Run-Down Forums

[Distance_Guru]

I found this article on ESPN's website interesting how the author takes a cheap shot at Webb's high school coach. I wonder if that is any reflection of his personal feelings about Webb's turning pro. After all Scott Raczko only said what the rest of us were thinking. Of coarse, especially as a coach, you have to be very careful what you say about athletes you don't coach. My policy is to just avoid the question, if you do get cornered say things along the lines of "so and so is a very talented athlete, he's smart and races to his strengths, I don't see any real weaknesses" A coach should never give bill board material to a potential rival.
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[Paul]

Interesting article, thanks. Interesting why Raczko was singled out by name. However, assuming the statement is true, it puts a bit of a spin on the Webb article in Micah's thread. Maybe Raczko had a lot more to do with Webb leaving Michigan than we were led to believe. If Raczko is as outspoken as Hollobaugh insinuates, then when Webb was confering with Raczko when he was injured, its not impossible that the conversation went something like "Oh, that's not right, this is the way I would have done it". In Webb's fragile state, statements to that effect would have been enough to send him over the edge.

When I was a young athlete just out of high school, I read a book that had quite an impact on me titled Problem Athletes and How to Handle Them by Thomas Tutko and Bruce Ogilvie. I realized that I was the problem athlete.

Paul

[eddieb]

Does any one have any idea what sort of training he's doing at the moment or what he did during the winter work.

Cheers

[Dan]

More than the shot at Raczko (we need to give that guy a more pronounceable/spellable name if he's going to be coaching Webb again), what I find interesting is the connection Hollobaugh failed to make between Raczko's lack of speed comment and Krummenacker's improved miling after dropping down in distance to focus more on the speed development. Somehow, out of that, Hollobaugh concludes that Krummenacker should rethink running the shorter distance???

Dan

[Dan]

Whoa nellie, here's something interesting! I'm catching up on Runner'sWorld online dailies from the two weeks I was gone and just ran across an interview with Krummenacker. Turns out he's coached by none other than Luiz de Oliviera, the vastly under-appreciated Brazillian who I was saying is quite possibly the best mid-distance coach ever.

http://www.runnersworld.com/home/0,1300,1-0-0-ZNEWS----07-29-2002,00.html

Excerpts:

[Distance_Guru]

I will admit that Conway was right about Krummenacker's approach to his recent races. But we still don't know what kind of training specifics Krummenacker is doing. So until I get a look at what he was doing previously vs what he is doing now I will withhold judgement on his change in training. But whatever he's doing it is obviously working and I hope he keeps it up.
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[Dan]

From what little I know of de Oliviera, don't hold your breath for detailed training information... Not much seems to be known about him or his system, just that it works incredibly well. He was a big believer in having his athletes run solo in practice so that they wouldn't grow dependent on others for setting the pace. Ring a bell?

Dan

[Distance_Guru]

I'm afraid I don't follow. :question:
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[Dan]

I was referring to the recent discussion about distance running tactics -- taking control of the race vs. sitting back and waiting to see how it develops. Very few people are willing to risk doing it on their own, but that's what de Oliviera's system seems to be geared toward.

Dan

[Distance_Guru]

Okay, sorry the training alone thing threw me off a bit. Although it does make some sense. Especially if you are going to use those tactics, which of coarse require a very high level of performance. But if you can do it, then by all means....
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[Conway]

[Paul]

Here's something from today:

http://www.indystar.com/article.php?amcol25.html

[Dan]

Sure wish I knew more specifics of de Oliveira's training...

See (DG and Hammer), those who know don't tell.

Dan

[Conway]

I told ya'll they don't tell ... And that speed word keeps poppin up

Conway

[coachd]

They may not tell...but sometimes their athletes do. I had a conversation with Ocky Clark at a meet in Las Vegas, NV (he was working with Stan Vinson who was an assistant at the time)...DG actually ran in that race--and ran great as I recall...

Anyway--Clark told me about a drill that Oliveria would have his runners do where they held their breathe. They would take a running start and hold their breathe for the first 25 meters (after crossing the start line)...they would repeat this for 30, 35 , 40 and so on up to 100 meters. They would do two or three sets of this drill. Clark said that by the third set, the lactic acid was killer. He said they also did the reverse---holding their breathe during the last 30 or 40 meters of hard intervals. He said Oliveria believed in lots of short intensive intervals.

I know this is far from learning what Oliveria does...but I thought it was interesting. has anybody heard of this type of "breathe holding " training before? Not sure if he still has his athletes do this.