Competitor February 2015 Issue

FEBRUARY 2015

INSIDE THE WORLD OF CROSS COUNTRY // MUST-DO RACES FOR 2015 // THE FUTURE OF WEARABLE RUN TECHNOLOGY

Must-do races for 2015 p.48

X THE WORLD’S

What’s new and next in wearable tech p.42

C HARDEST RACE

S TA R R I N G CHRIS DERRICK

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Go Digital with America’ NOVEMBER 2014

GOTTA-HAVE-IT GEAR GUIDE

OF THE BEST GIFT IDEAS FOR RUNNERS

p. 60

INTERNATIONAL RUNNING ADVENTURES: CHAMONIX, PATAGONIA, SOUTH AFRICA // 3 NEW SHOES FOR 2015 // RAMP UP YOUR WINTER TRAINING

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE // RUN A TURKEY TROT // FREE STAY-FIT-THROUGH-THE-HOLIDAYS TRAINING PLAN

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p. 55

PLUS Stay Fit Through the Holidays— Free Training Plan p. 36

shoot!

FIND THE BEST MODEL FOR YOU!

Newton Kismet p. 50

RECORDS BROKEN

THE FINISH LINE A farewell to the champion of the slower-running movement

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OCTOBER 2014

FREE!

P. 12, 22

and Dennis Kimetto’s new 26.2 record

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How many running shoes do you need?

PATAG O N IA The Next Frontier Deena Kastor / Shalane Flanagan

Roberto Mandje trains on the trails in Boulder, Colo.

Local Runners, Trails & Race s

JANUARY 2015

Click here to see more photos from our cover

PLUS Traversing a South African Desert

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tapering tips tune-up workouts fueling & more

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I N S I D E CHAMON IX’S HAR DCOR E M O U N TA I N C U LT U R E

TRAIL SHOES

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NOVEMBER 2014

How to Nail Your Fall Race Goals

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FALL TRAIL RUNNING SHOE REVIEW // CROSS-TRAINING FOR RUNNERS // MARATHON TAPERING TIPS

Key Workouts You Should Be Doing

RUN THE

WORLD

Suunto Ambit3 Sport

Run a Half Marathon With Our FREE Training Plan! Page 24

Cross-Training For Runners:

Spring marathon preview p.20

Go Pro Hero 4

INSIDE! Page 60

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ica’s #1 Running Resource DECEMBER 2014

Nutrition secrets of Olympians p.36

Our favorite gear made in the USA p.32

JANUARY 2015

How to ramp up your winter training p.34

E

RLD

RUNNING HAWAII’S NĀ PALI COAST P. 40 TRAVEL TIPS FOR GLOBAL RACES

Click here to see photos, videos and more from our cover shoot!

S HAR DCOR E LT U R E

FEBRUARY 2015

The next big scene in running P. 50

INSIDE THE WORLD OF CROSS COUNTRY // MUST-DO RACES FOR 2015 // THE FUTURE OF WEARABLE RUN TECHNOLOGY

MOUNT TAM UNDERGROUND

X THE WORLD’S

HARDEST RACE

11/18/14 5:39 PM

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C S TA R R I N G CHRIS DERRICK

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What’s new and next in wearable tech p.42

Must-do races for 2015 p.48

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contents february 2015

features 34

The Greatest Show on Turf

Cross country, the hardest discipline in running, brings together runners from the road, track and trails.

Ahead of this month’s national championships, we look at the rugged beauty of running’s most difficult discipline.

By Kenny Moore

42

Running’s Wearable Tech Boom

Analyzing your body in real time is the next frontier in running technology.

And the first generation is already here.

on the cover

By Aaron Hersh

FEBRUARY 2015

8

13

The time is now

• Shoes

Captured

Inside the huddle

4

HARDEST RACE

S TA R R I N G CHRIS DERRICK

Two-time defending U.S. cross-country champion Chris Derrick was shot at Forest Park in Portland, Ore.

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departments

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C

FEBRUARY 2015

By the editors

Editor’s Note

X THE WORLD’S

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competitor

What’s on your running agenda this year?

Competitor’s editorial staff put together our dream race calendar of all the events that should be on every runner’s radar.

Click here to find a race in our online calendar!

What’s new and next in wearable tech p.42

Starting Lines We look at three new shoe brands you should know about for 2015, reintroduce you to two popular shoe models resurrected by New Balance and Brooks, explain how to recycle your running shoes, and take a look at the pros and cons of waterproof shoes.

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Photo by scott draper

32 • Gear and tech

We test Polar’s comprehensive new run watch and show off the latest in woolbased apparel.

• Marathon Meb

Revisit your running roots.

• Training

Train for your first 50-miler with our free plan, learn from Olympian and coach Alan Culpepper how to train with tempo, and find out from coach Mario Fraioli how to prioritize your training week.

Out There

Moderation? No thanks, says columnist Susan Lacke.

BackPage

I’m a Competitor

American running legend Steve Scott on running sub-4-minute miles, battling cancer and coaching college track and cross country.

Scott Draper

Where to Run and Race in 2015

INSIDE THE WORLD OF CROSS COUNTRY // MUST-DO RACES FOR 2015 // THE FUTURE OF WEARABLE RUN TECHNOLOGY

48

Must-do races for 2015 p.48

Competitor | february 2015

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© ©201 4N Ne ew Ba B lanc lan ance Athle a hlet letic le c Sh hoe, e Inc nc. n

STREET, MEET SMARTS.

Intelligent at its core, the new 860v5 is built for more comfort and even more excellent than its predecessor.

It’s plush, it’s stable, and it’s anything but ordinary.

THIS IS #RUNNOVATION.

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Matt Fitzgerald

Find more stories, photos and videos online at Competitor.com

Connect With Us

Elite Endurance Coach & Sports Nutritionist Join the conversation: facebook.com/ competitor.running

When I’m on the go, I like to carry small portions of

trail mix made with dried tart

cherries and nuts.

It’s a satisfying and nutrientpacked snack that keeps me energized throughout the day.

Follow us on Twitter: @RunCompetitor

Workout of the Week

Every week, Competitor.com details a new workout.

From intervals to track work and much more, our ideas can give your training an extra boost.

Competitor.com/workoutoftheweek

See what we share on Instagram: @RunCompetitor

Fuel Buzz

Video

Check out our all-new video portal, where we feature essential training tips, plus reveal the latest shoes, gear and more.

Video.competitor.com

TART CHERRY TRAIL MIX

Find this and other TART CHERRY recipes at ChooseCherries.com

6

Which food and drinks have the running industry talking? Take a look at new products and new fueling ideas at Competitor.com/fuelbuzz

Newsletters

Our email newsletters dive even further into training tips, shoes and gear trends, the latest running news and more. Subscribe at Competitor.com/newsletters.

Spring Racing

We combed the country in search of mustdo springtime races to help get the winter cobwebs out. See what we recommend at Competitor.com/springraces.

Competitor | february 2015

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HUMANS RUN ON FOOD.

MACHINES

RUN ON RED Fuel your muscle recovery with the power of TART CHERRIES. Studies have shown that Montmorency tart cherry juice may help reduce strength loss and aid recovery after extensive exercise. So make tart cherries a part of your training regimen so you can get out there and get after it.

See the science behind Running On Red at choosecherries.com.

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Editor’sLetter

The Time Is Now

W

We’re a month into 2015—have you broken all of your New Year’s resolutions yet?

Hopefully by now you’re focused on a key goal race or two for the year—whether it is getting fit for a half-marathon, running your fastest marathon, planning a vacation around an overseas trail race or tackling your first (or next) ultradistance race.

If you haven’t gotten a jump on your fitness, training and racing plans, this magazine and our robust online content can help. In this issue, we serve up a smorgasbord of must-do races this year (page 48), present an in-depth look at how wearable technology is impacting training and racing (page 42) and offer a free training plan (page 22) for those bold and daring enough to tackle a 50-miler this year.

Our resident Olympians and columnists Meb Keflezighi and Alan Culpepper share their expert training advice, and we offer a glimpse at three new shoe brands, as well as two beloved models from Brooks and New Balance back from extinction.

Also, be sure to check out our feature on cross-country running (“The Greatest Show on Turf,” page 34), written by two-time U.S. Olympian and acclaimed running author Kenny Moore.

And don’t forget to visit Competitor.com for a vast library of articles, videos and training plans that can help you reach your running goals.

