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I would like to dedicate this blog to my friend and athlete Danny Golden from my old hood, The Woodlands, Texas. Danny is the model of a perfect progression leading to a huge breakthrough. Danny ran his first marathon in 4:56 in 2002. 7 years later, this past weekend, he ran a 3:16:09. One hour and forty minutes faster, and accomplished his dream of qualifying for the ever so prestigious Boston Marathon. He is the prime example of what hard work, sacrifice, commitment , and patience can do for any runner. (oh yeah, and a kick ass program and coach, let’s not forget that!) I wanted to take a little behind the scene look at how a runner can PR by almost 2 hours in a marathon.

Be patient and think long term. Most runners think short term. They want to run this marathon in 3 months and want this time. While there is nothing wrong with this, I believe the real way to get faster is a gradual progression and change in workout intensity and volume. How did we do this with Danny? 2003, we focussed on weekly consistency, and light workouts. We didn’t worry about pace or specific speed intervals or tempo running. Danny ran “organically” with regard to pacing. There were no pace charts or heart rate monitors. I wanted him to get a feel for running and learn his internal limitations and effort levels. The result was almost an hour pr. He ran 3:46 in our first year working together in 2006. In 2007, we spiced up the program by adding speed and stamina sessions in a periodized approach. In addition we increased the weekly mileage from 30 to 35-40. The result was a stronger  and more well rounded Danny. While he didn’t PR this year, he gained a tremendous amount of strength and stamina and formed the foundation for our work together in 2008. (He did however PR in every other event this year) After Houston 2009, where Danny again Pr’s with a 3:29, he told me his goal for 2010. Qualify for Boston and break 3:20. I knew we had our work cut out for us. This was a lofty goal and we needed to take his training to yet again new heights. Our goal for this training cycle was to increase mileage and add more stamina workouts to the mix. In order for him to be able to handle this increase, we came up with a “injury prevention” strength training program. He completed workouts he never thought would be possible. Long stamina marathon specific workouts, many more long runs, and several at GMP. It was essential to dial in GMP. The volume went up to 50 mpw and he handled this quite well. I knew he was “on”

This past weekend Danny ran The Houston Marathon in 3:16, crushing the qualifying time by 4 minutes. He did it. He accomplished his goal, and now he’s headed to my old stomping grounds. Throughout the year Danny had PR’ed in every event and every race. It was the perfect progression and a season every coach dreams of.

What makes his accomplishment so special is how he handled the gradual progression year after year. He was not only patient but  so structured in his training and left no stone unturned. It was a long term gradual progression. He has a very demanding job, a wonderfully supportive wife, and a son. The sacrifices he has made are to be commended. I am so proud of him and all that he has done over the years. It just goes to show that patience, a long term plan, commitment, dedication, and of course a lot of pain and suffering along the way does pay off. Congrats Bud! Here are some pics of that great day in Houston 2010! What can I say, I love my job.

Now get your ass out the door and train!  :)