2018 HOKA ONE ONE RunBlogRun Spring Training, 800m-5000m, week 19, day 7, Love your long run on Sunday

The long run is a key to your development as a distance runner. Building your long run from 60 minutes to 90 minutes over your high school years. The long run mantra was espoused by the late Arthur Lydiard. Arthur was a former New Zealand milkman, who, in his mid thirties, was embarrassed on a five mile jog by a man in his seventies. Lydiard experimented with himself, testing up to 200 miles a week on his body. He became the New Zealand Marathon champion. In running history, he took a some Kiwis in his neighorhood and built them into Olympic and Commonwealth medalists: Peter Snell 800m gold in 1960, (800m/1500m gold in 1964), John Davies (1500m, bronze in 1964), Murray Halberg (5000m gold in 1960), Barry Magee (marathon, bronze in 1960). His training, building strength and endurance, honing speed through Hill work, and then, finally, preparing for racing, with speedwork and racing. I met Arthur and spoke with him for the last two decades of his life. He changed my life, and he changed running. Few know of his influence on Lasse Viren’s coach, Rolf Hakkola, the double winner of 5000m/10,000m), also changing the Finnish training.) Arthur also influenced the likes of Kiwis’ John Walker, Rod Dixon and Dick Quax, some of the finest runners ever to run on this planet. Arthur Lydiard passed away at the age of 87, during a coaching clinic tour in 2004. If you are a real runner, learn about him at www.lydiardfoundation.org.

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