“Troop describes himself as self-coached throughout his career, though he did enjoy a mentor relationship with Steve Moneghetti. Though he often emphasised how hard he worked, how valiantly he battled, he was a very talented distance runner.” – Len Johnson quote from Australian Marathon Stars

Profile

• Coach: Self-coached
• Date of birth: 22 March 1973
• Hometown during career: Geelong/Ballarat
• Personal best: 2:09:49
• Career highlight: Breaking Ron Clarke’s 33-year-old Australian 5,000m record in 1999

In February 2004 Troopy was interviewed by Neil Macdonald, who managed the Geelong Region Cross Country team from 2000-2007.

The below training schedule is courtesy of Neil Macdonald. For more Troopy info check out Australian Marathon Stars.

In February 2004, Lee Troop was a man on a mission. His goals for 2004 were to have a crack at the Australian Marathon Record (2:07.51 held by Robert de Castella) at the London Marathon and to finish in the top 10 at the Athen’s Olympic Marathon. To achieve these goals, Lee changed his training focus from the more traditional Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday ‘hard / quality sessions’ to the following, more ‘marathon specific’ training program.

Warning: do not try this at home!

• Sunday:
  • AM: 37 – 39 kms. Run easy pace for first two hours (28 – 30 kms.), then run last 30 mins. hard (9 km.)
  • PM: 10 – 11 km. easy

• Monday:
  • AM: 15 – 16 km. easy
  • PM: 15 – 16 km. easy

• Tuesday:
  • AM: 16 km. ‘Mona Fartlek” (2 x 90 seconds, 4 x 60 seconds, 4 x 30 seconds, 4 x 15 seconds hard with equal time recovery between.)
  • PM: 10 – 11 km. easy

• Wednesday:
  • AM: 28 – 30 km. easy
  • PM: 10 – 11 km. easy

• Thursday:
  • AM: 15 – 16 km. easy
  • PM: 15 – 16 km. easy

• Friday:
  • AM: 17 – 19 km. 3 – 4 x Eastern Park Road Circuit (undulating 2.34 km. circuit) in 7 minutes with 2 mins. jog recovery between.
  • PM: 10 – 11 km. easy

• Saturday:
  • AM: 15 – 16 km. easy
  • PM: 15 – 16 km. easy

Total 230 – 240 km. All easy runs between 3.40 – 4.00 min. / km. pace. Core stability work for 30 minutes on Monday and Thursday. Physio on Tuesday and massage on Friday.

The post Troopy’s Training Diaries – Putting in the Hard Yards appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

“I ran as many days as I could. No idea how many in a row, but over 15 years I missed very few days.” – Steve Moneghetti in Australian Marathon Stars

Profile

• Coach: Chris Wardlaw
• Date of birth: 26 September 1962
• Hometown: Ballarat
• Date of retirement from elite racing: After Sydney 2000 Olympics
• Personal best: 2:08:16
• Major championship medals: Four Commonwealth Games medals (one gold, one silver, two bronze – one marathon, one 10,000m), one World Championships bronze (1997), one World Half Marathon Championships silver (1993).

In early 2003 Mona was interviewed by Neil Macdonald. The below training schedule and training/running tips are courtesy of Neil Macdonald.  Neil MacDonald managed the Geelong Region Cross Country team from 2000-2007.

A Normal Training Week  –  (January 2003). For a much more detailed Mona training diary check out Mona’s 1997 World Championships Training Diary E-Book

• Sunday:
  • AM: 2 hrs to 2 hrs 15 minutes. (27 – 30 km.) – usually 28 km.
  • PM: 10 km. easy.

• Monday:
  • PM: 16 km. (70 mins.)

• Tuesday:
  • AM: 8 km. easy.
  • PM: 16 km. including 6 km. Fartlek.

• Wednesday:
  • PM: 20 km. (90 mins.)

• Thursday:
  • AM: 7 km. easy.
  • PM: 13 km. made up of 4 km. warm – up, something on the track (ie. 8 x 200m. or 8 x 300m. or 8 x 400m.) 4 km. warm – down .

• Friday:
  • PM: 14 km. easy.

• Saturday:
  • AM: 16 km. made up of either kilometre reps or hills.
  • PM: Any amount to make up an even week. ie. 140 / 145 / 150 km. In this sample week, Steve would run 7 km. to make a week’s total of 155 km.

• Favourite Training Session: Fartlek
• Other Training / Recovery Sessions: Massage on Monday night every two weeks
• Favourite Races Otway Classic in 1987 / 88
• Best Ever Performances 3rd in World Championship Marathon in 1997. Commonwealth Games Marathon Bronze, Silver and Gold in 1986, 1990, 1994. World Record in Tokyo Half Marathon in 1992. Representing Australia at four Olympics (1988 – 2000)
• Favourite Place To Train: Forests of Ballarat or Noosa.
• Toughest Ever Training Session: ‘The Staircase’ up Mount Bogong.
• Most Admired Runner / Person Sir Bob Geldof
• Advice to Other Runners:
  • “Always try to realise your full potential”
  • “Patience Pays”
  • “Steve Moneghetti is a Tortoise – The Hare Lost!”
  • “It is only training – Train To Race!”
  • “Enjoy your running or you will get sick or injured”
  • Goals for the Future “Life Balance”

The post Mona’s Training Diaries- Patience Pays appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

“TROOPY” UNCUT 

By Neil MacDonald

Lee Troop is one of Australia’s elite distance runners with top class performances on the track, road and cross – country to his credit. However, the last eighteen months have been a bit of a roller-coaster ride with injuries slowing the Sydney Olympian.

N.M.     Lee, you hurt your calf a few weeks ago. How’s the recovery going and how has this setback changed your plans for later this year?

L.T.       Yeah, I’d torn my calf about 4 weeks after running the Rotterdam Marathon and it certainly has been a major setback because I was planning to run an October Marathon, probably Chicago. I had also planned to skip the World Championships to help get rid of the little niggles I have had since the Olympic Games. However, unfortunately, Chicago is now not going ahead and I’m not really sure what I’ll be doing later in the year. Right now, everything I do will be concerned with getting the calf 100% right.

N.M.     Chris Wardlaw claims that 99% of injuries are ‘bad management’ rather than ‘bad luck’. In hindsight, did you rush your build-up back to full training following your great run in Rotterdam?

L.T.    I did! ……………………. I did! ………………………It was a case of after the disappointments and setbacks of 2000, I had a great result in Rotterdam so I was really motivated and pumped up to have an even better race in October and that excitement cost me dearly because the little niggles then became a major problem. However, I just wanted to get back as quickly as I could and unfortunately, the calf tore. So, to answer your original question – yes, Chris is right, it was ‘bad management’ on my part.

N.M.     Let’s go back a few years. How did you become involved in athletics and what were some of your early experiences?

L.T.       I got into athletics because of my Dad. He wanted to lose weight and he and a few of his mates were jogging around the block so I just tagged along with them. From that I got involved in Fun Runs so that’s how I started.

N.M.     Growing up, did you always want to be a distance runner?

L.T.       Yep!!

N.M.     Never a Shot Putter?

L.T.       No….. never a shot putter….. I didn’t want to be a sprinter or anything like that. Basically, I didn’t have any speed so the longer the event, the better I performed. Also, I think I did O.K. in a lot of the longer events early on because a lot of the juniors were scared to race in events that were over 3 km.

N.M.     As a teenager, you had a bit of success in Australia. How did the move to America come about and what were some of your experiences living and running over there?

L.T.       Actually, I don’t think I had all that much success as a junior. However, I think I was fortunate that when I was 18 or 19 I had a bit of success at a State and National level and from that got a scholarship opportunity to go to America. In America, they are always on the lookout for athletes on the brink of junior success and because I had a few good runs, I was offered a chance to go overseas.

Once over there, I found the American system great. Unfortunately, there are a lot of sceptics out there who think that it’s too arduous and that athletes burn out but I had nothing but wonderful experiences at South Plains College in Texas. I reckon it’s a great way of racing and training as well as a great cultural experience. We do have a lot of Australian athletes over there and if we had a similiar system with our universities over here, we would have much greater depth in athletics.

N.M.     Who were some of the athletes that we might know that you competed against and what sort of a racing / training schedule did you have?

L.T.       Phillamon Hanneck, a silver medallist over 5 k. in the 1994 Commonwealth Games, was a runner many people might know.

As for training, it was pretty intense without too many long runs. Actually it was pretty boring – the longest run I’d do was probably 70 minutes. The week’s training was made up of: Monday – Fartlek, Tuesday and Thursday – Track, Saturday – Threshold, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday were easy runs. All up I was only doing about 70 miles but it was quite intense. Racing was usually every second week with races anywhere from a mile to ten miles.

N.M.     Did you feel as though you came back from the U.S. a better runner?

L.T.       Yeah. I also came back realising that running was what I wanted to do. Initially, I just went over to experience another culture but when I got over there I realised I had a bit of potential. I also had a great coach, James Morris, who was very understanding and very committed to his job and the international athletes under his care. James Morris was probably the person who opened my eyes a little and made me realise that I could be a good runner.

N.M.     Is James Morris still coaching?

L.T.       No, he’s just retired after being a track coach for 55 years.

N.M.     So he was the Bill Bowerman of Texas.

L.T.       Yeah. A very highly regarded coach and person.

N.M.     When you came back from America you made the big decision to move to Ballarat. How did this move come about and how did it change your running?

L.T.       My move to Ballarat was because I wanted to train with       Steve Monaghetti. He was one of the best athletes in the world over the marathon distance so coming back from America I realised that if I wanted to be a successful athlete I would have to learn from the best and train with the best. I didn’t want to have any doubts that I had not done everything in my powers to give it my best shot. So moving to Ballarat and putting in all the hard work for six years was just trying to realise my potential. That way, if I didn’t make it to the Olympics, it would not be through lack of trying.

N.M.     You and ‘Mona’ are obviously great mates. Did you have to pay your dues early on to earn his respect as a runner and as a person?

L.T.       Yeah …… When I first moved to Ballarat he really didn’t want to have too much to do with me. He just thought I was a ‘fly by nighter’ and I just basically broke him down over a period of six years. And yes, we are the best of mates. I hold him and his family in very high regard and I think that they reciprocate that back to me. I have been named Godfather for his newborn son, Matthew and I suppose that shows the friendship and the mateship that has developed.

N.M.     What was it about Ballarat and ‘Mona’ that enabled you to take the next step in your running career?

L.T.       I don’t think it was really Ballarat. I think it was more ‘Mona’. He helped me with lots of things outside of running. We can all run and we can all race but he helped me get a balance in my life outside of running. It was important that I had a bit of stability in my social life and work life. ‘Mona’ was able to provide all those things for me and he was a great sounding board for me whenever I had problems. Whenever I was struggling, he was able to provide some answers that usually were spot on. So basically, I think that he was the only benefit to me in Ballarat. I think that Geelong is equally as good as far as running terrain and environment goes.

N.M.     It must have also helped that you were virtually injury free while training in Ballarat.

L.T.       Yeah ….. at least up until my last year in Ballarat. In 2000 I had nothing but an injury plagued year. I know I’ve got an injury now that I’m back in Geelong but I think it, and my other recent injuries stem from my initial injury early in 2000. I have had to rush the preparation for my last three marathons which has not helped my body fully recover and get strong again.

In Ballarat I had a good sports doctor, good physio, good masseur and it‟s taken a little while to get all that in Geelong but I’ve got all that now and I’m pretty sure that all the success I had in Ballarat can now be transferred to Geelong.

N.M.     Did ‘Mona’ hold you back early on?

L.T.       Yes …. both in training and racing. I wanted to run my first marathon in 1997 in Berlin but ‘Mona’ was very quick to squash that idea. He held me back until London in 1999. As I said before, it was all the little things and his knowledge and experience, that was the reason I went to Ballarat in the first place, so that I could get the right advice.

N.M.  ’99 was a fantastic year for you. You ran 7.41 for 3 k. then a few days later you broke Ron Clarke’s 5000 metre record when you ran 13.14. This was followed by a debut marathon in London where you ran 2.11. Obviously, all the hard work was starting to pay-off?

L.T.       Yeah ….. it was basically a culmination of many years of hard work. I started in Ballarat early in ’95 and didn’t have much success in 1995. Then in 1996 I won a few State titles. In ’97 I won my first National Title and the ‘City to Surf’.

Then in ’98, there was the Commonwealth Games and then of course, I had a great year in ’99. So each year was just a stepping stone towards the success that I had. I feel that one of the reasons I continued to improve and had success in ’99 was that I was doing all the right things early on in that period when I moved to Ballarat.

N.M.     Unfortunately, things started to go astray in the lead-up to Sydney. Did you overtrain and become over-motivated? I remember you talking about training three times a day during this period.

L.T.       Yeah ….. my breakdown was caused purely by frustration with the Australian Athletics bureaucratic system. All I wanted to do was become a marathoner but breaking Ron Clarke’s record, instead of being a highlight, became a bit of a problem because when it came to the World Championships I was told that I could not run the marathon. I was told that I was Australia’s premier track athlete and our best runner over 5 km. They didn’t want to lose me to the marathon because they already had ‘Mona’. And because they stopped me doing what I wanted to do, I became frustrated and started training three times a day. Doing that I soon became ‘burnt-out’, then got the stress fracture to my hip. And now, from that one injury, I’ve had nothing but a succession of niggles. Now I just want to take the rest of the year off from serious racing to get completely right so that for 2002, 2003 and 2004 I don’t have the same problems that I had in 2000.

N.M.     Just making it to the Olympic Marathon Trial was a fantastic effort against the odds. Your memories of the lead-up and the race?

L.T.       Well, to be truthful I didn’t think I’d even get to the Olympic Trial. I had a stress fracture diagnosed four months before the race, missed two months, then only had seven weeks to prepare. However, I did make it to the start line and I guess one of the reasons I went to Ballarat was to learn how to be switched on mentally even though physically, the chips were down. I went out thinking that I didn’t have anything to lose but really in the back of my mind it was six years of hard work resting on this one race to fulfill my dream of making an Australian Olympic Team. Anyway, I tried to conjure up all the lessons I had learnt on the way to becoming a good athlete and fortunately it all came to fruition on the day.

In the race itself my tactics were just to hang on the best I could, to start out slowly and not to panic. Basically to get through the race as relaxed as possible. Luckily for me a couple of the guys had bad runs which I was relying on to some extent because if they were all physically fit and all ran well, they should have beaten me.

I don’t really remember the last half of the race because I was unfit from the lost training time. Gradually I became very fatigued and in fact, I passed out crossing the line and don‟t remember the last few kilometres. So even though the race hurt so much, I have nothing but good feelings about the experience because I realised my dream of making the Olympic Team.

N.M.     On guts!

L.T.       Yep …. on guts and determination.

N.M.     And just when you thought, ‘I’ve made the team and everything is on the way up’, you hurt a stomach muscle at the Bundoora 12 km. Cross – Country.

L.T.       Yeah …. I strained a stomach muscle and once again it was to do with my initial stress fracture. Everything around my pelvic area was weak and a little contorted causing the muscles to over-compensate. Then doing the race the other side of my body was put under pressure which caused a slight stomach strain. Then I didn’t back off because I thought that I’d missed so much training with the stress fracture that I needed to keep training for the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, that was a big mistake.

N.M.     Had you become a bit slack with your ‘core stability’ work?

L.T.       I had. Because of the stress fracture I didn‟t want to get back into that sort of stuff too soon and aggravate the hip but in the end I had become a little slack with the supplementary training that is so important.

N.M.     Going into the Olympic Marathon how confident were you that your body would hold together for the full 42.2 kms?

L.T.       I was very confident. I had done a 15 km. Road Race at Albert Park three weeks before and I got through that unscathed so I was confident that if I could stay relaxed and on top of my game I would get through the whole 42.2 kms. and be a top ten finisher.

N.M.     How did you feel at say, 10 kms.?

L.T.       I felt great. In fact, I felt great all the way up to 23 km.

N.M.     Then the stomach muscle went. At any stage did you think of pulling out?

L.T.       Yeah ….. from about 34 – 38 km. I thought about it but it was only a thought.

N.M.     Hadn’t the marathoners made a pact – there was no ‘Plan B’. To finish was the only option?

L.T.       Correct ….. I guess for people who have trained under the Wardlaw System, there is no Plan B. When you stand on the start line, you’re there to complete the event, no matter what!

N.M.     What did ‘Mona’ say as he passed you when you were obviously really hurting?

L.T.       He just told me to ‘hang in there’ but I knew that there would be no recovery because when I tore my stomach muscle at about 23 km. there was a long two kilometre downhill section through the city section before we came to the A.N.Z.A.C. Bridge. Unfortunately, for me, overstriding on the downhill caused the muscle to tear so that when I hit the bridge, I knew I was in a lot of trouble. When you go from 4th to in the 30’s in such a sort time you know you‟re in for a rough day.

N.M.     There must have been much soul searching going on after the Olympics?

L.T.       Yeah ….. about two and a half months of it!

N.M.     You bounced back with two excellent runs at the World Cross – Country and the Rotterdam Marathon. These races must have done wonders for your confidence and your belief in yourself as a marathoner?

L.T.       Yes ….. I think if I’d had a third bad marathon in a row I would have had to contemplate whether I should be a track runner or continue with the marathon or whether I wanted to be a runner, full-stop! But I‟d put in so much time and effort to give up and what doesn’t kill us can only make us stronger. When I did get back into running just before Christmas I made a pact that I would try to use the Sydney Olympics and what had happened in 2000 as a motivational tool from now until Athens in 2004.

So Rotterdam was a great boost. With the World Cross – Country, I guess it was good for my confidence going into Rotterdam because I was able to get through 12 ks. of mud and slush without stirring up my stomach so I was finally over the worst of that injury.

N.M.     Rotterdam. Your memories of that race?

L.T.       Nothing but sheer delight! When I arrived, there was talk of a World Record attempt but all I was worried about was settling into the race and running quicker than I had in London. I was on 2.08 pace up until 35 kms. but I lost two minutes in the last 7 kms. But having the year that I’d had in 2000, missing so much training – I only had 17 weeks to prepare for Rotterdam, I think it was a great result and showed that if I can get 12 months of solid training, without injuries, that a 2.08 marathon is just a matter of time and that I can be a good marathoner.

N.M.     Let’s go back to the night at Olympic Park when you broke Ron Clarke‟s 5 k. record. I had ‘goosebumps’ just watching that race, with the crowd going ‘bananas’ and you dishing it up to the Kenyans, particularly down the back straight each lap. That surely was a special night?

