The reason to train in a group: you'll perform better

Besides that it is fun to train together; is there any other excuse you need? Science is giving you a very good one: you will perform better!

I usually train alone. It is less planning. Just put on your gear and go. I find that when I do run together with someone: it feels easier, less far, faster. I thought it had to do with the distraction the other person offers when you talk a little.
Another reason might be that you are competitive and do not want to give in towards the other person.
non of the above; It is a simple biochemical process at work!

During excercising you body produces endorphin. A hormone well known for the runners high it can induce. Like morphine it helps to deal with pain and that is why mother nature gave us this endorphin.

Research from the University of Oxford shows that athletes who completed a training on their own can stand less pain than athletes who trained in a group. This is an indication that those who trained in a group had higher levels of endorphin in their blood (Source: BBC News 2009 & site Oxford University).

Besides the positive effect on sport performance they think is might also explain why people feel euphoric when celebrating a mass or making music together.

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Could it be that this evolved when we were hunting together? Read my posting on "Born to Run". The author explains how we might have evolved the way we have because we were successful in chasing animals to their deaths thanks to our body which is build (or should I say evolved) for endurance running.
This will work when you collaborate as a group. and when do you want to work together? When it is fun and when it delivers a result. The fun part comes from the endorphin. The result from the food, the meat from the animal you chased to death with your companions.

OK, you no longer run together to get the antelope but something you body developed over a long period will still function as is did when we as a species were still out their running our food to their death. Maybe Christopher McDougal should rename his book: "Born to Run Together".

Short video documentry on Tarahumara

My previous posting introduced Caballo Blanco to you. He invited american ultra runners to take on the runners of the Tarahumara. A Indian tribe in the Sierra Madre in Mexico. The video below is a 10 min. documentry on this trbie, Caballo Blanco and his aim to preserve the heritage of the Tarahumara and their running tradition. Enjoy!

Born to Run; a great read

Looking for something to read? Preferably something to do with running? I can recommend Born to Run by Christopher McDougal.

The starts with the question; "Why does I hurt when I run?" In order to find the answer to this question the author tackels various subjects like:

• barefoot / natural / chi running
• ultra running
• the evolution of mankind
• the Tarahumara tribe

The storyline

In pursuit of the answer to his question the author meet various people with various views on running but in general the outline of the message is the same. Forget al the modern equipment (shoes) en try to run as natural as possible an above all: enjoy!

Chris find its way into Mexico to look for Caballo Blanco, an american ultra running athlete who lives among the Tarahumara. A tribe of indians in the Sierra Madre of Mexico. Renown for their ultra running capabilities. Through him he learns about their diet and how they enjoy running, already from a early age.

This Caballe Blanco has a wild idea: Bring together the best of the Tarahumara and  American Ultra Runners in a race. The Copper Canyon Marathon. Among the american runners is Scott Jurek and Barefoot Ted.

The pictur to the right shows Scott Jurek in action with the best of the Tarahumara:Arnulfo Quimare. Pay attention to the sandals the Tarahumara use for running.

I wont tell who wins the race.

The style
The book is written like any popular crime novel. It is a pleasant and addictive read. The story leading up to the race is intertwined with side steps. Introducing the runners and the science of running. Including our own evolution.

The evolution of mankind as runners

In this book the theory is posed that the reason man started to walk upright on two legs was to hunt down animals. Not by shear power or speed;but ENDURANCE. Thanks to the way we are build. Thanks to evolutionary features like sweat, breathing in a rhythm separately from our running pace etc. It is also an explanation why on the longer distance the gap between men and women in the running game becomes less and less.

Wanna know more? Click on the TEDx video below for an 18 minute talk by the author Christopher McDougal himself.


Order the book on Amazon:

Or order the Kindle edition

Worldrecord ambitions for Half Marathon

Last week I wrote a review of the fast half marathon of The Hague. The ambtions are clear. With a line up of four sub one hour runners the organization is looking for a fast race. The four toprunners are: Jonathan Maivo (23), Geoffrey Kipsang (19), Kenneth Kipkemoi (27) and Leonard Langat (21).