Think of this year as a journey to reach your ultimate 2015 objectives by focusing on the process and not the outcome.

When you look back on the year, it won’t be the achievements that will invigorate you anew—it will be all of the days throughout the year you spent pushing yourself in the direction of your dreams.

competitor

Editorial

Editor-in-chief Brian Metzler Senior Editor Mario Fraioli Managing Editor Adam Elder Web Editor Ryan Wood Associate Editor Caitlyn Pilkington Editorial assistant Emily Polachek Senior contributing editors Alan Culpepper, Meb Keflezighi, Jason Devaney, Allison Pattillo Contributing Writers Erin Beresini, Jay Dicharry, Dan England, Scott Jurek, Max King, Susan Lacke, Greg McMillan, Kenny Moore, Kelly O’Mara, Tony Reavis, Claire Trageser

art

Photo Editor Scott Draper Graphic Designer Valerie Brugos Contributing Artists/Photographers Matt Collins, Dustin Koop, Victor Sailer, Matt Stanley, N.C. Winters

Circulation & Production

Production Manager Meghan McElravy Advertising Production Manager Gia Hawkins Audience Development Manager Cassie Chavez product innovation MANAGER Aaron Hersh

digital services

Director, Web Development Scott Kirkowski Director, SEO/Analytics Johnny Yeip associate Director, Web Design Matthew McAlexander Web Developers Grace Cupat, Joey Hernandez Web Designers James Longhini, Thomas Phan, Justin Wilson system administrator Bruno Breve Senior Video Producer Steve Godwin

Advertising

SVP, media Sales Doug Kaplan • 312-421-1551, dkaplan@competitorgroup.com SVP, Partnership Sales Mark Buntz • 858-768-6460, mbuntz@competitorgroup.com VP, Partnership Sales Molly Quinn • 858-768-6468, mquinn@competitorgroup.com VP, Media Sales Ian Sinclair • 860-673-6830, isinclair@competitorgroup.com VP, Media Sales Gordon Selkirk • 858-768-6767, gselkirk@competitorgroup.com VP, media Sales Todd Wienke • 404-517-7457, tawienke@competitorgroup.com director, media Sales Alex Jarman • 858-768-6769, ajarman@competitorgroup.com manager, media Sales Tom Borda • 312-421-1125, tborda@competitorgroup.com manager, media Sales Jenn Pohlad • 858-228-3761, jpohlad@competitorgroup.com manager, media Sales Matt Steinberg • 303-525-6702, msteinberg@competitorgroup.com manager, media Sales Dave Ragsdale • 561-838-9060, dragsdale@competitorgroup.com

PARTNERSHIP MARKETING

VICE PRESIDENT Sean Clottu Director Jennifer Sugarman Managers Erin Ream and Carson McGrath Coordinators Liz Centeno-Vera and Christina McGregor

Finance

Controller, Media Gretchen Alt Bri a n M etzler, E d ito r-i n-Chi ef

SVP, group publisher Kurt Hoy a publication of

Coming in March

Get a Free Subscription!

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Go to Competitor.com/digital and sign up for a free subscription to the digital edition of our magazine. In addition to what you’ll find in the printed edition, you’ll get more stories and photos, plus links to cool videos, photo galleries and other related content delivered monthly via email.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David N. Abeles CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Barrett Garrison Chief Revenue Officer Bill Pedigo Chief marketing Officer Keith Kendrick Executive VICE PRESIDENT, global events division Josh Furlow SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, SALES John Smith

9477 Waples Street, Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92121 • 858-450-6510 For distribution inquiries: 858-768-6493 Digital Issue support: support@zinio.com Distribution management: TGS Media Inc. • tgsmedia.com, 877-847-4621 No part of this issue may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

Competitor is a registered trademark of Competitor Group Inc.

A Member of official magazine

Scott Draper

In March, Competitor will be publishing the first-ever Running Gear Guide. The entire issue will be dedicated to running shoes, apparel, wearable technology and accessories, highlighted by a bold design, expert wear-test reviews and insider gear-buying tips.

Competitor | february 2015

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Some people just like to go fast, every day.

But a racing shoe isn’t built for that—it’s made for race day, fast—and unforgiving. Light—and light on support.

So let’s soften the ride and bump up the traction.

Let’s tune it to support the long run. Let’s make it street legal—barely. Now let’s give it a name.

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Introducing the LunarTempo. By keeping racing in its blood, it becomes the most fun you can have without a number. This shoe is ready and willing to go as fast, and as far, as you desire. Built for the runners who’d rather do things quicker than cut things out, the LunarTempo is made to put more miles in your hour.

— GEAR UP AT NIKE.COM/RUNNING

1/19/15 12:26 PM

captured

Click here for m more photos fro the 2014 Nike Cross Nationals!

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Competitor | february 2015

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T

Inside the huddle Twenty-two high school crosscountry teams descended upon Portland, Ore., on Dec. 6 for the 11th annual Nike Cross Nationals (NXN), a national showcase of the top prep running squads in the country. The meet was moved to Glendoveer Golf Course from Portland Meadows in hopes of minimizing the muddy conditions found at the old horserace venue, but the mud still prevailed. Nick Shaleen, a junior on the Wayzata High School team from suburban Minneapolis, gave his team a fiery post-race talk after they sloshed their way to second place in the final standings.

Wayzata was one of six schools to send two teams to the championships; its boys and girls squads ran away with the team titles at the Minnesota state meet in November and then won the NXN Heartland regional qualifier in Sioux Falls, S.D. (FayettevilleManlius High School from upstate New York became the first school to sweep both the boys and girls team titles at NXN.) Photo by Jeff Clark

competitor.com

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holy$#*!

The new trackers from Fitbit

The future of fitness is here with Fitbit Charge,™ Fitbit Charge HR™ and Fitbit Surge.™ With more features than ever before, these advanced activity trackers are designed to help you crush your goals. Whether it’s the walk to work, an epic ride, or the world’s toughest mud run—now you can find your fit.

GPS TRACKING

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CONTINUOUS HEART RATE

MULTI SPORT

STEPS, DISTANCE, CALORIES BURNED

CALL & TEXT ALERTS

MUSIC CONTROL

SLEEP SYNC MONITORING WIRELESSLY

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Starting Lines 14 Shoe Talk 16 Comebacks 18 Tech 20 Apparel

[Shoe Debuts]

New Kicks On The Block

New running shoe companies are popping up all over the world. Here are three unique new models from brands that have recently made inroads in the U.S.

1 | 361˚ USA

This new brand is a subsidiary of China’s second-largest footwear brand, but it’s coming out with original shoes specifically for the U.S. market. After launching a lightweight, lowprofile model called the Chromoso last fall, 361º recently unveiled a plush, mild stability shoe called the 361-Sensation. Surprisingly agile and light for such a robust shoe, our wear-testers found the ride to be soft, smooth and supportive. $120; 11.0 oz. (men’s size 9.0); 9.1 oz. (women’s 7.0) 9mm heel-toe offset (21mm heel, 12mm forefoot)

2 | Carson Footwear

Portland, Ore. runner Everett Carson not only launched a new line of running shoes with the Iguana, but he also sourced the machines and materials so he could make the shoes in the U.S. Although this sleek, zero-drop trail runner sits just 10mm off the ground, the unique singledensity polyurethane midsole/outsole offers sufficient protection, amazing flexibility and reliable durability for long trail runs. It’s a naturalriding, barefoot-style running shoe for runners who want a smidge more protection than barely-there models.

1

$90; 9.6 oz. (men’s size 9.0); 8.2 oz. (women’s size 7.0) 0mm heel-toe offset (10mm heel, 10mm forefoot)

3 | Airia Running

This Swedish company says the unique design of the One—which includes a dramatic 35-degree toe spring and an inward canting at the forefoot— alters the muscular usage patterns of a runner’s foot to make it stronger and ultimately faster.

But Airia also says it’s not just a gimmicky claim, as its rigorous tests have shown 80 percent of runners have run up to 7 percent faster in this lightweight, low-to-the-ground model. The awkward shape is hard to overcome, but our fittest and most efficient runners enjoyed it for shorter, faster training runs.

