Back in 1999-2000 I had the good fortune to do a lot of run training with three women (plus some others) who would each go on to represent Australia in the Sydney Olympics. In doing so I also came under the influence of one of Australia's best known - and best credentialed - running coaches, Chris Wardlaw. It was one of the most positive learning experiences of my running life.
The names of these ladies are Anne Cross (5000m), Kate Anderson (5000m) and Sarah Jamieson (1500m). Anne had two young children so she was endlessly balancing their care with her training and dreaming of fulfilling every athletes lifetime ambition of a home Olympics. Kate was the current Australian 5000m record holder with some impressive international results for Australia already. Sarah was the new kid on block, with great junior results she was looking to repeat as a senior athlete. The Sydney Olympics were the common thread between them.
Their coach, Chris Wardlaw, was a former Olympian (1980), confidant and training partner to Rob de Castella and coach to Steve Moneghetti. I was surrounded by relative greatness, and often felt like a "hanger on" in training with them. Suffice to say, I was soundly whipped by them in training on more times than I can count...
During the many months of running with them I learned so much about training, dedication, hard work and more. The training routine was the same week-in, week-out, so on one hand you knew exactly what to expect...but on the other hand you got a very clear indication each week of how you were running, good or bad. I'd usually get left behind on the Tuesday fartlek and Thursday track sessions, but claw back some pride on the Saturday threshold session - there was no hiding, but the support within the group was great.
It was particularly interesting to see the girls lift their intensity and focus on training as key competitions got closer. It brought out the raw fighter in each athlete, knowing that if they couldn't perform on the training track then it certainly wouldn't happen in races. I loved seeing this aspect - the true competitors turning themselves inside out - during the sessions, even though I most often ended up on the receiving end.
The most memorable of these sessions was the final track session - the usual 8 x (400m hard / 200m float) - before the Olympic trials at Olympic Park, where other athletes training there at the time almost stopped to watch the quality of session being ripped out by the girls, as if it was a special and rare performance, which it was. It was their best track session ever.
Between these ripping sessions were also the bad sessions when we were plain tired or just having a crap day. It happened to each of us - usually at different times - so we all felt the torment and shared some sympathy for the runner in the doldrums. Often it was a shock to our ego and pride, that we couldn't match a performance we'd previously done...even in training. Then it became frustration and mild despair that it might be the sign of something worse.
But one of the best tips I learned from Chris was to just move on when you had a bad session. To "tick" if off as done, understand what happened and then move on to the next session. Don't dwell on it. Shut up and suffer through it, and do better in the next session.
I had a day like that last Saturday. I struggled and suffered through the entire long run in the Dandenongs...which is especially daunting when you're lining up for a 3:30hr training run. But as long as I got through it then there were positives to be learned. I only had to get to the end to "tick" off the session.
So if you're having a bad day at training, don't despair. Just get it done, tick it off and move on.
The names of these ladies are Anne Cross (5000m), Kate Anderson (5000m) and Sarah Jamieson (1500m). Anne had two young children so she was endlessly balancing their care with her training and dreaming of fulfilling every athletes lifetime ambition of a home Olympics. Kate was the current Australian 5000m record holder with some impressive international results for Australia already. Sarah was the new kid on block, with great junior results she was looking to repeat as a senior athlete. The Sydney Olympics were the common thread between them.
Their coach, Chris Wardlaw, was a former Olympian (1980), confidant and training partner to Rob de Castella and coach to Steve Moneghetti. I was surrounded by relative greatness, and often felt like a "hanger on" in training with them. Suffice to say, I was soundly whipped by them in training on more times than I can count...
During the many months of running with them I learned so much about training, dedication, hard work and more. The training routine was the same week-in, week-out, so on one hand you knew exactly what to expect...but on the other hand you got a very clear indication each week of how you were running, good or bad. I'd usually get left behind on the Tuesday fartlek and Thursday track sessions, but claw back some pride on the Saturday threshold session - there was no hiding, but the support within the group was great.
It was particularly interesting to see the girls lift their intensity and focus on training as key competitions got closer. It brought out the raw fighter in each athlete, knowing that if they couldn't perform on the training track then it certainly wouldn't happen in races. I loved seeing this aspect - the true competitors turning themselves inside out - during the sessions, even though I most often ended up on the receiving end.
The most memorable of these sessions was the final track session - the usual 8 x (400m hard / 200m float) - before the Olympic trials at Olympic Park, where other athletes training there at the time almost stopped to watch the quality of session being ripped out by the girls, as if it was a special and rare performance, which it was. It was their best track session ever.
Between these ripping sessions were also the bad sessions when we were plain tired or just having a crap day. It happened to each of us - usually at different times - so we all felt the torment and shared some sympathy for the runner in the doldrums. Often it was a shock to our ego and pride, that we couldn't match a performance we'd previously done...even in training. Then it became frustration and mild despair that it might be the sign of something worse.
But one of the best tips I learned from Chris was to just move on when you had a bad session. To "tick" if off as done, understand what happened and then move on to the next session. Don't dwell on it. Shut up and suffer through it, and do better in the next session.
I had a day like that last Saturday. I struggled and suffered through the entire long run in the Dandenongs...which is especially daunting when you're lining up for a 3:30hr training run. But as long as I got through it then there were positives to be learned. I only had to get to the end to "tick" off the session.
So if you're having a bad day at training, don't despair. Just get it done, tick it off and move on.
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