Letters

KEEP IT UP!

I’ve been a subscriber for over a year now, and all I can say is, keep up the great work. Every issue has been very helpful and informative for a novice marathoner like myself. Particularly good was the profile of the Steamtown Marathon in your September/October issue, which I participated in as my first marathon. In the November/December 1999 issue, Bernie Greene’s account ofhis first two marathons was both interesting and humorous. Good job and keep it up! Pat Palmer Binghamton, N.Y.

SPORTSMED SPECIALISTS

Iread the article regarding sports specialists and want to make acomment. I think that finding a doctor who is able to treat an injury is very difficult. It is more important to find someone who has experience rather than rely on a particular specialty. As a family physician and a runner, I find that I have great interest in the area of sports injuries and therefore slant my reading and continuing education to these areas. On the other hand, well-trained sports medicine specialists who mainly work with team sports may be more comfortable with acute traumatic injuries than chronic overuse injuries of running. In other words,

134 MM MARATHON & BEYOND

don’t rely on the specialty affiliation to guarantee competence.

Blane Schilling, M.D.

via e-mail

“CLOSED COURSE” ROAD RACING

I just picked up your January/February issue and read Rich Benyo’s editorial on holding marathons and other road races on “closed” courses. I think it’s a great idea! The convenience and comfort for the spectator, the opportunity for us “citizen” runners to actually be able to see the elites race, no traffic to worry about, no risk of getting lost, the added angle of lapped runners—all add up to an idea worth serious consideration. (Of course, crucial to the success of such a race would be to guarantee correct and accurate lap counts for everyone. Perhaps the ChampionChip would help out there?) ’drunaclosed course race. And, how about this idea from my husband: hold marathon or ultra relays and have the hand-off down pit road! D. M. Rode Bellingham, WA

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March/April 2000

‘the World! ran Ultré

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March/April 2000

On THE Mark

IAMIN my mid-40s and have recently decided to join the ranks of the competitive runner. I have participated in one marathon and will do several more. I have already begun training for a September 2000 ultramarathon. The course crosses a mountain range, with an average altitude of about 7,000 feet. Because of time constraints, it’s impossible for me to get productive training on the course, so I’m stuck training at 1,000 feet altitude and below. Is there anything special I can do to properly train for a high-altitude race while living at low altitude?

Bobb Carreon via e-mail

I FEEL there is no substitute for elevation. It may be quite a drive for you to get to elevation, but taking a weekend or weekends and getting back-to-back runs at elevation would be invaluable. It would also give you an opportunity to get familiar with the course. There is nothing more frustrating than to run your butt off and then take a wrong turn. As you are new to trail running, you have not had this type of character-building experience.

136 Mm MARATHON & BEYOND

If getting to the course on occasion is not possible, I can only suggest running as many hills as you can and getting in as much mileage as you can without overstressing yourself.

Gard Leighton is a 10-time sub-24-hr finisher of the Western States 100-Mile Trail

Run and is vice president of the Sutter Home Napa Valley Marathon.

THERE IS a lot of discussion about the benefits of altitude training. For my entire ultrarunning career I have lived and trained at altitudes from 5,000 to 14,000 feet and have enjoyed success at ultraraces at altitude venues. This is what Ihave observed about altitude and running:

There seem to be two elevations that are clear performance marks for altitude training: the 7,000-foot mark and the 9,000-foot mark. A runner seems to benefit in increased strength and familiarity with the amount of oxygen available to process at the 7,000-foot mark. The foothills of Boulder, Colorado, are at this elevation and Boulder is a mecca for endurance athletes.

However, training at the easily accessible but even higher elevations in the equally neat Colorado resort areas does not have the appeal of training at the ideal 7,000-foot elevation. This is because above the ideal 7,000foot altitude, you spend more time re-

March/April 2000