Don't enjoy high mileage

I often wished I had stayed in the Worthington school system beyond 5th grade. Unfortunately I moved on to a school system which didn't have very good CC or track coaches, and I ran very good 3200 and CC 5000 times on only about 18 miles per week in the mid 80s - I've already mentioned that I don't provide times. I soon discovered in college that higher mileage was the way to go, and soon those old high school times of mine were toast.

Gary Smith was well respected in Worhington for sure. I think there's a 5K in his honor every year now.

I used to babysit Gary's kids, and last time I saw him was 1996 under distressed circumstances (for me). Sadly two years later he was gone too. I stumbled across this recently, I sort of have a difficult time reading it without bawling, but thanks Jerry:

http://www.columbusroadrunners.org/default.htm

(then go newsletters/1996 archives/remembering...)

Back to original posters question, then I will be off this lead balloon for good:

Terrance first said:

I understand this board touts high mileage. My problem is that I get bored running over an hour. My consistency actually worsens when I get up in that range because I don't look forward to my runs. I'd much rather run 4 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon than 8 at one time. I actually look forward to those runs.

Anyone else feel this way and how do you train or get around the boredom?

Then Terrance said:

Has anyone felt the way I do, started increasing their mileage and then found at that the more they ran, the more they loved to run?

RunClark says:

Seems to me Terrance already answered his own question. Indeed, the more you run the easier it gets (up to a certain threshold) and the more enjoyable it is. Two 4m runs per day isn't bad but I would recommend at least adding long Sunday runs into the mix, in the 15m range. I agree with some other posters here, if you can't learn to enjoy long runs you're just not going to reach your potential. Doesn't have to be every day, but once a week at least will be a big help. Sunday long runs are pretty much standard op for serious runners.

Get yourself a walk-man mp3 or whatever for the lonesome long runs. Program radio stations in, so the adverts don't drive you crazy. From my experience this helps when you have to run long and alone (its damn right rude to run with friends wearing a walk-man). Since you will be deaf to the outside world, it really does pay to run on the pavement or towards the traffic and never trust the idiot backing out of the driveway - they are shitheads - trust me. Carry rocks.

That could work, but depends on where he lives. Like for me now in CO - long Sundays are usually run-climbing mountains, typically 2-6 hours. Never dull or boring.

In college our long Sunday runs were more like non-stop gossipfests of the "who's zooming who?" variety. Pace always heated up when somebody was zooming somebody else's bun-hugger girl.

Huron,

So just when did the "low-mileage" trend start? I was a frosh in 89-90 and worthington was doing low-mileage at that point. Did it start due to Kennedy's success the previous years before? I know other central ohioans Hughes and J.J. were definitely held back in the belief that they would benefit more on down the road. When did this transition occur in the worthington schools?

The only documentation I have is a training log from my senior year track while training for the 3200. Everything prescribed by the coaching staff.

12/28-1/3 (15 miles)

1/4-1/10 (17 miles)

1/11-1/17 (19 miles)

1/18-1/22 (29 miles)

1/25-1/31 (28 miles)

2/1-2/7 (24 miles) Race (10:03-3k)

*Most runs done 6:20-7:15 pace. 4x150m accelerations twice a week.

2/15-2/21 (26 miles)

2/22-2/28 (28 miles)

3/1-3/7 (35 miles) 4mi tempo-23:40, 800race (2:10)

3/8-3/14 (35 miles) 6x200 (races-2:07, 4:29 1500)

3/15-3/21 (31 miles) 6mi tempo-6:15 pace

3/22-3/28 (33 miles) w/o12x400@72-76...w/o (4,8,16,8,4 @5:00 pace)

3/29-4/4 (34 miles) 3 speed w/outs...race (4:41/2:05)

4/5-4/11 (33 miles) races (2:05/2:03) raceday2 (10:04/2:07) and 1 speed session (5:08,2:25,2:12,70,70,70)

4/12-4/18 (34 miles) w/o (64,63,64,62,65,64) w/o#2 (5:15,2:17,2:11,65) races (2:04/10:18)

4/19-4/25 (33 miles) w/o (5:00,2:18,2:10,64,63,65,59)

races (4:39,4:32)

4/26-5/2 (40 miles) w/8x200hills races(4:35,2:02,9:59)

5/3-5/9 (31 miles) race(2:00), hill w/o, w/o#2 (600-1:28,200-29 rest 10 600-1:30/200-30)

5/10-5/16 (29 miles) races (2:00/4:30/10:19)

5/17-5/23 (23 miles) 3xsplit 500's races (2:01/4:29)

5/24-5/30 (23 miles) 600/200 rest 10 min 4x200..races(2:01/4:31)

our easy days (when we weren't on the track) consisted of 4-5 miles w/4x150 accelerations. What caused this vastly different training philosophy? Is Kennedy to blame:)j/k.

if you would like to see high school kids that put in the work check out Danbury high school(ct). the coachs are continuely having there athletes move on to college running. i think they have about 14 alumni that are presently running on college teams.

