John Walker's Training

Check tmk's post here. That was pretty much 100% correct.

I will try & explain the 2 cycles they did later.

Ray,

I had the blue foot experience as well! What's more, I'd once purchased through the mail a pair of white, Sub-4 shorts and they practically turned invisible in the rain. Good times.

Monty

Hodgie-San

I met Ray Pucket through my father about 4 or 5 years ago and he was running a pig farm in Dairy Flat just north of Auckland but think he may have retired from that now, but ill be sure to ask my dad for you when i talk to him next. Ray was a real nice guy, and as Kim said he was a very tough guy(so i hear- im too young to have ever seen him compete).

Arch Jelley's 2 cycle year

Stamina Buildup 8 to 10 weeks

Speed Buildup 4 to 6 weeks

Racing Practice and Trials 2 to 4 weeks

Racing and Light work 6 to 10 weeks

Easing off 2 + weeks

Example : John Walkers 2 cycle year

1975

Oct 4 --- Nov 22 Stamina Buildup 8 weeks

Nov 23 --- Dec 27 Speed Buildup 5 weeks

Jan 3 1976 ---- Jan 31 Racing Period

1976 (Con't)

March 13 --- May 8 Stmina Buildup 9 weeks

May 9 --- June 12 Speed Buildup 5 weeks

June 19 --- July 26 Racing and Montreal Olympics

Kim Stevenson wrote:

Arch Jelley's 2 cycle year

Stamina Buildup 8 to 10 weeks

Speed Buildup 4 to 6 weeks

Racing Practice and Trials 2 to 4 weeks

Racing and Light work 6 to 10 weeks

Easing off 2 + weeks

Example : John Walkers 2 cycle year

1975

Oct 4 --- Nov 22 Stamina Buildup 8 weeks

Nov 23 --- Dec 27 Speed Buildup 5 weeks

Jan 3 1976 ---- Jan 31 Racing Period

1976 (Con't)

March 13 --- May 8 Stmina Buildup 9 weeks

May 9 --- June 12 Speed Buildup 5 weeks

June 19 --- July 26 Racing and Montreal Olympics

this just shows what a fine overall athlete Walker was (as if not already evident) Think about how many guys today run dual seasons like this. The key to note is that Walker ran really fast in BOTH seasons, he didnt just do the NZ summer DURING his base he actually peaked twice, and not many can appreciate just how hard that is to do.

Arch's approach was verified by Russian research in the 1970s. The research showed that multiple buid-up and racing periods per year is better than a single long build-up period per year at improving fitness and performance.

I think it just makes a lot of sense. The human body adapts quickly to training and stagnates on the same stimulus. Obviously, then, changing the stimulus often enough is the key to continued progress.

Kiwi's have always had to do this. ie 2 cycles.

Our guys had to in order to get noticed for Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

Example : Our track Season is now in full swing.

I still remember Dixon and Polhill runnning 3:41 in our National 1500 in March 1972 to get the Selectors eye. Note that both made the Oly Final.

Same Nationals Walker ran 1:49.5 over 800 and missed selection.(Despite running 1:48 a couple of weeks later behind Bruce Hunter (1:47.7) who was also a non selection that year)

The meet that day was held in wet, cold conditions with really bad winds.

In later years Arch Jelley developed a system for Walker, but along with consultation with others who had gone before.

Walker, Quax and Dixon just perfected the system.

All ran phenomenally for at least 10 years.

bump

Kim im not sure whether you or anyone else heard on Radio Pacific yesterday but they interviewed John. They spoke alot about the demise of New Zealand Mid Distance athletes on the world stage. I felt he was right in saying that a lot more emphasis has to be placed on coaching in this country and that kids need to be more active-he used the example of walking or running to school each day, but i found this a little hypocritical because as has been stated many times by various people including himself, was that he was lazy and needed to be dragged out of bed for his long sunday runs etc. He also mentioned that he felt that we dont need an institute of sport like australia and just kept reinforcing the fact about coaching. But he ended the intreview saying that he felt Nick Willis is going to be the next big thing for distance running in New Zealand, saying that he had the ability and the levelheadedness to make it big time.

