While many runners can tend to overcomplicate training, when you get down to the bare bones of it all, training is essentially a balancing act. Trying to balance those two extremes of endurance and speed in the best way possible is they key to reaching our racing goals. There is a reason why we build a base before doing speed work, or include a mixture of tempo runs and 400-meter repeats during the training cycle. If we put too much undeserved emphasis on either side of the coin, performance plummets and overtraining often results. While the exact balance of speed and endurance depends on the runner and the distance they’re training for, there are scientific reasons as to why this balance is so important and some practical lessons to be learned if we mess things up.

To keep the concept simple and usable, I like to look at work that is faster than race pace and work that is slower than race pace as two opposing forces in a tug-of-war match. If we do too much work faster than race pace, then the rope gets pulled too far onto the speed side and the endurance side is going to suffer the consequences, or vice versa. So, in order to improve, we have to slowly add training stimuli to each side, or, in terms of our example, if we can keep adding equally powerful people to each side of the tug of war, the balance will remain.

In fact, we can see this balancing act in science. A recent study on high intensity interval work demonstrates this clearly. In the study they found that after performing weeks of intense interval training, the participants’ performance had improved, but it was due to what we’d call anaerobic adaptations, such as increases in an enzyme called LDH in Fast Twitch (FT) fibers. There weren’t any changes in oxidative capacity or any changes to the Slow Twitch (ST) fibers. Why? Because for this particular workout, the stimulus for adaptation was with the harder-to-recruit Fast Twitch fibers and it was in a slightly anaerobic way. If we did this workout continuously without any endurance side support, we’d get a further and further shift until, eventually, our FT fibers would be really trained, but our ST fibers would be neglected. If we looked at studies on longer aerobic work, we’d see the exact opposite effect.

RELATED: Train Slower, Race Faster

The key then is keeping balance between these opposing forces, and supporting the anaerobic work with aerobic work and vice versa. That’s why blending training throughout the season is important and doing large blocks of one kind of training doesn’t work for very long. In the practical sense, this means during the base phase you shouldn’t just slog out the miles. Add in some hill sprints or some easy 200s at 5K down to mile race pace. It also means that you shouldn’t neglect the long run, aerobic intervals or tempo runs during the competition phase. You don’t have to do as many as when trying to build the component, but enough needs to be done to balance out the faster work that is being emphasized.

Straightening Out The Balance

So what happens if we do mess up the training balance? The first step is identifying the issue.  More often than not, during the competition season it is either neglecting the aerobic side of things or overemphasizing the anaerobic side. During the base phase, it’s usually a neglecting of the speed side.

If the issue is a deteriorating aerobic system, then the first step is to gradually introduce more aerobic work.  This can be done via two methods: First, if you catch the speed side emphasis early, all it takes is an easy aerobic workout or two to get you back on track. One of my favorites is a simple aerobic fartlek which consists of the following segments: 10 minutes, 7 minutes, 5 minutes, 3 minutes, all separated by a 3- to 4-minute jog. Begin the first segment at marathon race pace and gradually work down to just faster than 10K pace. It shouldn’t be too tough of a workout, but instead is used to go through the array of aerobic paces to jump start your aerobic system. In situations where the balance is really messed up, do what I call an “aerobic refresh”, which consists of 7- to 14 days of nothing but easy mileage, long runs, and tempo runs that are only moderate in terms of difficulty. Think of it as going back to base building for a week or two.

RELATED: How To Run A Better Track Workout

On the flipside of things, but one that is easier to overcome, is overemphasis on endurance work. The solution to this problem is relatively easy. Insert some moderate faster-paced work depending on the runner and the distance they’re training for. I like to attack the problem from two angles: First, introduce pure speed work in the form of 60 to 80-meter gradual uphill sprints to prime the neuromuscular system. Then, introduce rhythm work at 5K to mile pace with short intervals with long rest.  A particular favorite is 8 to 10 x 200 meters, starting at 5K race pace and gradually getting faster with each rep. Take a slow 200-meter jog recovery between each rep.

