Post by marathondude on Jul 15, 2008 11:48:16 GMT -5
Time Trials Make You Tough
There are two words that most high school runners don’t like to hear from their coach. These same two words aren’t even in the mindset of most adult runners. The words are, “time trials.” I was introduced to this concept on my first day of high school running. It was used in various ways throughout high school and I continue to use time trials for me and athletes I coach.
On January 2, 1973, as a sophomore, I showed up for my first day of track practice at Miami Carol City High School. Coaches Pieze and Gettis had all new athletes show what they could do in their desired event. Novices ran 100 yard and 400 yard trials, high jumped or long jumped, put the shot and tossed the discus. I was the only new distance runner, so I ran a solo mile time trial. Four laps later I was a 5:31 miler and fourth fastest in the school. A month later, only the top three runners could go to our first track meet. Due to different class and practice schedules, we couldn’t have a runoff. Baron Yankowitz had run a 5:13 time trial, so I knew what I had to do. After a solo PR 5:09 time trial, I was ready to compete and ran a PR 5:05 in my first track meet.
During my junior and senior years I ran time trials often between cross country and track season. I liked knowing what I could do by myself and knew I’d be much stronger in actual races. I remember after cross country season my senior year going out to the track for a two-mile time trial to see if I could break my junior year PR of 9:50. Coach Gettis timed me as rain began to pour down on the first lap. Shortly thereafter I tossed my fogged, wet glasses to the infield and ran half blindly through a rainy eight laps. My coach was ecstatic when I finished in 9:36 – not only a big personal best, but it unofficially tied the Dade County high school record.
As an adult I have used two-mile time trials as a final speed and stamina session about a week before a marathon. In 1979 I cranked out a 9:25 two-mile time trial at a controlled fast pace a week before I raced my marathon PR of 2:22:34 at the Marine Corps Marathon. As a 49 year old in 2007 I raced well at distances ranging from a 16:49 for 5k and 35:19 for 10k up to a 1:21:06 half marathon and 2:51:17 marathon. During this training and racing period I did mile time trials twice in 5:01 and 4:56. The time trials made longer racing seem slow and filled me with confidence.
During early 2008 a high school girl I was coaching had raced 5:31 for 1,600 meters. During a three week period without track meets due to spring break and weekend testing, we did a time trial. Imagine her confidence after running a solo 5:25. In her next race she dropped her PR to 5:20. She said the race felt very easy after the mental concentration needed to run a time trial alone.
For those of you who think time trials sound hard, you are right. But just as speed sessions, stamina training, hill sessions and tempo runs require effort, time trials are another ingredient of a successful training program. Time trials require physical effort and mental concentration. They can fill you with confidence and reduce or eliminate race day jitters and butterflies. Time trials are tough, but time trials make you tough.
Do many of you use time trials in your preparation for racing???
MarathonDude has 35 years of competitive running and racing experience highlighted by a marathon PR of 2:22:34. He is a regular writer for Florida Running & Triathlon magazine. At www.garycohenrunning.com you will find over a dozen FR&T articles, interviews with running personalities and dozens of “All in a Day’s Run” essays.
There are two words that most high school runners don’t like to hear from their coach. These same two words aren’t even in the mindset of most adult runners. The words are, “time trials.” I was introduced to this concept on my first day of high school running. It was used in various ways throughout high school and I continue to use time trials for me and athletes I coach.
On January 2, 1973, as a sophomore, I showed up for my first day of track practice at Miami Carol City High School. Coaches Pieze and Gettis had all new athletes show what they could do in their desired event. Novices ran 100 yard and 400 yard trials, high jumped or long jumped, put the shot and tossed the discus. I was the only new distance runner, so I ran a solo mile time trial. Four laps later I was a 5:31 miler and fourth fastest in the school. A month later, only the top three runners could go to our first track meet. Due to different class and practice schedules, we couldn’t have a runoff. Baron Yankowitz had run a 5:13 time trial, so I knew what I had to do. After a solo PR 5:09 time trial, I was ready to compete and ran a PR 5:05 in my first track meet.
During my junior and senior years I ran time trials often between cross country and track season. I liked knowing what I could do by myself and knew I’d be much stronger in actual races. I remember after cross country season my senior year going out to the track for a two-mile time trial to see if I could break my junior year PR of 9:50. Coach Gettis timed me as rain began to pour down on the first lap. Shortly thereafter I tossed my fogged, wet glasses to the infield and ran half blindly through a rainy eight laps. My coach was ecstatic when I finished in 9:36 – not only a big personal best, but it unofficially tied the Dade County high school record.
As an adult I have used two-mile time trials as a final speed and stamina session about a week before a marathon. In 1979 I cranked out a 9:25 two-mile time trial at a controlled fast pace a week before I raced my marathon PR of 2:22:34 at the Marine Corps Marathon. As a 49 year old in 2007 I raced well at distances ranging from a 16:49 for 5k and 35:19 for 10k up to a 1:21:06 half marathon and 2:51:17 marathon. During this training and racing period I did mile time trials twice in 5:01 and 4:56. The time trials made longer racing seem slow and filled me with confidence.
During early 2008 a high school girl I was coaching had raced 5:31 for 1,600 meters. During a three week period without track meets due to spring break and weekend testing, we did a time trial. Imagine her confidence after running a solo 5:25. In her next race she dropped her PR to 5:20. She said the race felt very easy after the mental concentration needed to run a time trial alone.
For those of you who think time trials sound hard, you are right. But just as speed sessions, stamina training, hill sessions and tempo runs require effort, time trials are another ingredient of a successful training program. Time trials require physical effort and mental concentration. They can fill you with confidence and reduce or eliminate race day jitters and butterflies. Time trials are tough, but time trials make you tough.
Do many of you use time trials in your preparation for racing???
MarathonDude has 35 years of competitive running and racing experience highlighted by a marathon PR of 2:22:34. He is a regular writer for Florida Running & Triathlon magazine. At www.garycohenrunning.com you will find over a dozen FR&T articles, interviews with running personalities and dozens of “All in a Day’s Run” essays.