Photo: John Segesta

How often should you run is one of the most important questions to consider before you start any training.

Frequency—or how often you run—is one of three fundamental variables of training. The other two are duration (how far you run) and  intensity (how fast you run). Research shows a person needs to run at least a couple of times a week to get any progressive benefit from it. Many elite runners run as often as 14 times per week. How often should you run?

There is no single right answer to this question. While considerations such as your goals, life schedule, and running experience can and should be used to establish boundaries of too much and too little running frequency for you, within these boundaries you can choose any of a number of different running frequencies based on personal preferences and needs and get the results you seek.

RELATED: How Much Should You Run?

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Ryan Hall was born and raised at altitude, which allows him to perform better in that environment than athletes of equal fitness who live close to sea level.

Tips to improve running performance at high elevations.

One of the toughest challenges runners can face is completing all of their training at their low-elevation residences, then traveling to compete in a race at high altitude (above 5,000 feet). At elevations above 5,000 feet, the “thin air” factor begins to have a measurable effect on endurance performance. At 8,000 feet, for instance, the barometric pressure is twenty-five percent lower than it is at sea level—meaning you get 25 percent less oxygen per breath than you get at sea level.

Fortunately, there are some effective measures you can use to limit the negative effects of thin air on your racing performance. Admittedly, some of these tips are more practical than others. But any one of them—or any combination of them—can assist you in preparing to race at high altitude and help ensure you get the most out of your training.

Arrive really early. Athletes who live at high altitude perform better in that environment than athletes of equal fitness who live close to sea level. That’s because the body adapts to the lower air pressure at altitude by producing more oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Those, like elite marathoner Ryan Hall, of Big Bear, California, who are born and raised at high altitude have the greatest advantage, but the body can make measurable progress in adapting to high altitude in a matter of days. How early would you have to arrive at your high-altitude race in order to see an improvement in your performance? Unfortunately, research shows that it takes at least two weeks to acclimate to high altitude sufficiently to see a performance benefit.

Make your own thin air. A more convenient alternative to arriving at the site of your high-altitude race two weeks early is using a hypoxic generator. These machines simulate a high-altitude environment by generating reduced-oxygen air, which the user breathes through a mask or inside a special tent. Because it is necessary to breathe hypoxic air for several hours a day to enjoy the same physiological adaptations that come with living at high altitude, most owners of hypoxic generators choose to sleep inside the tent nightly. This equipment isn’t cheap, with the least expensive generators costing roughly $2,500. But some companies offer short- and long-term rentals. For example, you can rent a unit from Higher Peaks for two months for $699.

Supplement with green tea extract. As mentioned, the primary cause of reduced endurance performance at high altitude is the inability of the body to supply the muscles with as much oxygen as it can at sea level. But there is also a secondary cause, which is increased production of free radicals by the working muscles. And there is a simple, scientifically proven way to address this secondary cause of reduced performance at high altitude: Take an antioxidant-rich green tea extract supplement.

A study by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas found that cycling time trial performance at simulated altitude was significantly improved when subjects took a green tea extract capsule one hour before exercise.  Don’t expect to get the same results from drinking green tea, though, as a single green tea extract capsule contains as much catechins (the primary type of antioxidant in green tea) as about 12 cups of green tea.

Consider sodium bicarbonate. One of the body’s early responses to high-altitude exposure is increased respiration, which increases blood pH. This in turn reduces the capacity of the muscles to buffer acids produced during exercise and thus reduces exercise capacity. One of the muscles’ main acid buffers is sodium bicarbonate—that’s right, plain old baking soda. A recent Korean study showed that consuming sodium bicarbonate before exercise boosted time trial performance in cyclists during acclimation to high altitude. Recommended dosage is 0.2 to 0.4 gram per kilogram of bodyweight before exercise. Be aware, however, that possible side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Check out Matt’s book, Racing Weight Quick Start Guide: A 4-Week Weight-Loss Plan for Endurance Athletes.

