The Road to Berlin: Preparations
This monthly series follows the training of four D3 alumni, somewhere between sub-elite and elite, as they train to place within the top 25 at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday September 27: Lars Dewall, Elliot Kadrofske, Sam Forstner, and Christopher Brenk.
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Name: Lars Dewall
School: College of St. Scholastica
Current Residence: San Diego, California
Current Affiliation: Lane Zero Athletics / Coach: Chad Salmela
PR: 2:12:30
It seems crazy to reflect back and think that it’s less than two weeks until the Berlin Marathon. This block has been something that I have been extremely proud of from an athletes perspective going into race day. Things were pretty smooth, looking back at article number one I can confidently say I have done a great job at hitting the goals I set for myself at the beginning of this Berlin build. The build has been filled with numerous highlights including a pair of 1:04 half marathons, record mileage, and memories I will never forget with my team. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Boston with PUMA Project3 for testing etc. This time in Boston at Puma HQ was very insightful and motivating for me as an athlete. The block was pretty smooth aside from some issues with Sciatic Nerve and SI Joint that I was able to cleanly navigate on build towards Berlin.
Heading into this block since day one there’s been one big goal that’s been on my mind - 2:09:xx. A mark I have set my eyes on following a 2:12 at Boston. Understanding that fewer than 50 Americans in history have ever completed a marathon in this time, I very much understand the challenge that stands in front of me. The goals I highlighted in article one for this build were the biggest things I felt like I could change to help set me up for a chance at the sub 2:10 barrier. I’m very confident that my fitness has developed over this summer’s build to give me a real chance at accomplishing this. Training has been good and correlated very well with what I’ve done before PR’ing in my previous three marathons. My plan is clear and simple, find my pace group when the gun goes off, find the rhythm of the race and stay relaxed. I want to do a better job of being patient and saving some juice for the later stages of the race than I did at Boston. Having a defined sub 2:10 chase pack will be an incredible opportunity on a World Major Stage.
I will be flying out to Berlin Tuesday September 22nd. Thankfully even though it is the start of a school year I have been able to get a week off to make the travel and preparations for Berlin pretty seamless. I like the idea of the 4-5 days early range, although this is my first international running competition. I am staying at the host hotel near where the technical meetings are. Being a social studies teacher I am excited to explore Berlin reasonably early on as it is a city with a rich history. This will be my first solo marathon experience although I will know plenty of people in Berlin and will be supported by and representing PUMA Project 3.
Like any race, of course there are general pre race nerves that are also amplified by the fact that this is arguably the biggest race of my life. With that being said, I also can confidently say I have taken running more seriously than I ever have at any point in my life. This in turn has further increased my confidence as an athlete in myself and my fitness. The factors that I am most nervous about at this point are outside of my control so I haven’t been wasting any energy on those factors. I’m much more excited to get to Berlin and enjoy and celebrate the hard work behind a marathon build I am quite proud of.
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Name: Elliot Kadrofske
School: St. Olaf College, Class of 2020
Current Residence: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Current Affiliation: Collegeville Track Club / Self-Coached
PR: 2:21:46
I always forget how a marathon build can simultaneously feel incredibly long and incredibly short. In many ways, the mental grind of getting through the busyness of life while putting in substantial running work has the cycle feeling like it will never end. The process is a welcome challenge, but boy does it weigh on the brain and feel exhausting at times. On the other hand, there’s always a sense of looking back on what you’ve done and worrying that it’s not enough. You find yourself wishing you had time for one more big long run and an additional high quality workout. For me, this build has leaned towards the incredibly long side of this spectrum, something I find especially shocking considering the relatively short, 12-week nature of it. Those 12 weeks were absolutely jam packed though. The planning of international travel was always dancing around in my head, fundraising for the incredible Run for Children charity was also a major priority, and most of all, moving in mid-August (thankfully within Minneapolis) was exhausting. And while all that made for a slightly too busy last ten weeks, I also think it has made for an extra rewarding training block. It’s a marathon block I’m especially proud of, not only because the work got done, but because it was solid and honest work at that.
In terms of the real nitty gritty of it all, I’ve been especially happy with the three big efforts that I laid out for myself this cycle. A 15-mile threshold in early August went quite well and was the first step towards gaining confidence in my ability to PR. Then, 13.1 at goal marathon pace four weeks out and 17-miles yo-yoing sub-MP & float three weeks out were huge confidence boosters. Additionally, incorporating 5K workouts every week has helped 5:16 pace to feel more comfortable and smooth. The only part I admittedly am a little dissatisfied with are the ‘middle of the road’ efforts…stuff with 7-10 miles at GMP. A couple went poorly and all the others were average. That slight negative has been evened out though by my consistency and dedication to the cycle. My peak weeks at 103 and 101 miles run went splendidly, and my total cardio volume (running and stationary biking) the last ten weeks has exceeded what I thought was possible amidst my very busy late summer.
