Which runner has inspired you more than any other? Serious responses please.

New Zealand's John Campbell. The guy worked 50 hours a week and ran 2:11 at age 41 -- still the fastest masters' performance at Boston, 23 years later.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1139859/1/index.htm

Ryan Hall's 2008 run in London and Chris Solinsky's 26:59 were the two most inspiring runs that I have ever witnessed. They were both catalysts for the two most intense training blocks that I ever had.

Sally Meyerhoff and J.R. Flowerree. One you probably have heard of and one probably not. Two runners who lost their lives in accidents far too soon. Their deaths remind me to embrace the life I have, the race I run and the runs I still GET to do.

Both of these runners had an amazing passion for running and for life....

Jim Ryun. He was very inspirational, especially when he made his comeback for the 1972 Olympics.

Since I ran the 880 and mile in HS in the early 70s he was no doubt my favorite. I loved that he was a kicker because that is what wins races. That was usually my strategy, and I was able to win a ton of HS races in the last quarter with a kick.

Billy Mills

I'm 34 and never met him. My father forced me to watch Running Brave when I was 8 or 9. The story part went over my head but the racing was cool. By the end of the movie my dad and I were screaming at the television, cheering him on as if it was 1964. I've seen the movie 20 times since and it never gets old. I didn't start running until my mid 20's so it wasn't a moment of clarity or something when I was 9 years old but it stuck with me. Mills' approach to running was how I went after my athletic endeavors. Now I run and his story and that 10000 get me jacked when I watch it. Got the same feeling when I thought Galen Rupp was going to pull the same thing in London. That would have been something.

My father

He ran but never let me on about his accomplishments. He was a Marine during Vietnam and ran a ton until my brother and I came along. He didn't have the time to run when he entered the work force, so he basically dropped the sport for 30 years to work 12 hour days as a mailman. He's running again but he is painfully slow and his body is broken down from his job. The crazy thing was that he never told me about his high school career. He ran for Plymouth High School in Rhode Island. His 4 years in high school, they won states and were regarded as the best team in New England. They beat Bishop Hendricken, which has been the Rhode Island powerhouse for years. Since then, I don't think Plymouth has done anything but his years in school, they were unstoppable. I found his letter jacket and he ran varsity all four years. He doesn't talk about and doesn't like to brag but I know he was a bada$$ runner. He doesn't know I know. I wouldn't want to have raced him.

Bruce Denton. wrote:

NotAustin18,

I hope training goes great for your marathon in April! I'm not familiar with Frank's training method you mentioned. Sounds solid, I'm sure some of those runs were harder than just easy pace though right?

Thanks man. Here is how Frank Trained:

1) brain dead consistency (his main thing)

2) 2 speed workouts a week (Tuesday and Thursday) or 1 if racing

3) 2 hour or 20 mile long run every Sunday, if feeling good would get last 3-6 miles at 5:00 pace.

4) run about 20 miles a day, every day

5) run twice a day everyday except Sunday

6) except for speed work and the end of a long run if feeling good, everything was done at an easy conversational pace (for Frank 7:00 pace)

Frank's speed workouts were 2-3 miles of 5k or faster work. He'd do 8-12 x 400 with 200 jog rest, sometimes as short as 100m rest with the 400s in 60-65. The 2nd workout was 4-6 x 800 in as fast as 205 with a 400m jog rest, sometimes he would do 4x1200m with 600m jog rest and do the 1200s in 3:06-3:12. Frank's idea was that speed work should be really intense, if someone pointed a gun at his head and told him to run an extra interval at the same pace after the workout he'd say "shoot me". He also believed in doing the same thing year round, "brain dead consistency" as he said. His speed workouts were short enough that he could do them year round and be consistent, and it also allowed him to race well on the track. (13:26 5k, 12:52 3 mile, 27:45 10k) And the speed work also made him good at doing surges in the marathon. One time they were at 5:00 pace around mid race and Frank threw in a 4:37 mile, broke everyone. Also, the speed work made marathon pace easy. The best way to explain it, he trained like a 5k runner doing a marathoner's mileage.

Avocado's Number, the Walker/Bayi SI article you cite is in fact the one that did it for me.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091205/1/index.htm

Derek Turnbull

Jack Foster

Ed Whitlock

Joan Benoit Samuelson

Bill Rodgers

And yes..Ed Whitlock!

Sammy Wanjiru. Such a badass.

I just remembered....also, Miruts Yifter.

Bill Rodgers. Emil Zatopek. Abebe Bikila. Herb Elliott.

18 hole record setter wrote:

Golden Age of miling for me: Coe & Ovett for sure but Coghlan, Flynn, Walker, Maree, Wesenhage etc... Anyone could win on any day. The guy I really liked to cheer loud for certainly was in the mix: Steve Scott running for "Sub-4" Track Club. I wish he would have had a little better luck. I loved his style of racing but it may have cost him in the big races.

For me, that was also the golden age of running. But from that list you omitted Auoita! The thing I loved about his career was his range. The mile/ 1500 has always been my favorite race with the 800 next followed by the 5000. Auoita was the overall best at these.

If only he not been injured in 88, he might have medaled in the 800 and 5000. He came down from the 5000 to medal in the 800! That's awesome.

Brian Sell. 10:05 in high school and then a marathon PR of 2:10:47.

J.R. wrote:

Wang Junxia for her hard work and her glorious records.

hahahahahahahaha

Subfive wrote:

For me, that was also the golden age of running. But from that list you omitted Auoita! The thing I loved about his career was his range. The mile/ 1500 has always been my favorite race with the 800 next followed by the 5000. Auoita was the overall best at these.

If only he not been injured in 88, he might have medaled in the 800 and 5000. He came down from the 5000 to medal in the 800! That's awesome.

LoveRunning wrote:

Bill Rodgers. Emil Zatopek. Abebe Bikila. Herb Elliott.

Jesse Owens. Carl Lewis. Donovan Bailey.

And Ted Corbitt.

I'm my biggest role model for myself. All those professional runners are great, but when I get to the line none of them are going to help me. I look to my own accomplishments for confidence.

drugs work bro wrote:

Subfive wrote:

For me, that was also the golden age of running. But from that list you omitted Auoita! The thing I loved about his career was his range. The mile/ 1500 has always been my favorite race with the 800 next followed by the 5000. Auoita was the overall best at these.

If only he not been injured in 88, he might have medaled in the 800 and 5000. He came down from the 5000 to medal in the 800! That's awesome.

http://www.thestar.com.my/story.aspx?file=%2F2006%2F2%2F19%2Fsports%2F13442784&sec=sports

You're a monster. That's disappointing.