More is More

When talking about training there are competing schools of thought about how much you should do, with some people promoting quality over quantity, some who emphasise the merits of complementary activities (eg, yoga) and some who even suggest to train less. Well, I'm here to say that more is more, more is better and more is the key to your best performance. Less is not more…less is less. Quality over quantity can destroy an athlete, and complementary activities are a waste of time. So there, I've said it!!!

There is a long and strong history to support the case for the benefits of doing more training, from the epic training stories of the “Big Four”, who learned about multisport training by simply doing lots of it, to elite swimmers who benchmark a 100km training week, and African runners whose documented training volumes are mind boggling. These athletes train so much because they can handle it, and because it is necessary to succeed internationally. In fact, if you survey training volume at almost any race you will most likely find a direct relationship between the highest place getters and training volume...so there must be something to it.

Before any outrage begins, I need to qualify what "more is more" means…that is, so long as you don't get sick or injured, the more training you can do the better your performance will be. Taking it a bit further, the more training you can do that is specific to your goal performance, the better your performance will be. The common element is that as a general rule, more training results in more performance.

Now onto the caveats, disclaimers and warnings because trying to apply "more is more" is full of risks unless some sensibility is applied to it. Doing “more” training is relative to each person, and means simply that...doing more training than you currently are. However heading out the door with the “more” goal in mind can quickly bring you undone, since it takes (a lot of) time to build the capability to train more. Fitness is cumulative, but so is fatigue and wear-and-tear, so planning to do more also means planning a gradual increase in training over time, almost in a two-steps-forwards-one-step-backwards approach. Hasten slowly.

For most people, how much more training you can do will often be limited by life and its constraints, eg, family, work, etc, and these are important and need respect. Pros train all day because their life circumstances allow it, which means that breaking through to elite level is hard as you struggle with the balance of need to work and desire to train. For folks on the precipice of being elite it takes a leap of faith to change something to allow them to train more in order to make the jump to elite standard (but there can be downfalls in this, also).

So assuming you can train more, and you’ve got a sensible and structured plan for making the most of the extra time you’ll be spending training, then what are some things to know? Firstly, don't let your head/ego get ahead of your body, and what it can withstand. One big week of training is just that – it looks and sounds good – but it’s only valuable when you can back up training according to plan in following weeks and not be sidelined because you bit off too much. It’s not advisable to train more at the expense of sleep.

In looking at your overall training, think of all your exercise as a pie with slices relating to different types of training. For example, think of a triathlete who spends 25% of their 6hrs of total weekly training running, which is 1.5hrs, and about 15% of that time is quality, which is 13.5mins. If they increase the size of the pie to 8hrs then 25% becomes 2hrs of running, including 18mins of quality, and benefitting from the extra fitness that brings might allow them to do 20% of quality which is 24mins. In this way, doing more training is not just about the overall size of the pie but the size of the pieces you allocate in various ways.

As a general rule, however, your initial increase in training will mainly be in easy miles with little/no change to the amount of quality training you do. Do your key sessions well and gradually add little extra bits of training around the edges, such as longer warm-up or warm-down, and progressively to adding additional sessions. Gradually you’ll do more quality training, but this increase will be slower than your overall increase in volume.

As your consistency in training more become routine, including necessary recovery, you’ll find breakthroughs in fitness take 6 weeks or so to be noticeable. Things like noting that you recover better from sessions, can complete sessions strongly and more and the telltale signs of fitness improvement.

A final note is to highlight a point I made earlier, which was that the more training you can do that is specific to your goal performance, the better your performance will be. The person with the most hours / miles of training will not necessarily be the best – training long and slow will mean you’ll race long and slow. What you do with the extra hours / miles is equally important, and they should be planned with the objective of improving your performance and not just training for the sake of it. So train more but keep in mind what you are training for, as this should be front-centre of your plan.

A final, final note...although it can often be on crap days, training should not be chore. Be dedicated and motivated, but keep it a real and enjoyable challenge.

Imperial 100 running week

In the last few years I've twice done a race called the King Island Imperial 20, which is a fantastic weekend on a great little island where the actual race is not the only feature activity. Highly recommended. It is called the "imperial 20" because the race distance is 20 miles, which is equal to 32 km in metric terms (1 mile = 1.609 km). Given those parameters and a quick mind you will calculate that imperial 100 is equal to 160 km, and the reason for this post is to note the biggest 7 day running block of my life, covering 160 km from Sat 5th May to Fri 11th May. In fact, there were only 6 days of running with Friday being my non-running day of the week.

