Praban Felgitscher on the hunt for a personal best.

Which amateur runner didn't dream jet of a time under 2:30. According to experts 2:30 is about the limit an amateur runner can reach. Faster times require a professional training. Praban Felgitscher, a thirty one year old hobby runner from Graz, is closing in to this magic limit step by step: 2003 he run a marathon in 2:47; 2004 in 2:41 and 2005 in 2:37. For Praban there is no doubt, that soon he will reach this time of 2:30 and this within the next 2 years. 2006 he points to a time of 2:34 and 2007 the time should be right.

The Grazer, who after all run already 7 marathons under 3 hours, was so nice to tell us a view of his training secrets:

- Mileage: Praban worked out his personal best with training kilometres from 90 to 100. It doesn't sound a lot, if you consider that a professional marathoner like for example Paul Tergat manages a mileage of 220 to 260 kilometres.

"In my training I prefer to set on quality rather then quantity", the Styrian tells us, "in the last years I was training too much and therefore was often sick. Now I added two days of rest in my training schedule. On these days I do a complete running break."

- Training schedule: Praban trains 5 days a week, this includes a long run at the weekend, where mostly 35 kilometres are been accomplished. "On this long run I warm up for 15 kilometres and then I run 20 kilometres in race pace. Through this long periods of fast pace my body gets quite well used to this high speed it has to hold through 42 kilometres. This gives me than the confidence to run a good race at the race day", the shop leader of a gift shop in Graz explains us. Apart of the long run Praban runs four times a week units between 12 and 18 kilometres. Among these also a speed work per week with intervals of 10 times 1 kilometre or 6 times 2 kilometres or 5 times 3 kilometres.

- Mescellaneous: The Styrian is doing lots of compensation gymnastics and stretching exercises to prevent injuries. Additionally he's biking and regularly swimming. A balanced healthy food and sufficient nutritional supports complete his training schedule. Daily meditation helps him to focus and to manifest the needed energy for training.

- Planning of the race: Praban participated on the 25th of August at the fourth edition of the Self-Transcendence Marathon at the Rockland State Park of New York. At this marathon 9 laps of 4,8 kilometres are been absolved. The number of participants was about 800, and an international field of runners of all over the world arrived for this race. Among the starters were a quite a group of athletes, who wanted to run about 2:40. Right after the start the later winner, the Hungarian Gyula Szabo, took the lead, followed by the Moldavian Dima Bogush, who came in second. Then followed a group with Praban. Praban did not stick to the high speed set up by a view at the beginning, but hold back consciously. He passed the half marathon mark with 1:20:30 and had still enough strength to increase his speed. Together with the Swiss Ghoshanakari Buser he passed Abhinabha Tangermann, Tristan Boyle and Luke Armstrong lying ahead of them and at the end he left also Ghoshanakari behind. "The last two laps I was getting faster and faster", says Praban, "I realized, I could still speed up. The last mile I run in 5:20 and reached the finishing line with 2:37:38, my personal best." Praban Felgitscher came in third over all and was presented a wonderful trophy personally from the initiator of the marathon Sri Chinmoy.

This result is very promising for the next years. Praban is right now reaching the best marathon age. Paul Tergat was 34 year old when he broke the world record.

Roby Schiltz