Mar/Apr 2012 - Level Renner

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Q and A w/ Greg Hammett The (Semi)Elites the same page, doing the same workout, but often times everyone is doing their own thing. The camaraderie keeps us all motivated. We often get together for Sunday long runs too. We’re not only a training group; we’re also great friends. Q: You have tremendous range, having raced 50K to 800M within a couple months. Any secrets as to what allows you to race competitively over such a vast array of distances? A: I do year round speed workouts and year round long runs. I really think that helps a runner be versatile. It also helps you cut down on injury risk. I like to race a lot. In 2010 I raced over 50 times. I think by doing some race pace specific stuff for a couple weeks leading up to a goal race, you can be successful in many different events. For example, I’ll make sure to get some long 3 and 4 hour trail runs starting 8 weeks out from the Pisgah Trail 50K. Q: You do most of your runs on trails. Why do you choose t r a i l s o v e r roads? Photo by Ted Tyler A: I just happen to live right outside of the largest state park in New Hampshire, Pisgah Park. My parents live in Rhode Island, right near Burlingame State Park. I think having access to great trails right out your front door helps. I also just love being in the woods. Training on trails is a great way to cut down on injury risk as well. The softer ground and uneven surfaces are much more forgiving and mentally invigorating. Every run in the woods is an adventure. Q: As an ardent follower of your blog, I know that you are involved in other extracurricular activities besides running. Does your involvement in these sports—saying refereeing a game or lifting weights—assist or detract from you development as a runner? A: I think that lifting weights is helpful to my running. It keeps me well balanced and helps reduce the risk of Greg Hammett (on left) duking it out with HFC stalwart Lee Danforth at the finish of the Carver 5 Miler last July. Don’t tell Lee that Greg ran The Blessing of the Fleet the night before. And in the middle of their final sprint did these two harriers literally reduce that unidentified runner to his knees? Bloody likely. injuries. I also do yoga, which is great. I have a goal of being 90 years old and still being able to touch my toes. Refereeing basketball games cuts into my running, but I try to tell myself that it’s kind of like doing an easy run with strides and drills (I’m accelerating, backpedalling, and moving laterally all the time). My legs and body usually feel really good after a night of reffing. I’m also a P.E. teacher, so I’m constantly moving at work and doing activities like floor hockey, skipping, rock climbing, tag, and dodgeball. It might not directly help my running, but it does keep me well balanced. Q: You continue to challenge yourself by setting lofty yet attainable goals. How do you go about setting goals? And could you recount one goal you reached of which you are particularly proud? A: I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but my first goal every year is to remain healthy and avoid injury at all cost. I usually set my goals for the year on New Year’s Day. I look at my past running logs (I have every run I’ve ever done recorded) and set my goals from there. I do a lot of races but I usually pick 5 or 6 key races a year. The other races I do, will usually be there to help me get ready for my goal race. A good example of this was doing the Savoy 22 mile trail race and the Wapack trail race in preparation for the Pisgah 50K. I think I’m proud of any good race that I’ve had and by racing frequently I can forget the bad ones and quickly move on. Some of the best races are where you surprise yourself and run 20
Q and A w/ Greg Hammett The (Semi)Elites faster than you thought you could. A good example was at the end of 2010 when I ran a 4:20 mile at the first minimeet of the year. I really didn’t think I was in that kind of shape. I was just hoping to break 4:30. That was exciting. I’m also proud of just about any race I’ve won, because I think to win a race you have to mentally believe that you deserve it, that you are better prepared than anyone else in the r a c e . (You also have to be very fit.) It f e e l s great to r e a l l y d i g d o w n and be pushed by outstanding competition. I love that feeling. One of the last things he said to me was, “You are 100 times