US Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifying Standard – 2:19:00 or under
Day 22
Monday, November 22, 2010 -
AM – I was feeling good after the 6 mile run yesterday so I dropped 6:18 pace for 4 miles, I was supposed to run right at 6:20 pace. It was unseasonably warm, like 65 degrees, so it felt amazing outside.
PM – I was supposed to run 3 x 800m/300m workout, but due to heavy rain and lighting we had to call an audible and move the workout to Tuesday morning. When there was a break in the weather, which was around 8:30pm, I got another 4 mile run, but this one was at 6:37 pace. I was feeling pretty tired, not totally sure why, but I think it was mainly because I really hadn’t eaten for like 6 hours by the time I ran. Ended up eating dinner around 9:15pm, a lot later than normal. Got a set of abs in also after the run.
Total miles = 8
Day 23
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 -
AM – 9:00am - Significantly colder than yesterday, about 40 degrees colder when I started warming up. The workout was 3 sets of 800m @ (2:38, 2:34, 2:30) then 200m jog then 300m @ 4:24 mile pace (50 seconds) then 300m jog. Here is the breakdown of how the workout went:
2 mile warm up @ 12:26 (6:13 mile pace)
Set #1
800m – 2:36
300m – 50
Set #2
800m – 2:32
300m – 51
Set #3
800m – 2:29
300m – 48.9
2 mile cool down @ 13:21 (6:40 mile pace)
Ok, this was a fairly tough workout. It was cold and a bit windy so I wore more layers than I normally do for a workout. But, the main reason it was tougher was because of the change in pace from the 800m to the 300m. I have not gone that fast (sub 4:30 mile pace) in about 2-3 months. It felt good to move fast like that again, but it did hit build up some lactate acid from moving my legs that fast again.
PM – 3 mile run @ 6:40 mile pace. A bit worn from the morning workout, but was able to run about 6:35 pace for this run. Got in a light session of weights (1 set instead of the usual 2-3), stretched and used the foam roller.
Total miles = 10.1
Eric Wallor
Eric, What would you say about your experiences with AltoLab? Do you think it helped some?
I have liked AltoLab overall. I feel it has given me a little extra edge in my marathons. If you do the first initial three-week cycle before a marathon or any big race your doing then you will notice that you can take in more oxygen and your lungs just feel stronger. I think the best results will AltoLab is if you do it over at least a 2-3 month long time. That way you are really getting acclimated and simulating like you have been running and training in the mountains. As with any altitude system, they can get a little costly. But, if you are serious about taking your training to the next level I would seriously consider looking into AltoLab. Hope that helped. If you have other questions, don’t hesitate to ask? Thanks, Eric.
Thanks Eric. I may give it a shot. Were you able to make a measurable improvement using the product or is it too hard to separate the effect of your training and normal improvement from overall growth?
Mark, I would say it’s a little difficult to measure. But I have improved in the last 3 marathons I have done and I have used AltoLab every time. I would say it is worth giving a shot and then you can really see for yourself if the benefit is worth it to continue using it.
Eric,
Have you also used traditional training, or living, at real altitude and/or an altitude tent and if so how does it compare to the AltoLab?
Also, do you use the AltoLab year round or just prior to competition? Or another time?
Mark,
I have ran in the altitude before (Albuquerque, NM and Flagstaff, AZ, but for never more than a week. AltoLab is the first simulator I have used. It came highly recommended to me by a coach I have a lot of respect for. I think ideally you would want to use it as close to year-round as possible to really really gets the effects of it. However, with costs and time factors it isn’t always possible. I think if you can get a 2-3 months session in before bigger competitions that’s when I have noticed the effects of it the most. Though, I will say the first time I used AltoLab was for my first marathon in 2008 and that was just doing it 3 weeks before the race and I felt like gave me a little extra. Your lungs definitely feel stronger and your breathing is deeper after using it.
Eric
Excellent, thanks