Gear Review: Saucony Grid Fastwitch 4

Saucony Grid Fastwitch 4 – “Happy-fast Feet!”

RUN – Race
• Lightweight light stability racing shoe
• Versatile enough for those fast training days to marathon day
• Weight: 7.0 oz

Introduction

Happy-fast Feet!

That describes my feet when wearing a pair of Saucony Fastwitch 4’s, a light-weight racing shoe with a trace of stability.

Not only are these racers extraordinarily comfortable, as your feet slide right in as if a pair of form-fitting socks, but they also provide superior performance when running hard, be it during speed or tempo training or even racing distances up to the marathon.

Gone are the days of sore arches or foot pain after hard runs; these racers have ample cushioning, just enough stability, and good arches. And gone are pains in the joints from pounding the pavement at those intense levels; these dampen the load with a smooth cushioned yet feather-light ride and just enough stability.

If you’re looking for a pair of fast, light-weight shoes for those speedy training runs or for road racing of all distances, from 5K up to the marathon, make your feet happy with the Saucony Fastwitch 4’s.

RunningWarehouse.com has this to say about the Fastwitch 4’s:

“Flexible and fast best describe the Fastwitch 4. It’s a versatile road racing shoe for any race distance or up-tempo training and offers support for over-pronators. Lightweight mesh keeps the feet cool and a modest midsole height provides added protection, while delivery a smooth ride”

Construction

The quality with which Saucony shoes are put together continues to amaze me. And the Fastwitch 4’s follow suit with remarkable construction.

Having been away from Saucony for so many years, maybe I have gotten used to a certain level of construction and the materials used in putting together Adidas, Ascis, and Nikes, brands I have run in for the last 15 years. I challenge you to put a pair of Saucony’s side by side with any other brand. Pick up each brand. Look at the materials. Look at the stitching. Look at how the technologies flow together. Inspect the sock-liners. Pull out the shoe insert and peer inside. I bet you too will come away with what I have – that Saucony seems to be constructed with not only better materials but also with greater care.

Fit

I love these things.

Right out of the box the Saucony Fastwitch 4’s fit perfectly. My foot slips right in to a happy place. There are no pressure points, rubbings, or lumps. The fit is secure and comfortable. The sock-liner is smooth and safe to use with or without socks.

Feel

Did I already say that I love these things?

I do. And it’s because these shoes feel comfortable and light. They make my feet happy, and being extremely lightweight they also make my feet feel fast. The cushioning is ample for longer races, and with me being a fan of cushioned shoes, I love these things. Even better is the light stability that keeps your feet in track with moving fast. There is very little roll. You can “get up on top of your feet,” as I like to say, with fast running and stay there for duration.

These feel so comfortable you will forget you’re wearing shoes at all.

Performance

Weighing in at a light 7.0 oz, the Saucony Fastwitch 4’s are very fast. These will not get in your way of your feet. With a slight bit of stability, they also help stabilize the track of your feet so that when you’re running at top-end speed and have to start muscling through in order to maintain pace, your feet stay aligned rather than landing or sliding astray, thereby killing your form as you muscle even more to correct.

The smooth, light ride make these shoes great for proper speed work, up-tempo training, or racing. And with ample cushioning, you can easily race on the roads up to marathon distance. Put it all together and it’s easy to get up on your feet for some fast running. Your feet will be happy.

Uses

I really love these things.

The Saucony Fastwitch 4’s are now my racing shoe. This coming from a guy who raced exclusively in Adidas Supernova Cushion’s for many years. Although the Adidas’s were not light like most racing shoes, I stayed with them due to their superior cushioning, which I craved. But no longer. The Fastwitch 4’s provide that cushioning for the longer races in a shoe that is light weight and, with a hint of stability, brings performance to my standards, as I have issues with most racing shoes due to the lack thereof.

To date I have been using the Fastwitch 4’s for speed work. I love them. In fact, my first workout in them was an hour in duration that had over 30 minutes of running at far faster than 5K pace. The next day my body felt good, and my feet even better.

On top of that, these shoes have flash. You can’t take them anywhere without somebody asking about them. Their loud yellow color scream fast! And people will want to know. They are a sure looker!

Gear Review: Saucony ProGrid Triumph 7

Saucony ProGrid Triumph 7

RUN – Neutral
• Premier cushioning shoe for the neutral runner
• Ultimate blend of cushioning for a responsive ride
• Excellent transition from heel strike to toe-off
• Weight: 12.3 oz

Having not run in a pair of Saucony shoes since the early 1990’s (no kidding!), I was curious to give Saucony another try. Back then Saucony was mostly a newcomer struggling to make it in the running shoe market; since then, it has grown into a top-flight performance shoe maker.

