Boston!
This is Kelly filling for Miss Bri as she is having a blast cycling around Denmark and Sweden (more coverage on that to come). Today is the Boston Marathon; the mecca of foot races for serious runners. Our Sassy friend, Steve, is running today and we are sending him vibes of determination and fortitude like that of St. Ralph (my favorite movie of all-time) as he embarks on what some people have said is one of the most memorable moments of their life. One thing is certain, qualifying to run in the race is an achievement in and of itself. The Boston Marathon remains one of the, if not THE, most prestigious running races in the world.
| Boston Marathon Qualifying Standards |
||
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 3hrs 10min | 3 hrs 40min |
| 35-39 | 3hrs 15min | 3 hrs 45min |
| 40-44 | 3hrs 20min | 3 hrs 50min |
| 45-49 | 3hrs 30min | 4 hrs 00min |
| 50-54 | 3hrs 35min | 4 hrs 05min |
| 55-59 | 3hrs 45min | 4 hrs 15min |
| 60-64 | 4hrs 00min | 4 hrs 30min |
| 65-69 | 4hrs 15min | 4 hrs 45min |
| 70-74 | 4hrs 30min | 5 hrs 00min |
| 75-79 | 4hrs 45min | 5 hrs 15min |
| 80+ | 5hrs 00min | 5 hrs 30min |
The most infamous part of the Boston Marathon is “Heartbreak Hill”. We looked to Wikipedia to give us a little history:
Heartbreak Hill is an ascent over 0.4 mile (600 m) of the Boston Marathon course, between the 20 and 21 mile marks, in the vicinity of Boston College. It is the last of four “Newton hills”, which begin at the 16 mile mark. The Newton hills confound contestants (out of proportion to their modest elevation gain) by forcing a late climb after the downhill trend of the race to that point. Heartbreak Hill itself rises only 88 vertical feet (27 m), from an elevation of 148 feet at the bottom to an elevation of 236 feet at the top, but is positioned at a point on a marathon course where muscle glycogen stores are likely to be depleted—a phenomenon referred to by marathoners as “hitting the wall.”
The nickname “Heartbreak Hill” originated with an event in the 1936 race. On this stretch, defending champion John A. Kelley caught race leader Ellison “Tarzan” Brown, giving Brown a consolatory pat on the shoulder as he passed. His competitive drive apparently stoked by this gesture, Tarzan Brown rallied, pulled away from Kelley, and went on to win—in the words of Boston Globe reporter Jerry Nason, “breaking Kelley’s heart.”
Take-away: patronizing others is never a good idea.
Running hills is a cornerstone training tool in long distance running because it improves leg-muscle strength, quickens your stride, expands stride length, develops your cardiovascular system, and can even protect your leg muscles against soreness. In short, hill running will make you a stronger, faster and healthier runner (even though it REALLY sucks sometimes!) . What’s more, the benefits are relatively quick to take effect (which is AWESOME!). In as little as six weeks of regular hill training you can expect a significant improvement in your muscle power and speed. Hill-training workouts should only be done once, or at the most twice, per week.
Hill training also offers the following benefits:
- helps develop power and muscle elasticity
- improves stride frequency and length
- develops co-ordination, encouraging the proper use of arm action during the driving phase and feet in the support phase
- develops control and stabilization as well as improved speed (downhill running)
- promotes strength endurance
- develops maximum speed and strength (short hills)
- improves lactate tolerance (mixed hills)
Runner’s World gives a great overview of correct form when running uphill and down to prevent injury:
Going Up
It is the moment all runners dread. You turn the corner and right in front of you is a big, imposing hill. But don’t wince, focus. Shift gears both mentally and physically and prepare to attack the hill; don’t let it attack you. Running hills well is all about rhythm; if you let the hill break up your rhythm you will slow dramatically. But if you make the proper adjustments and maintain your cadence you’ll make molehills out of the mountains. Here’s how:
- As you start uphill, shorten your stride. Don’t try to maintain the pace you were running on the flat.
- You are aiming for equal effort going up as well as down, not equal pace. Trying to maintain the pace you were running on the flat will leave you exhausted later in the race or session.
- Take ‘baby steps’ if necessary and try to keep the same turnover rhythm that you had on the flat ground.
- Your posture should be upright – don’t lean forward or back – your head, shoulders and back should form a straight line over the feet. Keep your feet low to the ground.
- If your breathing begins to quicken it means that you’re either going too fast, over-striding or bounding too far off the ground as you run.
- Use a light, ankle-flicking push-off with each step, not an explosive motion, which will waste energy. If the hill is long or the gradient increases, keep shortening your stride to maintain a smooth and efficient breathing pattern. If the gradient decreases, extend your stride again. Try to maintain the same steady effort and breathing throughout.
- In a race, or when you’re training on a undulating course, run through the top of the hill. Don’t crest the hill and immediately slow down or pull back on your effort.
- Accelerate gradually into the downhill.
Coming Down
Most runners make one or two obvious mistakes when running downhill. They either sprint, which causes severe muscle soreness later on, or they’re so hesitant to surrender to gravity that they’re constantly braking, which fatigues the quadriceps muscles. The optimum pace is somewhere in between. Try not to let your feet slap on the ground when you are running downhill. Step lightly and don’t reach out with your feet. Slapping can be a sign of weak muscles in the shin area, in which case you need to strengthen them. To help your downhill technique, follow these simple tips:
- Try to visualize gravity pulling you down the hill.
- Try to maintain an upright body posture, keeping your torso perpendicular to the horizontal.
- Keep your feet close to the ground for maximum control, and land lightly.
- As you increase your pace, emphasize quicker turnover (cadence) rather than longer strides, though your strides can be slightly longer than normal.
- The key to efficient downhill running is to stay in control. When you start, keep your stride slightly shortened and let your turnover increase. When you feel in control, gradually lengthen your stride.
- If you start to run out of control when descending, shorten your stride until you feel you are back in control again.
Hill work is a great tool to improve your running and elevate yourself to the top of your game. Let us know where your favorite hills are in Seattle!
