UKA/London Marathon Altitude Programme Annual Report 2010/11. Prepared by: Spencer Barden and Ian Stewart

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1 UKA/London Marathon Altitude Programme Annual Report 2010/11 Prepared by: Spencer Barden and Ian Stewart

2 CONTENTS 1. Introduction 3 2. UKA/LM Altitude Model and Venues World Leading Sport Science and Support 6 4. Font Romeu, France Spring and Pre Barcelona Camp 7 5. Iten, Kenya Winter Camp 2010/ Case Study The Marathon Conclusion Appendices 12-23

3 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 3 1. INTrOdUCTION Altitude training - in the modern era is used by the majority of the world s best endurance athletes from 800m to Marathon. UK endurance athlete and coach pairings need to be exposed to the benefits of training at altitude if they are to challenge the best in the world, and this is especially true in the long endurance events. Group training at altitude is a philosophy that is a key element of the UKA Endurance Strategy. Over the past twelve months UKA and London Marathon have worked in partnership to deliver an extensive endurance altitude programme. London Marathon s investment has enabled UKA to create, for the first time ever, a centrally coordinated and supported approach to altitude training for athletes and coaches in Font Romeu, France and Iten, Kenya. The opportunity for athletes to train at altitude is promoted widely through a UKA/LM advertisement, the UKA website, England Athletics and through direct contact with athletes and coaches. The advert invites athletes and coaches to apply for a place on each of the camps. Athlete selection for each of the altitude camps involves UKA endurance staff Ian Stewart, Spencer Barden, George Gandy and John Nuttall; Mick Woods and Craig Winrow at St.Mary s College have also been part of the identification and selection process, with approval from Dave Bedford at London Marathon on all selected athletes. The UKA/London Marathon altitude programme delivers access to altitude training for UK athletes and coaches in a managed, supported, and sustainable environment rather than resourcing athletes to fund their own camps. This is to ensure the following benefits: a) It is essential that athletes and coaches using altitude for the first time are correctly educated and prepared to ensure they maximise the benefits and avoid the potential pitfalls. b) A centrally coordinated programme enables UKA to provide appropriate and expert support personnel pre, during and post camp; c) The UKA endurance team firmly believe that group training offers greater benefit than individual training; d) It is important to ensure that coaches as well as athletes benefit from the provision. UKA National Event Coach George Gandy is a big believer in the benefits athletes gain from training and preparing at altitude: In my opinion the UKA and London Marathon altitude programme is the most significant advance I have seen in UK endurance running for thirty years, he said.

4 2. UKA/LM ALTITUdE MOdEL ANd venues The UKA/LM altitude programme was almost twelve months in the planning, throughout which period a number of potential group training altitude venues were explored. Altitude training bases were initially considered through dialogue with a number of the leading UK athletes and coaches who regularly train at altitude, in addition to overseas athletes and coaches from the endurance world. Options were subsequently discussed with Exercise Physiologists Dr Barry Fudge and Professor Andy Jones, both of whom have a huge amount of experience in working with athletes at altitude.

