Quote Originally Posted by IainR View Post
I'm not sure.. I don't think there is one size fits all.. but too many try to be race fit for 12 months a year..

I think its too many reps which lead to injuries though.

But this year I've stuck to endurance phases followed by sharpening and found it great. But I was out of the UK fell scene so not tempted to race.. I'll probably only race 20 times this year, with 3 goal races.. allowing that sort of structure.

I'm not light, not far off 80 kilos.. 90 a week on roads hurts.

I do think long term it wont be feasible if I had kids, missus etc.. at the moment I work flexibly.. my missus lives away, so I can do 20 milers midweek.. high mileage is easy with such a lifestyle.

160 may be detrimental to long term running but remember Paula was a 2:15 marathoner.. the greatest ever by a distance.. so she certainly got the gains for her efforts, but yes it was probably at a cost. But thats a fact of life..
80Kg? thats my problem too.

Guys like Bob Berzins are well built, seem heavy and got away with it. I wonder how heavy scoffer is? any ideas?

Paula was doing fast times at the time my son was doing international things, so I got talking to a few high up coaches "in the loop". There were saying that Paula's body was already so shot at, way back then , they expected her to be forced to retire long ago. I think It was only the olympic dream keeping her fighting. With that gone, I doubt if she has much motivation.