In both videos below you can see that the runners themself have no other ambitions.
First the fastest Jonathan Maiyo:
 
Jonathan Maiyo from Like2Run on Vimeo.

In this second video play attention to the bold statement of Geoffrey Kipsang: "I can rond 2:03 on the marathon" and the ambition for Rotterdam in a few weeks time: "I will be a pacer for the world record".
Geoffrey Kipsang from Like2Run on Vimeo.

RunningDutch Review: City-Pier-City

This posting is a review for international runners that want to participate in a major run in the Netherlands. This time a review of the half marathon City-Pier-City.

Location: The Hague
This half marathon is held every second weekend in march in the city of The Hague. A city with approximately half a million residents on the North Sea. Seat of the Dutch government and home of the royal family. Only 40 minutes from Amsterdam and its international airport Schiphol. Besides offering a great run; worth wile to visit with various tourist attractions such a museums and for example Madurodam (a collection of famous Dutch sight on a scale of 1:25). In and around the city center are some nice restaurants to make your stay attractive.

The track: Fast, Flat, Fun

Samuel Wanjiru setting a new world record in 2007

In 2007 the half marathon world record was run in The Hague. Since then the route has changed for the better. The scenic start and finish area close to the house of parliament was transferred to the ‘Malieveld’. Taking out some twist and turns. The Malieveld is a great open area close to the main railway station and only a 5 minutes’ walk from the city center. It offers enough space for all the infrastructure required to house a race with well over 30.000 participant. The route follows wide streets outside the city center, first heading off to the south west before looping back to the boulevard and Pier in Scheveningen. Due to renovation works on the boulevard you won’t actually see the pier. Be rest assure, it’s there, and skipping the boulevard makes the route faster!
From Scheveningen it is one straight line back to the finish. Thanks to the wide streets the route feels never crowded. At least for those runner at the front of the pack. Maybe it is more crowded when you are a more average runner but then again; speed, time and finding your own pace are less important. The organizations allow fast runners to start in front of the masses. Fast being: Able to show a finish time within 1h30m.

The organization: Professional
The organization of the CPC is run by Like2run also responsible for the Rotterdam Marathon and some smaller venues. The event is very well organized, the infrastructure around the start en finish area is ok, the route (see above) is free of cars and spectators, refressing posts are with water and sports drinks at every 5k. No complaints on this front.

The entourage: OK
 Along the route you will find enough spectators and music to create a nice atmosphere for the runners. Don’t expect spectators lined up three lines thick along the whole of the route but even on the least crowded stretches there are little groups of people ready to shout you on. The finish area is functional but it lacks the atmosphere of the finish on the ‘Lange Voorhout’ from a few yours back or any other finish in a city center. 

The verdict? For fast runners; worth a try!
My verdict for the CPC run for international runners? I can’t be object as I live in the Hague and the CPC was my first half marathon ever. I also ran my half marathon PB here. OK, the Hague is probably not as scenic as Lisbon (currently holding the world record being only 10 seconds faster than the CPC) but judging by the number of tourists I see the whole year round it is apparently attractive enough.

Combine this with in general good running conditions in march: 5 – 10 degrees on average and if it is windy; it usually is giving you a push the second half of the run. This gives you good a recepy for and attempt to run a personal best (PB) here. So are you looking for a weekend to combine you running exploits with some culture? Do join the CPC run!

This is a first of reviews I intend to write on some of the bigger and more international events in the Netherlands. Feel free to comment and leave your experience with the CPC. Want to read other reviews in due time. Simply click on the ‘review’ categorie.

Trail running: tips for running uphill

Like the previous posting: Some advice from Scott Jurek. This time on running uphill.

Trail Running: Avoid some common mistakes

Heading out on a trail for the first time? Ultra runner Scott Jurek will give you some advice how to avoid some of the common mistakes made by runners who leave the road for the first time: