(Updated March 2024) It can happen to the best of us. We sign up for a marathon with good intentions and then life happens; the kids get sick, you get sick, or maybe you just procrastinated like a champion. Whatever happened, your training plan went out the window. Next thing you know, the marathon is a week or two away. What to do? This is an all too familiar scenario for running coach and fitness and nutrition expert Dr. Rick Kattouf II. Clients come to him in a panic about this, looking for a saviour. “I never want to send an athlete into a bear fight with a butter knife,” he says. “So I'm very honest with them; running a marathon significantly undertrained is going to dramatically increase the risk of injury and illness. If it was up to me, I would say let’s move on, go back to the drawing board. But if they are intent on doing it, I will back them.” With that proviso, we’re assuming you’re the type to walk into a bear fight with a butter knife. In that case, we play out a couple of scenarios where you might come out alive. When race day rolls around, there is one thing to keep in mind: respect. Scenario 1: one week before race day Let us imagine the marathon is seven days away and your training plan has gone up in flames. Should you even bother preparing now? “The general answer is, no, there is nothing we can do the week of the race that is going to make us a better marathon runner,” Kattouf says. “With that been said, we do need to tweak things.” Ordinarily, for those runners who bothered to train, the seven days before a race would be part of their tapering. In this scenario, that doesn’t make any sense. “We have an athlete now that hasn’t peaked so there is no reason to taper,” Kattouf explains. “Nor are we going to try to get them up to a 10 or 20 mile run this week. But what I would like to achieve before race day is a little feedback on that body. The body needs to feel the road.” Preparation advice: Imagine it’s Monday and race day is the coming Sunday. Kattouf advises to run about three kilometers, or two miles, a day for five straight days. Keep it light, don’t go hard. Make them easy jogs. “Otherwise, race day will be like a hammer to the head,” Kattouf says. Aside from the running, it’s also important to stay well hydrated during the week preceding the marathon. Get plenty of sleep and eat well. Kattouf advises no dieting this week. Scenario 2: two weeks before race day In this scenario, we imagine you have caught on a little earlier to the potential car wreck of a race that is hurtling towards you. You muster up your determination and try to swerve back on course. What is the best way forward from here? “They say, ‘don't shove a square peg through a round hole’, but sometimes we need to do exactly that” Kattouf says. “And now we're just going to shove it.” Preparation advice: Kattouf advises implementing a multi-day training block. It’s not about the distance or duration of one training run, but instead the focus is on the cumulative effect of the whole training block. Forget trying to smash out one 20 km run. Focus on incremental gain. On Monday and Tuesday of week one, do an easy run for an hour each day. Take Wednesday and Thursday off, and then repeat the hour-long runs on Friday and Saturday. For the seven days before the race, revert to the preparation advice in scenario one. All up, this builds in nine runs in 14 days. This strategy prioritises frequency over volume. Scenario 3: a month before race day Respect. You’ve caught on to the looming catastrophe early and have given yourself a fighting chance to come out the other end relatively unscathed. Let’s drill down. “A month can give us a good amount of time to prepare,” Kattouf says. “It’s time to initiate a four week training camp.” Preparation advice: Get ready to train. Coach Kattouf wants you to do it every single day. Yes, seven days a week. The good news is he’s not asking for big running volume. He wants a mix of training: running, strength training, stretching and foam rolling. “Seven days a week of exercise for four weeks is no joke,” Kattouf says. “The key is, if we work out that much we never blast ourselves in one session so that we need a whole day to recover.” Running, swimming, stationary bike, weight training, stretching or yoga – all could have their place over the four weeks. Running should, of course, be the primary focus. The main message is: keep moving, just don’t push yourself. Race day: respect When race day rolls around, there is one thing to keep in mind: respect. “The marathon is no joke, even for the very well trained,” Kattouf says. “The conditioned athletes 100 % respect it. That’s important.” One way to show respect is to focus on taking care of yourself properly, rather than being cocky and charging into it blindly. Race day advice: Wear a watch with a heart rate monitor, and focus on keeping your heart rate low. Achieve this by following a walk-jog rhythm right from the beginning. Start the race by walking. “Throw out time, throw out pace,” Kattouf says. “Keep one number on your watch: heart rate. Nothing else matters.” Keep your heart rate below zone one (50-60% of your maximum heart rate), or in zone one, and no higher than zone two (60-70% of max heart rate). If your heart rate creeps into zone three, immediately switch to walking. Make it your mission to enjoy the marathon. Forget competition or trying to chase a personal best. Fun is the name of the game for this race.

Many athletes and coaches head to the track for speed work; however, for triathletes and distance runners, there is a more important workout. I call this a pacing session. Pacing for distance runs and triathlons is one of the most critical components of successful racing, and yet most never spend a concerted effort “dialing it in”. Why is that? Well, with most athletes glued to their Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) devices, the majority use this feedback as the primary means to pacing their runs. While valuable, it is critical to “learn the body through the mind”, and use your personal biofeedback techniques to stay within an intensity level appropriate to the race distance, course, and conditions. By raising awareness of and learning your Perceived Exertion (PE), as well as your onset and sweat rates for various conditions and hydration levels, and how they alter within the eight training zones (but especially Sub-Lactate Threshold through VO2max), you can dial in you optimal sustainable pacing. Remember, especially when relying on HR as a performance indicator, that HR is affected by many things. Heart rate may be elevated by physical issues like inadequate recovery, hydration, caffeine, glycogen storage levels, psychological and emotional stress load. It can also be affected by outside elements like ambient temperature, humidity, wind, altitude, and terrain. When I am with an athlete at the track, I prefer that they not focus on their HR, and only refer to it at specific times. By having them focus on PE, they can learn to gauge pacing more reliably. This is an important skill to learn across the spectrum of conditions and intensities. Once learned, it makes sustainable pacing performance much easier to identify – whether you use a HRM or not. The pacing session I often do with my athletes at the track for the first time is listed below.   Track Session WARM-UP One mile, recording 400m times and overall mile time. Normally, I ask my athlete what they think their endurance pace is, and then instruct them to just relax and warm up for a mile at a comfortable endurance pace (not looking at their watch or HRM). Quite often, the athlete is shocked at how hard or fast they went, and soon discover that it was a pace not sustainable for an Ironman marathon for example. STRETCH SESSION Best case scenario is to stretch the hamstrings, calves, shoulders, quads, hips, quads, and glutes. However, if you are crunched for time, target the hips, hamstrings and calves. WORKOUT 400m repeats are my go to workout. Depending upon the athlete and time available, I’ll have them perform 6 to 10 repeats with approximately 2 minutes recovery between each. Whether we are searching for a sustainable Ironman marathon pace or a sprint triathlon LT pace, I’ll orient the intensity levels to zero in on what we’re trying to learn. Pacing is subsequently adjusted as applicable. Ideally, we will try to learn 2 to 3 pacing levels during the first session. As part of the initial briefing, and reminded throughout the session, I tell the athlete to really focus their attention to their PE and how they’re feeling during the various paces. As fatigue starts to surface in their form and technique (i.e. shoulders raise/tense, sitting back), it is addressed during the session, as well as during the workout recap and documentation for both coach and athlete. COOL-DOWN One mile and shoot for a particular pace. Then stretch, refuel, and rehydrate.   Lessons To Be Learned In my experience, these pacing sessions are invaluable to both the coach and athlete. Key information is obtained during both warm up and cool down, and not just during repeats. A coach is able to correct biomechanical inefficiencies and learn much about the athlete’s abilities (i.e. running, ability to suffer, ability to learn and replicate their PE and pacing), and subsequently prescribe a more focused training plan. The athlete always learns a lot about themselves in terms of current pacing, sustainable pacing, as well as running strengths and weaknesses. Followed by a thorough training recap and documentation, both can move successfully forward on improving performance, as well as re-visit reports from previous training periods. Within the training reports, I believe it’s important to not only provide biomechanical assessments and times, but also what those times translate into for a per mile (or per kilometer) pace as well as current and goal per mile pacing for a marathon, 5k, 10k,…etc. This information will make your subsequent training easier to translate your performance, recovery level, progress, as well as more relevant feedback to the coach. So head to the track, and rather than just running eight 400s hard and calling it a productive session, dial-in your pacing for various distances and you’ll optimize future performances.   This article by coach and former professional triathlete Todd Parker was originally published on trainingpeaks.com. You can learn more about coach Parker here. TrainingPeaks provides you in-depth analysis, planning tools and coaching services to help you reach your goal. Track your workouts with your Suunto watch. Afterwards analyze your heart rate, power, pace and other data with TrainingPeaks on web or in mobile and progress towards your goals.Lead image by Matt Trappe Photo / Suunto

