okansas.blogspot.com Occassional thoughts about orienteering
Saturday, April 03, 2004
Some training advice
Ancient Greek runners trained on a four-day schedule -- a "tetras"
Day 1: light exercise.
Day 2: intense effort.
Day 3: rest.
Day 4: moderate effort.
And from a guy named Barclay who wrote in the 1800s:
Starting a 5 a.m.:
1. Sprint half-mile up a hill.
2. Walk 6 miles at a moderate pace.
3. Breakfast.
4. Walk 6 miles at a moderate pace.
5. Lie in bed without clothes for half an hour.
6. Walk 4 miles.
7. Dinner.
8. Sprint half-mile immediately after dinner.
9. Walk 6 miles at a moderate pace.
10. Go to bed at 8 p.m.
I came across both of these training plans in a book I'm reading called "The Perfect Mile." The book follows three great runners -- Roger Bannister, John Landy and Wes Santee -- as they approach the first sub-4 mile. All three have different approaches to training and racing. It's also fun to read because Santee is a Kansan who ran for KU. So, I get to read about my hometown of Lawrence. There's a snapshot in the book of Santee at the start of a race he ran from Tonganoxie to Lawrence, following a road I drive fairly often.
I've read about half of the book and would recommend it if you're interested in running. Check out the author, Neal Bascomb's web page.
posted by Michael |
8:29 PM