I'm the opposite.

I hate the am 6 milers or the 5 milers I try to squeeze into lunchtime. It drives me nuts to get to the gym get changed run for 30-40 minutes, hardly get warmed up, no endorphin rush, get showered and get back to the office. I love having a couple or three hours to really stretch it out and get into the ZONE.

You can't beat going for a 20 mile trail run solo, and looking at your watch after a while to see 2 hrs on there and it feels like you just left the house. Those are the runs that make it all worthwhile.

Statsman

Honestly I could not tell you. I still was in Columbus at the time and still visited Smith from time to time in the late 80s. I have lived in Littleton CO since the early 90s.That training schedule just staggers my mind. However, I would have to say that Worthington was not super high mileage for most of the team even when I was there. I would venture the distance runners would be mostly doing 45-50 mpw range. My mileage was bulked up mostly because of a morning run during study hall and long weekend runs which were not program requirements. I don't think Smith (and I know Eisenhart wasn't) were big proponents of huge miles. He just couldn't hold a few of us back. It was higher than your schedule though. He did like a lot of tempo/fartlek work and the occasional go run somewhere for an hour bit. He liked to go to Highbanks. Its interesting to note that we used to send our team to the Austintown Fitch HS XC camp during the summer. I was actually a counselor one summer for 2 weeks. Coach Garcia would try to get the guys to do 140 miles during their week there. In retrospect, that seems to exceed sanity! The highlights of the week were a timed 15 mile race and a time 4 mile race. Go Figure. Sorry I am not able to shed more light on your question.

Sent an e-mail to the athletics director of Worthington Public Schools. He got back to me and said it would take some work to see if Chris Los does indeed hold the records there and that he would get back to me within the next week.

Three of you (including Huron) have said he holds these records, but so far the athletic director has to actually go look it up in some books because (as he said) this was before computers were used for this. I know that in my high school the track and field and CC records are displayed prominently on the wall for all to see. Interesting that all three of you were so certain and yet the director says it will actually take some work to look it up. You could very well be right, but we'll see. Hmmm.

Your one man quest for the truth is getting tedious...IF you actually live in Worthington (I'm starting to wonder, you've got all the qualities of of truth teller - but who could know?) Why don't you go to the Worthington Public Library and read the old Worthington News or Columbus Dispatch articles. You could look at the Cardinal Yearbook from 1980 at the library as well. You could even GASP drive less than a mile down from your purported address to the track and see who holds the records. Back when I lived there it WAS on the wall. Hmmm... I see other threads were people aren't dogging guys for posting times. The truth is as you state - my times weren't that good. I agree with you. The point is why haven't guys run faster in 20 years? The thread was about the merits of higher mileage. Maybe somebody has eclipsed the records - who cares? That would make me mistaken and wrong but not as you are implying a liar. You haven't contacted me directly. I had the stupidity to actually post my email with my real name. When you find out the your answer, please, don't broadcast your findings on this board because it is meaningless. I *could* be masquerading as a 2nd tier pre-internet high school runner known as Chris Los. Does that even make sense? Are there really pathetic losers that would do this? TAKE THIS OFFLINE. If this is all the thread is about then let it die. Signing off this time for good...

Huron,

Sorry that you have taken this news so poorly. You're the one who stated that you still held those records after 20 years. That is an impressive feat no doubt. You're the one who mentioned exact times and then used that as evidence that long distance was the way to go. I'm not calling you a liar. I never have called you a liar. Even if it turns out that someone else holds those school records now, it doesn't mean you are a liar. It will just mean that you were wrong about still holding those records. No big deal. Just looking for the truth here. People can then decide for themselves what that truth means. Here's hoping you are the one who still holds those records.

