Coach Kiprunning: Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Dino LaCapra: My name is Dino LaCapra. I lived in Washington, DC for 7 years, but I have recently relocated back home to Miami. I started running in high school for my cross country team, but I didn’t start long distance marathoning until 2009, when I was living in DC. My job requires a lot of travelling, so sometimes it's hard to keep the legs fresh and to get in all of the training in that is required for these longer distances.
CK: What was the trick? What adjustments did you make to reach your sub-three-hour marathon goal?DL: The primary difference was that I took a good month off prior to this training cycle, just doing casual runs, to regain energy and the desire to run. In addition, I was able to cut back completely on my travelling, so my legs never were abused by those air miles.
CK: What was your training regimen like? How many days did you run? Did you complete any strength training?
DL: I ran 6 days a week while doing Pilates on my day off, which is an incredible workout. About four weeks out from the race, I stopped my Pilates work and rested entirely on the 7th day.
CK: What was your peak weekly mileage for this race, and what was your longest long run?
DL: My peak weekly mileage was 85 miles; my longest run was 22 miles.
CK: Got any delicious recovery food suggestions?
DL: After every long run, breakfast with my running friends--4 scrambled eggs, grits, everything bagel, bacon, and orange juice.
CK: How did you deal with injury to the extent that you either avoided it or were able to rehab effectively?
DL: I used to get injured often when I first started training for marathons. Eventually, I worked to shorten my stride, and I haven’t been injured since.
CK: What did you learn about yourself--as a runner, as a person--throughout all of your training up to the 2017 DC Rock 'n' Roll Marathon?
DL: You can learn how determined you are after 8 years of training and 10 complete marathon cycles. My previous marathon was just this past September (2016) in Lehigh. I was in great shape, but a heat wave came through, so the race started when it was already 80 degrees. Then, at mile 6, a train cut the course off from us for 7 minutes. I finished in 3:10:58, missing a Boston Marathon qualifying time by 59 seconds. All you can do is laugh and be thankful for the health and ability to run a marathon after that experience.
CK: As 10 complete marathon cycles should indicate, you trained tenaciously for your sub-three-hour marathon. Could you offer a perspective on how marathon runners should think of their timelines to their PR races?
DL: I take each week at a time and focus only on that week. My friend once told me, “It’s the last two miles/intervals that make or break you.” Putting this into your training--envisioning those final miles--and also ensuring a consistent running regimen are crucial, I think, to proper marathon preparation. I also worked to a point where I was able to run about 10% more than what traditional training plans would suggest to increase my race-day stamina and to bank some extra miles.
CK: As a follow-up, how would you recommend that marathon runners work through the inevitable setbacks, training interruptions, or even DNF races?
DL: I think each person reacts differently to setbacks. I take them as challenges to work harder and to reset my goal and approach. When my marathons weren’t coming together, I focused on half marathons and was able to drop my times considerably, regaining some energy and desire to take on the longer run. I also have a supportive wife, family, and friends. Though not all of them understand the sacrifices I've made for training, they do respect those sacrifices.
CK: What advice do you have for aspiring marathon runners of all kinds?
DL: Remember to take it one day at a time, set a goal, and get after it. Only you can make it happen. Actions speak louder than words.
