I just ran the marathon and my 4:10:56 time wasn't as good as I was hoping for. What are some things I can look to improve upon for next year's race? -- Eitan Hersh, class of 2005
Well first off, congratulations for completing the marathon. That's no easy task. But to plan ahead for next year's race now, there are a few factors that you can look to improve upon.
One of the factors that you can work on is your maximal aerobic power, or what is more commonly called your VO2 max. An increased VO2 max can be obtained through training. If your VO2 max isn't where it should be, a smarter, better thought-out training program will benefit you in this respect.
Another factor that could have influenced your performance may have been your lactate threshold. When your body is not supplied with enough oxygen to compensate for rigorous aerobic exercise, your body begins to produce lactic acid. This lactic acid builds up in your muscles and is what makes you tired after exercising at high intensity levels for long periods of time. Therefore, training when your body has high lactate levels will allow you to mimic marathon conditions.
Also, be sure to look at your running form. It has been studied and shown that the better runners are those with a shorter stride length and higher stride frequency; tweaking your stride may improve your marathon time. In addition, look at the way you move the rest of your body while you're running: Someone who flails their arms a lot while running has to expend more energy than someone else who has smooth, coordinated arm movements. Small changes in your running form can have amazing results.
Finally, your utilization of food stores and your fiber type can have an impact on your running performance. Better aerobic endurance athletes can effectively utilize their fat stores, conserving carbohydrate stores for later in the competition. Your fiber type, slow-twitch or fast-twitch, also has an impact on your running performance. Although your given fiber type is determined by genetics, it is possible to modify your body's fibers and adapt them to your training needs.
I'm interested in learning how to determine what my maximum bench press is. I've put up 150 pounds ten times but I'm afraid to get down to the nitty-gritty of the one-rep maximum because I don't want to break a nail. Can you help me out? -- Nina Soares, class of 2005
The most basic way to estimate your one-rep maximum is by using a table. I've included the National Strength and Conditioning Association table here for easy use.
By using the table you can figure that if you were able to bench press 150 pounds ten times, then you should be able to perform one rep at 200 pounds.
Although this table is a good estimate of what you should be able to do, it is just that: An estimate. So don't think that if you can't bench press 200 pounds that you're a failure. This table is just one of many that exist and it assumes that a linear relationship exists between percentage of one rep maximum and number of reps: There are other sources of information out there that contend that a non-linear relationship exists between the two variables.
