Mutai does not run track workouts?

Link to interview?

Since he runs on the roads, why is it not possible to move quickly there as well? Is there really supposed to be that much extra magic in a track?

Believe it's on the front Let's Run page.

SMJO wrote:

Since he runs on the roads, why is it not possible to move quickly there as well? Is there really supposed to be that much extra magic in a track?

If you look at the track in Iten, the roads might be BETTER...

And if you've seen the track at St. Moritz in the summer you might decide to run your intervals on a road or hill than on a track with 150 people on it (no kidding).

You can run intervals (long intervals at least) on any marked stretch of anything. Lagat does this, then close to comp does stuff like 300s with 45 sec as I recall on a track.

I swear some people think short stuff is not real unless it happens on a track.

You can do ANY distance of interval work on the roads or other NON track surface.

After suffering my second big injury due to work on the track, I've decided to stay off it. I do have access to a paved bike/run path that someone graciously marked every 100m for 1200m years ago that I can use. Works just as well. Especially since I rarely race on a track.

Here's the real question. If he ran a marathon on a track, would he win? If he were to be lapped, could he come back and win?

Um, ever heard of Fartlek?

Self- Coached Geoffrey Mutai a training week 4/13/2012 10:51AM Reply | Return to Index | Report Post

In today's BOSTON GLOBE:

Self- Coached Geoffrey Mutai a training week:

Monday

A.M. 2 HR easy run (6:30-8 min./mile)

P.M. 1 HR. easy run (6:30-8 min./mile)

Tuesday

A.M. 50 min. run (8 min. miles)

P.M. Speed Workout:

30 min. warm-up

12x1km intervals (4:50/mile pace) w 1 min. rec.

Wednesday:

A.M. 1Hr 50min. run (8min. miles)

P.M. 2 HR easy run (8min. miles)

Thursday:

A.M. 25 mile run (7:15 min. miles speeding up to 5:35 min. miles)

Friday:

A.M. 1Hr 50min. run (8min. miles)

P.M. 2 HR easy run (8min. miles)

Saturday:

A.M. Speed Workout:

30 min. warm-up

20x2min. intervals @ 5 min. mile with 1 min. rec.

30 min. cooldown

Sunday:

Rest

Read more:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4530955&page=0#ixzz2k0HKFrCo

Why would any marathon runner do track workouts?

Hodgie noted prior in original post , 8000 foot altitude and rolling hills…

Physiologically the body does not care about track , road or whatever your running on , it responds to the work effort. The other point is that the milage is done on dirt , no pavement , saving the legs.

Wow, a lot of slow running there for someone so fast. 630-8 min miles. Obviously only one week of 52 but it would seem someone of that caliber would be running about a minute faster for a regular distance run.

Towson exile wrote:

Wow, a lot of slow running there for someone so fast. 630-8 min miles. Obviously only one week of 52 but it would seem someone of that caliber would be running about a minute faster for a regular distance run.

I agree. I wonder what the terrain he ran those is like exactly.

That comes out to about 150 miles in only 6 days/week of training.

Hardloper wrote:

Towson exile wrote:

Wow, a lot of slow running there for someone so fast. 630-8 min miles. Obviously only one week of 52 but it would seem someone of that caliber would be running about a minute faster for a regular distance run.

I agree. I wonder what the terrain he ran those is like exactly.

Most of the guys drag all easy/warm-up efforts. easy is easy and hard is hard. i ran into some of canova's guys on the nike campus a few years back and they were crawling, and i was a fat out of shape 30-something.

something to think about...

THAT IS ABSOLUTLEY NOT HIS TRAING DONT BE SO DALFT!!!!

Black bob wrote:

THAT IS ABSOLUTLEY NOT HIS TRAING DONT BE SO DALFT!!!!

How do you come to this conclusion? Do you know gis training? Then please tell us more!! :-)

I don't know what Mutai does in training, but everyone that has been to Iten knows that if you are able to string together 6 days per week of 3-4 hours of running with 2 workouts and a quality long run will be in superb shape.

IF you don't believe waht I say, please got out and "jogg" 8-6:30 minute miles for 3-4 hours per day. Then tell me, how "easy" this is. And then do it at almost 8000 feet in hilly terrain. The training sample from the Boston Globe would KILL most elite marathoners. Including me (I am not world class but run sub 2:20 consistently).

Marathon is about endurance. Those 2 x 45' runs per day at faster speeds will help you almost nothing IMHO. It's basically all about strength and some fast high end aerobic work.

And because of this the "old school" runners were faster back in the day or at least more runners were running in the 2:20 and faster range in the US and Europe. Because they didn't sit in front of their laptops planning every step weeks in advance. They just went out and ran. A lot. Sometimes very fast. It was much more uncomplicated. Their training was better IMHO than the training of most people today.

Running is an easy sport. Train what you need to do in competition. And in the marathon it's LONG running. 20 x 400 in 60'' won't make you a top marathoner. 12 x 1 K in 3:00 in Iten in a 150 mile week seems MUCH better as "speed work". Or 20 x 2 minutes. Or a 24 mile progression run.

Pikachu

I can really imagine mutai and his group with 3 major winners going out and bootsing along together at 8 minute miling. Maybe 1 or 2 easy runs but I will tell you know that is totally ridiculous and not his training. speed sessions maybea altitued or not