By Jeff Benjamin
For Sebastian Coe, 1983 seemed to be the beginning of another banner year!
With many World record performances going back four years over distances consisting of the 800 meters, 1500 meters, and the Mile, Coe’s tough winter running (under the supervision of his Father/Coach Peter Coe) and weight training (guided by George Gandy) seemed to be leading to upwards 1983 performances as well, culminating at the first ever World Outdoor Track & Field Championships being held in the summer at Helsinki!
Yet Coe felt something was off.
“I was finding it harder to train than before,” recalled Coe.
“There was frustration in that I would have one or two good workouts but then would feel frustrated with others.”
“It wasn’t quite right.”
Most runners at any level would just chalk up the inconsistency to the effects of training. As one person once put it , “The closer one is to peak, the closer one is to a breakdown.” But Coe was feeling other types of effects during his training period.
“I was a student again during this time and, aside from feeling “off” I was also finding it hard to study and read.”
“Cracking On!” (As the Brits say!), in Coe ran a winning indoor 1500 meter race ((3:42.60) in February of ‘83 on Britain’s indoor track in Cosford, despite informing the media he was suffering from time to time with a glandular fever.
Then, before a packed house, Coe would return to Cosford again in March to compete in the GB VS USA 800 enters.
“The indoor track at Cosford was kind of new in that it was a rubberized banked track with concrete under it,” said Coe. “It was an old RAF base World War 2 training center airbase.”
Author
Jeff Benjamin has written for 30 years for American Track and Field along with RunBlogRun. The Former President of the Staten Island AC & Chair of the Staten Island Running Association was the 5th man scorer for his Susan Wagner High School NYC XC City Championship team. Also a member of the College of Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame for XC, Jeff currently serves as the LDR Chairman for USATF NY. A passionate (or fanatical) follower of the Sport, some of Jeff's subjects have included Sebastian Coe, Emma Coburn, Eamonn Coghlan, Matt Centrowitz, Jim Spivey, Galen Rupp, Joe Newton, Tom Fleming, Ajee’ Wilson, Bill Rodgers, Allan Webb, Abel Kiviat, Jordan Hassay, Marty Liquori, Caster Semenya, Rod Dixon, Carl Lewis and Jim Ryun as well as Book Reviews and articles covering meets and races in the Northeast U.S.
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