5 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 5 Mo Farah has been a regular at the UKA/ London Marathon altitude camps in Font Romeu and Iten Training at altitude is so important to me as an athlete you have to train like the best in the world if you want to beat them. Mo Farah Fudge s PhD focused on the environmental factors leading to the success of elite east African runners. During that time he worked with elite runners in Kenya and Ethiopia, a number of whom are World Record holders and/or World and Olympic medallists (e.g. Keninisa Bekele, Eluid Kipchoge, Felix Limo, Brimin Kipruto, Geleta Burka, Sileshi Sihine and others). Jones has been working with and advising Paula Radcliffe on her altitude strategy for the past 15 years, including conducting regular lab tests in Loughborough. More recently, he has been advising and working with Mara Yamauchi on her altitude strategy. The two altitude venues chosen by UKA and LM were Font Romeu, France and Iten, Kenya. Both are established altitude venues at 1800m (6000ft) and 2385m (8000ft) respectively. Key to the venue selection process was giving consideration to the preferred time of year to take large groups of UK athletes and coaches to altitude. These were identified as being two periods of four to five weeks; spring (April/May) and autumn/ winter (Oct/Nov). In addition to the core large group altitude camps, a rotational model of exposure to altitude with smaller groups is also integral to the altitude programme. This involves approximately three to six week blocks at high altitude and four to six week blocks at sea level, periodising the exposure to altitude to best prepare athletes and support the key domestic and international track, cross country and road events, including annual major Championships. The periodisation altitude model prolongs the time athletes spend at altitude so that the potential benefits can be maximised over a twelve month period. This is a model favoured by British athletes including Mo Farah, Chris Thompson and Paula Radcliffe. There s no doubt that training at altitude in Kenya and Font Romeu has made me a better athlete, says Farah. The support of UKA and London Marathon means I ve had the opportunity to increase the amount of time I ve spent in these locations, but also to increase the benefits due to the rigorous scientific support and planning. You have to train like the best in the world if you want to beat them. I ve no doubt that it contributed to my major successes in 2010, helping me to win double gold in Barcelona.

6 6 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 3. WOrLd LEAdING SpOrT SCIENCE ANd SUppOrT 30 Professor Andy Jones and Dr Barry Fudge are an essential part of the UKA/LM altitude programme team, educating and advising athletes and coaches. All athletes and coaches involved in the UKA/LM altitude training camp follow the physiological monitoring protocol set up for altitude training, which ensures athletes are best prepared prior to going to altitude, adapt to the altitude once at the venue and are reviewed when returning to sea level. The protocol set up by Jones and Fudge involves pre and post altitude laboratory/field work, and adaptation monitoring whilst at altitude. A key element within this process is blood profiling, which ensures all athletes have sufficient iron levels prior to going to altitude. As well as being part of the education process in exposing athletes and coaches to altitude training, the exercise physiologists will be able to provide specific feedback to the athletes and coaches to ensure they are maximising their time at altitude and are benefiting from the potential gains associated with responding well to altitude conditions. PB s Progression of race times 1.6 Data produced by Dr Barry Fudge highlights some of the progressions made in performances made by UK athletes who have been training at altitude: At the group level, there were 43 personal best performances (800m to 10,000m event groups) completed by the athletes that attended the Font-Romeu camp for four weeks prior to the 2010 track season. After normalising the data (i.e. discounting athletes who did not have three years competition data and/or athletes who completed their previous personal best performances indoors) there were 24 personal best performances from 14 athletes in the 2010 track season compared to just 15 in 2009 and 16 in 2008 (800m to 10,000m event groups). Given that these athletes were highly trained, it may be expected that the rate of progression would be similar or gradually smaller for each subsequent year. In the present group the rate of progression in performance was 0.8%, 0.9% and 1.4% in 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively (see figure 1). Therefore this data suggests that a four week training period at altitude may be beneficial for subsequent endurance running performance, equating to about 0.5% improvement in progression of race times compared to sea level training. Number of PB s * Progression of race times from previous year (%) Figure 1 *Statistically significant

