2:35 female trying to run 2:30

Hey patti! Can't believe you post here. Remember me? Josh from Seattle.

wow. Clearly someone with an axe to grind. Mary? as in Ballinger? who Pred by 30 seconds in steeple chase event in one spring last year while training with the ZAP team? Peter and Zeka are two of the kindest most giving folks I have ever met, driven by a desire to give back to the sport which gave to them and the development of their athletes (I am not an elite pro expert by any means) has been by my subjective eye quite impressive - US Teams PRs virtually every year by everyone and a level of support for emerging elites which is unparalleled. 2 of my running partners are on their Board of Directors, I receive their newsletter and I am astounded by their honesty to athletes when kids interview - often telling great talent "this is not the place for you." Life is a bit harder in Boone, but I am guessing that was the intention all along - Yes definitely harder for a woman there socially and a team of largely men but in terms of black and white results (I think of Melissa Mciag , Allison Morgan, Sarah Crouch and a few others who saw great improvement US team berths etc while there) I am a fan of what they do. Thanks to Zeka...ZAP and all the other groups who spend their time helping runners when they could have chosen to do other things. We need these groups. US is getting better

Sciatica Road wrote:

The trajectory of Patti Dillon breaking 2:30, which was the original topic of this thread, is an excellent case study.

uhhh no...

Hey Patti, is this you on the cover of Runner's World?

http://rioviking.blogspot.com/2015/01/runners-world-july-1981.html?view=flipcard

Looking for a Coach wrote:

I am looking for suggestions on which US Coach I should talk to about making the jump from 2:35 to 2:30. Obviously I know that it comes down to good ole fashion hard work but is there one coach that is better than others. I am not afraid to increase my mileage or relocate.

2:35 female where are you? We've been waiting for you to chime in.

About the increase of mileage, it's more than the miles. Miles are great, though the high miles are for building a base.

I suggest you also lift weights and if not, make sure you do push-ups and sit-ups , lots of ab work. I started doing Nautilus around '78 and push-ups and sit-ups just a few months before. I never missed a day. Even travelled on the road with my leg weights for quad work...lol!! Even to Japan.

As I was learning, I had a lot of questions about training and I asked "why" things had to be done quite a bit.

So, I imagine you would have questions too.

I would enjoy chatting with you. Somehow we could arrange to speak not in a forum.

And yes, Sciatica Road...it is.

And Josh, how are you?!

Side note:

Just got back from a trip to the Mid-West. Drove through a whiteout, crazy..absolute crazyiness. I wasn't in the tragic 1-80 accidents. I was on 1-81 around the same time, 1;30-2:00 yesterday.

Thank you for all of the good advice. I have found a Coach that I am happy with and I realized shortly after posting that this was the wrong forum. I am glad that my post brought patti out of hiding as she is a true pioneer. Thanks to all.

quite interesting wrote:

Me thinks someone is trying to keep the story going to blow their own horn.

This^

Oh GREAT! How wonderful for you!

I do hope you will keep us all in the know once you achieve your goal. A shout out to "letsrun" would suffice.

Oh, and sorry to referring you as "2:35 female". It didn't even register with me "Looking for a coach".

Good Luck! I wish you the best of luck with your goal Looking for a coach.

I do have one question. What forum was the correct one?

Thanks for more great training info, Patti! I find it all very fascinating! I marveled when I read you put in a 1000 sit-ups per day, on top of all your training, traveling, and racing!

I'm glad to hear you made it okay thru your recent trip. One of my most harrowing experiences was driving all night through a white-out years ago.

Sorry about my dumb question regarding the cover; I found out later it was talked about it earlier in another thread which I had not read completely through.

Sciatica Road, as I usually don't follow letsrun message board on a regular bases, I was curious to see "Looking for a coach" thread, so I looked. And I had time, now that I have my own computer. I've been sharing one for YEARS!!

After it's all said and done...I feel rather let down. LOL!!!

Ya'know. I mean like really. You drop a line "looking for a coach", "willing to relocate", "get to 2:30". I mean WOW! How could you not read it. My first thought after reading her intro was "why not break 2:30?" But now that it's all done, she has a coach and we don't' know who!!!!! Darn it. LOL!!

That doesn't really matter.

But it does.

I want MORE!! LOL!

