The Myers Mile

MYERS MILE WEEK ONE, THURSDAY

When you look at the first week of Myers Mile training plans that we posted on Monday, you’ll see that we’re starting the season off with a little extra base building and aerobic strength work.  Some of you are coming into this Myers Mile season with a big base of miles behind you.  Some are coming into this season with minimal training.  Remember, one of the keys to a strong season is consistency - and that includes building that base of miles during the off-season.  Build up a consistent habit of training day-in-and-day-out, and you’re going to see improvements.  

For today’s coaching content - including advice about that consistency - we’re turning to our first interview subject: Myer's Mile's own Rob Myers.  Rob is a three-time USATF national champion, a 3:53 miler, and a former member of the American national team on the track.  Today, Rob coaches at Fairfield Union High School and leads the Myers Running Camp during the summer.  Check out Rob’s video below for his race strategies, training advice, mental tips, and more. 

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS FOR AMERICA’S FASTEST MILER

Don’t forget to contact us at efruth@columbusrunning.com and send us your questions for Alan Webb, the American record holder in the mile.  Webb ran multiple sub-4 minute miles while still in high school, went on to win the U.S. Olympic Trials 1500m, and is one of the fastest milers in world history - and he’s available as a resource for all of us, so let’s take advantage of the moment.

We’ll be sending a Columbus Running Company gift card to whoever sends us our favorite question for Webb, too.  Let’s hear those questions by Friday evening!

TRAINING SOLO

Right now, we're all training solo - but that doesn't mean that we aren't part of a supportive community.  Join us on the Myers Mile Strava page to log your miles and interact with others.  Or send us your questions and we're happy to offer guidance.  Amelia C sent us a personal pacing question to start off the week, and we're excited to see her chasing big goals.  Send your questions by simply replying to this email. 

And for those who just joined the Myers Mile, click here to access Monday's content, complete with training plans and resources.  

No American runner has ever raced the mile faster than Alan Webb.  3:46.  Think about that time.  Someone could run a 3:59 mile - which is insanely fast - and Alan would beat them by a full straightaway of the track. 

To be our best, we believe that you have to learn from the best.  With that idea in mind, Rob Myers called up his friend and former competitor Alan Webb to catch up and to ask him the questions that you sent us.  You can find the full video below, and it's filled with advice from America's top miler.  

Looking for the interview highlights & questions?  You can find the following:

• 4:20 into the video: Question #1, what do you do to make training fun? (question submitted by Maylee Young)
• 6:20 mark: Question #2, can you talk about the importance of pacing? (question submitted by Jon Coyle, former All Ohio miler)
• 13:30 mark: Rob talks about the importance of making the most of every opportunity as a runner & racer.
• 15:00 mark: Question #3, how do you control your nerves in big races? 
• 20:15 mark: Question #4, how do you keep your head in the game when things get tough (question submitted by Luke Woolard)
• 24:15 mark: Question #5, do you have any tips about mental strength or coming back from injury (questions submitted by Leah Hetteberg)

Take what you learn and apply it to your training and racing today!

TRAINING
This week, we're splitting your training options into two different paths.  If you want to maximize your potential in the mile this spring, we have a "true miler" workout plan for both middle school and high school.  Or, if you want to build aerobic strength this spring, with an eye on building towards cross country starting now, then stick to our "beginner" or "advanced" aerobic strength plans instead.

AEROBIC STRENGTH-BUILDING PLANS

• Middle school beginner mile plan, week 2 
• Middle school advanced mile plan, week 2 
• High school beginner mile plan, week 2 
• High school advanced mile plan, week 2 

TRUE MILER PLANS

• Middle school, week 2
• High school, week 2

KEEP THAT MOTIVATION GOING
One of the topics that Alan talks about during his discussion with Rob is how to make the most of this moment, when the COVID-19 crisis has cancelled track seasons and disrupted everyone's plans.  In a nutshell, the American record holder's advice is simple.  Believe in your training and work hard right now, because most of your competitors are sitting on a couch somewhere, feeling sorry for themselves.  Don't fall into that trap.  Get out, run, and continue to build towards your next season. 

