Three Keys to Health and Fitness: Moderation Accountability Consistency

This morning I posted on Facebook that I've lost 11lbs and getting closer to my racing weight goal. This sparked an awesome conversation amongst my FB friends about weight loss and racing. I have a goal to lose about 15lbs in prep for my Philly Marathon in November.

With owning my own business and having just written my first book, I began devoting less and less time to my own fitness needs. As a results I added a few pounds. More than that, my fitness level just began to wane. I could tell it in my runs. So, about a month ago, I started being more accountable with my diet. No drastic changes. No weird diets. Just being more cognisant of what I was eating, how much, and when. And I started making sure I was getting in daily "me fitness" be it running or resistance training.

One month later, I've lost 11lbs and my body composition is changing. I can already feel it in my runs. I gave my son Duncan a good run on the latter half of last Saturday's long run hitting a 6:10 pace up a rather hilly portion of the greenway. Not too shabby when about a month ago an 8:30 pace felt labored.

My point in sharing is that, you don't have to make drastic changes to make changes. Moderation. Accountability. Consistency. These are the three keys to good health and fitness. Dropping 5-10lbs can make a big difference in how you feel on your runs as well as make a difference in your overall pace. I'm not saying you have to lose weight to run well. Far from it. But, if you've gained a little and you've let your fitness level slide then getting back on the fitness and good nutrition wagon will make the differences you want to see happen and happen more quickly.

For more reading on racing weight, author and athlete, Matt Fitzgerald, has an awesome book titled, Racing Weight that delves more in depth into finding your racing weight. He also has a companion book just out titled, Racing Weight Cookbook with lots of great recipes.

Are you working on your fitness and weight loss? I'd love to share your before and after pictures and the story of your journey. Send your pictures and stories to runnerdude@runnerdudesfitness.com and I'll feature them on the blog.

RunnerDude Chats with Matt Fitzgerald

Two of my favorite training-related books are Brain Training for Runners and the recently published Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel. Just recently, I reviewed Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feek on the blog and highly recommend both books to runners.

Last week I had the privilege to chat over the phone with Matt Fitzgerald, the author of both books. Matt knew he wanted to be a writer at the age of nine. His passion for writing and love of running and fitness have led him to author and coauthor more than 17 books as well as writing for several national publications and Web sites such as Outside and Runner's World. Matt is currently a senior editor for Triathlete magazine and the senior producer for the Competitor Running Web site. Matt is also a great runner having run more than 15 marathons with a personal record marathon time of 2:41.

I enjoyed talking with Matt and getting to know him a little better. Below is our conversation.

RD: I read in your bio that your running really took off when you ran the last mile of the Boston Marathon with your Dad as he finished the race in 1983. How old were you when this took place?

Matt: I was 11 just about to turn 12.

RD: So what was it that hooked you on running? Was it running with your dad? The crowd? Crossing the finish? Or all of that combined?
Matt: As anyone that experiences it knows, Boston is a magical experience. Back then Bill Rogers was still in the front of the race, so I got to see him. It was the year that Joan Benoit broke the World Record and I got to see her. It was the first year that Dick and Ricky Hoyt ran Boston. I also think it was the year 93 people broke 2:20. On top of all of that, just getting the experience of running that last mile with the mad throngs of the Bostonians out there screaming urging you on and to experience all that with my dad was very special. As novel as it was, it also seemed normal because you know when you're a kid anything your parents do, you just take for granite as normal and I thought everyone ran marathons. The very next day, my older brother and I both announced at the breakfast table that we were going to be runners too.

RD: So, was running always a part of your family? Obviously your dad must have been a runner, having qualified for Boston.
Matt: Yeah, my dad was sort of this warrior, dragon-slayer kind of guy. He was a navy frog man. He did these crazy solo long-distance swims, most before I was born. He'd swim from Canada to where he grew up in New York state, like 27 miles or something across Lake Ontario. Then he got into running. He ended up running Boston three times. So, I just got it straight from him. He wasn’t a real fast guy, but he had endurance. Actually I have two brothers and the three of us are more gifted runners than my dad, but we got the inspiration from him. Two of the three of us ran track and cross country in high school. My younger brother didn't actually get into any competitive running, but he'll jump into a race from time to time and to this day he would not call himself a runner, but he's run a 3:03 marathon.

