – Decreases with age. Connective tissues between muscles and bones become more rigid with ageing – thus our stride length decreases.

Caveat – The above does not apply to Bam. Bam is great. Bam will prove that the above is pants. He’ll do it through some fancy-dancy monikersJ

To be continued…

9:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Had intended doing 10 Benjamin Buttons but the legs were having none of it: they're tired - in a good way - from yesterday's Power of Threes and Crazy Cubans. So, I've moved the Benjies to tomorrow and I'll do the Forever Youngs and another session of Power of Threes on Saturday.

After I've done my second run, I'll post some stuff about strength building that carries little risk of injury, takes little time, and is very specific to the actual act of running - unlike most strength schedules that runners follow. The three exercises (The Power of Threes - I know Bret's anxious to know about the Crazy Cubans, but I'll explain them after I've dealt with the Power of Threes) improve co-ordination and leg muscle power, and after several weeks the legs feel much stronger, resulting in an improvement in stride length and frequency - something I suspect that we'd all like a bit of...

7:00 p.m. 4.5 miles. 800m jog to pub, 3.5 miles easy with Tom and 800m jog home. Nice run legs felt much better than this morning.

Following on from the necessity for strength training to develop stride length and frequency, I have set out some of the basics below - these are not original ideas of mine, they come from research carried out by a variety white coated chaps. I've just mashed the stuff together from articles to make them more accessible.

Now, although I spent a good part of my life overseeing the nutrition, physical therapy and fitness training (including strength and power training) of 56 sports clubs at the University of Oxford, I never did any strength training for my own running. I was old school; I didn’t believe. But my recent research and sessions have shown me what I was missing.

Many runners hit the gym and do general conditioning work in the belief that it will improve their running, while many think the best thing is to just get out there and run. And to date, much of the research exploring the link between strength training and endurance performance has focused on standard exercises. Overall, the exercises do a good job of developing generalised muscle tone and strength, but despite their popularity, no research has ever determined that they improve endurance running capability. In fact, it is difficult to understand exactly how these standard resistance exercises would promote better endurance performances.

Running involves multiple joint actions and forces, numerous muscle groups in the hips, legs, ankles, and feet (think about your injuries and niggles)to work concurrently to maintain control and balance. Weight training tends to focus on isolated muscles and ignores the complex, coordinated motor patterns required for running.

Since traditional resistance routines are of doubtful value because of their lack of similarity to running, what kind of strength training should you employ? To answer this question, it's important to remember that all competitive running events require the development and maintenance of speed over a specified period of time. Running speed is largely dependent on the amount of force applied to the ground during each foot strike, and the time over which that force is applied. The greater the force of a foot strike and the shorter its period of application, the higher the power of an individual step and the faster the speed of a runner. By increasing the power exerted during each step, runners raise their speed.

A lot of the power produced during running depends on the mechanical "energy return" properties of a runner's feet and legs. The muscles and tendons of the lower extremities act like springs during running, mainly by storing energy just before and during the compression associated with foot strike and then releasing ("returning") this energy during take off. This return of energy is influenced by both the elasticity of the muscles and tendons and by nerve cells which control muscle and tendon flexibility.

Better nervous system control of the muscles of the lower limbs should produce higher levels of elasticity and improved energy return. Resistance exercises aimed at improving running performance should not just attempt to increase general muscle strength, they should enhance specific activities of the nervous and muscular systems, which promote faster, more coordinated movements.

What is really needed is specific strength training for runners, exercises that target the muscles and neuronal pathways responsible for actual energy return during running. Although this may sound complicated, it should not have to be in actual practice, and it is not. Tomorrow, I'll show you three key power building exercises that are easy to carry out, will not take much of your time, and will rejuvenate your running because they replicate key motor movements involved in the process of running.

9:30 a.m. 8 miles, including 4.5 easy; dynamic stretching (15 min's AIS before the run); 8x Benjamin Buttons - intended to do 10 but form started going, so only did 8; 2.5 miles cool down, followed by 3 mins SRS.

'The Power of Threes' and what they're all about:

These three exercises should be performed in the order in which they are presented, and only when you are well rested. Specific strength training aims for positive adaptations of the nervous system as well as the muscles. Completing the exercises when you are over tired leads to poor neuromuscular co-ordination and movements that are slower than desirable.

That means that the trio of specific exercises should be completed before a running workout, not after, and in fact the best possible time is immediately before an interval, economy, or lactate threshold session, not before a slower workout.

While that may sound paradoxical (some might fear that strength training would slow down a subsequent training session), the truth is that positioning the exercises right before your high intensity workout will help you run faster. In fact, at least five different scientific studies have shown that a high intensity strength session activates the nervous system, increases the "firing rate" of nerve cells that control muscles, and improves the overall "recruitment" of muscle fibers during a workout.

Another caution: perform the third exercise, only on an aerobics floor, wooden gym floor, grass, a synthetic track, or any resilient surface which offers some "give". Hopping repeatedly on concrete or asphalt may increase the risk of overuse injuries to the lower leg and shin.

One final warning: form is everything; if your form is slacking, stop. You’ll get injured if your form is all over the shop. Especially watch that your knees stay above your ankles and don’t shoot forward. If your knees are moving forward – over your toes – you are stretching your patella tendon and you’ll end up a victim of your over-enthusiasm.