In many sports there are some recognised - even if not widely promoted - benchmarks which universally indicate training high level volume / workload per week, and identify athletes who are really striving for their best performance level. In swimming it is 100 km, cycling is 1000 km and in running it is 100 miles, with running measured in miles as a throw-back to the old school days – and ways – upon which many running legends were built. For each sport it takes a long time to build up to, and withstand, the stress this level of training but the fitness rewards can be worth the risk…if you're careful.

My training had been going well through April, albeit interrupted in favour of three races - Run for the Kids, the Geelong half marathon and two team run legs in the Marysville to Melbourne adventure race. The races were good to do, and each gave me both some confidence and a boost in fitness…which also necessitated a drop in volume the following week for my old legs to recover. But come May the race schedule was lighter, which has allowed for some good running in the key month of preparation for Gold Coast marathon on 1st July.

The funny thing about this big week is that I didn’t even realise it until a day or two later, mainly because I usually count weekly distance from Monday to Sunday, and often fall trap to counting kilometres during the week...plus planned distance for the remaining days...to see how the weekly volume is tracking. But because this 160 km didn’t fit that weekly pattern I wasn’t even counting, which made it a nicer surprise when I did realise the milestone I’d reached.

So here’s how the 7 days panned out:
Sat 5th May – 45km, 3:11hr. Good run, with younger brother for 34km. Ran comfortably and strong (42.2km in 2:59:05hr)
Sun 6th May – 17km, 1:16hr. Tired for easy run. Did 10 x short hill sprints at end.
Mon 7th May – AM 15km, 1:06hr. PM 7.5km, 32min. Easy day. Fast strides at end of PM run. Tired legs.
Tue 8th May – 24km, 1:37hr. Hard tempo run incl 2 x 4km + 6 x 1km. Legs felt dead & tired. Hard work.
Wed 9th May – AM 13km, 59min. PM 13.5km, 60min. Easy day with run to and from work. Did 10 x short hill sprints at end of PM run.
Thur 10th May – AM 13km 60min. Midday 12.5km, 51min. Easy AM run, then 8 x 200m efforts in lunch-time run.
Fri 11th May – Non-running day. Hooray!!

So there is the big week!! The key sessions are Tue long, hard tempo and Sat long run. The rest is mainly extra running plus a bit of speed and things thrown in. Hopefully it will get to the line in Gold Coast in shape to run a PB...but not sure if I’ll top the 160km from those 7 days. See you on the road.

The purity of running

There are lots of reasons to like running...the feeling of fitness, the freedom of running trails and paths, or even the time efficient manner of getting a run done. But the thing that I really like about running is the purity of it, being just you, the ground, and minimal equipment needed. You don't need a court, a pool, a machine (bike) or even other people. It is the rawest, simplest and most basic human movement beyond walking...and much faster!!!

Some of my favourite memories of the freedom of running come from travel and holidays where I've used running as a means to look around and quickly get an overview of each location, often in the early morning peace and quiet...it is fantastic. One that sticks in mind is from Paris, where one morning I ran from the hostel down to the Seine river, along to the Eiffel Tower, across to Place de la Concorde, in front of the Louvre, up the Champs Elysees to Arc de Triomphe, and back to the hostel...all in under an hour!! I then spent of the rest of the day re-tracing my footsteps as a tourist, not a runner.

As a contest, running is as pure as it gets...whoever can get to the finish line fastest, which depends little on technology, but a lot on your heart and muscles to get you there. The contest is as raw as the challenge of the event and the obstacles it throws up at you...not to mention the elements. The appeal of a marathon is universal, and it just wouldn't be the same if the distance was a round number, or the route was sheltered and flat.

Equal to the feeling that running provides are the experiences it brings, and space to use your mind without usual interruptions. Each run is a journey that can take your mind on a trip through all kinds of thoughts and ideas. A good run helps to clear your mind, sort through the 'noise' that can clutter it and process issues that have banked up over recent days. Your experiences in running are only limited by your mind, and where you want your legs to take you.

This all sounds very lovely, but one more thing I've learned in ramping up my own running is that it is not always "glamorous", and in fact is hard work. The days when you wake up early, swing out of bed onto tired and stiff legs, the thought of saddling up in your running gear and heading out the door can seem like plain old hard work, and your enjoyment meter barely moves above zero. It's those days where the motivation of a goal burns brightest, and you go for a run anyway knowing that if you didn't the day wouldn't feel complete. It's a little victory over your inner demons, and that hard work or not, the opportunity to go running should never be taken for granted.

Yes, it is the simplicity, freedom, challenge, reward and purity of running that I like most. As long as my legs and body are able to, I'll be heading out the door into the open space...for my legs and mind to explore.

Winter Training KISS

Winter is usually associated with the off-season for most triathletes, coinciding with cold and dark days where the prospect of training is a bit of a drag...especially when it is raining on Saturday morning. Usually it is training that suffers, which makes complete sense, and yet many people will battle with some feeling of guilt over what training they feel they should be doing, or as prescribed by a coach. 