L.T.       It was. It’s probably something that I’ve got more respect for now after having the setbacks over the last few years than I did at the time. When I broke the record I didn’t really give a ‘rats’ about it because it wasn’t part of my plan – it was just a bonus because I only wanted to be a marathoner. However, when things don’t turn out how you plan, like my Olympic Marathon performance, I guess you’ve got to take any success you have as an achievement. I don’t really think that I cashed in on that run as much as what I should have. I think that it could have been something that catapaulted me into being a bit of a household name. Now, I have a lot of respect for the record because it had stood for 33 years. It’s hard to believe that I’m the only Australian who, over that 33 year period, was able to break it.

N.M.     Some great runners have had a go at it.

L.T.       A lot have and that’s probably one of the things I didn’t respect at the time. I looked at some of the names who tried to break it and failed, then I went for it and got it. I considered these athletes were better than me and that I realIy didn’t deserve it. However, now I’m really appreciative that I was able to do it.

N.M.     How long do you think, L Troop – 13.14.82 (Australian Record) will appear in the record books?

L.T.       I’m very confident that it will be broken next year.

N.M.     By C Mottram?

L.T.       C Mottram, M Power or L Troop.

N.M.     So you think you can go faster over 5 km.?

L.T.       I want to have another crack at it next year. I think I can run 13.10. If I can get through this year and then run a marathon later in the year, maybe November / December, it gives me January to recover and build up to track racing in February / March. So, yes, if everything goes to plan, I reckon I can get down to 13.10.

N.M.     After the 5 km. record you had a crack at being at track athlete in Europe. Your memories of racing in Europe?

L.T.       Nothing but bad memories! After breaking Clarkey’s record I went overseas not knowing how hard it was going to be. I thought that if I could break a record that had stood for 33 years, then racing the best guys in the world at their pet event would be a piece of cake. As it turned out, it could not have been further from the truth. I was the only white guy there and I was living out of a suitcase from hotel to hotel. Every race I did was an absolute torture test. These guys are the best at what they do and I was finishing only 15th – 20th in the races that I did. Perhaps being a bit arrogant was my downfall. If I had been a little more appreciative and respectful, like I am now, I probably would have still finished well back but my performances would have been a lot better.

N.M.     Can you recount a couple of your races?

L.T.       My first race was straight off the plane and I ran about 7.57 over 3000 metres after virtually being in the air for 24 hours. Then ten days later I raced a 3k. in Paris. Anyway, we took off and there was nothing but Moroccans and Kenyans in the race. The first lap I ran in 58 seconds and I was dead last. Then I’ve gone through 800 in 1.59 and I was still last. You need to remember that I‟ve only ever run 1.57 for 800 metres so it was an unbelievable experience to be involved in a race where I had to run ‘flat out’ for the majority of the race just to hang on near the tail of the field. I was under the Australian Record up until about 700 to go, then just got really tired and ran 7.47. I just couldn‟t believe that I could be running a P.B. split and still be dead last!

N.M.     Who won that race?

L.T.       It was won by Luke Kipkosgei in 7.29 or there abouts.

N.M.     So even he slowed down.

L.T.       Yes, a little bit. They were running 57’s for the first lap.

N.M.     Did you change your training so you could race at this much faster tempo?

L.T.       I did and it was probably to my detriment in that I started training with the Kenyans and they just race everything they do. My best track session over there was 12 x 400 metres off a minute where I averaged 58 – 59 seconds for the whole twelve of them but that just tired me out because I‟m not used to that sort of training on a weekly basis.

N.M.     What about the Kenyan training away from the track? Did you do any easier training with them?

L.T.       They don’t do any easy running! If you go for a run with them in the morning they start of easily, at about 5 minute / kilometre pace but that’s only for 7 or 8 minutes. By the end of the session you’re running 3 minute / kilometre pace. Most of their training away from the track are ‘build-up’ sessions and believe it or not, that is their easy running! Also, even though they’re all good athletes and great to train with, they don‟t have much respect for white runners, so every time you train with them they try to completely „thump‟ you. They take it as a personal insult if they are beaten by a white person so they try to make every post a winner and they run as hard as they can.

N.M.    What is your training philosophy?

L.T.       I‟m not really a Wardlaw trainer. I‟m more in between what Wardlaw does and what the Kenyans do. I think Chris is probably a bit conservative in his training approach but he looks at training from the longevity point of view while the Kenyans are way too aggressive and that’s probably why there is such a influx of them because a lot of them tend to break down. The fact that my training is between the Wardlaw and the Kenyan philosophies is probably why I can go through a period of not having any injuries and have a bit of success, then can sometimes have a few injuries when I up the intensity a bit.

N.M.     After the Olympics you moved permanently back to Geelong. The reasons for the move?

L.T.       After eight years of living away from family and friends I had just had enough. Also, after the disappointment of Sydney I realised that there was more to life than just running. I had dedicated so much to get so little return at the Olympics that I just wanted to come back and spend the rest of my running career in Geelong around people who like me for who I am irrespective of my results. In Ballarat, the only person I really knew well was ‘Mona’ and basically I didn’t have a life out of running there.

N.M.     What role does ‘Mona’ play in your running now?

L.T.       An advisor.

N.M.     He’s not your coach?

L.T.       He’s a coach / advisor. Basically, we’re doing most of the things we have done for the last six years. He’s a great sounding board. He likes to sit down with me to map out races and training. At the end of the day, if I do it, I do it, and if I don’t, it’s purely due to the fact that I’m pig-headed.

N.M.     In the lead-up to Rotterdam you changed your training slightly. After running 2.10 you have got to be happy with these changes. What did you do that was a bit different?

L.T.       There were only minor changes. One was doing my everyday runs at a slightly quicker tempo. In Ballarat we did most of our running at 4.15 – 4.20 kilometre pace but now in Geelong most of my running is 4 minute / kilometre pace or quicker. I also introduced some longer reps. ‘Mona’ Fartlek and ‘Quarters’ had become a little monotonous after doing them for so long. It was also a case of trying to use Eastern Park, the Barwon River and the other great venues we have in Geelong in my training. Basically, I think that training is pretty much the same the world over, it‟s just the effort that you put into it and how well you recover from it that determines how successful you’re going to be.

N.M.     There’s the ‘Mona Fartlek’ (2 x 90 secs, 4 x 60 secs, 4 x 30 secs, 4 x 15 secs with equal time ‘float’ recovery between) and ‘The Gammoudi’ (Gammoudi was a great Tunisian 5 / 10 km. runner of Ron Clarke‟s time. He has a complete set of Olympic Medals. His session was 6 continuous laps (2400 metres) made up of: 800 metres @ 80 seconds per lap / 800 metres @ 70 seconds per lap then 800 metres ‘flat out’. Recover by walking a lap, then jogging a lap, then repeat two or three times.)

Tell us about the “Troopy Fartlek”.

L.T.       Well, I obviously have done the ‘Mona’ Fartlek and I’ve done ‘The Gammoudi’. The ‘Troopy Fartlek’ is just a small signature session or sessions actually, because there are two different sessions that I do. The first one is a pyramid session made up of: 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1 minutes hard with half time recovery while the other session is where I run: 6, 4, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1 minutes hard all with half time recovery. So both are basically 25 – 30 minute Fartlek Sessions.

N.M.     So you have increased the sessions from the 20 minutes that the „Mona‟ Fartlek takes?

L.T.       Correct.

N.M.     So many more people are now running under 2.08 for the marathon. Why? Is it because the Kenyans have finally worked out how to train for the marathon?

L.T.       Basically what has happened is that the Africans now have specialist marathon coaches. Also, white agents and managers are trying to get as many African runners as possible because they know they can make money from them. These agents and managers are now putting on training camps for the Kenyans and other Africans and teaching them some of the secrets of marathon training and running. Things like doing long runs, threshold sessions, not necessarily having to do three sessions a day, instead of doing 150 kilometres a week ‘flat out’ every week, doing 220 kilometres at a slower pace and just getting the training done.

Also, there are so many Kenyans out there running. They might have 1000 people running to begin with and if 900 break-down, there will still be 100 champions. We don’t have that luxury in Australia. We might have 50 runners, to begin with and only a couple will be successful so we have to be a little more conservative.

N.M.     No doubts about the use of E.P.O.?

L.T.       No ….. I guess the bottom line is that I can’t be 100% sure whether people take it or not. However, speculation is rife that E.P.O. is used in endurance events. You hear on the gravevine that certain people are taking it.

N.M.     What do you have to do to get down to 2.08 or faster for the marathon?

L.T.       I think 2.08 is there. When I ran London in ’99 I believed I could have run 2.10 with a 64 and a 66 minute split. However, I ran 65 and 66, the pace was too slow to half-way so I didn’t quite achieve my goal. When I ran Rotterdam I believed I could run 2.09 and ended up running 2.10 after being on 2.08 pace up to 35 kms. So I think I’ve just got to get a period of twelve months under my belt where I’m not injured. If I can train like I did pre Rotterdam, over a longer period, I think that 2.08 is definitely there.

N.M.     Gebreselassie is talking of moving up to the marathon. Your comments on his possible impact on the marathon?

L.T.       The bottom line is that we don‟t know until he runs one. Everyone is talking about him being a great marathon runner but I think he may struggle because he’s a bit of a toe runner and slapping his feet on the bitumen for 42.2 kilometres might take it out of him. Also, he’s had a bit of achilles trouble lately that might be a problem. It’s possible that he may be really good but you’ve got to get out there and do it. It‟s easy to talk about it – it’s harder to do it. Everyone was talking about Paul Tergat running his first marathon in London but he was beaten by El Mouaziz (2.07.11) and ran 2.08 (2.08.15). You don‟t just step off the track and run a fast marathon.

N.M. Geelong athletics is very strong at the moment with some outstanding talent at the elite level and some very promising juniors coming through. Why, and what else needs to be done to keep Geelong athletics on a roll?

L.T.       I think having the State League Team in the summer and the Geelong Cross – Country Team competing in the winter are critical in helping our talent develop. When I was coming through 10 years ago we didn’t have the opportunity to represent Geelong, but now we have a wonderful opportunity to get kids from the schools to run at a high level. You only have to look at Tyson Mahon, Joanna Wall, Georgie Clarke, Craig Mottram, Ritchie Jeremiah and Taryn Rau, there’s some young Geelong kids who are twenty years or younger who, through the benefits of having the Geelong Team, can fulfill their potential and see how good they can be, then use that to go onto a National level.

N.M.     It has also got to be good for the kids to be mixing with some top athletes?

L.T.       Yeah …. I think it is great to have guys like Darren Lynch and Rohan Perrott and myself who have been around for 10 – 12 years, competing at that level, passing on our knowledge and experiences. At the moment we also have a few other people getting involved with the running that helps the support network which keeps things running behind the scenes.

N.M.     What goals do you have for the future?

L.T.       My only goal at the moment is to make amends for my Sydney performance in Athens in 2004.

N.M.     So all roads lead to the 2004 Marathon?

L.T.       They do!

N.M.     What about Lee Troop post running career? What plans do you have?

L.T.       At this stage I hope to get married one day, have kids and possibly coaching? ……. although, maybe not coaching? I think I’d rather have my dream business of having a restaurant up and going.

N.M.     With your public speaking abilities, have you considered the media?

L.T.       Yes and no ….. It is something that I have had opportunities to further develop but at the moment I really want to just concentrate on running. I think that I have two more Olympics left in me so that means another 8 – 10 years of running. At the end of that, if I am a much more successful athlete, the media opportunities will open up.

N.M.     Lee, thanks very much for your time. I hope the calf recovers quickly and that you are back running at your best very soon.

L.T.       Thanks, Neil.

End

Cover photo by Tim McGrath

The post “Troopy” Uncut – An interview by Neil MacDonald appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

Do you want to run an Australian Record? Do you want to run twelve and a half laps of an athletic track faster than any Australian has ever run – faster than Clarke, Scott, Barrett, Moneghetti, Troop and a host of other great Aussie runners?

Well, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• perseverance – doing the sessions even when you’d rather go out with your mates or sleep
• discipline – eating correctly, doing the supplementary exercises that make you stronger and less likely to get injured, going to bed on
• recovery – knowing when to ease off so your body can rebuild and become
• staying injury free – you can’t improve if you’re not
• expert coaching.
• knowledgeable management.
• a balanced life – you can’t be an athlete 24 / Knowing when to relax and ‘turn off’.
• a great support team (physio, masseur, training partners, family and friends). You can’t do it on your own!
• a race plan. – run even pace early on. Richie Jeremiah will lead the first three laps @ 63 seconds pace.
• strong belief – yes! I can do it, even when Cherono throws in a 60-second lap at the 3000-metre mark and scoots ahead to a 25-metre lead. Stick to the game plan!
• focus – ignore the headwind down the home straight, but soak up the local support from the crowd.
• a ton of determination – your body is a sea of tiredness, your legs feel like lead and you have to raise a sprint over the last lap to hold off Cherono and dip under Troopy’s old You over-ride the signals and run the last 400 metres in 60 seconds.
• and of course, talent. You can’t put in what God has left out! However, life is full of talented people who don’t make the grade. Carefully mix the above ingredients, cook slowly over many years and you may just come up with something that

Oh, by the way – I thought you’d like a peek at Craig Mottram’s Training Diary in the lead up to his Australian 5000 metres Record. During these 25 days, Craig put the icing on the cake that has taken years in the making (or is that baking?)

The post Craig Mottram Training – How to Run an Australian Record. A Recipe for Success appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

ADRIAN BLINCOE “KIWI FLYER”

Top New Zealand middle-distance runner, Adrian Blincoe is certainly a seasoned traveller with time spent over the last few years studying in America, racing for the renowned Villanova Wildcats and competing on the European athletic circuit. Over the summer of 2003 / 2004, Adrian travelled to Falls Creek to prepare in his bid to wear New Zealand’s famous black singlet with the silver fern at the Athens Olympics.

N.M. Adrian, welcome to Falls Creek. As a New Zealander, why are you here at this time of the year?

A.B. Just basically to escape the Philadelphia winter which can be very brutal. I remember we had 28 inches of snow in one day so those conditions make running very difficult indeed. Now that I don’t have the restrictions of running for the College, I decided to come over here for seven weeks solid base building training. Because I’ve been in Europe for so long, I just need 10 – 12 weeks of threshold workouts and mileage before I hit the track, so I guess there’s no better place to come than here.

N.M. Have you been to altitude and completed training in a group situation before?

A.B. No, this is the first stint at altitude for me so it’s all kind of new but we have Nic (Bideau) up here with us and he’s been doing this for a long time so he’s giving me advice and altering my workouts to suit how I’m going so that I get the most benefit from my time here.

N.M. How have you enjoyed the different terrain and running trails that Falls Creek has to offer?

A.B. It’s really good. First of all it’s been really good to catch up with the guys that I’ve lived with in Europe, like Georgie (Clarke), Buster (Craig Mottram), Benita (Johnson) and Cam (Benita’s husband). Also, I really like training with Buster, because we push each other along. Last year in Europe I was helping him out when he was coming back from injury and now that I’m not as fit as I’d like to be, he’s helping me out. But our group up here is really good and I’m used to training with up to twenty athletes.

N.M. You completed your first ever ‘Quarters Session” and Langfords yesterday. What were your impressions of this famous session?

A.B. I thought it was going to be a lot easier than it was. When you hear that it’s 8 x 400 metres with a 200 metre ‘float’ between, and then the sort of times that Buster and Mona have run up here, you think that does not sound too hard. But it’s a lot tougher than I thought and I learnt that you can’t ‘cook’ yourself too early. I went out a little too quick at the start and eventually paid for it. However, it’s a good session for me at this time of the year and I’m pretty confident that as I become fitter I can keep dropping my time for the session. I think we’re going to complete this session each Thursday for the next few weeks.

N.M. What was your time yesterday?

A.B. 15.45.

N.M. Coming to a complete stop and then turning at each end point certainly makes the session more difficult. In fact, at Falls Creek it’s a little like a gigantic ‘beep test’.

Ed. At Falls Creek the “Quarters Session” is run along a 600 metre stretch of aqueduct, with a shoe or a jacket or a stick dividing each 200 metre point.

A.B. Yes, I’m not used to doing a session like that and the stopping adds a little time to your end result but it’s the same for everyone. However, the slowing to turn does not mean extra recovery and I was hurting pretty bad towards the end yesterday.

N.M. And, as you said, you probably went out a little hard by sitting on Craig for the first few surges?

A.B. Yes, but it felt easy at that stage. However, once you go over your current fitness level in a session like that at altitude, there’s no coming back. Next time I’ll pace myself a little better early on and I’m confident that I can take a fair bit off my time of 15.45.

N.M. One of the good things about training at Falls Creek is that you have plenty of opportunity for recovering between sessions. What have you been doing between sessions?

A.B. I don’t usually run twice on my hard session day, but up here I’ve been doing an easy run each afternoon, which has been good because I find the easy 30 minute second run freshens up the legs ready for the next day. I have also been heading to the weights room to work on specific strength, stretching and core stability. Apart from that I’ve been fitting in a lot of reading. In the eight days I’ve been here I’ve read five books so that has helped to pass the time while I’m recovering. We’ve also been playing a bit of cards.

N.M. In regards to the cards, I hear that you’re a fan of “Five Hundred”

A.B. Yes, I think it’s the best card game and I’m pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.

N.M. What books have you read so far?

A.B. Lance Armstrong’s second book – “Every Second Counts”, a poker book called “The Greatest Game In The World”, “1984” by George Orwell, plus two of the Narnia series by CS Lewis – I’ve got the whole Narnia Chronicles so I’m working my way through those.

N.M. Pretty varied literary taste, I’d suggest.

A.B. Yes, I like to alternate between a classic book and something a little lighter. I’ve got “The Catcher In The Rye” and “Slaughterhouse Five” up here too, so I plan to read those soon.

N.M. I would have thought you’d have read Salinger’s “Catcher In The Rye” and Orwell’s “1984” at school?

A.B. No, I haven’t. We read a few of the classic American twentieth century novels at school and before heading here I read books like “To Kill A Mockingbird” and the “The Great Gatsby”. Then there was James Joyce’s book ……….. aaahhhh.

N.M. “Ulysses”?

A.B. No ……….. “Portrait Of An Artist As A Young Man” and that was pretty tough reading.

N.M. “Ulysses” is also very tough going?

A.B. Yes, I think “Ulysses” might stay on the shelf for a while.

N.M. I think “Ulysses” holds the record as the book most started but never finished.

A.B. Yes, it’s critically acclaimed and on top of all the “Best Books Of The Twentieth Century” but a very challenging read.

N.M. How did you become involved with Nic Bideau’s group?