Scott Draper

$190; 9.0 oz. (men’s size 9.0); 7.7 oz. (women’s size 7.0) 7mm heel-toe offset (25mm heel, 18mm forefoot)

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3

Click here re to read mo on rs a C t u o ab r. ea tw Foo

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STARTING LINES

GEAR

Click here to s see America' ing nn ru t es w ne store

DID YOU KNOW? The correct pronunciation of adidas is “Ah-dee-DASS,” not the Americanized version “Uh-DEEDuhs.” The German brand is named after the company’s founder, Adi Dassler.

THE PROS AND CONS OF WATERPROOF SHOES DEPENDING ON where you live, running in February, March and April can often mean slogging through wet, slushy or muddy conditions, with a stilldoesn’t-feel-like-spring chill in the air. Have you considered a waterproof running shoe made with a Gore-Tex, eVent or another type of waterproof liner? Here are some pros and cons to consider.

Recycle Your Shoes 14

PROS

CONS

•Feet have a better chance of staying warm and dry

• Feet can get too hot on sunny runs in mild weather

• Lesser chance for frostbite, blisters and wrinkled toes

• Waterproof shoes typically aren’t as flexible

• Removes excuses for not running in bad conditions

• $15-$20 more than nonwaterproof models

•Allows for uninhibited running in inclement weather

• Most waterproof shoes are slightly heavier

For more things you probably didn’t know about running shoes, go to competitor.com/ shoefactoids

With new models hitting stores this month, February is the start of running shoe buying season. But that doesn’t mean your old kicks should go in the trash can. Completely worn-out sneakers can be put to good use resurfacing tracks and playgrounds, but shoes with modest wear and tear can be life-changing to those in need. Consider donating your shoes to an organization that will give a new life to your old sneakers. (For a list, go to Competitor.com/recycleyourshoes.) Be sure to run them through the cold cycle of the washing machine and let them air dry before you give them away.

Scott Draper

[ S H O E TA L K ]

Originally, the right way to pronounce Hoka One One was “Ho-kah Ownay Own-ay.” The founders of the company said it’s a Maori phrase that means “flying.”

However, after Deckers Outdoor Corp. took over the brand in 2013, we’ve been told the correct way to pronounce Hoka One One is simply “Ho-kah Won Won.”

COMPETITOR | FEBRUARY 2015

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You make getting the daily run in blissfully silent. And with the Adrenaline GTS 15’s legendary combination of comfort and support, it’s an unbelievably smooth one, too.

The ultimate go-to-shoe’s BioMoGo DNA midsole instantly adapts to your unique step to keep you running strong and fast, mile after quiet mile.

Learn more at brooksrunning.com

5 Adren ne G TS 1 ali

©2015 Brooks Sports, Inc.

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STARTING LINES

GEAR

Click here to see more shoes and gear!

BACK FROM EXTINCTION

BY BRIAN METZLER THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. No doubt you’ve heard that idiom before, a simple phrase suggesting that if you’re paying the tab, you should get what you want. New Balance and Brooks have taken that to heart this year—thanks to thousands of emails, calls and social media complaints and requests—and brought back two shoe models that had been left for dead.

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Similarly, New Balance reintroduced the MT101 trail running shoe, a lightweight, low-to-the-ground model that made waves during the minimalist boom in 2011, only to go away as newer models were released. It’s still a super agile trail fiend, but it has been given a few minor updates, including a new stretch-mesh upper, durably wrapped sidewalls, a padded collar and a more protective toe bumper.

$100; 9.7 oz. (men’s size 9.0); 7.8 oz. (women’s size 7.0) 10mm heel-toe offset (20mm heel, 10mm forefoot)

$90; 7.5 oz. (men’s size 9.0); 6.3 oz. (women’s size 7.0) 10mm heel-toe offset (18mm heel, 8mm forefoot)

At sub-8 oz., the MT101 is as nimble as they come.

Scott Draper

Brooks unveiled the Launch 2 this month five years after the initial model of this energetic, high-mileage trainer debuted.

The new version features a more responsive midsole/outsole undercarriage; a snugger, more athletic fit with a slightly wider forefoot profile; an updated no-stitch mesh upper; enhanced flexibility; and some eye-popping color motifs.

COMPETITOR | FEBRUARY 2015

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thank you running

You make going the extra mile comfortable, especially when nature calls. And with the responsive Brooks Ravenna 6 and its extended mid-foot crash pad for dynamic transitions, you’ll feel fast and be confident to go even farther than before.

Now all that’s left is a place to wash your hands.

Learn more at brooksrunning.com a6 enn Rav

©2015 Brooks Sports, Inc.

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Click here to read m o about we re arable tech!

[WEARABLE TECH]

FITNESS MULTITOOL Polar M400

$250, POLAR.COM Monitor your body during training and recovery with a single device.

BY AARON HERSH

COMBINE A FULLY FUNCTIONAL

NOT THE ONE? If the M400 isn’t for you, try these.

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TAKEAWAY:

Lots of data, a little complex.

BREAKDOWN: WHAT IT DOES

Tracks speed, distance and heart rate during a workout, and estimates sleep quality and general activity between workouts.

Garmin 220 $250, Garmin.com Impeccably simple GPS run tracker.

HOW IT’S BETTER

It’s one device that can do just about anything. If you use a training watch and fitness monitor, this can replace both.

Fitbit Surge

$250, Fitbit.com Speed and distance measurement, on top of Fitbit’s classic features.

WHY YOU NEED IT

Obsessive data junkies will love the bounty of info—and high-performing GPS—from the M400. It can collect pretty much all the essential training data.

Soleus GPS Fit

$99, Soleusrunning.com Basic speed and distance info at a miniscule price.

Scott Draper

training watch with an activity monitor, and you get the Polar M400. It can track a morning interval workout before punching the clock and then remind you to come unglued from your office chair during the day. This double feature, however, comes at a cost: complexity.

GPS connectivity is excellent. The watch connects with satellites in seconds, holds a signal through moderate tree cover and reads changes in speed within seconds.

No matter how you like to monitor a workout or race, the M400 can do it.

Speed and distance, both from GPS, and heart rate data are parsed many ways. Polar provides its own training software, and workout data can be ported over to popular training apps, but the process is far from seamless.

Between workouts, it doubles as a fitness monitor.

With an abundance of stats in small fonts, checking speed, HR or distance during a run is challenging and can take many clicks and too much concentration to be practical. Expect to take time learning the watch and software before putting it to use. This is the crux of the M400—it can measure just about anything, but using that info can be challenging.

COMPETITOR | FEBRUARY 2015

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Treadmills Engineered to Feel Better Introducing the Next Generation of Treadmills Incredible design and commercial-grade parts create the smooth and natural feel that has made Precor® a favorite in health clubs all over the world. New touch consoles, performance features and integration with the Preva® network fitness app give you a personalized workout experience second only to a personal trainer. Now, it’s easier than ever to get a health club quality workout at home.

www.precor.com /competitor 800.475.7290 © 2015 Precor Incorporated. Precor and Preva are registered trademarks of Precor Incorporated. Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series is a registered trademark of Competitor Group, Inc. Trademarks advertised other than those of Precor Incorporated are properties of their respective companies.

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MUCH ADO ABOUT MERINO NOT ONLY DO THE natural fibers of merino wool wick moisture without absorbing it, but they’re also soft against the skin and can help keep you cool or warm, depending on the conditions. Here are some of the latest and greatest merino running clothes.

Pettet Endurance Project

The Sebastopol Cap

$30; pettetendurance.com • This form-fitting, low-profile running cap serves up style and swagger in both its feminine and masculine versions.

Icebreaker

Sonic 5-Inch Shorts

$80; icebreaker.com • Lightweight, soft and stretchy, these shorts move with the dynamic movements of your body as you run.

Pettet Endurance Project

The Stayton T-Shirt

$69; pettetendurance.com • Add some fashion to your function, either as a breathable T-shirt or a comfortable base layer.

Smartwool

PhD Run Ultra Light Crew Socks

$18; smartwool.com • These socks have four-way stretchiness for optimal fit, reinforced heel and forefoot sections for added durability, and a seamless toe box for long-wearing comfort.

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Nike Dri-Fit Wool V-Neck Shirt

$95; nike.com • With a cozy blend of stretchy polyester and soft-to-the-skin wool, this lightweight top offers moisture-wicking performance and a touch of warmth on cool-weather runs.

Ibex Energy Free Tights

$125; ibex.com • A soft, stretchy blend of merino wool, nylon and spandex offers sufficient warmth and full-coverage comfort without binding or riding up on the run.