Training, regardless of the the event you’re getting ready for, is the act of balancing opposing forces. Where that balance needs to be and how to get there is the art of coaching. Understanding why that balance is needed is the first step. Now it’s up to you to figure out how to best apply it to yourself or your individual athletes.

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About The Author:

Steve Magness coaches professional runners alongside Alberto Salazar at the Nike Oregon Project. He also maintains the blog ScienceOfRunning.com which is essentially a place for him to display his inner science and running nerd to the world. He owns a best of 4:01 for the mile and has a M.S. in Exercise Science from George Mason University.

RELATED — Hydration 101: Sports Drinks vs. Water

Tossing around superlatives like “the best” and the “greatest ever” can be dangerous for writers covering the sport of running.

But in the case of the late Kenyan Olympic gold medalist in the marathon, Sammy Wanjiru, these terms are warranted.

One year ago yesterday, Sammy Wanjiru died. The circumstances surrounding his passing remain shrouded in mystery.

PHOTO GALLERY: Remembering Sammy Wanjiru

ESPN’s Shaun Assael recently wrote a lengthy article about Wanjiru’s life.

At the 2008 Olympic Games, Wanjiru recalled how he had forgotten his race shoes in Kenya. “I had a lot on my mind and was pretty nervous, but as soon as I started, I forgot about it all,” said Wanjiru. “The only thing I thought was, ‘Who cares, let’s go!’”

On that extremely warm and humid day, Wanjiru clocked a stunning 2:06:32, which obliterated the Olympic record and is arguably one of the best marathon performances of all time.

Upon returning home, Wanjiru was greeted by 30,000 cheering fans that packed Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

For More: ESPN

From: NYRR Media

Jason Hartmann and Nick Arciniaga will lead the professional field for Saturday’s NYRR 5-Borough Series: Brooklyn Half-Marathon, organized by New York Road Runners.

The second race in the NYRR 5 Borough Series, the sold-out Brooklyn Half Marathon this year expects a field of 15,000 finishers, two and one-half times the 6,000 who completed the race in 2011. A change in the course has allowed for the expanded field. Beginning at 7 AM, the runners will start near the Brooklyn Museum, loop through Prospect Park, dash down Ocean Parkway, and finish on the famous boardwalk of Coney Island.
Hartmann, 31, of Boulder, CO, was the top American finisher in the Boston Marathon last month, in fourth place overall with a time of 2:14:31 on a day with temperatures in the upper 80s. A native of Rockford, MI, and a high school teammate of two-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein, Hartmann won the 2009 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and was runner-up in the 2006 USA Half Marathon Championships in a personal best 1:03:07.
Arciniaga, 28, of Flagstaff, AZ, was the runner-up in the 2011 Chevron Houston Marathon in a time of 2:11:30 and eighth in the 2009 ING New York City Marathon. He represented the U.S. in the 2011 IAAF World Championships Marathon. In January, the native of Fountain Valley, CA, placed eighth in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. He brings a half-marathon personal best of 1:03:22.

Heading up the women’s field is Bekelech Bedada, an Ethiopian living in New York City who last weekend won the women’s division of the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K and in March finished 10th in the NYC Half, running a personal best 1:10:54. She could be challenged by Aziza Aliyu of Albuquerque, NM, who was 12th in the NYC Half 2012 in 1:11:15, her fastest time ever for the distance. Aliyu, representing Ethiopia, was the 2004 World Junior Cross Country Championships silver medalist.

The men’s event record of 1:03:56, set by Pat Peterson in 1988, and the women’s record of 1:13:15, set by Cindi Girard-Klein in 1986, are both likely to be threatened.

Also expected in the field are New York City Council Members Brad Lander and Dan Garodnick.

In its 32nd year, the Brooklyn Half-Marathon is part of NYRR’s Run the City program, which offers race participants and spectators discounts and special offers at restaurants, stores, and attractions. At least 37 businesses throughout Brooklyn are set to participate this year.

He’s arguably America’s best distance runner, and at 37, there seems to be nothing stopping Bernard Lagat. The Kenyan-born Olympic medalist is gearing up for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

He says he’s hungrier than ever.

