An Old-Schooler Teaches a Neophyte the Tricks of the Trade

The running community lost a true visionary on February 2 when Dr. Andy Palmer, sports psychologist, coach, and friend to many, died on a run in the mountains of North Carolina. Andy touched thousands of individuals in a variety of arenas. I personally can give testament to a complete change in training philosophy as a result of knowing this wonderful man.

The debate between speed- and strength-oriented training has raged in the running community for more than three decades, and it was a debate to which Andy was no stranger. When I first met Andy in the mid 1980s, he was enjoying a wildly successful running career. The Maine native only began running competitively after college, and yet within seven years of graduation he finished a marathon in 2 hours and 16 minutes and ran 10 miles in 47:50! I asked Andy how he progressed so rapidly in a sport that typically requires 10-15 years of background. His response was vintage Andy: "Strength and mileage."

As a high school runner in the 1980s, I was part of a generation of runners sold on the notion that there was no need to run higher mileage as our 1960s and 1970s counterparts had. Patience may have been a virtue, but in the '80s (as Michael Douglas said eloquently in Wall Street) greed was good, and greed in the world of distance running meant the instant gratification of speed.

I spent my first 3 years of high school on the 400-meter oval.--I ran the gamut-400s, 300s, 200s-and ran as hard as I could. I allowed myself plenty of rest between repetitions. I told myself that I would never be out-kicked at the end of a race. I ran relatively well in those years, but my seasons tended to replicate one another: I ran all of my best races at the beginning of the season and finished each year exhausted.

It wasn't until I met Andy at running camp in Vermont one summer that I realized the error of my ways. Patiently Andy explained aerobic versus anaerobic conditioning. He pointed out that one's aerobic capacity, derived from longer steady running, was the most influential factor in determining performance, not hard anaerobic track intervals. "What is the point of a great sprint finish," Andy explained, "if you aren't close enough to the leaders to use it?"

Andy went on to say that the reason I was running my best races at the beginning of each season was due to a distinctive lack of mileage-oriented base work in the off season. According to Andy, it was no coincidence that American high schoolers were "slowing down" as they ran less and less.

I hit the roads that summer with an entirely different approach to my training. I was determined to defy my generation. I bumped up my long run from 10 to 16 miles and increased my weekly mileage from 40 to 75 miles. I started running longer intervals (1,200 meters and miles) at a slower pace with shorter recovery intervals. I began to truly recover and run slowly on my rest days, something I had never done before. I still allowed myself the track work, but on Andy's advice, I waited until there were only three weeks remaining in the season. I implemented virtually every one of Andy's suggestions, and the results were not long in coming. That year I won both the Connecticut State Cross Country and Track Championships and ran my best races at the end of the year. I went on to have a successful collegiate and post-collegiate career, and I can say without reservations that much of my success can be directly attributed to Andy Palmer.

The question for every American long distance runner, regardless of ability, is, "How can these theories be applied?" The answers are relatively simple. Begin each season by concentrating on more volume-oriented training. That's right, despite the fact that it contradicts many "8 ways to your best 10K" type articles, mileage is not a dirty word and will, if done properly, work! If you've been running 25 miles per week, try running 30-40. If you're a 50-miles-per-week runner, try slowly working to 60 or 65, making sure to keep the majority of the runs nice and relaxed. Avoid faster interval training during this base phase and stick to aerobic workouts such as long fartleks and hilly runs. After a couple of months, add some steady tempo* runs and longer repeats (800s or miles), making sure to keep the rest relatively short (2-3 minutes at the most).

When you are within 6-8 weeks of your goal race, throw in the final element of the cycle: speed work. During this brief phase, allow yourself a bit more rest during your hard sessions and try some shorter repetitions (600s or 400s). Again, be sure not to overdo this final phase. According to internationally renowned distance coach Arthur Lydiard, with whom Andy had spent a great deal of time in New Zealand, athletes need only a "handful of weeks to maximize their speed." Any more than that, he said, puts an athlete at risk of peaking too soon.

Things have come full circle in the 15 years since I first met Andy Palmer. I now coach athletes with a wide range of abilities, from high school runners to Olympic Trials Qualifiers, and the lessons I learned in the hills of Vermont are now helping them fulfill their dreams.

*Tempo runs are runs at 10-15 seconds slower than your 10K pace, usually lasting 20-30 minutes.

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Pete Rea is an administrator and coach at ZAPFitness. ZAPFitness is a training facility for endurance athletes in Blowing Rock, NC. Coaches include Zika Palmer and Pete Rea. For more information visit their web site at www.zapfitness.com.