Peter Snell on Training

GC: When you ran repeats on the track for time did you incorporate ‘negative splits’ or do ‘ladder sessions?’

PS: We didn’t do anything like that. I tried to run everything evenly so we didn’t do those sessions where a runner gets faster as he progresses. I also didn’t do sessions where I went from 200 meters to 400 meters to 600 meters and back down. I think those are little tricks that coaches use to justify their existence. It’s all bull@#$%. As long as you get an endurance base and avoid the pitfalls of overtraining you will improve. The ideal training is the maximum amount of race related pace running you can do without overtraining. That implies that you must have the base before to allow you to avoid overtraining.

I liked running 20 quarters in 65 with a quarter jog in between which was a 10-mile run with some speed.

The ideal training is the maximum amount of race related pace running you can do without overtraining

-interview with Peter Snell who won Olympic gold medals in the 800 in 1960 and the 800 and 1500 at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. Snell went on to earn a PhD in Exercise Physiology.

I agree 100% with Snell. Never liked or believed in ladder workouts. Read the rest of the interview at garycohenrunning.com.