RD: Well with a 3:03 marathon, I definitely think that qualifies him as a runner.
Matt: Yeah. (Laughing)

RD: Sounds like you grew up in a very active family. Today it seems like the childhood obesity rate is growing out of control in the US. I think running is a great way to get kids healthy and active. What do you think is a good age to get kids into running?
Matt: As soon as they're physically able to run. Not structured running as we know it, but you know kids will do it spontaneously. Running is fun. I think you should encourage spontaneous play and get them moving and as they get older start to structure it some. It’s providing opportunities that's the key. Enjoyment is also the key to longevity in running or any sport. If you take the fun out of it, kids won’t stick with it.

RD: The readers know about you as a writer and your connections with triathlons and running, but what is something about Matt Fitzgerald that may surprise the blog readers?
Matt: I guess perhaps (I don't know if this is interesting or not), but you know I wanted to be a writer before I wanted to be a runner. My dad was a writer too, so I just knew almost from the beginning that that's what I wanted to do. You know as a kid dreaming about being a writer, you think about writing the next great American novel. I never thought about putting my writing and running together. That just sort of happened when I got a job at Endurance Sports at 24. You know I read all the time. I'm made fun of here at work all time. There's a deli near where I work and you can often find me there with a book in front of my face, but it's almost never a running book. I read things like War and Peace, stuff I read as an English major in college.

RD: Well, I guess you need a break from your work, so your reading is an escape.
Matt: Yeah, I'm often asked if my wife is a runner too and she's not. I'm glad she's not. Not because I don't want her to run, but if my entire life...my wife, my work, my pleasure reading, my hobbies...were all running-related.....yuck. I like balance and variety.

RD: You've run quite a few marathons with some pretty impressive times. I think your PR is a 2:41. Which race or event is the most memorable for you?
Matt: Well, that PR marathon was pretty memorable. I ran that PR at age 36 or 37. I had long despaired of ever setting a PR. Ages 31-34 were pretty much wiped out for me due to injury. I got to a point that I doubted I'd ever even finish a marathon again. Then I just sort of figured some things out and healed and sort of got this second opportunity. Actually a third opportunity. Although I had run in high school and even chose a college with a great running program, I burned out and quit running from ages 18-26 and then got back into it in my late 20s and wished I had never quit and wanted to make up for lost time. Then I got the injury bug and lost it again. I don't think I ever got even close to the level I could have been at if I had just stuck with it. But to have had a great marathon time at age 37, I felt pretty good about that.

RD: One of the things I like about the books you've written is your willingness to say that things will change. Even in your book Run, you admit that some of your views on running and training had changed some since the previous book Brain Training. What's one of the most surprising changes you've observed in your learning and writing about running?
Matt: You know that I arrived at this place when I was working on Run that I abandoned things like using training plans and doing things "the right way" in favor of using a much more improvisational or intuitive approach to running. If you had asked me 15 years ago if I felt that improvisation or an intuitive approach were important to successful running, I would have said, "Sure." But I had no idea how important that element would be in running. The last couple of years I've had so much exposure to some of the best runners in the world and begin able to sit down and talk with runners like the great Ethiopian distance runner Haile Gebrselassie and American distance runner Ryan Hall, I've learned so much about what separates them from the rest. Up until this point, I thought it had more to do with talent, but what I've learned is that it's not that. Well it is talent, but what separates the most talented from the rest is that they've really learned to listen to their bodies. Look at Haile Gebrselassie. He's pushing 40 and running sub 60-minute half-marathons. How does he do that? He does it because he does it his way. I really don't think I'm going to change my mind about that. You have to know the workouts. At some point someone has to teach you what an interval session looks like. There's lore of running that has to be handed down that you don't want to have to recreate on your own, but once you have the basic tools, you have to learn to listen to your body, especially if you on longevity.

