Training log June 21st-27th 1993

That's not a knife. ... There's a knife.

4/16 - 4/22 106 miles
4/16 AM 1 easy, 20k Tempo 62:51 (with 4th, 10th, 17th km in 2:49, 2:34, 2:40), 1 easy
4/17 AM 4.5 easy PM 10 easy
4/18 AM 6 easy PM 3 easy, 4 x hill circuit (5.5 miles), 2.5 easy, 6 x 200 hill, 3 easy
4/19 PM 3 easy, barriers, 1 mile of 30-40s, 3 easy
4/20 AM 7 easy PM 3 easy, 8 x hill circuit (11 miles), 3 easy
4/21 PM 7 easy
4/22 AM 5 easy, 3 x steep dune, 1 mile easy, 15 x flat dune, 2 easy
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4/23 - 4/29 99 miles
4/23 AM 12.5 easy on beach
4/24 AM 4.5 easy PM 9.5 easy
4/25 PM 3 easy, 2 x hill circuit, 4 x 400 hill (bounding), 3k easy, 1200(3:05), 800 jog, 4 x 600 (1:35, 1:33, 1:38, 1:29), 6 x 300 (50,48,45,43,43,40), 2 easy
4/26 AM 4.5 easy PM 2 easy, barriers, 6.5 easy
4/27 AM 4.5 easy PM 3 east, 2 x hill circuit, 4 x 400 hill (bounding),2.5 easy, 9 x 400 (66,62,58), 600 (1:35), 400-300-200-100 (62,43,29,13),9 x 200 (32,30,28), 1 mile easy
4/28 PM 9 easy
4/29 AM 1 easy, 10 mile tempo 50:33, 2.5 easy
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4/30 - 5/6 92 miles
4/30 PM 15 easy
5/1 PM 4.5 easy, 800-1200-600-400 (2:14.9, 3:16.3, 1:38.9, 60.0) over barriers w/ rest of :75, 1:45, :75; 5 easy
5/2 AM 5 easy PM 4.5 easy, 1000 (2:42), 4 x 400 (66,65,64,54) w/:60rest, 3 miles easy, 4 x 400 (59,57,57,54) w/2:00 rest, 4 x 300(44,43.5,44,42.5) w/:60 rest, 1 mile easy
5/3 AM 6 easy PM 10 easy
5/4 AM 4.5 moderate PM 3 easy, 2 x 300 (40,41), 800 jog, 4 mile of 30-40s, 800 jog, 2 x 200 (28,27), 2.5 easy
5/5 AM 3 easy PM 4.5 easy strides
5/6 PM 3 easy, 5000 in 14:05, 3 easy
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5/7 - 5/13 101 miles
5/7 PM 14 moderate
5/8 AM 6 moderate PM 5 easy, 1.5 miles of 30-40s, 20 minutes Holmer fartlek, 3 x 200, 1.5 easy
5/9 AM 9 easy PM 4.5 easy, 1200 (3:12), 2 x 800 (2:08, 2:07), 4 x 400 hurdles (66,65,65,65) w/:60 rest, 2 x 200, 3 easy
5/10 AM 6 moderate PM 9 moderate
5/11 PM 4.5 easy, 4 x 1 mile (4:49, 4:38, 4:28, 4:10), 800 jog, 6 x 300 (50,47,47,43,42,39.8), 3 easy
5/12 PM 9 moderate
5/13 AM 7 easy PM 4 easy

What year was this? Would you have done anything different? BTW I'm not Australian, but have lived here for a long time.

1978. Yes, I would have done everything different. My coach, Harry Johnson, was a megalomaniac/psychopath. But this was Athletics West, the first professional track club in the world, so there really weren't any other options if you wanted to be paid to run. It was a really effed up environment.

I quit after a year.

Sorry to hear that. I was never paid to run but made a few dollars on the road race scene. Feel privileged to coach a female that is a full time professional.