“I’m so hungry for something that I don’t have,” he said. “In the Olympics I don’t have a gold medal. That’s something I have to tell you: ‘I’m going for it’.”

Lagat appeared at the U.S. Olympic Committee Media Summit earlier this week and mapped out his upcoming racing calendar.

He says that until the U.S. Olympic Trials, he will only be competing in shorter-distance races.

He will race the 5,000m at the U.S. Trials at the end of June. Referring to his matchup with Chris Solinsky in the 2008 final in the 5000m, Lagat said, “That boy hammered. I give him credit. That boy ran hard. At some point I thought he was going to drop me. But I didn’t let that put me down. I was like ‘let me fight, let me fight, let me fight hard.’”

For More: Letsrun.com

After Nell Stephenson contracted a parasite during an Ironman race in 2004, she took the medication prescribed, but for months continued to feel worse. Though Stephenson had always eaten healthy foods, it turned out she had developed a gluten-intolerance and stomach problems.

Stephenson decided to try the Paleo diet – a diet that mimics what people would have eaten naturally during the Paleolithic Period, before the Agricultural Revolution.

“I felt better in three days,” says Stephenson, a trainer and nutritional coach who now runs a popular Paleo informational blog, Paleoista, and has come out with a book of the same name.

Paleo has been growing in popularity among the general community. But, its basic tenets seemed counter to the traditional carb-loading of runners and endurance athletes. Paleo prescribes a diet of just lean protein, healthy fat, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Dairy, grains, legumes, and refined and processed food are completely avoided.

RELATED: How Restrictive Is Your Diet?

While most athletes eat lean protein and fresh fruits and vegetables (or, at least, they know they should), many still rely heavily on grains, processed sugars and lots of starches.

But, athletes can benefit from a Paleo diet with just a few simple adjustments, says Joe Friel, a U.S. Olympic triathlon coach and author the seminal Cyclists’ Training Bible and Triathletes’ Training Bible.

“[Paleo offers] better long-term recovery, due to greater micronutrient content (than a standard high-starch and sugar diet), allowing the athlete to train with a greater stress load,” said Friel by e-mail.

Friel and Loren Cordain, PhD, authored the authoritative book on the subject, The Paleo Diet for Athletes, which outlines a couple of changes athletes should make to the basic Paleo diet.

The key, said Friel, is dividing an athlete’s diet into stages. During most of an athlete’s meals the basic Paleo diet should be followed, but before, during and immediately after workouts some adjustments could be needed.

About two hours prior to a long or hard workout or race, an athlete should eat food with a low to moderate glycemic index and low fiber content.

During an extended athletic event or race, most athletes will still need quickly-processed carbohydrates in the form of sports drink or gels. Even Stephenson, who eats 100 percent Paleo otherwise, acknowledges that she has to use carbohydrate gels during Ironman races and her husband uses them during ultramarathons. During short events less than an hour, though, an athlete can drink just water.

RELATED: Sports Drinks vs. Water

Eventually, an athlete eating a low-carbohydrate diet will teach their working muscles to utilize more fat stores, which is more efficient and can level out blood sugar fluxuations. Friel, reportedly, experienced this body change about six to eight weeks after adopting the Paleo diet.

Immediately after an intense or long workout, an athlete should have a recovery drink with carbohydrates and protein in a 4-5:1 ratio. Eating in the short window after a workout is important to ensure that an athlete is recovering and rebuilding muscles.

The few hours after hard exercise is the time to focus on carbohydrates and to possibly eat non-Paleo, starchy foods like bagels or pasta, because the high glucose is needed for the recovery process. The perfect recovery foods in this period, said Friel, are raisins, potatoes, and yams.

A lot of problems that athletes have with Paleo come from either not understanding the diet, not planning, or not listening to their bodies. Most importantly, Paleo is not a low-calorie or calorie-restrictive diet – a mistake Stephson said she’s seen top athletes make.

Nate Helming, a CrossFit and triathlon coach in San Francisco, tried Paleo for about eight months, but had a hard time eating appropriately for sustained endurance. He was focusing on sweet potatoes, applesauce and dates for energy, but training 10-15 hours a week, “you have to hit a lot of dates,” he said.