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By T.J. Murphy

Don't let the mystical forces of the moon (or whatever it is) cause you to do something stupid before the race.

Tip number #6—Beware of sub-conscious self-sabotage. If you don’t know the name Buddy Edelen, you should: one of the greatest marathoners in American running history, Edelen was a middle-distance runner from Minnesota who went to live and work in England.  There he taught at a grade school and plowed through many hard/high-mileage weeks of training and turned himself into the world record holder for the marathon—1963, 2:14:28. However, before he earned such breathtaking honors, Edelen, like all of us, had to do his first marathon, and when he did (as chronicled in the wonderful book, “A Cold, Clear Day,” Edelen decided, on race morning, to eat something radically different before running, and wolfed down a tin of sardines. What happened? Edelen’s experiment backfired on him in the graphic manner that you are imagining that it backfired on him.

Point of the story? Beware some strange and mysterious force of human nature within that might have you deal with pre-race nerves by hurtling yourself off a cliff. Allow strange desires to do something weird to pass by you like a weird dream.

Let them flow through you and think of Buddy Edelen on his hands and knees hurling away, and know that even a world-class marathoner is prone to such strange forces, and have a good laugh about it all, turning a deep-down stress into a moment of stress relief.

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By T.J. Murphy

Tip number 5—This tip suggests yes, here’s a way to prevent over-stimulation of motivation reserves, but adding a caution sign so you don’t fly off on a joy ride and end up sailing into a ditch.

Having a beer or a glass of wine at night—as in one beer or one glass of wine—is not going to kill you and might even help you store up energy for marathon day by taking the edge off. But here’s the Competitor Mag tip: Do this in the controlled safety of your home or hotel room. SAVE THE IRISH PUB FOR AFTER THE RACE. Here’s the deal—you’re under a lot of pressure, right? You have a time goal, perhaps you’re competing on some level, so the pressure is building, perhaps transmogrifying into anxiety. The pub, with all of lighthearted, devil-make-care camaraderie and spirit can be overly seductive for the internally freaking-out distance runner. One drink can lead to two, to six, to oblivion. Remember some years back when the NFL lineman, the night before the Super Bowl, ended up drunk in Tijuana? Don’t be that guy—have your drink in controlled conditions.

Danger Zone: Solas is one of Boston's Irish Pubs. Wait until Monday night.

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By T.J. Murphy

Tip number 4—save energy and your marriage at the same time. Did you bring your family along? That’s great, especially if they’re running it too. What, they’re not running? Make sure you have the talk with them that it might be tough for you to enjoy the great city of Boston before the marathon. In fact, you might have your basket-case moments (if you don’t have basket-case moments before racing the Boston Marathon, you are a rare-breed of runner-warrior).  Have the talk with them where you let them know not to worry about you, to go off and do their own thing, and then after the race is over you’ll have burned off the stress in such a huge way that you’ll be the life of the party.

The days before pre-race can be a pressure cooker of a jail cell that you the racer will have to live in. Be sure to set your loved ones free.

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By T.J. Murphy

Tip number 3, a little more on the feet. If you’re visiting Boston and want to take in some of the sights over the weekend, choose fun things to do that don’t have you walking around the city, like, for example, the Freedom Trail. These are great things to do, but save them for Tuesday (assuming you’re optimistic about fantastic rates of muscle recovery).

Rather, consider watching someone else trash their legs, like the Boston Ballet dancers performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Boston Opera House.

A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Boston Opera House--excellent way to forget about the race for a few hours.

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KEEP CLEAR OF OVER-STIMULATING YOUR RESERVES OF MOTIVATION AND DETERMINATION TIP #2

By T.J. Murphy

Tip number 2: Do activities that take your mind off the race. Movies in your hotel room will give your brain a sweet little vacation from the thought of an approaching marathon. And of course there’s nothing like a good book if you’re a reader. Or playing board games with family or friends. It can be just about anything if it’s lighthearted, takes your mind off the race for a couple of hours and allows you to get off your feet.

