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Another Year - Another Comeback |
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Written by Tom Perry
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July 27, 2010 |
 July 27, 2010 - "It's Always Something"
My lower back started hurting on an easy run on June 29th and the next morning it was so bad that walking was painful. With more days off than days run and and very low mileage, my back is slowly getting better. I remain hopeful that this setback will be a short one. The last four weeks (on the right) in the graph below show the impact of this new injury on my training.
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Last Updated ( July 27, 2010 )
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Boston Qualifying Times Unfair? |
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Written by Tom Perry
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June 21, 2010 |
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Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is the goal of many runners. As you are probably aware there are different qualifying times for men and women in various age groups. Table 1 shows the qualifying times for each male age group. Also shown is the corresponding Age Performance Percentage (AP%) calculated for each qualifying time using a World Masters Athletic Age-Grading Calculator.
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Last Updated ( June 21, 2010 )
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Daily Mile – Running Log meets Facebook |
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Written by Tom Perry
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June 19, 2010 |
Daily Mile has pioneered a new category of online logbooks. At heart, Daily Mile is like a specialized version of Facebook for athletes. It fits into the category of “social media” but, instead of sharing videos of pets & children, Daily Mile members share their daily runs and race plans.
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Last Updated ( June 19, 2010 )
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Running Bio - Part 2 Discovering Ultras |
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Written by Tom Perry
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May 22, 2010 |
California: 1977-1988
Continuing my look back on the experiences and lessons learned in 35 years of competitive running, Part 2 picks up with my wife and I getting settled in Los Angeles, CA after moving there in the summer of 1977. Highlights of Part 2 include:
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discovering that I have a talent for the longer distances
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having the heady experience of leading a race for the first time
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actually winning a race
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surviving doing the Western States 100 as my first trail ultra
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repeating the error of racing too frequently with no off season
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and finding a novel way to finish a 24 hour run
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Last Updated ( June 7, 2010 )
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Next Generation Forerunner Tested |
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Written by Tom Perry
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May 14, 2010 |
Preliminary Test of Next Generation Garmin Forerunner
As reported last month, Garmin has already begun rolling out a new generation of gadgets for runners. The “10” series uses a new GPS chipset (SiRFstarIV) and updated software with features (trademarked “HotFix”) to more quickly acquire satellite and improve performance on wooded trails under dense trees and in the downtown canyons of large cities.
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Last Updated ( May 14, 2010 )
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American Runs Sub-27 for 10,000 Meters |
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Written by Tom Perry
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May 14, 2010 |
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Sobinski is Tallest and Heaviest Man to Break 27 Minutes
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Last Updated ( May 14, 2010 )
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Running Bio - Part 1 Becoming a Runner |
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Written by Tom Perry
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April 28, 2010 |
The Early Years: 1974-1977
While I’ve been on the metaphorical injured reserve list with a prolonged case of PFPS (patella-femoral pain syndrome), I’ve had time to reflect on what I’m missing. Part of that reflection has been to look back on the experiences and lessons learned in over 35 years of competitive running. A shelf full of training diaries covering most of those years has provided some real data to ground my rosy recollections.
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Last Updated ( June 7, 2010 )
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Next Generation Garmin GPS Watches |
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Written by Tom Perry
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April 14, 2010 |
Garmin Launches Next Generation Devices
 While Timex is playing catch-up, Garmin has already begun rolling out a new generation of gadgets for runners and cyclists. At the heart of these devices is the next generation GPS chip from SiRF. Based on the available information on the internet, the SiRFstarIV chip will enable smaller devices with lower power consumption. The chip also includes features to more quickly acquire and sustain satellite reception. Garmin’s trademark for this capability is “HotFix.” HotFix should improve performance on wooded trails under dense trees and in the downtown canyons of large cities.
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Last Updated ( April 14, 2010 )
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Timex Updates GPS Watches |
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Written by Tom Perry
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April 14, 2010 |
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Timex Updates Speed + Distance Sports Watches
I haven’t written much about speed-distance gadgets since the Garmin introduced the “05” Series of devices: Forerunner 205, 305 and the less successful 405 have dominated the GPS running watch market since their introduction. They’ve dominated for good reason… they all do a darn good job tracking your run and measuring how far you’ve gone. Much of their success comes from the third-party SiRFstarIII GPS-on-a-chip that provides the basic GPS functions.
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Last Updated ( April 14, 2010 )
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Future Trails - The Bigger Picture |
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Written by Tom Perry
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April 14, 2010 |
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Over the past two years I have reported on many different trail projects in this region… in almost every case the projects have been for a few miles of new or improved trail here and there… seemingly distributed haphazardly around the Rochester metropolitan area. As it happens, each project actually fits within a 20-year plan for development of a regional network of trails.
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Last Updated ( April 14, 2010 )
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Marathon Breakthrough |
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Written by Tom Perry
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February 17, 2010 |
Marathon Performance Breakthrough
When I ran my first marathon, the world record was 2:08:34, set by Australian Derek Clayton at Antwerp, Belgium on May 30, 1969. Clayton was the first man to run the marathon in under 2:10. In the late ‘60s and ‘70s the top men in the marathon were from Europe, Australia, North America, Latin America and Japan.
