Can you take someone who was a runner but not a very serious one, let's say ran 35-40 miles a week through hs and college, then takes 4 years basically off... stays in shape, but not necessarily running shape... and train him to reach his maximum potential in 4 years?
If he runs a Lydiardesque type program of lots of mileage and one peak a year for 4 years, do you think that will be enough to reach his max potential or close to it?
Opinions?
reaching maximum potential is impossible to measure...
Probably not. I imagine that person's aerobic base would still not be at a maximum. It takes years of long miles. He might reach his mid-distance potential, just becase after you're in your 30's you start getting slower. But some marathoners who have run their whole lives peak in their late 30s.
biggity bump
my personal story:
i was pretty good in high school (2:12:70 half). did well my first couple of years in college (2:11:47, 4:30, 9:53). then i took 9 years off to smoke and have too much of a good time! at the fine age of 30 i started running again. my new pr's in my new, longer, events are 33:40:+ (10k) and 2:49:39 (marathon). i'm 34 and i don't think i've reached my potential. give it a few more years for you/your friend. good luck! -- kk
Well, of course its me! I ran a little faster... about 2:00 in the 800 and about 4:30 in the mile in hs and then about 4:20 and 15:00 in college. but i have taken off the last 4 years basically (never got in such bad shape where i couldn't run 4 miles in 30 minutes, but in enough of bad shape where it would hurt really badly to do that). i never gained a lot of weight either, and if i gained any, its muscle. anyway, i was never a big trainer... or at least i had my moments of seriousness and then my moments of serious laziness, and now, at 26, i feel like there are a ton of whatifs out there that i want to resolve. so, given that more descriptive scenario, is it possible to reach my max potential... or come close? it doesn't matter if you say yes or no... i will try anyway, but its fun to get real opinions.
i don't think you'll reach your maximum potential in 4 years. but you're young. it's ok to give yourself more time than the 4 years. -- kk