Still Running (weakly). Issue 65

PAST – inspiration – On 1st September 1996 in Rieti, Italy, Daniel Komen of Kenya set the world 3000 metres record of 7:20.67, taking 4.5 seconds from the previous mark of Noureddine Morceli, the 1996 Olympic 1500 champion. (I remember watching Brendan Foster set the world record of 7:35.1 for the distance at the opening of his home track in Gateshead in 1974 – and we thought THAT was magical!)

Komen’s was a record that stood tall among all of the fantastic middle-distance records of that era, and withstood attacks from, among many others, Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, the 2004 Olympic 1500 and 5000 gold medallist, who is still now the world record holder for the 1500 and mile.

PRESENT – perspiration – On Sunday 25th August 2024, in Silesia, Poland, Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway ran 3000 metres in 7:17.55, taking more than three seconds off Komen’s mark.

This marvellous performance was something of a redemption for Ingebrigtsen after he failed to make the podium in the Olympic 1500, though he did win the 5000. He seems to be unbeatable at distances beyond the 1500 (he previously beat El Guerrouj’s 2000 WR and Komen’s 2-mile WR), though vulnerable at the metric mile (silver, silver and fourth in his last 3 major finals), and one wonders if we will see him in the 1500 at a major championships again. Will he indeed now miss out on being the man to beat El Guerrouj’s fabled records? He is only 23, so he has time to work on his speed!!

FUTURE – suggestion – Those of us who want to work on our speed in order to set new mile, 5000 or even 10,000 personal bests (or bests at a new age), as well as doing the necessary endurance work, must work on our speed-endurance.

It’s horrible! It’s all about sticking yourself right in the pain-box – into that anaerobic deficit – and getting your body to learn to deal with it. What do I mean?

Let’s say you are hoping to take your 5000 PB down from around 26 to somewhere under 25. That’s 8-minute miles. You need to make yourself run at that target pace – or just under – and then not recover completely. So, a session of 8 times 400 metres, starting at 2:00, and working down to 1:50, with 60 seconds rest, is great. If you can, cut the rest to 45 seconds before the last two 400s.

If your mile PB is 7:25 and you crave a sub-7, then again run 6 times 400 in 1:45 down to 1:40, with 60 seconds rest, and 45 before the last. Recover for 2 minutes, and run 200 all-out, walk 200, 200 all-out, to develop the finishing kick that’s going to mean a 6:58 rather than a 7:03!

10,000 PB of 62, hoping for sub-60? That’s 9:30 pace. So, a pyramid is great training – 400/800/1200/1600/1200/800/400 at 9:30 on the way up and 9:00 on the way down (2:22, 4:45, 7:07, 9:30, 6:45, 4:30, 2:15) with a disciplined 200 walk between each. This can develop into 9:00 on the way up and 8:30 (6:22, 4:15, 2:07) on the way down.

You don’t have to do too many of these sessions to gain that extra target-pace cruising gear.