Training

I frequently communicate with Prof. Tim Noakes, MD, researcher, and author of Lore of Running and recently asked him to review my article Do All Runners Benefit from Increasing Mileage .  I requested his take on this article and the research upon which it was based because the research revealed data for the first time that is so startling that I believe it could fundamentally alter beliefs about optimal training.  Anything with that much potential significance to the running community should be reviewed by more than one person, so I requested Prof Noakes to review the original study and my interpretation of it to see if he came to the same conclusion as I.  Here is his response.

"Dear Richard

...I really appreciate your analysis of the Figure 3 in the paper by Martie et al.

I entirely concur with your interpretation as it seems the only logical one to make. I certainly like your interpretation because it does fit with your hypothesis that only elite athletes can afford to train at high intensity or high volume and that less good athletes who attempt the same are likely to be disappointed with the outcomes. I think that is such an obvious conclusion that it has to be correct. The only problem is none of us had thought about it beforehand.

Incidentally, I have just reviewed an article for MSSE on the Training Patterns of US Olympic Marathoners. It was found that most of the training was done at low intensity and there was no single training method that seemed to be effective. Generally women train substantially less than men.

Incidentally, it seems to me that the South African marathon runners generally train less but at a higher intensity than their European peers. I know that Gert Thys, who has run six marathons in less then 2:09, told me that he seldom runs more than 140km per week and I think that is fairly standard for the South African marathon runners that I have dealt with.

Congratulations on what you have concluded. I think you are on to something and I look forward to reading more of your writings.

With warm personal regards

Yours sincerely

Professor Timothy D Noakes

MBChB, MD, DSc, FACSM"