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August 5, 2012

Doug Hawley: Common sense the rule

Even the best conditioned distance runners currently competing in London at the Summer Olympics know that smart training is a key to success.

All of those long, hard, fast runs done in preparation for competition are important. Nevertheless, showing up sidelined by injury can prove heartbreaking.

Four years of rugged preparation between Olympics seemingly can go down the drain. It does help to be running smart. Overworking can put them over the edge.

For those of us not enduring such pressure, we can use common sense as we try to peak for our own important races.

My philosophy goes back some years to the “hard, easy, hard, easy” sessions. This was advocated by Bill Bowerman, the legendary University of Oregon coach who served as the U.S. track and field coach for the 1972 Summer Games in Munich.

His formula meant if you worked hard one day, you would go easy for the next 24 hours. Your body needs recovery time.

As some of us have aged dramatically, we amend the sessions to be “hard, easy, easy, easy. . .” In other words, allow extra easy days for recovery — however much logically as needed.

Coaching smart is also vital. Several years ago, a Rome area high school runner rated as a state contender in the distance events for girls track. Unfortunately, her coach got carried away regarding workouts.

As reported by an area newspaper, one workout consisted of running 24 hard 400-meter runs on the track — with slower intervals between each one. They were run at basically race pace for the longer disrances or a little faster.

Even in my years as an older, stronger and faster runner, I never did as many for that particular distance. Maybe 16, though 12 proved more logical.

It was hardly a coincidence that soon after, the girl suffered a stress fracture. This ended her dream that season for both region and state honors.

Older and stronger world-class runners have been known to succeed with such mileage. We even hear of them doing 125- to 150-mile weeks.

If you wonder when those runners work, they probably do not. A select few can make money from races, endorsements and appearances.

An area swimming coach once asked me before one of my Boston Marathon races if I would be doing a marathon time trial the week leading up to Boston. As most runners could have told him, no way.

Swimmers, who have been in the spotlight during the first half of the Olympics, can do such trials before big races. However, they are not putting the stress on the legs that the runners do.

Track and field, which long has been a staple of the Olympics, is now under way. There is much anticipation for the various events. Today features the women’s marathon. The men’s marathon is Aug. 12.

This should be one of the most unique 26.2-mile courses in Olympic history. It has a stunning 111 turns, which could prove a problem for footing if it rains — something that often engulfs London.

There are three identical 8-mile loops. That makes it friendly for the seated spectators, who can watch the runners go past three times.

With anticipted cool temperatures and flat roads, astute observers expect the men’s Olympic marathon record to be in jeopardy. Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya, who died last year, established the mark of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 32 seconds at the 2008 Games in Beijing. That time computes to a robust 4:49 per mile.

Do not expect the United States to win the men’s gold. Frank Shorter, who took the top prize in 1972 at Munich, Germany, is our only male winner from our country over the past century.

n COMING UP: Many area runners are anticipated Saturday for the 39th annual Missionary Ridge Road Race in Chattanooga. The run now is in memory of John Bruner, the Dalton High graduate, who died in this race due to a rare defect in an artery.

This hilly 4.7-mile run counts in the Runner of the Year (ROY) standings for Carpet Capital Running Club.



Doug Hawley has been a competitive distance runner for more than 50 years. You can write to him at dhawley@optilink.us.

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