stronger than you think you are.” Q: A friend of yours tells me that you had a friend that succumbed to cancer several years ago and that this tragic event had a major impact on you. How has his death affected your (running) life? A: Elijah Barrett was an amazing person and runner. He really loved doing epic runs. I learned to be careful what you suggested around him. I remember saying, “Man, it’s a nice night, it would be a great night to run up Mt. Monadnock.” I was speaking hypothetically but he started packing up gear and before I knew it we were driving to Mt. Mondanock ready for a run. He was famous for running in blizzards and thunderstorms. I remember we once did a track workout at midnight. He just loved that kind of stuff. He would often let out a primal scream when he got to the top of a huge hill that we just ran up. He was also the strongest, most confident, and intelligent person I’ve ever met. It was a real shock when he got cancer; it made me realize that life is fragile and that none of us are invincible. He’s in- spired me to live life to the fullest and be appreciative of what I got. I also like to keep epic runs in my training even if it’s not the perfect training for an upcoming race. One of the last things he said to me was, “You are 100 times stronger than you think you are.” He said that when he was riddled with cancer. His physical strength was legendary when he was healthy, and his strength of spirit and mental fortitude when sick were nothing but amazing and inspiring. I have many runs where I think of him and smile. Griffin was Elijah’s dog and every run I do with her is a reminder of the friendship Elijah and I had. You can try to keep up with Greg Hammett during this season’s USATF-NE GPS. If you want to talk to him, however, you might have to wait for the cooldown. For a practical approach to your nutrition needs www.eatpractically.com Kathy Gorman, MS, RD, LDN Owner/Dietitian Kathy.GormanMSRD@gmail.com p. 617-750-4846 f. 617-608-4884 Quickies Do you ever wear a fuel belt/fanny pack? Yes, I use a fuel belt, hand held water bottle, or a camel back for really long training runs but I usually will go 2 hrs without anything. I’ve done a few long trail races with a hand held bottle. It’s nice because you can refill it quickly at aid stations and then carry only enough fluids to get you to the next aid station, saving weight. Do you use a GPS watch? No, I hate GPS watches!! I tested one once for an article in Runner’s World. I’ll stick with my Timex Ironman. (Editor’s Note: You can read that article at http:// www.runnersworld.com/cda/microsite/ article/0,8029,s6-240-321--13216-5- 1X2X3X4X5X6X7X8-9,00.html) Do you eat fast food? Yes, sometimes nothing tastes better than a greasy burger and fries after a long hard run. Do you use gels during a race? Yes, if a race is over an hour and a half I’ll carry gels. Do you ice post run? No, but I do dip my legs in icy streams sometimes for recovery. Only in the summer though I’m not very tough! Hours of sleep per night? I get 9 hours of sleep just about every night. I go to bed early and wake up at around 5 am, even on weekends. Number of miles per week? 60-95. I do higher mileage in the summer, and consistently in the 60-70’s the rest of the year. Every year I’ve done a little bit more, and I hope to run more miles this year too. Running shoe of choice? I like the Scott T2 for roads and I’m still searching for the perfect trail shoe, I like Inov-8’s for racing trails. Favorite athlete? I like Meb, Pre, and Kevin Garnett. Favorite running blog? South County Trails and Miles of Muddy 21
Page 1: Under this Ground… New Balance Gr
Page 4 and 5: Editor’s Note Let’s start with
Page 6 and 7: Lane 2: Nutrition A Healthy Dish on
Page 8 and 9: Featured Race Gansett Marathon nice
Page 11 and 12: A Day in the Life of Robert Ciprian
Page 13 and 14: Blake Russell The Elites in the hea
Page 15 and 16: Side by Side Reno Stirrat Photo by
Page 17 and 18: The Dossier Files: Becky Hutchinson
Page 19: Greg Hammett at the 2010 Bay State
Page 23 and 24: Lane 3: Commentary Get the Most for
Page 25 and 26: Lane 3: Commentary Deconditioning b
Page 27 and 28: Lane 3 Commentary Olympic Trials De
Page 29 and 30: New Balance Grand Prix New Balance
Page 31 and 32: New Balance Grand Prix they pushed
Page 33 and 34: Continued from page 25 therapy (PT)
Page 35: Rat Re-Issues 1998 Stu’s 30K woul

Mar/Apr 2012 - Level Renner

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