This article to not going to suggest throwing a training plan out the window - a LOT can be achieved during winter - but to take a pragmatic and simple approach to how you go about achieving your winter training objectives. Basically, it is to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)!!

As a coach I enjoy the challenge of weaving an intricate training plan, complete with necessary periodisation, progression, recovery and more, tailored for an individual athlete. But I realise there is a time and place for everything, including these detailed programs, and winter is often the time where the specific detailed is watered down in favour of JFT (Just F-ing Train), where just training is often more important than tormenting athletes with specific session plans.

There's a few reasons for this. First is that athletes need a break from complex training to just enjoy the simple beauty of getting out and doing something. In saying that, however, I do believe it is possible - and valuable - to insert some short and specific training elements into selected sessions during winter to achieve some training goals, but without making sessions too onerous. Also, training can still follow a strategic plan...we're only talking about the complexity of sessions.

A further reason for keeping it simple is that triathletes like going hard, and given the opportunity in any structured session will try and do it as hard as they can. This is generally not desirable during winter and will likely see athletes pushing themselves into great form in August/September, and then flat and dragging the proverbial chain when the actual race season comes around. So the best way to avoid that is to limit the structure of sessions.

So by keeping things simple, and proving guidelines, broad objectives and a skeleton template for winter training, you achieve flexibility for when sessions can be done to allow for various winter blues. The guidelines and objectives are the key ingredients to ensure athletes arrive at the post-winter phase ready for what is ahead, while the template provides some loose structure for actually doing the training. Of course, different athletes respond to different amounts of detail and information, and this would be catered for. I'll write more on winter training examples in a subsequent article. In the meantime, KISS and JFT for a while...and just enjoy training.

Why I like ITU racing

A great topic to get a group of triathletes debating around a cafe table is about ITU racing, especially when it is discussed in relation to IM racing. Specifically, draft-legal, World Triathlon Series, ITU racing, where the pinnacle achievement is Olympic Gold...arguably the highest prize in triathlon. Now that is an opinion to add fuel to the ITU vs. IM debate!!!

I'm writing this as a triathlon (and sporting) purist - and spectator - to explain why I like ITU racing. This is not about the relative abilities of the respective athletes (that is for another occasion), but about the product as we witness it at races like Mooloolaba, Sydney and elsewhere. It's also not to say that ITU racing is better than IM racing. So here's my reasons for liking ITU racing:

It is faaast!! Just ask Macca what how fast these "kids" (as he calls ITU athletes) are. They know that every second counts, and that any technical or tactical mistake will be punished...especially when either Brownlee is racing. If you are not up to speed in any leg, you will get dropped and just like in a bike race, your chances of getting back on are all but zero. The racing is uncompromising, no one gives an inch and in 2 hrs you have a winner....I like that!!

ITU athletes are very talented, and do not all fit the age-old, stereotypical model of just being good swimmer and runners...and far from it being "A shampoo, blow-dry and 10k run..." (thanks Mr Armstrong for that contribution!!). These guys are very good swimmers, bike riders and runners, and while many single-sport aficionados will scoff, remember that these athletes excel at being triathletes. So to that end, I like watching athletes who are top of their game, and the ITU folks are just that, at the top of the game of being fast triathletes.

The World Triathlon Series has been fantastic for ITU racing. It brings together the best triathletes in the world 8 or so times a year to race head-to-head, with each race earning points for the overall title. Now it is akin to F1 / Moto GP...and even a football premiership season, to an extent...and I like being able to follow the fortunes of athletes across the season, at different race venues, not to mention being able to watch it live on-line (and some even live on TV). The series has done a lot raise the profile of triathlon.

ITU races are spectator friendly. The courses are multi-lap, so you never have to wait more than a few minutes to see the athletes again. The multi-loop format also means it is possible to hold races right in the middle of big cities, so they are also accessible, and free to watch - ITU racing brings the sport to the people. Because you can see the athletes live, multiple times, you can track the movements in the field...I like watching who tries a bike break away, who runs through the field and more. Plus, none of the legs lasts more than about 60 mins.

ITU racing is an Olympic sport. If you are a triathlete and diss the sport you give so much of your time and energy just because it is different format than you like, then you've got your blinkers on. I like that every 4 years our sport is in spotlight at the biggest event on the planet, where I can cheer for our country's athletes for the biggest prize in the sport. What's not to like about that??

What's next?

This is about the time of year when many athletes are close to - or have already - finished their race season and kicking back a little, both physically and mentally, and reflecting on the season past and...the topic of this article...the next season. For some the thought of the next season may hurt their head, but I'm talking more about the strategic planning and direction rather than nitty gritty.