Yes, there are pathetic losers who would pose as a second-tier high school distance runner from 20+ years ago. Some people just want to be listened to; Magpie was one of those; I'm certain there are others yet uncovered. Again, I'm not saying that you are one of those.

My quest for the truth is based soley on the following things:

* I live in Worthington, and my children will someday attend Thomas Worthington High School. Both have shown an interest in running, and so I have an interest.

* I have tired of fake posters with fake times - happens all too often. You were a new name, so I thought I'd ask for proof. Ultimately it gives you HUGE credibility if it is proven that you are right. I will be the first to say so.

* I guess your only fault was in answering the question posed to you by another poster which was what were your times. Of course, the question wouldn't have been asked if you hadn't mentioned that you still held track records after 20+ years. That was a little bit of bragging, but quite honestly that is fine with me. It's fine to brag a little.

* After questioning the validity of your records (again, this doesn't mean I think you are lying, just trying to get the proof) I felt it was in your best interest that I find out for sure, because I honestly didn't want to paint someone into a corner. If I felt for sure that you were lying, I would leave it alone. I actually believe that you are probably telling the truth. Hopefully the AD will get back to me and I will be able to let everyone here now that you were indeed the runner you say you were.

* Not sure why you doubt whether I live in Worthington, OH 43085. If I were to choose a place of worship, I might go to St. John's on the corner of High Street and 161, or I might head a tiny bit further south and go to the Worthington United Methodist Church, or even a bit further and go to St. Michaels. I might want to head East on 161 from High Street and pass the park on the right with the Well. I might want to keep heading East and visit someone at Harding Hospital. I might wax poetic about the former Library which has been used in recent years as offices for the school system, but now the school has sold the building, and it is unclear what will happen there. I might wonder why the Dairy Queen on High Street still has the very very old sign that it has had forever and isn't the same as all other Dairy Queens.

Please don't take any of this personally. I'm just tired of fake times, and I had the chance to look here. I expect full credit will come your way when I get my answer back.

Flagpole

>Hopefully the AD will get back to me and I will be able to

> let everyone here now that you were indeed the runner you > say you were.

I wonder who besides you is really going to care. Do you think we all sit here just taking everyone's PRs at their word. Please don't tell us you're doing this for us. We've got our own bullshit detectors, thanks.

You're doing it for you. Because you don't believe him. Well thanks Sherlock, good to know you're on the case. But spare us the "This-doesn't mean-I-think-your-lying" garbage. Of course you did. Now you're backpedaling to keep from looking silly in case he's telling the truth. Oops. Too late.

Look, it doesn't matter what his PRs are. It doesn't matter what Magpie's PRs are either. Just assume everyone is lying about their PRs and look at the substance of their argument instead. Whether he improved from 10:20 to 9:20 or from 12:20 to 11:20 in the two mile, either way, that's an improvement. If he attributes that to high mileage, so be it. We all know what ego-gratification someone gets by lying about their PRs. What possible ego gratification could one get by recommending something he did NOT think was good training?

Average Joe,

You are a level-headed poster for sure. You have some valid points; I can see how many of you don't care. Perhaps I will just keep it to myself if I get the info back and Huron was not telling the truth. I will though post it here if he is indeed telling the truth, and I won't feel silly either. No backpedaling. I've just simply asked for proof. Huron has answered all my questions. I was initially puzzled by the Huron name when he said it was a tip off to where he was from, when I know that Worthington, OH isn't attached to the name Huron at all. He has pretty much answered my questions. Now I am just waiting for the final answer. I don't hope to prove him wrong. And, again, if he is not telling the truth (or just mistaken as he said is a possibility) then I will not post it here. I will keep it to myself and know the truth. Just to give Huron an out - if I don't post here it could also mean that the AD didn't get back to me. He said it would take a lot of research, so he really might not respond.

To answer your question though, his ego gratification would come from people believing he was a 4:15 miler and 9:26 two-miler in high school and that he was good enough to have been the best on any track team at that high school for 20+ years. We might then ask his advice, and he would get to spout off some more. The recommendation of training has nothing to do with ego gratification. The reason for his recommendation (decent HS times) is where the ego gratification comes in.

Finally (I don't intend on responding on this thread again unless I am doing so to say that Huron was RIGHT), I believe that Huron is more than likely telling the truth at this point. It has nothing to do with backpedaling or my thinking initially that he was not telling the truth, but everything to do with the fact that some of my questions have been answered. I am not one to argue for the sake of arguing. I only seek the truth here; just as DougC did with Magpie. I will have no shame at all if he is telling the truth.