The high step up: This exercise strongly develops the hamstrings, with complimentary development of the gluteals (the "buttock" muscles) and the quadriceps. Simply begin from a standing position on top of a high bench/wall etc (approximately knee height), with your body weight on your left foot and your weight shifted toward the left heel (this is very important). The right foot should be free and held slightly behind the body. Lower the body in a controlled manner, until the toes of the right foot touch the ground, but maintain all of your weight on the left foot. Return to the starting position by driving downward with the left heel and straightening the left leg. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions (for all of the exercises it’s 15 to start – I’ll post how to develop all of the exercises) and then switch over to the right leg. Maintain absolutely upright posture with the trunk throughout the entire movement, with your hands held at your sides.

One leg squat: This exercise strongly develops the quadriceps and gluteals, with a complimentary boost to the hamstrings. To complete one leg squats in the correct way, stand with the left foot forward and the right foot back, with the feet about one shin length apart (your feet should be hip width apart from side to side). Place the toes of the right foot on a block or step, which is six to eight inches high. As in the step up exercise, most of the weight should be directed through the heel of the left foot. Bend the left leg and lower the body until the left knee reaches an angle of 90 degrees between the thigh and lower leg. Return to the starting position, maintaining upright posture with the trunk and holding your hands at your sides. Complete 15 repetitions with the left leg before switching to the right leg.

One leg hops in place: This exercise builds strength and co-ordination in the entire lower extremity, including the foot, ankle, shin, calf, thigh, and hip. (This is the daddy of all exercise.) The resilient, bouncy nature of the exercise makes it the most specific of the three and extremely close to the actual movements involved in running. Simply start from the same position you used for the one-leg squat, with the toes of the right foot supported by a six to eight inch block. Hop rapidly on the left foot at a cadence of 2.5 to 3 hops per second (25 to 30 foot contacts per 10 seconds) for 15 seconds. The left knee should rise about four to six inches, while the right leg and foot should remain stationary. The left foot should strike the ground in the area of the mid foot and spring upwards rapidly, as though it were contacting a very hot plate on a cooker. The hips should remain level and virtually motionless throughout the exercise, with very little vertical displacement. After hopping for 15 secs on the left leg, switch to the right leg and repeat the exercise.

Why hop on one foot instead of bounding from foot to foot, as runners usually do during their dills? For one thing, it is very difficult to move fast while you are bounding, so bounding is not very much like sizzling through a 5k or 10k race. By contrast, you can move very quickly during the one-leg hops, so your power expands dramatically and your co-ordination during high speed running improves greatly. Eventually you will learn to move more quickly and efficiently. Research by Russian scientists indicates that one-leg hopping is far superior to bounding at inducing improvements in leg speed

For similar reasons, the one leg squat is superior to runners' traditional exercise, the two legged squat. While a much greater load can be hoisted on the shoulders during a two-legged squat, that weight is distributed through two legs, not one, so the actual resistance per leg is often less. In addition, the trunk of the body is often inclined significantly forward in a two legged squat but remains nearly vertical in a one-leg effort, so the latter more closely parallels the form required for running. Plus, for purposes of maintaining balance, the feet are often angled outward during the two-leg squat, which is unnatural to running, while the feet point straight ahead during a one-leg effort. Overall, the one leg squat has the added advantage of being safer, since less total weight is used.

The first exercise, the high bench step up, is like climbing hills in the comfort of your own home or gym. You are basically lifting your body repeatedly against the force of gravity and powering your hamstrings, quads, and gluteals in the process. Like hill workouts, the step up should improve your running economy.

There you have it – The Power of Threes. None of these exercises are new, but putting them together in the way outlined will improve your stride length and frequency. I’ll show you how to develop the exercises and include them into other sessions – like what I did today.

Don’t do any of these exercises if you’re in the middle of marathon training. This stuff should be included in your base training and shouldn’t last much longer than 8 weeks – 12 if you’re a tad older like me.

Tomorrow I'll explain the 'Crazy Cubans' and then I'll go on to explain the 'Benjamin Buttons' and the 'Forever Youngs'.

9:30 a.m. 8 miles easy. Have to keep the post short today. 'Hurray,' I hear you shout. I've got big business going on. Not really, the gaffa's given me loads of jobs to do; she must be obeyed.

7:00 p.m. 4.5 miles, including 3.5 miles with Tom. Ran 800m up to the pub and then 3.5 miles with Tom and 800m jog home. Tom did a threshold run and I paced him; he's coming on nicely.

Forever Youngs tomorrow...

10:00 a.m. 11 miles. 3 miles warm up, Power of Threes by two, 6 strides over 1.5 miles, 16 x Forever Youngs on the evens in thirty off 1's;  2 mile jog. Great session. This is now my favourite session of all time. Brilliant. It's based around a Kellog session of 20x1 min's fast and 1 min jog rec. Canova adapted this session into 2/3 mins on every 5 mins over 30 mins, building to 40 mins. I've adapted it further, to meet my needs and fitness levels, but I will explain when I have more time.

5:30 p.m. 6 miles easy with Tom. Had a good chat about training and life. Mainly me talking gibberish.