Smartwool

PhD Run Ultra Light Micro Socks

$16, smartwool.com • In addition to a seamless toe box, these cozy socks have a women’s-specific fit and stylish flair for shoeless post-run stretching sessions and comfort-time lounging.

COMPETITOR | FEBRUARY 2015

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Performance accurate heart rate on your wrist Steps, pace, distance and calories burned Connect to iPhone & Android apps, bike computers and GPS watches

mioglobal.com

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Starting Lines

TRAINING

Training Plan: 50 Miles Adapted with permission from "Hal Koerner’s Field Guide To Ultrarunning" (VeloPress, 2014) This plan is laid out to be progressive, with a healthy and exciting buildup of mileage and intensity. You’ll find the weekly mileage to be straightforward and easy to follow. There are also targeted workouts in the plan, built in alongside your miles, which will build your strength and also give you opportunities to customize the intensity and duration of your workouts.

Hal Koerner’s 50-Mile Training Plan (shown on page 24) Key Workouts: Tempo Runs: Tempo runs are inserted during peak training weeks to enhance the feel of a raceday effort and to make your body more efficient for the duration of the event. The key is to work on your rhythm and tempo for 30–60 minutes at a comfortably hard pace. Warm up and cool down with a couple miles of easy running. (Learn more about tempo runs on page 26.)

Hill Repeats: Hill repeats are another tool for building strength, and they also give you greater confidence come race day. Locate a consistent grade on which to perform your repeats. The key is to do a sustainable effort for 90 seconds followed by a 2- to 3-minute recovery, and to repeat this 10 times. Ideally, you would work this exercise into the designated run, perhaps running to your preferred stretch of climb as a warm-up and back again for the cool-down.

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Fartleks: Fartleks (Swedish for “speed play”) are designed to provide some change of pace for the legs, since most of the running at this time is at an easy pace. For fartlek training, run a 1minute surge every 6 or 7 minutes for the entirety of the run. This surge is perhaps 15 to 20 seconds per mile faster than tempo pace. At the end of the surge, simply return to your relaxed rhythm.

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[ COACH CULPEPPER ]

FIND YOUR TEMPO Increase your aerobic gains by adding tempo runs to your training.

BY ALAN CULPEPPER

WHAT IS “TEMPO”?

Tempo (or threshold) runs are efforts that are performed right at your aerobic threshold, or just below the point where your body produces lactic acid due to a lack of oxygen being delivered to working muscles. These workouts fall within 80–85 percent of max heart rate, about half-marathon effort or pace. Tempo effort is noticeably more challenging than an easy run but also not so hard that you can’t maintain the pacing consistently.

You shouldn’t be able to carry on a conversation during a tempo run—but you also shouldn’t be so out of breath that even one-word answers are tough.

HOW DO THEY FIT INTO YOUR TRAINING SCHEDULE?

Tempo runs have their place in a training schedule along with the total number of weekly miles, long runs, long intervals and speed workouts. Too often, athletes will do a tempo run because they’re

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Click here for more training wisdom from Alan Culpepper!

easy to execute, there are no intervals involved and you don’t need a track or a hill. It’s important to recognize that all the above training elements have their place in a program. If you neglect any of them, tempo runs will only have limited benefits. For example, if you don’t do speed work, your body will not be able to adapt to a faster turnover, which ultimately translates to quicker tempo pace. Similarly, if you don’t include long interval workouts—where your body is over your threshold and producing lactic acid—you won’t be as fit as you would be otherwise, and thus a tempo run will only offer moderate fitness gains.

HOW LONG SHOULD THEY BE, AND HOW OFTEN SHOULD I DO THEM?

Running your tempos too hard or too easy defeats the purpose of the workout.

If you are running under 6 miles for the workout, maintaining half-marathon pace or effort is just about right; for longer tempo runs between 6 to 10 miles, marathon effort/pace (or 75–80 percent of max heart rate) is more accurate.

If you are new to structured training, a 6-mile tempo run is much too long, but it’s something to work toward over several months. Breaking up the workout into smaller segments is a good way to mix up the pacing while still maintaining threshold effort (see sidebar).

When training for a marathon, tempo runs longer than six miles are necessary.

They should not replace your long run or

How to break a tempo run into smaller segments:

be so long that your recovery (and subsequently, your mar— 3 x 10:00 at half-marathon athon performance) is compromised. A to marathon pace with 2:30 good range is 6–10 rest between miles for longer intervals tempo runs. For experienced runners, — 4 x 8:00 at the workout doesn’t half-marathon need to be broken pace with 2:00 up into smaller rest between segments, since the intervals pacing should be more controlled and — 2 x 20:00 at closer to marathon half-marathon goal pace. Rememto marathon ber to warm up and pace with 3:30 cool down with a rest between mile or two of easy intervals running before and — 2 x 3 miles at after the tempo run.

Tempo runs half-marathon pace with 4:00 should be performed about once every 10 rest between days. They’re a good intervals workout to start with when coming off a break or easing back into training after illness or injury since they engage your aerobic system without overly taxing your muscles or tendons like speed work or hill repeats.

3Running coach and two-time U.S. Olympian ALAN CULPEPPER is a vice president at Competitor Group Inc. and a race director for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series.

Scott Draper

RUNNING ENTHUSIASTS often love to throw around the term “tempo run.” Yet I’ve found in working with all levels of athletes that many are often confused about what tempo runs really are—and where they fit into your training.

Tempo runs are one of the best ways to improve your aerobic conditioning, but they are often overemphasized in a training program or inadvertently performed at the wrong effort level. These workouts, which benefit 5K runners, ultramarathoners and everyone in between, are an essential part of an effective training regimen. The problem? Many runners believe there's always room for another tempo run, and thus neglect other training necessities.

Let’s take a closer look at tempo runs: what they are and how best to include them in your training.

COMPETITOR | FEBRUARY 2015

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[ MARATHON MEB ]

REVISIT YOUR ROOTS

RUNNING AROUND MY hometown of San Diego is like taking a daily drive down memory lane. I still do tempo runs at Lake Miramar and long runs at Mission Bay, where I’ve literally logged hundreds of miles and had some of my best—and worst—workouts. I’ll often run on the grass around Balboa Park, which brings me back to my high school days when I got my start as a competitive runner and first began dreaming about being an Olympian.

Now, 25 years, thousands of miles and hundreds of races later, revisiting those incredible memories on a regular basis helps me keep sight of how far I’ve come in my running career. As I approach 40 years old, it keeps me motivated to continue chasing my goals while inspiring others to do the same.

As runners, no matter how fast we are or how many races we’ve run, it’s important not to lose sight of the progress we’ve made and the difficulties we’ve overcome along the way. We all started running for different reasons: Some of us like to compete, while others first laced up their shoes to get in shape or lose weight. Regardless of why you logged your first mile, looking back to our earliest days can serve as a great reminder 28

of why we started running in the first place. It can also serve as motivation for continued improvement and enjoyment, and sharing those early memories can inspire others to start running—or start again after taking time off.

We are always influencing others through our stories and our actions.

Whether you’ve lost a lot of weight running loops around your neighborhood, finished a half-marathon after overcoming cancer or won the Boston Marathon like I did last April, know that every time you head out the door to run, you have the potential to impact others in a positive way and inspire a new wave of runners to get started in the sport.

Why did you start running? Ask yourself this question from time to time, especially when you might be struggling with motivation, and let the memories of your earliest days as a runner help you to appreciate the role the sport has played in your life and move forward with a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration.

3MEB KEFLEZIGHI is the only runner in history to win the New York City Marathon, the Boston Marathon and an Olympic medal. Find more of Meb's training tips, racing advice and inspiration at Competitor.com/runmeb.

Main photo: photorun.net; courtesy of Meb Keflezighi

BY MEB KEFLEZIGHI

COMPETITOR | FEBRUARY 2015

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Click here to access training, injury and reco very articles!

How Do I Prioritize My Training Week?

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sions that make up the foundation of your training week.

Schedule them for the days when you know you have the most time. If you have to miss a non-key workout or cut an easy run short for some unforeseen reason, you can look back at the end of the week and take solace in the fact that you had your training priorities straight.

3Mario Fraioli is the author of The Official Rock 'n' Roll Guide to Marathon and Half-Marathon Training (VeloPress, 2013) and coach of 2012 Olympic marathoner César Lizano.