Also just wondering whether got my last couple of emails kim? just thought id keep you updated.

Simon B

I recall reading a sports illustrated article or runners world article as a kid that mentioned the time Walker had an appendectomy. It seems like the surgeon was amazed at how well developed Walker's abs were. Best I recall Walker did loads of sit-ups with a 20 lb plate.

If anyone recalls where this story was printed up I may try to get a copy.

I had the good fortune (and sometimes misfortune) to train with JW in the last year of his career. He was 39 at the time, I was 24 with best times of 3m43 1500m and 13m57 5k, and when it came to rep sessions he would certainly smack me around!

Training went bit like this:

First month or so just building up mileage - for JW this was about a max of 85 pw. Most at reasonable clip. I was getting up to 100-105 at max.

Then we would start doing a few tempo runs on the Auckland waterfront over 6k every second week. For me they became more like time trials as we used to just run them hard out. Started of at 18mins or so then after a few sessions getting down to low 17mins. JW sometimes struggled on these and I was able to put him away a few times.

Also, around this time (About 6 weeks into the buildup) we would start doing 1k reps - 5 of them - in Auckland Domain. This was on the road with a bit of a rise on the course, speed bumps, etc so not super quick running. This was a stock standard JW session for a number of years 1000m x 5 with 2-3mins rec. We would start off running them around 2m45-48, after a number of sessions we would be running around 2m39-42, although JW would quite often hiyt out a few 2m36-37s. He was tough to hang with doing this work.

We also did the usual long Sunday run - JW would do no more than 15m at this time, although I did a few 2h runs.

After about 10weeks of the above the rationale was that you were strong and relatively fast - that we could run 14min 5k or close to 8min 3k off that sort of work, and JW could even smack out a reasonable 1500/mile.

We would then hit the track - basically one day longer reps 800m x 4-5 (2-3min rec), 1600m x 2 (10min), 1000m x 3 (5-6min rec)

One day shorter anaerobic stuff: 400m x 10-12 (60-90s rec), 200m x 10-12 (90s or so rec) etc

One day: steady-state type efforts 6laps, 8laps, 12laps(hated those!)

JW would generally smack me in all of this stuff - he was just so strong at any decent sort of pace, but when it came to longer steady state efforts I could handle him.

JW would always smack the last couple of reps. this was actually his final demise as we were doing 400's and he smacked the last one about 30m ahead of me and blew out his achilles for good. this was about a month before he was to have a crack at the "sub4 at 40".

I have no doubt that he would have easily done that simply because I myself ran 3m39 a month or so later as well as 13m25 5k.

At the end of the day I don't think there was anything over complicated about our training - it was just consistency and good solid work. Everything came back to being strong. JW thrived on the 2 seasons a year thing and seemed to get back into shape amazingly quickly after a break as well.

Did Walker tell you about the problem he had with his leg? If so could you please describe what was wrong with it? I am just very curious, thanks

85mpw + or without morning runs?

including or without

Hey, easy. It may not be true, but stupid? I "run hard" for 10 everyday over my lunch hour. Of course my "hour" is tad longer than 60 minutes.

Kim and nz 1 : your insight into this great runner's career is a big part of what makes this board worth visiting. nz 1 - that is heratbreaking how JW was injured so soon before his record attempt. If any runner deserved to have that record, it is him.

1. Early in his career JW had compartment syndrome - in 70s wasn't as straight forward as it is today in dealing with. He had this problem for few years until he had them operated on but even this took him out of action for a year.

When his career finished it was achilles problems - kept getting reoccurring strains. In end so bad that if kept on running most likely would've gone completely. There was no guarantee that operating on would even do anything so didn't bother.

2. At this stage of his career mid-late 30s most of his training was 1 x per day. In buildup period it was mostly 1 x per day (occasional doubles), in track work probably 2-3 days where did 4-6miler on days did sessions.

A much required bump. You are welcome.

NZ1 Are you still around?

How long where his runs between the hard sessions in base and in competition periods then. Was it closer to 10 miles a day or more or a tad less?