Ryan Deak

He finished 12th, I believe.

Really? Do you really think he has a good shot to win next year?

Perhaps you are right, but personally I would be surprised. He seems like one who trained a ton to get to where he is at a very early age and now he isn't really improving much more. I'm not going to call it burn out, because that can mean so many things, but I'd put him in the top 6-10 at best with really no shot to win. I guess time will tell.

I think that while he has a decent shot (I mean, he did run 9 or so as a sophomore!!!) there are several runners in the country that seem to be better suited for the XC race...for instance, Ben True of Maine, who's run no faster than 9:25, beat Deak, as did Ahmed Haji (similar PRs to True) as did Garrett Heath of Minnesota, who burst on to the national scene this year..and of course, the wunder-child Galen Rupp (who looks so young its ridiculous!)...so there are several runners who I believe have as good, or better shots than Deak to win next year...however, he's ultra talented, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him win it...could be a great race between him and Rupp next year...

As for his training, I doubt that he will burn out. He's very strong mentally (you don't run 9 flat without having something good happening upstairs as well as in the legs) and I believe that the only thing that could affect him, is he continues to bounce around from school to school...I think that once he gets away from his father's reigns, he'll excel even more...Bob Deak seems to be rather over-controlling, and Ryan has bounced from MaClay to another school in FLA and back a couple of times...that can't be too good for the pysche.

**Disclaimer** This is by no means an attack on Bob Deak. I understand that he recognizes the talent in his son, and I understand that he wants to see him excel. However, from what I've read and heard, I think that it's time for Bob to let go of Ryan a little.

another talented kid to watch is named aleer duat (or something like that), and he runs for gilbert hs in az. i watched him improve from 10:30 to low 9:30's last year as a freshman, and i think he can easily dip under 9 this year if he's serious about running. he arrived in the US last january from a refugee camp in kenya (he's sudanese), and he started training for the first time at the beginning of track season. i didn't see any results from him in XC, so he must not have set the world aflame. i think the phoenix newspaper ran a human interest piece on him last fall, and in my opinion he has some of the best raw physical talent i've seen from a non-kalenjin runner (although i believe he's still techinically a nilotic.) anyway, hope this doesn't put the message board jinx on him, but i've worked with some very talented juniors, and i would rate him with as much potential as any of them.

mzungu

I think we haven't a clue how good or bad the west team will be next year. But if they have their footlocker sectional just one week prior expect the same cruddy performance. There is no way to fine tune your rhythm with just one week separation. It very well could have been that the west was the strongest team this year--we'll never know. Deak is going to have to find some way to train completely differently. He made no improvement from 2001 to 2002. He has no chance of winning next year at the pace he is going. He won't crack top 15 next year if he doesn't drastically change something. A lot of talk about Ben True on how he didn't have any comp in Maine and so forth. He should definitely be a lot faster next year. Will the others improve as much as he is expected to? I doubt it--but like I said, NO ONE KNOWS HOW GOOD THE WEST RUNNERS ARE.

if you want to know about deak's training, just ask JK, since he has a lot of input regarding his training...

facts wrote:

if you want to know about deak's training, just ask JK, since he has a lot of input regarding his training...

Very, very interesting. How long has JK been his coach? What is the deal with the lack of improvement--was it intentional? Did he cut back or not do any interval training and is going with a whole new way of training not geared to making any fast improvements?

The only thing I have heard JK say with regard to improving is hi-lo altitude training. He has NOT impress me with his knowledge of running on this board. Perhaps he is intentionally holding a lot back on account that he doesn't want to give all his secrets away--fair enough. But then, I am rather new to the boards and most especially did not know to really pay attention to JK's posts on account that I didn't even know he was wejo's coack until I read it yesterday. At this point--based on what little I have read--JK would learn more from me than I would learn from him. I am not bragging--just saying something I believe is evidential because I have not held back much from divulging all my fitness ideas. Only thing I think I have failed to get into is rythm training--otherwide I think I have spilled my guts so far as my knowledge on training goes.

I have been writing JasoninAsia highly recommending that he come back to america and consider looking up wejo and getting some professional coaching. He has his own idea about the matter completely at odds with how I think.

Nevertheless, I have emailed wejo letting him know what direction my thinking is on this--and even suggesting that he give some feedback to Jason on coaching.

I look at it this way--Jason and wejo could benefit much from one another if they put a little effort at doing so. I wouldn't want them to gain from one another just with regard to training either--but that is a very important aspect to my argument with Jason. I think the direction Jason is seriously considering taking is way too risky--and depends far too much on everything going just right.

Nevertheless, if JK is indeed Ryan Deak's coach and has been so for quite some time, then this maybe would explain some hesitation on Jason's part. I am sure Jason fully knows what a big risk he is taking with regard to his coaching situation. But the bottom line to him seems only for wanting to give himself the best shot he can get at running only--which I consider very narrow minded thinking on his part. But I can understand it. He has made running his main purpose in life--so it would be very difficult for him to think outside the box and see the drawbacks as I see them with regard to the direction he is taking.

Still, I'd like to hear from JK on this matter. If he is Ryan's coach I am sure he is NOT ignoring this thread and he needs to respond. At least, that is how I feel about it. No one can deny that Deak has NOT been improving. Or so it seems.

Deak did to improve, last year he didn't make foot locker finals, this year he was an all american. He wennt from like 12th in the region to 12th in the country, that is improvement. Watch his track times, they will improve as well.

