Objectives...Middle Distance and Distance Running

By Bill Welch, over 50 years of T&F coaching experience

PHYSICAL

1. Must build strength (not talking about bulk)

       A. Includes strength from weights and resistance and strength in running. This is a necessity.

2. Must increase endurance. This is a must and we must continue to build up what we have.

      A. The increase must be gradual. There is a means to end in increasing the distance.
      B. Gradually be able to maintain a better mile per average time when running distance.
      C. Repeats of 1600- 2000 – 3000 meters possibly at 10k or 10k+ pace.
      D. Even stride-outs, not sprint outs, with very short recovery.

3. Must increase stamina…running strength

      A. 5 to 6 milers with good pace.
      B. Repeats of 800-1000-1200’s, 1600 at 5k pace.
      C. Circuit training…resistance work…hill work (short and long)
      D. Repeats at 3k and 5k…excellent for stamina and endurance building

4. Must increase leg speed and ability to accelerate or change speeds in a race. There is always some need to improve leg speed and the ability to accelerate. Developing 400 meter speed too. Speed really is the name of the game.

RUNNING EFFICIENTLY

1. Work on maintaining good pace.

      A. Good concentration and focusing.
      B. Good running form.
      C. Repeat work at race pace and a little under.
      D. Fundamentally sound…good running technique.
      E. Raising aerobic, anaerobic levels.

2. Keeping yourself well and injury free.

      A. Commit yourself to your goals.
      B. Be willing to eliminate interferences that will be a detriment to you of what you and we want to get done.
      C. Use good judgement and control of the workouts.

3. Recovery time is very important and not to be neglected of which it often is. You must fill the gas tank often or run out of fuel. Recovery must be both from competition to competition as well as good work sessions to good work sessions and from season to season.

Fill the gas tank with threshold runs…either continuous runs or repeat runs at approximately 88% of vo2 max or possibly 15k pace running.

MENTAL

Mental objectives to get you where you want to go

1. Consistency in performance

      A. Consistency in practice… develops confidence and consistency in competition.
      B. Be able to take your training in practice into competition.

2. Goals for each competition (time trials), goals that will lead you to your long range goals.

      A. Goals in practice… practice should be purposeful.
      B. More concentration and focus on the present rather than the long range.

3. Mental approach

      A. Being able to focus on a goal.
      B. Eliminate outside interferences, before, during practice and competition. When you come across the bridge, from the academic to the athletic, focus on your practice or competition objectives.
      C. It all starts in practice.

HAVE A MISSION

1. Visualization… commit yourself to sincere practice of this. You can be as perfect and succesful as you want to be in visualization.

      A. Winners deserve to win in advance.
      B. Practice within when without.

2. Keeping well and injury free.

      A. Free of psych sclerosis
      B. Garbage dump thinking
      C. Brain hemorrhoid
      D. Cerebral pull
      E. Loser’s limp
      F. Stinking thinking
      G. Nervous in the service

Take a check up from the neck up, often.
Eat plenty of carrots to help you keep your eye on your goals.
Eat plenty of pasta with sauce to keep the deap down burning desire and “ the fire in the gut feeling” for your goals.

Eat and digest plenty of positive mental attitudes.
Negative mental attitude belongs in the garbage can.
Keep in mind that success is your potential and not your accomplishments, and potential is only potential when you use it.

You are three people:

1. What you were
2. What you are now
3. What you will be…

You will be what you are now if you decide to stay with what you are doing now.

Winners deserve to win in advance…You make you!
There never was a winner who wasn’t a winner before he became a winner.

Goals… objectives and contests are won 8 inches above the chin.
A thought that should stay with us, long slow distance running will get you to the finish line but speed and speed endurance (stamina) from repeats will get you there first.
Another important thought, when you burn the fuel from the gas tank it must be replaced or the car refuses to move. The body is the same.

If you are expecting to perform like a Cadillac or Lexus, treat the body like you would your new Lexus or caddy. You can’t expect a broken down ford to perform like a top end car.

Treat your body like you would drive and treat your new car and your body will perform like the new car, efficiently, economically and smoothly, like a champion.
Every car has a definite cruising speed…so does each runner’s body. Develop a higher cruising speed and your performance will be better.

When working on training schedules, whether daily, weekly, by the month or season, you should always keep your good friends around you.

1. What to do…needs to be done
2. When to do it
3. Where to do it
4. Why to do it…should always be a reason
5. Who to do it
6. How to do it