For those using the Myers Mile Strava running log, we encourage you to post on one another's workouts or start a discussion thread.  Support one another, and let's all keep that motivation riding high. 

ARCHIVE
If you're looking for Myers Mile info from week 1, you can find our first coaching post here and our second one here.  

How's your training going this week?  These are ideal days to get out, train hard, and start dreaming about races to come. 

We totally get it - right now, motivation can be tough.  But your competition might not be getting out the door today.  If you do, that's a huge advantage that you hold over them.  That advantage builds day by day, and this is a moment when you can define yourself as a runner.  Keep working hard.  Every step is worth it. 

CORI SCHULTE - WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN A STATE TITLE IN THE MILE
Today, we caught up with Cori Schulte, a former Ohio state champion in the mile.  Cori tells us what it's like to win a state title, what kind of training it took, and what advice she has for her own daughters as they follow in her footsteps.  We asked Cori to tell us about a time when things didn't go her way, and we absolutely love her answer and her understanding for all of today's track athletes who are losing their season.  Cori lost her own senior track season to injury, but that didn't stop her.  She rose back up and ran in college, competing on the track and in XC before moving into coaching later in life. 

Setbacks don't have to stop us.  When we rise above them, they can define us - but we get to choose how they define us by how we keep moving forward.  Thanks for the inspiration and the great advice, Cori.  You can find her full interview at the bottom of this page. 

CATCHING UP
If you missed our earlier coaching emails, you can catch up on the training plans, functional strength training, warmup drills, and earlier interviews through the following links: 
Week 1: Post 1, Post 2
Week 2: Post 1

WEEK 3: WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM OHIO STATE TRACK & XC COACH SARA VERGOTE? 
As we head into week 3 of our Myers Mile season, the intensity of the workouts is going up - and it's time to fully commit to your progress as a miler this season.  With that in mind, what better time to learn from one of the top distance running coaches in Ohio?  Sara Vergote is a track and cross country coach at The Ohio State University, and her athletes have set school records, qualified for national championships, and built a reputation for OSU within the NCAA.  We asked Coach Vergote what kind of athletes get the most out of their running career, and she had great insights to share that can help YOU to become a better athlete and stronger racer.  Coach Vergote had some workout examples and philosophies on the mile to share as well, so be sure to check out the full video below. 

TRAINING
Just like last week, we've split your training options into two different paths.  If you want to maximize your potential in the mile this spring, we have a "true miler" workout plan for both middle school and high school.  Or, if you want to build aerobic strength this spring, with an eye on building towards cross country starting now, then stick to our "beginner" or "advanced" aerobic strength plans instead.

AEROBIC STRENGTH-BUILDING PLANS

• Middle school beginner mile plan, week 3 
• Middle school advanced mile plan, week 3 
• High school beginner mile plan, week 3 
• High school advanced mile plan, week 3 

TRUE MILER PLANS

• Middle school, week 3
• High school, week 3

VIDEO ARCHIVE
You can access all of our earlier Myers Mile coaching videos here. 

Okay, okay.  We know.  This is the Myers Mile, led by Ohio's Myers brothers - including Ohio State alum & record holder Rob.  And today's video features one of the all-time fastest runners to ever come out of the Michigan track program.  Don't let that stop you from learning from today's interview though! 

Nate Brannen is a 3-time Olympian, 4-time NCAA champion, and a Canadian national record holder.  Over the course of his 13 year professional career as a miler, he earned medals at the Pan Am Games and the Commonwealth Games and he qualified for the finals in the Olympic 1500m.  Along the way, he became a rival, a training partner, and a close friend of Rob's, so Rob called Nate up to share his story for you.  Learn from the best to be the best!

