A Q&A with Bazman

Q: What was an average training week? How many miles, what is the breakdown of fast and hard miles versus soft and easy?
See spreadsheets - has all you're looking for

Q: What pace did you run your long runs at? Were they steady pace? How fast did you run your recovery and easy runs?
In 2009 all long runs were relatively easy (7:00/mile). In 2010 in preparation for marathon I started doing long runs faster (6:00/mile).

Q: What was your refuelling strategy for the race?
No high GI foods or drinks on morning of marathon (e.g. no sports drinks). I took a gel 15 mins before race (IsoGel) and another 5 mins before. During race I took 2 other gels (miles 9 & 15 I think). Rest was all water.
Mistake was not taking on enough electrolyte - cramp was an issue over last 8 miles.

Q: What's next?
Hopefully London marathon

Q: This year has been a golden one in the mountains, with general imra %'s of winning times dropping to the great joy of many a plodder. Many corks have popped in celebration of this golden era of the Everyman. So before we stock up on bubbly for the new season, have you any plans to come back, or are you focussed on the roads now?
I did run the leinster league in 2010, primarily as a means to getting fit again. Lost the motivation for running in late 2009/early 2010 as you'll see from my logs. Strategy worked - hill running is fun and got me back into shape. I'll always run hill races, although probably not as many in 2011. I do want to race the Irish Champs some year, although probably won't be for a while as the races are in general too high risk.

Q: How carefully do you select your food?
Not carefully. I'm heavy & it's due to diet. It's something I'll focus on in 2011. The only time I was focused on diet was in lead up to national track champs in 2009. It worked - got down to 66kg on a healthy diet. In general I get good food in, but unfortunately I also love jellies, chocolate & ice cream.

Q: What would be a typical days meal plan?
I plan to eat most days I don't have any particular meal plans. When I go shopping I try to buy healthy stuff and no convenience food.

Q: What do you eat as a snack?
Luckily I love fruit, so as much as possible I try to snack on fruit. Unfortunately more often than not it's jellies, particularly when tired in work for the energy rush.

Q: What pace do you run your recovery runs at?
5:00/km

Q: What is your normal LSR pace? Do you introduce PMP miles into your LSR's? If so, up to how many?
Recently I'm trying to run LSR faster. Starting at 6:30/mile and move to 6:00/mile. What's PMP miles?

Q: No disrespect, but wouldn't Tingle be faster?
None taken. Only one way to sort this. 7pm at Irishtown
Not sure what Tingles times are, but mine are 1:59 for 800m, 3:57 for 1500m, 14:47 for 5km, 30:20 for 10km, 68:12 for half, 2:22:05 for full marathon

Q: Do you own any "lucky" items of clothing, and do you have any idiosyncratic pre-race rituals?
Not really to be honest.

Q: What shoes did you wear for DCM?
I wore Adidas AdiZero Ace. They're a slightly heavier simple version of the Adios which I wore in Florence. Ace were better for me as had more heel & cushion, although Adidas reps would more recommend the Adios/Boston for marathon. I also considered Nike LunarRace & Streak, but they didn't feel right for the distance. I'm pro Adidas at the moment - they just fit like a glove. Was very happy with shoe choice. Running shoes are an obsession of mine - I've most models on the market. I'll prepare something specifically on this.
I wore compression socks for marathon as I read they can help onset of cramps. They didn't help - unlikely to wear in next marathon.

Q: If a boardsie was to have bought you a drink after the race, what should they have got you?
Excuseless did - I had a nice pint of Guiness

Q: What's your opinion of barefoot running?
Why? Runners are so light now I don't see the point of running barefoot. Whatever you're into I guess, but it you want to run fast I'd wear shoes always - even on a perfect cross country course - you can get spikes now for under 100g.

Q: Worst moment you've ever had in training/race?
Tough one.
Possibly when I started back training in 2010 with an extra 6kgs over normal weight, realising I had a lot of work to do.
Possibly in training 3 weeks before Dublin marathon durning a 3 x 2 miles marathon mission group session - legs were jelly & knew my marathon prep was in trouble. Thankfully one week of easy running solved the problem.
In a race it would be any one of my 4th place finished in national championships - in particular I was devastated after 2009 track 10k. I was in super shape (best to date) and made a mess of race tactics. Had to run the 5k the next day to get the rage out of my system

Q: Funniest moment?
There is nothing funny about athletics It is fun, but rarely funny. I remember being passed out by a guy wearing '50' on his back a few years back in the Gerry Farnan race - that was funny at the time

Q: I'm amazed at the amount of racing you do. For example you did 2 races a week in the 4 weeks after after your hamstring injury. Is there a reason for that or just because you enjoy it? How is your recovery and does it affect your training?
The fun part of athletics is racing. Athletics is my hobby, not my profession - if I'm not enjoying it then what's the point? I know racing all the time is not to be recommended for maximum performance, so will race less in 2011 to see if I can improve to next level.
My recovery is generally very good, which allows me to race often. I would categorise races - I would only taper for target races (ones highlighted in log). Otherwise races is just another component of training - required to get faster, but important not to overdo it (which I've done several times and never learn).

menoscemo wrote: »

Planned Marathon Pace. i.e. 5.25/mile (or maybe you were planning faster?)

Never did PMP as part of LSRs (go the TLAs). For long runs I'm always slower that PMP & for interval sessions always faster. Tempo runs are generally at PMP.

