How They Train! Eric Godin

January 2014

Age

Did you compete in high school or college cross country or track?

How many years have you been running?

Lifetime personal records

Consider your training over the past 6 months to one year. How many miles a week do you typically run when not injured and consistently running?

35. I tend to peak around 50, with “rest” weeks hitting in the high 20s/low 30s.

What running events do you train for and what are your goals?

I try to pick a new goal every year so that I always have something to look forward to. In 2011, it was qualifying for the Boston Marathon. In 2012, it was completing Ironman Florida. This year, it is to run as many Gulf Winds Grand Prix events as I can. I don’t train for any specific distance, but try to keep in good enough shape to run anything from 5ks to marathons.

What does your typical week of running look like?

Monday: Swim, easy bike, or rest.
Tuesday: Intervals, either at Maclay in the morning or FSU in the evening. Usually 2 mile warm-up, 3 miles of intervals at a variety of distances, and 1-3 mile cool down
Wednesday: 10 miles at a good effort and/or cycling with the Chaires group in the evening
Thursday: Tempo run at the Miccosukee Greenway. 1 mile warm-up, 5k tempo, 1 mile cool down
Friday: Swim, easy bike, or rest
Saturday: Race or easy run. 5-10 miles total. Or, long bike ride of 40-60 miles
Sunday: Long run. 10-22 miles depending on what I am training for

Do you take recovery or down time?

Do you peak for certain races?

I will taper for long races (half marathons and up), but I don’t alter my schedule very much to peak for specific races.

How much sleep do you usually get at night?

What time of day do you normally run?

What injuries have hampered your training over the past year?

Do you take any dietary or medical supplements?

What type of running shoes do you prefer?

Lately, Saucony’s Kinvara 3. I’ll stick with a shoe until the model changes enough that it bothers me. I am not loyal to any single brand. If it works for me, I’ll wear it.

Do you race in a different type of running shoe?

Do you use weight training?

Do you stretch?

What are your favorite running routes?

If you have been running for many years, how has your training changed over the years?

I have definitely learned how to train smarter without adding mileage. Most of my friends run more miles a week than I do. I try to make sure I get three quality runs in each week (intervals, tempo, and long run), with adequate easy runs to recover. Also, I have started adding more cross-training into my workouts (cycling and swimming) so that I am not pounding my legs as much from just running.

What examples can you give of specific training methods, and what were the results?

My focus for breaking the 3 hour marathon mark was keeping my speed late in the marathon. To train myself, I ran 5 long runs of 20 miles or more (3-20s and 2-22s) before the 2013 Tallahassee Marathon. In addition, I worked on consistently dropping the pace on the second half of the run, with the last 5 usually being below my marathon goal pace, rather than stay at a steady pace for all 20 miles. I hit my goal time running a negative split of over 2 minutes.

What advice do you have for beginning or experienced runners to help them with their training?

Find what works best for you. Working out is my unstructured, escape time. I don’t usually follow specific training plans and flexibility allows me to change my routine on a daily basis if I need to, without feeling guilty that I missed my workout for the day. Remember that no one knows your body, and what it needs, better than you.