If you're looking for highlights, you can find them at: 

• A recap of Nate Brannen's running career: From the beginning of the video
• Nate & Rob discuss crazy hard workouts (like seriously crazy hard workouts): 13:00 into the video 
• Learn what it's like to travel the world like a pro runner: 20:25 into the video 
• Dive into specific race tactics for the mile: 22:20 into the video 
• Let's talk about injuries: 24:27 into the video 
• If Nate & Rob raced today, how would Nate take him down: 27:25 into the video 

AN INTERVIEW WITH THERESA BRANNEN - STATE CHAMP, BIG 10 CHAMP, & NCAA CHAMP 
Theresa Brannen knows what it takes to get the most out of your running potential - and she wants to share those insights with you.  Theresa was a 2-time Ohio state champion in the 800m.  She was a Big 10 and NCAA champion.  And like her husband Nate Brannen - who we interviewed last week - she was one of the all-time greats at the University of Michigan.  (And ha, yes, we get it.  You're wondering how we could possibly interview back-to-back Michigan alums.  Hey, they're fast up there too!) 

Check out Rob's full interview with Theresa below. 

MYERS RUNNING CAMP INSTAGRAM TAKEOVER
Anyone who has taken part in the Myers Running Camp in the summer can tell you that one of the things that makes camp so much fun is the counselor involvement.  Camp counselors are collegiate runners, post-collegiate runners, coaches, and incredible runners themselves - and they bring excitement and fun to everything from camp games and races to the epic talent show and dance on the final night.  

We can't recreate the full camp experience online, but we wanted to add some interactive fun via some of our counselors.  So click here to check out the Myers Running Camp Instagram this week!  Two of our former counselors - Sarah & Jalyn - are taking over the Instagram Story on Tuesday & Wednesday to share their own stories and updates.  Sarah is currently a college track & XC coach while Jalyn has graduated up from a collegiate middle distance runner to an ultra marathoner.  Check in with them, send them your questions or comments, and let's add some camp fun to the mix. 

TRAINING
Once again, we've split your training options into two different paths.  If you want to maximize your potential in the mile this spring, we have a "true miler" workout plan for both middle school and high school.  Or, if you want to build aerobic strength this spring, with an eye on building towards cross country starting now, then stick to our "beginner" or "advanced" aerobic strength plans instead.

AEROBIC STRENGTH-BUILDING PLANS

• Middle school beginner mile plan, week 4 
• Middle school advanced mile plan, week 4 
• High school beginner mile plan, week 4
• High school advanced mile plan, week 4 

TRUE MILER PLANS

• Middle school, week 4
• High school, week 4

PREVIOUS VIDEOS & TRAINING PLANS

• Week 1: Post 1 (a video welcome from Rob Myers)
• Week 1: Post 2 (an interview with Rob Myers)
• Week 2: Post 1 (an interview with Alan Webb, American record holder in the mile + week 2 workouts)
• Week 2: Post 2 (an interview with Cori Kill Schulte, former Ohio state champ miler)
• Week 3: Post 1 (an interview with The Ohio State University track & XC coach Sarah Vergote + week 3 workouts)
• Week 3: Post 2 (an interview with 3-time Canadian Olympian Nate Brannen)

Injuries happen.  It's a part of any sport.  When it comes to running your best, it's all about finding that razor edge where you can push yourself to your max - without breaking down.  

Today, we're talking with Alex Winter, AT.  Alex is a Myers Running Camp counselor, former Hilliard Bradley & Otterbein University runner, and a collegiate athletic trainer.  Not only does Alex answer submitted questions in her video interview, but she's included a breakdown of preventative stretches and exercises for all of us to add into our routine.  Just click on the PDF at the bottom of this text to access her full info.  

If you're dealing with any injuries or aches at the moment, please reach out to us at info@columbusrunning.com, let us know that you're in the Myers Mile program, and send us your injury questions for Alex.  Let's keep this crew healthy as we all train towards our final Myers Mile race in a couple of weeks!

Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.

AN INTERVIEW WITH SARA & STEVE SLATTERY
This week, we're learning from Sara and Steve Slattery.  Sara and Steve met as teammates at the University of Colorado where they were coached by the legendary Mark Wetmore.  Both Sara and Steve were high school standouts, multi-time collegiate All Americans, and U.S. world championship team members.  Sara won two NCAA individual titles while Steve was a USATF national champion.  With such a wealth of experience between the couple, we're excited to share their advice and stories with you in the video below. 

