Best Training Marks Never to be Repeated

[Zat0pek]

I can't remember the details, but there was a story (legend? fable? myth?) about a U.S. runner many, many moons ago (60s or 70s) who had some falling out with the powers-that-be (read: AAU) so he took a friend and went to a track one night and soloed a time that beat the existing AR . . . then promptly retired out of protest. I think maybe he was omitted from a national team as "punishment" for something, but I'm not certain at all about this.

Can anybody help me fill in the gaps? It's probably been 25 years since I heard/read the story.

[Dietmar239]

That sounds like a good way to lose a toe or two.

Ha! The fan was off. I was aiming for the ceiling. I'm not that crazy.

[tafnut]

Can anybody help me fill in the gaps? It's probably been 25 years since I heard/read the story.

That's from one of the Books of the Pre Apochrypha.

[Zat0pek]

Can anybody help me fill in the gaps? It's probably been 25 years since I heard/read the story.

That's from one of the Books of the Pre Apochrypha.

It is? I didn't recall that. Well, who was it? And what did they run? Details, I want DETAILS!

[jhc68]

Back in the day when I could actually high jump I could never understand people who had better results in practice than in competitions. The adrenalin and competitve atmosphere of a meet was usually worth 3-4 inches for me, and usually with the jumpers I have coached as well.

It is common practice to take some jumps at better than PR hts. to learn timing and hone approach patterns but if a jumper actually clears the ht. then his/her parameters of expectation ought to adjust upward.

Maybe once a year a jumper might have a super day in practice and jump at or near PR level, but to exceed a competition PR in practice, IMHO, would seem to indicate something going on wrong with either training or competition.

[Per Andersen]

Back in the day when I could actually high jump I could never understand people who had better results in practice than in competitions. The adrenalin and competitve atmosphere of a meet was usually worth 3-4 inches for me, and usually with the jumpers I have coached as well.

It is common practice to take some jumps at better than PR hts. to learn timing and hone approach patterns but if a jumper actually clears the ht. then his/her parameters of expectation ought to adjust upward.

Maybe once a year a jumper might have a super day in practice and jump at or near PR level, but to exceed a competition PR in practice, IMHO, would seem to indicate something going on wrong with either training or competition.

I agree with that. But training rsults are not to be taken too seriously. Measured correctly? Which attempt? Maybe a nice coach " jamming" the standards a bit.
Known to happen.
Some jumpers are simply better practice jumpers than others. But Hellebaut has never gone over 1.90 (6' 3") in in training. Holm's best practice jump is still 2.34 from 2004. But he rarely goes higher than 2.30 in training.

I wish Clinger all the best, he seem happy and well adjusted but I would have liked that interview better if he had said something like " Sure there are times I miss the jumping but....."

[gh]

Didn't John Thomas clear 7ft in practice on multiple occasions before he became the first indoor 7-footer. As I recall the story his coach (shame on me for not being able to dredge name off top of my head) set it that high, but never told him the truth about the height.

[tandfman]

Would that have been Doug Raymond?

[rhymans]

When Jerome and Burleson were at Oregon a report appeared in the International section of AW (autumn of 1962 from memory) on one of these days of high winds - with various athletes beib timed over 100y - Burleson ran 9.4 (not bad for a miler), and Jerome ... 8.8. Needless to say these were practise marks

[tandfman]

Probably timed by a football coach.

[gh]

When Jerome and Burleson were at Oregon a report appeared in the International section of AW (autumn of 1962 from memory) on one of these days of high winds...

This was not "one of those days": it's a day well-remembered in the Willamette Valley

http://oregonstate.edu/~readw/October1962.html

[krip2nite]

Re: Best Training Marks Never to be Repeated

Front-page article on Charles Clinger states that he:d jumped an American Record in a practice session.

"The summer of 2003 was really when I stopped competing seriously... but at that point, I had jumped the American record, 7-(feet)-10 and 1/2 (inches) in practice."

How often (if ever?) do high jumpers attempt record heights in practice sessions?

What are the best "I did this in practice" times, heights and marks you:ve heard out there? El G:s fabled 800m is one that comes to mind.

I remember in practice one of my athlete was doing a ladder and ran 800 in 1:46.07. Five minutes later he ran a 600 in 1:11.5 then the 400 in 45.6 and a 200 in 19.97 all in the same day with five minutes recovery.

[stallion]

Re: Best Training Marks Never to be Repeated

I remember in practice one of my athlete was doing a ladder and ran 800 in 1:46.07. Five minutes later he ran a 600 in 1:11.5 then the 400 in 45.6 and a 200 in 19.97 all in the same day with five minutes recovery.

You've got the typing version of tongue in cheek, I take it.

[Use2jump]

My teammate at Illinois State, Tom Smith, cleared seven feet in the highjump off of his left leg and then his right leg in practice. I would say that is not too common.