RD: How about your interview with Gebrselassie ("Geb")? In Run you mentioned being a little worried about the interview.
Matt: Well, it was one of those things where I was told, not that he's reticent, but A) there's the language barrier and B) there's just a different way of thinking about running in east Africa. Honestly (in an admirable way), it's that they think a hell of a lot less about it. They're not sitting around reading about running all day. There’s less clutter. Running is all simple to Geb. I would ask him some questions and he'd look at me with a “Duhh” expression and say, “You do the training. Training for a marathon, you do a little more. Train for a 10K, run a little less and a little faster.” It was all very simple to him.

RD: I thought Geb’s response to your questions about age and training were awesome. He said, he had made a few changes to avoid injury, but he also said that the reason he keeps winning is because of his age. It’s like he’s figured out the secret that everyone else is still looking for….what to do to win the race, before the race, after the race, and recovery. The thing is that it’s not something he can bottle and share. It’s what works for him. To him it’s quite simple. To the rest of us, it’s quite magical. We each have to discover our own magic.

We here in the west tend to be so exact and quantifiable. One of Geb's favorite workouts is a hill workout, but instead of a bunch of precise hill repeats, he runs up a mountain. If he gets to the top and feels good, then he’s conquered the workout and achieved his goal.
Matt: Yeah, the western way is "What's the optimal duration for the uphill portion of this workout." While Haile Gebrselassie would say, "Just run to the top!"

RD: Lots of runners that I work with run their first major endurance run and have this runner's high and they want it to continue. What do you recommend as a safe way to keep that high but not be too ambitious? Do you have any recommendations for periodization or seasons for runners? Listen to me, now I'm getting all technical (laughing). I don't want them to over train, but I don't want to stifle that new excitement.
Matt: When I say the most important thing you can do as a runner is listen to your intuition and heed it and let it guide you, that's a little simpler than it really is. We all have a multiplicity of voices inside us that often conflict. It's a process and you have to learn to sort of distinguish the most reliable and trustworthy voices inside yourself from those that are based on insecurities, fears or whatever. I gave the example with Ryan Hall in the book, where he talked about feeling like he felt like he had to do more, more, more. But then he had another voice that said, "Just let it come. Don’t' force it. Yes you have to work hard, but not all the time." It took him a little while to understand that he had two voices talking to him and through experience he learned which one to trust more. So in reference to the new runner and how much to do, it's kind of an individual thing. Only experience can teach what's the right mix for you. Sometimes it may need to be more measured, but sometimes experience is the best way to learn your abilities and limitations.

RD: I have a lot of runners coming to me in their 40s and 50s saying that they're not running like they used to. They think it’s related to aging. But, I've kind of determined that more than an age thing, it's more related to having a weak core and weak upper body. As we get older we tend to be involved in fewer activities that help keep the core fit, so it weakens. Adding more core and upper-body muscular endurance exercise really benefits these runners. What's your take on this?
Matt: Yes, I agree. I'm a strong advocate of being a strong runner. I think it's important for a runner at any age, but especially as we age. I was talking with Dave Scott, the six-time Ironman athlete who is 56. He can still do a sub 9-hr Ironman even at his age. I spent week training with this guy and he's incredible. I asked him why? He said two things...1) I've never let up on high intensity training. Lots of people let up as they get older. 2) I'm strong. The benefits of resistance training are key to endurance. Runners that have kept resistance training in their routine find that they run much stronger and much longer than runners that just run.

RD: I recently saw a picture of several elite marathon runners in profile running and they all looked as if they were heel strikers. What's your take on the barefoot running approach or just the idea of having more of a forefoot, midfoot foot strike?
Matt: Well, photos can be deceptive. Heel striking isn't necessarily the same thing as heel weighting. If your heel is the first part that hits the ground, you may actually be flat-footed by the time you're putting 3-4 times your full body weight on your foot. So you can't go by the photo. The research is pretty clear. In general the faster you are the farther forward you land on your foot. You look at the elite runners and many think, okay that's what I need to do. But you can't do everything the elite runners do. Elite runners run 135 miles a week. The average runner isn't going to be able to do that, nor do they need to.