Lots of pride and satisfaction in this build means my goal remains the same: 2:18:45 as I work to hit the 3-minute PR gauntlet laid down by Puma’s Project3. I’ve been incredibly lucky to be a part of this sub-elite program as I genuinely think the easy access to carbon plated shoes for workouts and long efforts has kept my legs feeling the freshest they have at a high volume workload. That boost has been much appreciated, as has the mental boost that I have a ton of people rooting for me. I had the unique opportunity for this marathon to take the charity bib route with Run for Children out of Berlin. In my fundraising efforts, it has been incredibly rewarding to not only help support this group but also recognize just how many folks are willing to help support this dream of mine.
The dream really begins when I arrive in Berlin on September 22nd, five days before the race. I’m very thankful and excited to have found an apartment within a mile and a half of the start line, which resultantly has us in the heart of Berlin for prime tourism and dining opportunities. I’m even more thankful to have a great support network out there in the form of my girlfriend, two of my brothers, and one of their girlfriends. As is the case with my mentality towards training, I’m not going to let myself be too anal about the big effort ahead on September 27th. I’m going to allow myself time to explore the city with my family and not be afraid of getting out and about. In terms of the race itself, I’m going to get after 2:18:45 with a relatively even split mentality (with maybe the slightest bit of time banking the first half). The 25K-30K mark is a big mental measuring stick for me. Getting to that point and really honing in on how I feel there is huge. Six gels will be the move, with 200-250mg of caffeine incorporated across those gels. I’ll also utilize Maurten Bicarb and Drink Mix 320 the morning of the race. My biggest concern regarding the course is the lack of electrolytes. To counteract that, I’ll carry and chew on SaltStick tablets before a couple water stops to try and keep my muscles from cramping in those last ten miles. All in all, it’s inevitable to have a good bit of anxiety surrounding a marathon and the international element only adds a bit more uncertainty. But, with my support systems behind me and extreme confidence in my build, I’m looking forward to tackling 26.2 on the streets of Berlin.
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Name: Sam Forstner
School: Ripon College, Class of 2023
Current Residence: Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Current Affiliation: North Coast Running / Coach: Tyler Morey
PR: 2:16:58
Every time the hype of a marathon cycle begins, it has a mystical way of engulfing you entirely and spitting you out at the end of the cycle before you know it. Training for Berlin this time around has gone well overall, especially considering how late I got into the build after an injury-riddled summer dealing with calf pulls, sciatic pain, hip imbalances, and a whole slew of minor aches and niggles. The biggest thing for me was putting together four straight weeks at 125–135 miles, averaging around 24–26 hours of volume each week during the key last buildup before the taper. That consistency was a huge check mark to get back to. I was also able to get in quite a few MP/HMP-specific workouts, including multiple days with 10+ miles of pace-specific volume, so I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of the work I needed on that side. The one thing I struggled with more was the long run, which has typically been my strong suit. I had a few pretty significant bonks later in the build when trying to push longer-duration efforts, and that fatigue accumulation actually forced me to cut my key 3-week-out session short. Thankfully, I was able to rebound later that week and come back and complete the session properly, which was a big confidence boost. There have definitely been some bumps, but I’m proud of my ability to remain resilient and stack together the consistency required.
Going into the marathon, I always plan to set out with ambitious and lofty goals. The A goal is sub-2:14 to chase after the lucrative payday set out by Project 3 and PUMA. Their presence in this build has been a reminder as to how grateful I am to have their support in my corner. I understand that goal has become a bit of a stretch given how shortened this build was, but I really believe that if I can get myself into the right headspace and execute, I can at least put myself within reach. The B goal is sub-2:16 for the Olympic Trials qualifying standard. That’s been the primary goal of mine since Chicago last fall, and I’ve come tantalizingly close in my last two races, there’s no shortage of motivation behind finally getting that one done. Then the C goal is a PR, which would mean anything under 2:16:58. Obviously I’d be happy to get back on that trajectory, but I know I’m hungry for more than that. In terms of reaching my goals, I’m confident with the physical side of the marathon at this point. This will be my seventh go around, so I feel rather dialed in with my prerace routine, fueling and getting my body ready. For me, the biggest piece is mentally studying the fortress. There are always going to be things you can’t control on race day, and I think preparing yourself to stay calm and handle those moments is just as important as hitting key workouts. They really have to work together. I’ve been doing a lot of journaling and looking back at the trends I’ve noticed throughout the build. All of the good, the bad, and the downright ridiculous moments all rush back into my memory. I bank those experiences because I know there’s going to be a point somewhere late in the marathon where I’m going to have to dig into the well, and I want to have those raw emotional moments to draw from.
