Rick Wohlhuter: Underappreciated Middle Distance American

lease wrote:

Rinaldi wrote:

I think the session of 4x400 in 49-50 sec with only 20sec rest is a bit of a stretch.

Agreed. I'm virtually certain that that's a misprint, and he meant 59-60.

RW's training was summarized in "How They Train"(? I think it was there that I saw it), and I remember being impressed by one workout he listed--one that, he said, he'd never completed, but would modify so as to finish it! "No staggering" was his quote, and one that others could profit from: Even in his high-intensity/short-rest sets, he made sure that he maintained control and didn't just struggle through.

59-60? I doubt it. I could probably do that workout (im positive I could do 61-62s) and I'm nowhere NEAR his form.

It's not that hard to believe he could do something like that or very close to that.

Equinox2100 wrote:

It's not that hard to believe he could do something like that or very close to that.

Like, say, 4x(50-51) with 45 sec rest? ;)

Rick,

As a young HSer at the time, I have an indelible memory of you in the 800 in Montreal. I still have the audio cassette call of that race off ABC-TV with Keith Jackson and Marty Liquori at the mic.

Youtube has the Montreal 800m but, on first check, only with the British call. As Wohlhuter comes around the last bend sandwiched between the hulks of Juantorena and Van Damme, the announcer calls him "tne little American".

A while back there was a poll for top five all time American distance/middle distance. Lot of people had Wottle, for obvious reasons, but I went with Mr W because I thought he had a tougher field to contend with and has the 1000m AR that has stood up. Would be great to have an account of that record race.

Only Johnny Gray tops Rick for US all-timers at 800, 35 years later. Krum doesn't have a body of work that compares. A real commentary on Rick and/or the state of 800 meters pre-Nick Symmonds.

And, now you do.

The US's 800m corp has been excellent except for the couple years right before Symmonds. Guys like Gray, Everett, Mack, Kenah, Jones, and Parilla where all threats to make finals and while they didn't win a ton of medals, they were often in the hunt.

gonchar wrote:

Only Johnny Gray tops Rick for US all-timers at 800, 35 years later. Krum doesn't have a body of work that compares. A real commentary on Rick and/or the state of 800 meters pre-Nick Symmonds.

Rick Wohlhuter is very nice. I would know, he's my uncle :)

It seems to me that I recall Rick using starting blocks in some of his 880's; anyone else remember this??

zone defense wrote:

Webb ran 2:15 in practice the week before his mile AR. Seems to me that Wolhuter's 1000 WR in'74 was about equivalent to a 3:48, in other words, better than the existing 1500/mile records.

It wasn't equivelent to anything over 1000.

There was still anotheir 600 to go. Obviously not at that speed.

Make the 1600 / 1500 / mile conversions, but don't waster time with the under distance to longer distance stuff.

I ran 46 secs for the 400. 3 more in a row and I'd have had world records at every distance up to and including the Mile.

i know Rick ran for the University of Chicago Track Club, his coach was Ted Hayen who was a legend in his own right and was a Olympic coach in 1968. Rick was part of the UCTC WR 2 mile relay in '73, still #6. Ted had stable of middle distance runners in the '70's. He had a very innovative style of coaching, all quality and less quantity.

Equinox2100 wrote:

lease wrote:

Agreed. I'm virtually certain that that's a misprint, and he meant 59-60.

59-60? I doubt it. I could probably do that workout (im positive I could do 61-62s) and I'm nowhere NEAR his form.

It's not that hard to believe he could do something like that or very close to that.

Ok he meant the rest was probably 59-60 not the interval. And Rick confirmed it was a longer rest interval. And i know just for arguments sake you could not do repeat 61s with 20 second rest. Why because 20 second rest is almost harder than continous running. Unless you are a sub four minute miler you would not handle 4x400 in 61 with a 20 sec rest.

In the 70's it was not uncommon to do fast intervals with short rest. the intervals used a rest a brisk jog to the other side of the track. Fast intervals with short rest were popular because of an old workout called Parloff relay. Usually a 5 man 5 mile relay with alternating 200's. the National record had guys averaging about 26 seconds per 200 which seems slow. You end up with about a minute and a half rest before you get the baton again. The first 4 are easy and you have to hold back or you will never be able to do the last 4. Coaches used to do it as an early season workout to bring cocky runners to their knees.

Anyway coaches then adapted the concept a little making the rest much shorter but only half the intervals.

I don't doubt Rick thinks the rest was 45 seconds but from personal experience most of those short rest intervals with brisk jogging were more like a minute & a half rest. the jog across the infield takes a minute. So unless he jogged a few yards back & forth he probably was more on the minute rest interval. And as i said a short rest interval is almost worst than running continous. Hard to believe by the 4th one he would be anywhere near 49 seconds. When you are running the intervals your sense of time gets skewed by the lack of oxygen. During the parloff i remember thinking we lost a guy because my last few intervals were coming up under 45 seconds. In reality it was a minute 45 but i would have sworn it was well under a minute. No disrespect but perception of time can be severly altered during a tough workout.

Mr Wohlhuter,

My name is Kabir Mandrekar and I represent a Sports Management firm called Anglian Medal Hunt Company. We are based out of Delhi and manage the careers of Indian Olympic athletes.

We are active on the Social Media and are currently shooting a series of videos on former Indian Olympians - the first of which is on 1976 Olympic 800 meter finalist Sriram Singh. The series is set to be aired nationally.

In this regard, we would be honoured if you would be a part of this video and share your views on Sriram Singh, the race at the Olympics and a more general view of how such heroes go unrecognised.

Looking forward to your reply.

Regards,

Kabir Mandrekar

Manager, Business Development

Anglian Management Group

+919823244714

kabir.mandrekar@anglianmanagementgroup.com

And to think Rick did it all without epo.........with epo I guess he runs 1:41

oldhalfmileguy wrote:

I don't doubt Rick thinks the rest was 45 seconds but from personal experience most of those short rest intervals with brisk jogging were more like a minute & a half rest. the jog across the infield takes a minute. So unless he jogged a few yards back & forth he probably was more on the minute rest interval. And as i said a short rest interval is almost worst than running continous. Hard to believe by the 4th one he would be anywhere near 49 seconds. When you are running the intervals your sense of time gets skewed by the lack of oxygen. No disrespect but perception of time can be severly altered during a tough workout.

No disrespect to you OldHalfMileGuy, but you weren't there @ UCTC doing (or witnessing) those 4x400 repeats. What's to say Rick didn't jog 50 yards before launching into his next 400. Rick said he always kept moving, so logic would say momentum would carry him 50 or 100 yards into the next 400.

Rick was one of those guys in the amateur era who had his best years in between the Olympics. He was Track and Field News Athlete of the Year for 1974. He was first at the 800 in 73 and 74, 7th in 72, 3rd in 75, 4th in 76. At 1500/mile he was 5th in 74, 7th in 75, and 8th in 76.

lease wrote:

[quote]Rinaldi wrote:

I think the session of 4x400 in 49-50 sec with only 20sec rest is a bit of a stretch.

Agreed. I'm virtually certain that that's a misprint, and he meant 59-60.

BIIIIIg stretch