A wrist-based GPS is a great tool for tracking time and distance while running. All you need to know is how to press start, stop and save. As a coach and runner, I’ve noticed that many of my fellow runners aren’t doing much else with the data from these smart devices. Here is a quick introduction to three metrics to use when chasing your next PR, planning balanced training loads and looking to improve your form and efficiency. Running Cadence Most GPS devices now have a way of monitoring cadence. Cadence is defined in steps per minute (spm) or revolutions per minute (rpm, counting one leg). Suunto uses revolutions per minute. Cadence allows a runner to know the speed of their leg turnover. While there are many different opinions on cadence, it is generally agreed that somewhere around 90 rpm (180 spm) is the sweet spot for running efficiency and economy. Cadence is calculated either from the device as your arm swings, from a foot pod, or a heart rate strap, where advanced monitoring is picking up the rise and fall that occurs when running. When looking at this data after a run, it is possible to see what happens to cadence in different situations such as climbing a hill, running fast, descending, or even over time as you start to tire. If your cadence is below 165 spm it is likely your running efficiency is affected. Work to improve cadence in small increments using drills and by inserting cadence sets into your runs with 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. Ideally you want to allow your new form to develop over time to prevent injury and allow for a neuromuscular connection so it becomes normal and habitual. Running Heart Rate Some of the latest wrist based running devices include heart rate measured on the wrist. The reliability of this seems to be slightly less than the chest strap which has been used for many years. Nonetheless, having heart rate collection of any sort is very useful to a runner who is training to become fitter and faster. Knowing individual lactate threshold heart rate, the point at which a body can no longer utilize all of the lactate it is producing, is essential. This can be discovered through simple field testing as a 30 minute test, in racing, or even lab testing. With these personal heart rate numbers in hand collecting heart rate data can add an objective and scientific explanation to rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and can also help illuminate what happened in a race or workout. If an athlete in a marathon looks back over a race file and sees a heart rate that is higher than normal at the beginning of the race, perhaps from effects of heat or improper pacing, they can start to understand the causes of a drop in pace later in the race. If going for a long endurance run, an athlete can set a heart rate cap and make sure they stay beneath it for the duration. This metric is very good for an athlete who gets hung up on pace during training. Heart rate is responsive to terrain, wind, heat, stress and fatigue. Running Pace and Auto Lap There are many options for monitoring pace during a run. I’ve observed a lot of runners who leave their watch settings with whatever it came with from the factory. Often this is average pace or current pace. Let’s give this some thought. When doing interval workouts, it is helpful to know the average pace of the lap and also the current pace if it is a shorter bout of work. This allows you to determine the exact pace needed. Perhaps a long endurance run is better served with overall pace. Using the auto lap feature generates a pace guide, although the runner may be going on rate of perceived exertion (RPE) or perhaps using a heart rate cap. Turning the auto lap feature OFF is a must for interval work in which data is collected in self-selected intervals and can be created by using the LAP button between intervals. I remind runners that current pace can be swayed by faulty satellite connections and not to panic if suddenly RPE and the data don’t jive. Remember, the device needs to collect data as you are moving forward, so for the most accuracy on an interval, pick up the pace for 4-6 steps before hitting the lap button. Cadence, heart rate and pace are three metrics that can dramatically change how you train and help you improve as a runner. Using them individually, or together, can help your pacing, efficiency, form, and economy, and will help you train and race more intelligently. This article by Carrie McCusker was originally published on trainingpeaks.com. McCusker specializes in athlete performance at all levels. You can learn more about her here. TrainingPeaks provides you in-depth analysis, planning tools and coaching services to help you reach your goal. Track your workouts with your Suunto watch. Afterwards analyze your heart rate, power, pace and other data with TrainingPeaks on web or in mobile and progress towards your goals.