I am glad I have been given the opportunity to come back because after trialing a pair of Triumph 7’s and even a set of lightening Fastwitch 4’s, I am converted – and this coming from a guy who has run exclusively in Adidas, Asics, and Nike.

Construction

First thing I noticed upon taking the Saucony ProGrid Triumph 7’s out of the box was how each shoe was constructed. Materials, stitching, and design flow seem high quality – above that of their counterparts. These are so well put together that they make my previous running shoes look like they were slapped together haphazardly and with shoddy threads. I feel like I’ve been missing out all these years for having been away from Saucony.

Fit

Slipping my feet into the Triumph 7’s caused me to pause. With the Natural Arch-Lock patented technology, my feet seemed to lock into the shoes, almost as if something was locking the shoes at the arches. It was an odd sensation to me because although the shoe felt secure to my foot, there was no feeling of the shoe gripping me, as if it might be too small. But I kept thinking it was. And with this feeling I wondered it would survive the test of training miles. But still, there was no discomfort, nothing rubbing or tight or gripping. I realized that it was a slightly different feeling than the Adidas, Asics, and Nike’s I was used to.

All of my concerns dissipated on my first test run. The Arch-Lock felt natural. The shoe stays secure – not snug, not too easy, just right, locked into the arch. No pressure, no rub… perfect. I was impressed!

Feel

For a training shoe with lots of cushion, this shoe is far more stable than what I was expecting. The shoe provides excellent cushioning, and the added stability affords a quick transition from heal strike to toe-off. Because of this trait, the shoe rides more like a performance trainer rather than a shoe-of-all-trades plodder. This shoe keeps you raised high yet feels stable and ready to run hard.

Performance

The Triumph 7’s seem to cover a category unto themselves. They are billed as a premier cushioning shoe for a neutral runner, and that would be correct; but they also perform far faster than their weight. Although these shoes weigh in at a healthy 12.3 oz, they perform lighter due to the built in technologies. The cushioning is ample to support long runs, while the shoe is stable with each foot fall to prevent movement. The Arch-Lock and quick transition from heal strike to toe-off make this shoe even better for quality long runs when you have to run tempo. The cushioning will ensure you aren’t beat up while the technologies help you get up on your toes for that fast running.

Uses

As mentioned in the Performance section, I find myself using the Triumph 7’s for long runs in which I know I’ll be running hard. In fact, I even use these on tempo runs of middling distances, especially on hillier courses. Because the cushioning is superb, and the stable shoe with quick transitioning make running “on top of your feet” easy to keep the tempo going. In the same manner, they are great for energy back when powering over smaller rollers, because you can get and stay way up on your feet.

For long runs in which the only goal is to plod along with friends to share in company, although I could use the Triumph 7’s, they are too good, filled with too much performance, to waste.

Trakkers: February Update

Spring is still so far off, yet February has been so busy for Team Trakkers that it feels like the triathlon season is already ripping near. Here is just *some* of the good things going on, and stay tuned for a few more – like perhaps a very, very, very big splash coming very, very, very soon! J

Rock on!

Rev3: Weekly Live Radio Show!

Starting Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. EST, Rev3 will have a weekly live radio show. With the lead up to the first race of the series in Knoxville, Tennessee and on through each of the others, Rev3 radio will interview Pro’s confirmed for the race, talk about the race series, training tips, and the course, and there will even be a phone number to call in for a public question and answer opportunity. In addition, there will also be a chat room. Check in at Rev3 for more information!

Team Blogs

Check out Team Trakkers blogs:
http://ironboy.wordpress.com/trakkers

 Google bundle of Team Trakkers blogs:
http://www.google.com/reader/bundle/user%2F16723667089967737571%2Fbundle%2FTeam%20Trakkers

Team Trakkers Pro’s blogs:

RC: http://www.richiecunningham.net
DG: http://www.dede-griesbauer.com
MB: http://marybethellisracing.com
BF: http://www.brianfleischmann.com
AGL: http://www.amandalovato.com
ML: http://www.michaellovato.com
JG: http://jacquigordon.blogspot.com
CS: http://carolesharpless.blogspot.com

Sponsors

Saucony – Saucony has helped the team with training shoes. Check back here for a review on the Saucony Triumph 7’s and the fastest shoes on earth for happy feet, Saucony Fastwitch 4’s.