7 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 7 4. FONT romeu, FrANCE - SprING CAMp 2010 Nestled in the French Pyrenees, 1800m (6000ft) above sea level, Font Romeu has been a popular base in Europe for many of the world s best endurance athletes in recent years, including Paula Radcliffe who has a permanent base there. In the spring of 2010 (mid April to mid May) UKA, with support from London Marathon, held its main altitude camp for 3-4 weeks in Font Romeu. The group consisted of World Class Programme, Futures, Aviva GB&NI Team athletes and a number of developing athletes linked to the National Performance Centre at Loughborough and Regional Centres, such as Birmingham and St.Mary s. The Font Romeu camp catered for 28 athletes and various support staff, of which details are listed here. Spring 2010: 28 x Athletes (i.e. Mo Farah, Lisa Dobriskey and Laura Kenney) 1 x Camp manager 2 x Personal coaches 3 x UKA Coaches (George Gandy, John Nuttall and Alasdair donaldson) 3 x Physiotherapists 2 x Exercise Physiologists 1 x Doctor 1 x Strength and Conditioning coach Note: not all support staff are there for a four week period, the staffing support is split across the camp preparation CAMp pre ThE EUrOpEAN ChAMpS A group of endurance athletes used Font Romeu to prepare for the European Championships. The group consisted of Mo Farah, Chris Thompson, Jemma Simpson, Lee Merrien, Michelle Ross Cope, Helen Decker, Jo Jackson, Martin Williams and Ben Moreau. From that group, Farah won double gold in the 5000m and 10000m, Thompson took 10000m silver, Merrien finished eighth and first GB & NI team member in the marathon, Ross-Cope and Decker won team bronze in the marathon and Jo Jackson finished 10th in the 20k walk; she went on to win Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi in October. The preparation camp was a huge success and a similar preparation camp will be in operation prior to the World Championships in Daegu and the London 2012 Olympics. The preparation camp costs prior to Barcelona were funded from the Championship budget and the Marathon team European Team Cup budget. Chris Thompson who prepared for the European Championships in Font Romeu, said: The altitude camps have helped to me to focus solely on my running and put the edge on my fitness. I have found that my aerobic capacity has improved immensely through the camps being at altitude and this without doubt played a huge part in me gaining my silver medal in the European Championships this summer. My blood profiling has increased in ways impossible to recreate at sea level, and given me great confidence.

8 8 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 5. ITEN, KENyA AUTUMN/WINTEr 2010/11 Located at 2385m (8000ft) above sea level in the escarpment of the Rift Valley, the majority of the Kenyan athletes are born within a 50-mile radius of the town, whilst estimates put about 800 plus elite athletes from around the world training in Iten. The main autumn/winter camp operated in Kenya for 4-6 weeks through October-November The group consisted of World Class Programme, Futures, GB&NI Team athletes and a number of developing athletes linked to the National Performance Centre at Loughborough and Regional Centres, such as Birmingham and St.Mary s and other talented athletes around the UK. Autumn/Winter 2010: 26 x Athletes (i.e. Mo Farah, Marilyn Okoro, helen Clitheroe, Charlene Thomas, Kate Avery, James Brewer, Andrew Osagie, and Colin McCourt) 1 x Camp manager 5 x Personal coaches 3 x UKA Coaches (George Gandy, John Nuttall and Alasdair donaldson) 3 x Physiotherapists 2 x Exercise Physiologists 1 x Doctor 1 x Soft Tissue Therapist Note: not all support staff are there for a four week period, the staffing support is split across the camp. Winter (Jan April) 2011: Continuing on from a successful altitude camp pre Christmas in Iten, there was considerable interest in the January camp, much more than initially anticipated. This was in part due to the positive feedback and key performance indicators shown by athletes who had previously attended the camps and our ability to fund more places with London Marathon funding. Details are below of the Jan April camp, detailing the breakdown of camp personnel and some of the key athletes. 24 x Athletes (i.e. Hannah England, Marilyn Okoro, Lee Merrien, Charlene Thomas, helen Clitheroe, James Brewer, Andrew Osagie, Ben Whitby, Andy Baddeley and Colin McCourt) 1 x Camp manager 6 x Personal coaches 2 x UKA Coaches (George Gandy, John Nuttall) 3 x Physiotherapists 1 x Exercise Physiologists 1 x Soft Tissue Therapist Helen Clitheroe in particular returned to the UK in outstanding form and almost immediately reduced her 3000m best to 8:39.81 to go sub- 8:40 for the first time. She went to the European Indoor Championships ranked number one on the continent and didn t disappoint, racing to gold and her first ever major Championship medal. A number of athletes on the camp sent s containing positive feedback (see appendices).