Dunkin' Donuts makes a good vacation in Boston--you probably will only have to walk half a block.

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Kara Goucher adhering to a strict pre-race schedule, fitting in an interview with Competitor.com before a scheduled nap at 12:00 noon.

KEEP CLEAR OF OVER-STIMULATING YOUR RESERVES OF MOTIVATION AND DETERMINATION TIP #1

By T.J. Murphy

If you’ve made it this far and are within a few days of racing the Boston Marathon, motivation likely hasn’t been a problem. All your training is in the bank, all the long runs, all the tempo, all the daily, weekly and monthly discipline that the marathon like takes.

So now you’re in a difficult place—tapering is a shock to the system. The cuts in mileage and overall training were probably dramatic. Many programs chop mileage by more than half of your peak mileage. So respect that your body is in shock and the last thing you need to do is to fritter away physical and psychological energy thinking about the starting gun waiting for you on Monday.

So what’s a runner to do? Tip number 1 is this: Map out a plan on paper of all the tasks that must be taken care of between now and race morning—include everything you need to do to check in for the race plus the necessities like getting water and groceries so you have all the food you need on hand for meals, or for backups if a plan to go out to eat gets messed up (standing in a line at a packed restaurant will drive you bonkers and is a violation of the need to stay off your feet as much as possible).

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New study finds dietary nitrate supplementation reduces oxygen cost of running.

Written by: Matt Fitzgerald

There’s been a lot of hype around beetroot juice lately. That’s because a few recent studies have shown that daily consumption of beetroot juice reduces the oxygen cost of exercise and increases high-intensity exercise tolerance. But what is it in beetroot juice that produces these effects? Researchers have hypothesized that it’s dietary nitrates. Beetroot juice is known to contain high concentrations of nitrates, which in turn are known to enhance vasodilatation, or the capacity of blood vessels to dilate and increase blood flow.

Researchers from Exeter University in the United Kingdom recently performed a study to test this hypothesis. They recruited nine subjects and gave them either regular beetroot juice or nitrate-depleted beetroot juice to drink every day for six days. Before and after this intervention all of the subjects underwent various exercise tests. After a washout period, the protocol was repeated with the two drinks switched.

The researchers found that consuming regular beetroot juice increased blood nitrate levels and reduced resting blood pressure. More importantly, it reduced oxygen consumption during moderate- and high-intensity running and increased time to exhaustion at high intensity by 15 percent.

That last result is most compelling because it is a performance metric. Who cares if a supplement reduces the oxygen cost of running if that physiological effect does not translate to improved performance? But in this case it did. On average, the subjects were able to run for 7.6 minutes at high intensity after six days of drinking nitrate-depleted beetroot juice. But after six days on regular beetroot juice they lasted 8.7 minutes.

I don’t know about you, but these results makes me kind of thirsty. Thirsty for you-know-what!

[sig:MattFitzgerald]

Check out Matt’s latest book, RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel.

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Official Race Route Announced for Debut Half Marathon

 Los Angeles, CA –  The Competitor Group (CGI) and AEG today announced that the finish line for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon will be at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, October 24, 2010.  More than 15,000 runners are expected to participate in the 13.1-mile mash-up of music and running, showcasing a scenic course of parks, lakes, trendy shops, clubs, restaurants and the revitalization of downtown Los Angeles.

 “We are excited about partnering with the first ever Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon,” said Scott Hanley, VP of Events for AEG/L.A. LIVE. “Nothing says Rock ‘n’ Roll like Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, Club Nokia, the GRAMMY Museum, STAPLES Center and all of the other venues and entertainment at L.A. LIVE and we look forward to welcoming the 15,000 runners, along with their family and friends to experience our one-of-a-kind destination.”

“As the first major running event to finish at LA LIVE, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon is destined to become an instant classic, “ said Bouker Pool, SVP of Marketing for CGI. “This half marathon truly provides a unique tour of Los Angeles starting in the tranquil beauty of Griffith Park and ending in the non-stop excitement of LA. LIVE.”

