Ron Clarke and slow distance

There are some quotes on Bob Hodge's site that I think are very insightful. Here are some:

"When you begin to believe, that is when you will be on the right track to try and accomplish whatever you have set out to do."

Believing in your training is the most important thing, I believe. If you run miles, and lots of them, and you think it's the most effective way to train, than it will probably work, and work well, given you stay healthy. If you follow a Coe-esque plan, with proper aerobic conditioning, and you believe in what you are doing, it will probably work.

Snell, Shorter et al. ran WRs and won championships off of Lydiard and lots of mileage. Coe, Cruz, et al. ran world records and won champs off of speed based, lower mileage training. Each believed in their training, and worked their asses off, and this resulted in success.

No one in their right mind can say one way works and the other doesn't, because empirical evidence shows otherwise. One can argue that one way is more effective than the other, and bring up valid points. But we'll probably never know. Say someone runs WRs off of high mileage, who's to say high mileage is the key and not ridiculous talent. And the same goes for the intensity based, lower mileage programs.

I think one thing that cannot be stressed enough is sticking with a program over time. Years of development using one program, working hard, and a little bit of faith can go a long way. Switching between philosophies regularly breaks up one's consistency, harms one's confidence, and just doesn't work out very well. It can be worked through in the short term, yes, but it's immediately detrimental to one's running. Look at Alan Webb--two switches in two years and he is struggling.

This is not always the case, as lots of runners have switched programs and had great success, like David Krummernacker. But this brings me back to my original point that believing in yoru trianing is very important. Krummenacker believed he made the right choice and had faith in his coach, De Oliviera, and he suceeded. A guy like Webb doubted his coach, left him, and obviously doubts what he's doing now, and it's led to disaster.

I would say that no one way is right. But as long as you stay healthy, trian consistently, train a lot, stay injury free, and believing in what you are doing, you are on your way to success. There's always going to be failure, injury, and things that make you doubt the efficacy if what you are doing. It happens. But if you keep at it, train smart, as a whole, this will lead to success.

This is my .02

I agree. I have run my best when i have pounded runs. as long as i could handle it.

The point is that you can do more harm running hard and hammering day in and day out. You either get injured or you get too fatiged to do the volume needed to really reach your potential. A lot of runners have this football mentality of no pain no gain and they do out and race their training. The real problem occurs in group training evironments like high school and college programs where no one wants to be dropped so a run the coach wants done easy is often done too hard. Hodgie is right on with letting your body dictate the pace. Somedays you might have to crawl other days you will feel like you can run fast with no effort. Don't force yourself to run slow but if you have to run slow and get in 15 that day (even in two runs) it is much better for your fitness and aerobic development than going for "8 hard".

" It can be worked through in the short term, yes, but it's immediately detrimental to one's running."

This should read long term, sorry.

I would also like to add that some programs work better for different runners, and that finding out what is best for each athlete is key in maximizing their potential.

Note the important thing, his CONSISTENCY.

Ron Clarke training from "The Lore of Running" Noakes 1991:

"Clarke's training methods have been described by (Fred) Wilt (1972), who reports that Clarke trained almost daily year round with little variation from one season to another. Any variation was unintentional. Each days workout was remarkably similar and he did not attempt to peak. Rather he remained racing fit year round gradually increasing the quality of training over his athletic lifetime.He seldom trained on the track, did not keep a training diary, and never used a stopwatch during training. Most of his training was done on grass and roads and much of it was done over extremely hilly courses.

Clarke trained three times a day, but regarded the evening workout as the truly important part of each days training. On weekday mornings he ran 5k continuously at a fast pace and thereafter did some gym work. From 1:00 to 1:45 he ran 10-12k at a fast pace and in the evening he ran 16-25k also at a fast pace. He usually did this workout while wearing a full track suit unless the weather was extremely hot. On Tue. & Thu. he included gym training. On Sat he ran only once 16-25k and on Sun. one run 28-34k fast pace over rolling hills.