Stephen McGregor's research shows that running is learned unconsciously. Basically you can look at running as a complex dynamic system. There is a fundamental set of rules. You let the system go and you see what happens and it self-optimizes. It doesn't perfect itself, it just optimizes it's function within existing restraints. Running is like a problem that each runner solves for themselves. You can't do it by consciously enforcing one universal set of rules. If you do, it backfires. When you try to run a certain way that's different than the way you naturally run, it makes you less efficient, not more efficient. That doesn't mean you're stuck running the way you're running now. It just means that in order to run better than you're running now, you need to keep running. Just let the process happen. Running hard appears to really help. Running in groups seems to help a lot. I still think there's a place for conscious manipulation of the stride, but more with the idea of preventing re-injury. One of the things that Stephen McGregor found is that some runners land a lot heavier than others. These runners tend to break down quicker, so here's perfect example of when conscious manipulation serves a purpose. So, if you get injured a lot, then playing with your stride is worth exploring, otherwise stick with what works for you.
RD: That’s great to hear. I've always felt that running stride and foot strike is an individual thing and is unique to each runner. If it isn’t broke, don't fix it.

RD: Tim Noakes, the author of Lore of Running (the bible for many runners) wrote the forward in your book Brain Training for Runners. In the forward he said, "I expect runners who follow these guidelines to have more success more frequently than if they were to follow other programs, mine included." Wow! What an endorsement! How did that make you feel?
Matt: Yeah, yeah, I felt great. Anytime you feel respected by someone you respect, it's awesome. That he appreciates my work, I was over the moon. It's really cool to have a relationship with someone that smart and that accomplished. I'm not a scientist myself. I'm not in the trenches. It's not the scientist's job to make runners run better. That's not really their role, but they make valuable contributions and that's not a contribution I can make. I love learning about how science can be used to help runners run better. I need people like Noakes to help me in my work. My idea of hell would be to reiterate something someone else has already said. So, I utterly depend on having relationships with people like Noakes who share their work with me.

RD: On a different topic, what do you think about the whole issue with Boston filling up so fast this year and the questions over the qualifying standards?
Matt: I haven't followed that too closely, but I would say that it's a fair question. You want gender equity in sports. Sounds good, but then you ask, "What does that mean." When my dad ran Boston the first time, it was about 85% men. That was a problem that needed to be changed. You want endurance sports to be at least 50/50 male/female. The sport has been greatly enriched by women coming to the sport. I work for Competitor Group and we do the Rock-n-Roll marathons and our events are majority women now. But if I were involved in setting qualifying standards for Boston, I think it would not be too soon to start looking at achieving a higher level of gender equity. Obviously men and women perform differently as runners so the standards need to be different, but still equitable. I think women should have just as good of chance but no better than men for qualify for Boston.

RD: So what's ahead for Matt Fitzgerald?
Matt: So glad you asked! I'm working on a new book now that I'm especially excited about. It's called Iron War. “Iron War” refers to the great battle between Mark Allen and Dave Scott in the 1989 Hawaii Ironman. I consider that to be the greatest race that ever happened in any racing sport. Not just the race itself, but the full rivalry between the two men and full richness and complexity behind the story of the race. It's such great stuff that you couldn't make it up. I've long thought about telling this story in long form and really deliver this page-turning adventure in similar fashion as Duel in the Sun. This is really a human story that anyone, not just runners, will enjoy and get something out of. It's a narrative, so it’s very different from what I usually write. I'm really excited about it.

RD: That's exciting. So when is it due out?
Matt: In about a year in time for a book release at the next Hawaii Ironman

RD: Any other exciting things to look for from Matt Fitzgerald?
Matt: I have a sequel to my book Racing Weight that will come out around Christmas or the New Year called The Racing Weight Quick Start Guide. It's a program for athletes who are more than a few pounds above their racing weight. It's helps guide them in how to lose body fat quickly the right way to set themselves up for training/performance success.

