EXCLUSIVE - PETER SNELL’S TRAINING FOR THE 64 OLYMPICS.

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11 years ago 02/06/2014 12:23pm EST

Taken from Lydiard’s training diaries just after the Games ended.

A lot doesn’t make sense to me, 22 miles on an injured leg for instance - but Lydiard certainly got him in peak condition for the Olympics and one wonders how fast he could really have gone as he was never really tested.

At the end of March and early April, Snell was becoming jaded and feeling his races.

It meant a complete conditioning period was necessary, so starting from April 18th, he averaged 100 miles weekly until June 28th

He then did the hill work schedule which I advocate, from June 29th until August 9th, averaging

near 90 miles weekly.

On August 10th, he started track training which was very difficult without an all-weather track in winter.

The schedule as carried out is as follows:

Each morning he jogged about 5 miles on a golf course and road.

August

10th - 20 times 220 Av 27.45

11th - 3 miles - 14.47.6

12th - 660 - 1m27s 100yds 11s times 2

13th - 3mile - (50yd dashes)

14th - 6 times 220 - Av 26.5

15th - 20 times 440 Av 61

16th - 22 miles Waiatarua -2 hours 22 min

17th - 20 times 220 - Av 27.8

18th - 3 miles - 14.35

19th - 5 times 880 Av 2.13

20-22nd - injured leg, hard track - no training.

23rd - 22 miles - 2h 33 min

24th - 5 mile jog

25th - 27th leg still sore - no training.

28th 4 times 440 stride-outs

29th - 6 mile jog

30th - 22 miles - 2hr 23 min

31st 220 stride-outs.

September

1st - 6 times 880 Av 2m10s

2nd - 6 times 440 - 58s

3rd - 1 mile - half effort - 1 mile three quarter effort

4th - 3 times 220 fast

5th 880 - cold wet conditions - 2m2s

6th - 22 miles easy

7th - 1 mile (50y dashes)

8th - three quarter mile - 880 in 1.56 and final 440 as he felt

9th - 440 - 55s - 4 times 100yds - full

10th - 2 times 1 mile - half effort.

11th - 3 times 220 - full effort

12th - 10 times 440 - av 58.5

13th - Long run

14th - 10 miles morning - 4 times 150yds - 6 times 50yds

15th - 2 times 880 - windy and wet - 2m2s and 2m 1.7

16th - 10 miles morning - 3 miles - 14m 12s

17th - 6 times 440 - 58s

18th - 3 times 220 all out.

19th - three quarter mile - 3m 0.5s

20th - 20 mile - half effort

21st - One hour jog

22nd - 6 times 220 stride outs

23rd - One hour jog

24th - Flew to Sydney - 6 times 220 stride outs

25th - 660 - 1m19s

26th - Flew Japan

(jogged most mornings in Japan for 1 hour)

17th - the hour jog

28th - 20 times 220 stride outs

29th - 1 mile of 50yd dashes.

30th - three quarter mile - 2m.56s

October

1st - 2 hour run - strong and even

2nd - 4 times 440

3rd - 6 times 880 - half effort - av 2m5s

4th - 1 mile - 4m2s

5th - 10 times 220 stride outs

6th - Sprint training over 150yds

7th - 800mts fast - 1.47.1

8th - 1 hour jog

9th - 880 in 50yd dashes

10th - 1 hour jog

11th - 3 times 220 full

12th - 1 hour jog

13th - half an hour jog

14th - 800mt heat - 1m49s

15th - 800mt semi - 1m46.9

16th - 800mt final - 1m45.1

17th - 1500mt heat - 3m46.6

18th - 1 hour jog

19th - 1500mt semi - 3.38.8

20th - 1 hour jog

21st - 1500mt final - 3.38.1

11 years ago 02/06/2014 12:32pm EST

re: Joe Binks

Why were the games in late october?

11 years ago 02/13/2014 10:18am EST

re: Joe Binks

Thanks for sharing Snell's training.

It is nice to see an actual example, vs the standard schedules in Lydiard's books.

11 years ago 02/13/2014 10:34am EST

re: Joe Binks

who cares what a 1.44 guy did?

11 years ago 02/13/2014 11:05am EST

re: Joe Binks

That's serious training and serious racing even by today's standards.

11 years ago 02/13/2014 12:26pm EST

re: . . .

given the crappy shoes and tracks at the time, his

winning times are equivalent to 1:42 and 3:32, respectively.

Thanks for sharing!

11 years ago 02/13/2014 12:31pm EST

re: bigtool05

bigtool05 wrote:
Why were the games in late october?

My guess was to avoid the summer heat in Tokyo. Later the IOC set a window for the summer games which Sydney was given an exemption from.

Today, US TV would never allow the Summer Games to go against football.

11 years ago 02/13/2014 1:10pm EST

re: . . .

. . . wrote:
who cares what a 1.44 guy did?

Well, you must. Otherwise why would you have checked the thread?

11 years ago 02/13/2014 1:47pm EST

re: . . .

. . . wrote:
who cares what a 1.44 guy did?

I can well imagine someone posting Rudisha’s training schedule on LetsRun in 50 years time and some idiot commenting - ‘Who cares what a 1.40 guy did?’

