Matt McDonald ran a PR 2:11:10 to place 14th at last October鈥檚 Chicago marathon, making him the听ninth-fastest man听heading into the Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta on February 29. A Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering at Georgia Tech University, McDonald trains with the Atlanta Track Club. He shared details of his training with us from January 26 to February 1, 5 weeks out from the Trials.

There are only five weeks to go until the Olympic Trials Marathon in my adopted hometown of Atlanta. Last weekend (January 19) I raced a half marathon at Rock n鈥� Roll Arizona and ran a big PR (even adjusted for the ) and that has me psyched for a big week of training. My coaches, and Andrew Begley, want to try bumping up my weekly mileage to a new lifetime high of 135 miles per week, 15 more than I鈥檝e ever done before.

While I live in and go to school in Atlanta, this month we are in Albuquerque NM to train at altitude and escape the rainy Atlanta winter. The most difficult aspect of coming to Albuquerque is taking six weeks away from my PhD work; I have a few more months until earning my PhD in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech. Fortunately my advisors (I鈥檝e been lucky enough to have three advisors while most grad students only have one) are supportive of me pursuing my running ambitions, but I still have to work remotely or risk falling too far behind. However, such a high mileage week will leave me with very little appetite for schoolwork. (Dr. Bommarius if you鈥檙e reading this, I鈥檒l make up for it in March.)

has rented a house for us in the Albuquerque foothills, where I鈥檓 living with my marathon teammates Wilkerson Given, Bridget Belyeu, and Maegan Krifchin. The four of us cook meals together, work on a puzzle that鈥檚 taken over our coffee table, struggle to share the one car, and can鈥檛 get enough of Love Island (UK) season 3. While I have been blessed with feeling good/no injuries (knock on wood) my teammates sometimes need physical therapy or cross training all over town, meaning the car is usually gone. So unless we鈥檙e working out, my runs usually start from the house.

My coaches start the week on Sunday, and, while I prefer to start on Monday, I鈥檓 going to start this log on Sunday to humor them.

Sunday, January 26:

AM: 12 miles; PM: Gym session

This is my lowest mileage day of the week, and coach is sure to remind me of that. Yesterday was a 24 mile long run with considerable marathon-paced work, so today is meant for recovery. Unfortunately I have this obsession-compulsion (I wouldn鈥檛 go so far as to call it a disorder, but my teammates think it鈥檚 weird) to average at least 6:30 pace鈥攕o, recovery be damned, I went out and back on Tramway for 12 miles a bit faster than coach probably would have suggested.

Tramway is the main road in the foothills, it鈥檚 got a paved bike path alongside it, and rolling hills. It鈥檚 predominately uphill on the way out, and I do almost all my morning runs on it. After turning around the last six miles hover around 6:00.

In the afternoon we head to the gym. I use the phrase 鈥済ym session鈥� liberally: All I really do is 45 minutes of core exercises that I probably could have done at home, but I find it so much easier to exercise with a bunch of strangers watching you.

Since this is our only day without an afternoon run, we decide to take advantage and take the Sandia Tram (Tramway鈥檚 namesake) to the top of Sandia peak for a short hike and appetizers at the mountain top restaurant Ten 3.

Monday, January 27:

听AM: 14 miles, PM: 6 miles

Mondays are always the most stressful day of the week for me because I have several meetings at school (plus on this particular Monday I woke up to a bunch of urgent emails). I still have to attend those meetings while in Albuquerque, but with the added challenge that we are two hours behind Atlanta and my 9 am meeting is now at 7 am.

So today I wake up early to prepare for the meeting, Skype into Georgia Tech from 7 to 9 am, get dressed to run, do 14 on Tramway at a decent clip (6:15 average), and when I get back, immediately return to Skype for a 11 to 12 meeting.

After working for the rest of the afternoon (at my own pace, no more meetings) it is time for an easy double. The 6:30 average rule doesn鈥檛 apply here, mostly because my go-to six-mile loop is incredibly hilly. Instead I climb into the foothills and enjoy the New Mexico sunset at a comfortable 7 minute pace.

Tuesday, January 28:

听AM: 12 miles, PM: 6 miles

The day before a workout I usually try and take it easier, but this morning I fight a strong headwind the entire way out on Tramway, which leads to 6 miles at 5:45 on the way back, getting blown by the tailwind; faster than I would have liked, but I try not to fret about feeling good. On days like today when I don鈥檛 have early morning meetings I like to make some pancakes and enjoy a cup of coffee for an hour or two before running, so the fast times may have come from good fuel.

After the run I spend some time in our pants and rolling on our contoured foam roller. The contours let me get deeper into my hamstrings, which have a nasty habit of tightening up on me. I also try and get some time out in the sun: Atlanta is so rainy this time of year I feel the need to soak up all the Albuquerque rays I can. But for the most part, the afternoon consists of schoolwork.