I thought everyone in the 90s was doing 40 mile weeks and supplementing their training with Bunz of Steel.

Lol

They doubled with sweatin to the oldies

Intense! What was the Holmer fartlek? What did you do for the hill circuit?

Gösta Holmér was a Swedish Olympic decathlete 100 years ago. After he retired from athletics he stumbled upon a cross country coaching job and intuitively created fartlek training. I really don't remember much about it (except for the 50m explosive bursts) since it was pretty much a half-assed day. Rather than meeting as a group most of us ran in pairs or all alone. Basically fartlek as you (should) know it.

Harry Johnson was a gymnastics coach, who, like Holmer, stumbled upon a cross country coaching job. So what he did was buy (or "borrow" from the library) every training book out there. Like a lot of you, he sampled a lot of training ideas from the coaches and athletes of the day. Then threw it all into a pot and stirred. Pretty much it was "I like beef, pizza, sushi, tacos, ice cream, donuts, etc... and stir) It tasted like sh/t. Really, the most important part of his program was to drone on and on about how great he was, and how lucky we were to be coached by him.

The hill circuit was a 1.5 mile loop. It began with 400m hill that was divided this way:
1. a) bounding 100m, b) run 100m, c) bounding 100m, d) run 100m
2. half mile jog
3. 400m breakneck sprint down the hill
4. 400m of 50m sprints at the bottom of the hill, then jog back to the beginning.

Then usually a 2 mile jog to another hill, or the track for some more foul tasting gruel.

It was batsh/t crazy. Only because of God's watchful eye, we were lucky that no one was seriously injured from a fall sprinting down that hill.

The hardest part of this training was doing it in the heat and humidity of RVA. In my diary one of the days had a heat index of 105.

Ouch! The things we take for granted these days. So much information out there now but still find coaches making no effort to learn where much of it is out there for free.

I heard Johnson was a dictator. Who else was in those workouts with you? Marsh, Brown, Salazar? Could you give some more samples? I'm fascinated by the era.

What/where is RVA?

Marsh, Brown and Salazar weren't AW yet. Marsh was still in college and never trained under Johnson. Brown was AW but lived in TN but he never did Johnsons workouts because he kept two sets of books.

Only three of us did those workouts: myself, Jim Crawford and Craig Virgin. We had a few hanger-ons who tagged along but weren't anywhere close to doing those.

Tiny Kane and Mike Manke were the 1500m guys but those sessions were above their pay grade.

By May, a marathon group had formed (Jeff Wells, John Ludwick and Kevin McCarey) but their focus was different.

I'll provide more weeks when I get a chance.

Richmond, VA. Those heat indexes he speaks of are not atypical of summers there.

I grew up in DC. Know what it's all about.