9 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 9 6. CASE STUdy: helen CLIThErOE, IMpACT OF ALTITUdE TrAINING ON her physiological profile. Some of the physiological factors that are known to be related to endurance running performance include: maximal O2 uptake (VO2max), running economy, and the fractional utilisation of the VO2max (which is itself related to markers of blood lactate accumulation during exercise, including the lactate threshold (LT) and lactate turn-point (LTP). Physiological laboratory testing measures these factors and repeated testing provides information on progression of these key markers as well assessment of recent training prescription (including the impact of training practices such as altitude training). This brief case study of Helen Clitheroe is to provide a specific example of the impact altitude training can have on the physiology of an athlete with particular reference to racing performance. Altitude training From a physiological perspective the main benefit of altitude training is to increase the number of red blood cells (haemoglobin mass). Red blood cells are the vehicle by which oxygen is delivered round the body to the working muscles; in general terms the more red blood cells the greater the aerobic work capacity. For example an increase in haemoglobin concentration of 0.3 g/ dl will theoretically result in a 1% improvement in VO2max. There are also other physiological benefits from living and/or exercising in a low oxygen environment. For example altitude training can generally enhance many other key aerobic elements such as increased capillary number and length, increased number of mitochondria, improved blood lactate removal and improved muscle buffer capacity to name a few. physiology of helen Clitheroe Helen has had physiological testing completed for a number of years that consists of a warm up of 10 min followed by a multi-stage incremental treadmill protocol, typically involving 5-7 exercise stages, each of 3 min duration. The test is designed to monitor progression in key variables (see above) and also to generate Blood (La) (mm) Table 1: Key physiological markers over a series of tests. accurate training zones by measuring blood lactate concentration, heart rate and oxygen uptake throughout the test. Shifting the LT and/or LTP to a higher speed is an important goal of endurance training. The lactate concentration at any speed should be lower (downward shift in the lactate curve) and the LT and LTP should occur at higher speeds (rightward shift in the lactate curve) with endurance training. In addition, HR should be lower for a given speed (downward shift in HR curve). Figure 2 and Table 1 detail (La)-Mar 11 (La)-Dec 10 (La)-Jan 08 (La)-Mar 07 HR-Mar 11 HR-Dec 10 HR-Jan 08 HR-Mar Speed (km/h) Figure 2: Aerobic profile over a series of tests. Test: date: Mar-11 dec-10 Jan-08 Mar-07 Body mass (kg): LT (km/h): LTP (km/h): Economy (ml O2/kg/km): VO2max (ml/kg/min): Heart Rate (beats/min)

10 10 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt CASE STUdy CONTINUEd Helen s aerobic profile over a series of four tests. It can be seen that there has been a dramatic shift in her aerobic profile between December 2010 and March 2011 with some changes evident in December 2010 compared to previous tests. For an athlete of Helen s calibre and running experience such changes are extremely difficult to achieve and are usually the result of year on year progression rather than a dramatic shift. This may to a large degree be explained by a number of repeated altitude exposures. Prior to the December 2010 test Helen undertook a four week period of training in Iten, Kenya (2450m above sea level) and prior to the March 2011 test she undertook a further four week training block in Kenya. Table 2 details predicted racing potential based on known fixed physiological values. It is clear that the physiological changes evident after repeated altitude trips (Table 1 and Figure 2) have the potential to influence racing performance over a wide number of events significantly. Test Mar-11 Dec-10 Jan-08 Mar-07 Prediction 3000m 08: : : : % vvo2max 5000m 14: : : : % vvo2max 10000m 31: : : :20.00 Using LtP Marathon 2:28:55 2:32:43 2:37:30 2:37:30 Using Lt Table 2: predicted racing potential. vvo2max = velocity at VO2max Summary Altitude training can enhance key physiological markers greater than expected from sea level training alone. Repeat altitude exposures likely have an additive effect resulting in larger gains than one trip alone. The gains (as evidenced by key physiological markers) have the potential to significantly improve racing performance over a wide range of events.