After running and racing for almost 20 years, I believe I have made every possible mistake when it comes to training for a half or full marathon. Even though some of these mistakes seem obvious in hindsight, when you are training hard to achieve a big goal, sometimes you lose perspective and make questionable decisions. So, do as I say and not as I have done if you want to experience the best possible result on race day. 1. Avoid overtraining Choose a plan that works for you and stick to it. Social media has a lot of positive and motivating influences, but not when it comes to training for 13.1 or 26.2 miles. Don’t fall into the trap of seeing what another runner is doing for mileage and think you should be doing the same. Have faith in your plan and work it each week, the way it was laid out, so you can avoid injury. Making it to the start line is the first goal. Every runner is different and you will not know how much mileage is manageable for you until you start building toward your race distance goal. Listen to your body and know yourself well enough to realize when you’re doing too much. One runner can achieve a PR (personal record) in the marathon with an 18-mile-long run and 50 to 60-mile weeks while another can handle a 22-mile-long run and 70 to 90-mile weeks. Both options are very effective and work for that specific runner. Do some experimenting to figure out where your high mileage threshold is and then stick to it. Common signs of overtraining include exhaustion, losing control of your emotions, injury, slowed paces, and not being able to elevate your heart rate. If you experience any of these for more than three days, take up to three days off. You will be surprised how good you feel when you return to running well rested. 2. Test your clothing and running shoes If you have never before run the half or full marathon distance, it is important to know when to buy new shoes. Most guidelines report 400 to 500 miles as the threshold for wear and tear but some runners need to update more often. Be sure you have the correct pair of running shoes for your feet and form, preferably by having a gait analysis done, and then replace as necessary leading up to race day. Most specialty running stores offer complimentary running analysis and then can recommend the correct shoes for your body. What you wear above your feet can sometimes make or break your race. Marathoners, and some half marathoners, need to worry about chafing. Select an outfit that you will be able to wear on race day (checking the weather ahead of time) and wear it at least once on a long training run. You want to be sure it’s comfortable and, if there are any chafe points, you can generously apply glide prior to the race start. Once you select an outfit that works for you, make sure you wear it on race day or you may have a very uncomfortable shower afterward. 3. Make Your Easy Days Easy One of the hardest lessons I learned was making my easy days truly easy. Did you know that some elite runners run up to 80 percent of their training runs at an easy pace? It takes a lot of courage to run slow. Be confident enough in your training to run easy and slowly when your training plan calls for it. Your body and mind need the break from going hard and, when you run easy and allow for active recovery, you can run your hard and long runs much more efficiently, while increasing your training base. Gradually, those easy run paces will increase so you can run faster with less effort. 4. Proper pacing We have all been guilty of stepping to the start line and going out too fast, thinking we can somehow hold a pace we never have in our training. Grandiose dreams of unreachable PRs can cultivate in the early miles of a long race and turn into nightmares mid-race or sooner. You train at a certain race pace and tempo pace for a reason. You should know (and your body should know) exactly what pace you want to run on race day. It should be practiced in training and then executed on race day. Pace calculators can help you determine what is a realistic pace and time for you. 5. Nutrition and hydration Test out your hydration and fuel plan early and often in your racing preparation. Choose several long runs on your calendar and hydrate and eat the night before and during the run as you plan to on race day. The last thing you want is stomach issues or dehydration on your big day. If you practice your race day eating and drinking during your training runs, your body and mind will be used to ingesting the specific food, gels and drinks you give it. Once you find food and beverages that work for you, use them throughout your training and do not deviate from the plan on race day. You may be tempted at the expo or at the race itself to try something new, but remember the golden rule – nothing new on race day! A half or full marathon is a major commitment in your time and effort. Make sure you avoid these five mistakes to arrive at the start line ready to achieve your goals. This article by Allie Burdick was originally published on trainingpeaks.com. TrainingPeaks provides you in-depth analysis, planning tools and coaching services to help you reach your goal. Track your workouts with your Suunto watch. Afterwards analyze your heart rate, power, pace and other data with TrainingPeaks on web or in mobile and progress towards your goals. Lead image by @EdreamsMitjaMaratóBarcelona