RD: Awesome. I look forward to reading and reviewing both books for the blog. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share more about yourself and your work with the readers of RunnerDude's Blog.

To learn more about Matt and his books, be sure to check out his website as well as his many posts and articles at Competitior.

And the Ask the Author Winners are....

Thanks to everyone who submitted a question to Matt Fitzgerald, author of the new book, RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel. And thanks to Matt for taking the time to answer them. The winners of RunnerDude's Ask the Author contest are listed below along with Matt's replies. Each winner will receive a free copy of RUN!

Question From Wayne Ball: Ok, so this may be better answered by Ritalin but how do I keep focused on my body/mind during runs? While running I do attempt to listen to my body (breathing, heart, aches & pains) but my mind wonders incessantly.
Matt's Answer: Wayne, there's absolutely nothing wrong with letting your mind wander when you run. It's good for you. The only time it's necessary to really focus on running while you're running is when you are pushing against your limits, and in that circumstance such focus becomes automatic. (Try to do long division in your head in the last 400 meters of a 5K!) My book, RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel, is not about teaching runners how to think about running while they run. In fact, the best runners actually think the LEAST while they run. That quietude of mind is itself a product of a strong mind-body connection. Read my book to learn why.

Question from Caleb Kinney: I recently suffered from a metatarsal stress fracture. How much rest do you recommend during a training week and how much rest is needed preceding and following races?
Matt's Answer: Caleb, the optimal amount of rest varies between athletes and even for the same athlete at different levels of fitness and experience. The most effective way to determine how much rest you need is to listen to your body. It will always tell you and it's never wrong. You just have to listen and know how to understand what your body's telling you. I discuss how to develop and use this mind-body connection in RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel.
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Question from Erin Grantham: Recently, I've been having a left calf issue. I usually stop, stretch and get back out there. Lately, I've noticed I'm starting to get tingly in my feet (almost like coming back from it being asleep when running!). I usually just power on through it but now I'm wondering if that is such a smart idea. At what point do you say, this pain is preventing gain and just STOP. And how do you differentiate between what good pain and bad pain should feel like? I guess to sum it up...how the heck do I get in tune with my body?
Matt's Answer: Erin, that is a key challenge in running, and one I address thoroughly in RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel. Only experience combined with paying attention can teach us to discern the difference between normal pain and what I call "red flag" pain. But I believe it always remains necessary to take some risks in training, and that the occasional injury is an unavoidable consequence of pursuing performance in running. Accepting this reality can itself be helpful, though.

