Rocky 4

by Dathan Ritzenhein | Sep 12, 2009 | 3,150 views

I assume most of you have seen Rocky 4. I know that it gets very cheesy at times but it is still a great movie to get you excited about training. That is what I always tell my friends when I am getting close to a big race and I want to isolate myself off like when Rocky goes to Siberia to train; I say “I am going into Rocky 4 mode”. I am actually doing it this time though and not just using it as a metaphor. We are staying in a mountain town and just trying to think about the task at hand. I’m not that crazy, but I am settling myself in to the last big block of training before the World Half Marathon Championships. I am trying to wrap my head around this race and I hope to emerge from my little camp here in the mountains knowing that I am as fit as I possibly can get. I feel like I am finally fully recovered from the racing and travel that I did over the last month. It took me a week or so to get use to the volume of a training block(even though I was only lower for a few weeks). Some people have asked what type of mileage I do and it is pretty much the same as it has been ever since I was 18 years old. 100-110 miles a week is pretty standard for me as I believe it is with most elite runners. Of course there are higher weeks and lower weeks, but one thing I have learned is that it is more important to be consistent over the course of time. I use to get so concerned about never being below 100 miles a week for more than one week, but now I know that a week of 75, for a race or for some intensity, is not going to get you out of shape. I also know that a 120 mile week is not to far away, so I know I am always putting in the work. When I am tucked away in the cabin here in the mountains I find myself wanting to do more because I live run to run. Luckily for me my wife (who is a saint with how much we have traveled) is coming this week with our daughter and the dog so I wont get to anti-social while I am away.
I think it is very important though to put the past few races behind me to a certain extent. I don’t want to look back at my year and have Berlin and Zurich be what defined my year. I want the next race to be the benchmark for the future. In order for me to do that I need to have the confidence from those races but also I need to forget them and improve both mentally and physically, and that is the real purpose of this training camp. Until next time…

9 Comments for this entry

floyd patrick
September 13th, 2009 on 10:51 am
Hi Dathan and family:
We wanted to gratulate you on your recent accomplishments in your 5K and 10K runs. They were awesome and glad you are healthy again. Godspeed !!!!!
Brian is now working in the office of the U.S. Minority Whip Rep. Eric Canter in the U.S. Capital Building. Floyd, Mary and Brian Patrick
Stuart Warner
September 13th, 2009 on 11:04 am
Fantastic! Good luck!!
Ray Walter
September 13th, 2009 on 4:46 pm
Looking forward to you battling for the win, not just a high finish! Good Luck!
Cameron
September 13th, 2009 on 6:47 pm
Dathan,

You inspire me. Thanks very much for writing this blog. I enjoy it as I’m sure do others. So don’t stop if you can keep finding the time for it.

Kill it in Birmingham. Beat some Ivan Drago ass.

Cameron
colin
September 13th, 2009 on 9:11 pm
nice. Good luck, thanks for sharing.
Dessard
September 14th, 2009 on 12:34 am
May God be with you during your training. I want an American Distance runner to seriously compete on the World Stage and I would love for it to be you. I watched you smoke people in High School. I went to Anchor Bay and you were amazing to watch at the State Meet. Go Rocky!
Josh
September 15th, 2009 on 9:43 am
“Rocky IV” mode. I love the analogy. I need to schedule a vacation to get into Rocky IV mode myself sometime.

Best of luck, Ritz, you’ve got lots of fans over here.
Caleb Trotter
September 16th, 2009 on 8:11 pm
Im in Rocky mode too, right now. Keep it up buddy, you’re a huge inspiration.
Caleb
December 12th, 2009 on 2:45 am
The Rocky movies helped me to get up out of a hard time in my training, it’s amazing that a movie that is a little cheesy can actually be so inspiring. Great job this past track season and at the World Championship half-marathon. It is awesome to see you doing so well. Good luck with achieving your goals for this next season!