First Endurance – As Team Trakkers nutrition sponsor, FE has enabled us to achieve our best through nutritional support in the form of education and product. Coming soon will be a review the some great products. Wait until you hear about the FE gels – they are NOT like the others; they are far better! Don’t believe me? Check out this article on Slowtwich:

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Features/Thinkers_Tinkers_Robert_Kunz_of_7Systems_1208.html

Tri-Swim – Tri-Swim is enabling Team Trakkers to be their best in the water. Coming soon will be a review on some very effective products.

Rev3 @ ING Atlanta Marathon

Stop by the Rev3 booth at the ING Atlanta Marathon expo March 19-20. Introduce yourself to professional triathlete Carole Sharpless… tell her you’re a friend of Thor’s and she might just hook you up!

Rev3 Race Series

Many top-named Pro’s have been signing up for one or all of the Rev3 Series races. Here is the current list:

Knoxville: http://www.rev3tri.com/!/race-info/professional-triathletes/knoxville2010.htm
Quassy: http://www.rev3tri.com/!/race-info/professional-triathletes/quassy2010.htm
Cedar Point: http://www.rev3tri.com/!/race-info/professional-triathletes/cedarPoint2010.htm

With Matty Reed, Craig Alexander, and Michael Lovato, among others, fighting for top honors on the Mens’ side; and Mirinda Carfrae, Natascha Badmann, and Amanda Lovato on the Women’s, each race will be a duel to the end. Don’t miss it. Especially with Trakkers GPS technology bring the race to you. You will be able to Share the Glory these fine professionals aim for.

Martha’s Vineyard 20 Miler

Martha’s Vineyard 20 Miler
Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts
Saturday, February 13, 2010

Results
20 Miles
2:12:46 – 6:39 pace
18th place Overall of 500
4th place AG M40-44

Race Report

If you had told me a month ago, back before I had registered for Martha’s Vineyard 20 Miler (MV20), that the race course on the island would become my own private speedway, I would not have believed you.

In fact, I probably would not have even heard you since, with this being my first trip to this popular beach vacation spot, I was simply too excited to see what it was all about.

A daytrip that included two long car rides, one in the morning and another at night, sandwiching a ferry ride, a 20 mile race, several gatherings among friends for food and drink and plenty of laughs, followed by another ferry ride back to mainland, there was no room left for expectations of fast running.

For most toeing the line of the race, this event was a test and a test only. There was no glory in racing MV20; the glory was reserved for the Boston Marathon a few months later.

The goal of the test was to run the distance – a supported long run of 20 miles – and perhaps get in some marathon pace running.

My goal was the same. I wanted a solid workout with some fast running. How I achieved both, I would figure out as the miles unfurled. I had thought I would cruise through 10 miles in a pace slower than marathon pace and then turn it up by racing the last 10 with whatever I had left. But that was before the speedway opened before me.

Standing at the starting line a row from the front, I was chatting with other runners when unexpectedly a canon sound punched through the air. Taken off guard, we all looked at each other, as if asking ‘was that the start?’ Of course it was. Off we went.

Mile 1 (6:45) was brisk, but after a mile warm up, it was easy to keep on. Right away I settled in with the lead woman at the time and got into conversation. I couldn’t help but notice that I was easily within the Top-20 in the race.

As Miles 2 (6:45) and 3 (6:45) came, I was still chatting with the lead woman, when we watched, far up the road, the lead male pull out of sight. I couldn’t believe how fast this guy, running all by himself, was pushing.

During this time I couldn’t help but notice how fluid my legs felt. We were running at a brisk clip, far faster than I thought I would run at this early stage, but my body felt strong and my breathing was solid.

The wind was at our backs, the road was slight rolling hills, and my engine was revving up a notch.

Mile 4 (6:31) came quickly. To this point I was still with the lead female, but now neither of us were talking. I noticed through my now-labored breathing that we had just fallen into racing. Riding redline with our breathing just barely in control, I felt very good.

Through Miles 5 (6:31), 6 (6:31), and 7 (6:31), what I had been thinking all along became abundantly clear. My recent Top-End Speed work was paying off. This pace was fast yet maintainable – it felt easy compared to what it would have without the work. My breathing was bordering out of control, but through this all I was still comfortable; something in me told me that I could maintain this pace throughout the remaining miles. I knew it would be painful, but the test before me was met with proper preparation, where the answers revealed themselves with fast splits. There was no other answer but to trust in self and keep motoring.

Wind still at the back, the course bridged two bodies of water via a sliver of road with water on either side. I was feeling so strong and running so fluidly, even though I was pushing pace a little too much to my liking, that the road reminded me of a speedway. My own private one. Like a runway. Set before me to rev my engine. For a powerful acceleration. I got in the zone, stayed on top of my feet with solid form learned only through the Top-End Speed Experiment, and hammered on through Mile 8 (6:30), 9 (6:30), and 10 (6:30).