Last weekend 50 athletes from the Suunto Multisport Team descended on the trails of St. George, Utah, to kick off the team’s inaugural 2019 season. The Suunto Multisport Camp spanned three days, offering an opportunity for professional and amateur triathletes and runners to meet, participate in workshops and familiarize themselves with team product during group runs, rides and swims. “The Suunto Multisport Camp served as the perfect venue for us to gather with teammates, team management, and sponsors to celebrate the start of what we hope will be an immensely successful 2019 season. While every member of this team is focused on performance and competition, this roster of athletes comprises a unique collection of elite and amateur athletes who all have compelling stories to tell,” says Caleb Whittle, head of brand marketing for Suunto in the Americas. One of those stories came from Brian Boyle. After surviving an automobile accident that pulverized his bones and organs, stripped him of over 60 percent of his blood, stopped his heart eight times and left him in a coma for two months, Boyle powered through years of rehabilitation and has now finished seven IRONMAN 70.3s, seventeen marathons and two 100-mile ultramarathons, all while advocating for the American Red Cross. “Getting to meet so many incredible athletes at the camp that share the same enthusiasm for the sport was amazing. It was very rewarding to learn about their backgrounds and experiences, train alongside them and to be able to learn from their training and racing recommendations. After returning from camp, I'm very motivated to go into my next race, represent the team and to follow my teammates throughout the year as they participate in their events,” Brian says. Watch the video below to get a taste of what it was like in St. George! Every member of the Suunto Multisport Team will be using the Suunto 9—our latest multisport GPS watch equipped with a 120-hour battery life, wrist-based heart rate and 80 sport modes. Additional sponsors who equipped the team included Enve Composites, Jaybird, Castelli, Blueseventy, BOCO Gear, Kanberra Sport, Petzl, Nuun, and Hyperice. Suunto Multisport Team Roster 2019 Barbara Peterson Brandi Swicegood Caroline Coble Chris Johnson Dave Orlowski Deanna Newman Derk de Korver DJ Snyder Eliot Scymanski Ellen Hart Elyse Gallegos Emily Rollins Felicity Joyce Jacqui Giuliano James Burke James Hotson Jeff Mutchie Josiah Middaugh Karsten Madsen Katie Schick Katie Thomas Morales Kelly Lambert Kelsey Withrow Kinsey Laine Lisa Roberts Matt Davidson Molly Smith Ralph Nurse Roger Thompson Ryan Giuliano Sam Long Samantha Mazer Samantha Snukis Sarah Barber Shannon Coates Susanne Davis Tim Hola Timothy Winslow Trista Francis Adam Olson Alex Borsuk Allan Spangler Beth Risdon Brian Boyle David Fuentes Denise Sauriol Jonnah Perkins Jordan Grande Justin Cogley Kelly Young Liz Canty Nora Bird Robert Steffens Ryan Montgomery Sawna Guadarrama Tara Warren

When we crunched the statistics from all the training around the world during Suunto World Vertical Week 2019, we felt our hard work had paid off. It had given you all the excuse to chase meters outside, whether on behalf of your nation, chosen sport or for your own challenge – exactly our intention. There’s something about the sight of a hill or mountain in front of us that calls us to push ourselves. The challenge of the ascent is just as satisfying as the view from the top. That’s why we do it! Well done to everyone who participated. Top countries This year, we first report a major upset. In the previous two years, Austria has come out on top as the nation that achieves the most vertical gain by average. Not this year – the Alpine nation has been knocked off its perch. This year, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia, all mountainous nations, climbed more than Austria. But more surprising, Portugal also came in ahead of Austria. In the last two years the Swiss have also come in near the top, but this year they have dropped to the eighth position. What’s happened in Austria and Switzerland? Someone tell us! Honorable mention This year, Spain deserves an honorable mention. Spain came first in three divisions: totals per country, mountaineering, and trekking. It was also in the top five for four different activities: mountaineering, trekking, mountain biking and cycling. All up, Spain features in six of the nine country-related lists below, the only country to do so. Well done Espana! Here are the results by nation While these numbers might not seem so mind-blowing, remember they are averages, and a high average is indicative of many big days out in the hills. Italy 385 m Slovakia 360 m Slovenia 346 m Portugal 342 m Austria 337 m Spain 308 m Switzerland 288 m France 283 m Canada 276 m Norway 261 m Totals per country This year we also decided to look at the totals per country. In these countries, World Vertical Week participants have been really active and gotten out there to climb, even only a little, to add on their country’s total number. These little efforts have added up. Spain 645.000 m France 546.000 m Italy 379.000 m United States 377.000 m China 250.000 m Austria 216.000 m United Kingdom 183.000 m Japan 150.000 m Norway 142.000 m Switzerland 140.000 m Average ascent by activity At least as interesting as the country numbers are the activity specific stats. From these, we can see that skiers clearly put in the biggest average days. Trail running and mountain biking are probably under-represented because it’s winter in the populous Northern Hemisphere. Like Vertical Week 2018, ski touring, mountaineering and trail running came out on top this year. The question is, which nations did the most of each? Ski touring 830 m Mountaineering 594 m Trail running 474 m Mountain biking 355 m Trekking 311 m Hiking 213 m Nordic skiing 199 m Cycling 193 m Running 100 m Activity by country Ski touring France 1127m Italy 1085m Austria 864m Switzerland 828m Germany 776m Two countries pass 1000 m of vertical gain by average! Mountaineering Spain 1071m UK 947m Poland 798m USA 716m Germany 651m Trail running Hong Kong 1176m Japan 901m Malaysia 813m China 765m Portugal 713m Asia dominating, showing the growing popularity of the sport in the region! Mountain biking Italy 476m Slovakia 474m UK 437m Spain 422m Austria 394m Cycling Colombia 499m South Africa 485m Israel 446m Spain 438m Italy 363m These nations have favorable weather for cycling in March! Nordic skiing France 379m Canada 321m USA 285m Norway 243m Austria 212m Trekking Spain 566m Italy 527m Malaysia 363m Italy 362m Poland 304m Individual top performances While we can’t give away too much information here, such as who and where, we can share some insight in the individual top performances over the week: To be on the pointy end of the rankings one had to climb more than 10000 meters over World Vertical Week. And to stand out with a single activity one had to climb 4000+ meters in one go! Thank you, everyone, for participating! Read three inspiring stories from the World Vertical Week!