Later, another 6 mile double in the foothills, exactly the same as the day before.

Wednesday, January 29:

AM: 10 x 1 mile at marathon pace, PM: 6 miles (21 miles total on the day)

In the thick of our marathon buildup, we usually do two hard workouts a week: A long-ish interval session on Wednesday and a long continuous effort on Saturday. Today we have 10 by 1 mile at half marathon pace with two minutes jog recovery between each.

Instead of Tramway we drive to the river to avoid running through intersections, and we get into a good rhythm.听The workout goes well, except taking bottles at altitude (to practice for the race) is no joke and I spill all over myself. The goal was 4:50, but with the wind in our face for miles 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, and at out back for 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, we drift around a bit, hitting splits of: 4:52, 4:48, 4:48, 4:56, 4:54, 4:45, 4:46, 4:54, 4:54, 4:45.听With warmup and cool down it鈥檚 a 15 mile morning.

After the workout we head back to the house for lunch, which again consists of leftovers. Today鈥檚 afternoon 6 mile double starts from the gym for a much flatter鈥攂ut less scenic鈥攔un. Afterwards, another core workout to round out a hard day鈥檚 work.

Thursday, January 30:

AM: 12 miles, PM: 6 miles

The morning session is another 12 miles out and back on Tramway. The splits are more even than usual because Mizuno, Atlanta Track Club鈥檚 sponsor, is filming some B-roll for a video series on the upcoming trials, and the camera provides a little extra motivation to not start with a 7:30 mile. We average 6:20 for the morning.

The afternoon is filled with more filming with Mizuno; interviews, candidly doing work or laying in the sun, drills, core, etc. For the evening double a video drone captures some awesome footage of Maegan and I running through the foothills.

Friday, January 31:

AM: 12 miles, PM: 6 miles

More of the same, except today I break the 6:30 rule (obsession or not, it鈥檚 more a guideline than an actual rule) in anticipation of tomorrow鈥檚 workout. 12 miles on Tramway at 6:40 average isn鈥檛 too shabby though! It鈥檚 Friday so I slack off on the schoolwork a little and focus on using the Air Relax pants, foam rolling, taking a nap, eating well, and catching up on Love Island.

The afternoon run is another 6 miles in the foothills. The elevation change through the foothills is grueling, but the views and sunset make it worthwhile. 7 minute average once again.

Saturday, February 1:

AM: 20 miles, PM 5 mile tempo (28 miles total on the day)

This is the big effort for the week! We go down to the river for our morning long run. The point here is to tire the legs with 20 miles on pavement and get used to the monotony of the marathon.

During the first 12 miles we take three bottles, again to practice for the trials. But in the second half of the run, no bottles鈥攖o try and get into the fat burning regime. Wilkerson and I average 5:55 for 20 miles, not exactly evenly split, but a good progression from 6:15 to 5:40.

We head back to the house to refuel, emphasizing hydration so that my legs remain loose for the tempo. The Rollga and Air Relax pants help keep things from stiffening up like they usually do after 20 miles.

Before the afternoon session I try and replicate my morning routine, but now at 2 pm. Pancakes, coffee, relaxing, stretching, rolling, and listening to a little music to get pumped up and not fall asleep.

The tempo is on Tramway to get some hills and turns, like we鈥檒l have on the Trials course in Atlanta. We start the warmup at 4 pm, do 2 miles warm up, a few drills, and then go right into the tempo. The goal is marathon pace, but half marathon pace is coming easy, so I go with it.

At only 5 miles the point isn鈥檛 so much the cardio benefit of a tempo as it is to force myself to run fast on tired legs. We also practice with another bottle to get used to having a sloshing stomach and drinking while running fast. We average 4:47 and only narrowly avoid two cars turning right while only looking left! A mile cool down brings the day鈥檚 total to 28 miles.

To celebrate the end of a big week we go out for Mexican food. I had a chicken chimichanga, chips and queso, and a couple sopapillas; food-wise it was my cheat day.

Total For the Week: 135 Miles

The post Olympic Trials Training, 5 Weeks Out: Matt McDonald鈥檚 Log appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Fog shrouds Easdale Island, a windswept 62-acre chunk of slate, grass, and shrubs just off Scotland鈥檚 west coast, as rain intensifies on the roof of the Puffer Bar and Restaurant. Four of Easdale鈥檚 60 residents guffaw over dominoes in the cramped dining area, and a fifth pours English-style IPAs behind the bar. Easdale is the smallest permanently inhabited island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago of Scotland, but its population is about to swell. The coming hordes descend not for whisky tours, mountain biking, or Highland games. They come for stone skimming.