1/1 - 1/7 1978 75 miles
1/1 PM 12 miles easy
1/2 PM 13 miles easy
1/3 PM 17 miles easy
1/4 PM 9 miles easy
1/5 PM 2 miles easy, 3000 SC Trial 9:11.4, 1 mile jog, 6 x 300 (50,51,46,43,42,42)
1/6 PM 5 miles easy
1/7 AM 3 mile warm-up, 3 x 100 steep dune, 2 miles easy, 20 X 100 flat dune, 2 miles warm-down
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1/8 - 1/14 91 miles
1/8 AM 3 mile warm-up, 3 x steep dune, 8 miles on beach, 5 x flat dune, 2 mile warm-down
1/9 PM 9 miles easy plus barrier work
1/10 AM 5 miles easy PM 9 miles easy
1/11 PM 2 mile warm-up, 4 x 1 mile (4:50,4:55,4:38,5:03), 6 x 300, 2 miles easy
1/12 PM 21 miles easy
1/13 PM 2 miles easy, 4 x 400 hill, 3 x 300 bounding, 9 x 200 hill, 7 miles warm-down
1/14 AM 6 miles easy PM 6 miles easy
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1/15 - 1/21 107 miles
1/15 AM 1 mile easy, 20k tempo run 64:11, 1 mile warm-down
1/16 AM 5 miles easy PM 4 miles easy
1/17 AM 3.5 miles easy, 9 x 100 (easy, medium, hard) PM 2 mile
warm-up; 1200-100 (3:39,2:26,1:48,70,49,33,15); 5 miles easy; 4 x 600 over barriers alt 1:49/1:39, 2 x 400 (56.9,59.7), 1 mile easy
1/18 PM 22 miles easy
1/19 AM 4 miles easy PM 5 miles easy, 800-1200-600-400 over barriers (2:17,3:33,1:40,60.6), 6 miles easy
1/20 AM 4 miles easy PM 9 miles easy
1/21 AM 1 mile warm-up, 20k tempo run 65:21 with 1k (2:36) control, 1 mile warm-down
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1/22 - 1/28 65 miles
1/22 PM 7miles easy
1/23 AM 4 miles moderate PM 14 miles easy
1/24 PM 2 miles easy, 3000m in 8:34, 6 x 300 (50,47,45,45,44,41), 3 miles easy
1/25 PM 8 miles easy
1/26 PM 5 miles easy
1/27 PM 5 miles easy
1/28 AM Atlanta, GA WXC Trials 3 miles easy, 12k in 40:00, 2 miles easy
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1/29 - 2/4 48 miles
1/29 AM 6 miles hard
1/30 0
1/31 0
2/1 AM 5 miles easy PM 5 miles easy
2/2 AM 4 miles easy PM 2 miles easy, 3x2400 (75-70-65) 2 miles easy
2/3 PM 10 miles slow
2/4 AM 3 miles slow PM 8 miles slow
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2/5 - 2/11 97 miles
2/5 AM 1 mile easy, 8 mile tempo run
2/6 AM 8 miles easy PM 3 miles easy, waterjump, 3 miles easy
2/7 PM 5 miles easy, 3 x 400-300-200 hill, 2 miles easy
2/8 AM 9 miles easy PM 14 miles easy
2/9 AM 6 miles easy PM 5 miles easy, 800-1200-600-400 over barriers (2:16,3:27,1:36,61) 5 miles easy
2/10 AM 5 miles easy PM 10 miles easy
2/11 PM 9 miles easy
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2/12 - 2/18 24 miles (flu)
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2/19 - 2/25 58 miles
2/19 PM 7 miles moderate
2/20 AM 4 miles easy PM 6 miles easy
2/21 PM 3 miles easy, 4 x 1600 (5:08,4:59,4:50,4:28), 6 x 300 (53,50,49,45,44,40), 4 miles easy
2/22 PM 10 miles easy
2/23 PM 9 miles easy, 6x300
2/24 0
2/25 PM 7 miles easy
----------------------
2/26 - 3/4 91 miles