Q: How fast (or slow) were you in 2005 starting out? (eg what would have been your 5k time in 2005?)
Don't have records from 2005. Was only running IMRA races at the time at these are on www.imra.ie. Was running IMRA races since 2000, but only started training outside of races in 2005.
2006: Ran 80:20 for Amsterdam half marathon (first proper road race I remember)
2007: Ran 35:12 for 10k (Port Tunnel), 26:40 for 5 miles (Raheny), 72:29 for half (Connemara - first race I took seriously - it was the one that changed my perspective on running - focused on this race completely for about 4 months)

Q: I believe everyone can improve for 10 years...do you believe your times will improve for next 5 years?
Yes I believe in this & confident I will improve, particularly at distances over 10k.
I believe I've a sub-30 10k and sub-2:20 marathon in me and these will be primary targets for 2011.

Q: What would have been your longest Tempo session?
This year it was 12.5 miles in 70 minutes. Last year it was 10 miles @ 6:00 pace, followed by 10 miles @ 5:30 pace. Tempo runs are very important prep for the marathon, but I think interval training is more important. I'm moving towards running slow runs faster and less tempo runs.

Q: What are your targets for 2011 & 2012 ?
One year at a time. For 2011 primary targets are sub-30 for 10k, sub-50 for 10 miles, sub-2:20 for marathon. Secondary targets are sub-67 half & individual national senior medal.

Q: What kind of strength and conditioning work do you do?
Very little. I've good core strength from my GAA date and good leg strength from hill running. I would occasionally do circuit training, but not enough. Will try to improve on this in 2011.

Q: During injuries which do you feel are the most beneficial ways to keep up fitness (i.e what kinda cross training would you recommend)?
I do a little on the bike, although a lot less that I used to - it's definitely good for endurance and allows you to train more without damaging the legs. Primarily I bike for enjoyment - a chat with the lads over the hills. It's just like going for a pint, only healthier
If you want to get faster there is no substitute for running. In general pro cyclists don't run and pro runners don't cycle.

Thankfully I don't get many injuries. When I do I generally just rest up. If I really wanted to keep in shape I'd cycle & swim, but thankfully I haven't needed to resort to this to date.

Off to my leaba now - may be a few days before i get to review this thread again ...

Its great to see how you have progressed through the years, by the way congrats on your marathon, great result. I see your average mileage for this years marathon prepartion is less than 2009, also you ran alot less longer runs, was that the plan or it just panned out that way. Would you change your plan for the marathon next year in London? I see your part off the 2012 marathon mission, whats that about? Good luck with your goals.

Thanks for all the questions so far - hope my logs/answers are of some interest. I just want to clarify a few things before continuing:
- I ain't doing this to boost the ego or because I see myself as an expert. I know my place as a decent club runner who is quite a long way off international standard. I was asked to do a Q&A and agreed because I'm a fan of knowledge sharing. There are hundreds in Ireland who could reach an elite level and anything that helps athletes reach their potential is worthwhile.
- I am relatively well read on athletics, but I remain inexperienced. I have made a lot of mistakes. Take my logs & answers with a very large pinch of salt - I've still a lot to learn. In terms of marathon preparation I would recommend 'Advanced Marathoning' by Pete Pfitzinger & Scott Douglas - these guys really are experts.
- Everyone is different and there are many ways to skin a cat. Generic training plans and experience of others are all fantastic for guideance, but I believe everyone should tailor plans to suits their personal needs and surroundings (e.g. club training sessions). Is it important to have an awareness of your own strengths & weaknesses in order to tailor a programme to maximise your own potential.

Right, back to Q&A:

Q: How do you develop your training plans? Do you devise them yourself or do you have a coach?
To date I have largely been self-coached. I would certainly seek advice from club coaches and peers in devising training plans, but I like being relatively independent. I would train with others as much as possible, particularly for sessions and long runs.
In terms of planning, I generally start by setting primary targets and high level training objectives (e.g. endurance training until end December). I rarely do a detailed long-term plan, preferring to plan on a weekly basis taking into account personal & work commitments and also group training sessions. For the key races (e.g. marathon, national 10k) I would do an outline plan of key sessions from about 8-10 weeks out, but I wouldn't religiously stick to these plans.

Q: When doing your tough sessions do you generally do them alone or with a group?
With others when possible. Sessions are generally of a much higher quality when running with others. This is not always possible for me as I'm often working odd hours, but given a choice I would always run in a group. Most important thing about group session is to still run within your capabilities - no point in leaving your best runs on the training track.
Running occasionally on your own is good for the mind, particularly as you can often end up raing on your own.

Q: I see your average mileage for this years marathon prepartion is less than 2009, also you ran alot less longer runs, was that the plan or it just panned out that way. Would you change your plan for the marathon next year in London?
I had an easy work life last year which allowed me to run high mileage. This year I was particularly busy in work and also didn't have the base mileage work done during the winter, so I went with a lower mileage approach. Advantage of running lower mileage is generally sessions are higher quality. This year I benefited from more tough sessions with quality athletes (as part of marathon mission). As I said earlier there are many ways to skin a cat - I've tried 2 ways with broadly the same results. Haven't decided on how I will approach next marathon - I'm likely to increase mileage back to 2009 levels of approx 100mpw if my body can cope.

Q: I see your part off the 2012 marathon mission, whats that about?
http://dublinmarathon.ie/news.php?article=282

Q: What is the single most important training component needed to get faster times in a marathon.
Consistency. Year after year, month after month, week after week, day after day. I think I've really benefited from 3-4 years of consitent training and racing. I took a big break last winter - looking back this was a mistake as it took a long time to get back.

Marathon Talk steal - kind of!
Given the right resources and support or the opportunity to train like a professional for 1 year, which distance would pick and what time do you think you could run?

Great reading Baz. Thanks.

When you're marathon bug has been addressed it will be great to see you back on the hills, and the Irish Champs etc as you mention earlier, even if it does mess up the rest of our %s

Any particular stand out memories from your IMRA races? Favorite race / best race?