Without wanting to sound too philosophical, your time in sports is akin to a journey where each race season builds fitness and experiences that are cumulating in nature. That is, the fitness you built for the season just past is great background for whatever you want to tackle next. Further, the things you learned over summer in preparation, training and execution of races will help you no end in the future. The strategic planning I'm talking about takes all these things, and more into account, in coming up with an idea for what next to do.

In triathlons, many people see their journey beginning with short, beginner races, then sprint tris and some Olympic Distance events, working up to IM 70.3 and finally Ironman races. Yet again, some other people jump straight into IM races, seemingly without 'paying their dues' in the shorter events!! The thing is, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to decide which events you want to do - some people love sticking with shorter races their whole life - where there are also a myriad of other factors to consider, like family and work.

Nonetheless, if you are interested in taking a strategic approach to your development as a triathlete, now is about the time to be thinking some more about it and loosely putting together some plans. In the same way that you train to train, the work you do over the off season will set you up well for being in the kind of shape you need to be in for the races you're seeking to do next season. Almost regardless of your goal distance events next season, the same principles apply to your training over winter, albeit with some variation to allow for the necessary workload you need to be considering.

Starting with short-course athletes, some of these folks will choose to stay in this realm of competition which is great because it allows them to consolidate their abilities, know already what their strengths and weasknesses are and work to develop each. They have the "luxury" of not needing to do copious amounts of volume, but can focus on some finer aspects of their event, eg, bike skills, speed and power, and so on. They can also consider some off season races to keep some familiarity with racing that is not so important for longer course athletes.

For short-course athletes looking to step up to long-course (IM 70.3) racing, now is the time to be thinking about your progression in training volume and workload to build your base fitness. Thinking again of training to train, the coming months will build cumulative fitness - and fatigue - so you need to approach this carefully and hold your enthusiasm back a little. Hasten slowly. In addition to fitness, you will need to start preparing for other aspects of LC racing - nutrition, equipment, tactics (pacing) and more. LC racing is complex in a different way.

The next group is/are LC athletes stepping up to IM distance events, where the main points are factoring in the extra training volume you'll need to be doing, and learning more about use of pacing in training to prepare you for race day - IM requires it's own mind-set to race to your potential. But even while stepping up the volume, you can and still need to include variety in training pace and effort, to develop all-round fitness but it's just that the emphasis on the amount of each type of training and fitness varies according to your chosen distance. I should also mention that all-round fitness also includes constant focus on core strength work, as constant as brushing your teeth each day!!

The final group of athletes are IM athletes who are looking to be better IM athletes. These folks typically start with a great base of fitness, which provides good scope for planning out a structured program over a number of months, which may not include many races between each IM...although some races are great to do. Consistency and avoiding boredom are the biggest challenges, and most important things for achieving the progression they're after.

A left-field group of athletes are those who choose to step down in distance, which is a different kettle of fish, and requires a re-adjustment of training focus...and a more careful adjustment of their body to higher intensities and the associated risks with that. However, these athletes can often have the most fun as it's kind of like a game of the "older folks trying to mix it with the kids", a bit like Macca going back to ITU racing!!!

So at this time of the year is a great time to think about what is next, and what you need to be thinking of and planning for in order to achieve the goals in the events you're aiming for next season. Enjoy the challenge of it all!!

Thank-you, Virgin Australia

It was only a few days ago I was writing of our frustration with Virgin Australia about an experience with them at Perth airport, where we had to desert them and fly with Qantas in order to get home that day, which we finally did. Well this post is to acknowledge and thank Virgin Australia for their response in the situation, which has been great. Here is what has happened over the last few days.

I wrote my blog post on the (Qantas) plane flying back, and posted it that night once we got home. The next morning (Thursday) while running I had the chance to think through it some more, pondering the options and potential ramifications of taking it further. I was motivated by it being a interesting story which I thought others might find interesting...if only because it might be a lesson for other pregnant women who might be flying soon. I also was curious to see how social media might play a role in bringing it to the attention of Virgin Australia, as an alternative to letter...I suspected the combination of pregnant women versus big organisation would press some buttons!!!

It even crossed my mind to go the full mile and get the media onto it, like A Current Affair and Today Tonight, but I prefer not to lower myself to their low level.

When I got home I said to Ms A I would do a post or two via Twitter and Facebook to see what happened, and maybe contact the Herald Sun, to which she kind of laughed... So I fired up my laptop and armed with my blog as a description of what happened, proceeded to hit the social media universe.

