Keep running for a hearty life

Keep running for a hearty life

American exercise physiologist Dr Jack Daniels’ mantra during the running clinic he conducted in the city

Pune: One might not be able to just jump into Olympic weightlifting, but you can just wake up one morning and decide to go on your first run, says Dr Jack Daniels, pitching for running as the simplest and one of the most effective ways of workout.

Runners don’t need random, isolated workouts; they need individualised, realistic training plans. For the last three decades, exercise physiologist Jack Daniels, has set the standard for designing such plans.

Along the way, he’s worked with dozens of elite athletes, ranging from Ryun (Daniels helped him get ready for the high altitude of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics) to Joan Samuelson and Alberto Salazar.

Sport first, research second is how Daniels happened upon his calling. He swam competitively in high school and college, and also shot on the University of Montana’s rifle team. A few years later, while serving in the Army in Korea, he entered a triathlon: pistol shooting, swimming and running.

“I won the thing, even though last in the run. I had never run a mile in my life up to that time,” Daniels recalls as he addressed athletes, who have signed up with the Pune Half Marathon (PHM). He qualified to train with the US pentathlon team, where he was introduced to horseback riding, fencing and running.

Ironic choice
Daniels recalls, of the five sport, running was his weakest–which prompted him to learn about running from his German and Swedish coaches.
 
“ I studied running science because I wanted be a better runner- as simple as that! It was my weakest event of the lot,” gushes Daniels, as he explains his choice to learn it scientifically.

German sports medicine expert Bruno Balke and Swedish professor of psuchology, Per-Olof Åstrand played a key role in Daniels turning to coaching once the Detroit-born retired from the Army.

The two-time Olympic medalist in the Modern Pentathlon has since coached seven athletes to the U.S. Olympic team and has advised dozens of Olympians and medalists.

Interesting study
He has an interesting tale to narrate-where he talks about the long-distance runners from East-African countries like Kenya and Etheopia.
“Several factors have been proposed to explain the extraordinary success of the Kenyan and Ethiopian distance runners, including genetic predisposition–but they are born with body suitable for the sport,” Daniels explains.

The Daniel’s way

  • Daniels divides running performance into six components. Daniels argues that each of these components requires a specific training intensity to improve.
  • The Cardiovascular System, specifically the body’s ability to transport oxygen.
  • The Running muscles’ ability to use oxygen.
  • The Lactate threshold - the ability to cope with, and minimize, lactic acid in the blood.
  • The VO2max - the maximum oxygen uptake capacity.
  • Speed, for example leg turnover.
  • The Running economy - the efficiency of the runner’s movements.

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