TRAINING
Once again, we've split your training options into two different paths.  If you want to maximize your potential in the mile this spring, we have a "true miler" workout plan for both middle school and high school.  Or, if you want to build aerobic strength this spring, with an eye on building towards cross country starting now, then stick to our "beginner" or "advanced" aerobic strength plans instead.

AEROBIC STRENGTH-BUILDING PLANS

• Middle school beginner mile plan, week 5 
• Middle school advanced mile plan, week 5 
• High school beginner mile plan, week 5
• High school advanced mile plan, week 5 

TRUE MILER PLANS

• Middle school, week 5
• High school, week 5

PREVIOUS VIDEOS & TRAINING PLANS

Week 1: Post 1 (a video welcome from Rob Myers)
Week 1: Post 2 (an interview with Rob Myers)
Week 2: Post 1 (an interview with Alan Webb, American record holder in the mile + week 2 workouts)
Week 2: Post 2 (an interview with Cori Kill Schulte, former Ohio state champ miler)
Week 3: Post 1 (an interview with The Ohio State University track & XC coach Sarah Vergote + week 3 workouts)
Week 3: Post 2 (an interview with 3-time Canadian Olympian Nate Brannen)
Week 4: Post 1 (an interview with NCAA Champion Theresa Brannen + week 4 workouts)
Week 4: Post 2 (an interview with athletic trainer Alex Winter) 

AN INTERVIEW WITH CENTRAL OHIO MILER JAKE EDWARDS 

During his early XC days at Delaware Hayes, Jake was known for skimping on runs and getting by on talent - until senior year when he took his running to the next level by fully committing to himself.  The end result?  Jake went from being a good runner to a great runner, winning the mile at the Ohio state track meet.  It all started when he sat down in study hall and wrote out a training schedule for his final months of high school.  After that, he went on to run for The Ohio State University, notching a sub-14 5k that propelled him on to a post-collegiate racing career filled with highlights like a 3:38 1500m PR, a 3:57 mile, some big wins in road race miles, a Drake Relays title, and qualification into USATF nationals both indoors and out.

Sometimes it feels like amazing runners only come from far-off places like California or Oregon, but Jake went to high school right here in Ohio - and he continues to run and race in the Columbus area, racing for the Columbus Running Company's CRC Elite team.  Learn what has propelled this local runner to such great heights in this week's video below - and learn to focus your own training, just as Jake did in the buildup to his state title. 

PREVIOUS VIDEOS & TRAINING PLANS

Week 1: Post 1 (a video welcome from Rob Myers)
Week 1: Post 2 (an interview with Rob Myers)
Week 2: Post 1 (an interview with Alan Webb, American record holder in the mile + week 2 workouts)
Week 2: Post 2 (an interview with Cori Kill Schulte, former Ohio state champ miler)
Week 3: Post 1 (an interview with The Ohio State University track & XC coach Sarah Vergote + week 3 workouts)
Week 3: Post 2 (an interview with 3-time Canadian Olympian Nate Brannen)
Week 4: Post 1 (an interview with NCAA Champion Theresa Brannen + week 4 workouts)
Week 4: Post 2 (an interview with athletic trainer Alex Winter)
Week 5: Post 1 (a double interview with Sara & Steve Slattery, national champions + week 5 workouts)

OHIO LEGEND BRIDGET FRANEK
It's hard to win a state title.  But can you imagine what it would be like to win every distance state title?  Bridget Franek did it.  Her senior year, she won cross country.  Then, during track, she followed up by winning the 800m, 1600m, 3200m, and 4x800m.  It was one of the most dominant performances ever seen at the Ohio state meet.  She followed up her high school career by earning 10 All American awards in college, winning an NCAA title, and going pro.  She capped off her career by making multiple American national teams and by earning her way onto the U.S. Olympic team in the 3000m steeplechase.  