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Fitting all of your workouts into a seven-day training week isn’t always an easy task, but prioritizing them in order of importance can help mitigate some of the scheduling stress—especially when life gets in the way of a run.

At the start of each week, identify the two or three key workouts in your schedule based on your current training focus.

For some, it might be long run, a tempo run and a long interval session; for others, it could be a speed workout and a hill session. These are the main sesCompetitor | february 2015

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out there

a lighter look at the running life

Click here for more of Susan Lacke’s humor columns!

Embrace boldness and let others take the middle of the road.

Y

By Susan Lacke

“You know everything doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing game, right?”

My brow crinkled quizzically. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Colleen sighed, exasperated. “You’re so extreme about everything. You’re either swearing off sugar for a race or buying a dozen cupcakes afterward. You’re rehabbing an injury or you’re training for an Ironman. You have to be the very best at everything—the best runner, the best writer, the best wife—and if you’re not, you won’t stop until you get there.

Everything has to be epic with you. Why can’t you be happy in the middle? What about moderation?”

I shivered at the M word: Moderation.

To most people, it’s an amiable word: moderate weather is lovely weather; doctors advise eating and drinking

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in moderation for good health; moderators keep the peace in times of debate. Colleen, my common-sense good buddy, is moderation personified.

But in this runner’s personal dictionary, moderation is a dirty word, wedged between “G.I. distress” and “nipple chafe.”

Moderation is the guy who saves all his money for a rainy day, only to die of a heart attack before he can spend it.

It’s the girl who wonders what would have happened if she had moved away from her hometown after high school.

Moderation means stepping back from the precipice—sure, it’s safe, but you miss the best views.

Moderation, in a word, is boring.

I don’t know too many runners capable of practicing moderation.

The sport attracts driven, extreme personalities—the ones who want to be the best at everything. We want to find out just what we’re capable of doing, and won’t stop until we get there. From entry blank to race day, once we’re in, we’re in all the way.

As it should be. Meb Keflezighi didn’t win the Boston Marathon by

dampening his fire. Deena Kastor doesn’t shatter records by taking it easy—even in her forties! PRs don’t usually happen in a comfort zone. Finisher medals aren’t engraved with “Yay, mediocrity!”

When we get those medals and set those records, it feels good to know that all those hours on the track and the refusal to miss a workout were worth it.

When we run to the highest elevations, we inhale the sweetest air.

“Everything in moderation” may be safe advice, but who decided safe was so great, anyway? Boring people, that’s who.

Don’t let that be you.

So go ahead: Turn your dial all the way to the right. Dive in head first. Absorb every last drop of what you love, and ignore the people who try to ration your enthusiasm. Run until you discover what’s waiting for you at your finish line.

It’s sure better than whatever’s in the middle.

3Susan Lacke is an age-group runner and triathlete in Phoenix.

You can follow her training adventures at competitor.com/ outthere.

Matt Collins

Moderation?

No Thanks Running doesn’t reward restraint.

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It’s easily the hardest race in running.

Cross country brings together the toughest of runners from the road, track and trails for a singular battle of attrition. Ahead of the national championships this month in Boulder, Colo., Olympian and former U.S. crosscountry champion Kenny Moore explains the rugged beauty of running’s dirtiest discipline.

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Two years ago, on a chilly March morning in Bydgoszcz, Poland, Chris Derrick and Ben True, two of America’s finest young distance runners, stared out from the starting line over the course before them. They saw huge rolling hills, twisting turns, stretches of borscht-colored mud, and patches of snow and ice. This was cross country at its ultimate.

They were facing the finest field of runners in the world. From the gun, the leaders would blast out at sub-4-minute mile pace. Some would slip, stagger and go down swearing on the viscous terrain.

Many would be bloodied from other runners’ spikes. At least one African runner would be taken to the hospital with hypothermia.

This was the pinnacle championship event of cross country, the most primal running discipline, in which the race isn’t waged over laps on a level stadium track, or on a measured route through city streets before cheering spectators, or on a picturesque course high in the mountains.

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Opposite The Falls Road Running team of Will Thompson, John Early, Matt Franco, Ed Aramayo, Nick Klastava, Sean Caskey and Conrad Laskowski strike a pose after the 2014 U.S. club cross country championships on Dec. 13 in Bethlehem, Pa.

Championships, is unquestionably the single most difficult race to win, because it brings together milers and marathoners, steeplechasers and 10,000-meter runners to have it out over a dozen kilometers of whatever pastures, golf courses or horse tracks the host nation finds most brutal. It’s not always frigid.

The 2017 Worlds were just awarded to steamy Uganda.

I ran two Olympic marathons, and I know cross country is the ultimate proving ground, the discipline in which rugged souls such as Derrick and True most excel.

Even though cross country is an all-out individual event, it is also the ultimate team sport. Seven teammates race over the course, all with the goal of finishing as high as possible. A team’s score is the total of its first five finishers. That means that after the cavalry charge of the start, every runner in the field except the leader is subject to a moral obligation: To keep passing the runner in front of you. The only sin is slacking off.

Thus, in cross country, no one can run a step without experiencing the agony of guilt or the agony of anoxia. In cross country, you must run as hard and as intelligently as it is given to humans to run. Knowing that you’re out there for more than just yourself creates a higher accountability. It shames and emboldens you to run at your limit.

“The start of Worlds is a sight to behold,” says True. “It’s always the same. The gun goes off and everyone sprints all-out. The Africans break away into a lead pack and it’s a sufferfest for everyone behind them after that.”

The opening charge was just that in Poland. True and Derrick went out hard, but not so hard, they hoped, that they would pay the price of all the crazybrave souls up ahead. “I was well back of the African pack,” True says. “I didn’t feel bad. The main thing, I was still on my feet, through all the snow and ice.”

A lot of runners weren’t. “The first two laps, Chris and I worked together, and ahead of us you could see guys falling,

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see guys staggering to keep their feet.

We just kept reeling in guys.”

“Moving like that,” says Derrick, “you feel a horde of guys are going to come on up. Like they are going to tear your flesh. I thought I was in serious trouble.

The surroundings were taking on a sepia tone.” True sensed a similar dimming.

“I had mud caked in my eyes. Everything seemed brown. It could certainly have been exhaustion.”

Japhet Korir of Kenya won. True held on against the darkness and crossed the line, finishing sixth—the highest by an American since 1995. With Derrick in 10th, and their teammates Ryan Vail, Robert Mack and Elliott Heath finishing 17th, 19th and 30th, the U.S. won silver, beating Kenya for the first time since 1984 and finishing behind only Ethiopia.

Derrick, 24, and True, 29, hope to line up again at the next biannual world championship, this March in Guiyang, China, which is 4,000 feet above sea level. The qualifying race is Feb. 7, at the U.S. cross country championships in

Boulder, Colo., which is a mile high and likely to be snowy and cold.

Although he nursed a sprained ankle over the winter, Derrick tuned up with a win at the Great Edinburgh XCountry event, an 8K race held on Jan. 10 in the sloppy conditions of the Scottish capital’s Holyrood Park.

“It was a really hard race on a tough course,” Derrick said after the race, in essence summing up just about every cross country race he’s ever run. By most estimates, there are 20 million active runners in the United States, but only a tenacious few run cross country. Still, the sport is vibrant at its core. More than 440,000 teenagers run cross country at the high school level every fall across the U.S., and roughly 20,000 more race over hill and dale in the college ranks.

The most committed recreational runners compete in gritty, local race series that, for many, culminate in the U.S. club cross country championships in early December.

While most top-level American distance runners concentrate on racing on the

track or roads, runners like Derrick and True are part of the tiny fraction for whom the blood-and-guts nature of cross country is their calling.

“We have a group,” says Jerry Schumacher, the American coach for the U.S. world championship team and full-time coach of Derrick, “who have raced cross country for years, and who make it their prime importance. And all these guys growing up in Maine and Illinois and Wisconsin and Minnesota had to be a factor in those conditions.”

True, of Hanover, N.H., was born and raised in North Yarmouth, Maine. He grew up racing both Nordic skiing and distance running. He was an All-American three times in each sport during his collegiate career at Dartmouth.

“I love cross country,” says True, “because it is the purest form of running.