First I went to Facebook and updated my status with “Virgin Australia screwed us over yesterday...thanks for nothing!!” and a link to my blog. Over the course of the day it got 8 comments and a few Likes, where the court of public opinion seemed to be on our side...phew!!! Then I went to the Virgin Australia page and made a similar post, again with a link to my blog...but this post didn’t last long until it was deleted, not surprisingly. Next was Twitter, where I started following Virgin Australia and then did a tweet saying “@VirginAustralia screwed us over yesterday. Thanks for nothing.”

After this flurry of activity I shut the laptop down and went to work...it’s so quick and easy to stir things up!! All morning I was waiting for something to happen (other than Facebook comments), but nothing. Humph!! What do you need to do to get some attention?? So feeling a bit left out, after lunch I went to the Herald Sun web-site and posted a news tip about “pregnant woman versus corporate Goliath” to see what would happen...this was becoming a bit of fun game!!

After a meeting I came out to, finally, some developments!! Virgin Australia had replied to both my Facebook and Twitter posts, apologising and that someone would be in contact with me soon. I also had a missed call from a journalist at the Herald Sun. Finally some attention for us!!!

First up I called the Herald Sun back, who were interested in the story, so I went over some parts of it again in addition to what they’d already read on my blog. By coincidence, when I told the journo who our obstetrician was, she said he was same doctor she’d had for her two kids!! Anyway, they wanted a photo of Ms A, so I gave them her ph nbr knowing full well that the thought of her picture in the Herald Sun could well put her into labour early. As it turned out, they weren’t able to get in contact with her to arrange a photo, but the story was “in the can”, so to speak.

Then a little later on came the best part of the whole thing. I received a phone call was a guy who introduced himself (I missed his name), but did hear him say he was from the Office of the CEO of Virgin Australia. Now you’re talking...and I was all ears!!! He was a terribly nice fellow, with a very soothing voice and gentle nature (over the phone, at least), and also very keen to talk through the whole thing. I explained our frustration was not with the airline as a whole, but with the particular application of the pregnancy policy where, in the circumstances, we felt some discretion could have been used in applying the policy, to accept the verbal and email advice from our doctor rather than require a written, signed letter head version of the same information on a public holiday.

He was very understanding and started out by acknowledging that the pregnancy policy was hard to find on their web-site, under “Special Assistance” which suggests wheelchair type issues rather than pregnancy. So he said he’d have the information moved to be more accessible. Then we went on to say he was very concerned about getting our confidence and support back for the airline, and to that end, offered us some free flights!! Wow!! He promptly followed up with an email, and to contact him directly to arrange the flights...although it will be some months until we’ll be flying again...

I hung up the phone being really impressed by their concern with dealing promptly with the matter, treating it with great priority and importance, even if the matter wasn’t that big in the grand scheme...he was concerned with us and our lasting opinion. I subsequently spoke to the Herald Sun journo to say how Virgin Australia had followed up – the story (still) hasn’t been published yet.

So after all that I felt I should update the record about Virgin Australia, and say thank-you for the way they dealt with the matter, not just because we’ve ended up with some free flights, but the manner of personally working through it. Thank-you, Virgin Australia.

Arrrgh...Virgin Australia!!!

April is a lovely time to visit Perth and Western Australia. The peak summer heat has passed leaving days that are really pleasant and nights that are still comfortable to sleep during. Even if school holidays are on, things are generally that much quieter than back home in Melbourne and Victoria that you can easily get around without battling crowds.

My older brother has lived in Perth for well over 20 years, and so Ms A and I made a long overdue trip over to see him for a few days during which we went down south to Augusta, had dinner with various friends each night, and Ms A got to visit her uncle, aunt and cousins. It was a good trip, for many reasons.

The downside of visiting Perth are the plane flights each way...4hr or so going over, and 3.5hr coming back. Over time I’ve come to prefer either Qantas or Virgin Australia, paying a little more than the budget airline options for better service. For this trip we booked with Virgin who had some good prices on the days we were travelling. A small concern was Ms A being 32.5 weeks pregnant, but with our obstetrician assuring us it was OK up until 34 weeks and gave Ms A a certificate advising of her due date to show the airline should we queried.

The flight over was fine – none of the Virgin staff even blinked at her size (and getting bigger literally by the day!!), and the flight went fine. If only the return trip had been as hassle free...
The troubles started when we arrived, in plenty of time, and noticing the Virgin bag drop area being very quiet, meaning we straight up to the counter to drop our bag off, already having our boarding passes in hand. Things went well until the adjacent staff member, being unoccupied and friendly enquired about Ms A’s pregnancy, and how far she was. She replied 33 weeks (actually 33 weeks in 2 days time!), to which the staff member wondered aloud if it was still OK to fly. Ms A assured her it was, up until 34 weeks, and showed our Dr certificate and repeated the assurance he gave us. If only she’d been busy she might not have asked the question that set in motion all of what was to come.

