Coach ,

As you know In 1954 Roger Bannister was the first man to ever break the 4 minute barrier for a mile run. The monumental moment sparked a worldwide fascination with running the mile and seeing how fast someone could go.

The mile run is one of the most unique races in track and field because of the energy system demands and styles of training needed to be a complete runner. It’s not good enough to just be fast or just be aerobically fit. The best runners in the world have to be able to compete in a variety of situations and environments that they can’t always dictate during a competitive race.

Huston Franks (LSU) recently talked about his approach to training different types of milers. I loved his introduction in which he used a famous friend to help describe one important fact about successful runners in the mile.

Link: Fast Wins

We look on in awe during the championship races, as we watch the athlete who finishes first and never think to ourselves man that athlete was slow! Brent Ewing (Indian Hills CC) recently covered the entire range of training from 400-1500 and shared some really important concepts regarding the sprint work and its application to his programming. 

Link: Aerobic and Sprint Development

Speed and Race Pace are important to differentiate between. The race pace work and speed work have to be intricately combined during training sessions. Jay Johnson (Boulder Running Clinics) explains the differences well and what he thinks is one of the biggest mistakes coaches make when training their athletes. 

Link: Race Pace or Faster

There is a plethora of information in each one of these talks that can help coaches align the needs of their athletes and find the workouts that help build champions. Consistency will always be key and just remember, fast always wins!

Always be growing,

Coach Rathke and the T&F Community of Coaches helping Coaches