A.B. My coach in America, Marcus O’Sullivan is good friends with Nic and so when I’d finished this season in America, he recommended that I work with Nic. When Sonia O’Sullivan was in America for the New York Marathon, we had a meeting and talked things through and now I will be spending the Australian summer training with his group.

(Ed. Marcus O’Sullivan represented Ireland in 4 Olympic Games – 1984 (800, 1500 metres / 1988 (1500 metres) / 1992 (1500 metres) / 1996 (1500 metres). He also won three World Indoor Championships over 1500 metres (1987, 1989, 1993), set the World Record for 1500 metres Indoors in 1989 (3:35.4), ran 3:50.9 for an Indoor Mile and with John Walker and Steve Scott, is one of only three athletes to record 100 plus sub four minute miles.)

N.M. You had a very successful 2003, culminating with you competing at the World Athletic Championships in Paris, where you won a heat of the 1500 metres. Can you go through that race?

A.B. It was kind of funny because, although it was my first senior World Championships, I was not all that nervous because it was not all that difficult to qualify for the next round. In my heat only four runners would not make it through and there were four obvious guys who weren’t up to the standard. Then, Bernard Lagat did not show up for my heat (because of a positive drug test that he was later cleared of) so that made things easier for me. In the race we went out really slow and I felt very comfortable, because I have a good kick and a decent turn of speed. When we started to pick it up I was boxed in right behind Medhi Baala and Reyes Estevez, but that was OK because those sort of guys are going to run on strongly. Then, with 150 metres to go I saw an opening and so that I would have a clear run, I swooped around the outside. With 100 metres to go I was still feeling great so I thought, “I can ease up here and run 0.2 of a second slower or maintain my pace and win the heat?”, so I chose to win the heat. I think it was a good move because, even though it didn’t really mean much, it got a lot of people back home in New Zealand interested.

N.M. Great for the sponsors too?

A.B. Yes, they were very happy.

N.M. Was it front or back page news back in New Zealand?

A.B. It was on the radio a lot and it may have made the small print somewhere in the sports results.

N.M. Was that your biggest win?

A.B. Because of how easy it was going to be to qualify, it was no big deal – The NCAA Championships that I won were a much bigger deal.

N.M. What happened in the World Championships semi-final?

A.B. Aaahhh ……. I got off to a bad start. After only a hundred metres I was boxed in at the rear. You might think that with 1400 metres to go there is plenty of time but when the pack is moving along at 3.36 pace or faster, it is really hard to improve your position unless you’re a sub 3.30 athlete. Then, when the pace picked up, I had the option of running the last 600 metres out in lane three against the best athletes in the world or staying where I was hoping that something would open up on the inside. I chose the later, but no gaps appeared. Then with 300 metres to go I was tripped and lost all momentum. Eventually I came home ninth, which was really disappointing. But I learnt a lot, especially about running the first 100 metres really aggressively so that you’re in the right position. Semi-finals at world level tend to be slow early so you have to be in the lead group when the pace picks up over the last two laps.

N.M. What time did you end up running?

A.B. About 3.42.

(Ed. Adrian’s time was 3:41.53 with Mehdi Baala first in 3:39.73)

N.M. Who was in you semi-final?

A.B. Medhi Baala, Reyes Estevez, Ruiz Silva, Fouad Chouki – the French guy who was later rubbed out for EPO use. There were a lot of guys who’ve run under 3.32.

N.M. Did you stay on in Paris and watch the final?

A.B. Yes, I did. And while it was fantastic to see athletes like El Guerrouj run, I felt that I would not have been out of place in the final. Whereas, two years previously, I would have thought ‘Wow, these guys are really moving – I don’t think I’ll ever reach that level’. So a lot can change over the course of two years.

N.M. Looking through your times, you have run Personal Bests right across the board in 2003.

A.B. Yes, there were P.B.’s in the 800 metres, 1500 metres, mile, 2000 metres and 3000 metres, so it’s been a good year. Basically, it came down to me being a year stronger but also getting into the right races. I’d never been to Europe before and every European race is an opportunity to run fast if you’re in great shape.

N.M. You mentioned earlier that your win in the NCAA Indoor 3000 metres was a highlight. What differences are there from indoor to outdoor racing?

A.B. There’s a lot more contact indoors, it’s a lot tighter on the smaller tracks so you have to protect your space. There can be a lot of elbows thrown but I like that type of physical racing. I won the NCAA 3000 metres and Distance Medley Relay in 2002 also so that was pretty special. When I first came to America my goal was to work my way up into the top three in the college system. In 2001, after six months I had placed second in the indoor 3000 metres, then the following year I recorded the third fastest time ever by a collegian indoors when I ran 7.47. Obviously, going into 2003 I had a fair bit of pressure on me as the favourite for both the 3000 metres and the distance medley but I was able to win both, which was both a relief and very satisfying.

N.M. Would it be fair to say that you receive more recognition in America than you do in New Zealand?

A.B. Absolutely. The famous American magazine “Track and Field News” covers Collegiate Track and Field just as much, if not more, as it covers professional athletics.

N.M. Your impressions of the American College running scene. Is it a great arena to develop running talent?

A.B. For me, it was perfect. I was able to win the New Zealand senior men’s 1500 metres in 2000 but I was only a 3.42 runner at that stage, so I was not ready to compete in the big European races. Instead, I chose to go to Villanova and run with Marcus O’Sullivan. It was a great learning experience for me because I learnt how to race as well as how to just run fast – developing things like my finishing kick and race tactics that I would need if I was going to perform well against the best runners in Europe. I also met a lot a great people as well as having a lot of fun. Saying all of that, you have to be careful in that there are only a handful of universities that I would recommend for runners, because a lot of them are still hung-up on the point scoring syndrome and trying to beat Conference rivals.

N.M. By that, do you mean that some of them flog their athletes and run them into the ground?

A.B. Yes, definitely. But my school was not like that at all. In fact, it was probably the opposite in that if I was feeling tired, they would rest me. For most colleges, the most important meets were the Conference Meets as that’s where the rivalries have developed and where the College Directors decide financial bonuses and structures for coaches. Luckily, Marcus was not at all hung-up on that and would always put the athletes’ well-being ahead of any team wins. I probably only ran 50% of the Conference Meets because our goal was to run well at the NCAA’s and well after I had finished college.

N.M. For anyone interested in going over to America, which Colleges spring to mind as the really good ones as far as athletics is concerned?

A.B. Obviously Villanova, Michigan – that’s where my fellow New Zealand 1500 metre runner, Nick Willis is, Providence is very good, Stanford is good but it’s very hard to get in to because they’re a little anti- foreigner. Colorado, Ohio State, Georgetown – schools like that I’d recommend. But overall, the top three are Villanova, Michigan and Stanford.

Adrian Blincoe anchored Villanova to back-to-back NCAA DMR titles in 2002 (9:31.00) and 2003 (9:29.12) pic.twitter.com/kVBWSJC9j2

— Run Nova (@RunNova) March 16, 2017

N.M. You also ran the World Cross-Country short-course race this year. What was that experience like?

A.B. I have raced the World Cross before, in the mud of Belgium in 2001, so I knew what to expect after finishing 57th. In 2003 I had high expectations and my goal was to finish in the top 30. However, I did not have a great race and finished 41st, which was pretty disappointing. But it’s such a great race and a twelve second improvement would have had me in the top 20, so if you have a good day, a top finish is possible. And so, I’m going back this year, hoping to break into the top 20.

(Ed. Adrian did not race the World Cross – Country in 2004)

N.M. The World Cross – Country is said to be the most competitive race in the world.

A.B. Yes, but not as much as it was with both a short and a long course race now scheduled. But it’s great for me because I can’t run the 12 km. but the 4 km. suits me fine.

N.M. Your plans for 2004? Obviously the Athens Olympics is your top priority.

A.B. Yes, everything I do is working towards Athens but I possibly have a few races here in Australia and maybe a New Zealand race scheduled, depending on my progress in my build-up. Then I will head back to Philadelphia for more training, then onto the World Cross. There’s also a possibility I may race the 3000 metres at the World Indoors. I also want to have a crack at the 5000 metre standard at Mt. Sac. I’m not planning to run the 5000 metres in the Olympics but it would be good to get one under my belt because I haven’t done one since 1998 when I ran 15.20 at the World Junior Championships. Then it’s onto Europe. Nic mentioned heading over in mid May, which is a lot earlier than I’d initially planned but I want to get the 3.36 Olympic Qualifying Time out of the way as soon as possible.

N.M. To make the New Zealand Olympic Team, what do you have to do?

A.B. It’s a bit easier than making the Australian Team in that I just have to run the A Standard – I don’t have to run a trial or the New Zealand Championships which means I can focus on what’s best for me, especially seeing as I’m based in America. So, if I run the A Standard and show good form in the lead-up to the Athens Olympics, I will be selected.

N.M. And, the A Standard is?

A.B. 3:36.2

N.M. You have spent a fair amount of time in London with Craig Mottram, based near Bushy Park. However, this was no luxurious “Five Star Hotel” existence with lots of sleeping on the floor, so the life of a top class athlete is not always as glamorous as it might seem.

A.B. No, the accommodation in London was nothing compared to what we have here at Falls Creek, which is amazing. In London, we had a one bedroom apartment, and Craig and Lauren (Hewitt) had the bedroom and I slept on a mattress in the lounge slash kitchen slash laundry slash dining room, but it was fine because we weren’t there that often with all the travelling to races we were doing. I’m sure an American would have been stressed out with those sort of living conditions but I reckon the Aussies and New Zealanders are a little more hardy. Also, it was close to some really great training venues so it was not a problem at all.

N.M. Did you come across any of the Kenyans while you were training in Bushy Park?

A.B. Yes, but they tend to run earlier than we do. However, you always see them around the streets of Teddington or Kingston, which is where the majority of non-European athletes base themselves.

N.M. You mentioned before that you have a good change of pace. Is that something that comes naturally or have you worked to improve in this area?

A.B. Ummmm …… I haven’t really worked on it that much. However, I do sprint drills and ‘ fast’ strides once a week, and sometimes twice a week during the track season. I do these on a Monday night and Friday night, if I’m doing a second speed session. Although my top end speed might not be as quick as some of the top guys and I would struggle to beat them in a ‘flat out’ 400 metres or 200 metres, I can change gears very quickly – it only takes me a few strides to change from 15 second 100 metre pace to 12 second 100 metre pace.

N.M. A skill that would be very handy in a Championship 1500 metres.

A.B. Yes. As long as you can run the last 300 metres in 38 seconds that’s really all you need because the pace tends to pick up over the last 600 – 700 metres. Because of this, at the top level, you need to be strong too. However, in the New Zealand Championships or in the American Championships, the kick doesn’t usually come until the final 200 metres, so they tend to be different races.

N.M. El Guerrouj has shown that you don’t need to be ‘super quick’ – if you’re running 54-second laps, eventually no one can keep up.

A.B. Exactly.

N.M. What specific sprint drills do you do?

A.B. It’s pretty basic stuff: I do two sets of five different drills. Each of the drills are completed over about 50 metres. The drills are ‘high knees’, ‘skipping and bounding for length and height’, ‘butt kicks’, ‘fast feet’ which is fast, flat-footed small steps concentrating on stepping over my opposite ankle for about 10 metres and “high knees with a kick out at the end” – I think you might call it the “B March”. I do them over slightly longer distances than a sprinter might use. A sprint coach in New Zealand, who coaches my younger brother, suggested that middle distance runners need to do the drills over a longer distance because they need to hold their form for longer.

Then I’ll finish the session off with five or six 100 metre strides with a jog back recovery. I’ll start at 15 second pace and get down to 13 second pace at this time of the year and during the track season, when my fast twitch fibres have kicked in, I’ll be running the last couple of 100 metres at 12 second pace.

N.M. Marcus O’Sullivan is your coach. What is his basic philosophy?

A.B. Most of his philosophy is based on what worked for him. I mean, he went to four Olympics and was at the top of the sport for 16 – 17 years, so he has a wealth of knowledge and experience. One area where he differs from a lot of other coaches is that he does not push you too hard in workouts. Sometimes, you might be struggling in a session and another coach might try to fire you up with, ‘come on, you’ve got to finish these last three reps!’ But if Marcus sees that you’re struggling, he’ll stop the session as there’s no point in thrashing someone who’s already worn down. He really stresses listening to your body. In fact, he did not train me all that hard at all and I’d usually only do 100 kilometres a week. Even the quality workouts aren’t that hard but because you’re absorbing them and fresh for each quality session, you’re improving.

However, one thing I try to do is run my easy runs at a decent pace if I’m feeling good. My father, who was my coach before I went to Marcus, used to emphasize this. In high school I was only running about 50 – 60 kilometres a week whereas some of my competitors were running 100 kilometres or even 100 miles a week so Dad said that if I wanted to be competitive with them, I should complete my basic training runs a little faster.

N.M. Does Marcus still run?

A.B. Yes, he’s still in great shape and often joins in with us. In 2002, at the age of 42, he ran 8.08 for 3000 metres indoors!

N.M. Have you had any injuries?

A.B. After World Juniors I had a patella tendonitis problem that put me out for a whole year and I still have problems with my knees but I know my body very well and I can manage it. Occasionally, I might need to take a week off to let my knees settle down. But if this is the only injury problem I ever have, I’ll be very happy.

N.M. Standing in the freezing Falls Creek water after a run would certainly help your knees?

A.B. It does. When I first arrived in Australia I felt a few twinges in my knees but I’ve been in the cold water a lot up here and they’re feeling good.

N.M. Have you only had your Dad and Marcus O’Sullivan as coaches?

A.B. Yes.

N.M. What were you studying at Villanova?

A.B. Accounting. I actually did two years of accountancy in New Zealand before heading for America. I think accountancy is a great degree to have with travelling as accounting is a universal language and they’re always in demand. Marcus was an accountant too and I have been lucky to pick up a job with a guy that Marcus used to work for. He’s been great in that he allows me to work the hours I want. This is usually about 16 hours a week, made up of four days of 4 hours. I work in the middle of the day, which allows me plenty of time to train but it also means that I have something to do away from running – it’s pretty difficult to be a runner 24 / 7.

N.M. If you were just a runner with all that time to fill in each day, eventually you’d run out of books to read and card playing partners.

A.B. Absolutely.

N.M. New Zealand has a very rich sporting heritage with the All-Blacks, their Cricket and Netball Teams and their champion athletes. What sports did you play while you were growing up?

A.B. Like everyone else, I played rugby. I did this for seven years until I was a little too small and was getting smashed. Apart from rugby, I played cricket, some water polo and basketball. I gave most of those away when I was fifteen and became a bit more serious about running. At seventeen I played a little bit of social water polo. I still swim now – if I become injured, I swim instead of aqua-jogging as I think it’s more beneficial.

N.M. New Zealand’s middle and long distance running has been unbelievably strong with names like Lydiard, Walker, Snell, Halberg, Dixon, Quax and Roe known all over the world. Do any of these people have any influence on New Zealand athletics now?

A.B. A little bit but not as much as you’d expect. Dick Quax and John Davies, who recently passed- away, ran the best athletic meets while I was growing up. John Davies was probably the most influential as he coached a lot of athletes as well as being an administrator in New Zealand. Walker has a bit of influence although it’s more through the people he knows. He’s really good friends with Nic and Marcus and I’m sure both of them have learnt a lot from John. Marcus tells the story of when he started racing in Europe, John asked to see his training diaries and critiqued his training with suggestions like, “you don’t need to be doing this sort of training here” or “why don’t you do this session here?” So in the early years, Walker was the ‘go to guy’ and a huge role model for Marcus. As for Arthur Lydiard, he still does a little coaching and obviously, all the current New Zealand coaches, and most of the coaches from all over the world, use some of Lydiard’s training principles. He still gives talks but he’s into his 80’s now and still very healthy with a forty year old wife.

(Ed. Sadly, in Texas on December 11th 2004, 87 year old Arthur Lydiard died of a heart attack while on an eight week lecture tour of America.)

N.M. Adrian, thank you very much for your time. I hope you enjoy the next few weeks training at Falls Creek and all the very best in your quest to represent New Zealand at the Athens Olympics.

A.B. Thanks Neil.

RUNNER PROFILE

Adrian Blincoe

Occupation Athlete / Accountant School Villanova University – Graduated 2003

Age 24 Date of Birth 4 / 11 / 79

Height 180 cm. Weight 61 kg.

Married / Single Single

Coach Marcus O’Sullivan

Personal Bests

800m. 1:49.81 (improved to 1:48.69 in Solihull – 22 / 5 / 04)

1500m. 3:36.57 (improved to 3:36.53 at the Bergen Bislett Games – 11 / 6 / 04)

Mile 3:54.40

2000m. 4:58.72

3000m. 7:47.46

Favourite Food Indian, Chinese

Food Eaten Before a Race Banana, Muffin Favourite Drink Banana milkshake Favourite Movie “Two Hands”

Favourite Book “Lord Of The Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien

Favourite Music / Band “Pearl Jam”

Favourite TV Show “24”

Favourite Night Spot “Brownies 23 East” (Philadelphia)

Favourite Holiday Spot “Mt. Manganui”

A Normal Base – Training Week.

Note: Easy run pace is about 3:45 minutes / kilometre.

Other Training / Recovery Sessions.

Swimming, weights.

Favourite Training Session 5 x Split 1000’s (600 metres hard / 100 metres jog / 400 metres hard) with 3 minutes recovery between.

Favourite Races 1500 metres and the Distance Medley Relay (1200m. 400m. 800m. 1600m.)

Favourite Place To Train Valley Forge

Toughest Ever Training Session 1600 metres (4.13) 1200 metres (3.00) 800 metres (1.56) 400 metres (54) with a lap jog recovery between.

Most Admired Runners / People  Marcus O’Sullivan

Advice to Other Runners “Surround yourself with the best people possible – coach, training partners, friends, manager”

Goals for the Future “To make the 2004 Olympic Final in the 1500 metres.”

Note: Unfortunately, Adrian fell 0.33 of a second short of the Olympic A Standard Qualifying Time and was not selected to represent New Zealand at the Athens Olympics. Instead, New Zealand selected Nick Willis for the 1500 metres.

Twelve months later, Adrian sent the following email:

“I didn’t go to World Cross last year as I got injured (achilles tendonitis) in the last week of January (whilst still up at Falls Creek). I had to take three weeks off completely, and that didn’t leave me enough time to get ready for the race.

Europe last year was disappointing. I came into the season in my best shape, ran a P.B. in my first race – 1:48 for 800 metres. Then I fell in the my first qualifying attempt, next race ran 3:36.5 – just outside the time needed. Then had a couple of slower races: 3:38, 3:37, 3:39 and basically just ran out of steam. It was hard because I was racing every weekend chasing the time, and my training suffered because I was always resting up – thus I ran out of gas a lot quicker than the year before.

