PUBLISHED 07/24/2007
John Marshall
He was an All-American at Villanova University and an 800-meter Olympian. Best performance--1:43.92 for 800 meters (1984).
What he's learned: The importance of warming up, cooling down and stretching thoroughly after every workout and race. "I never did any of that until I trained with Edwin Moses [the two-time Olympic 400-meter hurdles gold medalist], who made flexibility one of the foundations of his training. Moses always warmed up well, spent an hour every single day on his flexibility and was an absolute fanatic about cooling down properly.
"If I had done that earlier in my running career, I might have avoided a lot of hamstring problems. I was an 800-meter runner, and Moses ran the 400 hurdles, but what he did is just as applicable to distance runners. Especially older runners who are well-developed from a cardiovascular standpoint but tend to forget that they lose their muscle elasticity as they age if they don't emphasize proper stretching.
"In a way, older runners have an advantage that they might not realize: they have more patience than younger athletes. But they need to use that patience before and after running by not rushing things. They need to warm up well, stretch a little, then do the workout or race. Afterward, they should do a cool-down of light jogging and diligent stretching."
Joan Nesbit
She was an All-American in track and cross-country at the University of North Carolina and a 1996 Olympian (10,000 meters). Best performance--32:13 for 10,000 meters (1996).
What she's learned: The value of a committed training partner. "It may seem odd to hear a coach say this, but I think a really great training partner is more important for a runner than a coach. Any training system can work out fine if a runner is committed to it, but sometimes that commitment is the difficult part.
"That's where a training partner is so valuable. You need someone who will make you accountable. It's especially important for busy women who are recreational runners and can't find the time to run. If you have that special person to run with every day who can keep you going, someone you can trust to be there, you will show up and run, no matter what time it is. A great training partner stimulates and motivates you. You can learn from each other and both raise your level of performances."
Alberto Salazar
He was an All-American in track and cross-country at the University of Oregon, the former American record holder in 5000 and 10,000 meters and the marathon, New York City and Boston marathon champion, and a two-time Olympian. Best performance--2:08:52 for the marathon (1982).
What he's learned: The value of rest and recovery. "All runners, myself included, need to learn to take adequate time off after an injury or when they have muscle soreness. I learned the hard way that you're better off not running than trying to train through an injury. All runners tend to be gamblers with their bodies, and some gamble way too much by pushing themselves too hard. Too often they lose. I know I did.
