by Larry EderIn college, my team would run 15-22 miles on Sundays, through the Santa Cruz Mountains, near San Jose, California. My coach Dan Durante, read this book on ghost towns in the Santa Cruz mountains and developed a run, along long abandoned roads, that would take us to the Redwood tree covered roads in the mountains. We would run from Dan’s house, down gentle downhills, and return up, some of the more daunting hill stretches one would find in daily training. For Dan Durante, hills were his secret weapon. In the spring, I would build up to 20 times a 600m hill (remember, this was in college, senior year), then move to the track. After that, my times would improve each and every year.
Elaine Balouris, USATC XC, February 4, 2017, photo by PhotoRun.net
I do recall being in a cross country race where the final 300 meters were straight up. I was so confindent in my training that I allowed my competitor to catch up. Once I hit the bottom of the hill, I put my head down, pumped my arms and that, was, well, that. Confidence is a dangerous thing.
Those long runs made me relax anythime I found a hill in a race. The long grinds would separate our group of ten to fifteen until the final five miles when it would be down to Paul Gyorey and myself. “Geza” as I called Paul, was an engineer, but we would chat on everything: girls, politics, girls. The last ten to twelve minutes though was pure agony, and we pushed up the final hills. We knew afterwards, once changed, we could read the paper, have some breakfast and head back to uni for a day of studying (well, after a nap).
Enjoy your run.
Sunday, March 5, 2017. Long run, 9-10 miles, with warm up and cooldown and yes, push ups and sit ups.
Week Seven, Spring 2017, Indoor Season/Winter Training
This program, for the next twelve weeks, will be geared for 800 meters to 5000 meters, and for thos who may run indoors, but the focus is outdoors. Week five is tough, long intervals, some variety, remember, that you will be tired. Remember you push ups, sit ups too. Consider pull ups, start with two a day.
Monday, Warm up, 6 mile run, 6 x 150 meter stride outs. Push ups, sit ups (bent leg), Ten each, cooldown.
Tuesday, Long Day of intervals, Warm up, Sub maximal interval workout, 16 x 400 meters, at 2 mile race pace. So if you run 10:40, your pace is 80 seconds per 400 meters, if you run 10:00, your pace is 75 seconds a 400 meters. 200 meter jog in between each 400 meters. Over the last two 400 meters, drop the pace to your current mile pace. So, if you run 4:48, that pace is 72 seconds per 400 meters. Cooldown long and relaxed. Get off wet clothes and jog in dry tshirt and sweats (avoid colds).
Wednesday, Warm up, 6 miles, on soft surfaces, 6 times 150 meters, Ten sit ups and ten push ups, cooldown.
Thursday, Warm up, ten times 300 meters up a slight hill, jog back down, and then, go to the track, and run six times 150 meter stride outs, then, long cooldown.
Friday, Warm up, easy, three miles to five miles, soft ground, and finish with 6 x 150 meters, cooldown, plus five push ups, five bent leg sit ups.
Saturday, Race day. Race 800m, 1000 meters or 2 miles. If you can not race, do the following: Warm Up, Short Fartlek workout. Forty minute fartlek, one minute fast, one minute slow, repeat 20 times, cooldown easy three miles. If you have raced three straight weekends, then consider 2 miles, and see how it feel.
Sunday, Long run, 9-10 miles, with warm up and cooldown and yes, push ups and sit ups.