This year I want to get back to a similar routine to 2003. I’ll run a few indoor races (I am in Philadelphia right now), then World Cross-Country. Then a few races in the U.S. before meeting up with Nic, Buster, and the crew in London, probably in June. The goal is to run well all season, run World Championships and set myself up for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

I have actually run 14:18 for 5000 metres as a junior before getting injured. The 15:20 was at World Junior Championships, an embarrassing race brought on by not training due to the knee injury which later put me out for 12 months.

All the best to members to the Geelong Cross-Country Team. Adrian”

Note: Adrian ran the 2005 World Cross – Country Short Course race in Saint Etienne / Saint Galmier, France and finished 69th (12.42) behind the incomparable, Ethiopian, Keninisa Bekele (11.33)

End

Elite Mens Mayoral Mile

Adrian Blincoe 1st 3.57 followed by Campbell of Ireland and Cureen of Samoa all sub 4min.

The post Interview with Adrian Blincoe “Kiwi Flyer” by Neil MacDonald appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

Neil MacDonald managed the Geelong Region Cross Country team from 2000-2007.

HEY THERE, GEORGIE GIRL!

January 2004 

Georgie Clarke burst onto the Australian athletics scene like a blonde haired comet in the late nineties. Running times that stunned the world, the Jan Juc teenager with the big heart and the prodigious talent went on to represent Australia at the Sydney Olympics as a sixteen year old. And despite experiencing a few ups and downs over the last two years, an older and stronger Georgie Clarke is back and ready to continue her rise to the top.

N.M.         Georgie, today you completed your first ever Falls Creek long run, finishing along the dusty, rocky, windy, hilly Bogong High Plains Road before arriving at Langford’s Gap. How far did you run and how do you feel?

G.C. I’m not sure how many kilometres I covered but I ran for one hour and 36 minutes, which is the longest run I’ve ever completed by a long way. And I didn’t feel too good, especially the last 30 minutes, where I really struggled.

N.M.         And on Thursday you completed a fairly intense track session in Geelong before heading up here.

G.C.          Yes, I ran 4 sets of 300 metres (30 seconds recovery) 200 metres with a lap jog between sets. But it was good because I haven’t done much speed work lately and I needed to start running fast in preparation for the up-coming Australian domestic season.

N.M.         How fast were you running the 300’s and the 200’s?

G.C.          Pretty close to as fast as I could go. The aim was to do the 300’s in about 47 seconds then run as fast as I could go for the 200’s, which was about 30 seconds.

N.M.         I hear that you had older brother Tim as a training partner.

G.C.          Yes, Tim is great like that and even though he’s playing A.F.L. football with Hawthorn, he still runs very well.

N.M.         What races do you have planned for the next few months?

G.C. I’m not 100% sure but I’m definitely running Brisbane on the 23rd of January, then Canberra and Melbourne with probably a few Inter – Club races thrown in. A lot will depend on how the training is going and what Nic wants me to do.

N.M.         And of course, all the top athletes are trying to run qualifying times for the Athens Olympics. The A Qualifier for the 1500 metres is a very challenging 4.05.

G.C.          Yes it is tough, a lot tougher than Sydney but I can only do what I can do and run as fast as I can. If I get it, I get it and if I don’t, I’ll just keep working harder so I run well the year after. I still think, that because I’m still young, my best running years are still a few years away. However, I’m going well at the moment so I’m very optimistic.

N.M.         Let’s back track a little. Bruce Scriven tells the story of your first training session with his group. At the time you were only 11 and a mere slip of a girl. Anyway, you turned up a few minutes late for the session at a golf course and the others had already run off to warm-up. Bruce said that the group was running down to a tree at the other end of the course then back so suggested that you run off and join the group on their return journey. However, you took off like a rabbit, quickly caught the group, rounded the tree then beat them back. At the time, Bruce thought, “crikey, this little girl can really run!” Do you remember that session?

G.C.          Yes, I remember the session. I’m pretty sure we were running 1000 metre reps around the golf tees. I’ve always been able to run, even when I was really little. I think that most young kids who are pretty fit, have some ability and really love what they’re doing, can do some pretty amazing things.

N.M.         You must have given some of the older boys in the group a shock?

G.C.          I don’t know about that – I’ve never asked them.

N.M.         What other sports did you play when you were young?

G.C.          I played lots of netball and I snow -skied from the time I could walk. As a family we did a lot of things together and I spent a lot of time with my brothers and did a lot of what they did. Both David and Tim were very talented junior athletes and are now playing A.F.L. football. (David with Carlton after transferring from Geelong and Tim with Hawthorn)

N.M.         You mentioned netball as a sport you played. When did you stop playing netball?

G.C.          I really enjoyed netball but had to stop when I was 15 because it was becoming too hard to run and play netball. Also, because I was starting to increase the intensity of my running, I needed to be fresh for each session and to recover properly between sessions. When I played netball in the morning, then had running training an hour later, it was just too much. But up until then I did lots of different things like surf life saving but with the Sydney Olympics in 2000 coming up, I basically stopped everything else in the winter of 1999 to concentrate on running. Looking back, many people could say it was a mistake because I was so young but to me it wasn’t because it was a once in a life time opportunity for me to make an Olympic Team in our own country. If I had my time again I wouldn’t change a thing.

N.M.         A little known fact about you is that you learned ballet when you were younger.

G.C.          Yes, I did but only until I was seven or eight. I enjoyed ballet but back then I wasn’t running so I could try lots of different things.

N.M.         In your early running years, say when you were 12 or 13, how much training were you doing?

G.C.          Ummmmm …… I’m not that sure as I don’t have a diary from back then. However, I remember running on the track on Tuesday and Thursday with a race on Saturday. Then I’d also go for the occasional 20 minute jog along the beach with Dad. Back then I would never run over half an hour.

N.M.         One of your old training partners from your early years, Richard Jeremiah, mentioned that one of Bruce Scriven’s favourite sessions for the younger athletes was 200 metre reps. Do you remember doing a few 200’s when you were younger?

G.C.          Yes, we did lots of different things with Scrivo – 200 metre reps, 300 metre reps. But back then I didn’t do much over 600 metre or 800 metre reps on the track until I was 15. For longer stuff, like one kilometre reps, we’d usually train away from the track. However, I never did anything longer than one kilometre reps. Back then I struggled a bit with the longer stuff as I lacked strength.

N.M.         And despite you saying that you lacked strength as a youngster, you were a junior phenomenon. In fact, you still hold the following World Age Group Records:

800 metres                12 year old                 2:08.83

1500 metres              12 year old                 4:24.96

1500 metres              13 year old                 4:17.53

1500 metres              14 year old                 4:17.53

1500 metres              15 year old                 4:06.77

1500 metres              16 year old                 4:06.77

In fact, at 15 years of age you were faster over 1500 metres than Olympic Champions, Sebastian Coe, Noreddine Morceli, Steve Cram and Steve Ovett when they were the same age.

Can you remember running any of those times?

G.C.          I remember running most of those races but I can’t remember how old I was at the time. What a lot of people might not understand was that I would never start off a season running those times. I might have run 2.08 for 800 metres as a twelve year old but that was after running heaps of races. When I started racing in September I might be only running 2.20 and with each race I’d get fitter and fitter and faster and faster. These days we don’t seem to race as much and sometimes I think that may be a disadvantage for me but it’s whole different situation when you’re eighteen or nineteen where you need to train more to become strong. When I was younger I could race a lot because I wasn’t training so much. However, if I did that now I might be struggling to run 4.30!

N.M.         You still hold many Little Athletics records in Geelong. Your memories of Little Athletics.

G.C. I didn’t like Little Athletics all that much because I would become frustrated as I just wanted to run the middle distances and they couldn’t tell me when my event was on and I didn’t like sitting around waiting all morning for my races.

N.M.         I would guess that many of your races back then would have been time-trials?

G.C.          Sometimes, but there were some pretty talented kids racing over 200 metres and 400 metres. I’m not sure where they all go but there’s lots of good runners in Little Athletics.

N.M.         At 15 years of age you ran 4:06.77 in Hobart with Sarah Jamieson and Benita Johnson close behind. I would argue that your 4:06.77 is one of the better World Age Group Records. Can you remember the race?

G.C. Yes, I can. It was perfectly paced. That year we had a couple of Kenyan girls who were running really well and they took us through to 1000 metres – that’s one of the big problems in Australia, we don’t have girls who can take us through the first kilometre. It tends to be ‘dog eat dog’ and there’s not a lot of girls who want to help each other out so it’s tough racing out there.

N.M.         When you were 15 you had some pretty big decisions to make. Did running 4:06.77 in Hobart mean that ‘all systems were GO for Sydney?’

G.C.          The decision was pretty much made in June 1999. At the time I was in London with my current coach, Nic Bideau and I’d just won the World Youth Championships over 800 metres even though I wasn’t in great shape at the time. Back then I wasn’t training all that much – I was just relying on my speed and natural ability. One day Nic took me for a run around Bushy Park and I couldn’t keep up. We ran for 66 minutes which was a long way back then. I remember that I nearly collapsed when I’d finished but he told me that if I worked a bit harder and got a bit fitter, that I could make Sydney. Who’s going to pass up going to the Olympics? So when I got home I decided to train really hard – I started running 35 minutes on a Monday, 45 minutes on a Wednesday, 60 – 70 minutes on a Sunday as well as the sessions I would normally do on Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday. And with the increased mileage, I improved out of sight.

N.M.         How many kilometres would you have been doing in a big week back then?

G.C.          In 2000 I was doing about 60 – 70 kilometres a week

– not a lot, when you consider a lot of my older competitors would have been doing well over 100 kilometres a week, but 60 – 70 kilometres was probably a fair bit for my age.

N.M.         And a big increase on what you had been doing.

G.C.          Yes, a significant increase.

N.M.         Making the Olympic Team must have been a huge thrill and a great reward for all the hard work. What are your memories of Sydney?

G.C.          The Olympics were absolutely awesome. Which athlete wouldn’t want to represent their country at an Olympics? Because I was young the racing was pretty tough but I had a great time and it was a wonderful experience.

N.M.         Waiting in the call room for your heat of the 1500 metres. How did you feel?

G.C.          I’m not one to get too carried away so I tried to just treat it like any other race. However, at the time it was all a bit overwhelming for a young girl and a lot of things tended to rush by in a bit of a blur. I did not think too much of it at the time but in years to come I’ll look back and fondly remember a pretty special time in my life.

N.M.         In your heat you relaxed a little a few metres from the line and almost missed qualifying for the semi-finals.

G.C.          Yes, that’s a bad habit of mine – I sometimes don’t run all the way through the line. I also think it was also pretty tough out there – I was there with 200 metres to go then everyone started to kick past me because I was young and lacked their strength. That’s another reason why I needed to do the mileage, so I would have the strength to finish off my races.

N.M.         So you made the semi-final. Your memories of that race?

G.C.          Like I mentioned before, everything seemed to rush past so quickly. There were pretty big expectations of me at the time but I was happy to make the semi-final. However, even though I trained hard to get to the Olympics, in many ways it came easily as I’m training a lot harder now and I’m a much stronger and tougher athlete than I was in 2000.

N.M.         What are you memories of the Olympic Opening Ceremony and life in the Olympic Village?

G.C.          I think everyone saw how awesome the Opening Ceremony was and for the athletes the whole Olympic experience was fantastic. While I was not training I spent a lot of time in the Nike tent that was just outside the Village. I would meet Mum , Dad, my brothers and my best friend, Shay there and we’d play games and watch TV. They also had really good food in the Nike tent. We’d also go out for trips down to Parramatta or Bondi. As far as the Village was concerned, I didn’t spend too much time there as I would be training or racing or out watching other sports. The main things I did in the Village were eat, sleep and occasionally hang out with my room mates, Tatiana Gregoriova and Jana Pittman.

N.M.         Did you spend any time celebrity spotting in the Village and did you get to meet any of the super -stars from other sports?

G.C.          No, not really. I’m not really into that sort of thing. Obviously, I saw the top runners but I’ve seen them at races before so that wasn’t such a big deal. I did see a few of the top swimmers like Ian Thorpe but the Village was huge and you could go days without seeing anyone you knew.

N.M.         During the last few years you have had a few ups and downs, like a lot of teenage female athletes. What were some of the problems you experienced and how did you work through them?

G.C.          I had a few problems immediately after Sydney -nothing too serious as I was still running, just not running as much. In 2002 I was back running well, then at the end of the season I developed quite a serious knee injury that kept me out of the Commonwealth Games. Initially, I had bursitus under the IT band but that had improved by August. Then I had general swelling in both knees that caused ongoing problems for the next 12 – 16 months that stopped me from running. At the time there was no real diagnosis of what was wrong but it was probably just a growing problem. Also, at that time my body was changing and at first I found it hard to adapt, both physically and emotionally, when I did get back running. I kept rushing back instead of being patient and realising that it would take time to become fit and run fast again. In the end I was forced to take a long time off from running and as I’d had no time off since I was eleven or twelve, at first, it was pretty hard to take. But I’ve been on the way up since April of this year and with all the hard work I’ve been putting in, things are going well again. However, I think that it will be another year or so before I’m running at my absolute best. You don’t see many young girls on the middle-distance circuit overseas as it’s such a tough event to run at the top level. Also, a lot of young girls struggle from 15 – 19 years of age because their bodies are changing. But it’s not abnormal so you just have to accept it.

N.M.         Eloise Poppett said exactly the same thing: that a lot of teenage girls hit the ‘difficult years’ and think that they will never run well again and give it away.

G.C.          Yes, that’s true. I think you need a really good support group around you, which I do, and believe that with hard work and perseverance you can run fast again. I’m definitely working hard and I’ll keep trying my best until I’m running as well as I know I can.

N.M.         Even though it was hard at the time, physically and mentally did you need a break from running?

G.C.          I think that because everything came so easily to me when I was younger, I needed to have things put back in perspective a little, not that I ever got ahead of myself. However, the time off gave my body a chance to develop and gave me some time to appreciate the things that I had achieved and the things I still hoped to achieve. At the time I thought that the time off was the worst thing that had happened to me but because athletics is such a tough sport that requires so much hard work and dedication and I hope to be in the sport for a long time, the time off has helped me a lot.

N.M.         And you’re hungry again!

G.C.          Yeah …… I’m certainly hungry but I’m also patient and I know what it’s going to take and how hard I’ll have to work. But as long as things are progressing forward, I’m happy.

N.M.         While you were out injured you did Pilates. Are you still doing Pilates?

G.C.          No, Pilates is a bit slow for me. It was good at the time because I couldn’t do any gym work because of the pressure on my knee but now that the knee is OK, I do gym work instead.

N.M.         What gym work do you do?

G.C.          I do bits and pieces although not a great amount because we’re running so much. I do a little bit with weights but most of the work I do involves sit-ups / core stability work and circuits involving my own body weight.

N.M.         Earlier this year you ‘bit the bullet’ and headed overseas even though you were not fully fit. While overseas you trained with Sonia O’Sullivan and Benita Johnson, who were both running really well at the time. Those sessions must have been challenging?

G.C.          As I was really unfit, those first few sessions were very tough and I was constantly out the back and at the time I hated every minute of it. But it was also good because it pushed me and made me realise how much work I had to do to get back. Eventually, I started to regain fitness and if I did that four months now it would be a totally different story. I also appreciate Sonia’s and Benita’s support at the time as they were both fantastic to me.

N.M.         And both of them have been there and done that.

G.C.          Yes they have but they’re both really nice people too.

N.M.         You mentioned before that Nic Bideau is now you coach. Why the change and what is Nic’s basic coaching philosophy?

G.C.          What a lot of people might not realise is that Nic has been around ever since I was eleven and has had a big impact on my whole career. And although Scrivo has done a fantastic job coaching me when I was younger, Nic was always around offering advice and helping out too. And for most of the time Nic and Scrivo acted as a partnership but unfortunately that didn’t work at the end so I had to choose between one or the other. In the end I chose Nic because I thought my career was better served by going with him. As far as training goes, it hasn’t changed much except that I’m doing more of it.

N.M.         How many kilometres would you be doing in a big week now?

G.C.          About 115, maybe 120, but that’s pushing it.

N.M.         How many days do you run twice?

G.C.          Three days a week, maybe a bit more up here.

N.M.         With the increased running, do you feel as though you’re getting stronger?

G.C.          Yes, slowly because the longer stuff is my weaker area as I found out on this morning’s long run.

N.M.         At the moment you’re concentrating on the 1500 metres but what do you think will eventually be your best distance?

G.C.          At the moment I like the 1500 and I’ll stay with it for a while. I think my engine runs out at 3 kilometres but who knows in a few years time. I still like the faster stuff although I’m not very quick at the moment. Maybe by the end of the year I’ll be back down to 2.01 for 800 metres.

N.M.         A couple of weeks ago you ran 8.56 for 3000 metres at State League on a very hot night. That must have been very satisfying?

G.C.          Yes, that was really good. It was a P.B. and showed that I’m going forward so hopefully I can follow up with a few more P.B.’s.

N.M.         When you’re not running, what do you like to do?

G.C.          I’m studying Health / Science at University although I’m not sure what career I want to follow. I chose this area because it gives me lots of choices. I also hang-out with my friends, go to the movies, I love shopping. I guess I live a pretty normal life when I’m not racing or training.

N.M.         Georgie, thank you very much for your time. All the very best for the up-coming season and I hope you run that sub 4.05 and make it to Athens.

G.C.          Thanks, Neil.

RUNNER PROFILE – Georgie Clarke

• Occupation / School Second Year University Student
• Age 19
• Date of Birth   17 / 6 / 84
• Height 170 cm.
• Weight 48 kg.
• Married / Single Single
• Coach Nic Bideau

Personal Bests

• 400 m.  55.0
• 800 m.  2:01.7
• 1500 m. 4:06.77
• 3000m.  8:56

Favourite Food Avocado

Food Eaten Before a Race Banana or toast

Favourite Drink Mineral Water

Favourite Music / Band Whatever is on the radio

Favourite TV Show “24” Favourite Night Spot  The Beach

Favourite Holiday Spot The Whitsundays.

A Normal Training Week.

Other Training / Recovery Sessions.  Massage, gym, circuits, swimming at the beach

Favourite Training Session any track session.

Favourite Races 1500 metres.

Best Ever Performances Winning World Youth Championships 800 metres (1999) and 1500 metres (2001) 2000 World Juniors 800 metres (second) / 1500 metres (third)

Favourite Place To Train   Jan Juc / Geelong

Toughest Ever Training Session Any speed sessions on the track with short recoveries (lots of lactic!)

