Adarq.org

The simplest approach to determine the equivalent 2-h marathon time for women is to calculate the time difference (from 2 h) based on the relative sex difference in the WR (∼10%). The current WR performances are 2:02:57 (h:min:s) for men (Dennis Kimetto, 2014) and 2:15:25 for women (Paula Radcliffe, 2003), so that a synonymous time for women is 2:12:00. Several indicators, however, suggest a 12–13% sex difference is more appropriate and that the WR by Radcliffe is essentially the equivalent of a 2-h marathon for women.

Radcliffe's performances were exceptional. Between 2002 and 2005, she ran the three fastest marathon times ever recorded by a woman, and her WR performance (2003) still stands 12 years on.

Sex Differences in Physiology: What is Unique about Paula Radcliffe?
Human performance in distance running is strongly related to the maximal oxygen consumption (V̇o2max). However, among elite runners, the better athletes are distinguished by the highest sustainable oxidative metabolic rate (related to the “critical velocity” and the “lactate threshold”) and running economy (18, 19). Critical velocity represents the highest intensity that V̇o2, blood lactate, and intramuscular metabolites such as H+, PCr, and Pi can be stabilized (16). The difference between “critical velocity” and the “lactate threshold” is compressed in elite runners compared with recreational runners (16). There is limited difference, however, between elite men and women runners in the relative V̇o2 they are able to sustain for several hours (∼85–90% V̇o2max) (4, 9, 10, 17). In highly trained men and women, running economy is similar and does not appear to explain sex differences in performance either (2, 4, 9, 21). In general, in equally trained men and women, the sex difference in performance is mostly dictated by men's larger V̇o2max because men have a larger heart size, larger muscle mass, less body fat, greater hemoglobin concentration, and consequently a higher V̇o2max than women (17, 28). Elite male runners usually have a V̇o2max of ∼70–85 ml·kg−1·min−1 and elite females ∼60–75 ml·kg−1·min−1 so the sex difference is 10–14% (2, 7, 15, 18, 25–27). Other factors that potentially affect the sex difference in performance among recreational runners such as substrate utilization (14, 30), muscle fatigability (11), pacing (6), and competitiveness (5), likely have minimal influence among elite distance runners. Whether there are sex differences in the influence of genetic factors that affect elite runners is not known.

There are several aspects of Radcliffe's physiology that explain her extraordinary marathon performances. First, Radcliffe has a superior V̇o2max relative to many of her elite counterparts of ∼70 ml·kg−1·min−1 (15). Second, her lactate threshold occurred at a high fraction of her V̇o2max and at a high absolute running speed (18.5 km/h) and it can be estimated that her critical velocity was very high (19.4 km/h−1) (15). Finally, Radcliffe had exceptional running economy (∼175 ml·kg−1·km−1 compared with the “typical” value of ∼200 ml·kg−1·km−1) that improved ∼15% over many years of training (15). Radcliffe's superior economy and critical velocity allowed her to run at high absolute speeds for extended periods.

Researchers have been looking at the effects of heat on athletic performance for decades, and their results have been consistently surprising. Studies have found that, in addition to an increased rate of perspiration, training in the heat can increase an athlete’s blood plasma volume (which leads to better cardiovascular fitness), reduce overall core temperature, reduce blood lactate, increase skeletal muscle force, and, counterintuitively, make a person train better in cold temperatures. In fact, heat acclimation may actually be more beneficial than altitude training in eliciting positive physiological adaptations, says Santiago Lorenzo, a professor of physiology at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and a former decathlete at the University of Oregon. “Heat acclimation provides more substantial environmental specific improvements in aerobic performance than altitude acclimation,” he says. And in contrast to the live low, train high philosophy, we more quickly adapt to heat stress than we do to hypoxia. In other words, heat training not only does a better job at increasing V02 max than altitude, but it also makes athletes better at withstanding a wider range of temperatures.

A 2011 study by a group of researchers in New Zealand also found that overall volume of blood plasma increased at a greater rate when athletes did not drink water during exercise. While some coaches are carefully experimenting with dehydration, Minson and Lorenzo are not because it adds too much additional stress. However, they do say that this type of training can be beneficial because it produces a higher number of “heat shock” protein cells.

2. Koop most commonly recommends that his athletes use a dry sauna immediately after running. “It doesn’t impact training nearly as much as running in the heat, and the effects are similarly positive,” he says. He often tells his athletes to not drink water during these sessions to enhance the effect. Koop recommends spending 20-to-30-minutes in the sauna, depending on tolerance.

3. Koop says that when he has his athletes exercise in the heat—either naturally or by wearing extra clothing to simulate the experience—it will be on a long, slow day for 60 to 90 minutes. The time completely depends on the athlete’s tolerance and previous experience. But he stresses to not do this on a recovery day, because heat training is an added stress on the body. Koop recommends drinking 30 to 40 ounces of an electrolyte drink per hour during these sessions  And for safety, he advises using low-traffic sidewalks and bike paths—not trails.

Andrew do you think if i was fresher i'd jump higher? Hopefully you're right.

Bodyweight(AM): 89.8kg (1st March)
Diet compliance: 0/0 days
Daily Squat: 104/104 days 

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Morning:

Noon:

   BS 7x120, 1x170(PR), 8x140(PR)
   OHP 10x50  

Evening:
    

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Notes:

• So summer is over as of yesterday. I decided to go for my summer goal of a 170kg squat .. it went ok. But probably cost me a rep or two of the actual workset with 140kg. That sucks, i could have forced the issue and ground out two more but at the cost of being too beat up to train normally after today.
• I went to the court straight after and did some  jumps hit probably halfway up on my palm which is around 25" or so. That's disappointing. My friend asked if i can do windmills now .. no.. not even close. After spending teh eintire summer focusing on squat ive got nothing to show for it except being fat and slow and can't jump