Socalcush,
Would you care to share the training you did after college to go from a decent college miler to a national/world class miler? How did you make the jump? Any tips/advice to share?
Thanks,
ex-miler
Socalcush,
Would you care to share the training you did after college to go from a decent college miler to a national/world class miler? How did you make the jump? Any tips/advice to share?
Thanks,
ex-miler
Some of the best comments on the sub 4 mile thread are by Socalcush. more information about him would be great.
Nooooooooooo!!!!!! Please don't get him started on himself! Now you've opened the door!
in eight words or less: joe douglas and the santa monica track club.
long story (gumpin jahosaphat, you may want to tune out here):
i'll be curious to see how ryan hall does by going it alone; i couldn't have made my improvement without good coaching AND a good team. even though i seldom ran with danny everett or steve lewis, just being around those guys on a daily basis, as well as traveling with the other smtc team members, upped the ante on what my expectations should be, besides giving me opportunities (such as racing in big meets in europe) that other distance runners of comparable ability and better would have killed for.
in college, "decent" might be an overstatement; i was mediocre at best. i wasn't lazy, but i certainly was clueless; i never trained during the summer, trained poorly during the off-seasons, and didn't pick up morning runs until my senior year, running 4 miles 2-3 mornings a week. i was also a late bloomer physically, starting my freshman year at age 16 (but looking 14), and graduating at 21 (and looking 19). even though i managed two 3:42s as a senior, they were the only times i broke 3:46 in college; in fact, that particular season, they were the only times i broke 3:50! weight may have been an issue in college as well: during my middle years, i weighed high 140s; senior year i was 142.
afterwards, i have a lot of faith in the igloi-inspired workouts of joe douglas, though i don't think they would serve everybody. i started doing morning runs 6 days/week of 4-6 miles. i was on the track twice/week starting late november, with long tempo runs on saturdays of 8-16 miles (these increased each year; i could barely manage 8 in '90, but built up to 16 during my '96 season--these were consistently 5:20 pace or faster). my professional racing weight was 138. i probably trained harder than other 3:55 milers, but of course i wasn't training to run 3:55. in retrospect, i probably should have moved up to the 5k, but in my mind that is never a choice one makes willingly...
What did you run for 800m?
1:49 (i think--possibly 1:48, can't remember) and 49.9 for the 400--both very slow by miler standards...
Did you compete the 800 often? 1:49 and 3:55 are a somewhat ridiculous match unless you are a sub-13:25 guy
no explanation other than cranial vaginitis. i could run 3x800 in 150.00-1:51.00 in workouts, but barely under 1:50 in races...
who was the distance coach at UCLA during your time?
What a bunch of entitleds you are.
In most countries you have to find your own way. I worked a job and went to training after. Raced on the weekends.
How do you stay active after college?
Shit get a job, grows some balls and train.
bru-in wrote:
who was the distance coach at UCLA during your time?
Bob Larsen.
16-mile tempos for a miler... Imagine that.
^^^^
what he said...
Who said he didn't find his own way? he happened to find a great training group that greatly benefited his racing and sponsorship possibilities so that he could tain and race to his best ability...now he is telling some young up and comers how he did it or what he felt made it possible... Oh and hello Socalrush we competed back in the day, I caught you on a bad day at Sun Angel 1991 ;)