Occasionally but not more than twice a week he would run ten 200m or 400m intervals with equivalent recovery jogs between repetitions. On runs 16k to 24k pace 3:08/k for the distance. He ran hard and forced the pace almost without exception on most of his training runs.

Clarke seldom missed an opportunity to enter track, road or cross country races and he usually raced more than once a week. He enjoyed running races of 800m to 1600m as preparation for longer diastance races.

Recommend his athletic biography: "The Unforgiving Minute"

Good post. Consistency is the key. Whatever you do, do it often, do it hard, do it well.

Also worth noting that Clarke used to race frequently. He believed in the painful process of racing himself fit, and on one European tour ran 12x5km and 12x3km races in six months as well as half a dozen six mile and 10km events. Wow!

I think I read in "Ron Clark Talks Track" where he once ran 30 races in 40 days.....Ron Hill was also incredible. A lot of racing which seemed not to be well planned..a 30K track world record attempt just a week or so after his commonwealth games marathon victory....incredible..but considering Hills mileage not suprising..120-130-112-121--weeks like that just clicked em off!!!!

didn't derek clayton run his PRs after an injury had forced him to curtail his normal intense training? Another arguement for the systematic approach.

Actually Derek Clayton ran his marathon pr(world record) ONE week after running another marathon(2:18 I think).

Noakes trashes Ron Hill's training, and states that he

was constantly overtrained and raced poorly.

Perhaps the guys who raced against Hill would have a

different opinion.

but I found it fascinating and incredibly humbling.....great book. His description of his Munich marathon run was great...knew he was in trouble from the start, but just hung in there for 6th.....It would be great to be disciplined enough to keep that detailed of a log....Ron Clarke never kept a log...read that in Ron Clarke Talks Track.....That would drive me crazy not keeping a log.

Lydiard used to tell a story about two Aussies, Trevor Vincent and Tony Cook who got destroyed by Lydiard's runners in a series of cross country races in 1961 and switched to Lydiard training afterward, doing a lot of 7 minute distance work. Clarke was a neighbor of theirs and largely retired largely because he didn't like interval work on the track and the distance work Cook and Vincent were doing appealed to him.

Lydiard says that as Clarke got fitter, he picked up the pace while Cook and Vincent stayed with the 7 minute miles. So, Lydiard says, they went "nowhere" while Clarke became the best distance runner in the world. It's worth noting though, that "nowhere" included 8th place at the 10,000 in the 1964 Olympics for Cook and a steeplechase gold at teh Commonwealth Games for Vincent in 1962.

I had the opporunity to meet Ron Clarke a few years back (1994?). At the time he was managing a posh fitness club called "Canon's" in London.

I asked Clarke about his training, as well as the Noakes training log (3 x per day runing). Clarke was not aware of the Noakes book, but mentioned that he ran no more than 2 x per day (which Hodgie did as well during his career). You have to remember that Clarke worked full time, and had a family. Clarke said that most days would start with a short morning run prior to work, but the main session happened each afternoon. Clarke went on to say that he use to meet a group of fellow training buddies most days at a cricket/rugby type oval, and just run laps. Each lap was about a mile, and they would usually run 10-12 laps per session. Clarke said he ran about 5 minute pace per mile most days! As it has been stated above, Clarke raced himself into shape with shorter races, and seldom ran speed sessions. Clarke also mentioned that he did work on short 100 meter surges during a runs, to help develop he ability to get rid of those people hanging on in races. No question though, Clarke was very consistent.

I really enjoyed Hill's 2 part books, "The Long Hard Road."

Unfortunately, my copies were damaged in a flood. Anyone know where I can find copies for purchase?; Web searches and web based rare book services have turne up nothing.

Thanks in advance!

clarke wanted to do 800m repeats full recovery in 64 plus 54.

and some hill sprints 300m very hard.