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July 20, 1992 Sunday (Two weeks prior to the Barcelona Olympic Games)

Time: Age 32

Where: Nice, France

Track where the world record was set in the 1500m 1985 Why: Two weeks prior to the first round of the Barcelona Olympic Games

2.0 miles AM run

2.0 miles warm-up, 10x100 2x150 (50) f [400]

3 sets of 400 (100 jog) 200 [400 jog] 400 56.86 (100) 200 26.60 [400] 400 55.81 (100) 200 26.74 [400] 400 55.11 (100) 200 26.54 [400]

3x200 (100) 26.44. 27.42, 25.86 5x100 5 minutes warm-down 8.5 miles for the day

May 11, 1991 Saturday (Eight weeks before 3:49.82 mile in Oslo)

Time: Age 31

Where: Wheaton College track, Wheaton, Illinois

Why: Five weeks before the USATF Championships in New York Eight weeks before 3:49.82 mile in Oslo

As my volume of oxygen had been lower than normal when tested by Dr. David Martin on April 25, he had recommended that I do longer intervals at a marathon race pace to build VO2, throughout the summer. Most workouts this time of the year are geared to increase speed or lactic acid tolerance. This is a workout that is normally completed in the fall or build up phase.

June 3, 1990 Sunday (2x workouts in the cycle Sunday)

Time: Age 30

Where: York High School, Illinois

Why: Six weeks before the North Central College Invitational Workout choice today to honor Coach Joe Newton of York HS. A documentary will be previewed today, August 14, 2008 on his coaching style.

I had been injured October 19, 1989 through March 7, 1990, and did not run a step. I was not sure if I was going to be able to train again. I started easy running and then began putting in slow interval workouts on April 23rd. So much of this time was staying focused and trying to have courage, as each step after the injury, I would think, “Was that the injury again?”

April 29, 1987 (2nd World Championship year Wednesday)

Time: Age 27

Where: Indiana University Little 500 cinder track, on the grass inside the track

Why: Base building workout in preparation for a long summer of racing. The World Championships 1500m final was September 6, over four months away. I had switched coaches from Sam Bell/Indiana University, my college coach from 1978-1987, to Mike Durkin in April. My first workout written by Mike was on April 11. I started this workout, knowing that it was a long one, but Mike had said on the telephone: “You can run as slow as you want on these.” How hard could it be? The temps were in the low 80s, and I would find out in the future when doing this workout in April, that the workout was a completely different workout when it was colder, and recovery quicker.

May 22, 1985 (2nd year out of college Wednesday)

Time: Age 25

Where: IUPU-Indianapolis Mondo track

Why: 3 weeks prior to the TAC USA Outdoor championships in Indianapolis. Working on sustained speed (I did not write the rest down in my log book.)

The problem with this workout is that with so much speed being the focus, I peaked early this year. I was second at Pre, second at Jumbo (3:53), and won the US Champs. By August, I was toast. After running a disappointing 3:39.93 for 1500 meters on August 23, finishing last in the same race Saļd Aouita set the world record (3:29.46), I called it a season.

July 23, 1984 Monday (2.5 weeks before 1984 Olympic Games)

Time: Age 24

Where: Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

Why: In my log book, I put a “!” next to the date – I felt my body peaking while doing this workout, moving to another level of fitness. I had run 3:55.84 1st in Canada; 3:54.99 1st in Pennsylvania and 2:16.54 1000m 2nd at The Pre Classic – and had felt flat in all three races. I think the 1000m race behind eventual Olympic 800m champion Cruz was the true story. When I finished, I had to work hard to go through at 1:49, and then dig deep to kick home in 27 seconds. It was a PR, but I had to work too hard early in the race. I felt great in this workout, and it helped my confidence going into the Games. Note that I had averaged around 42 miles a week for the first six months of 1984, so I was not going to be a finalist through strength.