Question from Tina Wardlaw: I use the book Run Faster to come up with workouts and I'm glad you've written a new book. I read a short portion of it and you wrote that if you have a problem fading at mile 20 of the marathon, you might want to run back-to-back 20 milers, or a long run with 14-16 miles at marathon goal pace or a 27-30 mile run before your goal marathon. Do these suggestions apply to middle-of-the-packers like me or just the speedier set? Those look like tough training runs!
Matt's Answer: The point I wanted to make in the section you read is not that marathon runners with a bonking problem should try those specific workouts. Rather, the point was that all runners should feel free to get creative and trust their intuitions to come up with possible solutions to the barriers they face. So, if your intuition tells you those example workouts would be too hard for you, they probably are! So, what does your intuition suggest as an appropriate alternative?
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Question from Marcus Grimm: One of the things I enjoy most about your books is that it's pretty obvious that you try virtually everything you write about, from nutrition and supplements to gear and training programs. However, like all of us, I'm sure that some things that you've tried have become critical staples in your own personal training whereas others, long-term, haven't given you the benefits you'd hoped. I'd be curious to know which of the subjects you've covered have become vital to your training over the years. Would be curious to know, as well, of any that didn't work out for you, realizing that with everything, it's always very personal.
Matt's Anwser: Marcus, Interesting question. If you are familiar with my past books you know that I have long favored a nonlinear approach to periodization, where high-intensity training is in the mix throughout the training cycle. But I learned the hard way that this approach creates a risk of becoming stale and overtrained before race day. You feel on top of the world 10 weeks into the training cycle, but the wheels come off after 14 weeks. So I've since shifted to a periodization approach that blends nonlinear elements with linear elements. High intensity is still always in the mix, but I keep it dialed back until relatively late in the training cycle. As for practices I've held onto, I've always been a big believer in strength training, including heavy weightlifting, and the older I get the more convinced I become of its importance.
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Question from Mark Ulrich: As I'm inspired by Alberto Salazar's success in revising the running form of Alan Web, Radcliffe and Goucher, and cognizant of Dr. Jack Tupper Daniels' observation that all top athletes maintain a running cadence of ~180 steps per minute (spm), over past month I've begun applying the Evolution Running recommendations to improve my own running form. Being an engineer by education and hoping to approach this process systematically I've found that I've been successful at speeding-up my running cadence (which by default had previously been close to 165 spm) by listening to Podrunner techno tracks, which have highly percussive fixed beats per minute approaching the Daniels' determined optimum of 180. By concentrating on a quiet mid-foot landing with a slight forward lean from the ankles I'm encouraged that a better running form has emerged. I judge this improvement by my recent ability to simultaneously increase both my total weekly mileage and my pace versus my prior efforts, and feel that the new form is less jarring and flows smoother than my former slower cadence heel-landing stride. Using the treadmill as a means of me simultaneously avoiding the oppressive summer heat while allowing me to discern whether the 180 spm cadence is applicable across all paces I feel that it's not. I.E. when I speed the treadmill (at 1.5% grade to make its pace equivalent to running with normal wind resistance) 30-seconds faster than my goal marathon pace, that holding my cadence at merely 180 seems unnatural - based on the acceleration of my breathing rate which I use as a gauge to my exertion - i.e. drifting to a cadence close to 185 reduces my exertion level. Conversely, when I run on the treadmill at a pace of 30-seconds or more slower than my goal marathon pace I find that my optimal cadence correspondingly slows somewhat, i.e. closer to 177 spm. With that lengthy background, my multi-part related question (sorry!) is....

• Have you seen other runners' successfully convert and improve their running form (i.e. without the benefit of a running coach)?
• Do you agree that a runner's cadence is a key element of their form?
• Do you generally agree with Dr. Daniels' observation of runners' general optimum cadence of 180 spm? If so, does he see any logic in my view that the actual optimum varies slightly corresponding to the runners' level of exertion & speed?

Matt's Answer: Mark, a stride rate of 180 per minute is commonly observed in elite runners, and so is a marathon pace of 4:55 per mile. I believe that turning the former observation into a prescription for all is no wiser than turning the latter observation into a universal prescription. In other words, saying, "Run at a stride rate of 180 per minute because the elites do," is not unlike saying, "Run your marathons at 4:55/mile pace because the elites do." I believe—and the best scientific evidence suggests—that all runners find their optimal stride rate unconsciously and automatically, given the totality of their running mechanics. Therefore, artificial efforts to impose a higher stride rate are more likely to decrease than increase efficiency. Stride rate can increase, but this will only happen in a beneficial way as a consequence of getting faster. So I recommend you focus on getting faster and let your stride rate take care of itself. I've generally moved away from my previously held belief that conscious manipulation of stride mechanics is a good idea, and I explain why in RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel.

Ask The Author Contest: Matt Fitzgerald

Recently, I reviewed the new book Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel by Matt Fitzgerald (2010, VeloPress). The main gist of the book is learning how to trust your instincts when running. This book taught me a lot about the importance of tuning into your body and really listening to what it's telling you.
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I'm a planner and a scheduler, so I doubt I'll give up my training plans, but the book helped me view my training plains more as a guide rather than the law. It also helped me not feel so bad when I do less or more than my schedule dictates, if it's based on what my body's telling me I can handle.
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Matt has generously agreed to participate in a RunnerDude's Blog Ask the Author Contest. For the next week (8/22 - 8/29), email your questions related to the book, Matt's ideas on the whole idea of the mind-body method and running by feel, or just on running/training in general to runnerdudeblog@yahoo.com. Be sure to put "Ask the Author" in your email's subject line. Also, be sure to include your full name along with your question. All of the submitted questions will be forwarded to Matt. The submitters of the five best questions (selected by Matt) will receive a free copy of Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel!

