Юрий Строфилов о марафоне в Валенсии.

Summary

A seasoned marathon runner shares their 10-year journey, highlighting how they've improved race times despite aging. From their first marathon at 50 to testing various training hypotheses, they emphasize the importance of consistent running, interval work, strength training, and race-day mental strategies. Their philosophy focuses on continuous improvement, tracking progress, and adapting to challenges like weather and course difficulty. Ultimately, they challenge the idea that age limits performance and advocate for a thoughtful, data-driven approach to training and racing.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker has been running for 10 years and has completed 16 marathons, improving his personal best by 32 minutes and 47 seconds over that time.
• 😀 The first marathon was run in Tver, Israel, on the speaker's 50th birthday, with a time of 3:39:27, which marked the beginning of his marathon journey.
• 😀 The Boston Marathon was particularly challenging due to its terrain (starting downhill, then uphill) and weather conditions, emphasizing the importance of experience in marathon running.
• 😀 The speaker learned that marathons are not just about physical preparation but also about race strategy, mental focus, and experience, such as pacing and adjusting during the race.
• 😀 The Moscow Marathon was another challenging race for the speaker due to the cold temperatures and strong wind, but the organization and race quality were impressive.
• 😀 The London Marathon presented difficulties with high temperatures (27°C), making it hard to set personal records, but the speaker still achieved a good time of 2:38:11 at the World Championship.
• 😀 In Lisbon, the speaker didn't rest properly before the marathon and had a poor performance, leading to a lesson about the importance of mental and physical preparation before races.
• 😀 Over the 10 years of running, the speaker has continued to improve despite the typical decline in performance with age, even running faster than expected in the 60+ age category.
• 😀 The speaker emphasizes that training smartly and consistently is more important than worrying about age. With proper training, age-related decline can be offset.
• 😀 Each marathon the speaker runs serves as an experiment to test a different training hypothesis, such as regular running, interval training, diet changes, and strength training, to see how they affect performance.
• 😀 A structured, thoughtful approach to training, including keeping a detailed training journal, analyzing each session, and seeking the guidance of a good coach, is key to continuous improvement in marathon running.

Q & A

What is the speaker’s primary takeaway from their 10 years of marathon running?

The primary takeaway is that consistent and thoughtful training, along with the ability to test and adjust different strategies, can lead to significant improvement, even as you age. The speaker emphasizes that age should not be a barrier to progress if one trains intelligently.

How has the speaker’s marathon performance evolved over the 10 years?

Over 10 years, the speaker improved their marathon time by 32 minutes and 47 seconds. They started with a time of 3:39:27 and achieved a personal best of 2:36:45 at the Valencia Marathon.

What lessons did the speaker learn from running the Boston Marathon?

The speaker learned that the Boston Marathon's challenging terrain, including elevation changes, requires significant experience to perform well. They also realized that marathon running is not only about physical preparation but also about race strategy, pacing, and mental resilience.

Why did the speaker consider their Moscow Marathon experience a 'no personal record' race?

The Moscow Marathon was considered a 'no personal record' race due to the cold weather and strong headwinds, which made it difficult to achieve their best time, even though the event was well-organized.

What made the London Marathon a difficult race for the speaker?

The London Marathon was challenging because of the hot weather (27°C), which significantly impacted the speaker's ability to set a personal record. Despite this, the overwhelming support from spectators was a major positive aspect of the race.

What mistake did the speaker make during the Lisbon Marathon, and what did they learn from it?

The speaker made the mistake of not properly preparing mentally and physically before the Lisbon Marathon, which led to a poor performance. They learned the importance of mental readiness and proper pre-race preparation.

What is the speaker's perspective on the impact of age on marathon performance?

The speaker believes that while age does affect marathon performance, it should not be seen as a major obstacle. With proper training and planning, runners can overcome the typical age-related decline and continue to improve.

How did the speaker approach their marathon training over the years?

The speaker adopted a methodical approach, testing different hypotheses related to training strategies such as interval work, increasing volume, strength training, and adjusting nutrition. They systematically analyzed each change to determine its effect on performance.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of keeping a training log?

The speaker stresses the importance of keeping a training log because it helps track progress, analyze each training session, and refine strategies. This data-driven approach is key to continuous improvement.

What role does a coach play in the speaker's training philosophy?

The speaker highlights the importance of having a good coach to help guide the training process. A coach helps with analyzing data, providing structured feedback, and ensuring that the runner remains focused on their goals and adjusts strategies as needed.