Unfortunately the end of road was near. My fast track ended a few paces beyond the Mile 10 marker as the course turned inland, directly into the wind, and onto an ice-encrusted, sometimes-snow-filled bike path. This was also when the course turned from flat to rolling hills as it meandered through forest. It was about to get very difficult.

Slowing down far more often than I would have liked to navigate icy patches on the path, Mile 11 (6:38) and 12 (6:34) were slightly slower. I nearly wiped out a few times per mile but otherwise keep effort steadily at redline. Make no mistake. I was racing. But this stretch, especially after the speedway earlier, was starting to take its toll.

It wasn’t until Mile 13 (6:44) and on through the half marathon (13.1 ~1:26:30, 6:36 pace) when I knew I was fighting far too much to maintain the pace I had been running. I was reminded of my possible demise when I was no longer the one doing the passing. To this point I figured I was in about 10th place. Just then two guys went by me, both of them working together. I was now in 12th. And it wasn’t about to get better.

Still, with 7 more mile remaining, I knew I had to take care of myself and not worry about others. And so the remaining miles were about holding on, keeping breathing on the edge of control, and remaining focused. When the path allowed with dry pavement, I got up on my feet with good form and held. And held.

Mile 14 (6:37), 15 (6:48), and 16 (6:46) was all about holding on. I could see five guys in front of me, three of whom had passed me. I tried to maintain the gap as I jumped around icy patches or slowed down with hands out for balance. Occasionally I had to stop running, walk over more treacherous ice, before lumbering on. But the truth was that the ice was bogging me down, compounding my pain. Even so, this pain felt far different than pain of holding on in other races. This pain, I knew, was made different from my Top-End Speed work.

Mile 17 (7:05) was the turning point, for the better. The five runners ahead of me were stuck at the same distance. The path had grown so impassable at pace that those five all hopped off the path to the road. There’s an unspoken fairness rule in place, that up front in the race, where places matter for Top-10 or -20, if the lead guy stays the course (on the icy path), all others must do the same. Finally this fair little game had ended. And thank God. Because this was too much; it was taking me down. And them, too.

Now on the roads, my pace, like magic, resumed when I had feared it might not. Mile 18 (6:41) and 19 (6:41) were tough but in a way I felt strong for being able to continue powering at redline without my pace falling too hard. During this stretch two more runners passed me while I nabbed another.

Shortly after passing the Mile 19 marker, another runner came by me. I had heard footsteps on my heal for the last mile, and I had done all that I could to maintain position, but now, as the pass came, I didn’t have any more than to get on the runner’s heals.

Over the last mile I laid down all I had. It was not good enough to reclaim position number 17, but it was good for 18th place overall with a last mile of 6:14.

My own private speedway revved my engine through 10 miles, and with the engine racing itself from there to the end, I held on for a respectable finish with an average pace of 6:39. I know I could not have motored on at that pace for much longer, but even if a more pronounced slowdown occurred, I still might have been able to stay under 3 hours had the distance been 6.2 miles longer and the terrain the same. Although these are all assumptions, it steps me forward with great confidence into the next phase of my training.

Splits (avg pace based on long split)
1 – 6:45
2 – (6:45) 13:30
3 – (6:45)
4 – 6:31
5 – (6:31) 19:35
6 – (6:31)
7 – (6:31)
8 – (6:30) 19:30
9 – (6:30)
10 – (6:30)
11 – 6:38
12 – 6:34
13 – 6:44
13.1 – ~1:26:30 (6:36 avg pace thru half)
14 – 6:37
15 – 6:48
16 – 6:46
17 – 7:05
18 – (6:41) 13:22
19 – (6:41)
20 – 6:14
Finish – 2:12:46 – 6:39 pace

OMW: Annoying

One-Minute Writer: Annoying

I had just made another pass in a string of many when I sensed something was wrong. The Dutch cyclist I had gone by was now sucking my wheel, cheating by slipping into my draft zone. I could hear him behind me, over the rush of wind, and even feel him on my back, eyes planted firmly on my ass as he continued to take advantage of an illegal position.

Fighting into ferocious winds on the polders of the Dutch countryside, I put my head down in attempts to stay as aero as possible and pushed as I tried to forget about the cheater behind me. But it was hard. Here I was, racing in a triathlon World Championship of top age groupers, playing by the rules, and this guy was out to use me to his advantage. The wind was unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Over the rushing sounds of a wall of wind, I was still able hear the guy behind me, annoying, ticking in my ear to the point where I finally had enough.

