LoneStarXC wrote:
That's literally impossible- there's no way you can run in the 16s when only running 8-9 min miles.
Not impossible at all:
Francis Burdett ��
A Runner Profile
By Stephen Chantry
If you are a runner who loves to race
but you long for the ��off-season��
when you can get back to those
long, easy runs where you just
enjoy getting out there, then read
this article about Francis Burdett.
For those of you who enjoy the
comfortable solace of that effortless
morning run where you don��t look
at the clock and just cruise along the
road or trail enjoying the sun rise,
but you still want to race fast, read
on!
Like many masters runners, Francis
Burdett has experimented with
various training methods over the
years. And like many, although he is
still open to finding better ways to go
faster and compete at higher levels,
he has found what seems to work
well for him. National Masters News
has numerous articles depicting
successful runners and their training
routines and these varying routines
often contain a number of common
characteristics. But, the preferred
training routine that Francis Burdett
has adopted is probably more
unique than any other runner. His
success is undeniable with numerous
high level wins. He has a couple
of 5000m National titles and won
the World Master��s Championship
in the 3000m this past indoors in
Kamploops. In his training routine,
once again we see evidence that what
works for one runner may not work
for another ��you have to find what
works for you.
Because of his father��s corporate
job, Burdett lived in many places in
the US and in Europe as a youth,
but he spent his high school years
in Vermont at Montpelier HS ��a
place he describes as a great place
to grow up and to run. During his
senior year in high school, he was
state champion in cross country and
the 3000m for division 1 schools
running a state record 8:48. He
notes that his mileage in high school
generally started at about 25 miles
per week and then went down to
about 15 as they ran more intervals
of hill work and speed work. While
attending college at CW Post on
Long Island, his mileage increased
significantly and injuries kept him
from progressing. When the coach
capped his mileage at almost half of
what the other runners were doing,
he was injured less and he stayed
competitive. He recalled running a
road 10 miler at the end of his high
school track season. He had taken
three full weeks off from running
at the conclusion of the season and
jumped into a 10 mile road race and
ran 55:17. His fully recovered and
rested legs let him carry himself to
an outstanding time.
When the college coach capped
his mileage and his training pace
was still fairly fast, he only realized
partial success. Injuries still plagued
him off and on. As a masters runner
he decided to focus on keeping
himself recovered and healthy. Not
only would his mileage be meager
(by many other distance runners��
standards), it would also be slow
and easy. Burdett points out an
objective that he has in his training:
��I run easy today so that I can run
easy tomorrow.�� The significance of
this statement is not fully realized
until one understands that for years
as a master��s level runner he has
trained on mileage of 30 to 35 miles
per week at a pace of 9:00 to 9:30
minutes per mile. Only recently
has he increased his weekly mileage
significantly while maintaining the
same pace per mile. Yet, with this
routine he has the following stats
during the last couple of years:
Distance Time Age Event/Venue
1500m 4:08.91 (44) USATF Track
Mile 4:28 (44) Road 5th Ave Mile
5000m 15:14 (44) WMA Track
5000m 15:26 (44) USATF Track
5000m 15:16 (44) Road Master��s USATF
5000m 15:29 (44) Road Open USATF
7.08M 36:00 (44) Road Falmouth (ER 10K 31:48)
Mile 4:31.83 (45) Indoor Track
Mile 4:32.30 (45) Track
3000m 8:58.06 (45) Indoor Track USATFNE
5000m 15:23 (45) Track
5000m 15:31 (45) Track
5000m 15:33 (45) Indoor Track
Easy mileage is Burdett��s training.
He does not do speed work, core
strength training, intervals or
threshold runs. As he says, ��, I
will NEVER EVER do a tempo
workout...might as well race.�� The
only time he goes fast is in races.
And ��The only ��core�� or upper
body training I get is from some
heavy yard work or shoveling snow.��
When asked why not do strides,
he proclaims, ��well, I��m just plain
lazy.�� But, lazy he is not. As some
of his M50 buddies described their
high mileage and intense workouts
a couple of years ago, he decided
to give it a try ��but without the
intensity. He started at 60-70 mikes
a week but at an even slower pace
of 10:00 �� 10:30 pace per mile ��to
ensure I would be able to run the
next day/week.�� He also increased
his sleep time to 6 or 7 hours a
night. Burdett��s past routine had
been consecutive months of only 2
or 3 hours of sleep a night and then
a big ��sleep crash�� as he calls it. He
continued his accelerated mileage
and eventually topped at 100 miles
per week while gradually bringing
his pace back to his normal 9:00 ��
9:30 minutes per mile.
Now he is running steadily at over 80
miles per week and this past summer
he has 5 consecutive weeks of 90+
per week ��all at about 9:30 pace. He
has altered his training somewhat by
adding a few more races sprinkled
within these high mileage weeks
��with no tapering for the race. (At
the end of his fourth week at 90+
miles, he ran 15:41 in a 5K.) He
notes that often his first race after a
prolonged absence from competition
and with only long easy miles was a
shock to his body. He is hoping that
by racing somewhat more frequently,
albeit in low key and non National
Championship events, he will run
faster in the important races and
with less ��shock�� to his system.
Francis Burdett is certainly unique.
He may be the only one of his kind.
Or, he may have found another
magic formula that not only works
for him but for others as well. I
ran with him once while we were
at an outdoor track meet. I found
it difficult to keep his pace while
matching his stride. I tended to
shorten my steps and just shuffle
along at 10 minute pace like
one might do when completely
exhausted after a rigorous interval
session. But Francis moves along
smoothly, and in full stride as he
lopes along casually at 10 minutes
per mile. Each step a powerful
push lifting him slowly upward
and forward. He has a lean college
weight of 140-142 pounds with the
appearance (in racehorse talk) of
a tight skinned thoroughbred. He
hasn��t an ounce of fat on his body
despite his ��downfall�� of a taste for
sweets. He loves the Kit Kat Bar
and he loves Cap��n Crunch cereal
(and his three sons, Cullin, Addison
& Gibson along with wife Jane
would often be furious with him on
mornings after he would stay up late
��eating his fourth meal�� of an entire
family size box of Cap��n Crunch).
There is no question that he loves
to run fast, but he saves that for
the races. His training is geared to
let him do that freely and without
worry of becoming injured. Isn��t
that a main concern for master��s
runners? He races for PRs and
although he likes to win, he would
rather place fifth with a fast time
than run slow and kick it home for a
win in a slow time. He believes that
his training style gives him great strength. He says:
��Some folks don��t want to hear about my training,
some don��t believe it. Strength, That��s all it is....you
can run almost to your potential and fast with just
strength and letting your body recover...it��s a great
feeling not to struggle in the latter part of a race.
You may get out-kicked, but that��s OK if the overall
time is fast.��
The next time you are contemplating that long slow
run or putting in those ��junk�� miles and you start
to feel guilty that you should be training harder,
remember Francis Burdett. Train long, train so you
can train tomorrow. Stay healthy and RACE fast.