CATMAN, YOU COULD NOT HOLD JK'S JOCK WHEN IT COMES TO RUNNING. YOU ARE NOTHING IN THE WORLD OF RUNNING. IN MY CASE, I RAN AN 8:20 TIME TRIAL WITH HIS COACHING. I THEN WENT ON TO DROP FROM 1:20 OVER 13.1 MILES TO 1:11 AND TO A 2:30 MARATHON.

CATMAN, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT RUNNING, THEN LET'S HEAR IT. AS OF NOW YOU HAVE POSTED NOTHING BUT SHIT. ESPECIALLY THE LANDOVER BAPTIST CRAP. IT'S A RUNNING BOARD, RIGHT?

You are retarded. I wasn't saying JK was a bad coach or anything of the sort. Only that I don't know much about him and his coaching. Yet, what he has said I agree with. I just want to hear more--is that asking too much? If Ryan Deak is his pupil it apparently is on a very part time basis--not much to really go on there--but I'd like to hear more on that too. But--JK has no such obligations to do so. Were I him I probably would not bother with it. Besides it isn't to my benefit whatsoever to hear or read more. I quit running years ago. Ok maybe I was a little too tough on my previous post. I will try to be a little more tactful for now on--except I think you need to get saved.

whats with the one-sock thing at footlocker? looked kinda wierd

How old is this Deak-guy? 15`?

Didn't his whole HS team do that at State; kinda

as a unity, have fun thing. And his teammates wanted

him to do it thru the Footlockers to remind him that

they were "with" him.

Catman: This youngster went from from 9:30 to 9:00 for

the 3200/2mile from March 01 to April 02. Just what kind

of improvement curve would you be need to see from a HS kid for you to spurt on your keyboard, metaphorically speaking of course.

But I'm reluctant to simply print out every workout Ryan (or anybody else, for that matter) ran during 2002. Those sessions were tailored to his background, his strengths as a runner, and his goal races. To COPY another runner's exact training (even with corresponding alterations in pace) often has just as many negative results as positive results.

I CAN provide ALL the details if you want them, though they are not as important as PRINCIPLES.

At the moment, Ryan's focus is relaxed, basic conditioning, with an emphasis on sub-threshold running and short, progressively faster strides. Today (Saturday, Jan. 4) was a long run (16+ miles) mostly easy with the last 10-ish minutes at the high end of aerobic effort. Tomorrow is 5-7 miles easy. This week will come out to around 90 miles, with 2-3 days of running at the high end, especially at the end of the runs. Ryan's highest week ever has been 103 miles, which came last Summer. If I recall correctly, he has only had three weeks over 90 in his life (none prior to last Summer) so don't go saying he's "too high all the time". It has been a gradual climb and he is quite comfortable with it. The Summer mileage AVERAGED in the low 70s per week, I believe, usually alternating higher weeks with low or medium ones. Last Spring, the average weekly mileage was in the high 50s, so you can see the periodization in effect.

It seems catman thinks that going from 9:19 to 9:00 from one Spring to the next is not improving. I think most people at that level would gladly take "lack of improvement" like that, especially since it came with almost exclusively aerobic training. Ryan also ran 8:58 in a time trial in November, so he continues to improve, although he has had to split time with the school workouts this last season and he did do some intense sessions and another time trial (2,400m in 6:37 - last lap of 62) that were out of my recommendations, and which may have caused him to peak a few weeks prior to FL Nationals. But he had a pretty good showing, earning All-American status, whereas he wasn't on the starting line in 2001.

The main thrust of my involvement is of course to EDUCATE runners on what constitutes a sound overall structure of each preseason and competitive season for various age and experience levels, as well as to drive home the purposes of various types of sessions. If you know what you need to accomplish, you can make almost any individual workout effective, as well as being able to string together a productive series of sessions and keep your long-range goals more important than immediate goals. This knowledge (and fostering an ENJOYMENT of running), more than merely doling out training schedules, is what I'm trying to provide for Ryan and for several other young hopefuls around the country.

Wasn't Ryan injured the year before? Anyway, 9:15 to 9:00 sounds pretty good to me. You didn't say what his goals are but they are probably related to getting a scholarship I would imagine. You mention nothing about cross training, which I consider very important--if not the most important thing. You mention nothing about diet--which I don't consider being all that important in most cases. And there are a host of other things I think are important for runners--some of which you did address--such as peace of mind. Note what I said about the west runners above being out of rythm for footlocker nationals. This I also consider a vital aspect to competitive running. You may know more than me about getting in miles--but I know more on just about everything else--it seems. That is just a guess on my part and I don't want you to be offended by it. To me the other aspects of training other than getting in the miles is just as important--but that is just my opinion. I don't have your credentials and I will not pretend to. But my thinking is not something that I would want to force down anyone's throat either. I just have my ideas about things and the runner can take it or leave it. Motivation in of itself is very important and it is very important not to derail that motivation in any way. That is maybe especially so when I talk about altering a runner's diet. You do not want any drastic changes from what a runner is accustomed to. I do believe that Ryan's switching schools would be more than enough for some to end up with zero improvement. Just so you know where I am coming from.

JK who all do you coach? just interested cause u seem to be doing a damn fine job with ryan. i wish mine were that good.

Thanks JK. Good stuff.

call me dumb, but what are you principles JK?

Timo--did I say JK had to answer me? For the same reason I don't have to answer to pea brains like you.