Nonetheless, our check-in staff member did what was (probably) the correct thing and went off to check the Virgin policy while we continued making friendly chat with the adjacent staff member.

After an eternity she came back with a number of pieces of paper in her hand saying that we actually needed our doctor to provide assurance that – it wasn’t a multiple pregnancy, she’d had no complications, and was fit and healthy. Our certificate wasn’t going to cut it on its own.

So starting to get a little worried about the prospect of a long train journey home, we put a call into our Dr pager service and hoped he’d call soon, with the advice being that an email covering these things would suffice. It also seemed that it came down to the flight staff as to whether they would be OK with her flying, which may override the policy advice. Either way, we went up to the departure gate to see what we could sort out...me being the optimist and assuring Ms A that we’d be fine, imagining our Dr calling us, telling the staff it was all OK and we’d be on our way.

If only he’d called in time, and if only such common sense had prevailed. As it was, the staff at the gate said the same thing, that we need the email advice before we could get on the plane, and with only about 15min until departure it was looking a little slim. So we were bumped off the flight, and I must say I was a little dejected as it is clear, even without the Dr’s message, that Ms A was able to fly...in my opinion, at least!!!

So we went back down, waited a while to get our suitcase and then had a nice lunch at the airport pub...for me a good steak sandwich!!! Finally our Dr called, we explained the situation and a little while after he sent an email from his phone with the information needed – being a public holiday (ANZAC day), he was out of town.

Armed with this we went to the Virgin service counter where a guy helped us, and went off to the supervisor’s office to find out what to do. He came back with a printed copy of our Dr’s email, and a message from the supervisor that it wasn’t satisfactory because, in his words, “it needs more detail”. Now, the original check-in staff member gave us the crucial excerpt from the policy about what information was required, which we showed him saying that it included all the particular detail that had asked for. Still he said, it needs more detail...what detail?? Getting a little frustrated we asked to see the supervisor, and after some resistance he relented and led us to the door where we waited outside.

The supervisor came out and explained that the information was needed on a letterhead, signed by our Dr. She also agreed that the information was OK, and the email origin appeared to match the name on our original Dr certificate. We said that being a public holiday, getting a signed letterhead was nigh on impossible...but that didn’t make any difference. A policy is a policy. They went back behind the door and we called our Dr’s pager again.

Then we had a great scene...just as they came back out of the door our Dr called and so we put him onto the Virgin supervisor. Oh my god!!! Our Dr is a great guy, but it seems he let loose on the Virgin staff member saying how ridiculous they are, that this has never happened before in his 25 years of obstetrics, that Ms A was completely fine, and so on. I could almost hear his voice from where I stood!!! The Virgin staff member handed the phone back saying she would not put up with this tirade, so Ms A calmed him down, then handed the phone back to the Virgin supervisor...and in the end he got nowhere with Virgin as they were sticking to their guns, and that with him being out of town the earliest he could do a certificate would be the next day.

So it was a stalemate, and some tears were close to being shed (not by me!!). Our only option to get home that day would be purchasing a Qantas flight. On the one hand I could understand the Virgin policy and position, but on the other hand it seemed overly bureaucratic to require such information our Dr had provided in email, and verbally, on a letter head on a public holiday. The amazing thing about common sense is how uncommon it is.

Anyway, we headed down to Qantas, explained our situation, showed him the Dr certificate and email, and the sales guy made several calls to other folks, saying a few times that “I’m satisfied that the certificate and email provide the information we need” (their policy was actually quite similar to Virgin’s). Finally we made some headway with someone sensible, and bought a ticket for a plane leaving only 35min later...still 2hrs after our original flight.

I went back to the Virgin door to arrange a flight credit, knocked and was greeted by another guy who said the supervisor was in a meeting. I explained why I was there and he said, “So you’re here about the pregnant woman? Hmmmm, I’ve already heard about that.” So it seems our story is sure to be retold in the Virgin tea room for some time to come!!!

Even though we had a boarding pass, standing at the Qantas gate, we were careful to conceal the baby bump as we checked in, lest we get stopped again...but as I write this on the plane, Ms A is sitting happily and comfortably beside me. Only 7 weeks to go...

IM Melbourne Pro Run Analysis (men)

IM Melbourne was a great race for many reasons, one being that 7 men ran sub-2:50 (5 in sub-2:50), which represents exceptional quality and depth in an apparently certified accurate course. I noted in my Pro Lessons article that the fastest runners also look like the best runners, so this article is to examine 7 of the top 8 guys (missed Dellow) and make an unsolicited assessment of how they run.

