Training for Young Distance Runners

Now, for the first time, there’s a comprehensive, science-based training manual written especially for young distance runners.

Training for Young Distance Runners provides all the building blocks necessary to help runners ages 12 to 19 in cross-country and track reach their potential:

• Nutrition, physiology, psychology, and biomechanics of running

• Training methods specific to stages of development

• A step-by-step method for designing training programs

Training for Young Distance Runners also includes sample workouts and training programs, 31 strength and flexibility exercises, and career profiles and training advice from nine elite runners.

Larry Greene knows all about the challenges facing young runners. During high school, he was the Florida state champion in cross-country in 1977 and in the 2 mile run in 1978. He also finished 10th in the National Junior Olympic Cross-Country Meet as a senior. Greene’s high school accomplishments earned him a scholarship to Florida State University, where he set the school record for the indoor 3,000-meter run and qualified for the NCAA Championship Meet three times.

After college, Greene competed and excelled as a distance runner. In 1984 he ran the fastest half-marathon in the world and finished 4th in the 10,000-meter run at the U.S. Track and Field Championships. In 1987 he finished 3rd in the half-marathon at the U.S. Olympic Festival.

Greene is an instructor of scientific writing and motor behavior in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He received an MS in movement science from Florida State University in 1988 and a PhD in exercise science from the University of South Carolina in 1993. A former cross-country and track coach, Greene served as the director of the Carolina Marathon Youth Cross-Country Run from 1990 to 1993. His leisure interests include running, hiking, and mountain biking.

Russ Pate has been an exercise physiology instructor and researcher since 1972. He is also a lifelong distance runner. Pate has a personal best time of 2:15:20 in the marathon, plus he has competed in the marathon at three U.S. Olympic Trials. A professor in and chair of the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina, Pate’s research has focused primarily on the relationship between physical activity and health in children and adolescents.

Pate has served as president of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and as chairman of the Physical Fitness Council of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. He also has been recognized with Scholar Awards from both organizations. In addition, he is a member of the North American Society of Pediatric Exercise Medicine.

Pate received a PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Oregon in 1974. He received the T.K. Cureton Award, presented by the National Fitness Leaders Association, in 1995, and in 1996 he received the ACSM’s Citation Award. In his free time, Pate enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with his kids.