2/26 0
2/27 PM 14 easy
2/28 AM 3 easy PM 9 moderate
3/1 AM 7 easy PM 9 easy
3/2 AM 9 easy PM 4 easy, 800-1200-600-400 (2:16,3:29,1:41,63); 4 easy
3/3 AM 9 easy PM 8 easy
3/4 AM 1 easy, 10 mile tempo 51:40, 2 warm-down
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3/5 - 3/11 131 miles
3/5 PM 13.5 easy
3/6 AM 8.5 easy PM 2 warm-up, 2 x 400-300-200 hill, 2.5 fast, 2 x
400-300-200 hill, 5 easy
3/7 AM 8.5 moderate PM 2.5 easy, 20 x water jump, 9.5 easy
3/8 AM 9 easy PM 2 easy, 5000m time trial 14:22, 6x300 (50,48,45,44,43,42) 5 warmdown
3/9 AM 7.5 easy PM 3 easy, 2 miles of 30-40s, 6 easy
3/10 AM 9 easy PM 2.5 easy, barriers, 7 easy
3/11 AM 1 easy, 10 mile tempo 50:06, 2.5 easy
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3/12 - 3/18 135 miles
3/12 PM 13.5 easy
3/13 AM 9.5 easy PM 10 easy
3/14 AM 7.5 easy PM 2 easy, 3 x 1.5 mile (75-70-65), 6 x 300 (50-40),
3 easy
3/15 AM 5.5 easy PM 21 slow
3/16 AM 8 easy PM 3 easy, 4.5 Holmer fartlek, 3 easy
3/17 AM 9 easy PM 2 easy, 6 x 400 hill, 2.5 hard, 8 x 200, 7.5 easy
3/18 AM 6.5 easy PM 6.5 easy
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3/19 - 3/25 134 miles
3/19 AM 1 easy, 10 mile tempo 51:34 (3 x 1k "controls"), 2.5 easy
3/20 AM 7.5 fast PM 14 easy
3/21 AM 7.5 hard PM 4.5 easy, 800-1200-600-400 (2:16.3,3:19.0,1:37.0,58.3) over barriers w/ 90,2:00,90 rest, 4.5 fartlek
3/22 AM 9 fast PM 12.5 easy
3/23 AM 7.5 slow PM 2 easy, 30 min Holmer fartlek, 7 slow
3/24 AM 9 easy PM 10 easy
3/25 AM 1 easy, 10 mile tempo 48:55, 2.5 easy PM 4.5 moderate
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3/26 - 4/1 126 miles
3/26 PM 14 easy
3/27 AM 9 easy PM 2.5 easy, 4 x 300 hill (58, 56, 56, 53), 2.5 moderate, 6 x 300 hill (60, 56, 55, 56, 56, 53), 7.5 easy
3/28 AM 6.5 easy PM 22 easy
3/29 AM 10.5 easy PM 2.5 easy, 6 x 400 (65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 55), 1 easy, 2 miles of 30-40s, 2 miles
3/30 AM 7.5 easy PM 13.5 slow
3/31 PM 6 easy
4/1 AM 2 warm-up; Long Beach 10k in 29:28 (2nd, winner C. Virgin); 3
slow
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4/2 - 4/8 118 miles
4/2 PM 13 easy
4/3 AM 6 easy PM 19 easy
4/4 PM 3 easy, 5 x hill circuit (6.5 miles), 2 easy, 6 x 200 hill, 2 easy
4/5 AM 7.5 easy PM 5 easy
4/6 AM 7 slow PM 3 easy, 10 x hill circuit (13.5 miles), 2.5 easy
4/7 PM 5.5 easy
4/8 AM 4 easy, 3 x steep dune, 10 miles on beach, 15 x 100m flat dune, 2 easy PM 9 easy
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4/9 - 4/15 112 miles
4/9 PM 4 easy, 3 x steep dune, 10 on beach, 5 x flat dune, 2.5 easy
4/10 PM 9 easy
4/11 AM 4.5 easy PM 3 easy, 4 x hill circuit (5.5 miles), 2 easy, 2 x 800 (2:11) w/:90 rest, 8 x 300 (48 w/45 rest), 4 easy
4/12 AM 6 easy PM 10 easy
4/13 AM 4.5 easy PM 3 easy, 8 x hill circuit (11 miles), 3 easy
4/14 AM 9.5 easy PM 3 easy, 1 x 200-300-200 hill, 3 easy
4/15 AM 6 easy PM 5 easy