At first chance, I peered back with a scowl to show my displeasure. The pain registered on his face told me he was holding on. The over-distanced 5K swim before it in swirling, choppy waters plus the 60 miles already covered on the bike had taken its toll. This guy was hurting. But he was cheating. And he was annoying, totally disrupting my race.

Just then another rider, this one a German, hopped on his wheel, with me leading the charge, doing all the work into this dire wind. Both were cheating, as the International Triathlon Union mandates a draft-free ride for all participants.

Five miles later the road finally turned away from the wind. I used the opportunity to make a push, to shake the two cheaters, but having expended so much energy fighting into the wind in the earlier miles, I had no extra push remaining. When I looked back, I saw both riders sitting up out of their aero positions looking at each other and exchanging words.

That was it. Here I am, in a race of a lifetime, worrying about these guys behind me, letting them ruin my race… I had to do something. At that moment, annoyance exploded into action.

With me leading the way, with a Dutch cheater on my wheel and a German cheater on his, I reached down for my sport drink and took a swig. But instead of swallowing, I turned around and sprayed the sweet fluid up in the air, completing covering my competitors.

Even through this, these guys stayed glued to my wheel. So I sprayed them with sticky sport drink again. And again my plea was ignored.

A mile later a race official came by on a motorbike. As the official riding on the back looked at me to check that all was well, I told him about the two guys, how they were drafting. The motorbike slowed to the Dutch. As I looked back, I saw the official say something and wag a finger at him. Then he dropped back further and did the same to the German.

Not long after the motorbike pulled away, the Dutchman was back on my wheel. Thankfully the German took the message and was done cheating.

So annoyed I was at this point that I turned around and gave him a universal symbol with my middle finger. The Dutchman was unshaken. He didn’t even look at me as I had turned.

Just then a cyclist with a red Canadian maple leaf on his uniform pulled around the Dutchman to by my side. “This asshole has been drafting you for the last half hour.” I shook my head, I knew. At that moment, the Canadian slowed down to the Dutchman, now beside him, and thrust a middle finger at him, as if he would punch him.

It was the last time the Dutchman drafted my wheel.

My annoyance turned to elation nearly two hours later when I was done with the bike and now on the run course. As I was completing the first loop of the 30K run course, I spotted a familiar face on the other side of the pathway, runners going in either direction. It was the Dutchman. He wore the same expression of pain on his face. Dejected with dreams over, he was walking.

This “Annoying” moment was caught in an official race photo. This picture was taken right after the Canadian had pulled in front of me but before he told me of the cheaters drafting my wheel. It wasn’t long after this picture when I was finally able to shake the Dutchman and the German, with great thanks to my friend from Canada.

Trakkers: January Update

January has been a busy month for Team Trakkers. Professional triathlete and Team Trakkers leader Carole Sharpless has been very busy working with both corporate and team sponsors to get things going. On the sponsors front she’s done a remarkable job!

Sponsors

Team Trakkers is happy to have supporting their cause the following top-flight companies: Rev3, Saucony, Kestrel, All3Sports, First Endurance, and Tri-Swim.

Many thanks to Saucony for helping the team with high-performance running shoes. I am now training in Saucony ProGrid Triumph 7.

Stay tuned for other good things to come from both Saucony and our other sponsors. At this hour it looks like First Endurance is already helping us achieve our goals, both as a team and individually, with nutrition support of the finest from the finest. My order is already in. Can’t wait to see how First Endurance helps me kickass!

Uniforms

Saucony has graciously taken the lead on Team Trakkers uniforms. Orders have been placed, and they are diligently processing them. One thing is for sure: the infamous Trakker GREEN will be featured!

Website

Check out the team website if you haven’t already! Featured are team member bios (including Pro’s and amateurs), Trakkers GPS information, and other kick ass stuff.

Share the Glory: www.trakkersgps.com

Rev3 Race Series

Many top-named Pro’s have been signing up for one or all of the Rev3 Series races. Here is the current list:

Knoxville
Quassy
Cedar Point

With Matty Reed, Craig Alexander, and Michael Lovato, among others, fighting for top honors on the Mens’ side; and Mirinda Carfrae, Natascha Badmann, and Amanda Lovato on the Women’s, each race will be a duel to the end. Don’t miss it. Especially with Trakkers GPS technology bring the race to you. You will be able to Share the Glory these fine professionals aim for.

