Runnerslife
Meet The Guest
The Norman Family
Welcome to the 'Normans' Jeff hill who has the world record for 50km and attended the Montreal 1976 Olympic marathon had a marathon personal best of 2hours 12minutes and 50seconds, he has two boys who have also made the place in the running world with sub 30minute 10k's and 65minute half marathon. See the differences or similarities in training between 3 family members and whether the opinions agree or differ.
Personal bests
Jeff Norman
400m: 58
800m: 2:02.2
1500m: 4:03.9
3000m: 8:24
5000m: 14:30
10000m: 29:57
10 miles road: 48:20
1/2 Marathon: 63:35
Marathon: 2:12:50
50km: 2:48:12 (World Record)
Andy Norman
1500m: 3:51
5000m: 14:14 (indoors)
10000m: 29:36
5 mile: 23:36
10 mile: 49:31
1/2 Marathon: 65:54
Dave
400m: 60.5
800m: 2:06.49 (but have split in a 1500m in 2:03!)
1500m: 4:03.4
3000m: 8:24.10
5000m: 14:21.94
10000m: 29:52 (road)
10 miles: 49:35
1/2 marathon: 65:24
Marathon: 2:18:34
Questions
Easy runs
Q. Did/do you ever do them?
A. Yes plenty
D. Lots of them!
J. Yes, lots of them as well.
Q. What would be easy pace?
A. 6:30 - 7:00 per mile, they are important for recovery and strength.
D. They are extremely important.
J. Very important for training.
Steady runs
Q. What Pace?
A. 5:45 - 6:30 per mile, again its all mileage.. strength.
D. 5.15 - 5.40, depends on the distance though.
J. 5.30 - 6.00 per mile usually.
Q. On your own or with company?
A. When I studied in the States every day was with people, but now the vast majority of runs I do on my own. I travel a lot with work on my own.
D. Ideally with company.
J. Once a week in company.
Speed/interval work
Q. How many times a week?
A. Once now but in the past 2 to 3 times a week.
D. 2-4 times per week, depending on the mileage for that week. Once I go above 90, I will reduce speed/interval work to 5 times per fortnight.
J. 2-4 times per week.
Q. Examples of important sessions?
A. 8 x 800m 1 min recoveries. I used to do that most weeks.
D. 800m and 1000m reps seem to always get me in shape. How many and at what speed depends on target distance. For 5k, would just do 5000m total distance but for longer distances would go for 8k - 10k.
J. 10x700m circuit (undulating) with Alan Blinston, Fartleks with Alan. Usually did shorter intervals once a week.
Q. What would be your shortest fastest session?
A. 4 x 500m is about the shortest, or 6 x 400m. Usually with 3 min recoveries.
D. 6x300m actually! Often do this on a Wednesday with Norman Poole�s group before a Saturday race.
J. Have done short/fast sessions such as 3x10x100m or 4x400m
Q. Did you change surface dependant on time of year?
A. Track sessions in the summer. Road or grass sessions in the winter, always get out on the hills when I can.
D. In winter most running is on road. In summer I try to get on hills/grass as much as possible. Speed sessions tend to be on the track, grass or road in the winter and on track or grass in the summer.
J. In winter most running was on road. In summer I tried to get on hills/grass as much as possible. Speed sessions tended to be on the track or road in the winter, and on track or off road circuit in the summer.
Q. Hardest session?
A. 4 x 400m, 12 x 200m each in sub 30, 4 x 400m, 1 min recoveries. Last 4 x 400m approximates what shape you are in for 1 mile. 4 x 400m usually done in 61-62. I used to dread this session!
D. The longest marathon paced runs (have gone up to 18 miles in the past).
J. Hardest sessions to me were short efforts with long recoveries (because of lack of speed)
Q. Can you give a typical week in full training?
A. Typical week pre injury problems (3 years back)
Mon: AM 6 mile Easy PM 9 mile steady
Tue: AM 6 miles Easy PM Track session
Wed: PM 13 mile steady
Thurs: AM 6 mile steady PM Road session
Fri: 6 mile Easy
Sat: Race or long reps
Sun: Long run 16-22 miles
D.
Mon - am 50 pm 60
Tues - am 50 pm Session of 800m/1000m reps as above
Wed - pm 80-100mins
Thu - am 50mins pm Progression run (8 miles) down to MP
Fri - am 50mins pm 60mins
Sat - am Longer rep session on grass e.g. 3x10mins or low key race
Sun - am 90mins to 3 hours depending on the current short/long term racing goals
J.
Mon - Road intervals
Tues - 7pm track session
Wed - Run home 10-15 miles
Thu - 7pm trail/road intervals
Fri - Run home 6-10 miles
Sat - Low key race or steady run (~10 miles)
Sun - Long run 20-30 miles
Occasionally added lunchtime sessions of 6 miles
Tues-Fri - Run to work 4 miles
Tues & Thu - Run home 4-6miles
Mileage
Q. What sort of mileage are you doing in training phases?
A. I used to run 80 - 100 miles per week. I have been running off and on for the past 3 years since with bad injury problems. This past 4 weeks I have been doing 50-55 mile weeks which are as much as I've done for 3 years. But I can only run once a day now. Never twice anymore.
D. 100-135 when training hard.
J. Mileage varied from 20-40 miles per week in early winter to 100-140 March-June. Once reached 188 miles.
Q. Did you run big mileage when racing?
A. Yes I would often race on the back of 95-100 mile weeks.
D. Yes - having tried just about everything over the years, I seem to respond to it very well � just keep it slow on race weeks.