We caught up with Ohio's superstar Olympian to learn what it takes to reach such heights.  Check out the video below!  It may seem otherworldly to have such a dominant racing career, but you'll hear about Bridget's own self doubts and what it took to overcome them.  Enjoy Bridget's story as we kick off our final week of the Myers Mile season. 

RACING
This weekend, our six week season culminates with the Myers Mile itself.  We'll be racing a one mile race, all out.  Six weeks of workouts have pointed towards this final run, and it's time to see what you can do.  Our training plans for this week are designed to sharpen you up for a big race, so let's have some fun.

We'll share specific details about the virtual race later this week.  If a track is accessible, we recommend that you race on the track.  If not, we recommend that you plan a flat loop or long stretch of road or bike path, with no road crossings or other possible interruptions.  We'll be sharing a portal where you can record your results, and we can't wait to see how everyone does. 

TRAINING
For our final week, again, we've split your training options into two different paths.  If you want to maximize your potential in the mile this spring, we have a "true miler" workout plan for both middle school and high school.  Or, if you want to build aerobic strength this spring, with an eye on building towards cross country starting now, then stick to our "beginner" or "advanced" aerobic strength plans instead.

AEROBIC STRENGTH-BUILDING PLANS

• Middle school beginner mile plan, week 6 
• Middle school advanced mile plan, week 6 
• High school beginner mile plan, week 6
• High school advanced mile plan, week 6 

TRUE MILER PLANS

• Middle school, week 6
• High school, week 6

PREVIOUS VIDEOS & TRAINING PLANS

Week 1: Post 1 (a video welcome from Rob Myers)
Week 1: Post 2 (an interview with Rob Myers)
Week 2: Post 1 (an interview with Alan Webb, American record holder in the mile + week 2 workouts)
Week 2: Post 2 (an interview with Cori Kill Schulte, former Ohio state champ miler)
Week 3: Post 1 (an interview with The Ohio State University track & XC coach Sarah Vergote + week 3 workouts)
Week 3: Post 2 (an interview with 3-time Canadian Olympian Nate Brannen)
Week 4: Post 1 (an interview with NCAA Champion Theresa Brannen + week 4 workouts)
Week 4: Post 2 (an interview with athletic trainer Alex Winter)
Week 5: Post 1 (a double interview with Sara & Steve Slattery, national champions + week 5 workouts)
Week 5: Post 2 (an interview with 3:38 1500m runner Jake Edwards, a former Ohio state champ miler)

LEARNING FROM BALDWIN WALLACE COACH JOE EBY
Coach Joe Eby has built a resume within the sport that includes time with programs at the NCAA Div I and III levels along with the NAIA.  As he built that resume, he coached everywhere from DePauw University and Allegheny College to the University of Nebraska and Sacramento State.  Along the way, he worked with national qualifiers and All Americans at every level, including Aliphine Tuliamuk who just recently won the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.  Today, Joe has settled back in his home state of Ohio where he now leads the teams at Baldwin Wallace University.  In today's video, below, we catch up with Joe and learn what it takes for an athlete to reach their potential, from a coach's perspective.  

BONUS CONTENT + MYERS MILE RACE INFO
We'll be back in touch with a bonus coaching email tomorrow, where we share tips from American steeplechase star Steph Garcia - and we'll have details about how you can share your virtual mile race results with us this weekend!

This is it.  This weekend is the end of our virtual track camp - and that means it's time to race your Myers Mile.  You've put in the work.  Now let's see what you've got.

We turned to New Balance steeplechase star Steph Garcia for our pre-race pep talk.  Steph has finished as high as 9th in the world in the steeple, and she shares some wonderful advice about staying positive, how to approach a solo time trial, and what kind of music to include in your pre-race mix.  Check out Steph's full story in the video below. 

Steph loves to run time trials, and she recommends that you treat this just like a major race.  That means sticking to your pre-race dinner plans on Friday night before following a race day routine on Saturday.  Get psyched up and chase that fast mile time to complete your track season!

