Mason Cooper

Professor Hellmers

ENG 1201

16 March 2022

Literature Review

As a runner, I find myself wondering how to improve all the time, which brought about

the question, what creates a world class runner? All the time you will see people running national

times in high school, then sputter out in college, and sometimes they hold it, and I want to know

why such skill is sometimes unsustainable. I also would like to know how some of the best do

just all right in high school, then out of nowhere shoot to the top in college. Is mileage

important? What about nutrition, or coaching? All these provocative questions shall be answered.

In years past, running was much different than in today’s world. Clothing, for instance,

was much smaller, as singlets had sleeveless shirts that were very breezy tucked into ridiculously

small shorts. Nowadays, pro runners wear tight compression singlets, which are used to keep

lactic acid (what makes your legs feel heavy) out of your legs. Also, not much was known about

healthy foods, so “food gave energy and drink took care of thirst” (Cooper, Ben. 10 Ways

Running has Changed in the Last 50 Years.). People now know that there are certain amounts of

each macromolecule (protein, carbs, and fats) you should eat to maximize performance. Another

difference is mileage and strength training. In the early 1970s, a runner named Steve Prefontaine

broke every American record from the 3,000m (about 1.86 mi) to the 10,000m (about 6.21 mi),

and did not lose a single collegiate race in his entire career. This sparked a large group of

masochists called “Pre’s People” to go out and start running 70 to 100 miles a week to become a
great runner, like Pre. Only professional distance runners do that now because of the toll it takes

on one’s body.

Sprinting in track and field is defined as the 100m, 200m, and 400m, which are all one

lap or less on a 400-meter track. In the short sprints, “it has been established that primary kinetic

factors that allow for the highest sprint speeds are high vertical ground reaction forces (GRFs)

applied over short periods” (Thompson, M. A. Physiological and Biomechanical Mechanisms of

Distance Specific Human Running Performance). For the 400m, even though acceleration and

top speed are incredibly important, the most crucial factor is to decelerate the least. It is a battle

of speed up to the final 100 meters, when all the lactic acid makes your legs feel covered in

stone; that’s when the race becomes a battle of attrition to see who is in the best shape.

The opposite side of running in track is distance, which is the 3,000m to the 10k. There is

much less variation in training methods between distance events than in sprinting.

Biomechanically speaking, one of the most crucial factors in distance running is stride length for

increased running economy, and “as individuals deviate from [the length of maximum economy]

with either shorter or longer stride lengths, running economy worsens” (Thompson, M. A.

Physiological and Biomechanical Mechanisms of Distance Specific Human Running

Performance). Physiologically, it is important to have an exceedingly high VO2 (oxygen intake)

and velocity at lactic acid threshold. Running economy, or the amount of energy used while

running, has been shown to have much variation, which is because of energy stored and released

in a tendon, as well as how the energy is expended.

There are many different coaching methodologies used in running, all with different areas

of effectiveness. Some coaches believe that you should only be running fast, and some believe

that sprinters should run half-mile repeats to build endurance, but the method that has been
proven to be the best is the Lydiard Theory. This theory was developed by Arthur Lydiard, and it

states that you should start your training cycle with a series of slow miles. After a few months,

you would switch to faster paced long intervals, and slowly increase the speed as the season

progresses. The cycle is thankfully not governed by a schedule because, as Lydiard says, “each

runner and their situation is unique to them” (Kelsall, Christopher. The Five Lydiard Principles

Explained). This means that you can compress it if you are low on time, or stretch it out, or even

change the length of certain parts depending on the race you are training for.

Diet is important for runners, but specificity is not as essential, as there have been vegan

ultramarathoners and Olympians who would eat McDonalds before a race. At the same time,

food is like fuel, and the better the food, the better you can run. Carbohydrates have a reputation

for being unhealthy, but the truth is you need them, as they create glucose. Your body needs

glucose “because your body needs it to produce the energy currency of your cells” (Davidson,

Katey. What's the Best Diet for Runners? Nutrition Tips and More). The same goes for fats, but

fats are a longer-term energy and therefore not as important. The number one macromolecule for

running is protein, and instead of energy, they allow for muscle recovery and injury prevention.

This explains why athletes use protein powder; not to make one stronger, but to allow for

increased exertion.

One of the biggest misconceptions in running is that you must eat less. In fact, there is a

saying that “If the furnace is hot enough, it will burn anything,” meaning that runners can eat

whatever they want without gaining any weight and still being healthy. Another myth is that

working as hard as possible will always make you better. The truth is that rest is what makes you

stronger, and constantly breaking one’s body down will cause injury. People also believe that

there is a trick or a secret to running, that it's all about trinkets, doodads, and fancy little heart
rate monitors, but not one of them is prepared to believe that it has so much less to do with

chemicals and mental tricks as that with the process of going outside and, step by step, breaking

down the rubber at the bottom of your trainers in the never-ending “Trial of Miles,” as explained

by John L. Parker Jr. In his book Once a Runner.

I believe that the greatest of runners only become that way because they believe it is

possible, so they go out every day and work hard, but also because they love to do it, because, as

with anything, to master a craft, you must first love doing it. As for those who do great in high

school but are never seen again, I bet they burn out their legs with hard training at an early age,

but by the time college rolls around they will either develop a chronic injury or they may just

stop being able to improve. On the other side of the spectrum, where those who show up after

high school reside, are the late bloomers. This happens sometimes because of genetics, since

some people will not grow into their bodies at the average age, and some people have not found

out they love the sport in high school, or do not have enough work ethic yet.
 Works Cited

Cooper, B. (2019, January 10). 10 ways running has changed in the last 50 years. Runner's

World. Retrieved March 20, 2022, from

https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/a775570/10-ways-running-has-changed-in-

the-last-50-years/.

Davidson, K. (2021, September 21). What’s the best diet for runners? nutrition tips and more.

Healthline. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/runners-

diet.

Kelsall, C. (2020, July 22). The Five Lydiard Principles Explained. Athletics Illustrated.

Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://athleticsillustrated.com/the-five-lydiard-principles-

explained/.

Marchetti, Robert. “Mid-Distance Training Techniques with Sub-4 Miler Sean Dolan.” MileSplit

United States, 20 Apr. 2021, https://www.milesplit.com/articles/263190/mid-distance-

training-techniques-with-sean-dolan.

Thompson, M. A. “Physiological and Biomechanical Mechanisms of Distance Specific Human

Running Performance.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 2 Aug. 2017,

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/57/2/293/4060767#authorNotesSectionTitle.