While it’s possible to plan your food intake appropriately, it simply takes more work. Additionally, Helming said, because he was already eating relatively healthy and close to Paleo before, except for some grains and legumes, “I didn’t see a big change.”

But, two of his athletes who tried Paleo lost large amounts of weight – one of them dropping 26 pounds in seven months.

Stephenson also had some athletes who were eating no vegetables and living on electrolyte drinks and sports nutrition bars around the clock come to her for help. For these people, Paleo provides a structure to a healthy diet.

RELATED: Balancing PH Levels In Your Body

Friel says that most importantly, a Paleo diet – as opposed to a high-starch and sugar diet, like many athletes eat – can have the following effects: more vitamins and antioxidants to keep a strong immune system; increased fat oxidation, which helps long-event endurance; balanced pH levels; and better retained and recovered muscles. All of which makes you faster in the long run.

“My body is functioning optimally,” noted Stephenson.

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About The Author:

Kelly O’Mara is a journalist/reporter and recovering professional triathlete. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and writes for a number of magazines, newspapers, and online news sites. And, she eats a lot of brownies.

Kara Goucher, who finished third at January’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials to earn a spot on the team that will represent the United States in London this summer, will headline Sunday’s inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Portland Half Marathon in Portland, Oregon.

The 33-year-old Goucher, who has been training in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., for the last five weeks alongside her teammate and 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion Shalane Flanagan, is excited to be kicking off her Olympic preparations in her adopted hometown.

“I’m looking forward to running the first edition of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Portland Half Marathon in my adopted hometown,” Goucher said. “This will truly be my first step towards the Olympic Games this summer and I’m excited to see where my fitness is at after training in Mammoth Lakes for five weeks. It will also be a treat for me to run alongside my community and through the beautiful neighborhoods of east Portland.”

Sunday’s race will be Goucher’s second half marathon since January’s Olympic Marathon Trials. In March, Goucher finished third at the NYC Half, running 69:13. It was the fifth time in Goucher’s career that she was under 70 minutes for the half marathon. Goucher owns a 13.1-mile personal best of 1:06:57, set in 2007 when she won the Great North Run in England.

Leading the men’s field on Sunday in Portland will be a pair of Olympic Marathon Trials qualifiers from Oregon, Sage Canaday of Sheridan and Ryan Bak of Bend.

Canaday, formerly a member of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in Rochester Hills, Michigan, sports a 1:04:32 half-marathon personal best, set at Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras in 2011. The 26-year-old Cornell grad is a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier and has recently turned his attention to ultrarunning.

Bak, 30, finished fifth at last weekend’s USA 25K Championships, and has set personal bests for 15K and 10 miles so far this year. He finished 23rd at January’s U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, running 2:15:12.

Whether you’re new to running or making a comeback after a long layoff, training for the half-marathon distance is manageable even for the busiest lives, and works well for beginners and more experienced runners alike. If you can manage two to three miles at a time, of either running or a combo of running and walking, a couple times per week, you can get into half-marathon shape in 12 weeks. You’ll want to plan on adding a weekend run of slightly longer length—four to five miles—then gradually increase your mileage to nine to 10 miles over three months. The best thing about halfs is that training for them is usually lifestyle friendly; a few days of running, a couple days of cross-training, and a couple days of rest will get you into shape.

TRAINING PLAN: PART 1 (PDF)

TRAINING PLAN: PART 2 (PDF)

Half marathons are also ideal because the incidence of injury tends to be lower with the half-marathon, compared to longer distances, such as the marathon. Research shows increased mileage can be a risk factor for injury, and I’ve seen far fewer injuries in half-marathon runners than in marathoners.

In this half-marathon blueprint you’ll find a 12-week, day-by-day plan that will train you to complete the 13.1-mile distance at a comfortable pace. For true beginners or those who haven’t run in 10 years, for example, the run/walk option is recommended. Follow the pure run approach if you’ve maintained reasonable fitness in other ways but are transitioning to running. However, even a fit, athletic person can benefit from the run/walk approach initially.