11 years ago 02/13/2014 4:27pm EST

re: Joe Binks

Wasn't Snell not working with Lydiard at some point between 1962 and 1964? When did they get back together?

Also, Antonio, are these the same workouts that you would not post because of an agreement you made with Nobby?

11 years ago 02/13/2014 5:25pm EST

re: SlowFatMaster

They got back together a few months before Tokyo, April comes to mind but I'd have to check.

11 years ago 02/13/2014 7:11pm EST

re: . . .

. . . wrote:
who cares what a 1.44 guy did?

Someone who wants to get under 1:50?

11 years ago 02/13/2014 9:23pm EST

re: Rockette

I have Halberg's sessions from 1960 around here somewhere although I would think HRE probably has them too.

11 years ago 02/13/2014 9:27pm EST

re: mo'pak

mo'pak wrote:
I have Halberg's sessions from 1960 around here somewhere although I would think HRE probably has them too.

I do not. They'd be cool to see.

11 years ago 02/13/2014 10:22pm EST

re: HRE

Thanks for posting this, cool read.

11 years ago 02/13/2014 11:26pm EST

re: runnerdnerd

This isn't the training of a 1:44 guy. It's the training of the last guy to successfully do the 800/1500 double without doping.

11 years ago 02/14/2014 1:24am EST

re: Joe Binks

11 years ago 02/14/2014 1:28am EST

re: tight squeeze

Dude ran 1:44.3

on grass. Grass.

11 years ago 02/14/2014 4:56am EST

re: HRE

Halberg 1960.

June 13.

Mon. 2ml 9.50.

Tue. 4x880 2.20 2x100 @ 3/4 effort

Wed. 12x300, 880 2.10.

Thu. 2x100 @3/4, 6ml 33.30.

Fri. 1ml 5.05, 1ml 4.38.

Sat. Long jog.

Sun. 8ml light run

June 20.

Mon. 1.5ml 7.20

Tue. 3/4ml 3.30, 2x100 @3/4

Wed. 440 58, 6x220 @ 3/4, 440 @ 3/4. Also 6x880 at lunchtime.

Thu. 6ml 30.55.

Fri. 20x440 @ 3/4 effort.

Sat. Waiatarua 2h 20m with Snell.

Sun. Rest.

June 27.

Mon. 2ml 9.30.

Tue. 6x880 @ 2.20.

Wed. 880 2.20, 1ml 4.45, 440 full speed.

Thu. 6ml 32m.

Fri. 1ml 5m x2, 1ml 4.30.

Sat. Long run.

Sun. Rest.

July 4.

Mon. 880 2.20 x 2. 1ml 4.38.

Tue. 9ml jog (sick)

Wed. Rest.

Thu. 6ml @ 3/4

Fri. Light run.

Sat. 10 man team race.

Sun. Long jog.

July 11.

Mon. 10ml jog.

Tue. 3ml.

Wed. 2ml of 50yd dash.

Thu. 6ml 30.30.

Fri. 6x220 leg speed.

Sat. 3ml.

Sun. Long jog.

July 16.

Mon. 3ml 14.12.

Tue. 20x220 @ 3/4.

Wed. 6ml with 100yd sprints.

Thu. 3ml.

Fri. 1ml of 50 yd dashes.

Sat. 6ml race.

Sun. Long jog.

July 23.

Mon. 6x 440 60s.

Tue. 3ml.

Wed. 1ml of 50yd dashes, 3 x 220 leg speed.

Thu. 6ml.

Fri. 3 x 220 and 3 x100 leg speed.

Sat. 3ml.

Sun. Long jog.

July 30.

Mon. 880 @ 1/2 effort, 880 leg speed.

Tue. 3ml 50yd dashes.

Wed. 1ml @ 1/2 effort, 880 leg speed.

Thu. 3ml @ 3/4 effort.

Fri. 20 x330.

Sat. 2ml fast.

Sun. 1hr jog.

August 6.

Mon. Jog 1hr.

Tuesday to Friday travelling.

Sat. Jog 1hr.

Sun. Jog 2hrs.

August 13.

Mon. Jog.

Tue. 880 @ 1/2 speed x 2, 880 leg speed.

Wed. 3ml @ 1/2 effort.

Thu. 20 x 220 @ 3/4

Fri. 6ml @ 3/4 effort.

Sat. 3ml of 50yd dashes.

Sun. 3ml @ 3/4 effort.

August 20.

Mon. 5ml @1/2 effort.

Tue. 3/4ml race.

Wed. 440.

Thu. 1ml leg speed.

Fri. 3 x 220 fast.

Sat. 1hr jog.

Sun. 1/2hr jog.

August 27

Mon. Jog.

Tue. Jog.

Wed. 5000m heat.

Thu. Jog.

Fri. 5000m final.

11 years ago 02/14/2014 9:17am EST

re: Joe Binks

This is sick. His weekly schedule is pretty much doing intervals (or occasional 3 mile tempo) for 5 days in a row, 22 mile long run on Waiatarua, then a "rest day" of one hour easy (probably about 10 miles at his easy pace). If you add in the five miles every morning he's still got to be around 80 mpw. How many of us could do that kind of volume with that intensity without getting injured?

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