I shot the videos below at about the halfway mark, capturing 3 seconds of actual running, replayed over 12 seconds back at 25 frames per second. This is a great place to observe as the athletes are well into a fatigued state and thus sees them with their “default” form compared to being fresh, or just out of T2. Any weakness will be on show at this stage, however they haven’t completely lost form yet, making it a “fair” assessment of their technique under fatigue.

Craig Alexander
Crowie is the gold standard for good running form. His hips are stable, back is straight, head is steady and he has a slight forward lean from ankles (whole body, good) rather than from the hips (just torso, not so good). The lean is a crucial part of his form, at a whole angle such that if he were just standing his nose would be above his toes. His body position means his body weight (and momentum) is forwards, and puts his hips over his feet at point of landing (rather than thinking of his feet being under his hips). The end result is that he is a mid-fore foot runner...not something you should aim for without consideration for your whole body position. Interesting to note his right hand swings a little more than his left, but it doesn't create any imbalance. His overall form is compact and relaxed, but his form easily allows him to "rev up" to faster speeds with ease.

Cam Brown
Brown is almost gold standard, with many of the same characteristics of Crowie. The main contrast is that Brown is more upright and thus doesn't quite get the benefit of rolling momentum that Crowie does, and the efficiency that comes with it. He is also light on his feet, with great agility, with another contrast being that his upright form sees him as a flat foot runner, which almost appears like heel striking but isn't. His form is very sustainable but wouldn't quite lend itself to higher speeds and efficiency of Crowie without considerable effort.

Fred van Lierde
Van Lierde runs very like Crowie, with mechanics that are almost identical (his arm carriage is a little lower). But if you put van Lierde alongside Crowie what you would mostly notice is their different body shape - van Lierde is simply a bigger guy, especially around his hips. But what this also highlights is that a guy his size can still run very well with good form, and that good form is possible (almost) regardless of body size.

Eneko Llanos
With Llanos we start to see variations to the basically ideal form of the first three. While he has good control of his hips / body position, and has a nice forward lean, I would say that he is leaning too far forward and running too much on his fore-foot. So while the top-3 place their feet on the ground with each step, Llanos falls onto his feet which apart from really loading up his calf and achilles (he's obviously adapated to this), has the effect of shortening his stride a little a front in that he doesn't get the very small amount of "float" the top-3 guys do. This might only be small, but certainly adds up over a marathon. I would like to see him run a little more upright and think about placing his feet down rather than his continuous falling forwards technique...I feel this could improve his speed and sustainability.

Paul Matthews
With Matthews we start to see a clearer contrast between the fast runners and the good runners. Matthews still had a cracking run, but to watch his form you see how he is sitting back on his form somewhat, and landing a more heaviliy on his feet. It would be interesting to see him at the 35km mark as I would suspect he might tend towards heel striking as his fatigue increases, but at this point he is landing flat foot. I would like to see him bring his hips forward a little more so his weight comes a little more forwards, so he "rolls" over the ground rather than running across it - a subtle but important change of body position.

Luke Bell
Bell runs in quite a similar way to Llanos in that he falls onto his feet, and has his body nicely forwards. A contrast with Llanos, however, is and that Bell tends to extend his head and neck forwads, and in conjunction also thursts his chest forwards a little with each step. The combination of this is that with each step his chest, shoulders and head are not stable, but rock forwads which I feel has the effect of upsetting his smooth, rhythmical momentum, decreases his efficiency and also shortens his stride to a greater extent than Llanos. So what I'd like to see him do, like Llanos, is to straighten up a little, lift his arms a little closer to his chest, pull his head back a little, stabilise his shoulders (without tensing up) and perhaps work on shortening his stride a bit. Also, his hips have a little tendency to be unstable. I think Bell has a lot of potential for form improvement, especially of the guys I videoed.

Joe Gambles
Gambles and Matthews wore the same kit, and also run in quite a similar way. A contrast is that Gambles holds his hips and little higher and more forwards (which is good) compared to Matthews, and isn't quite as heavy on his feet...so to that end his form is slightly better than Matthews. Gambles also tends to swing his arms a little excessively which may reduce his efficiency over IM distance.

I would love to have seen more pros, and especially the women since their standard of running is rapidly improving and would provide great contrasts between the "new breed" of fast IM runners and their female counterparts. I hope this analysis illustrates the key role of good running form, which is the combination of many parts, but is focused on hip and body position.

Run for the Kids - chasing my number

Run for the Kids (R4K) was established 6 years ago as somewhat of an extension to the annual Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday appeal that has raised millions and millions of dollars over many decades. A key feature of the fun run was the high proportion of the entry fee that went directly to the charity, this year being $29 of the $50 entry, thereby ensuring a large donation to the hospital each year. Right from the outset it was popular event, with two race distances attracting 30,000+ entrants - and some quality athletes - with part of the appeal being a course that takes in the Citylink Domain tunnel and Bolte Bridge, a toll road that usually never sees a footprint, let along from runners!!

