Continuing along the thread of overreactions to good generalities is the idea in middle distance running of optimizing the biochemical systems or optimizing the bio/neruomechanical systems for optimum efficiency and peak performances.  While both are effective and can be supported readily in the literature, it seems that most people simply gravitate toward their skill set and miss things that the other camp has to offer.  For example, those in the performance enhancement world often argue tooth and nail for lower volumes of running and elevated volumes of strength training, power training, and ancillary work.  Those who are veterans in the distance world on the track, however, always see the road to improvement as being one that comes with increased volume or intensity of running components.

While there is definitely no right answer, I think the people who really “get it” are those who realize that there should not be a barrier between the two as the body is an integrated system.  Take a look at the work of John Cook and Alberto Salazar on the distance front.  Dan Pfaff and Charlie Francis on the sprinting end.  Also look at Jay Johnson and Wynn Gmitroski on the middle distance front.  Between them all there’s a slew of Olympic medals, World Championship performances, and National Record Holders.  In looking at a common thread, these coaches “don’t miss things” in their preparations and leave no stone unturned.  Nutrition?  Check.  Adequate volume?  Check.  Supplementary athletic development work?  Check.  Therapeutic modalities?  Check.

Too many people look at guys like Cook and Gmitroski and say “they don’t really run and do a lot of supplementary work” but anyone who has taken even a few hours to listen to what these coaches have to say will realize that the athletes under their guidance do supplementary work, but they also run a fair shake.  The key is striking a balance between the nervous system components and the biochemical components to ensure continued advancement of performances.  In listening to Gary Reed (one of Gmitroski’s athletes) speak on a podcast, he regularly completes long runs up to 90 minutes, regularly runs 45 to 60 minute “recovery” runs during the week and also finds time to train maximal velocities, 400m speed endurance (at sometimes as quickly as 46 second pace), 1500-5k paced sessions, and 800m speed endurance.  It seems that the group also involves themselves in high quality sessions that many could consider as “tempo” paced sessions if only in spurts of 10 minutes.  Oh yeah, they also jump, lift, and throw things.

What that is is a total approach to development that is not simply neuromechanical, but also biochemical.  As coaches the take away lesson is that we should not be attempting to pigeonhole ourselves under a certain aspect.  Sure, maybe you like to train and coach efficiency with neuromechanical emphasis, but are you doing it at the expense of metabolic development?  Do you work the other way around?  Why does that make sense?

Regards,

Carson Boddicker

Boddicker Performance