Monday, March 27, 2006
Road to CDA: Weekly Quote
"There is the truth about the marathon and very few of you have written the truth. Even if I explain to you, you'll never understand it, you're outside of it."
"Douglas Wakiihuri speaking to journalists"
Douglas was a good friend of my former coach, Peter Maher. According to Peter, Douglas was the pioneer of the infamous 4 X 4 mile interval session, each 4 mile repeat progressing in pace from marathon pace to slightly slower than 5K pace, with a 2 min rest between. It takes many weeks of periodization to handle this workout and complete it correctly, negative splitting each mile.
I remember Peter running a modification of this workout on the track one tuesday night in St Petersberg FL, 1993. 4 X 5K intervals with a 400 jog rest between. Our group doing single mile repeats in 4:35-4:40 were the pacers for Peter on his longer intervals.
On Peter's final 5K interval...to see him run the final 1600 in 4:17 was unbelievable. I didnt realize until years later how amazing he was. To see someone with such magnitude of physical strength and mental stamina run beyond themselves, beyond the limits of what you thought was possible, was sureal. Sometimes I have to go back to my log and re-read some of the workouts we and Peter accomplished, because it doesnt seem possible in memory. His presence motivated all around him.
Our past shapes our perception and motivation. Many times when I am toward the end of an extreme workout, and need to push a little harder, I remember those workouts, and the pain is not so unfamiliar.
"Douglas Wakiihuri speaking to journalists"
Douglas was a good friend of my former coach, Peter Maher. According to Peter, Douglas was the pioneer of the infamous 4 X 4 mile interval session, each 4 mile repeat progressing in pace from marathon pace to slightly slower than 5K pace, with a 2 min rest between. It takes many weeks of periodization to handle this workout and complete it correctly, negative splitting each mile.
I remember Peter running a modification of this workout on the track one tuesday night in St Petersberg FL, 1993. 4 X 5K intervals with a 400 jog rest between. Our group doing single mile repeats in 4:35-4:40 were the pacers for Peter on his longer intervals.
On Peter's final 5K interval...to see him run the final 1600 in 4:17 was unbelievable. I didnt realize until years later how amazing he was. To see someone with such magnitude of physical strength and mental stamina run beyond themselves, beyond the limits of what you thought was possible, was sureal. Sometimes I have to go back to my log and re-read some of the workouts we and Peter accomplished, because it doesnt seem possible in memory. His presence motivated all around him.
Our past shapes our perception and motivation. Many times when I am toward the end of an extreme workout, and need to push a little harder, I remember those workouts, and the pain is not so unfamiliar.