More from Competitor.com: 10-Week Advanced Half Marathon Training Program

Fundamentally, running is challenging for everyone; you’re not alone. Training can sometimes be daunting, especially as your mileage increases. So, to keep from becoming overwhelmed, try breaking your running sessions into manageable tasks. For example, if three miles seems daunting, don’t focus on the entire distance; instead, achieve one mile at a time until you finish your goal distance. Something challenging can often become more digestible if you break it down.

Remember this plan is merely a road map designed to safely guide you toward a very achievable goal. But just like any road trip, there may be detours and that’s OK. Listen to your body as you progress through training and trust what it tells you. Complete the workouts at a pace that feels good, but also pushes you to become stronger and fitter. It’s also important to take advantage of your rest days, too, as your body will benefit from ample recovery time every week.

Train hard, get fit and most of all have fun.

This training plan first appeared in the April 2012 issue of Competitor magazine. 

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About The Author:

Matt Forsman is a USA Track & Field and Road Runners Club of America certified coach. Known by his runners as “Marathon Matt,” Forsman coaches marathoners and half marathoners in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit www.marathonmatt.com for more information.

Costa Rica isn’t a country that’s known for its distance running prowess, but that doesn’t mean its people aren’t passionate about the sport.

Two weeks ago I was in San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital city, where for the first time since I began coaching their lone male Olympic marathoner, Cesar Lizano, I had the opportunity to experience the Costa Rican running community for myself firsthand.

It was an experience I’ll not soon forget.

MORE — Coaching Costa Rica: An Olympic Experience

My Tuesday morning started early at La Sabana, a sprawling park in central San Jose where most of the runners in the city converge each morning to run before the blazing sun and high humidity make any sort of outdoor activity undesirable. I joined Alex Reyes, a friend of Cesar’s who was making his final preparations for the Flying Pig Marathon that weekend (n.b. he finished in 3:07:02), for a 45-minute romp around the park amongst the masses of moving people. I ran in wide-eyed amazement as I observed various groups of runners warming up, stretching and doing form drills before embarking on their respective workouts.

It was barely 6 AM and there were literally hundreds of runners taking over la Sabana. It was quite the sight to see, particularly in a small country inhabited by only 4.5 or so million people. For comparison’s sake, on any given morning near where I live San Diego – one of the most active areas in the United States – if I see a couple dozen people running on the roads or trail, it’s a good day.

Of course, running hasn’t always been so insanely popular in this beautiful Central American country. It’s only been over the past few years that the sport has gained traction in this still soccer-mad nation. Olympic-level athletes such as Cesar and Gabriela Trana, who will represent Costa Rica in the women’s Olympic Marathon on August 5 in London, serve as larger-than-life role models who help give visibility to the competitive side of the sport while promoting the benefits of leading an active lifestyle.

“People have seen the benefits of running for health are very good,” Cesar explained to me. “Athletics has become a healthy lifestyle for Costa Ricans.”

Popular websites such as Pasion Por Correr (Passion For Running) have not only helped stir up interest in competitive running in Costa Rica, but also have encouraged everyday people, regardless of their ability level, to adopt an active lifestyle.

Pasion Por Correr’s goal is “to inform range of topics in the field of athletics in Costa Rica as well as health issues, events, etc. Aimed at amateurs, intermediate and professional.”

Races of various distances can now be found throughout Costa Rica, and these events serve as a stage for the rising stars of the sport to showcase their skills while also giving the average runner a goal worth training for on the weekend. The number of races, along with the number of people participating in them, is growing at a rapid rate. Costa Rica, much like the United States in recent years, is experiencing a running boom of its own.

“[Running] was almost never news in Costa Rica. TV stations are (now) covering races and showing the highlights in the news sections, there are more sponsors than ever, and the number of races continue growing year after year,” says Federico Ledezma, agent for Gabriela Trana and a huge supporter of the Costa Rican running community. “Finally, younger people follow a trend, a fashion, what the others do, and in this case running is that trend, that fashion. It’s also a very approachable sport. People know that one just needs to put on a pair of running shoes and begin running, not like other sports where one has to have some kind of talent to practice. Anyone can run.”