11 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt ThE MArAThON A number of athletes who took part in the 2011 Virgin London Marathon had spent periods at the UKA/London Marathon Altitude Training Camp in Kenya, including Lee Merrien who was the first British athlete to finish in 14th in a lifetime best of 2:14:27. Merrien who finished eighth in the 2010 European Championships marathon in Barcelona following a period of training at the UKA/LM camp in Font Romeu, France - has spent over two months training in Kenya this winter (2010/11), and following his recent selection for the IAAF World Championships Marathon in Daegu this summer, will return to the UKA/LM spring/summer camp in Font Romeu prior to the event. In addition to Merrien, Helen Decker, team bronze medallist in the European Championships marathon in July 2010 and also a beneficiary of the spring/summer Font Romeu camp, finished 27th in the Virgin London Marathon in 2:35:43. Linked to the marathon specifically, Decker as evidenced in the following charts - is proven to have a significant increase in fat oxidation following a period of training at altitude in Kenya which is a key determinant of performance; to get round the marathon an elite athlete needs around 5-6kcal/min at marathon pace from fat oxidation, anything less and they will likely hit the wall and/or run a lot slower than they should. In addition, the data produced by Dr Barry Fudge (section 3) identified the potential 0.5% improvement in performance for endurance events (800m 10,000m), which is significant for athletes preparing or moving towards the Marathon or currently preparing for the event over the shorter distances. The altitude strategy that has been developed through the support from London Marathon will continue to ensure that key Marathon athletes are given the opportunity to train at altitude. They can prepare for the Virgin London Marathon during the January to April period, and look to achieve qualifying times for the forthcoming major Championship Marathon. Marathon athletes selected for the World Championships in Daegu and the London Olympics will all have the opportunity to train in Font Romeu prior to the Championships, thus ensuring the Marathon athletes are best prepared CHO (kcal/min) Fat (kcal/min) pre altitude fat oxidation CHO (kcal/min) Fat (kcal/min) ChO/Fat ChO/Fat post altitude changes in fat oxidation

12 12 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 8. CONCLUSION The altitude camps have been well supported to date and going forward, a stronger focus will be put on ensuring that our key endurance athletes maximise the opportunity to train at altitude as we move towards 2012 and beyond. Already the interest for future camps has been extremely positive, and word on how good the camps are is spreading back to the UK from those who have been to Font Romeu and Iten. The important factor is that over the past months the investment into the altitude programme, not just in pounds, but in man-hours in terms of organisation and camp management/support, is actually having a positive and progressive impact on athlete performances. The January 2011 camp in Kenya was the most successful to date with a selection of the UK s best endurance athletes in attendance. This highlights that key athletes, some of whom are serious Championship medal contenders, are now using altitude to enhance their performance. The online survey feedback through online survey tool survey monkey has provided some useful information from athletes and coaches to help fine tune the athlete camps to make then event better. For example, UKA will look to support future altitude camps in Kenya with a UKA nutritionist, in addition to purchasing mountain bikes to help the coaches and relevant support staff to accompany athletes on training runs. Going forward, as the altitude programme continues to expand, consideration should be given to acquiring land/property in Kenya and Font Romeu. Given the altitude programme is a long term project it will probably be more cost effective to own a property/base at altitude. 9. AppENdICES From Steve Shaw, coach to Ricky Stevenson Sent: 28 February :04 To: Spencer Barden Subject: Re: Kenya Hello Spencer. Again, a big thank you to you and UK Athletics for sending Rick and I on the most inspiring experience in Kenya, It s a trip we will never forget. The vision I have as a coach is simple, from what I ve seen in Kenya, the more trips to Kenya the better, working in groups or with the Kenyan s at certain times is the key to future success, if we don t we might as well give in, a sad thing to say but that s just how I saw it. Ricky and I learned so much out there, so thank you again. From Emma Pallant Sent: 03 February :14 To: Ian Stewart; Spencer Barden Subject: Thank you Dear Ian, Spencer and Dave, I just wanted to write to you all to say thank you so much for the past three weeks altitude training in Kenya. I arrived back in the early hours of this morning and I am missing it already. I have never before had the opportunity to dedicate three weeks to the one thing that I love doing, running. This wouldn t have been possible without the superb choice of venue, generous sponsor of London Marathon and fantastic organisation by UKA endurance. I know that if you want to be the best there is no easy path to get there and I love working hard for it but guys like you, putting on camps like these help to clear that path so that we can then work even harder. I felt that all my needs were provided for, from the basics such as good food and drink to the training essentials such as the presence of my coach, Mick. I am extremely grateful for the hard work you are all putting into our sport and in particular my personal development. Many Thanks Emma Pallant