Did You Know

Tara Costa, fame from the Biggest Loser, has signed up to do the Rev3 Race Series! So if you see a familiar face at any Rev3 event, yup, that would indeed be her!

Fun Slogan

Share the Glory,
Live the Glory,
Be the Glory!

Bike Fit

At the end of last year (2009) — in fact, on the very last day of the year – I went to Fitwerx(2) for a bike fit. I had been having issues with my current setup at the time and, after tinkering for months without ever getting it right, I finally decided to go to the professionals. Fitwerx, the area’s premier bike fitter, is where I went.

Below is a quick visual of the differences…

Bike Fit Pre-Dec. 31, 2009: video (done by me)

Bike Fit Jan. 4, 2010: video (done by Fitwerx)

And here’s a bike I’m toying with right now and will purchase from a trusted friend if I can dial in the fit (still having issues). If I can do that, and if I like the ride once I log a few miles on it on the Trainer, it will be a keeper.

Kuota K-Factor: video (fit based on new bike fit… close as of now, but still not there)

Changes:

o New saddle - I went with a new saddle since the old one never worked for me even though I kept riding it. Too much pressure on the undercarriage.

o Seat Up – We raised the seat a smidge, which I was happy about since I tend to favor a taller seat height. I seem to be able to generate more power that way.

o Saddle Forward – We jammed my saddle forward since, mainly, I used to ride the rivet, like, all the time. I have a tendency of scootching forward farther and farther to the point where I’m riding with my ass at the very tip of the saddle, a position that is commonly referred to as riding the rivet.

o Drop Aerobar Assembly – The areobar assembly was dropped to give me an extremely aggressive aero style with a drop of 14 cm from top of saddle to aero pads.

o Shift Arm Pads – Arm pads had to shift forward some to allow me a ninety degree angle in the upper arm coming straight down to the pads so that I can use my skeletal system to support my body over using muscles.

o Aerobar Extensions Shortened – The aerobar extentions had to be shortened drastically so that the gear shifters would fall at my hands.

So far so good with the fit. It seems like a keeper. I’ll have more on this as the days tick by.

Derry 2010 Pictures

Many thanks to the Greater Derry Track Club (GDTC) for pictures of the 2010 edition of the Boston Prep 16 Miler race. Complete pictures and videos here!

Derry 2010 – Race Start - Pictured right of center in dark blue Boston Marathon jacket and shades is Thor; Frankie, in red, is to his left (right in the picture) while Brian, in white, is tucked behind; all three ran together at 7:30 pace through mile 9.

Derry 2010 – Monster Hill – Thor climbing the long hill between miles 10 and 12.5. Nice knee lift. Nothing but net!

Training: Top-End Speed Experiment

The month of January has found me in an experiment working on my top-end run speed. Based on the premise that in order to run fast you have to, well, run fast, I decided to work on my top-end speed.

To this end I have been hitting the treadmill on Wednesday mornings at the local YMCA with my friend Sharon. I put a workout together consisting of intervals that progress one notch faster than the previous. We warm up with ten minutes of random jogging followed by a mile at 5K race pace. Then we begin the workout.

The workout consists of only 6 intervals of two minutes in duration with three minutes jog as recovery time. The first interval starts near our respective top-end speed and notches up one faster as the intervals progress so that by the end we are smack against the speed to which we cannot run any faster for the given duration (two minutes). By nudging up against this upper end speed in a progressive way, and doing it for several few weeks, we have upped the top-end speed we can hold. The effect of improved top-end speed has been that paces slower than this feel far easier than they had.

With this under our belts, the only thing remaining in converting this to raw speed at the marathon level – our goal – is the endurance speed typically earned in longer intervals. The hope is that by the time we start up those longer intervals, such as the common mile repeats, our speed for the given interval will feel easier to the point where we can go faster. This sets us up well for the next phase of speed, those infamous mile repeats.

Methodology

“In order to run fast you have to run fast.”

We’ve heard this uttered time and again, but it’s true: If you want to run fast in a race, you have to run fast in training. We all agree on that, sure. But how can we make running marathon pace feel easy? I can run 8 minute miles for a very long time. And it’s because my body is so conditioned to that pace that it really is easy, where my breathing is good, heart rate under control, and the work required to power on is minimal. Absent of running crazy miles and doing endless speed work, the thought here is to nudge up the top-end speed we can run so that those slower miles feel easier.