October 17, 1983 (Three weeks before the Big Ten Championships)

2.0 miles AM run

2.0 miles warm-up, strides, weight 134.5

10 mile run: Broken up one mile hard in the middle. Road was flat, about a mile North of Bloomington North High School, on the way to Rte. 46. Long Kinser loop – 10 miles – 51:54, 6th fastest ever for Jim 5:10-10:30 (5:20) – 15:51 (5:21) – 19:50 (3:59) 24:45 (4:55) – 30:12 (5:27) – 35:45 (5:33) 41:20 (5:35) – 46:40 (5:20) – 51:54 (5:14)

May 26, 1982 (Getting ready for end of the season championships)

Time: Age 22

Where: Indiana University track

1.5 miles AM run

4.0 miles warm-up 6x800 (400 rest) 60-1:57.9 59-1:57.3 59-1:58.0 58.5-1:57.2 58.3-1:58.5 (jogged 800) 58.7-1:57.6 average: 1:57.77 mile wd and weights, 12.5 miles for the day

Confidence building workout: 10 Crazy workout: 9 Mileage for week: 66.5 Two weeks later: Won NCAA Outdoor Championships 1500m run in Provo, Utah, 3:45.48 Then, Kinney Shoe Invitational in San Francisco, 1st, 800m 1:46.5 PR

April 19, 1982 (4 weeks until the Big 10 Conference meet)

Time: Age 22

Where: Track at IU, Bloomington, Indiana

Why: Week of the Drake Relays

Senior in college at Indiana University

4 weeks until the Big 10 Conference meet

2.0 miles AM run

2.0 miles warm-up 2x400 (800) 24.0-49.8 24.0-48.9 PR 1x200 24.2 1.5 miles wd, weights Broke HS 440y PR of 49.7 (49.3=400 meters) 9.5 miles for the day

Confidence building workout: 10 Crazy workout: 10 Mileage for week: 45.5 Two weeks later: Won Billy Hayes Invite 5000m run, 13:53.59 4:28-9:01 (4:33) - 13:24 (4:23) - 29 last 400m - 62

October 23, 1980 (2nd year of college Thursday)

Time: Age 20

Where: Indiana University Golf Course – very hilly

Why: Two weeks prior to the Big Ten Championships at Michigan State University I had been fighting a cold the previous week (Oct 15-19), and had put in a good workout on Monday –- 2k on the track in 5:59, 5.5 miles in 30:45, then another 2k on the track in 5:38 (73-72-70-65-63). I wrote down 40:22 for the total workout time, so I must have run on the track, then right into the tempo run on the roads, and back to the track without stopping. 13 miles for the day.

April May 19, 1980 (Second year of college, Monday)

Time: Age 20

Where: Indiana University track

Why: Tempo run interval to get a little tired, than an all-out 800m. Roommate Craig Houser timed me for this workout.

No morning run

2.0 miles warm-up around campus, a few strides

1200 meters – 3:11.76 65.5-62.5-63.7 recovery jog 800 meters – 1:49.52 53.5-56.02 – This could have been a PR, as I ran 1:50.2 yards in high school, and 1:49.8 as a freshmen 1.0 miles warm down

March 23, 1979 Friday (Freshman year in college)

Time: Age 19

Where: Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

Why: Coach Sam Bell gave me a log book in September 1978. I had kept track of how many miles I had run each day during high school, but not times/distances. Little did I know that this first “Run Log,” made by Accusplit, would lead to me having logs of my running for the next 19 years.

I had run 400s in practice both in high school, and during the indoor track season, many times. There is the mystique of running 400s under 60 seconds – it is natural to think, “If I can run under 60 seconds on a bunch of 400s, I may be able to break 4 minutes in the mile!”

July 20, 1992 Sunday (Two weeks prior to the Barcelona Olympic Games)

Planted July 20, 1992

Time: Age 32

Where: Nice, France

Track where the world record was set in the 1500m 1985 Why: Two weeks prior to the first round of the Barcelona Olympic Games

2.0 miles AM run

2.0 miles warm-up, 10x100 2x150 (50) f [400]

3 sets of 400 (100 jog) 200 [400 jog] 400 56.86 (100) 200 26.60 [400] 400 55.81 (100) 200 26.74 [400] 400 55.11 (100) 200 26.54 [400]

3x200 (100) 26.44. 27.42, 25.86 5x100 5 minutes warm-down 8.5 miles for the day

Confidence building workout: 9 Crazy workout: 3 Mileage for week: 53.0 Two weeks later: August 3rd 4th in Heat of Barcelona Olympic Games, 3:38.01 at 11:15 am

  • August 6th 3:35.55 for 4th in Semi-finals
  • August 8th 3:41.74 for 8th in Finals