Then more crazy sh/t.

4/16 - 4/22 106 miles
4/16 AM 1 easy, 20k Tempo 62:51 (with 4th, 10th, 17th km in 2:49, 2:34, 2:40), 1 easy
4/17 AM 4.5 easy PM 10 easy
4/18 AM 6 easy PM 3 easy, 4 x hill circuit (5.5 miles), 2.5 easy, 6 x 200 hill, 3 easy
4/19 PM 3 easy, barriers, 1 mile of 30-40s, 3 easy
4/20 AM 7 easy PM 3 easy, 8 x hill circuit (11 miles), 3 easy
4/21 PM 7 easy
4/22 AM 5 easy, 3 x steep dune, 1 mile easy, 15 x flat dune, 2 easy
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4/23 - 4/29 99 miles
4/23 AM 12.5 easy on beach
4/24 AM 4.5 easy PM 9.5 easy
4/25 PM 3 easy, 2 x hill circuit, 4 x 400 hill (bounding), 3k easy, 1200(3:05), 800 jog, 4 x 600 (1:35, 1:33, 1:38, 1:29), 6 x 300 (50,48,45,43,43,40), 2 easy
4/26 AM 4.5 easy PM 2 easy, barriers, 6.5 easy
4/27 AM 4.5 easy PM 3 east, 2 x hill circuit, 4 x 400 hill (bounding), 2.5 easy, 9 x 400 (66,62,58), 600 (1:35), 400-300-200-100 (62,43,29,13), 9 x 200 (32,30,28), 1 mile easy
4/28 PM 9 easy
4/29 AM 1 easy, 10 mile tempo 50:33, 2.5 easy
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4/30 - 5/6 92 miles
4/30 PM 15 easy
5/1 PM 4.5 easy, 800-1200-600-400 (2:14.9, 3:16.3, 1:38.9, 60.0) over barriers w/ rest of :75, 1:45, :75; 5 easy
5/2 AM 5 easy PM 4.5 easy, 1000 (2:42), 4 x 400 (66,65,64,54) w/:60rest, 3 miles easy, 4 x 400 (59,57,57,54) w/2:00 rest, 4 x 300 (44,43.5,44,42.5) w/:60 rest, 1 mile easy
5/3 AM 6 easy PM 10 easy
5/4 AM 4.5 moderate PM 3 easy, 2 x 300 (40,41), 800 jog, 4 mile of 30-40s, 800 jog, 2 x 200 (28,27), 2.5 easy
5/5 AM 3 easy PM 4.5 easy strides
5/6 PM 3 easy, 5000 in 14:05, 3 easy
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5/7 - 5/13 101 miles
5/7 PM 14 moderate
5/8 AM 6 moderate PM 5 easy, 1.5 miles of 30-40s, 20 minutes Holmer fartlek, 3 x 200, 1.5 easy
5/9 AM 9 easy PM 4.5 easy, 1200 (3:12), 2 x 800 (2:08, 2:07), 4 x 400 hurdles (66,65,65,65) w/:60 rest, 2 x 200, 3 easy
5/10 AM 6 moderate PM 9 moderate
5/11 PM 4.5 easy, 4 x 1 mile (4:49, 4:38, 4:28, 4:10), 800 jog, 6 x 300 (50,47,47,43,42,39.8), 3 easy
5/12 PM 9 moderate
5/13 AM 7 easy PM 4 easy

