Coaching and Care of Athletes

DISTANCE AND MARATHON RUNNING EARLY-SEASON TRAINING Early-season training should continue the gradual building-up process for a further two months. During this time the coach should be finding out which kind of limbering-up process best suits each of his distance runners, each man's present optimum speed and stride and optimum starting gait, the easiest adjustment of cardiac and respiratory systems, and the dietary and massage treatment required. The men must at this time have their pace judgment developed, and should begin running to time schedules. In this connection it is interesting to note that when Paavo Nurmi, in June 1930, made his 6 miles record of 29 mins. 36·4 secs. his times for each mile were progressively as follows: rst mile 4 mins. 45·4 secs. 2nd " 4 " 57'4 " 3rd " 5 " I ·8 " 4th " 5 " I ·8 " 5 th " 4 " 59'2 " 6th " 4 " 50·8 " Difference between Ist and last mile, 5'4 secs. Difference between fastest and slowest miles, I6·4 secs. Average time per mile, 4 mins. 56·o6 secs. The above figures represent a marvellous example of sustained J endurance at high speed, and, incidentally, the divergence between the first and last 440 yds. laps was no more than I·32 secs. A point to be noticed in the foregoing connection is that in training Nurmi probably calculated his best time as 30 mins. 30 secs., and accordingly in training runs would have made quarter effort for 6 miles equal to 35 mins. 35 secs.; half effort, 33 mins. 2 secs.; and three-quarter effort, 3 I mins. 46 secs. Here are sample weeks of early training: First Month Monday. 3 miles run at three-quarter effort. Wednesday. 5 miles run at half effort. Saturday. 3 miles run at half effort, varying striding. Second Month Monday. I! miles run, travelling the first mile at half effort and the remaining ! mile at three-quarter effort. 261