Supertraining

Paul,
Peaking is an extremely interesting subject. Wottle's run has to be
the, if not one of the, most extreme, Hollywood like results at the
Olympic level. To come from last to first against the best in the
world is almost beyond belief, except I saw it happen in real time and
I can see again whenever I doubt that it can be done. Wottle peaked at
just the right moment, but based on my experience, I can't explain how
or why? He was racing against the best in the world, why couldn't they
do what he did?  

At the Atlanta Games I had one athlete I worked with who should have
done extremely well and medaled and didn't, one who was injured and
for her to even finish was going to be a severe test of pain tolerance
and character, another who I expected to break the world record and
one who I expected to medal but maybe not the Gold, his competition
appeared very close.

The first athlete, Gail Castro, was a stud and should have medaled but
her partner started choking as soon as she got off the plane and never
stopped. The other, Natalie Cook, had a severe piriformis strain,so
she was rather questionable, plus she was having difficulty getting
along with her partner. Robert Zmelik had equaled his Gold medal
winning points total from the '92 Olympics in a meet in Italy run
entirely in the rain two months prior so we felt very confident that
he'd break the world record and get his second Gold in the decathlon.
Karch Kiraly, at the time still considered by many to be the best
beach volleyball player in the world, went into the Olympic tournament
favored, but everyone was gunning for him and the competition was
extremely good.

Gail Castro's partner folded like a cheap umbrella for most of the
Olympic tournament and Gail couldn't carry her. Castro finished 9th.

Natalie Cook, through sheer strength of will, worked out her issues
with her partner and her injury and won a Bronze.

Robert Zmelik came down with a tooth infection the week of the Games
and finished 7th.

Karch Kiraly and his partner Kent Steffes, in the semi-final match,
came from way behind to beat another American team, Smith and Henkel
and pulled it out 17-15. In the finals they never trailed and won the
Gold.

Starting two years out, getting Kiraly to peak at that particular
point in time, considering all the possible pitfalls to reaching the
goal, (see above), makes getting one's athlete to peak at the correct
point in time and space, border on a mystical experience. 

It is possible to fail in many ways...while to succeed is possible
only in one way.
 - Aristotle 

