Dan wrote:
> I think moving up is tougher for most people, especially when it's 4-8x
> the distance. Moving down significantly in distance may make the speed
> seem harsh, but at least you can run the whole thing at a steady clip.
> Also, I would venture to guess that the training of many 12k and marathon
> types is very similar.
I don't really have strong feelings one way or the other about whether the
new 4K is kept (not that my opinion will influence those who are deciding!),
because the days of a miler or a marathoner winning the 12K are over due to
the increased specialization. I'd argue that the training of 10K runners
and marathoners is NOT as similar as it used to be, especially when you look
at those who don't generally run both. Many of today's marathoners run more
volume, with the hard days at somewhat lesser intensity, but more of them.
They have recognized that the more volume they can run at marathon effort or
faster (and still recover), the better marathon they will ultimately run.
Repeat 800m-1600m workouts that might be the staple of a 10K program (I'm
generalizing here) will be run less frequently and at slower speeds by a
marathoner.
This is one of the reasons why a pure marathoner may never again win or even
place top 5 at world cross country.
- Ed Parrot