The winning questions will be featured on the blog with Matt's responses!

So, don't delay! Send me your question! Don't forget, the deadline is Sunday, August 29th!

Thanks Matt!

Running By Feel

I love to read. Anything—fiction, nonfiction—doesn't matter. And you can probably guess that running books (yes, fiction and nonfiction) are frequent reads of mine. Just check out the Book Reviews page on the blog and you'll see some of my favorites. Not every running book do I completely agree with, but in every book, I take away something (be it a nugget or a huge clump) that I can use to better my own running or the running of my clients.

Recently, a friend of mine at VeloPress, asked me to read one of their newest titles—Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel, by Matt Fitzgerald. I've read several of Matt's books, including Brain Training For Runners. If you've read Brain Training for Runners, you may be wondering how Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel may differ. The titles do seem similar.

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As with most everything, evolving science and research continues to shed new light on theories about running. In the Preface of Run, Matt explains how he feels Brain Training was somewhat of a rough draft for Run. He goes on to say, "I have a good feeling that the philosophy that is manifest here is one I will hold on to as I continue my pursuit as a student of the sport of running."
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He's not worried in the least that some of what he writes in Run may contradict information shared in previous books because that means the sport is evolving and growing as we learn more and more about the sport.

Matt shares that the core of Brain Training (the idea that the brain is the seat of all our possibilities and limitations as runners) remains unchanged. Run goes further utilizing newer research that shows we don't have to be "brain scientists to harness this power and become better runners." Through the book, Matt shows us how one can improve his/her running by feel. He explains how our perceptions, intuitions, and feelings coming to our conscious minds from our unconscious brains tells us all that we need to know abut how to run faster and farther. The key is knowing how to read the messages.

One of the most enlightening parts of the book (for me) is shared at the very beginning of the book. Matt talks about the great Ethiopian distance runner Haile Gebrselassie, lovingly known by running fans around the world as Geb. I won't ruin the experience by sharing all the details, but just learning a little about how Geb trains and actually how most African runners train verses, how western runners train, is extremely interesting.

The main gist of the book is learning how to trust your instincts when running. This book may be hard for some runners to tackle, especially if they're looking for a plan. Run, won't provide exactly what to do on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. It won't tell you whether to do fartleks, intervals, hillwork, easy runs, or long runs. But what the book does do is help you learn how to listen to your body and how to enjoy running more, even if it hurts.

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This enjoyment or love for the run even when it's tough is key in fighting off fatigue. One of Geb's favorite workouts is his toughest—hill training. He says it's his favorite because 'it's the one that gives you a lot of problems. Pain. Breathing too much. Struggling too much." He goes on to say that he doesn't enjoy it during the workout, but after he finishes it, he enjoys the confidence the workout has given him. Notice he doesn't talk about VO2Max, or using energy systems more efficiently. He just loves knowing that he can do it. He's then able to apply that confidence in other areas of his running.

Run is divided into three parts—Learning to Listen, Mastering the Practice of Mind-Body Running, and The Finer Points of the Mind-Body Method. A multitude of research and information is shared throughout the book, but Matt does a great job of meshing the research with anecdotal evidence making the book very readable.

Hey, maybe that voice in your head isn't you going bonkers from too much training. Maybe it's your brain trying to tell you something. Whether you're a newbie or a master runner, if you want to improve your running, learn more about yourself and your body, and possibly maximize your running potential, I highly recommend you pick up a copy and read Run.

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Note: Although I was provided with a copy of Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel, I was in no way encourage to write a positive review, nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review. This review is based on my own experience reading the book.

Training Seasonally for Running

This article by Matt Fitzgerald was originally posted by my friends at the TrainingPeaks.com blog , where you can check out more articles for runners and triathletes.