Think about lifting weights. You train to get stronger by doing either lifting a lower weight over more reps or higher weight over lower reps. It is well known that if you are looking for sheer power, you want to lift to fail; you do not want to be lifting lower weight with higher reps. You want to lift the most you can so that you cannot lift again after 6 reps. Once you get to 10 to 12, you move up in weight. If you took this approach with your biceps, and if this is something you haven’t done before or in a while, by doing 4 sets of a weight you can barely lift 6 to 8 times, and do that twice per week over the course of a month, I guarantee that in even that short amount of time, a weight that felt easier to lift prior to starting this workout routine would now feel easy. And it’s because you gained sheer strength. The first wave of strength comes very easy, and it’s because your muscles haven’t seen that look before or in a long while. But you will plateau quickly, which is why to gain more you need to lift to fail and change up the workouts.

The theory here is that this applies to running too. How many of us training for a marathon really work on top-end speed? Probably very few. We do speed work that quickly progresses to 800’s or mile repeats. But what if in the early stages of marathon training we trained the run like we would in lifting weights to fail for maximum strength?

Why Now?

You’re training for a marathon, so shouldn’t you be doing longer intervals, like mile repeats, or hill work instead of top-end speed, and what does top-end speed have to do with it?

The idea here is to work up your top-end speed so that marathon pace now feels… easy. And if marathon pace is easier than it was before, you will have more energy for those later miles. And you might even up that marathon pace to take up the extra energy. This, of course, assumes that you will take this top-end speed into those longer intervals. You cannot ignore them. Those long intervals, such as mile repeats and tempo runs, are breath and butter. Come into it was a layer of top-end speed and that bread and butter will turn into cinnamon and raisin swirl bread.

A higher top-end speed will help you get more out of those mile repeats once those kick in.

As for me and why I’m inspired to work on top-end speed when I’m training for a marathon – not a 5K – I have always wanted to run a 5 minute mile. It was a goal I set several months back. And since I was between marathons, with Philadelphia being late last season and Boston being in spring, I wasn’t yet ready to start up the longer intervals. Philly seems still too close. So why not have a little fun!

Proof

After a full month of working on my top-end speed, a few benefits became very clear:

1) My top-end speed is notching up, if even for only a short two minute interval.

2) Running a mile at my 5K pace feels far easier than it did only a month ago. Sure, it’s only a mile. But it’s always good to feel better than you did before running the same pace.

3) My running form at that top-end speed is far better. It requires immense focus, but I’ve already learned that when I’m starting to muscle through, that’s exactly when my form goes down, so that’s the clue to get back to better form. Of course, not long after that there comes a point where I have nothing left, where I really am too tired to support good form, and where I must resort to muscling through to just keep going. But these teach you what good form feels like.

4) My body is learning to recovery more quickly between sets, or even when I’m out on the roads running hills in a different workout, I seem to recover more quickly.

5) Probably most importantly is that in my last race, the Boston Prep 16 Miler, one of the toughest courses in the New England area, I cruised through mile 9 with friends, then turned it up through the hills to mile 12, and then hammered home the last 4 miles in 6:11 pace, with the last mile at 5:46. Sure, these miles were mostly down hill or flat, but the truth is… I felt comfortable while riding redline. I never felt I was holding on, and I kept pushing and pushing pace to the point where I couldn’t run any faster than I was.

Workouts

Workouts started on the easy and short side with the notion of getting me ready to run at high intensity for short duration. I didn’t want to be hobbled for days after a workout, so I gradually worked up to a respectable top-end speed from which to start with the real workouts.

The real workouts are only an hour in duration, so they don’t become something to dread; rather, they are manageable, doable, and even fun, especially since each time out you up your speed.

The key to the workouts are that once the real work starts, where you up your top-end speed more and more, nudging it higher and higher, you do this each week by increasing speed on the treadmill each week for all intervals.

Weeks 1 & 2: Get body used to running fast

Example by end of Week 2. Work up to something like this:

Week 2
WU – 10 min
7 min @ 5:52 (slightly slower than 5K pace) w/3 min recovery jog (jog)
2 min @ 5:21 pace w/3 min jog (chose a pace that is roughly 30’s faster than 5K pace)
2 min @ 5:18 (on Treadmill this is one notch faster than previous)
2 min @ 5:15 (one notch faster)

Weeks 3, 4, 5: Top-End Speed Work:

Week 3
WU – 10 min
7 min @ 5:52 w/3’ jog (same as last week)
2 min @ 5:18 w/3’ jog… (same as last week)
2 min @ 5:15 (one notch faster)
2 min @ 5:13 (one notch faster)
2 min @ 5:10

Week 4
WU – 10 min
7 min @ 5:48 w/3’ jog (one notch faster than last week)
2 min @ 5:18 w/3’ jog… (same as last week)
2 min @ 5:15 (one notch faster than previous)
2 min @ 5:13 (one faster)
2 min @ 5:10
2 min @ 5:07

Week 5
WU – 10 min
7 min @ 5:45 w/3’ jog (one notch faster than last week)
2 min @ 5:18 w/3’ jog… (same as last week)
2 min @ 5:15 (one notch faster than previous)
2 min @ 5:13 (one faster)
2 min @ 5:10
2 min @ 5:07
2 min @ 5:05

Weeks 6 & 7: Top-End Speed Cont.

