Lydiard 9 weeks to 100 miles.

This is the essence of Molvar's argument:

"In his ’62 book on page 145 under the chapter titled "The myth of Middle age, he asks the question "Have you spent all your years sitting down at a clerical or physically-easy job?"

On the next page it says starting from nothing, "it would not be many weeks before he could run 10 miles, even if he could not run at all when he started." So what is "not many weeks". It is about 5 weeks. We are not talking months here. Two pages later he goes on to say "You can soon learn to run 20 miles if you want to." Well, if it takes about 5 weeks to get to 10, then soon would be another 4-5 weeks. Add it up and you get 9 weeks. Lydiard did not say 9 weeks of course but if you read what he says it is about 9 weeks for a sedentary office worker to 20 mile runs."

Sorry, Mr. Molvar, he never said it like you want him to have said it.

Again, I'd say it takes as long as it takes.

Pants - I've read the first few pages of that debate and agree that Lydiard never seems to have put a time limit on reaching 100 miles.

Molvar seems to be guessing that 'not many weeks' = 5. And he makes the wild assumption that 5 minutes roughly equals 1 mile. Not when you run like me...

svt 5 min/mile just jogging then?

Pantman - I think you are pretty much "on the money". I'm sure Lydiard never said you could get to 100 miles in 9 weeks.
His thing was that he'd worked out 100 miles a week was what it took to become a good runner. If you went to him for coaching he'd just say - "come back when you've run 100 miles a week". I was never coached by him 'cause I could never do the 100 miles a week. When I was running well, I averaged 70 miles a week.

Tom - you are wrong about Lydiard - saying that he had some great athletes to work with. Those guys just happened to be in the same neighbourhood. They all excelled at different distances using Lydiard's methods. Runners of that era didn't have the same distractions as those of today. I think Arthur would have loved this new world of the internet. He loved a good arguement and who have loved the access this gives to spread his gospel.

I was trained for a while by Barry Magee - bronze-medalist at Rome and very much a mileage man. I remember being selected to run at a national x-country one year and saying to Barry - I don't think I'll go, I'm not fast enough - should I do some speedwork? His answer was to run as many easy miles as I could - that I did and although not right up there ran a very respectable race. Barry's advice was always to get your best possible place. Arthur - knew how to get his runners to win - so although he is known for his 100 mile a week thing - he was a fantastic motivator.

so you can only be a good runner doing 100 miles a week?

gulp!!

You sound like you ran at quite a good level NZ Christine? Is that correct?

I do normally 20 to 25miles a week and thats mustered the following pbs

5k 18:18
5m 30:59
10k 38:27
10m 1:04something
1/2m 1:25:46

I'm interetsed in how the mileage will affect these times!

StevieG - They are excellent times on that mileage - how old are you?
At least try and build up to 50-60mpw and see how that goes (take as long as it takes!), but I'm sure it'll make a huge difference.
Just remember to slow down as you increase mileage.

thanks Mr Pants. And good to see a few fools haven't stopped you posting!

Made a consciouse effort to try and do 30miles a week from Jan up to Silverstone Half in March. Porbably only managed the full thirty about 3 times..the norm was 25

Now footy season is over I'm looking at 25 a week minimum. Also looking at giving the footy up.

I'm 24 and hopefully this will allow plenty of improvement.

A guy named Trevor Hunter who runs for Handy Cross Runners comes top 3 of all the local events in my area and he says he started aged 27 with a first half marathon time of well over 2hrs. Now he does 1hr 13s!

That gives me big encouragment.

I tend to do my 25 miles a week at not much below what i would do races in..so it's a good tip to reduce the intensity and increase mileage

whether I can match your 100+milers is another thing!

Stevie G - I think, everyone, in the end, works out what works for them - everyone is different. Although Lydiard was known for his 100 mile a weeks - that was just the start of it. If you look at "Run to the top" and see his schedules - to me - they look just so hard that I just couldn't even contemplate trying to do them.
Sometimes it is safer to be a good runner rather than an excellent runner by running less and doing a more balanced schedule than take all the chances with all the commitment required and chance of injury, and also the highs and lows that come with that. But then again if you settle for less you will always wonder, "I wonder if"...