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



--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Paul Rogers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Bill, you certainly had elite company in those days. Those triathlon 
> names were legends here in Australia when it got popular in the 1980s.
> 
> I never tried an Ironman event. As a former sprinter I was flat out 
> getting the legs to go 42k -- took a lot of training -- so I know 
> what you mean about physical limitations.
> 
> I think you're right about international parity. The Europeans are 
> big in triathlon at the moment, the Aussies also have good form. Look 
> what the Africans are doing to the marathon! And the good athletes 
> tend to go for the big dollars in the big four over there I suppose --
>  big five if you count golf. Can't blame them.
> 
> Re Wottle, it's always great to see an ordinary man with exceptional 
> talent bring it all to fruition to be the best in the world -- and to 
> perform when it counts. So many talented athletes can't do that.
> 
> Anyway, hope you had a nice birthday.
> 
> Paul Rogers
> Fellow Geezer,
> Gympie, Australia
> 
> 
> --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "W.G. Johnson" 
> <ubermenschsports@> wrote:
> >
> > Paul,
> > Thanks for the trip down memory lane. It's my birthday and I could 
> have done without the reminder of what a geezer I am!
> > Seriously, you bring up a couple of very worthy points and a couple 
> of my marathon and triathlon heroes. Having been an advocate of 
> equality for women for over 50 years, Benoit is one of my favorite 
> athletes along with Newby-Fraser, who lives and trains just up the 
> coast from me.
> > Triathlons hold a special place in my heart. Back in the day I ran 
> with Tommy Warren, did double century bicycle rides (rode my  bicycle 
> home from Goleta Ca to La Mesa Ca and back on the same weekend to 
> visit my girlfriend. It was 240 miles one way. Down on Fri, beach 
> volleyball all day Sat and back to Goleta Sun.)
> > Did lots of long distance open water swims. My best friend was 
> captain of our high school swim team and a fellow surfer so we did 
> our swim training together. I ran a couple of times with Tommy Warren 
> (and even though he had a hip problem, I ran too slow for him, so 
> he'd run off and leave me) and he encouraged me to do the Ironman, 
> (He was the winner of the second Ironman in '79), but at 225lbs I 
> just couldn't seem to complete a marathon distance.
> > We have some pretty fast people doing triathlons now but there  is 
> increasing parity in sports worldwide. Look at what's happened  to 
> the US in basketball, volleyball, boxing and weightlifting. The rest 
> of the world is catching up.
> > 
> > Special thanks showing me how I can relive a favorite moment in 
> sports, the YouTube of Dave Wottle. Wonderful!
> > 
> > W.G. Johnson
> > Ubernemsch Sports Consultancy
> > San Diego,CA
> > 
> > Paul Rogers <paulr99@> wrote:                             I 
> forgot Joan Benoit (Samuel), who was the first women's Olympic 
> >  marathon champion and a fantastic runner for her day, and any day. 
> >  (And I think she just ran a 2.49 marathon at 50.)
> >  
> >  Reminiscing a tad now -- apologies to the youger crowd -- but in 
> >  triathlon also: Scott, Tinley, Allen, Molina and Newby-Fraser, 
> >  Americans who dominated triathlon in the eighties.
> >  
> >  I can understand the dominance of the Africans in distance 
> running, 
> >  but where are those dominant Americans in triathlon?
> >  
> >  Anyway, for track and field fans, and for pure enjoyment, take a 
> look 
> >  at Dave Wottle's gold medal run - golf cap and all - from the 
> Munich 
> >  Olympics. Check out that leg speed and notice the little kick to 
> get 
> >  in position just after the first lap. Dave gets overlooked 
> sometimes 
> >  in US Olympic history I think. There are few more inspiring 
> moments 
> >  than this.
> >  
> >  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LHid-nC45k
> >  
> >  Paul Rogers
> >  Gympie, Australia
> >  
> >  --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Dr. Michael Yessis" 
> >  <dryessis@> wrote:
> >  >
> >  > Paul, your comments are right on.  I should modify my use of the 
> >  term trend
> >  > as it really applies to those who are keeping up with the latest 
> >  advances in
> >  > sports science.  With sorrow the training of U.S. middle and 
> long-
> >  distance
> >  > runners is still basically the same with no real changes.  The 
> only 
> >  major
> >  > difference has been in getting  many of the top runners to train 
> >  together
> >  > and push one another in the training.  Rather than being 
> innovative 
> >  they try
> >  > to copy methods used by the Kenyans without closely examining 
> the 
> >  progress
> >  > of Kenyan runners from childhood.
> >  >  
> >  > I think if you saw the training being done by Alan Webb you 
> would 
> >  cringe.
> >  > I'm not surprised that he has been unable to do well since he 
> set a 
> >  record.
> >  >  
> >  > Michael Yessis, Ph.D
> >  > Professor Emeritus, CSUF
> >  > President, Sports Training, Inc.
> >  > dryessis@
> >  > www.dryessis.com <http://www.dryessis.com/> 
> >  > 760-480-0558
> >  > 
> >  > =================================
> >  >  
> >  > In [EMAIL PROTECTED]  
> >  <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] P>
> >  > Paul wrote
> >  >  
> >  > Michael, thanks for your perspective.
> >  > 
> >  > With all due respect to modern training methods, it seems to me 
> >  it's 
> >  > many years since the US produced long and middle distance 
> runners 
> >  of 
> >  > the calibre of Salazar, Rodgers, Shorter, Prefontaine, Ryun and 
> >  > Wottle.
> >  > 
> >  > Not saying newer methods don't work, and I understand that 
> >  champions 
> >  > come and go, but . . .
> >  > 
> >  > =============================
> >  >
> >  
> >  
> >      
> >                                        
> > 
> > 
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>