Week 6
WU – 10 min
7 min @ 5:42 w/3’ jog (one notch faster than last week)
2 min @ 5:15 w/3’ jog… (one notch faster than last week)
2 min @ 5:13 (one notch faster)
2 min @ 5:10 (one faster)
2 min @ 5:07
2 min @ 5:05
2 min @ 5:02

Week 7
WU – 10 min
7 min @ 5:39 w/3’ jog (one notch faster than last week)
2 min @ 5:13 w/3’ jog… (same as last week)
2 min @ 5:10 (one notch faster)
2 min @ 5:07 (one faster)
2 min @ 5:05
2 min @ 5:03
2 min @ 5:00  TARAGET

Week 8: TEST & beginning of starting into longer intervals

Week 8
WU – 10 min
7 min @ 5:42 w/3’ jog (one notch slower than last week)
2 min @ 5:10 w/3’ jog
2 min @ 5:05 w/5’ jog (one notch faster – NOTE long recovery)
5 min @ 5:00 w/5’ jog  TARGET MILE
2 min @ 5:30 w/3’ jog
2 min @ 5:30 w/3’ jog

Week 9: REST

Week 10: Start up with longer intervals.

Training: Be a ballet dancer!

This article, Hill Drills: Running for Triathletes, shown here raises a very good point for runners and triathletes alike.

Lee Gardner, the author, opens with a quote that, if you don’t get it, means that you probably have much to gain by doing hill work on the run, even if all you do is race flat courses, because being strong on the hills makes you a strong runner capable of powering through paces and undulating terrain, even the flatter courses with minor dips and rises.

The quote:

“We don’t want our runners like weight lifters, we don’t want our runners like gymnasts; we want them like ballet dancers.” – Arthur Lydiard, Osaka, Japan, 1990

Gardner goes on to say that dancers in the ballet are “incredibly gifted athletes (dancers) executing quite amazing movement: Leaping and bounding with precision and speed over distance, arguably not unlike great runners.”

And it’s true.

If on the run you cannot “power over” short-to-medium sized rolling hills, then you can probably stand to gain strength and in turn speed by doing some of the hill workouts proposed in the article. I will summarize these below for varied abilities.

Put another way, if you cannot charge a hill, even a steeper, longer one, and on the way up stay on top of your toes with rapid cadence, using your feet as a spring boards with each foot fall, then you are leaving a lot of time out on the course that otherwise inflates your race times.

For beginners to hill work, or if you consider hills a weakness, start with doing hill repeats. Gardner calls these “Basic Hill Intervals,” where you would add a set of hill repeats to a run. Start with 3-7 repeats of 20 seconds to 60 second at easy to moderate pace. Work up to 8 repeats at 60 seconds or longer at moderate.

For intermediate runners, once you can work to 8 to 10 repeats of 60 seconds to 2 minutes at moderate pace (you can do fewer reps for the longer hills), you will want to layer in what Gardner calls “Hill Sprints.” These are short but race pace effort on moderate hills. Gardner recommends steep hills, but I won’t go that far. A hill with a moderate incline that you can charge up at 5K race pace effort or faster for between 30 seconds to up to 2 minutes is perfect.

Hill Sprints is where it is all at. This is where you can gain the sheer strength in the legs to power over hills, bound up them, and learn to recover on the fly. These alone will gain you an order of 10’s of seconds in a 5K if you aren’t doing them already.

For veteran runners, get right to the Hill Sprints, but pick a lengthy hill and charge it at better than 5K race pace. You want to charge the hill so that by the time you get to the top you can barely run another step. Spit up. And recover on the way back down the hill. Then repeat. Don’t worry about time, just charge. Do this workout a few times and you’ll have numbers dialed in. And you will improve drastically over a month since, after all, this is new to your legs.

Do your Hill Sprints and you too will feel like a ballerina, leaping and bounding over the stage that is the next hill, on your way to a PR.

(I left a lot of detail out of this, but if you want more information or even ideas for workouts, feel free to contact me at thor at kirleis dot org.)