What About Arthur Lydiard

[Stan]

How do you runners out there feel about Arthur Lydiard's training methods? I want your input.

[Dallen]

He had great methods for his time, which are still sound advice, but training knowledge has evolved and he is now outdated. You will probably do better following training advice of someone more corrent. Daniels, Pfitzinger, etc.

If you want more info I suggest this guy's blog.

http://championseverywhere.blogspot.com/

[Snowy]

I just started reading "Healthy Intelligent Training," which is a review of Lydiard's methods, how they are being used today, and real life examples of athletes who train this way.  Very interesting book.  I believe his greatest concept was the importance of big aerobic base. 

[Benn Griffin]

As it seems like too much speed training results in injuries for me, I am taking Sasha's advice and opting for the mileage over speed plan to get my BQ. I will be borrowing a lot from Lydiard over the next few years.

[Sasha Pachev]

Lydiard was the first coach I know of that discovered that mileage really works. Compared to that, everything else that was done since then is a minor tweak. Let's face it. We take a guy that is running, let's say 3:30 off some Runner's World program applied within 3 months of his marathon. We gradually bring him up to 100 miles a week at whatever pace he wants and hold it for  5 years.  He will run somewhere in the range of 2:40. Then we give him some state of the art specific training. He will run in the low 2:30s.

I would attribute the improvement from 3:30 to 2:40 to Lydiard. Before Lydiard 29:00 10 K runners for the life of them could not break 2:20 in the marathon. 2:23 won the Olympic marathon in 1952, and it was Zatopek, who incidentally did run higher mileage than most, except he was so tough that he did it anaerobically.  Sub-2:30 was hot! Lydiard figured out how to take the average Joe into the 2:30 range.

Lydiard also knew how to take him into the low 2:30s after that, but it is debatable if he knew it better than the modern coaches. Perhaps we should say he knew how to do it for some people just as well or better. But one thing without question - he knew how to take a 3:30 guy to 2:40!