Every day I (Matt Fitzgerald*) receive emails from runners (and triathletes, but I wish to focus on runners in this article) who are following or have followed training plans that I created for one of my books, or for a magazine article, or for TrainingPeaks. Many of these questions are versions of one question, which is essentially this: What do I do if I want to peak for more than one race within a span of time that is shorter than the duration of your training plans?

This question cuts to the heart of the greatest limitation of the prefabricated training plans that I have created in such abundance. Whereas my training plans treat individual peak races in isolation, in the real world most competitive runners take a seasonal approach to the sport, giving more or less equal importance to several races taking place between spring and fall.

There’s nothing wrong with this approach. In fact, it is the racing approach that most elite runners (except marathon specialists) practice too. The question is, how does one practice a seasonal approach to racing most effectively? Simple: Heed the following three simple guidelines.

1. Maintain a high level of general running fitness at all times
Prefabricated training plans are more or less obligated to assume that the runners using them are beginning at a relatively low fitness level relative to their own individual peak levels. Essentially, these plans assume you’re coming off a nice off-season break and are just beginning the process of establishing a fresh fitness base. This assumption makes the plans more inclusive than they might otherwise be. A plan that assumed you already had a solid foundation of general running fitness would not work for you if you lacked that foundation, even if the peak training load prescribed in the final pre-taper weeks was appropriate for you given adequate time, because you’d be in over your head from the very start.

Every runner needs a nice off-season break, and every runner needs to take time to build a fresh fitness base after that off-season break. But if you want to successfully execute a seasonal approach to racing that allows you to race at peak level several times between spring and fall, you need to maintain a fairly high fitness level at all other times. Doing so will enable you to return to peak form fairly quickly after each important race.

It’s important that you avoid training too hard for too long, however. If you try to sustain truly peak training loads throughout the racing season you will get injured or burn out. Except during the short periods when you are actively working to stimulate a fitness peak for an important race, your training should be “manageably hard”. In other words, the volume and intensity of training should be close to—but one solid step below—the maximum that you could sustain indefinitely without getting injured or burning out.

Give yourself a full week to relax and recuperate after major races, of course, but after that, get back after it. The exception, again, is marathons. After each marathon you need to treat yourself to a true off-season.

2. Always move in a definite direction in your training

Described another way, the first step in successful seasonal training is to train for high-level fitness maintenance at all times expect when you are taking a short break after a race, taking an off-season break, or peaking for an upcoming race. This does not mean you should do exactly the same workouts week after week and intentionally go nowhere with your fitness during maintenance periods, however. Your training should always have some kind of direction, even when you are not actively pursuing an immediate fitness peak.

So what sort of direction should your training have during maintenance periods? Focus on addressing a weakness or working on one or more foundational aspects of your running fitness that will necessarily take a back seat during peak training. Specific things to work on include running technique, raw endurance, sprint speed, and muscle strength, power and balance. The idea is to develop one or two of these qualities during maintenance periods without pushing against the overall limits of the training load your body can handle. With this approach your body will be truly ready for peak training when its time comes.

3. Peak for races with short periods of heavy training
If you are successful in maintaining a high level of general running fitness at all times, you can peak for any race in a short period of time by increasing your training load to your maximum limit and prioritizing challenging, race-specific workouts. This gives you the flexibility to race well on the schedule that suits you (provided you avoid making fundamental mistakes such as over-racing). You can peak for a 5K with as few as four weeks of maximal specific training and for a marathon with as few as 12 weeks of such training.

As always, you will need to experiment a bit to find the maintenance training regimen and the peak training format that work best for you, but even in the trial-and-error stage you will probably find that this seasonal approach works better than using separate, whole training plans for every race.

*If Matt Fitzgerald's name sounds familiar, you may have read his recent book, Brain Training for Runners. He also coauthored Triathlete Magazine's Complete Triathlon Book. Matt's also a journalist writing on topics of health, nutrition, endurance sports, and fitness for popular publications such as Runner's World, Triathlete, Her Sports, and Running Times.