Big props to ST for highlighting a great American athlete who does it the right way.
x2 the props for the State of Maine, which has a great running scene and growing tri scene. Ben True is the best Maine runner since Joan Benoit.
Thank you very much for this Lars. I noticed that Ben’s training for Sunday is missing, please could you tell us what he does on that day? Thanks again
His Sunday run is listed
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I love reading about elites who can run faster for 13+ miles than I can 800 meters…very humbling!
Was just having this conversation last night with a non-athlete friend. He was stunned to learn that top level marathoners’ average pace is right around my best single mile time from high school. Most people (including a lot of amateur athletes) have absolutely no clue just how fast those guys are actually moving from seeing them on TV.
The mile is done at 4:15, tempo pace is 4:45-4:50, 1200m @ 3:06, 800m @ 2:00 and 400m @ whatever is left in tank. 55 or 54 seconds
Threads like this are when I get really frustrated about you guys not having switched to the metric system. It’s not an accusation, just a general kind of Weltschmerz…
One of our local guys here ran XC/Track for ND, went to the worlds in XC, 13.36 5km…He posts occasional runs on strava like…40min jog with the stroller…6min/mi. LOL
I must be missing something here as I don’t see how that adds up to 100miles a week? Does he just throw in a bunch of steady runs as well, what about Sundays?
not super taxing (8 or 9 mile tempo @ 4:50 per mile pace). Run again in the afternoon, 30 minute jog (4.5 - 5 miles)
I LOL’ed when I got there. That is insane.
Same
“not super taxing”
lololololol
I did a track session recently and I did 5 x 1km in 3:15 with long rests between. On the way jog home i was thinking I was a big deal because it was a bit of a breakthrough session for me.
Later that evening I did some maths and I realised that if I did 41 of these back to back I would be about 15 minutes off a marathon WR and that WR pace is about 2:55 per km. So the next time i went to the track I tried to see how long i could maintain World Record Marathon pace (0:35 per 200m). It was a full sprint for me and i struggled through to 200m before having to stop.
I’m sorry, where do you see that?
Interesting that he considers 6X mile faster than his tempo pace followed by 200m intervals a “recovery run”
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His Sunday run is listed
Obviously a long run but curious how fast.
In the interest of keeping the length of the interview with Ben in check, his weekly work load didn’t make the cut. Here it is below, including the times he lays down! He also had some strong opinions on the current status of sponsorship in the sport.
Ben’s typical workout week
Monday: Easy days, I usually only run once.
Tuesday: Easier day, tempo or fartlek, not super taxing (8 or 9 mile tempo @ 4:50 per mile pace). Run again in the afternoon, 30 minute jog (4.5 - 5 miles)
Wednesday: Mid week long run (12-14 miles)
Thursday: Double run. AM for 60 minutes (7 minute pace is typical run pace), PM for 30 mins.
Friday: Hard track workout. Examples include: 6x1 mile or K’s or tempos or MICHIGAN named after former Wolverine coach, Ron Warhurst, which consists of a 1600m, 2000m tempo, 1200m, 2000m tempo, 800m, 2000m tempo, 400. It comes out to 10k of work. The mile is done at 4:15, tempo pace is 4:45-4:50, 1200m @ 3:06, 800m @ 2:00 and 400m @ whatever is left in tank. 55 or 54 seconds.
Saturday: Recovery workout. Something like 6x1 mile @ 4:40 followed by 200’s.
Weekly mileage is around 100 miles which is likely average for my race distance. To put that into perspective, most marathoners put in 140-150 mile weeks.
To put this into perspective:
Ben’s 10K Best: 27:41. (4:27 per mile)
Estimated “Threshold” Pace: 4:40 / mile
A more average person: 45:00 (7:15 per mile)
Estimated Threshold Pace: 7:15 per mile
The average guy’s workouts would be:
Monday: Easy days, I usually only run once.
Tuesday: Easier day, tempo or fartlek, not super taxing (5 miles at 7:30 pace). Run again in the afternoon, 30 minute jog (2.5-3miles)
Wednesday: Mid week long run (9-10 miles) @ 9 min / mile pace
Thursday: Double run. AM for 60 minutes (9:45 minute pace is typical run pace), PM for 30 mins.
Friday: Hard track workout. The 1200 is done in 4:15, tempo pace is** 7:15**, 800m @ 2:40min, 600m @ 2:00 and 400m @ whatever is left in tank.** 80** seconds.
Saturday: Recovery workout. Something like 6x 1/2 mile @ 7:15 followed by 200’s.
Thought some of you might be interested in seeing what one his workouts looks like. Still waiting to hear what he dos on Sundays!
From Letsrun:
7 American-born men have run under 13:18 for 5000 this year. Three of them are from tiny Maine, population 1.33 million. (And a fourth is from next door New Hampshire) What makes Mainers so fast? Lobstah? Blueberries? Soft Serve ice cream
?
13:06 Ben True (Maine)
13:07 Eric Jenkins (New Hampshire)
13:12 Galen Rupp (Oregon)
13:15 Ryan Hill (North Carolina)]
13:16 Garret Heath (Minnesota)
13:17 Will Geoghegan (Maine)
13:17 Riley Masters (Maine)
Read more: http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=6644865#ixzz3lUCpEDGf
7 American-born men have run under 13:18 for 5000 this year. Three of them are from tiny Maine, population 1.33 million. (And a fourth is from next door New Hampshire) What makes Mainers so fast? Lobstah? Blueberries? Soft Serve ice cream?
13:06 Ben True (Maine)
13:07 Eric Jenkins (New Hampshire)
13:12 Galen Rupp (Oregon)
13:15 Ryan Hill (North Carolina)]
13:16 Garret Heath (Minnesota)
13:17 Will Geoghegan (Maine)
13:17 Riley Masters (Maine)
moxie!