Old School Training Question? Meyer-Deek

I've spoken to Pat Clohessy several times and the big key is SIMPLICITY. Know what you have to do, and do it. Don't worry about times or heart rates...go by feel and do what you need to do.

Not sure why it goes hills-track-tempo, but I guess it just to keep things consistent and simple...also track before tempo can allow for a better tempo.

Thanks Roo Runner!

Obviously it worked well for Greg and Deek, but I don't think this is the optimal way to train. It's convenient for the people who can't help but race all the time, but if you can break up your training into cycles and keep varing the stimuli then you may have a better chance of reaching your potential.

Yeah, you have to keep in mind that they were roadrunners who had to race often because that's how they made their money. There were no contracts that paid in those days. So no cycling, no peaking for the most part -- they couldn't afford to take months to build a base. It's good up to a point, but you never get as fit as if you broke your training into phases throughout the year. But if you want to race often throughout the year, then that's for you.

Les wrote:

Yeah, you have to keep in mind that they were roadrunners who had to race often because that's how they made their money. There were no contracts that paid in those days. So no cycling, no peaking for the most part -- they couldn't afford to take months to build a base. It's good up to a point, but you never get as fit as if you broke your training into phases throughout the year. But if you want to race often throughout the year, then that's for you.

That's bull, Greg will tell you that. They both had shoe contracts. Deek had one long before he ran 2:08:18. He ran 10th or 12th at the Moscow Olympics.

Greg had one with Brooks, not sure if he had a contract wehn he ran for Boston Track Club or not, but there was money to be made in the 70s even, that is why guys like him, Rodgers, Dixon, Lindsay, et al raced so often. They made money under the table at the races ($3k, $5k even $10k for really big ones) but they also got paid for repping the shoes.

Malmo could comment better on this, he ran the big races with these guys and knew the system pretty well.