It’s the first real running we do as kids, out in the grass, out in the woods. It is the simplest, too. Nothing is needed but the trail, and someone to race.”

After earning his architecture degree in competitor.com

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Opposite (Top) Tara Erdmann left it all out on the course in December when she finished second at the U.S. club cross country national championships.

2009, True tried training in Oregon, but was soon back at Dartmouth. “I am a true New Englander,” he says. “I went back to where I was mentally happy.”

He joined the Saucony Elite Racing team in 2011. Since then, training with former NCAA cross champion Sam Chelanga, True cut his track PRs to 13:02.74 for 5,000 meters, and 27:41.17 for 10,000 and placed 35th overall (and first among American runners) in his first trip to the World Cross Country Championships in 2011.

Derrick won state and national high school cross country titles while running for Neuqua Valley High School in suburban Chicago, helping his team to the championships as well. After a great collegiate career at Stanford that included a runner-up finish at the 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championships, he joined Schumacher’s Nike Bowerman Track Club, based in Beaverton, Ore. Schumacher came from the University of Wisconsin, where he had run the mile and turned out years of tough Badger runners. One was Matt Tegenkamp, currently the fifth fastest American ever at 5,000 meters with 12:58:56.

“I knew Jerry was in it for the right reasons,” Derrick says. “His expectations of what I can do and my own line up together.” Well, with one exception. In the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000m, Derrick finished an agonizing fourth, narrowly beaten by Galen Rupp, Tegenkamp and Dathan Ritzenhein, and missing the final Olympic team berth by 4 seconds.

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“I was trying to be positive,” recalls Derrick, “saying I hadn’t been feeling well, I’d done my best, and Jerry said, ‘You should have made that team.’”

Schumacher is a warm, beaming exponent of cross country, because it makes you better at every other kind of running. It gives you stamina, and forces you to learn more body control than any smooth surface can teach. My coach, Bill Bowerman, always said, “The hills will find you out.” After we crested them, he asked us to fully employ gravity, by freewheeling down the steepest descents “until you can get your breath back at 4-minute-mile pace.” That took seasons of practice. In February 2013, employing these skills, Chris Derrick won the senior men’s 12K race at the U.S. cross country championships in Forest Park in St. Louis, beating Ritzenhein, Tegenkamp, Elliot Heath and True, and qualified for Worlds. He covered the course in 35:38.6, winning by 6 seconds while averaging 4:46 mile pace. He repeated as national champion last winter in Boulder, running away with the 12K at 5,400 feet in 36:14.

Derrick lives in an airy, spacious home about a mile from Nike headquarters.

He has three roommates, all aspiring American standouts: Ryan Hill, German Fernandez and Evan Jager, the American-record holder in the 3,000m steeplechase.

One Sunday after Thanksgiving, I appeared at their door. “I can’t shake hands,” Derrick says, “because I’m cooking all this pork.” He nodded me

in, hands immersed in a big bowl of marinating meat, and headed back to the kitchen. The entryway contained so many colored shoes it evoked a flock of tropical birds.

Derrick was patiently assembling a New Mexican adovada stew with red chilies.

Jager sat expectantly before the TV. They had just done their weekly Sunday long runs. “So now it’s just football and cooking dinner,” Derrick says. “You know your life is boring when the most exciting thing is a new pot.”

As the different ingredients were chopped, minced, browned and assembled into a braise that only grew more fragrant, you recalled coach Schumacher saying, “Chris’ cooking is a wonderful manifestation of his meticulous nature.”

That patient nature is perfect for the distance running life, where exhausting efforts must alternate with recuperative ease and great, sustaining food.

“My role,” says Schumacher the next day, “is helping make him better until his potential is reached. He will know when he has gotten the best out of that wonderful talent. He’s not going to stay at it too long. He’s very bright.”

And like all the runners Schumacher works with, he points toward this month’s trials in Boulder and the next world championships.

America’s best female distance runner of this era, the indomitable Shalane Flanagan, is also coached by Schumacher.

They both think cross country contributed to her success on the track and in marathoning. Of course, it’s present in

MATT STANLEY

Opposite (Bottom) There is no pacing in cross country; it's all-out to the finish line.

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BELOW One of America's best, Ben True placed sixth at the World Cross Country Championships in 2013.

Opposite (Top and bottom) Competitive camaraderie—born out of a mutual respect for the grind all runners endure—is woven into the fabric of cross country.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: PHOTORUN.NET; MATT STANLEY (2)

her blood. Both of her parents raced the worlds. Mother Cheryl took fourth in 1969, and father Steve 112th in 1977.

Flanagan took the individual bronze in the women’s world championship race in 2011 in Spain—the last time she raced cross—but she was most thrilled about helping the U.S. earn the team bronze medal.

We are never more powerful than when we act in the service of others, which is why sprinters run faster on relay legs than open races. And why running cross country so cements brotherhood. “Cross country is cool because you are truly a team,” Derrick says. True credits the USA’s success in 2013 to that team mentality. “I think it is mainly that we stayed strong, we didn’t bend, we didn’t let [the cold] affect us psychologically.” They will need to call on that again in the hills of China in March to repeat their podium performance from Poland.

Through the mud, snow and ice, cross country will always issue the deepest call to our most rugged runners. These runners, by reflex and nature and training, always seek out the ultimate test.

Let us celebrate their glorious suffering.

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Analyzing your body in real time is the next frontier in running technology,

with the power to permanently transform training. And the first generation is already here. By Aaron Hersh

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technology in 2015 has a major deficiency: The most popular training Run metrics don’t actually measure your fitness or technique—the crucial factors that determine performance. There is still no way to track most of what the body is actually doing. GPS-based speed is an incredibly valuable training tool and modern watches provide exceptionally accurate data, but a slight grade can turn a runner’s easy pace into full-blown race effort. Heart rate provides useful insights into fatigue and workload, but changes in pulse are only loosely linked to intensity. And real-time stride efficiency analysis is in its infancy.

In other words, popular training tools are all substitutes for the information with the potential to make training as precise as possible.

A new wave of running tech has emerged that eschews proxy metrics for figures that directly quantify specifically what’s happening in a runner’s body while running. Power meters and wearable lactate meters will eventually allow all runners to train or race at a precise effort level regardless of experience. The biggest benefit? Ultimately, it could mean a drop in injury rates as data collected from stride monitors reveals the true cause of many of the injuries plaguing runners today. As technology continues to advance, today’s popular running bugaboos will become a thing of the past.

Running tech 1.0 Polar launched the first widely available heart rate monitor for athletes in 1982. The idea was to track effort by reading pulse rate. The thinking went like this: If a person’s heart beats faster, his or her cardiovascular effort level is likely to be higher. This is partially true.

While there is a strong link between heart rate and intensity, a slew of other factors—fitness, biomechanics, caffeine, sleep, hydration—influence heart rate. While the monitors themselves are far superior today compared to early-’80s 44

hardware, the gap between heart rate and effort level cannot be overcome. The metric is innately limited. GPS is another substitute for directly measuring running effort; there will always be a gap between speed and intensity level. There are better options.

Exercise physiology researchers had already developed more accurate ways to measure running effort way before Polar released its first heart rate monitor. In 1959, German physiologist Wildor Hollman demonstrated that the quantity of oxygen consumed and concentration of lactate in an athlete’s blood can each reliably indicate effort level. Five years later, American researcher Karlman Wasserman coined the term “anaerobic threshold” and popularized the methods used by Hollman stateside*. The machinery for these tests was bulky, invasive and limited to the laboratory.

Most exercise physiology facilities in universities and hospitals now have the equipment— but it’s still clunky and no less intrusive, involving repeated needle pricks or running with a gas mask. A number of entrepreneurial engineers are for the first time approaching solutions to generate equally reliable data about the body’s direct response to running for use on roads and trails.

finding threshold For performance-oriented endurance athletes, the blood lactate test is the gold standard for setting training intensity levels. The subject runs at progressively increasing intensity levels while wearing a heart rate monitor, stepping up the pace every three minutes. At the end of each level, a technician pricks the subject’s finger and a device reads the blood’s concentration of lactate. This continues until the subject can run no longer. It establishes the most accurate set of training zones possible, but is cumbersome and expensive (about $150 for a single test), and still relies on heart rate or speed for the athlete to find those zones when training.