Fast forward to the 1990s… Ethiopian Belayneh Dinsamo held the record from 1988 to 1998. His 2:06:50 on April 17, 1988 at Rotterdam, Netherlands, took the record under 2:07 for the first time.
Fast forward to the present... the world record is now 2:03:59, set by Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie at the Berlin Marathon on September 28, 2008. Last year there were 104 performances of 2:10 or under… that’s 104 marathons run faster than the world record of 40 years ago.
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Last Updated ( February 18, 2010 )
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Returning to Running: The Comeback |
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Written by Tom Perry
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December 9, 2009 |
December 9, 2009 - This is the way the comeback ends
The ideal for any long distance runner is to build over the season, improving with each successive race and peaking for your most important race. If that race is a long one, it will typically be the last race in your planned season of racing. Then, satisfied that you’ve given your best, you promise yourself that you’ll take some time off to let lingering injuries heal before carefully building next year to another, even higher peak.
But, the thing about peaks is that they are precarious. You can easily fall off. A badly timed injury or illness can prematurely put an end to your season. That’s what happened to me two weeks before my target race for the fall (Rhode Island 6 Hour, http://ri6hour.com/).
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Last Updated ( December 9, 2009 )
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The Runners Body |
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Written by Tom Perry
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October 29, 2009 |
Book of the Month: The Runner’s Body
Subtitle: How the latest exercise science can help you run stronger, longer, and faster
Written by Ross Tucker, PhD, and Jonathan Dugas, PhD with Matt Fitzgerald, this new book, summarizes the latest information from the world of sports science. The book is a rich fount of running wisdom. While written by scientists, the language and style makes the content easily understood by the layman. In the sections below, I will share some of the most interesting bits I found in the book.
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Last Updated ( October 29, 2009 )
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What Do You Take on a Run? |
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Written by Tom Perry
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October 21, 2009 |
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Lost on a Run. A recent hot topic in the trail and ultrarunning community was the misadventure of two veteran Southern California ultrarunners. The pair left on a Sunday morning for a 6-8 hour training run in the Cleveland National Forest near San Juan Capistrano and did not return by nightfall. By Monday evening Search and Rescue had been called. Aided by more than a dozen local ultrarunners, a massive search was undertaken. Both were rescued on Wednesday… dirty, tired and dehydrated.
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Last Updated ( October 21, 2009 )
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Aging Runners Beat the Reaper |
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Written by Tom Perry
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October 21, 2009 |
The report is in from a 21-year study and it’s great news!
Running at middle and older ages is associated with reduced disability in later life and a significant survival advantage.
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Last Updated ( October 21, 2009 )
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It's Not About the Shoes |
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Written by Tom Perry
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September 21, 2009 |
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As I write this, “Born to Run,” a book at least partially about running is number 4 on the New York Times Non-Fiction Best Seller List. The author is Christopher McDougall, a former war correspondent for the Associated Press and now a contributing editor for Men’s Health. Disclosure: I have only read the sample chapter on Amazon and some reviews of the book. From the reviews, I have learned:
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Last Updated ( September 21, 2009 )
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Online Site of the Month - August 09 |
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Written by Tom Perry
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August 12, 2009 |
The IAAF World Championships run Saturday August 15th thru Sunday August 23rd
Check out this month's featured website for full coverage.
LetsRun.com was founded in the spring of 2000 by identical twin brothers Weldon and Robert Johnson (aka "Wejo" and "Rojo"). The site was initially started as a hobby when the brothers were running up to 150 miles in a week in preparing Weldon for the 2000 US Olympic Trials. Since then the site has grown into one of the top sites on the Internet for serious runners.
The goal of the Johnson brothers is to cover the elite level part of the sport properly. Each day they find good articles on the big races and top runners and aggregate it on the front page of LetsRun.com. The primary focus is on distance running although there is some coverage of the sprints and field events. The site URL is of course: http://www.letsrun.com/.
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Last Updated ( August 12, 2009 )
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GPS Elevation Errors and Correction |
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Written by Tom Perry
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July 28, 2009 |
Introduction
For flat runs, just knowing how far and how fast you went is usually
enough. Knowing where you went is also nice to have. The current
crop of GPS devices does a fine job providing this basic information.
But, if the terrain is hilly, your travel in the vertical dimension becomes important. The hillier the course, the more interesting the elevation data become. At the extreme of mountain running, knowing the total climb for a run will be a better predictor of the run duration than the total distance will be.
GPS devices record your position in three dimensions (latitude, longitude and elevation), making it possible to generate elevation profiles and summary climbing statistics like total ascent and total descent. Unfortunately, GPS elevation is know to have accuracy issues. The following study looks at real-world use of GPS elevation data and finds some positive news.
