Jim Ryun found the right coach and motivator (Bob Timmons) at the right time (call it fate). For his era, Ryun was a rock star; unbelievable and untouchable from 1966-67:
Jim Ryun found the right coach and motivator (Bob Timmons) at the right time (call it fate). For his era, Ryun was a rock star; unbelievable and untouchable from 1966-67:
"Proper" interval training applied after building a huge mileage/threshold (lifetime?...cough...Africans) base is optimum.
Sciatica Road wrote:
other options wrote:thats why his coach was/is regarded as great. he was a swim coach and basically took those workouts and turned them into running workouts. pretty interesting in theory. haven't really heard of anyone else doing it that way before or since without over doing it and burning out.
"Interval running, properly applied, is not only scientifically sound, but is also the most efficient and quickest way to bring an athlete up to a high standard. Improperly applied interval training has led to this time-honoured and well-proven system being maligned and blamed for athletes experiencing all kinds of difficulties. This is because careless application of interval running can damage runners. On the other hand, when it is applied intelligently, its results can be nothing short of miraculous. The plain truth about interval running is that it serves the purpose of developing the heart, circulation and muscles better than any other system. Its beauty is that it does so in a fraction of the time required by long slow distance (LSD) training."
~Gordon Pirie
The R's are the game wrote:
Jim Ryun was obviously the most talented high scool runner we've ever seen. But I don't believe he would have benefited much from the new training methods today. I do believe he was a high responder, and that his body was able to reap the benefits from his incredibly intense training and as a high schooler. The only problem being, it hurt him later on. Maybe if he was to gradually build up the intensity of his training past high school, he would have achieved those times, and possibly a good medal in (72)?
His misfortune at Munich had nothing to do with training problems. And yes he probably would have beaten Vasala in that 1500 final.
He isn't a "high responder," he's just genetically fast. As usual letsrun is a showcase of human stupidity.
Love of Lactate wrote:
He isn't a "high responder," he's just genetically fast. As usual letsrun is a showcase of human stupidity.
And what exactly does "genetically fast" mean?
...
You should read David Epstein's book. He has a chapter specifically on Jim Ryun.
Ryun was absolutely a high responder.
Well, you not only took the time to comment on this particular quote, but you made an erroneous statement, because of the fact that Ryun's early and phenomenal career obviously contradicts the preconceived notions in your statement. So you are evidently in gross error 'missing the forest from the trees', or are trolling.
yeah yeah yeah wrote:
"Proper" interval training applied after building a huge mileage/threshold (lifetime?...cough...Africans) base is optimum.
Sciatica Road wrote:"Interval running, properly applied, is not only scientifically sound, but is also the most efficient and quickest way to bring an athlete up to a high standard. Improperly applied interval training has led to this time-honoured and well-proven system being maligned and blamed for athletes experiencing all kinds of difficulties. This is because careless application of interval running can damage runners. On the other hand, when it is applied intelligently, its results can be nothing short of miraculous. The plain truth about interval running is that it serves the purpose of developing the heart, circulation and muscles better than any other system. Its beauty is that it does so in a fraction of the time required by long slow distance (LSD) training."
~Gordon Pirie
Love of Lactate wrote:
He isn't a "high responder," he's just genetically fast. As usual letsrun is a showcase of human stupidity.
Make no mistake, the type and amount of training had A LOT to do with the fantastic results of Ryun, and other Bob Timmons' athletes.
Your uninformed opinion on his training, and its results, is again so grossly in error, missing the forest from the trees, that it somehow gets repeated enough to where folks actually believe it. It has been debated time and time again. It was personal life family issues that kept Ryun from proceeding on his career. And then there are those that actually debate his development should have been slowed down, of the opinion that it would have been better for him (and evidently their preconceived notions on the correct way to train) if he had instead waited to set his world records at a later age, so that the career would have lasted longer. Just ridiculousness.
Sebastian Ovett wrote:
How??? wrote:A 4:07 mile after 10 months of running.... as a high school er... his times are amazing but the amount of time it took for him to achieve those times are even more outstanding. How?
It was after 9 months of running. It's called freakish talent. Genetics. And go to youtube and watch races of him at his peak (especially that ridiculous last lap in Dusseldorf) and you'll see why a lot of people believe he finished up nowhere near his potential. Bad training and bad luck. But he still had some great results.