Startup company BSX Athletics has created a device about the size of an electronic car key to continuously read blood lactate while running without repeated stabbing. By shining near-infrared light through the skin and into a muscle, BSX’s Insight ($300, bsxinsight.com) reads changes in blood oxygenation levels in the calf muscle. The portable featherweight device is held against the muscle by a compression sleeve and can be worn indoors or out, under any conditions. It can sync with phones and, in the very near future, select training watches.

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Some of running’s most scientifically fluent coaches are taking notice. “It would give us not just an idea of what the heart is doing, it tells how hard the body and the muscles are actually working,” says Steve Magness, the University of Houston’s cross-country coach and the author of “The Science of Running: How to find your limit and train to maximize your performance.”

After testing 237 subjects, BSX found 90 to 97 percent accuracy to laboratory lactate tests. But even once perfected, real-time lactate meters may have limitations. For lactate numbers to change dramatically, a person must be going hard, so this device is most useful when running fast or to set accurate speed or heart rate training zones.

Power to the people An athlete’s total energy output can be quantified with a single number: Power. The definition used in high school physics classes translates well to running: Power = Mass x Acceleration. Every time a runner’s foot contacts the ground, his or her speed slows. Then through the planted stage of a stride, the runner accelerates both vertically and horizontally, and eventually pops off the ground. The more deceleration, the more power must be gener-

ated to reaccelerate. Applying more power or reducing these decelerations are two ways to run faster.

In other words, power, measured in wattage, directly spells out how hard a runner is going stride by stride. Until now, there has been no way to measuring running power, in a lab or outdoors. Danny Abshire, the co-founder of Newton Running and one of the most influential thinkers on running form, is excited about the potential impact of a power meter for running. “Running with a power meter gives you an ability to be realistic about how much energy you’re putting out,” says Abshire.

“Because perceived effort versus what’s real are always different things.” A running power meter would show instantaneously how hard a person is working. Power meters have already revolutionized cycling, and, for the first time, engineers are making real progress toward quantifying this elusive metric for runners.

Robert Dick, Ph.D., an electrical engineering and computer science professor at the University of Michigan, has developed a running power meter through a start-up he founded called Athlete Architect. Cycling power meters directly measure the force and speed applied to the bike—Dick has another strategy to create

a similar device for runners. By measuring the changes in speed to a runner’s body weight, along with incline, Dick is able to calculate the amount of energy used to repeatedly accelerate with each stride. Stryd ($149.95, Stryd.com), Athlete Architect’s device, is a hip-mounted pod that uses accelerometers, an incline sensor and complex algorithms to determine how much power is required to move a runner. A second pod mounted to the shoe records more stride data. Runners can set intensity zones, just like heart rate, based on wattage numbers and track this number on a watch to stay at the exact right intensity. Seeing a number that quantifies immediate effort can help runners learn to pace properly over any terrain.

Dick compared Stryd’s accuracy against two established laboratory measures and found a 10 percent range of error. While Stryd is an impressive step toward directly measuring a runner’s effort level, a 10 percent discrepancy is sizeable. A runner’s stride is a complex mix of two different energy sources. The first is metabolic: energy produced by the muscles.

Fitness limits the quantity. The second is elastic energy. Burning calf and quad muscles give the impression that these muscle groups are doing all the work in a running stride, but in reality connective tissue including the Achilles competitor.com

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The Five-Year Plan These are some of today’s best versions of established tech that enrich running, along with predictions by engineers and training experts on how they may evolve in five years.

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Speed and distance measurement 2015 standard: Garmin Forerunner 620 GPS watch ($400, Garmin.com) What’s next: Even more seamless function

GPS-based speed is arguably the most powerful training tool currently available. Distance and pace will always matter to runners, and Garmin consistently increases functionality and simplicity in its GPS run watches. Sportstech blogger Ray Maker of DCRainmaker.com foresees modest improvements in the next five years, and one sea change. “Size will continue to drop, but only to a limit as they will become unreadable. We’ll see better handling of difficult conditions like running under dense trees.

Traditional smart watch companies will force the sports-tech companies to up their game,” Maker predicts.

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Exertion level

2015 standard: Polar H7 Hear Rate Sensor ($80, Polar.com) What’s next: Combination with lactate and power data

Heart rate can provide unique insight into an athlete’s level of fatigue from day to day. While lactate and power may eventually replace your trusty HRM for controlling pace on your best days, heart rate will always have an important place. If an athlete feels off during a workout and his or her pulse is far above or below average, that’s a strong indication that rest is more important than another training session.

Combining heart rate data with power, lactate and maybe even technique data will usher in new measurements of your body’s condition.

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"i think runners can benefit so much from open-mindedness and a few new tools to have fewer setbacks."

—Danny Abshire

Integration

2015 standard: Strava (Free or $59/year for premium, Strava.com) What’s next: Integration onto the body

Apps including Strava merge GPS, music and phone functionality with data from Bluetoothenabled training accessories. Many tech companies are on the verge of releasing smart watches promising to bring all the benefits of a phone and training metrics from connected accessories into one convenient device. By the end of the year, these products may replace phone apps as the best way to integrate a multitude of functions. By 2020, runners will be able to check all the functions of an iPhone on a heads-up screen without breaking stride.

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tendon is stretching and recoiling like a series of springs to re-inject massive amounts of energy into a stride. Because of this dependence on elastic energy return, a perfectly even stride is not necessarily the most efficient way to run.

The second stage of development for Stryd will focus on improving the accuracy of Stryd’s power numbers incorporating more gait data collected from a footpod.

The form factor Understanding stride mechanics while running is another area exploding with interest and new tech. For all the talk about running technique, the most powerful widely available gait analysis tool has been the cell phone video camera. Examining a runner’s gait on video is useful, but only tells a portion of the story and provides no information when an athlete needs it most—during a run.

Now, a handful of companies are trying to arm runners with information about their stride during workouts. Sensoria, a start-up founded by a pair of Microsoft alumni, created an instrumented sock with conductive yarns that records previously unavailable biomechanical data, including foot strike location (heel vs.

mid-foot vs. toe), impact force and ground contact time. The runScribe Pro, a device from another sports tech start-up, is a foot pod that collects a multitude of data on the movement of the foot and ankle during a stride, quantifying a host of attributes such as pronation. These data collected from either device are displayed through an app in real time so a runner can check his or her numbers during a run and adjust accordingly.

Of course, despite the ongoing debate between running experts, coaches, athletes and academics, there is still no unified theory of running technique. As technologists develop products like Sensoria and others, coaches will have to figure out how to use this new type of data. Helping runners become more efficient is the ultimate goal; reducing injury may be its most powerful application. “If you can get enough biomechanical data from a large enough sample of runner, you can hopefully have enough data to start to notice trends with injuries,” says Magness. The individualized, real-time monitoring will allow runners to precisely understand how to improve their gait, allowing for both changes on the fly and the application of specific drills in training to

strengthen and remedy weak areas. Abshire believes that we will eventually find that overstriding—landing with the foot in front of the hips—causes many running injuries. If Abshire is correct, using a device to avoid an elongated stride could reduce injury.

These novel technologies are on the verge of crossing the gap from measuring the consequences of a runner’s effort to measuring causes. Running experts will have to figure out ways to take advantage of these new data, but they have the potential to revolutionize training. Watches to display the info are already on the market. For these advancements to change the sport, runners will have to forgo the sport’s minimalistic ethos and embrace more equipment.. “I think [runners] can benefit so much from open-mindedness and a few new tools to have fewer setbacks,” says Abshire. Soon, the tools to transform training for the better will be ready. *A Brief History of Endurance Testing in Athletes, Stephen Seiler, Sportscience 15, 40-86, 2011. University of Agder, Norway.

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COURTESY FALMOUTH ROAD RACE

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What’s on your running agenda this year?

Competitor’s editorial staff put together our dream race calendar, with all the events that should be on every runner’s radar.

Where to Run and Race in 2015 competitor.com

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March M / 14

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M / 29

Gate River Run 15K Jacksonville, FL

Rock 'n' Roll Mexico City Mexico

Carlsbad 5000 Carlsbad, CA

The course of America’s fastest 15K includes two major bridges spanning the St. Johns River.

The newest international race in the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series takes runners through a vibrant metropolis south of the border.

The fastest 5K in the world. Enough said.

APRIL A / 12

Top of page Boston Marathon

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Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run Washington, D.C.

