Search results for: lactate threshold
All of Your Questions Answered on the Caster Semenya Controversy
Last week, a woman who is the poster athlete for perseverance and grit had her career and livelihood ripped away from her. She did nothing wrong. She did not use performance enhancing drugs like many of her competitors. Instead, she has had her private life blown open, with details about her inner organs discussed around…
Read MoreWhat the Wright Brothers Can Teach Us About Coaching.
We all know the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright. Two bicycle mechanics who conquered the seemingly impossible, flight. But how did two mechanics, without a college education, without financial backing beat others to the punch? A comparison to their US rival, Samuel Langley, provides some clues. Langley, the head of the Smithsonian at the…
Read MoreEpisode 87: There are NO Magic Training Intensities
In the endurance world, we’ve come to believe that there are certain intensities or paces that do more than others! If we run at these specific zones, we will improve, and if we run bit too fast or too slow, we are in a grey zone where workouts don’t help as much. VO2max, Lactate Threshold,…
Read MoreIs Coaching a Science or an Art?
“This workout is going to make a difference. Start with 100 meters, lengthen out the rep distance by 10 meters, increase the speed by…” was in full workout mode. A master of his craft, a man who was always pushing to learn more, Joe Vigil is the epitome of a lifelong coach. I’d heard the…
Read MoreThe Balancing Act- Developing Speed and Endurance
Training is all about balance. It may be a cliché statement, but when it comes to training for almost any event, ensuring that speed and endurance, stress and rest, or any number of factors has the appropriate interplay is essential. When it comes to training runners, or even team sport athletes, I like to keep…
Read MoreThe 2-Hour Marathon- What did we learn from a Scientific standpoint?
What did we learn from a Scientific standpoint? Kipchoge’s performance in the sub 2 hour marathon was amazing, far exceeding mine and many others expectations. While a lot has been said about the performance and how it translates to a legitimate marathon, what I want to explore is my initial reactions to what we learned…
Read MoreArthur Lydiard: The Father of Modern Training
Arthur Lydiard is often thought of as the father of modern distance running. His training information is widely available, but often times misunderstood. People often make the mistake of equating Lydiard to Long Slow Distance. While his training has changed throughout history, it’s would be beneficial to look back and see what “original” Lydiard training…
Read MoreBertl Sumser: The Scientific Approach
West German coach Bertl Sumser was an early pioneer in taking a scientific approach to training. He carried on in the tradition of Woldemer Gerschler in designing his training with a heavy tip of the hat to the physiology known at their time. In a 1962 article published in the Fred Wilt’s book , Sumser …
Read MoreHarry Wilson- Coach of Steve Ovett
Harry Wilson was most known as the coach of world record holder and gold medalist, but he also coached other notable British runners. Before we get into the core of his training beliefs, looking at some of the extra stuff he had his athletes do is needed. Wilson seems to have placed some emphasis on…
Read MoreA Brief History of Interval Training: The 1800’s to Now
The Beginning Years(1800’s-1920’s Finn’s) The simple reason to run intervals is that it allows the runner to hit specific paces or training zones (such as LT, VO2max, Lactate tolerance, etc.) for a longer amount of time then would be spent in that zone if you just ran for a continuous run. Now way back in…
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