13 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 13 ALTITUDE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES UKA and London Marathon are pleased to announce the 2011 and early 2012 altitude training camp programme for UK endurance athletes. Following the successful implementation of the UKA/London Marathon altitude programme throughout 2010, the key objective for the altitude strategy going forward is to continue to provide athletes and coaches with the opportunity to train in a group environment within a managed and supported programme in Font Romeu (France) and Iten (Kenya) at heights of 1850m and 2350m above sea level respectively. The main camps will be supported by a team of UKA support staff including coaches, physiotherapists, doctors, soft tissue therapists and exercise physiologists. The UKA/London Marathon altitude programme has already had a positive impact with a number of successful performances throughout the 2010 summer season including Mo Farah s double European Championships gold over 5,000m and 10,000m and Chris Thompson s European Championships silver at 10,000m following periods of altitude training in Iten and Font Romeu. Jo Jackson who finalised her preparations for the European Championships 20km Walk in Font Romeu and finished tenth went on to win Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi. The positive feedback surrounding the altitude programme and the continued forward momentum in UK endurance running has meant that the altitude camps are now becoming increasing popular, especially amongst some of the UK s leading endurance athletes. The camps are open to all UK endurance athlete and coach pairings, however, the availability for places funded by UKA/London Marathon for 2011 will be prioritised from the list below. If availability allows at each venue, athletes and coaches are welcome to attend the camps on a self funded basis. UKA/London Marathon funded places will be prioritised as follows: 1. World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) athletes 2. UKA Futures Programme athletes 3. Current GB&NI team athletes (GB&NI representation in the 12 months prior to the start of each camp) 4. UKA and London Marathon nominated athletes and coaches 5. Home Country Federation nominated coaches (linked to coach development initiatives through the National Coach Mentor programme) The UKA/London Marathon altitude camp programme is detailed below. Any UK endurance athletes who fulfil the above criteria and are interested in attending any future altitude training camps should in the first instance express their interest before the relevant closing dates with UKA National Endurance Senior Coordinator Spencer Barden by sbarden@uka.org.uk with details of the camp they would like to attend. Description (2011/early 2012 altitude camps) Spring Training Camp Closing date for Departure and return dates expression of interest Depart: 11 or 18 April 2011 Return: 2 May or 13 May 2011 Font Romeu, France 31 January weeks (option to stay longer for WCPP or Futures funded athletes) Summer Training Camp and Preparation Camp pre World Champs (Daegu) Depart: 21 June Agreed return dates - UK Champs/Trials/various DL meets/world Champs Depart: 23 July Agreed return dates for World Champs - Primarily Marathon athletes selected for Daegu Depart: 1 August Agreed return dates for World Champs Font Romeu, France N/A 3-6 weeks Winter Training Camp Depart: 27 October or 10 November 2011 Return: 24 November or 8 December 2011 Iten, Kenya 31 August weeks Training Camp Indoor/Cross Country/Road Race Season January to April 2012 (exact dates TBC) Iten, Kenya 1 November weeks Spring Training Camp Mid April to Mid May 2012 (exact dates TBC) France TBC 3-4 weeks George Gandy (National Event Coach Endurance), Ian Stewart (Head of Endurance), Spencer Barden (National Endurance Senior Coordinator) and David Bedford (Race Director London Marathon) will make the final decision on who will be offered the available places on each of the altitude camps. If you have any questions on the above please contact: UKA National Endurance Senior Coordinator - Spencer Barden by sbarden@uka.org.uk