Brew to Brew Relay Kansas City, MO

A springtime rite of passage in the nation's capital takes place at the peak of the pink.

Yes, this 43-mile relay starts and finishes at breweries.

A / 19

A / 20

Sunset Strip Half Marathon and 5K, Hollywood, CA

Boston Marathon Boston, MA

Run along the boulevard of broken dreams.

You’ve got to run Boston at least once.

PHOTORUN.NET

Carlsbad 5000

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Lilac Bloomsday Run Spokane, WA

Fifth Third River Bank Run Grand Rapids, MI

Eugene Marathon Eugene, OR

This 12K is one of the largest—and best— road races in the country.

Test your fitness at the country’s best 25K.

The flat and fast course ends on the track at historic Hayward Field.

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Bay to Breakers San Francisco, CA

Bolder Boulder 10K Boulder, CO

This 12K is the oldest—and zaniest—consecutively run footrace in the world.

This classic 10K is followed by America’s biggest Memorial Day celebration.

June

JuLY

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Xterra Richmond Trail Run 10K, Richmond, VA

Peachtree Road Race Atlanta, GA

Runners conquer steep hills, river crossings, small islands, lush forests and a massive stair climb in this unique adventure.

This sweltering 10K—an icon of America's road-running scene—has been held every Independence Day since 1970.

J / 14 The Dipsea Mill Valley, CA

Bix 7 Davenport, IA

The oldest trail race in America is also one of the most challenging. The first challenge?

Getting in.

This hilly 7-miler is one of the premier road races in the Midwest.

J / 20 Grandma’s Marathon Duluth, MN A great place to qualify for next year’s Boston Marathon.

Top Bay to Breakers Bottom Speedgoat Get High 50K

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J / 20 Shelter Island 10K Shelter Island, NY A fast and fun 10K on a scenic isle on the eastern flanks of Long Island.

J / 25 Speedgoat Get High 50K Snowbird, UT This gnarly 31-mile mountain race at Snowbird ski resort mixes grueling climbs and wicked descents with wildflower meadows and breathtaking scenery.

J / 25 U.S. Mountain Running Championships Bend, OR This undulating race at Mt. Bachelor Ski Area will determine the U.S. team at the world championship in Wales.

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WASHINGTON DC MARCH 14

RALEIGH APRIL 12

VIRGINIA BEACH SEPTEMBER 5-6

MARATHON | ½ MARATHON | 5K

MARATHON | ½ MARATHON

½ MARATHON | 5K | MILE IN THE SAND

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August A / 01

A / 16

TD Beach to Beacon Cape Elizabeth, ME

Falmouth Road Race Falmouth, MA

This 10K founded by Olympic champ Joan Samuelson runs along the coastline of Cape Elizabeth and ends at the Portland Head Light in Fort Williams Park.

This 7-mile race was started by bartender Tommy Leonard after he closed his tavern to watch Frank Shorter win the 1972 Olympic marathon.

A / 16 Steamboat Stinger Half Marathon Steamboat Springs, CO Looking for a late-summer running vacation?

This low-key mountain town and rugged trail race should be on your short list.

September S / 05

New Haven Road Race

S / 07

Run the Rut Trail Races Big Sky, MT

New Haven Road Race New Haven, CT

These four mountain races, from a vertical 1K to a 50K, are among the hardest in the U.S.

America’s best—and fastest—Labor Day road race is also the U.S. 20K championship.

S / 12 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle, Erie, PA / Last Chance BQ.2 Chicagoland Marathon, Geneva, IL

S / 26 Golden Leaf Half Marathon Aspen, CO This point-to-point race is run on a singletrack trail amid a sea of golden aspen leaves.

October O / 03

Flagstaff Sky Race

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Rock Creek Stump Jump Chattanooga, TN

Flagstaff Sky Race Flagstaff, AZ

These trail races expose the ruggedness of Tennessee mountain stone trails.

The finale of the U.S. Sky Runner Series of trail races features a 55K, 39K and vertical K, plus 10K and 5K courses.

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Chicago Marathon Chicago, IL

Baystate Marathon Lowell, MA

Of America’s big three marathons, this is the one where you should shoot for your PR.

This small, off-the-radar race is one of the best places to qualify for Boston.

COURTESY NEW HAVEN ROAD RACE; AUSTIN LEGGETT PHOTO

If you’re looking for a last chance to qualify for the 2016 Boston Marathon, these are your best bets.

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November Silver Falls Marathon Silverton, OR Lush foliage, river crossings and numerous waterfalls await runners in races from 7 to 31 miles.

Moab Trail Marathon and Half Marathon Top of page Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon

N / 15 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon & Half Marathon Las Vegas, NV Running through the streets of Vegas at night and finishing on The Strip is not to be missed.

N / 07 Moab Trail Marathon and Half Marathon Moab, UT This stunning, one-of-a-kind course runs through the region’s famous red rock canyons.

N / 21 JFK 50-Miler Washington, D.C. The race celebrates President John F. Kennedy’s demand of his military officers to achieve optimal fitness—he also encouraged American citizens to do the same.

December D / 05

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D / 06

The North Face Endurance Challenge, Mill Valley, CA

Cal International Marathon Sacramento, CA

Five races, from 10K to 50 miles, send runners maneuvering through the Marin Headlands north of San Francisco.

This fast, downhill course is a PR machine and a quad-blower.

D / 06-13 Xterra Trail Running World Championship, Oahu, HI / Honolulu Marathon, Oahu, HI Bookend a Hawaii running vacation around these two races.

LEO KENNEY; COURTESY MOAB TRAIL MARATHON

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thestrongerseries.com Something

is coming this spring

A TEST OF SPEED AND STRENGTH. JOIN THE TRIBE

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Less Searching, More Running.

Our free e-newsletter, The Run Down, delivers the latest on everything running straight to your inbox!

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i’macompetitor Click here for other “I’m a Competitor” profiles.

not-your-everyday runner

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What makes the Carlsbad 5000 so special—and fast? Besides running along the Pacific Ocean, it’s got a fast first mile, a lot of fast people there. And it’s spectator-friendly.

Most races, when the elite racers finish, no one’s there watching them because everybody is still out running. Here everybody else runs, then you watch the elite runners. The course isn’t the fastest with the two U-turns, but because everybody’s watching and the competition is good, people expect to run fast.

What’s it like to run a sub-4 mile? I’ve had some very painful 4:10 miles that were a lot more painful than a sub-4-minute mile.

No matter how many people run under 4 minutes, when you do it your first time it’s something special. If I didn’t break 4:00 in a race, it was a lousy race for me. But it was still a special feeling every time I did it.

Why hasn’t someone broken the world mile record in 15 years? Well, because they were able to find a way to detect for EPO! I’m not naming names, but I think a lot of the fast times in that period were aided.

It’s not circumstance that the record hasn’t dropped in several years. I think we’re catching up with the cheats and making it hard for people to use performance-enhancing drugs.

Steve Scott

By Adam Elder

One of America’s greatest middle-distance runners of all time, Steve Scott posted three American mile marks, a world championship silver medal, two Olympic appearances and a record 136 sub-4-minute miles in a career that spanned nearly 20 years. (His 3:47.69 in 1982 was the second-fastest mile ever run and stood as the U.S. record for 25 years.) The prolific, fiercely competitive racer also founded the Carlsbad 5000, which celebrates its 30th year on March 29. He won that race three times and set two world-best marks for 5K on the road. We caught up with Scott, 58, who’s now the track and cross country coach at California State University, San Marcos, and is on the homestretch of treatment for prostate cancer.

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What has coaching been like after your racing career? It was a godsend, because I was floundering after my career was over. I was trying to break 4 minutes as a masters runner, hanging on by the skin of my teeth to try to stay involved in running. I was working in jobs I hated. But coaching was the perfect fit. [Cal State San Marcos] was in the NAIA, but we’re going into NCAA Division II. I realize that I’m not dealing with future Olympians, I’m dealing with that next level down.

My goal is to try to make them better athletes, make them enjoy running and want to continue to run, and not use up every ounce of their ability in college. And I think for the most part I’ve accomplished my goal.

Scott Draper

How is your cancer treatment going?

Everything’s going really well. I finished my treatment on Halloween. Now I have to wait four months to give the radiation the chance to work. I made the whole thing public just for awareness, because I caught it early. I didn’t anticipate all the people who would contact me. It was pretty amazing.

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