by Larry Eder
This is Week Three, Day 5 of the 2022 RunBlogRun Fall Cross Country Training & Racing program provided by RunBlogRun. We will provide cross-country training suggestions until late December 2022 (21-22 weeks).
Today is September 16, 2022. It is a recovery day and the fifth day of the week three of our 2022 Fall Cross Country Training & Racing program.
Even Olympic champions get worn out! The picture below is of Soufianne El Bakkali, the Olympic and World Champion at the steeplechase. Soufianne has run a very fast 1,500m (3:31.95). His hurdling is nearly flawless and his racing tactics are what makes him so darn good. Early this season, Soufiane ran the 3,000m steeplechase in 7:58.28, just edging out Lamecha Girma. This time for a seven-and-one-half lap race, with 28 barriers and seven water jumps is mind-boggling. But, Soufianne ran faster in 2018, going 7:58.15.
The steeplechase used to be a place where people who did not have good speed could inhabit. Then, the speedsters came. Then, the speed and hurdling were key requirements. Now, all of the skills of a middle distance runner, including speed endurance became key. Soufiane El Bakkali has it all.
Your workout today is warm-up, 45-55 minutes, moderate pace, 6 x 150-meter stride outs, and cool-down.