J. Ran big mileage when racing low-medium key.
Q. What's your opinion on mileage in general.. is it vital to run 100+miles per week or better to run less but higher quality.
A.90-100 mile weeks and I try not to go slower than 7 min pace. But getting the miles in is most important.
J. For me it was essential to work on my strength and run 100+ miles per week. While not ignoring speed work, running shorter mileage at a fast pace never worked for me. You can never make a 14sec 100m runner into a top class track runner no matter how much speed work you do.
Cross country
A. I hate cross country because I run on my toes. Muddy courses don't suit me. But I do it anyway. It is important for strength.
D. I love cross country - especially the longer 12km races where I seem to go better. Yes I do feel it is vital - our best endurance athletes have always built in cross country to their overall programme. Cross country is very important, primarily for building strength and strength endurance.
J. Cross country is important to build that tenacity to keep pushing when the going gets tough. I did enjoy cross country and felt that this and the fell running were vital early season conditioners.
Strength work
Q. Circuits?
A. In the past once / week. Have not done any for 3 years
D. Did go through a stage of doing them once a week but I don't seem to notice the benefits even after a full winter of doing them.
J. Rarely
Q. Weights?
A. In the past once / week but have not done any for 5 years. It was compulsory as a student athlete at the University of Tulsa where I was on an athletic scholarship.
D. Never!
J. Never! Attempted it once and got injured!
Massage
Q. Do/Did you ever use it?
A. Yes I got tight calves running on my toes.. I had massage every 2 weeks or so.
D. Every 2 weeks for maintenance. Can be useful after a long race to prevent injury and speed up recovery.
J. Rarely used massage, only when injured. But do feel I would have benefited from regular massage and physio.
Diet
Q. Any special diet?
A.My diet is nothing short of appalling at the moment. I am away with work a lot living in hotels. This week for example I have had a fried breakfast every day apart from one when I opted for porridge and toast. During the day I snack on chocolate and cakes. And at night I have various fast foods. Last night a curry, the night before Chinese buffet, the night before McDonalds, Hotel meals such as burger and chips. The life of a sales rep is difficult when it comes to both training and diet.. but I could try harder. I don't have the same motivation I used to. Maybe I'll get it back.
D. Not really, just make sure I get three decent meals a day and generally eat well.
J. Never believed in faddy diets. Ate and drank what I felt like.
Training races
Q. Did you use races as training?
A. Yes I often use races as tempo runs. I love racing. I will often race every weekend for a number of weeks.
D. Yes it's something I often do - especially when marathon training using a Half Marathon or a 20 miler as a marathon paced effort.
J. Used races as training often - some flat out, some trying different things (e.g. fast start or deliberately taking it easy and trying to sprint finish).
Group training
A. It can be helpful but depends on the person. I can push myself doing my own sessions. I think many people can't run as hard on their own.
Long runs also usually on my own but this is where I struggle. I don't do the long runs I need to these days and it would be easier to do this in a group. The conversation and just the company make time go by faster.
D. I'm a big fan of group training. It makes such a difference when there are 4 of you taking on a session like 8x800m as you only end up front running two of them.
J. Believe in group training. The farlek sessions I did with Alan Blinston amongst others brought us both on, and I doubt either of us would have reached the same standard without group sessions. And it's no bad thing to try to stick with a pace that's really faster than you think you should go. When I first trained with a group at Bingley Harriers, I always tried to hang on and always tailed off at first, but eventually was comfortable in the group.
Q. Was/is your training group good?
A. I have trained with many groups. At Tulsa we had a good group. At Altrincham I have trained with Dave and Matt Barnes. At University in Sheffield I trained with Jason Ward. And back at home I have also trained with Andi Jones at Salford. With Steve Vernon and Pete Riley at Stockport. And with Norman Pooles group at Sale. So long as I get the hard sessions in it doesn't matter where they are. I have never had much structure to my training. I just go out and work hard and enjoy it.
Altitude / warm weather training
Q. Did/do you ever use altitude or warm weather camps?
A. Yes I have used both. Whenever I have been to altitude I have come back injured. It obviously doesn't like me. Warm weather training I have enjoyed.
D. Have had mixed experiences - mostly negative. Don't see the benefit in warm weather training unless you are acclimatising for a competition. Altitude I have tried with varying results. What I have learnt is that the timing is absolutely crucial and you shouldn't be afraid to take a couple of easy days on arrival and when you get back home.
J. Used altitude training before Montreal (1976 Olympic marathon) and felt really good at first when I came down. Unfortunately the timing was wrong - caught a cold in the Olympic village. Was there too long and it all went out of the window. I used warm weather training a couple of times - I think it was useful for preparing for races in warm weather.
Recovery
Q. Would you take a break at all?
J. Always took a break, but most breaks were enforced through injury. Breaks would probably be 2 weeks training 3 times a week (15 miles in a week maybe)
D. Never used to but now I do like to take 2-3 weeks running short easy runs once a day with no sessions. I feel much more refreshed and full of zip when resuming training.
Lastly..
Q. Is it a help or hindrance to have a dad faster than your self?
D. It's a definite help - I look at his PBs from 400m up to 10km and they are all within a few seconds of mine. It shows me that the times he has posted for the longer stuff are possible if I get everything right.
Comments On "The Norman Family Guest Report"