Willy,

Fair enough. It's just that there was a guy over on RW would simply would not let the magpie thing die. Even after everyone already knew about it and was tired of hearing about it. I took it out on you I guess. Sorry to get hot under the collar.

Flagpole,

I was one of the three who posted confirmation on LOS's times. I graduated in 1993 (the record was still on the wall at the track). The only way LOS's record is gone is if they ended up erasing WORTHINGTON HS marks with THOMAS WORTHINGTON marks. I have followed the TWHS marks since my graduation and know that nobody has ran close to 4:15. Call the track and field office at Tiffin University for anymore confirmation.

1.800.968.6446 (x3338)

Coach Croy

Coach Croy - I'd like to thank you for stepping in here with a voice of reason. A week ago I told myself I'd never re-visit this thread as my blood was beginning to boil, but curiosity finally killed this cat. Nothing is more certain than the fact that I stood on the inside of the track in 1980 cheering Chris on to both school records, despite my season gone bad with the stress fracture. That's what friends are about.

As far as high-mileage and when it began and/or ended, I suspect it began and ended with us our senior year. There was never a team high-mileage program even when we were there, we TOLD Gary this is what we were doing and he tried to talk us out of it (along with our parents). None of our teammates took part as they only did the standard afternoon workouts, and maybe didn't even run at all outside of that and the races for all I know. Several of the sophomores had more talent than us and if they'd cared to train much we wouldn't even be talking about records Chris set.

I apologize to the rest of the everyday posters on this board for reviving this simple thread gone very bad, but I just can't take somebody calling out Chris as a fake. He earned every step of those records with damned hard work, and would gladly offer encouragement/advice to the next kid who wants it that bad, just as the previous recordholder did while we were there. Take it for what it's worth, and I promise no more posts on this.

Holy Cow man. Seems like you have some issues if you needed to revive this thread. It was several days and several pages gone.

First of all, I wasn't calling him out as a fake. I simply had some questions which arose because others have lied here, and huron was a new name with good times, so I thought I'd ask about it. I might ask a grocer the price of something. Doesn't mean I think there is any phoniness going on there. I simply wanted an answer.

Secondly, the main point that I was bringing up is that people often lie about times. I've already said that I believe he is more than likely telling the truth.

Thirdly, since you decided to bring this up again, the only person on this thread to have been PROVEN wrong so far is YOU. You were wrong about the number of close to 9 flat and sub 9 Ohio high school runners in 1980. If your memory failed you there, who's to say your memory hasn't failed you in other areas (like Chris Los' times for example)? Again, times seem to get better and have more meaning the further we get away from the actual races.

You and Chris Los both have said that his times still stand there. That seems pretty amazing that you both know that for sure since the athletic director said it would take some "serious digging" to be able to determine that. Perhaps those times do exist still, but if true, then only luck on your part and not knowledge. If the times aren't readily available, then how can you know for sure?

Go back and read the final exchanges in this thread between Average Joe and me. That's where the voice of reason lies. Coach Croy posts a message that he is yet another person to know about the validity of Chris Los' times. That is no proof. He's just another person who thinks he knows. I have my feelers in the water and will know the answer soon. I will keep it to myself, unless, as I stated earlier in this thread, that he is indeed proven to have run those times. Interesting how all this time though that my question was about Chris Los and not you, but you keep trying to attach yourself to Chris Los and his times. Yours quite frankly aren't worth mentioning and certainly not credible enough to determine if a certain kind of training is working or not.

Curiosity certainly did get the better of you here, and it only makes you look worse when you continue to post. Perhaps if you actually remembered something from the past that actually happened, then you'd be better off. Next time, try to get your facts straight when spouting off about 8 guys running sub 9 or close to sub 9 for two miles in 1980. That wasn't even close to true.

Honestly I'm not sure if you are just a troll or not. I will know for sure though if you post again and try to defend your position. No amount of talking about this can prove it one way or the other. I'm just waiting for the AD to get back to me, and then I will know for sure. Since huron has decided to quit posting here though, it is of less importance to me. If he's going to post and claim high mileage success, then I care. If he isn't here to give advice, then I don't. If it turns out that you are a troll (as evidenced by any further posting on this subject) then I will not respond, because I do not respond to trolls.