Metro Area Athlete Profile - Mike Farrell

SBRStL – Mike, you certainly have distinguished yourself as one of the top elite runners in the metro area at all distances. Could you tell us how you began running competitively?

MF – I started running competitively at an early age. I was living in San Clemente, CA, just outside of San Diego, and it was there where I started to race every Saturday and Sunday. I figure I must have run in over 400 races between the ages of 10-14. There were times that I would run in two separate races on the same day, then race again the very next day. I think what kept me from burning out was my father hadn’t a clue on how to train me so I never trained (15-20 miles a week), he later became a very good coach though. It was all just fun; I had an itch for it. I was running 33:00 for 10,000 meters at the age of 12 and at 13.  I started competing in the Jr. Olympics, both cross country and track, which allowed me to travel around the world and compete for the U.S. in such places like: Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. I moved to the St. Louis area in 1998 after a six-year break from running and school. I then started attending McKendree College and there I began to run/race again in order to pay for my way through school. The break did me justice.

SBRStL – What’s your training log looking like these days?

MF –  Since the Marine Corps Marathon, I have just been nursing my hamstring. I am on a 16 - week program right now as of December 9^th for the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago, March 23. I’ll most likely do the St. Patrick’s 5 mile and the Hibernian 5k at the Running Start as preps, but I’m not sure right now. I have plenty of base built up from my earlier marathon attempt, so I’m just maintaining my base while getting my hamstring strong again. The first month I’m going to log long, easy running (75 miles a week) and by then I should be ready to up my miles a little and start some interval workouts.

SBRStL – Are you utilizing a coach?

MF – Not officially, no. I have been training myself for the past couple of years now, but I feel that having a coach could make me a much stronger runner because of their other or "outside" perspective. I have recently been talking to a possible coach who lives in Brooklyn, NY and I have gotten some real good advice from him, which I have incorporated into my training. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

SBRStL – Mike, you’ve put in some massive mileage weeks this year. What are some of the techniques you have utilized to avoid overuse injuries?

MF – I have been very lucky and injury free in all my years of training and racing. Besides my current hamstring pull at the Marine Corps (which wasn’t due to training or racing, but an accidental mishap), I am ever so lucky only to feel the common soreness and stiffness all athletes are "blessed" with when waking in the morning. I just listen to my body for signs of what to do or not to do that day. I believe in a good warm-up before any type of interval workout, tempo, push, or anything that is demanding on the body. It is important that my blood starts to flow as well as having worked up a good sweat before tackling such tough workouts. I also find that drinking a lot of fluids, along with a good diet, helps to fight injuries. One of the most important aspects of anyone’s training should be rest and recovery (the proper sleep and running recovery) especially the older you get.

SBRStL – This season I’ve watched you make the transition from 5k/10k to half/full marathon distance, but it seemed not at the expense of your 5k speed. Can you talk a bit about the adaptive process you went through?

MF – Yes, it was a tough transition for me because I was in pretty good 5k shape at the time and I had to suddenly stop that sort of training and shift into a lower, slower gear and pile on the miles. I think one of the main reasons I kept a hold of my speed was that I was in good shape before I started my marathon base training. My lungs were strong and my breathing was on. It was a good way to start training. I have yet to run a really good 5k time in St. Louis, but I know that that will change, come 2003.

SBRStL – When you were growing up, tell us about the point at which you looked around the neighborhood and realized you were the fastest kid on the block.

MF – Well, the first day I noticed that I was the fastest kid on the block was when I was nine years old and we were living in Hawaii and I had visited my father at work. He was in the Marines and he would take me along with him to work on occasion. It so happened that on this day it was his P.F.T. (Physical Fitness Testing) and I decided to run the three miles beside him and his company, about fifty men. I ended up beating just about everyone, more importantly, my father. Ever since then, I had the itch!

SBRStL – A lot of beginner age-group athletes overlook the importance of the taper when approaching an event. Generally, what are the components of a proper taper?

MF – That all depends upon what event they are training for. Tapers differ for different lengths of races. When I taper for a 5k/10k, I like to train up to the day of the race, but the intensity changes. If I were running double days, I would only run once a day the week before a race. I think that people should find what works for them because people differ in the amount of recovery needed before a race. Everyone should incorporate recovery, rest (sleep), fluid intake, and high intensity/short strides at least a week before a race.

SBRStL – Are you a scientific guy or do you train by instinct?

MF – I wish that I were a scientific person when it comes to running because in order to be able to get to the "next level" it requires other techniques besides just running. I am basically an instinct runner, but slowly moving towards the scientific aspect as well. I feel that since I have been making the change, my running will only get faster. I think what makes a good runner is the combination of both and that’s where a coach can come in handy. The coach could take care of the scientific part while the runner takes care of the instincts.

SBRStL – What kind of workout serves as your barometer, the session that let’s you know that your fitness has peaked.

MF – I would hope that every athlete can feel themselves improve as there training progresses. In the past, I only allowed myself a few months, at the most, to train for an event. I know now that it takes me, others may be different, three to four months to train for a 5k to a half marathon and know that I’ll be ready to race. One of my favorite workouts is actually pretty simple. Well it is when I’m in shape. I’ll go out for a ten-mile run and the first three miles are sort of like a warm-up except a little quicker. I then pick up the pace until the last 5k is under 15:00. When I can do that and feel comfortable at the same time, then I know I am ready to race. Track intervals are important for road races because it allows me set and memorize my pace. The track does not lie. I feel sharp after I step off of the track after a good, intense workout. Especially one that goes the way I wanted it to.

SBRStL – If any potential sponsors are reading this, should I forward their email to you?

MF – Yes, definitely! I can use all the help I can get. Mike Toolen of "The Running Start" really helps me out, but that is just locally, and I want to start racing outside of the local scene and experience a good butt-whipping or two. I’m always going to race in the St. Louis area because the racing atmosphere is a close one and everyone always seems to be having a good time. It makes racing that much more fun.

SBRStL – Could you assess your 2002 season for us and give us a peak at what you’ve got planned for 2003?

MF – As far as 2002 goes, it did not end the way I had hoped (Marine Corps Marathon), but I was happy the way I had been training, even though I did not know what I was doing marathon-wise. I felt that at the Lewis and Clark ½ marathon I could have run 64 or 65 minutes instead of 67, but I was using it as a prep for the M.C. Marathon a month later and I did not want to over do it. So, I was pretty happy with that. Now that I have a good grip on my training (scientifically) through the help of a few experienced racers. 2003 I see myself improving because I will be giving myself time to train properly. I have three races that I am going to focus on next year: Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago (March), Indianapolis Mini Marathon (May), and the Chicago Marathon (October). With the occasional race somewhere in between those here in the metro area. I love to race, but I need to cut back on that and really focus on only a few races in order to really concentrate on my training and hopefully improve in the long run, no pun intended."