Ledezma also says that when top athletes such as Cesar and Gabriela compete well internationally, it catches the interest of a growing base of fans that admire them and are inspired by their accomplishments. The Costa Rican press also takes notice, and tends to report on the top athletes’ every move, from race results to injuries to coaching changes and even when they’re returning home from a major competition or a training camp.

I can personally vouch for this sort of attention and admiration. Two Tuesdays ago, when I arrived at the track to supervise Cesar’s workout, nearly every media outlet in Costa Rica was in attendance, along with a photographer and a reporter from a newly formed Costa Rican running magazine, as well as dozens of fans, who took advantage of the labor day holiday to watch their national hero perform his workout.

“No one can say a bad thing about them,” Ledezma says about Cesar and Gabriela. “They are both very focused people, polite, both with college degrees, and always open to talk to anyone about anything. People are aware of the sacrifices they have made in order to be where they are now. People admire that, too.”

It was a special moment to watch Cesar’s fans rally around him, as well as to see the attention the press gives to their national athletes, who serve as a source of pride for the people of this small country, as well as noble spokespersons for the further development and promotion of the sport amongst the general population. As an outsider, it’s an honor for me not only to be guiding Costa Rica’s lone Olympic marathoner, but more so to be sharing in the incredible passion the Costa Rican people have for the sport of running.

(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

With Olympic silver medalist Nick Willis as pacemaker, 11 athletes achieved personal best times over 1500m at the Swarthmore College Last Chance meeting in Philadelphia on Monday night, led by Columbia University’s Kyle Merber who clocked 3:35.59.  Twelve men broke 3:40.00 despite the lack of appearance fees or prize money.

However, no athlete was able to achieve the Olympic Games “A” standard of 3:35.50, partially due to unsettled weather.

“The weather wasn’t all that nice, but down on the track it was still,” Willis reported on his Twitter feed after running 1300 meters of the race.

Behind Merber, Australia’s Jordy Williamsz was second (3:36.74 PB), followed by Candian Olympian Nate Brannen (3:36.77), Villanova’s Sam McEntee (3:36.81 PB), and New York/New Jersey Track Club’s Liam Boylan-Pett (3:37.05 PB).  Merber, Boylan-Pett, Craig Miller (3:37.13 PB), Dan Huling (3:37.53 PB), and Brian Gagnon (3:38.36 PB) all got USA Olympic Trials “A” qualifying marks (3:39.00) assuring them of entry into that meet in Eugene, Ore., next month.

Willis, who was a University of Michigan teammate of Brannen’s, urged the athletes after the race to keep the faith and that their qualifying times would come.

“Olympic years bring out an array of emotions after every race,” he tweeted.  ”Keep the course runners, stick to your plans and the times will come.”

In the top section of the women’s 1500m, the results were more modest. Canadians Sheila Reid (4:14.27) and Carmen Douma-Hussar (4:15.57) finished 1-2.  IAAF World Youth Championships gold medalist Ajee’ Wilson ran the fastest women’s 800m (2:05.19), and Columbia University’s Harry McFann won the men’s two-lap contest in 1:48.14, a personal best.

(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

The present and previous marathon world record holders, Kenya’s Patrick Makau and Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie, will clash at Sunday’s Bupa Great Manchester Run 10K, organizers announced.

Gebrselassie, 39, first set the world record at the BMW Berlin Marathon on 30 September, 2007 (2:04:26), then lowered it to 2:03:59 at the same race one year later. That record held until September 25, 2011 when Makau, now 27, broke it. Gebrselassie is now the #3 marathoner of all-time on a record-standard course because Kenya’s Wilson Kipsang, the 2012 Virgin London Marathon champion, ran 2:03:42 at the BMW Frankfurt Marathon last October.

Joining Gebrselassie (who is a four-time Great Manchester Run champion) and Makau on the starting line will be Ethiopians Tsegaye Kebede, the 2008 Olympic and 2009 IAAF World Championships marathon bronze medalist, and Ayele Abshero, the fastest marathon runner of 2012, who clocked 2:04:23 in Dubai back in January.