Most Admired Runners / People I admire many athletes.

Advice to Other Runners  “Believe in yourself and be patient and consistent.”

Goals for the Future   “To stay uninjured for as long as I can and to win as many races as possible.”

The post Interview with former Aussie middle distance teenage phenom Georgie Clarke appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

Neil MacDonald managed the Geelong Region Cross Country team from 2000-2007.

DICK TELFORD – TAKING A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH.

January 2003

Dr. Dick Telford is Australia’s best-known sports scientist. He is also one of Australia’s top coaches, guiding the careers of many of our top middle and long distance runners. I was fortunate to catch up with Dick at Falls Creek for a relaxing chat on a range of athletics topics.

N.M.         Dick, you have been travelling to Falls Creek over Christmas / New Year for many years now. What has Falls Creek got to offer distance runners?

D.T.          I think that Falls Creek is the best altitude training venue we have in Australia. However, I sometimes go up to Charlotte Pass and Thredbo because they are close to Canberra being only two and a half hours away. We also occasionally use the Brindabella Ranges which is only an hour out of Canberra. That’s at about 1600 metres but the running trails at Falls Creek are far superior to anything that these other venues have to offer. The other reason we choose Falls Creek is that there are a lot of runners here and the atmosphere and group training effect is fantastic.

N.M.         You have completed a study on the benefits of altitude training. Could you briefly go through your findings?

D.T.          The study was in 1993 and that was when I first met Said Aouita. I was able to recruit a few people from all over the world, a couple from America, a couple from England, and some from Morocco to assist. Basically, we had a group training at Charlotte Pass living and training at 1800 metres and another group at Narrabeen living at zero metres. We had both groups completing very similar training programmes in matched pairs. Both groups were well looked after with massage and physio for three weeks and after final testing we found there was a big improvement in performance from the altitude group – 7 % for a 3000 metre run at sea-level. That 7% improvement was fantastic but the only complicating factor was that the control group who trained and lived at Narrabeen improved 7% as well. So it just shows the importance of having a control group. Our conclusion from that study was that while the altitude training camp was successful, it was no better than the control group that was based at sea-level and that improvement came from the ‘camp or group training effect’.

N.M.         Do you think 1600 metres, the altitude at Falls Creek, is high enough?

D.T.          Yes, I do. I think you can achieve good ‘altitude effect’ from a thousand metres up because right from the start there is a decrease in maximal oxygen up-take. This even happens at Canberra with its 640 metre altitude. That’s why it’s hard to run qualifying times or Personal Bests over 5 and 10 kilometres in Canberra. At 640 metres your max VO2 comes down 3 – 4 % in an elite runner, although it doesn’t change at all in a non – elite runner. So if that’s happening to elite runners it means that their respiration system is put under a little more stress that the body gradually adapts to.

N.M.         Is three weeks at altitude the right length to gain a benefit?

D.T.          No, I would say that it varies but for people who have to work or study or have other commitments, three weeks tends to be suitable and practical. However, I’ve worked with Yobes Ondieki, Arturio Barrios, Rob de Castella and many others who’ve lived at altitude for months and achieved fantastic results. What I can’t say is whether they would not have achieved fantastic results if they had not lived at altitude. But my belief or ‘gut feeling’ is that long term stays at altitude can produce excellent results and a series of short terms stays at altitude can also have good effects. However, don’t ask me which is best because a proper study would be needed rather than just listening to what athletes say.

N.M.         I would assume that different athletes respond in different ways?

D.T.          True, but it’s also amazing just how similar humans are. We hear about ‘responders’ and ‘non – responders’ but I don’t go along with that very much. When you look at the results it’s pretty clear that with a system of breathing air in, exchanging gases and running, people aren’t all that much different unless you’re comparing a 400 metre runner from a marathon runner, then very different things occur.

N.M.         What is your current position?

D.T.          For the last 6 – 7 years I have been a consultant to the Institute of Sport as a coach. I also work as a Professor of Exercise Physiology at Griffith University on the Gold Coast where I have Ph.d and Masters students who come down to Canberra to complete the practical component on their study. I also work with an organization called the

“Bluearth Institute” which is a group that helps disadvantaged kids with low self-esteem. A colleague of mine has put a lot of money into the project and has just employed 30 people full time – I had to mention the “Bluearth Institute” because, while its a non – paying position, it’s an important part of what I do.

N.M.         You were involved in the Australian Institute of Sport during the early years. That must have been an exciting time setting up what is now regarded as one of the world’s leading Sports Institutes?

D.T.          Yes, I think the A.I.S. has made a huge difference to Australian Sport. I was the person who was given the charter of setting up the Philosophy of Sports Science and Sports Medicine in Australia. I was the first person appointed there and with colleagues was able to design laboratories. Initially, I travelled around the world to other institutes, then tried to give the Australian Institute of Sport our own flavour. One of the reasons I think it has been so important is that it paved the way for other Institutes to set up around Australia. Now every State has its own Institute and that’s fantastic.

N.M.         A lot of elite athletes visit the A.I.S. Have you learnt a lot from athletes like Andre Bucher when they visit?

D.T.          There is no question that I learn a little bit from all the athletes I come across. In terms of the longer distance athletes, and I’ll probably miss a few here, but obviously we’ve had Rob de Castella – he’s been my next door neighbour and one of my best mates for years. We started working together in 1981. Then there’s runners like Yobes Ondieki, who lived with Lisa in our house for a long time, Arturio Barrios, Alberto Salazar, then more recently Gert Thuys – who has a 2:06 marathon to his credit. To me 2:06 sounds OK for an 800! And there’s lots of others who visit the Institute, usually to be tested or to work out some sort of problem.

N.M.         I can remember watching you starring for Preston in the V.F. A on a Sunday afternoon. In fact, you won a Liston Trophy for best player in the V.F.A. What was your sporting background?

D.T.          Being a Melbournian I didn’t know about sports other that football and cricket, apart from when I went to see Ron Clarke and John Landy run. However, I did win the Combined High Schools Mile one year when someone talked me into running instead of going off to cricket practice. That is a bit of a regret because I would have loved to find out just how quick I could have been if I’d run earlier. In the end I didn’t start running seriously until I was 35 which is a fraction late, particularly over a mile.

N.M.         What sort of times did you record?

D.T.          Well, Neil – as you’ve asked I can honestly say that my last marathon, my last half marathon, my last 1500 metres and my last 800 metres, which were all recorded around the age of 45, are all P.B.’s. I don’t know how many other runners can say that their very last races over a distance were P.B.’s.

N.M.         And your times for those distances?

D.T.          Aahhh ….. 2:27 for the marathon, 1:57.6 for the 800, 3:57 for the 1500 metres and 68:30 for the half marathon but I’ve only ever run one half marathon. But the one that was particularly pleasing was the 1500 because it was at the World Masters Championships in Melbourne where I finished equal third with a fellow named Dixon.

N.M.         Not Rod Dixon, the New Zealand Olympian?

(Ed. Rod Dixon won a bronze medal over 1500 metres at the Munich Olympics, then finished fourth at the Montreal Olympics over 5000 metres. To underline his outstanding range of athletic ability, Dixon also won the 1983 New York Marathon in 2:08.59)

D.T.          No, it was his brother.

N.M.         Were you an ‘experiment in one’? Were you trialling your running philosophies with your own training?

D.T.          Yes, most definitely. I really wanted to find out what I could do. I started out running marathons in the Deek era and really enjoyed that. In fact, I started running long distances for marathons when I was Coaching Co-ordinator / Manager for the Victorian Cricket Team. They would be out in the field all day and I felt as though I had to do something so I’d go off and run for 90 minutes. But later on I wanted to find out what I could do over the middle distances so I had to get rid of the ‘marathon legs’ that I’d developed with all the long, slow running I’d been doing. It took me three years before I could break 4 minutes for the 1500 metres and 2 minutes for the 800 metres. It was interesting because I was getting older, 41, 42, 43 ……… and my times were coming down as I worked out how to train better and get the speed back that I had when I was younger. Basically, I did weights, circuits and the sort of speed work that I didn’t do when I was running marathons.

N.M.         How important were the weights for getting the speed back in your legs?

D.T.          They were very important. I probably had a few fast twitch fibres when I played football but turned those into slow twitch marathon fibres with all the endurance training I was doing. I reckon I probably ran as well as I could run for the marathon, although I ran the 2:27 in Canberra and it might be a little bit harder to run there because of the slight altitude. But I had to get the strength back pretty quickly as I could not wait five years or I’d be 49, so the weights worked well.

N.M.         Did your VO2 max gradually drop as you aged?

(Ed. VO2 max indicates aerobic power although there are other factors that are important in determining running potential. However, elite middle and long distance athletes tend to have high VO2 max readings. In the general population VO2 max readings decrease with age.)

D.T.          No, it didn’t. While I was running between the ages of 36 and 44 my VO2 max reading didn’t change at all. It just shows you what can happen if you continue to train. As some people say, you can ‘grow younger’. I didn’t grow younger but in terms of my fitness I was getting faster in all the shorter events and I reckon I could have run faster in the marathon if I had continued.

N.M.         Were you ever keen to have a serious crack at football at A.F.L., or as it was then, V.F.L. standard?

D.T.          Actually, I did. One of the Collingwood scouts picked me out when I was 17 and I went straight into the final senior practice match. I had followed Collingwood and I could not believe that I was lining up in the final practice match on Ken Turner, a guy who’d played for Victoria and here I was, a skinny little seventeen year old. I thought they were going to play me in the Under 19’s. It was just ridiculous – I hadn’t even played a game of football that year and I was playing on a guy I’d idolised in front of a crowd of about 25 000 people at Victoria Park. Although I got a few kicks it wasn’t a great start. But I was absolutely ‘#@&% scared’ and I didn’t know anybody. I never really got going even though I finished third in the Reserve’s Best and Fairest that year. I guess my heart wasn’t really in it so I ended up playing baseball for a year, then a bit of soccer with a group called Northcote Park, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then I decided that I was going to really study hard until I just happened to be watching Preston play their third game of the season and a guy said, “Dick, we’d love you to come down for a kick.” By that stage I was getting itchy feet so I went down and even though I missed the first few games, that was the year I won the Liston Trophy for Best and Fairest in the Competition. The V.F.A. just suited me so well because, without the wings, I could run and use my fitness. With Collingwood, I was too small and would keep running into people. But in the V.F.A. I took great pride in running the opposition off their legs so they’d be exhausted.

N.M.         The V.F.A. was a pretty tough competition in those days.

D.T.          I did get knocked around a lot, especially after I won the Liston, but I had a few guys like Alan Joyce and John McArthur who played with Hawthorn and Bobby Ireland who came from Fitzroy, who would look after me. If I got hit, one of their guys would be flattened and everybody knew that.

N.M.         How did you become involved in athletics coaching?

D.T.          Like a lot of things, by default. I went up to the Institute of Sport by default because I was rapt with my job at the R.M.I.T. at Bundoora but Don Talbot offered me the A.I.S. job when I was lecturing at Deakin, down at Geelong. I didn’t even apply for the position. With the Victorian Cricket Coaching job, Frank Tyson asked me to take over because he had A.B.C. commitments. With the Preston Football Club I was watching the final practice game when they sacked their coach and I was offered the position. With the Preston Cricket Club, Jack Potter (Ed. Jack Potter played Test Cricket for Australia) suddenly resigned and asked me at a party if I could take over. I don’t think I’ve ever applied for a job – I don’t think I’d know how – I just seem to have fallen into things.

And with athletic coaching, it was exactly the same. Carolyn Schuwalow came to me and said that she’d lost her scholarship to the A.I.S. and asked if would I coach her? So that’s how I started. Then Andrew Lloyd came down and he had eyes on Carolyn Schuwalow so he’d hang around her. I don’t think he knew much about me but eventually he asked me to coach him as well so he could be near Carolyn rather than he thought I could coach as I had no record at the time. Then, I remember vividly how I came to coach my third athlete. I was around at a mate’s place in Greensborough when I received a call from the States and it was Lisa Martin. She said, “Dick, I met you over at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games with Rob de Castella. Anyway, I have just broken up with my husband and he was my coach. Would you be able to coach me?”

At this stage she didn’t even know that I was coaching Carolyn. Anyway, I told her that I had a job and that I wasn’t sure if I had the time. In the end she said she’d give me time to think about it – she gave me 24 hours. I said why only 24 hours and she replied that she needed to meet me in Japan in four days time for a race. So that’s how I started with Carolyn, Andrew and Lisa.

N.M.         You have coached some great athletes.

D.T.          Oh yeah ……. I have really enjoyed the experience. What I reckon has been fantastic is that I have been able to coach people into the 5000 metres and 10 000 metres Finals at the World Championships and the Olympics. Obviously I have been lucky to work with some very talented athletes but no one else has been able to do that in the last 20 years. But now with Craig Mottram and Benita Johnson and the others coming through, I reckon we are ready to take the next step. I just love getting people into finals and having them run up to their potential. There’s been people like Darren Wilson running 60.02 in the Tokyo Half Marathon – that was a real thrill. Unfortunately, Darren couldn’t quite get it all together for more than a year and a half otherwise I believe he would have been an unbelievable champion. Then I’ve worked with Susan Hobson for a year when she made an Olympic Final, Carolyn Schuwalow Olympic Final, Andrew Lloyd winning the Commonwealth Games Gold, Lisa winning a Commonwealth Games Marathon when I told her to slow down and save herself for another race – she ran 2:25 but could have run 2:22 or 2:23 and broken the World Record. Later we found out that she was pregnant but she didn’t know it at the time and obviously didn’t run for a while. I also had a good year with Kate Anderson when she was running well. More recently I’ve worked with Nickey Carroll. She’s just coming back after some hormonal problems. In fact, she’s up at Falls Creek now and it’s the first time she’s been able to train properly for 18 months. Then there’s Liz Miller, who has been great to work with although she’s had similar thyroid problems to Nickey Carroll.

N.M.         Marathon champion of the 1980’s, Alberto Salazar also had problems with his thyroid.

D.T.          That’s right. In fact, I tested Alberto and found that he had a loss in efficiency which was affecting his running.

So , yes, I’ve been really lucky to work with some great runners. Just watching Benita Johnson come through as a 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 year old has been fantastic. Every year watching her progress but not pushing her too hard so that the improvement stops. Making sure to hold her back while she’s developing so her best years are ahead of her.

N.M.         You’ve mentioned many great athletes that you’ve coached or worked with – people like Rob de Castella. What made these athletes great?

D.T.          Well, as you’d know, I was Rob’s Physiologist not his coach as Pat Clohessy was his coach and Pat did a fantastic job with Rob. Rob, along with all the top athletes I have seen or worked with, had an incredible desire to do well. A lot of people said that Lloydy was just a ‘Fun Runner’ and that was true, he was when I started working with him. But very soon it became very evident that he had an intense desire to do well. He would never shirk on a training session. He used to say, “you do the thinking – I’ll do the running! You just tell me what to do and I’ll do it! And even if I’m struggling, I’ll run myself into the ground until I do it!” That’s the sort of attitude he had. Now, I don’t think that’s necessarily the right attitude because I have other athletes who will talk to me and say, “Geez, Dick – I’m feeling really tired tonight!” and we’d talk it through and maybe change the session.

I have been involved in a lot of sports, from Physiologist with the Australian Swimming Team to the Australian Canoeing Team and without doubt, the hardest sport in the world is distance running because I don’t see too many Ethiopian canoeists or Kenyan swimmers or Moroccan triathletes. You see a few soccer players from these countries but you also see one hell of a lot of runners!

That’s one of the reasons I became involved – it’s the sport that’s the most difficult to reach the top in so why not have a go at it!

N.M.         Rob de Castella seemed almost ‘bulletproof” in that he never seemed to get injured. Was this good management or did he have a body that could handle the pounding?

D.T.          Well, there certainly was no luck involved as Pat brought Rob on gradually and sensibly so he could handle the training. One of Pat’s great strengths as a coach was knowing when athletes need to ‘back off’. Year after year after year, Rob gradually built up the quality and quantity of his training so he could progress without injury. It’s been the same with Benita. Holding athletes back for success later on is one of the best things a coach can do for a developing athlete.

N.M.         Andrew Lloyd’s Commonwealth Games 5000 metre gold in 1990. Was this the most exciting race you’ve been involved in?

D.T.          I think it would have to be. I have seen a lot of exciting races but that’s the one that comes to mind being so excited that I could barely speak because it happened so quickly. That particular year we did really work on Lloydy’s speed. There was no way known he could compete with Yobes Ondieki of John Ngugi in an endurance / threshold race. For a start the selectors didn’t want to select him …… typical!!! Anyway, he finally got over there and I figured that he was an outside chance for a bronze if the race was run to suit him. In fact, before the race I would have said a ‘top 6’ placing would be a fantastic effort. But what we did do was change his training programme a fair bit on the assumption that the race was going to be slow for some reason, like a bad weather day or people ‘foxing around’, and that it was going to come down to the fast last 400 – 800 metres. So we worked on his speed hoping that he would still be there at the end because if it was run at a fast, even tempo it would have been ‘see you later, mate!’ Many people have critisized him for sitting on Mona in races and outkicking him at the end but they don’t realise that he couldn’t get past Mona and stay But what Lloydy did have was a huge anaerobic capacity. No matter how ‘stuffed’ he was at training he could always raise a fast sprint at the end. In training he might be doing a 1600 metre repetition in about 4:30 and he would be running the third lap so you were in doubt that he could even finish the last lap, but you’d say, “come on Lloydy – go for it!” and he’d always finish fast. Then he might take half an hour to recover where some of the other runners might only take 5 – 10 minutes to recover because he’s more anaerobic.

Actually, he missed his best athletic event. His best distance was the 1500 metres. He was able to run 3:36.60 for 1500 metres overseas even though he was about 29 and training mainly for longer races. I reckon if he had concentrated on the 1500 metres / mile when he was 20 /21 years of age he could have been one of our best ever middle distance runners.

Anyway, we trained for a fast finish and history tells us that the race was slow because Ondieki and Ngugi fell over, but with a lap to go Ngugi was still holding a comfortable lead. Then Lloydy took off like a train and caught Ngugi right on the line.

N.M.         And when asked later what he was thinking with 200 metres to go, Lloydy said, “bugger the silver – I’m going for the gold!”

D.T.          Yes. So the race was a punt that paid off. Actually, he still ran a P.B.

N.M.         You have also coached a few athletes that many would call eccentric. Lisa Martin / Ondieki probably got the best out of herself by being so single-minded?