 The race begins at 7:30 am in historic Griffith Park at the intersection of Zoo Ave and Forest Lawn Drive.  The course travels past the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum, through Los Feliz and the trendy enclave of Silver Lake and Echo Park on the way to a spectacular finish through the corridors of downtown high rises before culminating with a celebration at L.A. LIVE.

 Keeping with the rock ‘n’ roll theme, Los Angeles runners and spectators alike will be treated to a post-race concert at L.A. LIVE. All participants and volunteers receive free entry to the concert with their race number. Past acts at other Rock ‘n’ Roll series events include Five For Fighting, INXS, Journey, the Black Crows, Goo Goo Dolls and the B-52s.

 A full course description of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon, including turn-by-turn directions and a course map, is located at online at los-angeles.competitor.com.   L.A. LIVE travel packages and other hospitality specials will be announced at a later date.

 Race weekend kicks off with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo on October 22 and 23 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The free expo is open to the public and features more than one hundred fitness retailers, exhibits, free samples and interactive clinics. For more information about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon, please visit los-angeles.competitor.com or call (800) 311-1255.

 ABOUT L.A. LIVE

L.A. LIVE, the 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential and entertainment district developed by AEG, is the region’s most active ‘live content and event campus.’  With fifteen world-class restaurants along with venues such as STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, the Conga Room, Club Nokia, the GRAMMY Museum®, saluting the history of music and the genre’s best know awards show, Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge, Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 theatre, The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles and JW Marriott L.A. LIVE hotels and The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE, more events, award shows, sporting competitions, concerts and hospitality options are showcased at L.A. LIVE than any other destination in the world. Visit L.A. LIVE today at www.lalive.com

About The Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon is a Competitor Group event, scheduled for Sunday, October 24, 2010. With races held in 16 cities nationwide, the Competitor Group offers the most successful series of events in the running world. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series is famous for entertainment and electrifying race routes that showcase host cities like the Las Vegas Strip and Virginia Beach Oceanfront. With charity partners raising more than $233 million over its 13-year history, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series has emerged as a highly successful fundraiser for a variety of local, national and international non-profits. 

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Las  Vegas, NV – June 16, 2010 – The Competitor Group (CGI) today announced a new multi-year agreement with Zappos.com to become the title sponsor of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon to Benefit the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), set for Sunday, December 5 on the Las Vegas Strip. 

In epic fashion, Las Vegas’ signature running event was rebranded last year and managed for the first time by San Diego-based CGI, drawing entrants from all 50 states and 39 countries. Nearly seven and a half miles of the world famous Las Vegas Boulevard are completely closed for the race, with the entire 13.1-mile half marathon course running on the “The Strip.

After experiencing the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon first hand last year, Aaron Magness, Senior Director of Brand Marketing & Business Development for Zappos.com, commented that becoming the Title sponsor was an easy decision.

“Taking part in last year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon was great,” said Magness. “Running down the strip, listening to the bands along the way, seeing the community come out to support the runners, it’s truly an event that transcends the sport of running.  We believe our partnership with the Competitor Group represents a perfect pairing with the Zappos.com brand’s focus on being passionate and determined (yes, that’s one of our core values!).  Also, running is so much more fun with 32,000 of your closest friends! ”

“We share Zappos’ passion and commitment to offering great experiences and are thrilled to have Zappos.com title our Las Vegas event,” said Scott Dickey, President of the Competitor Group. “Their dedication to service is invaluable to our success and will ensure that we continue to break the mold, staging one of the most anticipated running events in the nation on the Las Vegas strip.”

 Looking to build on the success of last year, CCFA returns as the official and exclusive charity of the Las Vegas event. Through the Team Challenge half marathon training program, CCFA runners raised more than $3.9 million, the largest single day fundraiser in the 46-year history of the foundation. Since its inception in 1998, charities have raised over $233 million though Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series events.