Every fall for 20 years, Easdale has hosted the . Originally dreamed up in a bar as a wee bit of fun, the event now draws 350 skimmers and a couple hundred more spectators. Proceeds keep the island鈥檚 community hall, harbor, and museum running. Most competitors hail from Scotland, but others travel from Wales, Britain, the Netherlands, the United States鈥攅ven Hong Kong and India.

This September, I decided to join them. At the pub, I hand an IPA to Hans Eshuies, a Holland-based landscape architect who鈥檚 become a regular at the competition. In May, he participated with other elite skimmers in a Wales competition to determine an official stone-skip distance record for the Guinness Book of World Records. Englishman Paul Crabtree, a former stone-skimming champion, enters the bar. 鈥淢aybe Dougie鈥檚 car broke down,鈥� he says.

Dougie Isaacs, a delivery driver from central Scotland, is the perennial champion. He鈥檚 won this event seven out of the past 12 years and set the official world record for longest stone skip鈥�351 feet鈥攁t the Guinness book toss-off. Eshuies describes Isaacs as a mystery man who arrives quietly and makes stones whoosh audibly when he throws them. He arrives quietly at sunset in a worn commando jacket, bantering with the ferry operators, and keeps a low profile. Year after year, Isaacs awes spectators and other skimmers. But everyone wants to see him challenged.

Those who are passionate about the World Stone Skimming Championships take it very seriously. Back home in Holland, Eshuies molds his own skimming stones out of white concrete and practices with them, though only hand-picked natural Easdale slate can be thrown in the event. Welshman Ron Long, the 2012 winner, also produces artificial stones, which he feels level the playing field in competitions by removing variables like rock shape and weight. He sees big鈥攅ven Olympic-sized鈥攑ossibilities for the sport.

鈥淚n the Olympics, they can get horses to do God knows what,鈥� he says. 鈥淪tone skimming could be developed worldwide. Every man and his dog skims stones.鈥�

He鈥檚 right. Practically every kid who has been near a rocky shoreline has scoured the beach for a smooth, flat rock and attempted to skip it. Easdale, once central to Scotland鈥檚 slate industry, offers the perfect setting for doing so. The beaches hold seemingly infinite pieces of smooth slate. Cliffs line the quarry where the event takes place, shielding the water and creating an all-natural stadium effect.

Contestants get three throws, each measured for distance, provided they go a minimum of three skips. The longest toss counts. Throws of 207 feet hit the cliff wall on the opposite side of the quarry in dramatic fashion and earn a burst of cheers from the crowd. Event organizer and Easdale resident Donald Melville, known as Melon, records the distances of more than 1,000 throws over four hours, announcing each skimmer鈥檚 name with a gusto-filled brogue.

Though a crop of the sport鈥檚 devotees have organized around clubs鈥攖here鈥檚 a and a handful of other stone-skimming competitions in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands鈥攂ut Easdale鈥檚 event claims to be the world championship. Ask Melon why, and he flashes a wry smile. 鈥淏ecause we said it is.鈥�

Rare sun glistens on the quarry waters for the 2016 competition. Stiff wind ruffles the water all day, making for difficult skimming conditions. No one hits the back wall, but a couple come relatively close. Crabtree stares down his 164-foot toss with his hands on his hips, and Eshuies reaches 187 feet to move into second place. Then Melon announces Isaacs. Onlookers brandish their cameras and whisper giddily. The champ removes his commando jacket. Three fluid, powerful motions and three dead-straight throws. None hit the back wall, but everyone knows the longest, 200 feet, will hold up.

鈥淟ooking forward to seeing you all next year,鈥� Isaacs says at the awards ceremony after collecting his prize: Oban single malt whisky. Crabtree and Eshuies congratulate him, and Melon offers a heartfelt sendoff. Exhausted volunteers hug each other as the rain returns. Something feels right about a Scot winning the title yet again. Then the mini ferry departs the mini island, leaving residents to toast another successful year over pints in the Puffer.

Stone Skimming 101

Want to impress friends during your next lakeside camping trip? Whether you count skips or estimate distance, you want to balance power with technique鈥攁nd, perhaps most crucially, pick the right stones.

1. Find flat, smooth rocks roughly three inches in diameter. While some folks prefer perfect circles, finding a rock with a notch or corner for your pointer finger will help you achieve maximum spin, which will keep your stone skipping.
2. When you throw the stone, remember that it will tend to tip in flight. Release it low enough to keep it flat. Compensate for wind speed and direction.
3. Use enough power to make the stone spin but not enough to compromise your technique.

While Isaacs whips stones with the easy power of a shortstop, Eshuies pictures the stone鈥檚 contact with the water. 鈥淚t has to not hit the water鈥攊t has to kiss the water,鈥� he says. Crabtree takes an everyman approach: 鈥淚鈥檓 always reminded that you can do it all right, and still it won鈥檛 always be good.鈥�

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