PUBLISHED 07/24/2007
"My coach, Bill Dellinger, told me all the time to take days off when I had a minor injury, but I didn't pay any attention to him. When I started coaching other runners myself, I came up with a rule: if you disregard what I say and try to train through an injury, I won't coach you.
"I know that many runners need to do something during layoffs, so I encourage cross-training. When runners cross-train, they maintain their confidence because they're not so afraid of losing fitness. And they'll also be in better shape for the transition back to running."
Jim Spivey
He was the NCAA 1500-meter champ at Indiana University, four-time national 1500-meter champ, and a three-time Olympian. Best performance--3:31 for 1500 meters (1988).
What he's learned: Not to worry so much about the clock. "By that, I mean you shouldn't allow your life and your training to be dictated by the watch. When I was younger, I should have thrown my watch away, because it ruled my life.
"I probably never ran an interval workout in my life that wasn't timed. And because it was always timed, I trained too hard, too often on the track. I was always concerned with my workouts--each one had to be faster than the last one. As a result, I often ended up getting injured.
"What I should have done was run slower than normal on some interval days. That's what I tell the runners I coach. You can't try to bust every lap. It's okay to run slower than race pace and to take a longer recovery when you need it. The key to training is to raise your heart rate and then let it go down. You don't need to kill yourself to raise it. And you don't need a watch."
Randy Thomas
He was an All-American in track and cross-country at the University of Massachusetts and a top marathoner and road racer. Best performance--2:11:26 for the marathon (1978).
What he's learned: The value of setting goals and priorities. "When I ran in high school and college, I had great desire, but I wasn't willing to make the necessary sacrifices to get to the next level. So I never did. At least I didn't until I dedicated myself to the marathon.
"Now I coach runners with great talent who don't have exceptional desire, and I see that they aren't willing to make the sacrifices either. I tell them how incredibly important it is to set goals and do everything necessary to achieve those goals. It's very simple: it's mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter. If you truly want to excel as a runner at any level, running has to be a priority in your life. To achieve your goal, you have to set priorities and make sacrifices."
