a Clayton training week

most Marathoners back in the days didn't taper much, only 2-4 easy days before the Race.

I believe that many runners would benefit from not tapering so much, particularly for the long races. It is an individual matter. Try out various approaches prior to your imporant race and determine which method works best for the race distance you are doing. Just because your legs feel peppy doesn't mean you will feol good after the 1200m mark. You need balanced endurance, strength, and speed.

I think that some marathoners still need a 80 minute run 4 days before the race, but slow, and a 90-100 minute run one weekend before their important race. Others can get by nicely on just 30-60 minute runs.

As a general rule, I seldom taper marathoners, for example, other than dropping their easy day mileage runs during the last two weeks. The last two key sessions are a solid, but not fast 90 minute run 7-8 days out and a 80 minute run with some striders 4 days before the race.

Tinman

not much of a taper, is it? I hate tapering, it always f***s me up. Maybe there's something in this approach. Anyone else tried this or have good physiological basis for thinking this would work/fail?

Renato i noticed once that your programmes didn't have much of a taper. Is this right? Is the taper over emphasised?

Now, that's training! That's a runner! All guts!

shut up! please!

That reflects a similar pattern of training akin to Jim Peters in the 50's. (Peters set the WR 2 or 3 times, he may have been one of the first under 2:20, I'm not 100% sure about that.)

Both men left it all on the road. Pure guts.

Clayton's training for a week in July 1968.

13th. 5ml - 30ml

14th. 14ml - 12ml

15th. 9ml -18ml

16th. 9ml -17ml

17th. 9ml -18ml

18th. 9ml -17ml

19th. 9ml -16ml

192ml. about average for Clayton at this time.

I believe 11 days before his 2.08 he ran a marathon in Turkey.

What is not mentioned is that Clayton trained at 5:30 per mile pace at his peak. I believe Peters aimed for sub-6 minute miles as well.

Imagine if these guys had tapered? Wow.

clayton wrote a semi-autobiograph in the 70's and he told people not to do what he did

he wrote he enjoyed his running a lot more once he slowed the pace a bit

he had 6 or 7 surgeries and had many illnesses like Ron Hill did because he ran himself into the red so much

Clayton often did his morning runs at 5.30 pace but rarely ran that slow on his evening runs - usually about 5's - 5.15 His long run when fit would typically be a 25-30 at around 5.30 pace. He worked a full time job as well.

am curious how much time this bloke was laid up with injury?

Pretty much either running fast times or injured, and he didn't run THAT many fast times. He ran 2.09 in '67 and 2.08 in '69 a few 2.12s here and there until giving it away in the early 70s. His surgeon was shattered by his retirement and had to rethink his financial future.

I believe a lot of runners and coaches would benefit from reading Bompa's 'Periodization' too...

Clayton had to have been the hardest runner ever!,

Did not have a great deal of talint in his body, did not have drugs to help hem all's he had was one tuff noggen! Trained so hard that I rember reading he hated the training. Some say his World Rec was not legit, but I bet none of these guys have any idea how hard someone can push themshelf.

What I would like to know, incase anyone knows. Is what was his backround. How did he get to the point where he was hammering 175 mile weeks done near 5 min pace. Did he ever give any insights in his later years on what the hell made hem tick.

Another problem w/Clayton's lack of periodization was the unpredictability of his good races, much like Clarke. No major medals between the two of them.

I passed a copy of his autobio on to the local used book store some time ago.

If memory serves me right Clayton was fundamentally a 1500-meter trackie wannabe who just happened onto the longer distances and found some success, then just grabbed the comet by the tail and ran as hard as he could.

He had six sugeries on achilles and knees. He was frequently subject to colds and flu. I recall one line in the book were he 'dreaded' talking to people who were sick as he almost infallibly would take ill himself shortly afterward (a sign of overtraining: an overtaxed and weakened immune system). Also suffered from black urine, after one of his WR efforts.

He had a job as a civil engineer or draftsman, I don't recall 100% correctly which. He had a family, too.

He distinctly warned beginners NOT to follow his trail as he paid the price.

A Sports Illustrated interview (1970?) went like this:

"it's bloody boring at best and painful at worst but I very much want(ed) to be the Best in world at something"

Z'mutt wrote:

Clayton's training for a week in July 1968.

13th. 5ml - 30ml

14th. 14ml - 12ml

15th. 9ml -18ml

16th. 9ml -17ml

17th. 9ml -18ml

18th. 9ml -17ml

19th. 9ml -16ml

192ml. about average for Clayton at this time.

It's odd that he was doing so much of his training in milliliters. Unless those figures are drug references of some kind, I would think that it would be more useful to track mileage.

the 2;08 course (Brussels?) was believed to be a km short per TFN

Antwerp, BelgiumMaybe the course was short but he still ran a legit 2:09 at Fukuoka.

WTF wrote:

the 2;08 course (Brussels?) was believed to be a km short per TFN