Cram's Training Camp
Athletics Weekly|March 15, 2018

BACON BUTTIES ARE NO LONGER THE WARM-UP FUEL FOR WORLD CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE RUNNERS. MATT LONG ATTENDS A STEVE CRAM TRAINING CAMP AND FINDS OUT FROM A MYRIAD OF EXPERTS EXACTLY WHAT HAS CHANGED

Matt Long
Cram's Training Camp
 IT’S LATE July 1985 in Oslo and a 24-year-old British athlete in the distinctive yellow vest of Jarrow & Hebburn AC leaves Spaniard José Luis González and Los Angeles Olympic 1500m champion Seb Coe trailing in his wake.

The athlete stops the clock at a staggering 3.46.32 to win the “Dream Mile”. It will stand as a world record for more than eight years. Thirty-three years later it still is the British and European record.

The athlete is of course Steve Cram. Now one of the voices of athletics on TV, I’m listening – with over 100 others – to his words in the largest manmade woodland in Europe, Northumberland’s Kielder Forest.

After inspirational talks about international representation in triathlon from BBC Breakfast’s Louise Minchin and The 401 Challenge from Helen Rollason Award winner Ben Smith, here’s what I learned from the Jarrow Arrow.

Strength and conditioning work

In Cram’s biography, The Making of an Athlete, and prior to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics he’s quoted with saying this about strength and conditioning (S&C): “Other types of training can help give you all-round body strength but running is specific and that’s one of the things in training which a lot of people tend to neglect. When you get out on the track nobody’s going to ask you to pick up a weight halfway round, nor to do 10 press-ups at the end of each lap”.

Three decades later, by his own acknowledgement, attitudes have changed. Cram introduces 2011 European indoor 3000m champion, Helen Clitheroe, to enlighten and share how in her early career she used to attend Bodypump classes twice a week and that after her 2002 Commonwealth Games 1500m bronze medal she began to access specific S&C support via the English Institute of Sport in Manchester.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM ATHLETICS WEEKLYView all
Carbon Footprint
Athletics Weekly

Carbon Footprint

You'd have had to have been running on a different planet to miss all the recent debate about carbon-plated shoes. The talk of bans and performance enhancement has been so widespread that even non-runners are asking their running friends about the potentially magical footwear.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 26, 2020
Athletics Weekly

Trail time

WHEN looking for a trail or off-road running shoe, it’s often all about the grip. However, given that no two paths are the same, careful consideration is required. What’s the terrain like where you’ll wear the shoes the most? If you’ll be negotiating soft, wet and muddy conditions then look for deeper lugs. For tackling gravel tracks and forest trails then more evenly spaced lugs will work better. When it comes to cushioning, consider how hard the ground will be; if it’s soft then you’ll be fine in low-profile shoes, but on those firmer tracks reasonable cushioning will be called for.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 26, 2020
Stay neutral
Athletics Weekly

Stay neutral

EVOLVING every year, if not month, neutral cushioned shoes are seeing developments in cushioning materials and dynamics at a pace which is nothing short of astonishing. The latest models feature new polymers in the midsoles to give them a cushioned feel while at the same time keeping their weight to a minimum. Give them a spin and choose the most comfortable for mile after mile of shock absorbing running.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 26, 2020
Support network
Athletics Weekly

Support network

WHEN it comes to ‘over-pronation’, a common question is ‘how much is over?’. With no hard and fast rules, it’s best to choose a shoe that instinctively feels right. Gait analysis can often assist in helping you make this choice and your specialist running store is always a good place to start if in doubt. To help you make that choice, here’s a selection of some of the best ‘support’ shoes around.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 26, 2020
Need for speed
Athletics Weekly

Need for speed

THE racing shoe segment of the market is becoming somewhat split. This is partially due to the rise of carbon-plated footwear but also the fact that many shoes are becoming much lighter. Here we take a look at some of the leading contenders to toe the line in.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 26, 2020
Athletics Weekly

Gadget show

WITH technological products to enhance every area of life, running is now no different. From headphones to treadmills, the devices to aid performance and recovery are endless. Here we take a look at some of the latest gadgets and gizmos to enhance your training.

time-read
6 mins  |
March 26, 2020
What's in a shoe?
Athletics Weekly

What's in a shoe?

We bust some of the jargon around footwear

time-read
1 min  |
March 26, 2020
How To Prime Your Immunity
Athletics Weekly

How To Prime Your Immunity

Taking steps to shore your body’s defences has never been more important. Here’s how to do it, says Peta Bee

time-read
6 mins  |
March 26, 2020
English Schools Survival At Stake
Athletics Weekly

English Schools Survival At Stake

Covid-19 could lead to ESAA losing thousands this summer

time-read
2 mins  |
March 19, 2020
Covid-19: Athletics Events Are Wiped Out
Athletics Weekly

Covid-19: Athletics Events Are Wiped Out

Unprecedented calendar changes due to Covid-19

time-read
3 mins  |
March 19, 2020