D.T.          Yes, you can argue that way because attitudes can be a positive or a negative, depending on the situation. However, I’ve never come across anyone with the work ethic that Lisa possessed. She would just devote herself to the training required. Lisa didn’t need to go out and run in the forests, she would just run ten miles around the lake in the morning, then ten miles around the lake again in the afternoon. Next day, it was the same again, except for her long runs and track sessions. We would do 200’s and 400’s on the track but her training was basically, track and lake, track and lake!

Later on she changed a bit but she only did that because Yobes wanted to run in the forest. But she had unbelievable tenacity. However, I don’t believe that she got the best out of herself. A couple of years before the ‘96’ Olympics she fell over the front porch, damaging the sole of her foot. This stopped her running in the years when I thought she was capable of beating the Australian Record. It was really sad, actually because she spent a lot of her money and so much time and emotional energy trying to get it right. But it was never the same again – she found it difficult to flex her foot properly and the 18 months leading up to the Atlanta Olympics was pretty tough for her. She even moved to Townsville to live and did everything right but she couldn’t run properly. And all because of a simple fall, not because of a running injury.

N.M.         You tell the story of Lisa having low iron stores at one stage and you suggested that she eat a little liver. Could you please relate what happened next?

D.T.          This is a pretty good indication of how Lisa sees things. Everything about her running had to be just right. When she became iron deficient I told her about how good liver was in fixing this deficiency rather than just taking tablets. Anyway, I thought she’d just have a serve of liver once a week. Then two or three weeks later I asked her how the liver was going and she said, “fine”. Then I asked her if she liked it and she replied, “No, I don’t really like it but it’s OK.” Next I asked if she’d cooked it two or three times and she said, “No, I’ve eaten it every single day and if that’s what I need to keep my iron stores at the right level, I’ll keep eating it every single day!” But that’s Lisa for you – an athlete who would do whatever it took to run well.

N.M.         Darren Wilson was another incredible talent – his 60.02 for the Tokyo Half Marathon is arguably the Australian distance running record that is closest to World Standards. Leading up to that run did you think he would run that fast?

D.T.          No …….. His training indicated he was going to run well but 60:02 was incredible. I would have been happy with sub 62. He was very fit and had put in a great year of training. He’d done everything right and I don’t take credit for that – it was, Glenda, his partner who supplied the stability that he needed to run well.

That year I was overseas for a while but he just completed every training session. None of the sessions were sensational but I didn’t want that –   what I did want was the consistency, just getting the work done. He went to Falls Creek that year and a few of the guys were astounded that he ran so well in Tokyo after not running super well on the mountain. However, I told him to hold back at Falls Creek and let the others go if they wanted to ‘hammer’ a session – that his race was in Tokyo, not Falls Creek. A few of them must have thought he was unfit. But when he came back from Falls Creek I hammered him for five days, then rested him for a week before his race.

N.M.         What sort of sessions did you set for those tough five days?

D.T.          They were just standard workouts at around threshold pace. I’d have to check my diaries but it would have been things like a set of hard 400’s, a set of hard 5 minute efforts, a very hard ‘all out’ 30 minute effort away from the track. Just sessions that required him to run ‘flat out’ with good rest in between so he would be recovering between efforts. These five days were a real ‘tune-up’ block. But for Darren to run 60.02 was fantastic, especially when you consider that Mona’s best was 60.06 on the same course. Then Darren’s form continued when he ran 27:37.00 for 10 km. just behind Shaun Creighton’s Australian Record (27:31.92). In fact, in the lead up to the Zatopek, I had Darren and Shaun training together which was fantastic for both of them. I remember one day when I set up a session so they were going to compete, although they didn’t know it. The session was to run four repetition miles really quick 4:13 to 4:15 and I knew it was going to be on. From that session I could tell that they were both ready to run really

N.M.         What do you reckon is Darren’s best distance?

D.T.          I think 10 km.

N.M.         He has been doing some training up here this year. Is he serious about a come-back?

D.T.          He has said he’s serious a few times. Darren’s problems are mainly to do with his finances and getting into a position where he can support himself so that he can run. He needs to focus on his running and not worry about the rest of his life. However, unless he comes to Canberra with me, I know I will not have any control so he would have to be coached by someone where he’s living. Darren is a high maintenance athlete!

N.M.         Nickey Carroll is another of your athletes that is a little eccentric in that she does not train on the track but would rather do all her running in the bush. How did you come to work with Nickey and the reasons behind her training preferences?

D.T.          When Nickey rang me to ask if I would coach her, at first I thought I was talking to Nyla Carroll from New Zealand, who I had coached before. I had met Nickey once before in Athens but had spoken to her for only about 5 minutes in total. However, Nickey and her partner, Don have become really close friends. Nickey’s come from an ultra – marathon background and can’t understand why people want to run on the track. This morning we went down the road past Howman’s Gap and ran for an hour along fern lined trails.

She just loves to run in the bush – her eyes really light up. I sometimes feel that she doesn’t always put the competition first, but rather the running. She wants to run marathons and she wants to run them fast but it’s the expectations from everyone else that worries her. My job is to continually work with her to run on the track and to run more races. She gets very nervous before races and I personally believe that she wants to avoid being nervous. She even gets nervous being around other athletes because they remind her that she should be training on the track and racing more often. That’s why she tends to stay away from other runners.

N.M.         Has she got over the last few D.N.F.’s while representing Australia?

D.T.          She has because she knows the reasons for them. She had a couple of problems, one was nerve compression in the hip and the other was the interaction between some of her hormones and that is partly a hereditary problem. The result of these two problems were that she was getting very tired and as happened at the Sydney Olympics, her foot went numb, absolutely numb so that she almost fell over. Physically she just could not run on after 20 kilometres. Then she feels that people thinks she’s a ‘nut case’ because of the problems we talked about before. So all these things build up the pressure. But now she’s on the up and over the last few weeks she’s the best I’ve seen her for a couple of years. Unbelievably, when she ran 2 hours 25 minutes for the 1999 London Marathon, she was not fully fit so it will be interesting to see what she can do in the future.

N.M.         You mentioned Benita Johnson before. It must be really exciting to get a talented kid that you think will go places as long as you’re patient? What did you think when she first turned up?

D.T.          I knew she was a good runner but there were another five girls nearly as good as she was but Benita was in a position to come down to the A.I.S. However, I asked her to come down because I was worried she was going to go to hockey and I didn’t want Ric Charlesworth to get her. In hindsight, that was one of the best decisions in my life. I was able to offer her a full scholarship which we would not normally be able to do and without that full scholarship, I don’t think we would have got her. We’ve had athletes like Mark Thompson and Martin Dent and Clint Mackevicius to who I’ve had to say, “look, I can coach you and we can give you a little sports medicine back-up and we can contribute $30 a week towards your rent, but that’s it!” But I was not going to take any chances with Benita because if I didn’t, Ric Charlesworth would grab her.

N.M.         Was she that good at hockey?

D.T.          Yes, she was. I reckon with Benita’s temperament and physical abilities she could have gone to senior Australian representation.

N.M.         And you were saying that you deliberately held her back when she was young?

D.T.          Yes, I’ve deliberately held her back every year, even last year. I said to Benita when she was 17,

“I can’t be sure but there’s a chance that by the time you’re 25 you could be one of the world’s best runners. However, we are going to work up gradually and sensibly.”

A lot of the work I gave Benita was not measureable, it was done on grass. I’d improvise some of her sessions where she might be running on the inside of the guys and so covering less distance. She would also do a lot of fartlek style sessions where she would be running for time rather than distance and time. I could have had Benita running faster when she was younger but you’ve got to look at the ‘big picture’.

N.M.         Was it tough to lose her to Nick Bideau, who is now coaching her?

D.T.          Yes, but I consider that part of coaching. It’s tough knowing that going into the Commonwealth Games she had an iron deficiency and diarrhoea that I didn’t pick up at the time. She told me she had the diarrhoea but she was taking iron tablets. However, something was wrong because she was racing over 3000 metres and her threshold just wasn’t there. Training was going pretty well even though we weren’t measuring a lot of it because I didn’t want to put her under too much pressure on the training track. As it turned out she wasn’t absorbing the iron and her ferritin went down. Then four or five weeks after the Commonwealth Games her ferritin is up and she’s running well again.

N.M.         Did she eat liver or continue taking iron supplements?

D.T.          She ate liver and also took some different supplements once she could absorb the iron. However, it’s great that she’s doing so well. I thought that last year she could win a medal at the Commonwealth Games but for her iron problem. A lot of people looking on may think that the training wasn’t right or she doesn’t run well in the ‘big ones’ – that’s a lot of rubbish. She’s broken Australian Records, she’s finished fourth at the World Cross – Country, she’s run really well in the ‘big ones’ except the Commonwealth Games when I wasn’t there. I’ll never make the mistake of not being around an athlete in the lead-up to a major competition again because you can’t really see the full picture. People may look at the Commonwealth Games and say, “Dick did not prepare Benita properly”, but that’s rubbish. I’ve had so many athletes now who have competed well in major finals and I know how to prepare athletes to run their best. It’s simple – anyone can do it!

N.M.         What is your coaching philosophy?

D.T.          I would say variety in training and an individual training programme so that each of my athletes is training differently. I can’t think of any two of my athletes who train the same although they often share sessions. However, most coaches would adopt an individualised programme.

N.M.         How many do you have in your squad?

D.T.          Ummm …… Probably sixteen at the moment. However, I don’t just coach champion athletes. I’ve got a lot of people who are not going to champions but the common factor amongst all the athletes I coach is that they want to be the best they can be. And I try to treat all my athletes as equals from the scholarship holder to the athlete trying to break 15 minutes for 5 km. If they’re in my squad and they’re having a ‘real dip’, then as far as I’m concerned they’re equals. One athlete may be more important for my coaching career but that doesn’t influence how I work with my athletes.

N.M.         I’ve heard you say that one of your coaching goals is to have each of your athletes recording a P.B. every year.

D.T.          Yes, I feel that I have done my job if that happens. The satisfaction gained from running a P.B. is enormous. Occasionally there will be something that interferes with an athlete running a P.B. so then you look for reasons and try to remedy those.

N.M.         What sort of testing do you regularly undertake with your athletes to see if they’re fit and healthy and not overtraining?

D.T.          I don’t test for over – training, I just talk to them . We do blood testing for iron and magnesium and a few other bits and pieces to see what’s going on. Philo Saunders from the R.M.I.T. is doing his Ph.d and I’m his supervisor and he and I are looking at running economy. We know that running economy is very important so we’re looking at what effects economy – things like training, altitude, heat etc.

N.M.         At the moment we have athletes such as Gebrselassie, Khannouchi, Radcliffe and El Guerrouj running unbelievable times. Why is this happening? Are they just superstars or are they doing something we aren’t doing?

D.T.          Ummmm ……. I think as we progress the genetic pool improves. Also, there is a lot more money going into the sport now so athletes can become fully professional, can utilize the best in training facilities and training knowledge and stay in the sport for longer. That’s a few of the reasons. However, we do know that drugs such as anabolic steroids, E.P.O., growth hormone and blood-doping before that have been used. So there’s no point in saying that the sport is clean because it’s not. However, I try not to think about that because it’s completely out of our control. So for some records drugs could be a contributing factor. But having said all that I would be absolutely dismayed if a few of the people you mentioned were doing anything wrong. I personally don’t think they are.

N.M.         What are your comments on the Aouita Programme that some Australian coaches are using?

D.T.          That’s the Moroccan Programme and I discussed it with his runners in 1993 so it’s nothing new to me. I incorporate it into my training programme although my training is not the Moroccan Program, it’s an Australian Programme that has some Kenyan, Moroccan, New Zealand, Ethiopian, Australian elements to it.

N.M.         So you believe that you’ve taken the best elements of each Programme?

D.T.          Ummmm ……. It’s what I believe is the best but it’s probably not. However, if you’ve studied the ‘big picture’ and you think you’re getting the best out of your athletes and they’re running P.B.’s every year, it’s very difficult to suddenly change your programme dramatically and begin doing something different. I’ve actually talked to Said about that and he’s happy because he looks at a programme and sees a whole lot of common elements. I talked to Said this morning and I told him about the sessions we’d completed over the last week and he said that sounded great. But he’s been given a job to do and if he said to me, “yes, that’s good but you could improve this aspect of your training,” I’d listen because the guy must know a lot – he’s been one of the greatest athletes we’ve ever seen, I’ve even got his autographed picture on my wall at home – he’s got to know something. What people must remember is that he’s coming from a completely different system to a democratic Australian system were people are doing lots of different things. One thing I have learnt over the years is that there are many ways to get an athlete to run 28 minutes for 10 km. There might be one slightly better way but in Australia there are choices to be made. However, in other countries there is the National Programme that everyone follows. At first, I think Said was taken by surprise when some people didn’t want to follow his Programme but I think his heart is in the right place.

N.M.     Do you know his Programme all the way through because at the meeting held at the V.I.S. a few weeks ago people walked away from a little confused as to what happens in Phase 2, Phase 3, Phase 4 etc.?

D.T.          No, I don’t know the complete programme, I just know the philosophy but I’ll go through the specifics with Said when I get back to Canberra. One of the main problems was that many coaches had already done a winter programme and did not need to complete Phase 1 first. You need to enter a programme according to what stage you’re at. I’d have athletes ready to go into Phase 2 and 3 because we’ve got our racing season coming up. But what’s Athletics Australia going to say to me if I say, “sorry, we’re not going to run these three races.” They’ll answer, “OK, but your athletes won’t be considered for selection and Dick, you won’t have your job in two years time.”

Many of the guys in Morocco that Said has worked with were already international athletes that knew they were going to be selected or qualify. I don’t have any athletes guaranteed of selection. I wish I did so that I could take a much different approach. For a start, I wouldn’t be peaking someone for a 10 km. in New Zealand on February 16th when the main races are much later on.

N.M.         Craig Mottram commented that he was glad he’d run a few qualifiers in Europe last season so that he could use our domestic season as preparation rather than chasing qualifying times.

D.T.          Yes, that’s a huge advantage. We’ve got a lot of things to consider in Australia with people going to the World Cross – Country and other races. There’s no point in our athletes running this race OK and that race OK. You’ve got to run some races the best you possibly can if you want to go to another level and trying to have multiple peaks is not easy unless you’re an absolute champion who can roll through a few events and win at less than 100%, both physically and psychologically.

N.M.         Dick, thank you very much for your time and all the best for the upcoming year.

D.T.          Thanks, Neil.

The post Interview with Dick Telford one of Australia’s greatest ever running coaches appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

The post Buster Unplugged – An interview with Craig Mottram by Neil MacDonald appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

KERRYN McCANN – AUSTRALIA’S QUEEN OF THE ROADS

Kerryn McCann was Australia’s foremost female distance runner with many top class performances at the highest level over a number of years. I was fortunate to catch up with Kerryn between training sessions for a chat at The Milch in Falls Creek.

N.M. Kerryn, you’ve travelled from your home in Wollongong to Falls Creek again this summer. How many years have you been coming to the Victorian High Country to train over the New Year?

K.M. I first came to Falls Creek in 1996, just before the Atlanta Olympics. I didn’t come here in 97 because I was having Benny, but I have been up here every year since then.

N.M. How long will you be staying this time?

K.M. I came up before Christmas for about 9 days, then went home for Christmas, and now I’m back for another two and a half weeks. I have a marathon in Osaka, Japan on the 27th of January so I’ll head back home for 10 days to freshen-up.

N.M. Why have you chosen Osaka?

K.M. I’ve run there in 94 and I wanted to do a marathon early in the year and Osaka is a really fast course. It’s also a women only race and I’m keen to have a crack at the Australian Record of 2 hours 23.51 held by Lisa Ondieki. Lisa actually ran her record on that course.

N.M. The lack of time change between Japan and Australia would certainly be a factor in you choosing Osaka.

K.M. Yes. It’s a nine-hour flight but there’s only a small time zone difference so I don’t have to fly over too early. I’m flying over on the Wednesday for a Sunday race. It’s much easier than say, flying to London where I would have to arrive three weeks before the race. Current thinking says that you need about one day recovery for each time zone you cross.

N.M. What are the benefits of Falls Creek as far as you’re concerned?

K.M. I’ve run a couple of PBs and an Australian Record for the Half Marathon (67.48) off training up here so it certainly works for me. I think there are a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, I think the altitude has an effect although Rab (Chris Wardlaw) disagrees – he thinks it’s more the training effect of a large group training harder. I also think it’s the rest that I have up here. Back home I’m working part-time a couple of days plus looking after Benny and Greg and training which all means that I’m tired all the time. However, up here I get lots of rest and just run which means I feel good every session.

N.M. You seem to run very well up here over the challenging terrain. In fact, some of the fast men have great trouble keeping up with you. I remember Ray Boyd in 1999 / 2000 having many interesting duels with you. In the end I think he called a truce at three all.

K.M. Yes, we did have some fun. I always tell him that he should thank me because he ended up running a Sydney Olympic Marathon Qualifier not long after training at Falls Creek.

(Ray ran 2 hours 13.26 at the Chicago Marathon in 1999)

I reckon he got super-fit up here because I chased him around for a few weeks.

N.M. He claims that he was chasing you!

K.M. Well, I think that we both benefitted.

N.M. This year you should be super rested because you’ve got your own baby-sitter in Troopy staying with you. In fact, as we speak, Troopy and Benny are enjoying “Shrek” at the Glo Cinema next door.

K.M. Yes, Benny and Troopy are great friends. They play together.

N.M. The plans for the year after the Osaka Marathon?

K.M. Firstly the Commonwealth Games which are in July. I’m not 100% sure but I also think that the World Half Marathon Championships are on in May in Belgium. I last ran the World Half Marathon Championships in 1993 so I’d like to run those again.

N.M. Do you know any of your likely opposition for the Commonwealth Games? Obviously the Kenyan women will be strong.

K.M. Yes, they will but I’ll have to wait and see. There’s a lot of names that could run but the marathon is such a strange event with injuries ruling people out.

N.M. Do you know anything about the course?

K.M. Nothing at the moment. I’ll find out as the Games get closer.

N.M. Your running history. How did your athletic career begin?

K.M. I started running when I was ten years old. Then I won a State Title when I was eleven or twelve. A few years later I won an Australian Cross-Country title at High School when I was 15. Then I gave it away for a few years but when I started running again I slowly improved, eventually turning to the marathon.

N.M. Your coach is Chris Wardlaw. How did you begin working with Chris?

K.M. I actually met Chris at the 94 Commonwealth Games. I have been working with Chris ever since and have found that my running has improved out of sight under his guidance.

