Updated Marathon Pace Band Generator - now for ultras as well.

I've changed my 'marathon' pace band generator to allow for other distances, and the option to show the cumulative average pace. Let me know what you think, and if you spot any bugs.

VDOT Calculator updates for Jack Daniel’s long runs and ultramarathon race prediction

I've made some changes to my VDOT Calculator

• Fix bug in weeks 19 and 21 of “Jack Daniel’s Plan A” long runs. Those weeks have the lower of 22 miles or 3 hours, but the calculator was using 3 hours at marathon pace rather than easy pace.
• Change the race time predictor for races longer than 50K. For these races, the VO2max calculation is done to predict a marathon race, then the Cameron model is used to predict the longer run from the marathon prediction.

Ultramarathon training plans

I've started to compile a list of selected training plans for ultramarathon distances. My goal is not to list every possible plan, but to select the better quality plans and give an overview of how they differ. If you know of plans that you believe should be included, please let me know. I'm also interested in any experiences you have with these plans, or if there are other metrics or commentary that could be included.

Continuing to train with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

I've found some interesting research on how Cadence changes the incidence of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), as well as research on continuing to run with DOMS.

Running Cadence, landing impact, and running efficiency

Getting the right cadence is something I recommend to runners more strongly and more frequently than anything else. I’ve updated my entry on Cadence to include details on studies showing how the right cadence reduces impact force and running efficiency.

Updated VDOT Calculator

I’ve made a number of changes to my VDOT calculator.

• The value of VDOT and VO2max are no longer assumed to be the same. The VDOT value is now a table lookup using the values given in Jack Daniels Running Formula, where VO2max remains a calculation. The values of VDOT and VO2max tend to be close when a longer race is given as input, but differ more for shorter distances.
• The Jack Daniels training paces use the VDOT values, but the predicted race performances and the FIRST training paces continue to use VO2max. I may change this prediction to use other formulas in the near future.
• I’ve added a pace for 800 meter aerobic intervals, based on linear interpolation of the faster and slower paces, as the book does not specify this distance.
• The error handling is improved, detecting more erroneous conditions.
• I’ve made it clearer that only the long runs are given for the Jack Daniels marathon plans, not the second quality workout. I’m not trying to replace the book, just make it easier to use.
• All instances of ‘VO2max’ should now be written correctly; there is a dot above the V and the 2 is subscript.

A comparison of calf compression sleeves

I've added an evaluation of eight different calf compression sleeves to my review of compression tights. There are a number of great sleeves on the market, as well as a few I'd recommend you avoid. http://fellrnr.com/wiki/A_review_of_graduated_compression_wear