RACE RESULTS REPORTING
Taking part in the Myers Mile virtual race is simple:

• Step 1: Race an all out mile this weekend (June 6-7).  We recommend getting onto a track, but a bike path, open road, or other course will do.  Ideally, have someone else time you so that you can focus on your race instead of your watch, and be sure to save your finishing time. 
• Step 2: Report your results at https://forms.gle/gEapCdDMkRwg12ba9

We'll be in touch next week to let you know how people did and to share our parting info as we wrap up the season.  We'll have some CRC prizes for some of our virtual race competitors too!  Good luck.  It's time to leave it all on the track. 

Congrats on your Myers Mile season.  This spring was a tough one - but tough moments are opportunities for us to find out how strong we can be.  We've seen some great results from the Myers Mile virtual mile race, and we're excited for you as we all head into cross country pre-season training next.  Good luck and run tough this summer. 

As our official season wraps up, we have a few bonus interviews to share.  Today, we're learning from Olympic miler and NCAA champion Grant Robison.  Grant talks about everything from racing to training to the importance of eating Ben & Jerry's ice cream the night before competition.  It's great to hear an Olympian talk about his trashy diet and how we all need to remind ourselves that our running shouldn't consume us 24/7.  Reward yourself with those Ben & Jerry's moments - especially now as we wrap up a solid season of mileage and workouts.  

If you haven't gotten your Myers Mile results in, post them here before Wednesday.  We'll be sharing just a little more bonus content later this week - including an interview with New Zealand's Olympic 1500m medalist Nick Willis!  Until then, let's catch up with former Stanford All American Grant Robison: 

As we wrap up the Myers Mile, we sat down with former Big 12 champion Lauren Paquette for bonus content.  Learn from Lauren's experiences as a high school, collegiate, and pro runner.  From specific workouts to the importance of little things like rest & recovery, she touches on a lot of subjects to help you improve as a runner this summer. 

THE FINAL INTERVIEW
For many, the pinnacle of our sport is the Olympics.  The best of the best line up every four years, and it's a battle between the world's most driven athletes.  Every competitive runner dreams of what it would be like to stand on the Olympic podium, receiving a medal.  Today's interviewee hasn't just dreamt about it.  He's been on that podium.  Twice. 

Nick Willis is a four-time Olympian.  He's earned a silver and a bronze medal in the 1500m, making him one of a small handful of runners in history to medal in the 1500m twice.  Nick is from New Zealand, where he is a national record holder, and he was an NCAA champ for Michigan.  Rob sat down with his former training partner for one final Myers Mile interview and this is one to learn from.  Nick talks about training, racing, and his Olympic moments.  We always say "learn from the best to become the best," and Nick is truly one of the best milers of his generation.  Enjoy this final interview below.  

MYERS MILE VIRTUAL RACE
We gave everyone a few extra days to post their race results.  If you ran in the Myers Mile, watch your email for results along with a little congratulatory offering.  Great racing!  Our top 3 girls were Amy Weybrecht, Taylor Spencer, and Madison Eyman, with Amy running 5:14.8 - and both Taylor and Madison finishing at 5:16.  Our top 3 guys were Christopher Lee, Alex Spangler, & Parker Reed, with Christopher racing a 5:03.7.  To everyone who raced, great effort to cap off a tough spring!

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? 
We hear the question a lot right now.  What next?  We lost a track season and no one knows what to expect from the XC season ahead.  Motivation can be tough.  But we heard the same thing from almost all of our virtual camp speakers this spring - this interruption is an opportunity.  It's an opportunity to log more miles, build a bigger base, and prep yourself for seasons to come.  Yes, we lost some races, but we didn't lose those days.  The best thing that you can do, as a runner, is to fill those days with motivated workouts as you dream of the next starting line.  We will race again.  When we do, we're going to find out who put the work in during this long off-season.  Put yourself in a position to succeed by lacing up your shoes today and going out for one more run.  We're so excited to see what it leads to.

Good luck with your summer training.  If you have questions on anything, reach out to us at info@columbusrunning.com and we're here to be a resource for you.

On behalf of the Myers Running Camp and the Columbus Running Company, thank you for being part of the Myers Mile. 

- Chad, Ben, & Rob Myers with Myers Running Camp and Eric with Columbus Running Company