The women’s contest offers a mix of track and road racing athletes. Kenya’s Linet Masai, the 2011 IAAF World Championships bronze medalist at 10,000m gets the #1 seed.  But three British women –marathoner Mara Yamauchi, and road racers Charlotte Purdue and Gemma Steel– hope to challenge the willowy Kenyan who has run 30:48 on the roads.  Doris Changeiywo, the 2010 Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medalist, is also in the field.

Fast times have been achieved on the Manchester course which has a record-legal 10 meters of elevation loss.  The men’s course record is 27:21 by Kenya’s Micah Kogo (2007), and the women’s standard is 31:07 by Ethiopia’s Berhane Adere (2006).

The race is organized by Nova International, Britain’s largest race organizer.

From: Running USA

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A talented blend of familiar faces and emerging stars will race down Nicollet Mall on Thursday, May 17 at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile which again plays host to the USA 1 Mile Road Championships.

The Medtronic TC 1 Mile, organized by Twin Cities In Motion, features an evening of races for runners of all ages and abilities. Action kicks off at 6:50pm and culminates with the USA Championships races at 7:53pm (women) and 8:03pm (men). In all, more than 3,000 runners are expected to compete in this exciting 8th edition. The event has hosted the last three USA 1 Mile Road Championships.

A festive Nicollet Mall atmosphere – where Minneapolitans enjoying the downtown nightlife cheer runners along the route – makes the Medtronic TC 1 Mile a unique event on the Minnesota and national running calendar.

Headlining this year’s championship fields are a pair of runners with Olympic aspirations: 2011 USA 1 Mile runners-up Heather Kampf and Aaron Braun.

Kampf, a Minneapolis resident, a former University of Minnesota superstar, and a member of the Twin Cities-based Team USA Minnesota, looks to use a home course advantage to become the first Minnesotan to win the USA 1 Mile title.

Team USA Arizona’s Braun, a Flagstaff, Ariz. resident, is known for his wide range as a distance runner. The Adams State College (Colo.) graduate was the 2010 USA Club Cross Country Champion and has finished in the top-three at USA Championships a half-dozen times at distances ranging from the mile to 15 kilometers.

“We’re pleased to have Heather and Aaron back at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile to chase the titles that eluded them last year,” Twin Cities In Motion Executive Director Virginia Brophy Achman said. “I marvel at Aaron’s abilities to compete successfully at so many distances and, in Heather’s case, we’d love to see a Minnesota runner win a USA title in her home state.”

The Medtronic TC 1 Mile is an important waypoint for athletes like Kampf and Braun who have aspirations of making the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team this year for the London Games. The pair and the rest of the national championship field will battle for a total of $22,500 in prize money, plus a pair of $10,000 course record bonuses.

The records for the event were both set last year when David Torrence won his third-straight Medtronic TC 1 Mile title in 3 minutes, 58.4 seconds and Sara Hall clocked 4:30.8 for her first Medtronic TC 1 Mile victory.

The Medtronic TC 1 Mile is also an important event for emerging-elite athletes hoping to develop their talent for future Olympic Games. In a partnership with USA Track & Field, which sanctions USA Championship races, Twin Cities In Motion has invited six developmental athletes to the event for the opportunity to race against top competition and advance their promising careers.

“We’re proud of the resources we put into the developmental portion of the field,” Brophy Achman said. “Tomorrow’s Olympians will come from the today’s developmental ranks, so being an important part of their rise is an investment we’re pleased to make for our sport.”

Two-time Olympic Marathon silver medalist Catherine Ndereba has been nicknamed “The Great” for a good reason. The Kenyan marathon ace has enjoyed a long and successful career that now appears to be nearing an end.

Ndereba will not be heading to the 2012 London Olympics, but she remains confident that the Olympic-Marathon-bound Kenyans Mary Keitany, Edna Kiplagat, and Priscah Jeptoo have an excellent chance of brining home the gold.