N.M. What changes did Chris make to your training?

K.M. Quite a lot of things. Before I started working with Chris I used to do a lot of hell sessions and was always sick. Chris said that he wanted to look at my diary. Anyway, he found a pattern where I would be racing and training really hard, then I would get sick. This would follow a six-week pattern where I’d race or train too hard then I’d come down with flu or bronchitis or tonsilitis. He was very surprised that I had not noticed what was happening but I thought that it was just me. However, when I look back, some of the training sessions I did were just ridiculous. For example, I’d be recovering from some illness then a day later I’d go out and do a really hard track session. I also did things like racing a week after a marathon or racing two half marathons too close together. Basically, my training was not consistent – it was all over the place. When I met Chris everything changed. Firstly, he had me doing the same training every week – fartlek Tuesday, track Thursday, strong run Saturday, and never miss a long run on Sunday. That was my training and I haven’t changed it since 1994. I have been so consistent and that’s the main reason my running has improved so much.

N.M. And has your general health improved?

K.M. Yes. I hardly ever get sick now.

N.M. Chris coaches you by phone and e-mail.

K.M. Yes. I’m 34 now and I find that I don’t need a lot of direct coaching. Every week I email Chris and let him know what I have done during the week. If there is a big race coming up I tend to talk to him a little more.

N.M. One of the benefits of the “Wardlaw System” is that you know what you’re doing every session.

K.M. That’s right. There‟s not many surprises, just good, consistent training. I just let Chris know my time for the “Quarters”, how far I ran in the fartlek and how I‟m feeling.

N.M. When you began with Chris, was the initial training very conservative in regards to mileage and intensity?

K.M. Yes, although the mileage gradually increased but the intensity of my training was so much less than what I was used to doing. In fact, I thought this new training was easier.

But early on with Chris I got a bit of a rude shock. I was used to doing 400’s at a fast pace but then I’d have a minute recovery. This way I was able to run the whole lot under 70 seconds on a grass track. However, Chris set me a  “quarters” session  of  8 x 400 metres with a 200 metre float between. I think my first three were under 70 but then I hit a brick wall and was doing something like 85 seconds. I thought, what is going on? But now I can get all my quarters down in the 70’s with short recoveries which is much more specific to racing.

N.M. Up in New South Wales do you have many training partners or do you tend to train by yourself?

K.M. A few of my afternoon runs are by myself. There’s a couple of guys in Woolongong that I’ve been training with for years that I run with some mornings. Some of the morning runs are at 6:30 so I can be back in time for work.

N.M. What sort and amount of training are you currently doing?

K.M. I do 180 kilometres a week. I have an easy day Monday and Friday, long run Wednesday and Saturday, fartlek on Tuesday, eight quarters on Thursday and a strong 16 kilometre run on Saturday.

N.M. Which days do you double-up?

K.M. Five days a week. Every day except Monday and Friday. When I double-up I do an easy 8 kilometre run in about 35 minutes.

N.M. Do you do any supplementary training to help you perform at you best?

K.M. Two days a week I meet some guys from the Surf Club to do a circuit. I incorporate it into my 8-kilometre afternoon easy run where we do sit-ups, push-ups, chin-ups, a bit of rowing – just pretty basic stuff.

N.M. I hear that your chin-ups are improving!

K.M. Yes! When I first started the guys had to lift me up onto the bar – and I counted that as one. Then  I just hung from the bar as the others did their chin-ups because I couldn’t do anymore. Now I do two sets of ten, but I do cheat a little bit because I don’t go all the way down.

N.M. Two sets of ten,  unassisted?  – that’s great!

K.M. Yep! Unassisted!

N.M. That’s better than the three recorded by a very fine Geelong runner with the initials C.M.

K.M. Well, I figure that I only have to pull up 46 kilos – he’s a lot taller than I am and he certainly weighs a lot more.

N.M. So you have him covered in power to weight ratio?

K.M. I think so.

N.M. Do you do core stability work or stretching?

K.M. No, not really. Maybe a little stretching.

N.M. Many marathon runners claim their only stretching is bending over to tie up their shoe laces.

Your lead-up to the Osaka Marathon – have you changed anything or do you have a special session that you add?

K.M. Nothing. I don’t want to change anything that has worked well for me in the past. I’m just happy to do what I usually do. If I change it around too much I might get injured or sick. I’m a big believer in just getting the sessions done and using common sense. Hopefully, I can run a little faster in sessions leading up to a big race but that’s about all that might change.

N.M. And your taper?

K.M. The same sort of things. Two weeks before I do a two-hour run then I ease right back. Then in the last week, I do mainly light jogging and rest a lot.

N.M. Your diet. Is there anything special that you eat?

K.M. I eat pretty healthy food all the time but leading up to a race I really concentrate on my eating. During the last month, I try to cut out any junk and concentrate on eating really good low-fat food. And then after a marathon, I get stuck into the bad foods to see what I’m missing out on – as a sort of reward – strawberries and cream and ice-cream and that sort of stuff. After a race, I can put on a couple of kilos very easily but that soon falls off when I start training again.

N.M. You don’t have to worry about getting too lean?  A lot of runners training as much as you do battle to keep weight on.

K.M. No, not really. I’ve never really worried about my weight. Somedays I get really hungry so I eat more, and other days, if I’m not so hungry, I eat a little less. I think my body has found its correct running weight.

N.M. Do you take any supplements and do you have regular blood tests?

K.M. Yes, I take Vitamin B, iron and Vitamin C. I usually have blood tests when I’m feeling a bit flat to make sure everything is OK. However, my iron has been good for some time now.

N.M. What do you do after a marathon to recover?

K.M. I take 6 weeks to recover and to get back up to 180 kilometres per week. After the race I have 4 – 5 days completely off which may not be a good thing but I feel that I have trained so hard that I deserve to have some time to spend with my family. Then, it’s just a gradual build-up with me doing my first quality session about 4 weeks after the marathon.

N.M. Since you have been with Chris you have run PB’s all the way through from 3 k. to the marathon. Any particular reason why you can race so well over such a wide range?

K.M. Yes, from 3 k. up my PB’s have improved dramatically. Maybe having a baby has helped.

N.M. So you’re crediting Benny for some of your P.B.’s?

K.M. He’s certainly helped.

N.M. Big city marathons versus Championship marathons. Your thoughts on both and do you have a preference?

K.M. I like the big city marathons. They’re enjoyable and a bit more relaxed. With the big city marathons the courses are usually faster, they look after you so well and they have pace makers.

But it’s hard to compare – they‟re like cheese and chips. There’s the pride of representing your country in the Championships versus the relaxed feeling of almost running for yourself in the big city races.

Also, I’ve found the Championship marathons, especially the Sydney Olympic Marathon, very stressful because you’re representing your country. It was a great honour to run the Sydney Marathon because it was in my home country but in the back of my mind there was a feeling of “what if I stuff it up?” I was just glad that it went pretty well and it was certainly a wonderful experience. For the whole 42.2 kilometres the crowd was yelling for me and even though I was cramping badly towards the end of the race, I’ll never forget the roar as I entered the stadium. I can’t imagine ever feeling as good as I felt that day with the crowd yelling and screaming. That was definitely the highlight of my running career. Even now, if I watch the video, I get a bit emotional when I see myself running the last few hundred metres.

N.M. You were running on strongly at the finish.

K.M. Yeah, the crowd did that. I was pretty stuffed and cramping badly.

N.M. When did you start to feel not so good?

K.M. Probably about half way. Maybe I didn’t have enough to drink.

N.M. Was that when Takahashi started to kick it down a bit?

K.M. Yeah. She put in a bit of a burst and I couldn’t go with her. In the end I was pretty happy with 11th but looking back I think I could have done better if I had done things differently. I think I should have drunk more fluids in the days leading up to the race.

N.M. Do you find the men a help or a hindrance in the big city races?

K.M. Sometimes they can be a problem. Not so much in Chicago last year because I was pretty much on my own. In New York I had a few problems clipping runner‟s heels and missing a few drinks. However, it’s also good to tack onto a pack of men and run as a group.

N.M. You mentioned the Chicago Marathon which was a few weeks after the September 11 Terrorist Attack. Did you have any doubts about the race going ahead and how did you stay focused?

K.M. At first we weren’t sure what would happen but after we were told that the race would proceed I just kept away from the papers and T.V. and tried to concentrate on running my best race. As it turned out the race was a fantastic event with record numbers.

N.M. It must have been amazing to compete in Chicago in the World Record race with Catherine Ndereba of Kenya running 2:18.47?

K.M. It was amazing, especially to come third. However, to come third and finish over 7 minutes behind the winner was a little weird. However, she’s an amazing runner and there wasn’t much I could do – I ran the best race I could.

(Kerryn ran 2:26.04)

N.M. Did you see her at all?

K.M I saw her for the first mile, then she just took off and was gone!

N.M. What do you like to do when you’re not running?

K.M. Not a lot. I love to look after Benny and he certainly keeps me busy. Soon we will be demolishing our house and rebuilding so that should keep me very busy choosing colours and fittings and furniture for the new house. Also, I love my garden, I love to read a good book, I love to cook…….

N.M. Your speciality being…….?

K.M. Any dessert. I love dessert.

N.M. It’s funny that runners have a sweet tooth.

Kerryn, you’re a Mum and work part-time. What is a normal day for you?

K.M. I work two days a week, Monday and Tuesday, at the Commonwealth Bank. I really enjoy my work but it can be a bit hard to fit everything in, what with Benny and training and cleaning and cooking and shopping and paying bills. That’s why I think I run so well at Falls Creek – all I have to do is concentrate on running and rest.

N.M. What time do you have your morning run?

K.M. Early. I try to get out early so I can get back and have breakfast with Benny. A lot of the people I train with work so I can get up at 6:30 to train with them or train by myself later in the morning. But I prefer to run with people so I get up early. I have my afternoon run at about 4 o’clock.

N.M. Finally, motherhood and running is a hot topic at the moment with Susie Power absolutely flying after giving birth to baby Jai. You also have reached a new level after giving birth to Benny. What reasons do you think are responsible for this phenomena?

K.M. Everyone asks me this question and I’m not really sure why. I’m not even sure if there’s a scientific reason. All I know is that after the Atlanta Olympics I needed a break. I had been doing athletics basically all my life and I needed a rest. I’d wanted to have a baby for a long time and after Atlanta was the ideal time. During my pregnancy, I didn’t do a lot of running but towards the end of my pregnancy I was really big and I couldn’t run and I started to miss the sport. Then, after Benny was born I gradually started running again. I was setting PB’s in my sessions. I was now really enjoying my running and feeling relaxed. Benny was far more important to me than running. Sometimes I’d be up all night with Benny, then go out and run a P.B. session the next morning. It’s hard to explain things like that. I didn’t feel any different to how I felt before I was pregnant. It was just that I was running so much further and my watch was telling me I was running a minute quicker. However, I did lose a bit of weight after having Benny. I was probably two kilograms lighter than ever before so that may have had an effect on my running.

N.M. Sounds like a happy runner makes a good runner.

K.M. Yeah …. I think so. And just being so much more relaxed about the sport. It just doesn’t seem so important anymore and so I tend to enjoy it more.

N.M. Kerryn, thank you very much for your time. I hope you have a great run in Osaka.

K.M. My pleasure, Neil.

Note: Kerryn boosted her Commonwealth Games medal claims when she finished 4th in the Osaka International Marathon on Sunday the 27th of January. Kerryn was 10th at half-way and finished strongly in her third best time of 2 hrs 28 mins 30 secs, despite a recent illness. The race was won by Lornah Kiplagat of Kenya in 2:23.55. At the World Half Marathon Championships in Brussels on Sunday 5th May, Kerryn finished 11th in 1:09.47, just 41 seconds behind the winner, Berhane Abere of Ethiopia.

RUNNER PROFILE – Kerryn McCann

• Occupation Business Banking Assistant with the Commonwealth Bank
• Age 34 Date of Birth 2 / 5 / 67
• Height 162 cm. Weight 46 kg. Married / Single Married 10 years to Greg.
• One child – Benton (4 years old).
• Coach Chris Wardlaw

Personal Bests

• 1500m. 4.22
• 3000m. 8.50
• 5000m. 15.08
• 10000m. 31.55
• Half Marathon 67.48
• Marathon 2:25.59

Favourite Food Sticky Date Pudding / Desserts Food Eaten Before a Race Toast and honey or jam Favourite Drink Cup of Tea

Favourite Movie nothing stands out.

Favourite Book all Bryce Courtenay‟s books.

Favourite Music / Band “Super Jesus”

Favourite TV Show “Friends”, “Malcolm in the Middle.”

Favourite Night Spot too old!!!

Favourite Holiday Spot Noosa

Normal Training Week

• Mon. am. 16 km. easy.
• Tues. am. Fartlek Session. 16 km. total. pm. 8 km. easy
• Wed. am. 25 km. easy. pm. 8 km. easy + exercises.
• Thur. am. “Quarters” 8 x 400 metres with 200 metre float.. 16 km. total. pm. 8 km. easy
• Fri. am. 16 km. easy + exercises.
• Sat. am. 16 km. strong tempo run. pm. 8 km. easy.
• Sun. am. 35 km. easy pm. 8 km. easy.
• Total – 180 km. per week.

Two Week Taper Before Marathon 

• Sun. am. 2 hours easy pm. 35 mins easy.
• Mon. am. 60 mins easy.
• Tues. am. 20 mins warm-up / Fartlek / 20 mins warm- down pm. 35 mins easy
• Fri. am. 50 mins easy.
• Sat. am. 20 mins warm-up / 15 – 20 mins effort / 20 mins warm-down. pm. 35 mins easy.
• Sun. am. 80 mins easy pm. 35 mins easy.
• Mon. am. 50 mins easy.
• Tues. am. 20 mins warm-up / Fartlek – 2 x 90 sec, 2 x 60 sec, 2 x 30 sec, 2 x 15 sec / 20 mins warm-down pm.
• Wed. am. 60 mins easy.
• Thur. am. 20 mins warm-up / 6 x strides / 20 mins warm-down pm. 25 mins easy.
• Fri. am. 30 mins easy.
• Sat. am. 30 mins easy.
• Sun. MARATHON

Other Training / Recovery Sessions.

Massage/twice weekly exercises.

Favourite Training Session  Saturday’s strong tempo run.

Best Ever Performances

• 2000 Tokyo Half Marathon (Australian Record  67.48  – 3rd place),
• 11th in the Sydney Olympic Marathon,
• 3rd in the 2001 Chicago Marathon  and in 2000 running
• 15.08 to break the Australian 5000 metre Record.

Favourite Place To Train  Falls Creek.

Toughest Ever Training Session running up Mount Bogong in 1996. The whole session took 3 hours.

Most Admired Runner / Person   Steve Moneghetti, Catherine Ndereba.

Advice to Other Runners  “Be patient, don’t overdo the training, enjoy the sport.”

Goals for the Future to break the Australian Record for the marathon. Commonwealth Games this year and Athens Olympic Games in 2004. Another baby next year.

Anything else??? I have run 15.26 on grass for my Thursday  “Quarters” session.

End of interview

Kerryn McCann: 2 May 1967 –  7 December 2008

The post Kerryn McCann – Australia’s former Queen of the Roads appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

Neil MacDonald managed the Geelong Region Cross Country team from 2000-2007.

(Photos included by Runner’s Tribe )

Chris “Rab” Wardlaw has done it all in athletics. Two time Olympian, coach to Steve Moneghetti and Kerryn McCann, Head Coach to the Australian Track and Field Team for the Sydney Olympics, the list goes on and on. No wonder he is looked upon as Australia’s ‘distance running guru’.

N.M. Chris, it’s the Christmas / New Year period and you’re at Falls Creek again. How many years have you been coming up here?

C.W. I first came up in 1969 / 70 so I think that makes 32 years all up.

N.M. Why Falls Creek?

C.W. Well, I reckon that it has three or four things going for it. One is that there is a touch of altitude although I think that only has a minor impact. Secondly, Falls Creek has a fantastic running environment, really quite difficult running actually that toughens people up. Thirdly, I like the village where you can create a positive group atmosphere. Also, at Falls Creek there’s not much else to do so the runners get a lot of rest up here. So overall, Falls Creek has a fantastic all-round training effect on athletes.

N.M. And athletes come from all over Australia, and the world, to train here. The Ray Boyd story certainly illustrates that.

C.W. I think Boydy’s story is just fantastic – all about doing everything possible to be the best athlete you can be. (Ed. Ray Boyd lives in Western Australia. A few years ago Ray was determined to spend his Christmas holidays training at Falls Creek so he caught an early morning flight from Perth to Melbourne, a train from Melbourne to Wangaratta, then a bus from Wangaratta to Mount Beauty. Unfortunately, he was stranded at Mount Beauty without transport so he walked (with all his gear) the last 30 kilometres uphill to Falls Creek – all so he would not miss the afternoon run at 5:30 pm.! Ray’s dedication paid off a few years later when he ran 2 hours 13.26 minutes, and a Sydney Olympic Games A Qualifier, at the 1999 Chicago Marathon!)

N.M. Initially, Falls Creek was used because Mexico City was given the 68 Olympics.

C.W. Yeah. Well, I think the first group came up here in 1965. John Kneen from Sandringham and Jim Langford from Western Australia were in that first group. (Ed. John Kneen claims that John Keenan from Coburg was one of the first to use Falls Creek as a long distance training venue). Then in 1968, Ralph Doubell and some of the University guys came here and we followed them up the following year.

N.M. It certainly worked well for Doubell. (Ed. Ralph Doubell was the last Australian male to win an Olympic Track Gold when he was victorious in the 800 metres at the Mexico City Olympics running 1:44.40, a World Record at the time and still the National Record.)

C.W. Yeah, but I’m not sure that he spent much time up here. But he was certainly one of the first up here to see what was available.

N.M. You would have noticed some changes to Falls Creek over the last 32 years?

C.W. It was certainly a lot more Spartan back then with everything having to be brought up the mountain with you. I remember how excited we were when it was discovered that milk could be purchased from the local hotel for an hour a day. Also, during summer we pretty much had the village to ourselves back then.

N.M. How did the sessions originate? Who has got claims on Fitzy’s Hut and Howman’s Gap and all the other sessions?

C.W. Well, I think the Fitzy’s Hut run was invented by a bloke named Bob Smith from St. Stephens who would be about 55 now – still a good veteran runner. At his best was a 1.48 runner over 800 metres. Howman’s Gap, I think myself and John Axsentieff first ran that a long time ago. Pretty Valley and many of the others just came about when a few of us looked at a map and thought, let’s try this course today. There’s a bit of history to all of the runs.

