The late Noel Carroll, Olympian and a key influence in organising the inaugural Dublin Marathon, contributed a series of Training Tips to Irish Runner Magazine that are still worth sharing…
Go easy on the heavy training. By this I mean training on hills, sandhills, mucky fields, etc. This type of training can give the illusion of making you strong.
I remember a time when heavy army boots were all the rage. It seemed logical; that when you trained in heavy boots, you would then fly in a race without them. In reality no great change has ever been gained from a heavy ration of this strong men’s training.
The famous Australian runner Ron Clarke was once asked what he thought of training through sand. ‘It’s all right’, he declared, ‘if you want to be a good runner through sand.’ Clarke wasn’t being smart, he was stating the truth. You can become better at any discipline if you work at it.
A small dose of supplementary training methods can help – but only up to a point. Peter Snell may have popularised marathon training mileage and the great Herb Elliott may have made training on sand dunes a must-try for many runners of that era.
However, the fact is that these athletes were extraordinary runners to begin with – and they did very little of the outlandish training that was attributed to them. Peter Snell admitted to never having run 100 miles a week in training. Herb Elliott said that he only trained a few times on sand dunes.
Don’t let yourself get carried away with fancy training ideas. The same goes for weight training and circuit training.
Some modern trainers have come up with fancy workouts and training sessions. They all can have some value. But take care!
The way to running success is still the tedious path of steady training; a-little-a-lot is much better than a-lot-a-little. The weekend long run should also be a key part of your running schedule.
