Supertraining

Bob,
I live in Triathlon country and used to run 10ks and half marathons back in the 
day. Did my long runs on Sundays with the San Diego Marathon Clinic, where I 
hung out with (drinking beer, not running), some very fast marathoners and 
ultra distance runners. I currently strength train a mid 40's ultra distance 
runner. Been strength training athletes for over 40 years. I am known for my 
cutting edge training methods.
If I had a dollar for each and every time I have explained training methods 
I've been using for the last 10, 20, 30 or in the case of Olympic 
Weightlifting, 40 years, I'd be retired. I have people come to me regularly 
who've decided to start running distance who don't know the first thing about 
proper preparation for the marathon, but have decided that running the San 
Diego Rock N Roll Marathon, for example would be fun, or because they're going 
to run it with friend or they made a bet they could finish. They've never heard 
this stuff. Most of them think you just go out and start running every day, try 
to run further each week until just before the race you take a couple of days 
off and eat lots of spaghetti.
That's why we coach. Of course it's old news to us, we've known this stuff for 
ages, but it's usually news to most people. Hell, most people don't know what a 
strength coach does, mush less how Olympic Weightlifting develops power or how 
to properly prepare to run a marathon
I don't know about you, but a lot of my time is spent educating my athletes as 
to why their executing their training program. A lot of my time is also spent 
reading over a dozen different journals a month in an effort to stay current. 
Often the data is redundant, but from time to time I glean new information. And 
I find it doesn't hurt to review the basics every so often, because training 
methods change as we learn new and better ways to prepare. That's why I've been 
one of the instructors at the USA Weightlifting Coaches Course for the last 15 
years. Twice a year I teach the basics of Weightlifting to newbies. I learn 
something new every time and review basic principles. I also give an hour 
lecture on the nutritional requirements of athletes. I guarantee you I'm not 
giving the same information in 08 that I was giving in 92.
Is the marathon data presented out of date or is it still valid?
If it's still valid, how can it hurt to remind coaches of distance runners and 
inform uncoached  folks who are starting to get out and run bigger distances, 
of sound training methods?
Everyone is as well informed as you are.

W.G. Johnson
Ubermensch Sports Consultancy
San Diego,CA

bobjjdan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:                             --- In [EMAIL 
PROTECTED], "W.G. 'Bill' Johnson"
 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
 >
 > And now for something from the aerobic end of the training spectrum,
 > some marathon training tips from the Sports Performance Bulletin, May
 > 19 2008/Issue 169:
 > 
 Bill, I'm not sure what the story is on Sports Performance bulletin,
 but that information was published in RRN (Running Research News)
 Issue Vol16, No. 4 in 2000. A lot of their information is from RRN. I
 know that because I subscribed to it for awhile until I found that
 out. I have every issue of Running Research News ever published and
 remember a lot that was written so when I see a rehash my ears perk
 right up. So it's hardly new information, at least to me and the
 marathon runners I coach. 
 
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