Jeff Nelson and Gerry Lindgren, former prep record holders weigh in-MORE MILES

Then again, kids running 9:00 for two miles aren't "most kids." And if you want to be better than "most kids," you have to train better than most kids.

Dan Onymous wrote:

Then again, kids running 9:00 for two miles aren't "most kids." And if you want to be better than "most kids," you have to train better than most kids.

good point. Do the 9 minute +/- high schoolers run those times because they can handle 100 mpw or can they handle 100 mpw because they have the ability to run 9 minutes or better?

Too bad they both bombed after hs

Wait wait...how far did these guys make it past high school? Nelson stopped running in college and Lindgren made it to one olympics very young where he was already injured then stopped running as well.

Longevity past college didn't work out so well for these two. Maybe I am alone in this one, but I would like to keep running when I'm older, not have a crippled body or burned out mindset. Running 9 minute 2 miles is great, but I'd be more impressed with sub 14 5k's in college and beyond and still enjoying running later in life.

Lindgren didn't bomb after HS. He won 11 NCAA titles you dipshit.

Evil wrote:

Lindgren didn't bomb after HS. He won 11 NCAA titles you dipshit.

There was also no incentive to run after he graduated from college.

wang dang sweet poontang wrote:

Wait wait...how far did these guys make it past high school? Nelson stopped running in college and Lindgren made it to one olympics very young where he was already injured then stopped running as well.

Longevity past college didn't work out so well for these two. Maybe I am alone in this one, but I would like to keep running when I'm older, not have a crippled body or burned out mindset. Running 9 minute 2 miles is great, but I'd be more impressed with sub 14 5k's in college and beyond and still enjoying running later in life.

sorry, but you can't hold these 2 up to a higher standard than everyone else. Most runners don't make it into college running, some quit during college and most of them quit after college; so I guess it's not because THEY ran so much in high school?

and, would you have heard of these 2 high school superstars (and Lindren was a college superstar and still running at a national class level up into the early 70s), if they had run their high school record times in college instead of high school? You get your stardom, when you get it. You set your records when you set them. Should guys who have 'fantastic time' potential in high school, not run to the best of their ability, to 'save it' for college or post collegiate running? It's not that simple.

Does this mean kids that run under 9:00 at less milage are better or have more potential? I know of a select few athletes today that have run under nine at 50 mpw or less!

You may know a few guys who ran under 9 minutes on 50mpw but Nelson and Lindgren ran 8:36 and 8:40i in the 60's and 70's on 100mpw and we are still talking about them 35 years later. Talent and work get you far and fast times. Talent and/or incredible work make you legends.

webb is living proof you dont have to run anywhere near 100 miles in HS. 353 and 845i...and his coach thought he could have run 825 outdoors in a fast race....which after his 353...might have been a little optimistic but most likely could have broken the national record.

Ari lambie is a good example on the girls side. I think she only did about 30 miles a week or something and ran 437 and 1010(in a dual meet solo)

Mrr82 wrote:

webb is living proof you dont have to run anywhere near 100 miles in HS.)

Maybe Webb didn't have to run 100pmw in high school to be a 'great'; but he is one in a million; otherwise why isn't everyone doing it on 50 mpw. "Webb is not YOU" or ME

Mrr82 wrote:

webb is living proof you dont have to run anywhere near 100 miles in HS. 353 and 845i...and his coach thought he could have run 825 outdoors in a fast race....which after his 353...might have been a little optimistic but most likely could have broken the national record.

Incorrect. Webb is living proof that Webb didn't have to run 100 miles a week in HS.

Webb is an incredible exception to every single rule and using him is a poor example. How many 9:00-9:30 guys that run 35-40 miles a week? Tons, and if they increased their mileage we would see even more sub 9 minute two miles. Highschooler lack aerobic conditioning.

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life.

You get out of it what you put into it."

-O.W.

I remember a Michigan h.s. state champion who was the peer (same era) of MIchigan Women's Coach Mike McGuire. McGuire ran 9:01 in the state meet, finished second behind Pat Davey (who went on to run for Tennessee), and a miler named Steve Eliot ran 4:08 for the mile (1974) on 30 miles a week training, all done in an extremely urban setting: Pontiac, Michigan, dodging cars and breathing exhaust fumes.

CromagnonMan wrote:

I remember a Michigan h.s. state champion who was the peer (same era) of MIchigan Women's Coach Mike McGuire. McGuire ran 9:01 in the state meet, finished second behind Pat Davey (who went on to run for Tennessee), and a miler named Steve Eliot ran 4:08 for the mile (1974) on 30 miles a week training, all done in an extremely urban setting: Pontiac, Michigan, dodging cars and breathing exhaust fumes.

sure, you can always point to the exceptions. I had a roommate in college who rarely studied, (50 mile weeks) and got all A's and B's in tough classes. The majority of the students couldn't have achieved those results like that; they could with more intensive study and preparation. (100 mile weeks)

Right, there is no minimal training division in the Olympics.

Evil wrote:

Lindgren didn't bomb after HS. He won 11 NCAA titles you dipshit.

You're right. Lindgren bombed as soon as he graduated from college.

Broken link wrote:There was also no incentive to run after he graduated from college.

But the fact is that Lindgren did compete until he was 26.