After running a high energy, action packed course down “The Strip,” participants can get ready to party at a finish line festival like no other. The post-race concert is free and open to the public, taking place immediately following the race at the finish line festival, near the Mandalay Bay parking lot. Online registration for both the marathon and half marathon is open at las-vegas.competitor.com.

About Zappos.com

Established in 1999, Zappos.com, operated by Zappos Development, has quickly become the leading destination in online apparel and footwear sales by striving to provide shoppers with the best possible service and selection.  The Zappos Family generates gross merchandise sales exceeding $1 billion annually. Zappos.com currently showcases millions of products from over 1000 clothing and shoe brands. Zappos.com, Inc. was recognized in 2009 and 2010 by FORTUNE MAGAZINE as one of the “100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR”. More information about the customer service philosophy, unique culture, and job openings can be found at http://about.zappos.com. More information about Zappos Insights,  and its business membership program can be found at http://www.zapposinsights.com. 

About the Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon

A Competitor event, Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon to benefit the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America will take place on December 5, 2010. Both the marathon and half-marathon courses give runners a one-of-a-kind view of the famed Las Vegas Strip, which will be closed to all vehicular traffic and reserved exclusively for race participants.  A two-day Performance Expo, featuring over 100 vendors from the running, health and fitness industries, will take place on Friday, December 3 and Saturday, December 4. All race participants must visit the expo to pick up their race number, timing tag, T-shirt and goodie bag.  For more information about the Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & Half Marathon, visit las-vegas.competitor.com. 

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Elites like Anthony Famiglietti who race often train with a seasonal approach. Photo: ProtoRun.net

The problem with conventional training plans is that they focus on a single race. What if you wish to excel in a few races in a relatively short period of time?

Written by: Matt Fitzgerald

Elites like Anthony Famiglietti who race often train with a seasonal approach. Photo: PhotoRun.net

Every day I receive emails from runners (and triathletes, but I wish to focus on runners in this article) who are following or have followed training plans that I created for one of my books, or for a magazine article, or for TrainingPeaks. Many of these questions are versions of one question, which is essentially this: What do I do if I want to peak for more than one race within a span of time that is shorter than the duration of your training plans?

This question cuts to the heart of the greatest limitation of the prefabricated training plans that I have created in such abundance.  Whereas my training plans treat individual peak races in isolation, in the real world most competitive runners take a seasonal approach to the sport, giving more or less equal importance to several races taking place between spring and fall. There’s nothing wrong with this approach. In fact, it is the racing approach that most elite runners (except marathon specialists) practice too. The question is, how does one practice a seasonal approach to racing most effectively? Simple: Heed the following three simple guidelines.

1. Maintain a high level of general running fitness at all times

Prefabricated training plans are more or less obligated to assume that the runners using them are beginning at a relatively low fitness level relative to their own individual peak levels. Essentially, these plans assume you’re coming off a nice off-season break and are just beginning the process of establishing a fresh fitness base. This assumption makes the plans more inclusive than they might otherwise be. A plan that assumed you already had a solid foundation of general running fitness would not work for you if you lacked that foundation, even if the peak training load prescribed in the final pre-taper weeks was appropriate for you given adequate time, because you’d be in over your head from the very start.

Every runner needs a nice off-season break, and every runner needs to take time to build a fresh fitness base after that off-season break. But if you want to successfully execute a seasonal approach to racing that allows you to race at peak level several times between spring and fall, you need to maintain a fairly high fitness level at all other times. Doing so will enable you to return to peak form fairly quickly after each important race.

It’s important that you avoid training too hard for too long, however. If you try to sustain truly peak training loads throughout the racing season you will get injured or burn out. Except during the short periods when you are actively working to stimulate a fitness peak for an important race, your training should be “manageably hard”. In other words, the volume and intensity of training should be close to—but one solid step below—the maximum that you could sustain indefinitely without getting injured or burning out.