Then some racing

5/14 - 5/20 76 miles
5/14 AM 3 easy PM 3 easy, College Pk, MD 3000m steeple 8:44.8, 3 easy
5/15 PM 3 easy, 800 (2:13), 400 (62), 4 miles fartlek, 3 x 400 (61, 61, 60) 2 easy
5/16 AM 3 easy PM 8 moderate
5/17 PM 7.5 easy, 4 x 200 (28, 27, 26, 25), 2 easy
5/18 AM 5.5 easy PM 7.5 easy
5/19 AM 6 easy PM 5 easy
5/20 PM 2.5 easy, Tom Black Knoxville 3000m steeple 8:32.1, 4.5 easy
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5/21 - 5/27 96 miles
5/21 PM 11 moderate
5/22 AM 7.5 moderate PM 8.5 moderate
5/23 AM 7 moderate PM 4.5 easy, 20 x barriers, 2 x 800, 4 x 400 (over barriers), 4 x 400 (62), 1.5 easy
5/24 PM 8.5 slow
5/25 PM 3 easy, Corvallis 1500 (3:45.8), 20 minute jog, 3000 (8:07.7), 4 easy
5/26 AM 6 moderate PM 3 easy, 4 x 600 (1:39, 1:37, 1:34, 1:32), 3 easy
5/27 AM 14 easy, 5.5 easy
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5/28 - 6/3 79 miles
5/28 PM 3 easy, 2 x 400 barriers (66, 65), 4 x 400 (62, 61, 60, 52.2), 3 x 200 (30), 6 easy
5/29 AM 3 easy, 2 x 300 (42, 42), 4 x 150 (strained soleus), 2 miles easy PM 5 easy
5/30 AM 3 easy PM 4.5 easy
5/31 AM 6 easy PM 3 easy, 5000m in 14:06.7, 1 mile easy
6/1 rest
6/2 AM 6 easy PM 3 easy, 2 x 1.5 miles, 6 x 300 cut-downs, 5 easy
6/3 AM 4.5 easy PM 13.5 easy
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6/4 - 6/10 86 miles
6/4 AM 5 miles PM 13 miles
6/5 AM 7.5 miles PM 10.5 miles
6/6 AM 6 easy PM 3 easy, 1x600 (1:25), 3 easy
6/7 PM 6 easy
6/8 AM 4 easy PM 3 easy, Westwood AAU heats 3000 SC in 8:52, 2 easy
6/9 AM 3 easy PM 5 easy
6/10 AM 3 easy PM 2.5 easy, Westwood AAU 3000 SC in 8:30.4, 5 easy
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6/11 - 6/17 64 miles
6/11 PM 3 easy
6/12 AM 3 easy PM 9 easy
6/13 AM 4 hard PM 3 easy, 800 (2:02), 600 (1:32), 400 (58), 2x200 (27, 26), 2 easy
6/14 AM 4.5 hard PM 6.5 easy
6/15 PM 3 easy, Helsinki 1500 in 3:44.9, 5 easy
6/16 AM 5.5 easy PM 3 easy, 800 (2:00.4), 1.5 easy, 800 (1:59.7), 3.5 easy
6/17 PM 3 easy
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6/18 - 6/24 86 miles
6/18 AM 4 fast PM 4 easy
6/19 AM 2 easy PM 4 easy, Kuopio 5000m in 14:07, 3 easy
6/20 AM 6.5 easy PM 10.5 fast
6/21 AM 4.5 easy PM 3.5 easy, 2 x 1 mile (4:13.5, 4:08.0), 2 easy, 2x200 (27.4, 26.0), 2x150 (18.4, 17.6) 1 mile easy
6/22 AM 3 easy PM 7 easy
6/23 AM 3.5 easy PM Keuruu 3.5 easy, 3000m in 7:59.8, 3.5 easy (on cinders, in the rain, fun)
6/24 AM 2 easy PM 4 easy, Saariyarvi 1500 in 3:46.4, 3.5 easy
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6/25 - 7/1 84 miles
6/25 AM 7 easy PM 8 easy
6/26 AM 4.5 easy PM 9.5 easy
6/27 AM 4.5 easy PM 5.5 moderate
6/28 PM 3 easy, World Games Helsinki 3000m SC in 8:26.8, 2 easy
6/29 AM 5 easy PM 17 easy
6/30 PM 5 easy, 2x400 (62, 61), 2x400 (56, 60), 3x300 (40.9, 43.9), 2x200 (28, 27) 2 easy
7/1 PM 6 easy
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7/2 - 7/8 66 miles
7/2 AM 5 easy PM 5 easy
7/3 PM 5 easy
7/4 PM 3 easy, DN-Galen Stockholm 3000SC in 8:21.72 (3rd), 3 easy (PR 0.1s short of AR)
7/5 AM 8 easy PM 3 easy
7/6 AM 4 easy PM 3 easy, Goteborg 1500m in 3:40.21 PR, 3 easy
7/7 AM 6 easy PM 5 easy
7/8 PM 7 easy
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