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20 20 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt running Fitness, May 2011 Last month, we revealed the secrets of Lornah Kiplagat s High Altitude Training Centre (HATC) in Iten, Kenya. Here we catch up with one of Britain s top marathon runners, Lee Merrien, to find out how he, and some of our leading endurance athletes, are benefiting from a UKA/London Marathon altitude programme to help make their 2011 seasons and beyond as successful as possible YOU CAN T FAIL TO BE INSPIRED BY ITEN: THE WEATHER S GREAT, IT S AT HIGH ALTITUDE AND THERE ARE LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO RUN. IT LITERALLY TICKS EVERY BOX. So says Lee Merrien, Britain s top finisher in last year s European Championships marathon. He was one of 17 British international athletes who attended a recent UKA/London Marathon altitude training camp at the Lornah Kiplagat High Altitude Training Centre. The delivery of the training camp built on the successful implementation of the overall UKA/LM altitude programme in 2010 and offered another focused training opportunity for athletes

21 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 21 BRITAIN'S TOP MIDDLE AND LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS ARE HOPING TO BENEFIT FROM THE ALTITUDE TRAINING PROGRAMME and coaches in a group environment, a key objective of UKA s endurance strategy. As revealed last month, Iten, situated in the famous Rift Valley Province, is the training base for hundreds of athletes including 2009 world champions Florence Kiplagat, Mary Keitany, Linet Masai and Vivian Cheruiyot, and while it s referenced as the capital of running in Kenya, it is arguably the epicentre of the endurance world, with a reputation that keeps growing. Based on the firm belief that group training offers greater benefits than individual training, UKA s endurance team wanted to deliver a programme with provision of appropriate and expert support personnel pre-camp, during and post-camp to ensure that athletes and coaches, many of whom would be exposed to altitude for the first time, were correctly educated and prepared. The resultant UKA/LM altitude programme was almost 12 months in the planning, and following detailed and evidence-based input from exercise physiologists Dr Barry Fudge and Professor Andy Jones - both of whom have a huge amount of experience in working with athletes at altitude - in addition to consultation with leading domestic and overseas endurance athletes and coaches, the two altitude venues ultimately chosen by UKA and LM were Font Romeu in France and Iten in Kenya, at heights of 1800m (6000ft) and 2385m (8000ft) respectively. WATCHFUL EYES Sports science and educational support, primarily delivered by Fudge and Jones, is integral to the UKA/LM altitude programme. Athletes follow the physiological monitoring protocol set up for altitude training which ensures they re best prepared prior to going to altitude, adapt to the altitude once at the venue and are then

22 22 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt 82 ENDURANCE reviewed when they return to sea level. The protocol involves pre and post-altitude laboratory/field work and adaptation monitoring whilst at altitude. As well as being part of the educational process in exposing athletes and coaches to altitude training, the exercise physiologists are able to provide specific feedback to both to ensure they are maximising their time at altitude and are benefiting from the potential gains associated with responding well to altitude conditions. The UKA/LM altitude programme has already had a positive impact with a number of encouraging performances throughout the 2010 summer season. These included Mo Farah s double European Championships gold over 5,000m and 10,000m and Chris Thompson s European Championships silver at 10,000m both won following periods of altitude training in Iten and Font Romeu in the Catalan Pyrenees. Jo Jackson who finalised her preparations for the European Championships 20km walk in Font Romeu and finished tenth went on to win Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi. Athletes who attended the first camp of the year in Kenya in 2011 are already excelling, including Helen Clitheroe who recorded a European leading time of 8:39.81 in the 3000m when finishing fourth in a world class field in the Aviva Grand Prix in February. Helen also held on to a thrilling victory in the recent European Indoor Championships. UKA s Head of Endurance, Ian Stewart, says it s the whole package and not just the altitude that gives athletes the edge: The majority of the world s best endurance athletes are based at altitude and we have a strong evidence base to prove why it works, he says. Thanks to UKA and with the support of London Marathon we re now able to offer our athletes and their coaches access to altitude training for almost 12 months of the year for the first time. Training together in a group environment is a key aspect of our endurance strategy, but the fact that both Font Romeu and Iten are such inspirational places and full of likeminded people is just as important as the fact that we re based at altitude. Above right: Helen Clitheroe training on the track near Iten Left: Lee Merrien Below right: Nick McCormick and Steph Twell training under the watchful eyes of UK coach Mick Woods Below left: Nick McCormick meets some of the local wildlife