On the travel side, this is only my second international trip after Tokyo, but I feel like I learned quite a bit from that experience. I’m bringing tools to help reset the jet lag and flying in four days before the race this time around instead of cutting it closer. I’m also staying near the start so race morning should be as simple as possible. I think my biggest anxiety is just that this will be my first World Major experience independent from family. In the past I’ve gone with them, whereas this time it’s going to be a fellow racer and myself, so there’s a little more responsibility on me if there’s a spanner in the works. I think the best way to handle that is just to be diligently planned, be early and give myself plenty of margin for anything unexpected. At the same time, I’m really excited about the whole experience. It’ll be my first time in Europe, and I get to experience it while racing one of the fastest marathons in the world against some of the best runners out there. There’s a lot riding on September 27, but I’m also working to appreciate simply how cool the opportunity is. With less than two weeks to go, it’s all about getting to the start line healthy, staying calm, seeing how much I can wring out of myself, and of course, stuffing my face with carbs.
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Name: Christopher Brenk
School: St. Olaf College, Class of 2020
Current Residence: Laramie, Wyoming
Current Affiliation: Unaffiliated / Self-Coached
PR: 2:17:34
The leaves in Laramie are already golden yellow, and the storms on the outskirts of town loom closer with freezing gusts from the night’s flurries in the distant mountains. Like winter, race day is knocking on my doorstep quicker than I feel prepared for. I feel thoroughly run down - but frankly, I always do, and I can take solace in the effort I’ve given to my preparation for next Sunday. On paper, this build has been marginally better in almost every metric: I have run a little more than I did last build (87 miles a week averaged with a peak at 101) and I have kept workouts at a similar frequency. I’ve maintained easy trail running and have recently done a few race-like efforts, including the most important race of my fall, the St. Olaf Alumni 5K. I fly out of Denver next Wednesday afternoon, arriving in Berlin at 2:30PM on Thursday. (This is later than many people would have guessed I’d arrive for a Sunday race, but there is strategy behind it of holding on to one of my biggest advantages, the altitude of 7,200 feet I’ve trained this entire block at, for as long as I can.) I’m staying with my parents 2 miles from the start line, and we have a wonderful week exploring Bavaria and the Alsace the week after. The weather has a good track record so far leading up to the 27th, and my taper will hopefully do its job.
I try not to get caught up in how my body feels most moments and any time before the race and instead imagine how I will feel when the race has already begun. Despite being fitter than ever back then, I have never wanted to run a marathon less than I did when waking up for the Eugene Marathon last April. As I sat alone in the dark living room with my heinous Maurten Drink Mix at 4AM, my girlfriend and 4 friends who came out to watch still sleeping, there was an immense temptation to call the weekend what it truly felt like (a vacation), and do normal vacation things instead - perhaps head to the Oregon Coast early. This feeling continued even warming up on the track and Hayward Field. But the gun went and to my surprise, all of that sordid sentiment melted away, and in the moment I ran my first mile faster than any mile repeat I had done for the entire build, and managed to hold it for all 26 miles in a lifetime best.
With “the stakes” this high for us - what is this race for? Fortune and glory? Those are perhaps acceptable rationalizations when the redlined heart looks inward for motivation at mile 23, and not at the slippery slope of vanity. Money? PUMA’s Project 3 certainly sets an enticing mark to aspire towards; 3 minutes or more of a PR in Puma gear, for $3,000. But the money will not make one feel any more accomplished than they already would with running a massive PR. What I’ve learned is that Strength has been the most tangible reason for me to continue this pursuit. Loosely quoting another Chris, it is important to feel strong, rather than be strong. And I have seldom felt more capable than I do in the middle of a marathon. If I’m already going to have to deal with my peculiar medical conditions and ailments, the default working nature of it leaving my body gaunt and iron deficient, I may as well lean into that and be competitive in this endeavor of my choosing. To be able to actually pick one to begin with (and have the necessary time to allocate to it) is a gift. At my core I love competing. I love the thrill of going all out against others at their best, and got me going in Eugene; the positive result of that leading me now to Berlin and to represent Puma, St. Olaf, and others on an international stage. The ripple effect of continuing to merely compete, and then be a part of these fantastic opportunities, is something I hope to ride as long as I can. I’ll be ready to smack as many runners as I can next Sunday - God willing, Elliot Kadrofske most of all!