We give our training advice a little differently here. John Kellogg probably knows more about training properly than any other coach in the world. The only problem is that his plan is more than a little unrealistic for the masses. As a result, we present the his ideal coaching advice on the left (mostly for elites or super serious runners) and a translated version for the masses on the right.

Four Principles To Correct Training For Elites by John Kellogg This piece centers on the cornerstones of any sound career-long running program, which include progressively higher mileage, periodization, and extremely limiting the amount of hard interval training, particularly in youth. Right from the start, let's make one thing clear: the training fundamentals outlined here do not stem from any sort of "philosophy." Other terms which do not apply here are "opinion", "theory" and "belief." Instead, the word "approach" is the appropriate one. See, "philosophy" smacks of the armchair musings of some non-runner who has a degree in physiology and sets out to prove his little training theory by using serious distance runners in the same disposable fashion that B.F. Skinner used rats!

There are as many scatterbrained theories on training as there are on the JFK assassination and "the mark of the beast." But serious runners don't need theories; they need what has been proven in the real world. Here's the truth: It is not possible to reach ultimate potential without first establishing enough of a lifetime base to make your training count when you become physically mature. Most Americans do not understand this; they try to get a quick fix in this sport, and it simply doesn't work. A runner absolutely must obtain the ability to train at 120-150 (or more) miles per week by the peak of the career in order to reach fruition. There are no exceptions to this. To generalize as much as possible, a proper training approach relies on four principles that are not widely used in the United States:

1.) Long-term development. It takes years for runners to attain their capacities. Most Americans employ a "fast food" training scheme, particularly in junior high and high school. They run hard intervals on the track, which gives them an alluring quick fix, yet the long-term results are without exception mediocre at best. Every time you race, you're drawing not only off of training you did a few weeks ago or even months ago, but also off of running or other activity that you did many years ago! The nature of that activity must be predominately aerobic for best future results in running.

2.) High mileage. This is the missing ingredient in American distance running. An emphasis on low to moderate mileage during the 1980s and most of the 1990s is the sole reason for our failure to produce the number of elite runners that we had during the 1970s and early 1980s. Those guys "back in the day" ran high mileage, and - surprise of surprises - the only U.S. runners who have been among the world's elite during the last decade are also high mileage runners! Our program aims to develop runners from youth to the point where they can train effectively and consistently at 120-150 miles per week by the time they reach physical maturity. Anything less than that is a cop-out and is inferior to the training used by elites around the world. Again, this is a long-term approach. There are no quick fixes to doing this correctly. It may take many years to reach the point of being able to run three weeks out of every four at 120-150 miles per week and also be able to add an ample amount of faster-paced running in there. It will pay off enormously if done correctly, but several years of only moderately good performances might have to be faithfully endured in order to get to the highest possible level. Probably 99 out of 100 Americans lack this kind of patience and perseverance, and those runners will most likely never fulfill their promise.

3.) Less hard track training. We do far less of the stressful anaerobic interval training than anybody else in America. The bulk of our harder training is comprised of what's commonly called "threshold" or "high steady state" running. The idea in this is to work with your body rather than against it, watching for the yellow warning light that says you're about to go too hard, as opposed to sailing through a red light, struggling and fighting yourself, and undermining the effectiveness of the workout. We also do what is called "alactic" speed work; i.e., short buildups, strides or speedy running of less than 35 seconds at a time. We also develop and maintain joint integrity and muscular strength through occasional form drills such as quick steps and hill bounding.

4.) Periodization. This refers to shifting training emphasis at various times, between each off-season and competitive season, and also over the course of an entire career. There are times to run slow, times to run long, times to run a fast relaxed pace, times to gut it up and push a hard continuous pace, times to do tough anaerobic training, speedwork, etc. You have to know when and how much of each to use. Tailoring this training to suit each individual's strengths is best learned through a long association with each runner, but the principles themselves pretty much apply to everybody.

John Kellogg is a full-time, professional running coach. It is his passion in life and career of choice. John has logged over 70,000 miles in 28 years of running, with a highest week of 156 miles. He has experimented with as many combinations of training procedures as is possible in the course of a human running career while still devoting enough time to each mixture of techniques to ascertain their effectiveness. While he never reached the elite level himself, he was able to train himself effectively enough to run 14:22 for 5,000 meters while possessing a best time of only 57 seconds for 400 meters. John also has a Cross-Country 10,000 meters best of 30:46, and was nationally-ranked in the marathon as a Junior (under age 20). He has trained in America and in Europe with runners of all ages, abilities, and nationalities, including world-class athletes, and has coached runners of all ages for 15 years, producing results at the state-class, national-class, and international-class levels. LetsRun.com co-founder Weldon Johnson trained under Mr. Kellogg's guidance in middle and high school and credits his return to Mr. Kellogg's training with his huge post-collegiate improvements. A 30:13 10,000 meter runner in college, Weldon recently ran a 28:27 10k at the Mt. SAC Relays. If you would like to learn more about Mr. Kellogg we hope to have his website back up soon.