Oh well, I do hope she does pop in and let us know how it's going for her. And if/when she reaches her goal. The process. What else was she looking for? Ya'know.

So, see you someplace on another thread.

And thanks for the stats... you and aaahh, hmm, somebody else chimed I can't of the user name off the top of my head. (and if I look it up, I may lose the thread, sometimes I have to log in again...funny) filled in more.

Thank you.

Now I am definitely going to start doing ab work..lol!! Hard work never ends...and being old is harder..lol!!

A chronology (corrected, as i uncovered more info) is listed below; I interspersed some training info (with referenced sources):

March 28, 1976 (age 23): Patti takes up running; starts running around Quincy cemetery.

~May 1976: 28:56 5M (in Earth shoes) (2)

Peaks at 40 miles/week training in Earth shoes.(2)

1st marriage in summer 1976, to one of 'Y runners’ (1)

Buys running shoes week before Ocean State Marathon.(2)

Oct 1976: 2:53:40 Ocean State Marathon*

cyst behind knee removed in spring 1977; hip flareup(2)

—her recovery from a 1977 knee operation took seven months (1)

“dogged by injuries” (1)

Oct 1977: 2:47:20 Marathon

1st marriage breaks up late 1977. (1)

Rents room from Joe Cattalano (moves to Boston), who starts coaching her. (1)

Spring 1978: Quits smoking

Spring 1978: 1:16:53 Half-Marathon (AR) (wins a TV)

Oct 1978: 2:44:11 Marathon

Dec 1978: 2:43:10 Marathon

Apr 1979: 2:38 Marathon (on injured foot)

Patti starts getting shoes from Nike in 1979.

In 1979, Joe C. quits job to coach Patti full-time. (1)

Sometime through here Patti and Joe share apartment with Toni Reavis and wife for six months. (2)

Sept 23, 1979: 1:14:03 Half-Marathon (WR)

Her training as an elite could be described as a lot of everything: regularly 120 miles per week, sometimes up to 150 to build base. Then about the third month, fartlek, hills, track workouts and frequent races were added in. She lifted weights and did a Rocky-esque 1,000 sit-ups and 500 pushups every day throughout the day. (2)

She was on a 10-day cycle—a week was too short to fit everything in— of repeat miles on Tuesday, long run, medium run, fartlek, hills, track, another track workout—relentlessly. (2)

Nov 5, 1979: 2:40:28 Marathon

Dec 1979: 2:40:07 Marathon

Apr 1980: 34:41 10K

Apr 21, 1980: 2:35:08 Marathon

May 4, 1980: wins 15K Midland Run

May 17, 1980: marries Joe Catalano

May 18, 1980: 26:14 5M (AR)

May 24, 1980: 1:08:36.7 20K (WR)

May 31, 1980: 33:03 10K (L'eggs Mini Marathon)

Jun 1980: 49:42 15K (AR)

Aug 23, 1980: 53:40 10M (AR)

Sept 6, 1980: 2:30:57 Marathon

Sept 6, 1980: 1:45:24 30K (WR)

Sept 1980: Races Half Marathon

Sept-Oct. Races and trains in Norway.

Oct 13, 1980: 32:24 10K (AR) Tufts

Oct 26(?), 1980: 2:29:33 Marathon

Dec 1980: 2:35:26 Marathon

Jan 1981: 2:35:28 Marathon

Feb 1981: 1:44:25 30K (WR)

Mar 14, 1981: 49:34 15K (AR)

Mar 15, 1981: 25:48 5M (WR)

Apr 5, 1981: 32:09 10K (AR)

works out twice a day and logs a minimum of 90 miles every week. Before major events she runs 40 more. (1)

subsidized by Nike as consultant (1)

Apr 20, 1981: 2:27:52 Marathon (AR)

(1)

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20079078,00.html

(2)

http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/a-new-woman-a-new-record

You're a creepy stalker!!

Long shot, but is there any update on how this athlete made out? Did she ever find that coach and get down below 2:35?

Whatever.....the right choice is always to chose a magic coach . The magic wizard J.S is the right way for everybody!

Go the DANCAN way! wrote:

Whatever.....the right choice is always to chose a magic coach . The magic wizard J.S is the right way for everybody!

Go away and stop ruining threads, Jan Stensson.