BATTLE OF HEARTBREAK HILL: WHAT DID THE DATA TELL ELITE RUNNER ZACH SZABLEWSKI?
While elite runner Zach Szablewski prepared to compete in a series of competitive running events, he worked with STRIVE to take a more scientific approach to his training. Through proprietary algorithms and sensors that seamlessly integrate into any compression clothing, STRIVE provides the most complete, actionable and accurate data for elite athletes to achieve peak performance.
The first official race Zach wore STRIVE was the Cascade Crest’s 100-mile race that took place on August 28, 2021. On race day, a STRIVE data analyst joined Zach to help swap out the data collection pods in STRIVE’s EMG compression shorts to measure his muscle activity throughout the entire 100-mile race. Zach ended up finishing third in the entire race – achieving his first hundred-mile podium position. With a new hundred-mile podium position under his belt, Zach partnered again with STRIVE to conquer the legendary Boston Marathon course on October 11, 2021.
THE BOSTON MARATHON
The Boston Marathon route covers 26 miles of fast downhills, steep inclines, and flat terrain between Hopkinton, Massachusetts and Copley Square in Boston.
A majority of the start of the Boston course is downhill, leading many marathoners to run at a faster pace than they intended to at the beginning of the course. By the time runners arrive at mile 21 to attack Heartbreak Hill, their quads are already gassed out.
Zach completed the marathon just 10 minutes over the time he hoped for. Following the long downhill portion of the race, STRIVE data revealed Zach’s quadricep muscles dominated his actions around mile 6 of the marathon. “I don’t think I noticed how downhill the beginning of the course was when I was running the race. In retrospect, it didn’t have the same downhill feel as coming off Heartbreak Hill, even though the elevation dip is actually more pronounced at the beginning.”
It felt like my leg muscles couldn't keep up with my cardiovascular
Towards the end Heartbreak Hill, STRIVE data revealed Zach’s quad usage skyrocketed again. At this same time, Zach’s major muscle groups became exhausted and extreme fatigue set in. As our muscles fatigue, we begin to overcompensate, which can lead to injury.
From an elevation standpoint, the dip on Heartbreak Hill is not extreme, but since Zach’s quads were already burnt out from the first (long) downhill portion of the course, intense quad burning ensued towards the end of the race and immediately after – a sign of acute fatiguing symptoms. “It felt like my leg muscles couldn’t keep up with my cardiovascular system,” he recalls.
According to a 2019 WIRED article, “The second factor affecting the speed of a course is elevation, and downhill is good. But downhill isn’t unambiguously good. Runners have to fire their quadriceps muscles to keep from tipping over when a hill is too steep. The wear and tear builds up over the course of a race, particularly for runners who haven’t been training on similar terrain. And Boston has a series of famously steep uphills between miles 16 and 21, just when your glycogen stores are running out.”
THE AFTERMATH
Following the day of the race, Zach’s hamstrings felt the most sore. Indicative of this hamstring soreness, STRIVE data revealed 40% hamstring activation throughout Zach’s sub-six minute miles. As our muscles fatigue, we begin to overcompensate, which can lead to injury.
Looking back, Zach attributes this fatigue to suboptimal training after not fully recovering from the Cascade Crest. Following the 100-mile race on August 28th, it took a while for Zach’s body to recover and he didn’t have time to complete a targeted training plan to prepare for a marathon.
Like many, Zach’s perfect progression of a plan to train for an April 2020 marathon was disrupted due to the pandemic. When Zach originally signed up for the April 2020 race, he planned to complete a half marathon, run the Boston Marathon, take a short break, and then hit the mountains hard to prepare for the Cascade Crest. With the marathon rescheduled to October 2021, timing didn’t allow for this.
With access to his STRIVE muscle data and performance insights to create a more effective training plan for his body, Zach hopes to complete the Boston Marathon in 2023 with a new PR. In the meantime, Zach is teaming up with STRIVE to track muscle activity for his next big adventure – the John Wayne Pioneer Trail, a 285 mile route spanning the state of Washington, where he hopes to set the new FKT (Fastest Known Time).
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