N.M. And Bogong – the first famous Mount Bogong run. An accidental legend was created there!

C.W. Yeah, it was. I was with a few Box Hill guys – Ross Haywood, Ian Jones, Brendan Layh and we thought it would be just a 20 minute run and it wasn’t! It was done one evening after running Spion Kopje that morning. Anyway, a couple of us thought we just had to get to the top regardless of how long it took. Eventuall, we made it up but then had to come back down “The Staircase” in the dark.

N.M. You must have been fearing for your life?

C.W. Yeah, it was quite dark and a very silly thing to do but once at the summit, we did not have much choice.

N.M. And now the distance runners use it more as a mental toughening exercise than an actual training session?

C.W. Yes, just to do it. Troopy is going to do it when he comes back in March. I encourage everyone to do it at least once just to see what it is like – it’s very, very tough!

N.M. Yes, you certainly look deep within yourself when you’re half way up and really struggling!

C.W. That’s right.

N.M. Some of the early legends of Australian distance running that have made the pilgrimage to Falls Creek, Gerard Barrett and Bill Scott for example. Your thoughts on them?

C.W. That’s right. Gerard spent a lot of time up here. Actually, he was forced to walk up the ‘grassy knoll’ the first time he ran Spion.

N.M. Gerard was a great talent who perhaps didn’t quite reach his potential?

C.W. Yeah, he was one of the best runners we’ve had, talent wise. In fact, he ended up being a pretty good runner and ran fast times for back then but he was also injured a lot and almost certainly didn’t reach the level he was capable of. Injuries just killed him!

N.M. Bill Scott, another top runner from the 70’s?

C.W. Actually, I saw Scottie yesterday.

N.M. Is he still teaching up this way?

C.W. Yeah, at the Bright P – 12. He’s the Assistant Principal. He used Falls Creek a lot. In fact, I reckon he ran Spion Kopje more than anyone. It was his key run. I remember he often ran the rugged 15 miler along the Spion Kopje ridge three times a week. He preferred it to Pretty Valley for the long run although I’m not sure why anyone would do it three times a week. However, he was a great runner.

N.M. And Tim O’Shaughnessy dubbed him “The Living Legend?

C.W. Yeah, he was extraordinary. He would disappear for ages, then pop up and do something remarkable. At one time we hadn’t seen him for maybe 18 months and he came out and ran 47 minutes around a 2km. loop for the old Victorian Marathon Club Two Bridges 16 km. Race. Even when he wasn’t around, everyone was wondering what he was up to.

N.M. The other day the Spion Kopje run was cancelled because of the blizzard. In your memory has another run ever been cancelled due to adverse conditions?

C.W. Yeah, we went out one year and got to the top of Mount Nelse and it was just too bad so we turned around.

N.M. Dangerous bad?

C.W. Yeah, dangerous bad. You don’t realise just how cold it’s getting, especially when you’re above the tree line, until it’s too late. A lot of people don’t realise just how dangerous it can be up here because the weather can change pretty quickly.

N.M. When I first ran Mount Bogong I was a little alarmed to see the monument about 3/4 of the way up to the hikers who died on the mountain when the weather suddenly turned for the worst. After seeing that, each dark cloud certainly took on greater significance.

C.W. At times we do treat the weather a bit arrogantly up here. However, at least everyone up here is fit.

N.M. I know Lynchy treats Mount Bogong with respect after he became lost on the way down. However, he did run a great 5000 metres in 13.31 not long after that.

C.W. He did. But there’s been a few guys lost – a guy from New South Wales by the name of Gary Brown was lost for about 10 hours, Adam Hoyle was another one. I’ve been lost with David Byrnes when the weather suddenly closed in. So Lynchy was certainly not the first.

N.M. When you started out, who were your heroes?

C.W. Brendan Foster. I just loved his attitude and the way he ran. Even the opening line from his book where he said that he wasn’t even the best runner in Gateshead. I just love that sort of thing. I also loved Viren. He had a wonderful distance runner’s rhythm and a build as good as any distance runner who has ever lived. He also had a brilliant tactical ability in that he was able to peak for the Olympics, and what other occasion is there after the Olympics? I had the pleasure of running with Viren for most of the 25 laps of the Montreal Olympics 10 000 metres heat and for the first half of the Olympic Final. His lightness of stride, rhythm and focus were captivating. Shorter was another favourite but really, Foster was the one. Brendan had the speed to sit and kick and could have won many races in this way. However, he preferred to win his races before the last lap. He’d throw in sub 60 second laps in the second third of a race to kill off the opposition. He was prepared to race the distance – ‘the athlete’s athlete’.

N.M. I understand that back in the 70’s you and a group of athletes basically said, “let’s not worry about results so much, let’s just have a red hot go and see if we can lift the standard of Australian running”.

C.W. Yes, we certainly ran aggressively, except for Fitzy (Dave Fitzsimons, 1976 Olympic 10 000 metre finalist) who liked to sit on us. Scottie, more than anybody, was the one leading the way. Max Little and Gerard Barrett were two others who pushed the pace. Steve Austin, to some extent was aggressive. We were in the doldrums post Clarke so to have a group like that helped all our times come down and helped lift the standard of Australian distance running.

N.M. And Deeks arrived around this time. Was he a hero of yours?

C.W. He was great but I don’t really see him as a hero mainly because I was trying to beat the b#@^&*%. But he was a fantastic athlete. He also was almost ‘bullet proof’ in that he never seemed to get injured but I think that he was the one who benefited from a really good group around him at the time. He had to beat some pretty good local athletes and because of that went onto become the best in the world. Butvhe was well coached – Pat Clohessy was a great coach. He was also a great trainer – people tend to under- estimate that.

N.M. Do you think you developed your coaching ideas watching Deek come through?

C.W. Yes, he helped. I learnt a lot from Deek and ‘Clo’. My natural inclination is to be aggressive and ‘Clo’ tempered that a bit.

N.M. You started coaching while still competing. Who were your early athletes?

C.W. A few athletes you may not know – Bob Walczak who was an Australian Steeple-Chase Champion, Andy Hill who won the National 5 km., a guy called Roger Hollis who was a good schoolboy athlete. Then I had Paul Grinsted who made the Commonwealth Games Team so he was probably my best early athlete. At the Nationals in 1975 Bob won the steeple, Andy won the 5 k . and I won the 10 k. so that was pretty satisfying.

N.M. Another success from ‘group training’?

C.W. Yeah, certainly. It was terrific. Having a good group has a very positive effect on everybody.

N.M. Your memories of the Moscow Olympics. I understand that you were going to spend a considerable time training at Falls Creek in the lead-up to the Games but were forced to head home as almost the athlete’s spokesman when there was a chance that the boycott might happen?

C.W. I was up here for three months all up but I was back and forth a fair bit. It was one of those things that wasn’t too good at the time and I’m pretty pleased that Australia has had a continuous run at the Olympics. I played a part but people like Phil Coles and Clarkey were heroes in our minds because they stuck to their guns and backed us to the hilt.

N.M. Your own best ever performance?

C.W. Oh, making the Olympic 10 000 metre final in 1976 without a doubt. My San Francisco “Bay to Breakers” win was pretty good too because I started about 40 – 50 seconds behind the others (Ed. Chris was still in his track-suit when the gun went off and was forced to quickly strip off, then chase the leaders. He threw his track-suit to a woman in the crowd and asked her to take it to the finish line. When asked how she would recognise him in such a large crowd he confidently replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll win it!” Amazingly, the track-suit was waiting for him at the finish line!) I’m also, pretty happy with my best time of 17.33 for Sandown. That course is time tested and you know you’re a pretty good runner when you record 17.33 at Sandown.

N.M. And the Sandown Course is slighty different now.

C.W. Yes. It’s slightly quicker – about 4 seconds. But Mona is clearly the fastest there with his 17.16. But then there is a group made up of Clarkey, Deek, Troopy, Paynter and myself all in the 17.30 zone.

N.M. It would be interesting if Craig Mottram had a shot at it.

C.W. Yes. I would love to see him have a go at it. He’s the only guy I could see going close to Mona’s record. I also reckon that a fit Michael Power would run quick there.

N.M. Talking about Craig, you must have been impressed with his 3.35 over 1500 metres at the Grand Prix Final then ten weeks later winning the Zatopek?

C.W. He’s just a fantastic talent but I also reckon that he’s got a really good head for an athlete. Some athletes make statements that they come to regret but he just never seems to say the wrong thing. I think that he’s got a bit of Deek and Mona in him – that ‘champion quality’ that’s hard to put your finger on. They just have a touch of self- assuredness and arrogance but at the same time a touch of humbleness.

N.M. What do you think will eventually be his best distance?

C.W. Geeh, I’ve given up wondering. He looks so good in the long stuff as well as the short stuff. He looks good at everything. A year ago I would have said the five but now having seen him race over a variety of distances I’m confused – I just reckon he’s a good runner.

N.M. Like you calling Troopy a ‘distance runner’ instead of a marathoner?

C.W. Yes.

N.M. Your Training System. How did it evolve?

C.W. Over a fair time. Working with ‘Clo’ (Pat Clohessy) in 1976 / 77 I learnt a lot, especially the ‘good rolling hour’ run. Up until then I was thrashing myself in training a bit. The ‘quarters’ I just accidently came across those. I like about 15 minutes intensity on the track and about 20 minutes with fartlek so that’s how those sessions gradually evolved. And I just loved running long because I knew it was doing me the world of good. If you run long consistently you know you’re going to be fit. So, it was a bit of Clo, a bit of trial and error, a bit of accidental stuff and a bit of reading and seeing all sorts of people, regardless of ability, improve.

N.M. And it’s very hard to improve if you’re injured.

C.W. Avoiding injury is the most critical factor. The number of people who have promising careers just fall apart through injury is extraordinary. I’ve seen so many talented athletes not reach their potential through injuries – people like Gerard Barrett, Julian Paynter, Jason Agosta, the list could go on and on. Getting the balance correct where you’re training quite hard but not so hard that you’re injured is so difficult for a lot of athletes to learn. That’s where Mona and Deek and Kerryn (McCann) have an advantage because they were and are able to read their own bodies really well.

N.M. You were talking the other day about rest instead of cross-training for injuries. Could you please expand on that?

C.W. I reckon that two of the best physios in Victoria are Anne Lord and Peter Howley because they propose rest, if needed. No one else seems to tell an athlete to rest because they have this concept of ‘managing the injury’ and that can work sometimes but with distance running you’re on the edge all the time and sometimes you just need to take some time off. So often you see athletes turn a month injury into a six month injury because they don’t take the required rest. But it’s hard to take time off. I know, I’ve found it hard myself – I hated resting. If you’re only going to have ten days off I don’t think that cross-training is worth it. However, if you’re in for a long term stress fracture, for example, I think you’ve got to do a bit, even if it’s only for your own peace of mind. But the problem then is that you come back aerobically fit, but way ahead of where your body is at. I’m actually a big fan of walking for cross-training, especially for lower leg problems like achilles and calf injuries. One of the things I did with Suzie Power when she had an achilles problem was to get her to walk quite briskly. That way you don’t have all the punishment caused by gravity but you do have the blood flow to the injured area.

N.M. Your own running now. What training do you do?

C.W. Basically, bugger all! I run long on Sunday – I still do my hour and 40. On Saturday I try to do an hour and the rest of the time I fit in a run when I can but with work, that’s not too often. I work close to the Tan so I try to sneak over for a run.

N.M. Have you kept a tally of how many circuits of the Tan you have completed?

C.W. No, but it would be lots! I love the Tan and never get sick of running there.

N.M. Mona. What made him so great?

C.W. The fact that he’s just learnt to read his body so well and he, like Deek, was able to put training together, year after year, that others could not do. Both Mona and Deek also took the pressure off themselves; they know they’re bloody good. I suppose you could say that both Mona and Deek were privately arrogant but publically humble which I think is a great way to be. Mona also is very intelligent. And don’t forget Mona was a great athlete. Even as a kid he showed that he had great potential that many people did not see at the time.

N.M. Do you think that most of the great distance runners tend to have a certain personality – almost understated, Type B personalities?

C.W. They’re better if they’re more relaxed but it doesn’t mean that you can’t be good if you’re a bit of a ‘bull at the gate’ type but I think it would be harder. I wasn’t a super-relaxed sort of athlete. Just watching Deek and Mona from close quarters over the years, their capacity to relax and not let things rattle them was quite extraordinary. Kerryn is much the same – everyone around them could be losing their marbles and Mona and Deek and Kerryn would remain super calm and level-headed.

N.M. Apart from when Melbourne plays Essendon, have you ever had a disagreement with Mona?

C.W. Geeh, we don’t disagree on much, maybe on some music. We’ve just got on and we’re really good mates. In fact, we’ve been good mates for 20 odd years. And during the last ten years he knew what he was doing. Once a year we’d sit down to discuss the plan and he’d just do it. But he was also really good if he had a problem because he’d call straight away. With Mona you could always rely on him to be doing the right thing. He just never did anything stupid.

N.M. I’ve read in a running magazine where you stated that after Barcelona, where Mona had a bad marathon, that he found it hard to run himself right out – that he was only using up 99% of his potential? Can world-class marathoners go to the bottom of the well only so many times?

C.W. The marathon is such a tough event that I’m sure the mind and maybe the body says ‘no’ after a while. Most marathoners get slowly burnt through all the racing and end up running a little scared of the event, even if it’s just a touch. Funnily enough, I reckon one of Mona’s worst races ever is the Sydney Olympic Marathon. I think that he went into that race so determined to run a good, honest race that he under-estimated what he could have achieved. I’m absolutely convinced that if he had run the first half like Troopy did, and had given it a real ‘burl’, then he would have run a better race. He might have ended up 20th in Sydney but I reckon he would have run a better race.

N.M. How bad was his achilles in the lead-up to Sydney?

C.W He had a few problems but no worse than a lot of athletes and he certainly was able to manage it. His best effort by far was at the Commonwealth Games in 98. He was in great trouble and his 10 000 metres was a great run. He used all his nous and his rhythm to win that bronze medal. He shouldn’t have won a medal there because he was the most injured he has ever been in his whole career but he was terrific and finished third.

N.M. You’re a big one for training diaries. When I was talking to Kerryn the other day she mentioned that the first thing you did when you began coaching her was look at her diary. Also, yesterday you had a look through Troopy’s training diary before offering some advice.

C.W I think you can learn so much from a training diary and many people don’t keep a good enough record. I reckon that the very act of writing things down in a bit of detail can be so helpful. Mona and Deek were terrific diary keepers. In fact, Mona’s diary is great reading. I’ve kept a running diary from the moment

I’ve started running. I think it’s great when you’re leading into a race to have a look back and see all the completed sessions so you can say, “I’ve done all the work, I’m super fit and I’m ready to run well!” It’s just great psychology and offers excellent positive re-inforcement. It also has the effect of keeping your nose to the grind-stone. Tim O’Shaughnessy once said that he never needed a diary when training with me because every week was exactly the same. Obviously, I don’t agree with him.

N.M. Using his thinking you could photo-copy one week 52 times and there’s your year’s training diary.

C.W. Yes, it would certainly save time.

N.M. Australian distance running at the moment – are we heading in the right direction?

C.W. I think that we have easily as many talented athletes as we’ve had in the past at the top end with Mottram and Willis (now Johnson) and Clarke and the Powers. They’re all super-talented. However, unlike 20 – 30 years ago, we don’t have the numbers behind them. We’re awfully thin in the next group. Up until Christmas our fastest male 5000 metre runner was Mottram at the end of the Zatopek 10 000 metres. I would say that we’ve not been in that situation since the early 70’s when Clarke retired. We will always produce terrific athletes but I am worried about the depth. But things come and go.

N.M. A couple of months ago a few ex-athletes and so called experts said that the current generation don’t train hard enough or smart enough to reach world standards. Your comments on that?

C.W. I don’t agree with that statement across the board. However, some of our middle-distance runners certainly don’t train smart enough – I reckon they train hard enough. I laugh when I see Mottram running 3.35, then he’s up here at Falls Creek doing all this stuff. I can’t understand when some people then ask, “why is he running so fast?” Well, he’s strong! And he’s our best example at the moment – you can be strong and fast. You only had to watch him run the Cross-Country Trial in Ballarat last year off training at Falls Creek. He was so strong, he was cruising! A lot of athletes get distracted by short term gains and don’t get strong enough. I reckon you’ve got to be fit to train. A lot of people train before they’re fit and they just disappear or get injured. A lot of our 800 / 1500 metre runners have been distracted by the argument about quality training versus being really fit. Well, it’s a false argument because you need both because you can’t do the quality without being fit.

N.M. On the world scene, which of the current athletes do you really admire?

C.W. I just love watching El Guerrouj. I think he’s just brilliant. I thought Takahashi’s run at the Olympics was one of the most exciting runs I’ve ever seen – I think she’s was just stunning.

N.M. What about Gebrselassie?

C.W. Funnily enough, I’ve always preferred Tergat to Gebrselassie which says more about my racing prejudice than anything. But hell, Gebrselassie – what an athlete!
Sonia and Szabo are great athletes that I admire. I really like Paula Radcliffe even though I think she’s a stupid racer. But I just love the way she puts it on the line – I think that’s really admirable. I’d love to get her in a corner one day and say, “hey, do it this way!” Brendan Foster taught the world how to properly race a ‘kick down’ and he lives in her own country.

N.M. What would you suggest she do in say a 5 km. race on the track?

C.W Well, it depends on how the race unfolds but basically there are some rules and they’re pretty fundamental: the slower it is, the harder the kick-down, the later you go, the harder the kick-down. At the moment she does all the work, the ones behind her get an even sit, then they crunch her. But she’s bloody good, a terrific athlete! She was a lot closer at Edmonton, so perhaps she’s learning.
I’ve also got a lot of time for Tulu. I think she’s under-rated but a fantastic athlete.

N.M. One last hypothetical question. If you had the choice of Glenhuntly winning Sandown in record time, or Essendon winning the A.F.L. Premiership or Australia winning a distance running medal at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships or the Olympic Games, what would you choose?

C.W The distance medal easily. I would get so much pleasure out of that! Funnily enough, I had nothing to do with Lloydy winning the 5000 metres at the Commonwealth Games in 1990 but it was the most exciting moment of my life when he caught Ngugi on the line. I would just love to see an Australian win a distance medal, and we’ve seen it with Lisa Ondieki and Lloydy. However, it would be a very close call between the other two choices.

N.M. Thanks very much for your time, Chris.

C.W No problems, Neil.

The post “RAB” on the run – Interview with ‘distance running guru’ Chris Wardlaw appeared first on Runner's Tribe.