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Last Updated ( August 3, 2009 )
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Relays - The Most Fun You Can Have Running |
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Written by Tom Perry
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June 22, 2009 |
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Relay runs are the most fun you can have running with friends. The shared effort bonds runners together in a unique and lasting way. Relays come in all sizes and vary widely in competitiveness. You can hold your breath longer than it takes a top team to run the 4 by 100… if they don’t drop the baton. At the other extreme, a relay across the country takes many days to complete. In between these extremes, every distance runner should be able to find a relay that suits your available time, budget and fitness.
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Last Updated ( June 22, 2009 )
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Everywhere is within running distance if you have enough time |
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Written by Tom Perry
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June 3, 2009 |
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On May 7th I ran from Fairport to Palmyra and back for a 24 mile training run...
my first training run over 20 miles in this comeback. The return trip from Palmyra wasn’t as easy as the run out but I was able to complete it without struggle. The run was a real confidence builder… I feel like I’m beginning to get back the efficiency and endurance that made it possible to run a good 50-mile or 100K ultramarathon. Completing this long run got me wondering how long it had been since I last went over 20 miles in training...
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Last Updated ( June 3, 2009 )
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New Garmin Forerunner Announced |
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Written by Tom Perry
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May 3, 2009 |
 The folks at Garmin have announced a new GPS watch that will interest some runners. The Forerunner 310XT is specifically targeted at triathletes. It is waterproof to a depth of 50 meters and has up to 20 hours of battery life (roughly twice that on other Garmin models. The watch is also a bit smaller. The 310XT will be available in second quarter 2009. The suggested retail price for the 310XT is $349.99 without a heart rate monitor and $399.99 with a heart rate monitor. Note: This suggested retail is $100 more than the Forerunner 305 ($299.99 USD), which includes a heart rate monitor. The Forerunner 305 iscurrently available from major internet retailers for about $170, less than half the suggested retail of a 310XT with a heart rate monitor. |
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Last Updated ( May 3, 2009 )
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Who Uses the Erie Canal Trail? |
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Written by Tom Perry
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May 3, 2009 |
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Each year Parks & Trails New York (www.ptny.org) conducts a count of trail users at various locations on the Erie Canal Trail in Monroe County. The 2008 report “Who’s on the Trail?” is posted on their web site at www.ptny.org/pdfs/canalway_trail/user%20counts/2008.pdf. The first table below shows an estimate of canal trail traffic during the peak summer months at four locations. Clearly, the canal trail gets lots of user during the peak summer months but the table doesn’t tell us who those users are. |
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Last Updated ( May 3, 2009 )
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Aging and Performance |
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Written by Tom Perry
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March 30, 2009 |
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In February, the bloggers at The Science of Sport (www.sportsscientists.com/) started a multi-part series on Exercise and Aging. The immediate impetus for the series was recent news that a 60-year-old Japanese runner had run 2:36:30, setting a new single-age world record for the marathon. This set the authors to pondering what it is that allows one Japanese 60-year old to run a 2:36 marathon or Canadian Ed Whitlock to run sub-3 hour marathons at ages 72, 73 & 74 while the rest of us struggle to keep running, much less break 3 hours.
In Part 1 of the series, the authors look at some case histories of world record holders. The following table oversimplifies the slowdown in world record times that occurs with each age decade.
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Last Updated ( March 30, 2009 )
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Recovery from Morton's Neuroma |
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Written by Tom Perry
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March 16, 2009 |
Final Posting - Week 19 - March 9, 2009
After weekly postings for 19 weeks, it is time to conclude this narrative of my successful return to running following surgery for a Morton's Neuroma on my left foot.
Note: If you've just discovered this posting and want the whole story, scroll to the bottom and read upwards.
Recovery from Surgery. This phase took about 16 weeks and seems to have been a complete success. The first eight weeks were spent waiting for the incision to heal so I could resume some running. The remaining eight weeks were spent regaining a minimum level of running fitness (which I will define as being able to run 30+ miles per week and a long run of 10-15 miles). The graph at the right shows my progression in miles ran per week.
My Next Comeback. The easy part is now over. To get race fit, I’ve decided to follow a Jeff Galloway marathon training plan with the target race being the Niagara 50K in June. The plan, adjusted for my starting level of fitness, is the same one I used in 2001 to prepare for a 3:19 marathon and some fast ultras. That year turned out to be a “career year.” This time I’m starting from a much lower fitness level and I’m eight years older so I don’t expect the same results. If you’re interested, I will post something about my progress approximately once a month.
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Last Updated ( March 16, 2009 )
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A Decade of Growth in Ultrarunning |
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Written by Tom Perry
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March 12, 2009 |
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Western New York has seen remarkable growth in interest in ultramarathons in the past decade. In 2000, there were only four events in our area with five possible races from which to choose. Eight years later, we have three additional events with six possible races, which are shown in bold font in the table below. The addition of 100K and 100-mile races is especially noteworthy and reflects the maturing of ultramarathoning in the area. Now, if we just had a 24-hour track event…
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Last Updated ( March 12, 2009 )
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