During the first 6 years of the event I hadn't actually done the race, initially due to a clash with Ironman Australia and last year due to injury. This year was also going to be a miss due to its proximity after the 6ft Track Marathon...until that race was cancelled and I had a big hole in my race calendar. R4K popped up as a great option, until I learned that it was sold out...D'oh!! But a couple of emails and a big favour later I had an entry form being sent to me, which I duly filled in and returned with my $50 fee. I was in the race, but imagine my surprise when my race pack arrived which included race number 23!!!

In a race this scale the low numbers are usually reserved for very good runners as it recognises their ability and identifies them as runners to watch. While I might be an OK runner, I'm not that good and especially not deserving of such a number for this race...I was part proud, and part embarrased, and very much self conscious.

However in saying that this also gave me a goal, to beat my race number as a finish placing, which recent history told me I would need to run sub-50min for the 14.38km course (not sure why they don't round the distance a little??) to be close. I've run that fast before, including in the Aths Vic 15km race last year, but that was flat (and windy) whereas this was a very honest course with three distinct hills - coming out of the tunnel, going over the bridge and then the Collins St overpass. Plus, my running form / speed is still picking up after the 6ft Track campaign. Also, I had a cold all week which had left me worn-out and worried about how much energy I would have to race.

Anyway, race day came around and for the first time in 8 days I actually felt close to better, combined with the boost from a caffeine pill, and I lined up feeling like I might be able to put some effort into the race.

R4K is unique in a way that the only time you know who is racing is when you line up at the start, and in doing so I was agog at the quality of field for such a "fun run". In the men's field was a recent World Ch'ship marathon runner, reigning City to Surf winner, 2006 Comm Games marathoner plus a host of really good local runners - this was going to be a keenly competitive race, and my placing goal just went out the window. Interestingly, they all had race numbers much higher than mine!! We lined up nervously, as runners do, waiting for traffic all clear to start the race and set us off.

I don't recall if it was a gun or hooter, but we were away and I felt OK, with a bit of spring in my step...which is common in early race stages. But I actually did feel OK as we turned just after 1km to head down into the tunnel where it was very quiet and very still, not to mention smooth running as we headed down and down. But what goes down goes up as we then started running up and out of the tunnel, back into the real world atmosphere and the start of feeling that this race is going to require some effort!!!

Along the Southbank overpasses you can easily see Bolte Bridge where the road, and the race route was soon headed. Passing 5km in 16:48min, I was surprised to be running so fast but a little worried about holding onto the pace, especially since the climb up Bolte Bridge goes for over 1km and reaches 60m height - a fair climb in any situation. Fortunately the weather was superb with only a light breeze, clear day and nice temps but didn't stop me from slowing as I trudged up the climb, losing distance to some runners in front of me. We crested a bit before 8km, and then had a nice downhill stretch...I'm never sure if you make up the time going down that you lose on the way up. I generally think not.

Finally down the ramp we hit flat road again on Footscray Rd followed quickly by a turn into Docklands - the effort was really starting to accumulate, but the course was good and quite interesting as it wound it's way through various streets. Passing 10km in 34:09min (17:21min last 5km), I was still pleasantly surprised at my pace, starting to think that sub-50min was on the cards...but the race was far from over.

About 2km later was a nasty pinch as we climbed up and over the Collins St overpass over Southern Cross railway station...a nasty little hill that is cruelly timed to break your rhythm, and perhaps spirit. I was generally holding my placing around here but seeing the gap in front open up since the bridge crossing as I slowed...I just don't have the race fitness yet to push on as I would like to in the closing stages.

The last part of the course took us along the Crown Casio walkway, back over the river and finally rounding Flinders St station for the final run to the finish. Despite the effort I was closely checking my watch with rough calculations about the time remaining until 50min...I had to put faith in the course markers since the tunnel had ruined the accuracy of the GPS measurements.

The final run down St Kilda Rd was good with many people from the 5.2km event cheering, as well as other spectators and supporters, with the finish arch coming into view just around a final corner...a quick check confirmed that my goal time was safe, just as a spectator called myself and another guy just in front of me in 30th and 31st placing. The clock on the arch read 49:29min as I crossed the line. It's only when you finish you realise how hard you were running as I doubled over, hands on knees and with blurry eyes catching my breath...it was a hard effort.

My post-race assessment was quite positive, exceeding my expectations at this time and providing some optimism about the improvement I might still have ahead in the next 3 months before Gold Coast marathon. The race itself was really good to do, on a good course and in a competitive field...and for interest sake, the same time last year would have put me in about 20th place. Maybe next year I'll beat my race number!!!