Gear Review: Hansons Marathon Method: A Renegade Path to Your Fastest Marathon

I'm a believer in the theory of cumulative fatigue. So a couple years ago, when a friend asked for some marathon advice, I suggested de-emphasizing the long run, and instead placing a focus on consistent mileage and quality workouts. I told her that I believed that running marathon paced workouts on tired legs would serve her better than having one disproportionate workout per week that required sacrificing the next several days to recovery. Now, she really had no reason to believe me, since at that point, I had run one marathon and it had not gone that well, and all the plans by established coaches like Pete Pfitzinger and Jack Daniels had 20 mile runs in them (I did run a better one later, and trained for that race using the principle of cumulative fatigue). However, I had some ammo: a Running Times article about a method used by two brothers in Michigan who have had success using the principle of cumulative fatigue to train elite distance runners. The result? She PRed and qualified for Boston. Last year, Luke Humphrey, a Hansons athlete, exercise physiologist, and coach at Hansons Coaching Services, wrote Hansons Marathon Method, which detailed the training philosophy used by the Hansons Brooks Original Distance Project.

Race Report: Philadelphia Marathon 2012

As some of you may know, I spent yesterday in Philly running the marathon (and if you don't know and are here via Google search looking for a course description, skip down a few paragraphs past the fluff...I'll get there). This is the second marathon I've done, and the first that wasn't a complete disaster (brought on by being the first 88 degree day of the spring and terrible pacing for my first marathon). Not somewhere I really expected to be given where I was last year at this time, but my friend Molly, who agreed to coach me, was convinced that my body would be better able to handle the high mileage and long tempos of marathon training than the fast intervals and tight turns of the track at this stage in the game, and considering her propensity for coming back from her own injuries faster than before, I figured I'd listen. So at some point in August, it became time to stop messing around and actually begin marathon training (which meant taking a week off first, but downtime is pretty necessary, you know). And now, about three months and nearly 1300 miles later, here's what I have to show.

2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials

Got this picture from my friend Aimee's Facebook page. I'm assuming it's her picture?

Thanks for the inspiration. Now go get 'em in London!

Results

2012 Olympic Marathon Team Trials...and another exciting announcement!

First of all, everyone get stoked for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Team Trials! It all goes down this Saturday in Houston, with the men's start at 8:00am and the women's start fifteen minutes later at 8:15am (both CST). Unfortunately, the most important US marathon of the year won't be televised live. Instead, it will be shown on NBC from 3-5pm EST (same day coverage). Seriously, this is the Superbowl, because it picks the best in the nation, and then the top three go on to the Super-Superbowl in London where they face the best in the world. Can anyone imagine what the backlash would be like if the only Superbowl coverage was a two-hour highlight reel shown six hours after it actually took place? Such is the plight of being a fan of this great sport that most of America has no interest in watching.

Where your dreams become reality?

Just for a moment, let me redirect you to Leah @ Chasing Atalanta's blog.

I've been banned on the LetsRun message board for defending my friend Molly Pritz. I'm not even going to get into what I think of the LetsRun community's treatment of an up-and-coming young woman who is part of a bright future of American distance running because all it does is get me frustrated. In all honesty, it's probably just a handful of people, but it truly sickens me. Anyway, like I said, that's all I'm going to say about that topic, because negativity countered with negativity doesn't solve anything, and my energy is better spent supporting Molly in other ways.

But this latest thing is just pathetic. This isn't the anonymous cowards of the message board...this is actually on the news page.

"Just how easy is the standard for women's US marathon trials? Well, a 4:08 marathoner can do it."

Dude, WHAT?! I don't want to talk about whether the women's B-standard is "soft." That's not why I'm writing this post, and it's an entirely different can of worms anyway. Yes, I understand that the main purpose of the Trials is to choose the Olympic team, but let's face it, a 2:19 guy is a really long shot to crack the top three too. What I do want to talk about is LetsRun's treatment of a woman who no doubt worked her ass off to achieve her dreams. LetsRun's tagline is "Where your dreams become reality," yet now they're going to tear down the accomplishment of a woman who did just that?! As well as the accomplishments of many other women who worked hard in pursuit of that same goal (not to mention those who sacrificed so much, yet still fell heartbreakingly short)? Brojos, do the right thing, fix the news story, and apologize to Erin O'Mara. And to Erin, congratulations on your accomplishment. However hard you had to work to take well over an hour off your time...well, clearly you deserve this, and no one, including LetsRun, can take that away from you.

‎Molly Pritz in 2:31:52 for top American at NYCM!!

Molly Pritz just went 2:31:52 at the New York City Marathon, for 1st American and 12th overall! In her marathon debut no less too.

12 122 Pritz, Molly PA/USA 23 2:31:52 +08:37.12 5:48


Flotrack video after the break.

Picture courtesy of Runner's World

New Design and Countdown to NYCM

Yes, you are at the right blog. Well, you're at the right blog if you're looking for that blog with all the shoe reviews that used to have a picture of 2006 Pre-Nats in the background.

5 days until the Freshman Class (Molly Pritz, Lauren Fleshman, Bobby Curtis, and Ed Moran) make their marathon debut at the New York City Marathon. Don't miss it.
Elite men's field: http://www.nycmarathon.org/pro_men.htm
Elite women's field: http://www.nycmarathon.org/pro_women.htm

That is all.

Crazy times at Boston

Holy s*** Desi Davila second overall in 2:22:38! That's almost a four minute PR from her time in Chicago last year, and is the third best time run by an American woman. Deena Kastor has the AR of 2:19:36 from London '06, and Joan Benoit Samuelson ran 2:21:21 at Chicago '85.

Marathon Training and the Long Run

If you're reading this blog, you no doubt know that we're approaching marathon season. The Mardi Gras Marathon and Half was last weekend (Molly Pritz, rockstar that she is, rocked the half in 1:11:05 to take second overall female! And to make me look unbiased, Kim Smith ran the fastest half by a woman on US soil, winning in 1:07:36), and the training for most people who are running a spring marathon is now underway.

There's More to Running than the Marathon

Today at physical therapy, the guy on the treadmill next to my elliptical asked me if I was training for a marathon. A Marathon. The Holy Grail of Running. Everyone and their brother seems to be chasing that same white stag, training to someday run a marathon. Additionally, whenever someone finds out you're a runner, they always seem to ask the same question: "Have you run a marathon?" followed by "What did you run for it?" Never mind that most of these people don't know the first thing about marathon times, and whether I said "2:05" or "5:00" they'd respond the same way, which, of course, is "Wow. Is that good? My sister-in-law is training for a marathon now. She can run XX miles without stopping! I get tired just thinking about it!"

Luke at San Fran

My friend Luke ran the San Francisco Marathon a few weeks ago. His race report is up here.


Congratulations to Luke on his Boston Qualifier!