“Surely, we have the most fantastic team ever and it is the hope of everyone that this is the year that we are going to have the gold,” she said. “I have come closest by scoring two silvers in two Olympics and what we need is the gold medal.”

Ndereba, who trains much of the year in Valley Forge Park outside Philadelphia, has some words of advice for her fellow runners.

“They should understand that this is not like any other individual race,” she noted. “They should pay much attention and stay focused, know that all other nationalities will be there and they should be careful and run as a team while maintaining team spirit.”

For More: All Africa

Whether you’re on or off the racecourse, accidents can happen anytime and anywhere.

It’s easy to have a false sense of security, as we entrust our safety and well-being with the thousands of runners and volunteers who surround us on the racecourse, or convince ourselves that “it’s only a short run.” But unforeseen dangers lurk around every corner, especially if you run alone. Wild animals on the trail, changing weather conditions and reckless drivers are among the many things runners should be aware of.

Wearing ID bands and tags is an easy way to have personal identification and medical information readily available case of emergencies. Athletes like marathoner Dane Rauschenberg and ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes frequently wear ID bands on and off the course.

For Tom O’Donnell of Apex, N.C., a Road ID bracelet helped get him to the hospital after he collapsed while out for a trail run alone. A cyclist found him and called an ambulance, and first responders were able to call his wife. Doctors were also able to see his medical history on his bracelet, including his note on receiving brain surgery in 2009.

ID bracelets have also been helpful with children; just ask Tim and Olivia Agee of Nashville, Tenn. Their 5-year-old daughter had participated in a kids race, but was not at the pick-up location after the race. A race official found her and contacted her parents to let them know where they were.

Other endurance athletes, such as cyclists, have said ID bracelets can be saviors in crashes. New York resident Tyler VanWormer remembers being only three miles away from home during a bike ride when an oncoming car made an unexpected left turn and drove right into him. He was thrown from his bike, and his face and shoulder punctured the car’s windshield. Paramedics were able to alert his family and also see his medical allergies listed on his ID. “I’m so grateful my [bracelet] was with me then. I hope I never need it again, but I know I’m in good hands if I do,” he said.

Choose sport ID bands made from nylon or a woven nylon, as these materials are durable and washable. Woven nylons in particular are breathable and won’t irritate your skin as you sweat. Check out the carousel at the top left of this post for a sampling of some of the top ID bands out on the market today.

Learn how each works and when it’s best to use one versus the other.

Most runners have heard over and over again that drinking fluids as the summer months approach is of the utmost importance; neglecting to drink when it’s hot outside is committing one of the cardinal sins of sports nutrition.

Well, that’s somewhat true, but it isn’t quite that simple. Instead of telling you to drink more fluids when the mercury rises, over the next few pages we’ll take a look at when you should be drinking water versus when you should be drinking sports drinks or an electrolyte beverage. This is also an important topic to explore in regard to hydrating during marathons or fueling for marathon-specific long runs, but that’s a different topic for another article. Here, we’ll stick to a discussion of hydration and drinking protocols during training.

Finally, I’ll help you calculate exactly how much fluid you need to consume on any given training run, and how to apply that information to your training.

RELATED: Hydration During Running

Get your PH levels in the right range and keep your biochemical balance in check. 

Athletes—whether distance runners, Crossfitters, triathletes or otherwise all-around competitors—need the right nutrients to fuel their training and stay healthy. But there’s more involved than eating a healthful meat-veggie-carb-fat mix.

To use that fuel in the most efficient way, athletes should strive for a neutral internal pH, says Nicole Kuhl, a certified clinical nutritionist at Life Span Medicine in Santa Monica, Calif. When in a state of biochemical balance, they will perform optimally, have prolonged stamina and strength, and enjoy better overall health.

“Your pH most determines your biochemical balance,” Kuhl explained. “An athlete’s goal should be to get his or her biochemistry as balanced as possible because when that happens, you have metabolic efficiency. That’s what every competitor wants. If your pH isn’t in the right range, your metabolic processes can’t fire right.”

So how do you balance your pH? By being mindful of what you put in your mouth.