---------------WHERE IS MR. RENATO CANOVA? ---------------------

Renato sent a file once which also included data of the blood values of his african athletes and they had very low htc and hb values.

It's their frame not their blood, superectomorph, different evolution.

Even with very low htc and hb values (which are measured relative to volume) a large total blood volume could provide greater total oxygen carrying capacity than a european athlete has.

Don't know if there is any research on this.

i'm particularly interested in his analysis of Rop's DNF. He set a big PR in the lisbon half marathon in preparation for Boston. Canova had stated earlier that in his opinion an athlete properly prepared for the marathon could not set a half marathon PR.

bump

I read only today your post. My analysis of the race of Rodgers is very simple : he, like Robert Cheruiyot, were destroyed by the weather, too much different from that in Italy, where they trained. The shape of Rodgers was really very good, but his training after Lisbon was always in a temperature of 6/8 degrees, many times with snow and rain. The same happened to Cheruiyot : I had some info from his coaches that he did very important workouts, expecially in long run. So, when they arrived to Boston, the temperature was OK, but during the last 3 days grew up till 30 degrees, with very high humidity.

Rodgers made some mistake, not drinking during some refreshment. This is a big mistake from a top athlete, and can also explain because in the past he won Boston and NY when temperature was very low, and lost when was hot. I didn't know this problem before, as when I followed him in training he drank only a little, due to the cold.

So, I want to say exactly my thought about HM and marathon.

When an athlete is able to improve his personal best in HM, already good because he ran many HM in his life, and is a HM runner (before moving to marathon), this happens because he works too much for speed and not enough for long run at fast pace. Normally, this is a mistake. For example, if Paul Tergat, able runningin 59:17 some year ago, preparing marathon can run the world HM record, I think that his preparation id not complete for a full marathon, or that he is able to run in 2:02 if his preparation regarding long run is very good. But in any case he must be ble running a little under 1 hour for running his marathon very fast, not of sure in 61:00, that in this case can demonstate a lack of training regarding specific speed endurance.

In the case of Rodgers, he ran only one HM per year, and never reached his real potential. So, he was able to improve his PB not because of his training was with too much speed, but because BEFORE never ran at his top level.

The same I think happened for Lel and Cheruiyot. The problem of the "Italian Kenyans" (coached by myself or by Rosa, nothing changes) was the difference of weather, that for example runners in London didn't find. In Turin, the day before, Frederick Cherono (training last 4 weeks in Italy) ran very easy in 2:08:38, and really he was very much weaker than Rodgers, that in any case is not talented for running in hot conditions.

I don't think Cherigat trained anywhere hot/humid and he coped with the Bsoton weather.

May be, I don't know Cherigat and his training, also if he was in US for preparing during last two or more months. But one thing is very clear : there are marathon runners not able running in hot and humid weather, and other that can better stand that situation. For example, asian runners are very able to stand humidity, african normally not so good. I think that this fact is due to the different adaptation from the beginning of their life. Humidity is a normal situation for Asia (also Japan and Korea, also if they train in middle altitude), while dry weather is a normal situation for Africa (because the altitude). So, if in any case someone can also adapt to humid hot weather, how long has he to work in the same conditions for being sure about it ? Secondly, everybody meets big difficulties in changing so quickly conditions. In this case, the big change was during 3 days. Who came from Kenya had little difference in temperature (also if big difference in humidity), who came from Italy also big difference in humidity. Humidity is the worse factor against marathon, because provokes a big perspiration and a lack of salts. If you are able to increase the quantity of salts in your body before the race, you can also resist to this situation (and it happens when you train in humid weather), but if you don't provide before the race (like happened in Italy) you finish your tank of salts very early and in any case before the finish of the race.

But is clear that, in any case, if I (and Rosa) were not able to provide a correct solution for that situation, we made some mistake. Training is not only the program of workouts, but also the program of pre-integration regarding what you need during the race.

Actually Cherigat, had spent a considerable time of the past year reporting in to Mombasa for his official navy duties. Mombasa is the most humid area in Kenya.

Thank you sir!

Is the adaptation to humidity physical or mental? I was previously under the impression that humidity cannot really be adapted to physically. I suppose, it doesn't really matter if there is not a physcical adaptation so long as there is some adaptation worth acclimatising to.

Bad luck for Rop! Given his performnce at HM and his specialisation in full marathoin training how fast do you think he might have run on a good day?

any idiot knows it affects some runners worse than others. you can train and prepare for for months, and deal with it better as a result. but there will always be guys who are affected more, even when prepared.

WINNING SUCCESS PHILOSOPHY BY AN ANONYMOUS

?When I win i´m simply the best, i got talent, my coach he is the best, my training programme that´s the best indeed.

But when I loose for someone he beat me because I did a poor day, not because he is the best.

Later on it comes an excuse to justify my failure, but the day I beat them ther´s no excuse for them. The reason it´s my plan, my talent, my coach?

- an anonymous runner

PAUL TERGAT IDEAS

How did your preparation this time differ from you previous marathons?

Paul Tergat: (?) I decided to cut down on the number of my other competitions, which were maybe affecting my condition, and just concentrate on the big races, trying to be ready mentally, too. There was also a technical alteration. I used to embark on training for my weak point which was at 38 or 39 kilometers, and do a number of runs of 35 kilometers at the pace of normal competition [i.e. about 2:20 pace at altitude]. I increased that to 40 or 41 kilometers. Overall mileage was maybe a little more [as much as 260 km a week according to his coach], but the difference was longer runs.

What did you learn from you earlier marathons? For example, it was reported some time ago that you had trouble taking liquid during races.

Paul Tergat: Well, if I hadn't learned anything, this race would have been difficult. I think I'm starting to get things right now. It has taken me a while to get used to things like [drinking], but I worked at it. I'm no longer an amateur now in terms of these things. I'm more of an experienced professional.

(?)

Paul Tergat: All those earlier things contributed to what I am now in the marathon. They gave me a lot of confidence. And I think the marathon is a race of its own kind. There are a lot of guys running brilliantly at 10,000 and half-marathon, but very few running 2:06 in marathon. You take so much time to prepare for a marathon, and each time you reach a point that no one has really mastered. There is a kind of unexplored land between 38 and 42 km.

(?)

On how fast the marathon could be run: "I think there might one day be a 2:04:40 or 2:04:30 or even 2:04:20. I can't imagine it going any lower than that."

Thanks mr. CAnova.

Yes, as someone said, CHerigat works at Kenya's coastal town of Mombasa although we are not privy to his training in this town or lack thereof. However, i did read somewhere that he trained in Baringo at a place called Nyaru- the steep kerio valley. THis place isn't humid though.

I also had a question regarding Rutto and Korir. THe Kenyan team has Korir, WAinaina Eric (japan) and Sammy Korir. I would imagine that Rutto would be a better prospect of a medal to Wainaina although i know that wainaina has both bronze and silver from the past two olympics. What do you think?

Sorry, I meant Korir, Wainaina and Tergat.