Give yourself a full week to relax and recuperate after major races, of course, but after that, get back after it. The exception, again, is marathons. After each marathon you need to treat yourself to a true off-season.

2. Always move in a definite direction in your training

Described another way, the first step in successful seasonal training is to train for high-level fitness maintenance at all times expect when you are taking a short break after a race, taking an off-season break, or peaking for an upcoming race. This does not mean you should do exactly the same workouts week after week and intentionally go nowhere with your fitness during maintenance periods, however.  Your training should always have some kind of direction, even when you are not actively pursuing an immediate fitness peak.

So what sort of direction should your training have during maintenance periods?  Focus on addressing a weakness or working on one or more foundational aspects of your running fitness that will necessarily take a back seat during peak training. Specific things to work on include running technique, raw endurance, sprint speed, and muscle strength, power and balance.  The idea is to develop one or two of these qualities during maintenance periods without pushing against the overall limits of the training load your body can handle.  With this approach your body will be truly ready for peak training when its time comes.

3. Peak for races with short periods of heavy training

If you are successful in maintaining a high level of general running fitness at all times, you can peak for any race in a short period of time by increasing your training load to your maximum limit and prioritizing challenging, race-specific workouts. This gives you the flexibility to race well on the schedule that suits you (provided you avoid making fundamental mistakes such as over-racing).  You can peak for a 5K with as few as four weeks of maximal specific training and for a marathon with as few as 12 weeks of such training.

As always, you will need to experiment a bit to find the maintenance training regimen and the peak training format that work best for you, but even in the trial-and-error stage you will probably find that this seasonal approach works better than using separate, whole training plans for every race.

This article is adapted from the book RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel (VeloPress, 2010).

[sig:MattFitzgerald]

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Lehmkuhle at the 2008 NYC Marathon. Photo: PhotoRun.net

Gone are the days when a 2:12 American marathoner could not “fly under the radar.”

Jason Lehmkuhle has been around for a while. He is 32 years old and has been running professionally for a decade. He has achieved many worthy accomplishments in that decade, yet most fans of American running do not know much about them.

Lehmkuhle will run Sunday’s ING New York City Marathon, which this year doubles as the USA Men’s Marathon Championship. Judging by his recent results, Lehmkuhle has a good shot at attaining a podium spot in this race within a race, if not in the open men’s elite race.

If you plan to watch the race, and we hope you do (unless you’re fortunate enough to be running it), you might like to know a little bit about that pasty American with close-cropped hair you’re cheering for. So here’s a little bit:

Raised in St. Charles, Mo., and educated at Drake University, Jason Lehmkuhle has trained with Minneapolis-based Team USA Minnesota since its inception in 2001. Among his training partners on the team, which is coached by Dennis Barker, is Josh Moen, a former Division III college standout who recently had a breakthrough performance, finishing a close second behind Abdi Abdirahman in the USA 10-Mile Championship and who will also run the New York City Marathon (as will Abdirahman). Don’t be surprised to see Lehmkuhle and Moen running together on Sunday through the first 20 miles—or beyond.

Lehmkuhle was a solid performer in high school, winning Missouri state titles in cross country and track as a senior. He enjoyed similar success in college, earning All-American status at 5000m and 10,000m. Nevertheless, many runners who perform as well as Lehmkuhle did in college do not consider it worth their while to try to run professionally after graduation. Lehmkuhle believed he had untapped potential, however, especially at distances longer than those he was able to run as a student-athlete, and he went for it. And it has paid off.

But it took a while. Due in part to injuries and in part to the fact that he simply needed time to develop, Lehmkuhle had few successes in his first years as a professional racer.  His breakout year came in 2005, when he finished third in the USA Half Marathon Championship, qualifying for the World Half Marathon Championship, and also qualified for the World Cross Country Championship and the World Marathon Championship.

