Runners who MADE IT by running HIGH mileage

I talked to Gerry Lindren's old college coach and he said the mileage was a little exacerbated.

Dave Bedford used high mileage, up to 235 a week.

What strikes me is that, and we all know this, there isn't one key to success. Having said that, though, a major clue is that success can be found by consistency (Kipchoge), high mileage (everyone pre-1985), and NOT necessarily a fixed schedule (Deek) or killer individual workouts (every workout king ever).

In reviewing my own running logs I found that I was always tired and complaining about it (Steve Scott logs), and I'd nearly always default to 'just running,' rather than doing real workout days. Then, my workout days were hardly ever planned, they'd just happen on days I felt better. There was maybe more an emphasis to find these days with races upcoming, but if racing a lot, there was no need.

So race more.

I had a teammate that would toke up before a long run and he did well.

Cougar Fan wrote:

Rory Linkletter was just a 9:20 guy in high school but he got to 2nd at NCAAs by running ~90-100 mpw. Not sure how that worked for him this season, but he’s definitely an example of someone who was never a blue chip runner but clawed and scratched his way to the top.

Sorry for the criticism but I wouldn’t consider Rory to be “someone who has made it,” and I wouldn’t consider 90-100mpw to be high mileage. A large amount of college athletes run more than 90-100mpw.

After I read the title but before I even opened this thread I thought of James Carney as well. Nice guy, tough kid, and not afraid to grind it out. Coach Groves LOVED that guy.

You could name so many people from those years. Before he became famous as a college coach, Martin Smith was just Marty and in the same club I was. He boggled all of our minds one year by telling a training partner that he was TAPERING for Boston JUST running 5-7 miles in the morning and 10-12 at night.

Arthur F.H. Newton was a mileage monster. 500-700 miles per month running/jogging and 150-300 miles per month walking.

You probably remember Jeff Julian even though most here won't. He had a 2:14 best marathon and won Fukuoka in 1963 establishing himself as a favorite for the Olympics in '64 and was one of Lydiard's lesser knowns who was still quite good. He did phenomenal miles. When most of the Lydiard guys were in their base phase and looking to do 1,000 miles in ten weeks Julian would do 2,000. On some days he'd run 26 miles before work in the morning and another 10-15 at night afterward. There was a time when the group was together and talking about the mileage they were doing and Julian mentioned that he'd been averaging around 200 a week. Arthur was going to kid him about it by saying, "Jeff, you really need to get to 300 a week if you want to be any good." Then he thought, "You know, he just might try it" and kept quiet.

Avery Collins.

https://www.leafly.com/news/pop-culture/how-cannabis-helps-ultramarathoner-avery-collins-run-100-miles

yesstiles wrote:

HRE wrote:

In the early 70s Fullerton State had guys doing loads of mileage. Mark Covert, Doug Schmenk and Dave White were reportedly in the 160-180 range. Schmenk and White both had marathons around 2:17 or so. Covert "only" got to 2:22 but was seventh in the '72 OT Marathon. Tom Fleming was a guy who was usually running 150 or better when he was serious. If you go back to the 70s and early 80s you'll find tons of stories like this.

My high school assistant XC coach was the Head Coach at Cal State Fullerton at that time. I'll have to ask him about that stuff.

I'll ask my uncle. He was alive then..

Naoko Takahashi.

2:13 800m in high school.

4:22 1500m in college.

2:19 marathon and Olympic gold medal after years of 170mpw.

Tom Fleming. “Somewhere, someone in the world is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.”

Yes, I do remember him. He finished third behind Foster in Toronto in 1970, also ran Fukuoka many times. Nice picture of him racing Foster in Foster's Book, "Tale of the Ancient marathoner".

skylon69 wrote:

Tom Fleming. “Somewhere, someone in the world is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.”

Absolutely, I had the pleasure to run with Tom a couple of times. Tough schedule he kept, 10 in AM 10 in PM, six days per week, the other day 20-25 miler.

I remember one time at the Mike Hannon 20 miler in Central Park in February, Fleming won in 1:39, then did another run in the afternoon of ten miles if I recall.

skylon69 wrote:

Tom Fleming. “Somewhere, someone in the world is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.”

Of course, someone in the world is training somewhere 24/7. And most of them are not training when you are. Ever heard of time zones?

Nate Jenkins, Josh McDougal

At first, I read HGH mileage...lol.

Just hit 11 yrs of averaging over 100 miles per wk. Running twice a day every day and taking easy days easy makes

it possible.

jaguar1 wrote:

Just hit 11 yrs of averaging over 100 miles per wk. Running twice a day every day and taking easy days easy makes

it possible.

Yeah, Camille, but have you MADE IT?

We're not talking world and/or American records here, we're talking..ummm...ummmm...yeah, I'm not sure what the definition of MADE IT is to this message board...Maybe it's the letsrun trifecta of $200k per year, Sub 16 5K and a supermodel spouse.