It's been ten years since I wrote an article for Florida Running & Triathlon explaining my training techniques, racing strategies, and my opinions on maintaining an active lifestyle. A few additions had to be made, mainly since 2001. These experiences included planning my first house, becoming the wellness coordinator for Palm Beach Community College, and also adding another special friend to my life: my 4-year-old dog Raven. Priorities had to change since everything now revolves around others and less on my own training and free time. My time management skills have improved and I am still able to maintain a fairly successful racing career for 27 years so far.

Becoming a Master Runner

Last year when I turned 40, nothing felt any different mentally or physically. After all these years of racing, I find it fascinating to receive such attention just because of an age achievement. I now receive incentives such as time adjustments, money and other prizes. A friend and competitor of mine, Ronnie Holassie, best summed up my reaction to these age incentives. After running a race where I won double his prize money even though he ran a minute faster, he emphatically said to me that all those years of training and racing, I deserved it.

Injuries

The main constant that I've preached about and lived by in my personal fitness training business and wellness position is to always listen to the body and NOT the ego. Fortunately, the only running injury I ever sustained was running barefoot on the golf course where I lived. After training on it for three months straight, I developed Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. It took about 10 months of rehabilitation to recover.

Hydration

There are so many components to proper training if the goal of that training is to race well and lower the risk of injury. The body is always on the edge of injury, especially if the training goal is to compete in an endurance event like a marathon or an Ironman triathlon. Hydration before and during is crucial just to maintain normal brain functions. I keep water bottles in my office, a large container of Accelerade in my home, and my Camelback frozen for my long bike rides. I recently invested in an oversized cold pack I put around my dog during the hot months when we return from our daily walks. He also gets ice in his water dish as well. I carry a collapsible water dish for walks of 10 minutes or longer.

Training Goals

Goal setting is critical when designing an effective racing season in order to peak for the desired events. There should be short, intermediate, and long-term goals that are reasonable to attain without getting injured. Use races as a barometer of your fitness level in order to adjust your training. I totally agree with the physiologist and world-class coach, Jack Daniels, PhD., using the VDOT formula to predict performances. If you're not familiar with his research, you should read his book at the library or pick one up at the bookstore.

I also believe that people should analyze body mechanics of world-class athletes in their respective sport in order to use these techniques for their own level of training. Everyone should work on body mechanics. You don't have to be a world- class athlete to see the results of this evaluation, personal PRs should be the motivating factor as well as a life long approach to an activity. Even at the most basic level of training, body movements such as running economy, foot strike, arm carry, knee lift, and hip rotation should be addressed.

When all these components are optimally perfected, the economical result will be faster times at the races with less effort. There are so many other factors that also come into play like work, family, and medical factors. I even have had to deal with asthma my entire life, but obviously have coped well with it.

Basic Training Beliefs

Some other basic thoughts about training include shoe alternation, weight training, stretching, nutrition, sleep patterns, and route variances. Normally I keep at least three pairs of shoes on a normal rotation and now even write the mileage on paper and keep in each pair of shoes. Depending on the shoe's durability, I generally keep each pair of shoes between 300 and 500 miles. When I do find a shoe I totally like, I normally buy at least three or more pairs. Shoe companies constantly change or discontinue a style so I avoid the hassle of searching for something new by stocking up.

During the summer off-season, I believe in total body weight training at least twice per week. Once into season, I switch my focus to core and upper body training and avoid lower body training. I still maintain cycling once per week as a cross-training regimen unless I have a race.

Stretching the major muscle groups after each run I believe has been the main attributing factor for having such a long injury free training record. I'm sure genetics plays a role, but listening to my body and training accordingly I feel is critical. Nutritionally, I eat at least six times a day with more than five fruits a day. I also add a multivitamin for insurance each morning. It's nice when the body is able to maintain a steady state rather than spiking sugar levels and causing a drop in energy.

Another cause of energy loss many times is due to sleep deprivation. I attempt to get about 7 hours of sleep a night and a 20 minute power nap at some time during the afternoon if possible. Finally, by varying my cycling and running routes, I'm able to prevent boredom and maintain motivation during many, otherwise, dull routes. Even a simple change like training in the opposite direction helps maintain my sanity.

Psychology

Two of my main concerns I have for myself and others is overtraining and overracing. I mentioned this earlier: listen to your body, not your ego. It does not matter how many awards you collect or how often you can beat a certain person. During the racing season, October through April for me, I selectively choose races in order to peak for the desired events and train through the other events. I will go to a race to cheer people on and even help by volunteering occasionally, but will NOT race unless there is a reason. If I feel the urge is too great, then I just bring Raven along. I can't race if I have to watch my dog. My point about this is that if you choose to overtrain and overrace, then be prepared to be accountable for the results and accept the consequences.

Finish Line

One final thought: it's not a detriment to be over forty. I find it rather a comfort zone. I've spent almost three decades getting to this point and have "mastered" a ton of knowledge about my body and the reaction to a variety of training. Although I lost the desire to do track workouts a few years ago, I am gradually getting that drive back to improve my times again.

The only way to race fast is to train fast. It does become a challenge to learn when to run slow or take off totally to allow the body to recover. My recovery time from a hard, fast or long workout now takes about two to three days, whereas in my 20s and even early 30s, it was less than two days. Other than that, I really don't see any other negative change in reaching the master category. As long as my dog Raven can out- run me, I will have to continue to train fast and race.

Paul Marmaro lives in Delray Beach. He is single with an adopted 4-year-old dog, Raven. Paul was an All-American indoor/outdoor track runner six times and a member of LSU's 4x800 record team. Paul has run a total of 20 marathons. He has run all 12 Disney Marathons and was runner-up in 1997 (top 5 four times; top 10 seven times). Prior to becoming a Master runner, Paul's running records include: 800m-1:49.1; 1500m- 3:46.44; Mile-4:03.4; 5K-14:18; 10K-30:02; 15K-46:42; 13.1M- 1:07:56; 26.2M-2:24:58. Master PRs: 10K-33:28; 15&-50:46; 13.1M-1:14:46; 26.2M-2:41:07.