by Larry Eder
This is Sunday, August 14, 2022. It is day seven, Week Six of the 2022 Summer Cross Country Mileage Program.
Today we are going to speak about Coach Arch Jelley. Coach Arch Jelley is one of the most famous coaches in New Zealand running, and he turned 100 over the weekend. His most famous athlete, Sir John Walker, 1976 Olympic champ at 1,500 meters, the first man to go under 3:50 for the mile, and a man who broke 4 minutes in the over 120 times.
Arch Jelley is a tough guy. He was a submariner in World War 2, one of the loneliest, most claustrophobic, and most dangerous jobs in any navy.
He also developed John Walker from a pretty good miler to the best in the world, with a host of challenging injury complications. Their relationship developed from coach/athlete to advisor/athlete.
Coach / Athlete relationships are key to an athlete’s success. Make sure you are honest with your coach.
For your workout today, warm up, 70 minutes relaxed on trails, then cool down.