Despite that last achievement, and his previous ninth-place finish in the 2004 US Olympic Trials Marathon, Lehmkuhle remained dissatisfied with his results at the marathon distance all the way until the fall of 2007, when he surprised many by finishing fifth in the Olympic Trials Marathon with a personal best time of 2:12:54. He missed out on the last Olympic qualifying slot by 74 seconds.

In an interview after the race, Lehmkuhle said, “I had some really bad races, bad strategies, in about three or four marathons prior to the Trials, so it (the fifth place) really saved my wanting to continue to do the marathon. I said in an interview leading up to the Trials that in 2005, 2006, 2007, in all these build-ups to marathons, I really felt like I was in 2:13 shape. The workouts would point toward that, and then I got in the marathons and there were just myriad things that happened, but they just didn’t work out. Some were disasters, some were moderate disappointments, but I didn’t run the marathon I thought I was capable of until New York (the Trials), and that was the really satisfying part of the race.”

Having finally “figured out” the marathon, Lehmkuhle has since lowered his half-marathon PR to 1:02:32, which is considered to be the equivalent of a 2:11 marathon. If he is able to run that fast on Sunday, Lehmkuhle could score the biggest payday of his career. A 2:11:22 finish was good enough for third place and $40,000 last year, and there is a separate prize money structure for American men this year. Lehmkuhle did compete in the 2008 New York City Marathon and finish eighth overall, third among Americans.

A graphic design major in college, Lehmkuhle maintains a side business as a freelance graphic designer that will become his central focus after he retires from racing. His wife, Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle, is also a member of Team USA Minnesota.

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By John Bingham

My grandfather had many favorite expressions—nearly all of which are unfit for publication. But the one he used often as a means of defusing disappointment over some failure was: “When one door closes, another door opens.”

In the years since his death, I’ve often changed this expression to reflect my own uniquely pessimistic outlook: “When one door closes, another door closes.” There were times, I assure you, when that seemed to be the case. 

More often than not, though, my grandfather was right. In most cases, when an opportunity is missed, another will come along soon to replace it. In my life I’ve lost one job hunt only to be offered a better job soon after. In fact, if I had gotten the job I thought I really wanted, I wouldn’t be writing this column. 

Runners, though, don’t always seem to be skilled at going through those open doors. Maybe it’s just our nature or the nature of those who are drawn to the sport, I’m not sure. What I am sure of, however, is that it seems like many of us, as runners, spend our entire running lives trying to break through closed doors. 

My first closed door was trying to run sub-30 minutes in a 5-K. Considering that it had taken about 48 minutes to complete my first 5-K, the 30-minute door wasn’t just shut, it was locked, barred, and bolted. But, like many, I lined up for 5-K after 5-K and ran with everything I had—right into the closed door. 

All around me people were running into closed doors. Some doors were closed at 24 minutes, some at 15 minutes. But the doors all looked pretty much the same. And those of us who ran smack into our doors looked pretty much the same, too, as we staggered across the finish line. 

Eventually, I did get through the 30-minute 5-K door. But rather than being content, I saw that there was a 25-minute door that was closed. I also ran into the 60-minute 10-K door, the two-hour-half-marathon door, and the four-hour-marathon door. Some of these doors opened eventually. Some did not. 

These days, though, I find myself wanting nothing more than to go through the door that’s wide open. Why run a marathon in five hours when you could run it in six? I understand that this sounds like blasphemy to the sport’s hardliners, but for me being in a race is like going to a theme park. I want to be the first through the turnstile, and I want to stay until they throw me out.

That’s not to say that it isn’t important to have goals. Striving to find our limits and potential keeps life and running interesting. But not always. Sometimes, it’s better to take what the day gives us. 

We may very much want to run a 30-minute 5-K, but the open door that day might be 33 minutes. What’s important to know is that you have a choice. You can run full speed into a door that is closed or you can pull back just a little and go through the open door. 

There are doors that are open to us every day. And, in the end, you may find that by following the path that is best for you, there’s actually a third variation on my grandfather’s wisdom: “When one door opens, another door opens.”

Waddle on, friends.

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