23 UKA/London MARAthon (LM) ALtItUde training CAMP AnnUAL RePoRt We re offering a fully managed and supported programme with medical, physiological and nutritional assistance and we re giving our athletes the opportunity to benefit from an exceptional training environment surrounded by world class athletes. It doesn t have to be fancy the great thing about Kenya, for example, are the miles and miles of dirt trails; there s literally nothing else to do up there but train, which is exactly what they need to maintain their focus. The training environment in Iten as well as in Font Romeu - is unprecedented for endurance athletes. I loved the experience of Iten, says Lee Merrien. It s a fantastic environment in all aspects of running life. I had a little bit of an idea what to expect as friends had been out there already, but I really liked it and will be going back to put the finishing touches to my VLM preparations. In addition to the two core camps which run for four to five weeks in spring (April/May) and autumn/winter (Oct/Nov), smaller dedicated camps of three to four weeks, as well as Aviva holding/ preparation camps for athletes selected for the annual major championships will be operational going forward. This enables a rotational model of exposure to altitude which is central to the success of the altitude programme and involves approximately three to six week blocks at high altitude and four to six week blocks at sea level; this periodisation altitude model prolongs the time athletes spend at altitude so that the potential benefits can be maximised over a twelve month period. RF LEE MERRIEN DISCUSSES HIS ITEN EXPERIENCE Generally, I will use a training camp in the buildup to an important race. This year, for example, I ve used a couple of camps in preparation for the Virgin London Marathon and last year I used Font Romeu before the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships. The main benefit for me is that you can focus purely on training and get the rest you need without any distractions. It means you can eat and sleep like an athlete, perhaps better than you can in your own home environment. Most days, we d run as a group at 7am, although we also had the opportunity to run with the Kenyans, and their runs would start at 6.15am.We would join the Kenyans on what were their easy easy runs. These would be about minutes and at an average of no faster than 6.30 min/miling, but bearing in mind the first mile is run at 9 minutes, it gives you an idea of how much it picks up. It s a fantastic time to run as the sun comes up.we d run in almost complete silence: the Kenyans are incredibly focused. As you might expect, with everything concentrated on running, the distractions of everyday life are few and far between. We all got very good at table tennis, says Lee. We did have Internet access, but the connection wasn t great. And we played a lot of board games something I hadn't done for ages.you re happy to be relaxing and doing things like having an afternoon nap: you just tend to fall into the Kenyan way of life, which generally means that everything s done at its own pace. A second training session would then take place later in the day. Steady runs would head out at about 5pm, or, if it had been an interval session mid-morning, then the second run would be about half an hour later. We d run twice a day, every day, and we d also do weights, says Lee. I was averaging around 120 miles a week, but with the altitude, it be would be worth a bit more in the UK. And how has it helped his preparation? If everything goes well, I d be looking at trying to get some qualifying times at London for the World Championships, says Lee. Training is going well: if I don t run faster than last year, than something will have gone wrong. I was actually in shape at last year's European Championships in Barcelona to run quicker than I did at London, so if I can push on again from that, I will get the times I need. For more information on the UKA/ LM Altitude Training Camps please contact UKA National Endurance Senior Co-ordinator Spencer Barden: sbarden@uka.org.uk

24 All photos courtesy of Mark Shearman