European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 11, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                4-minute mile at 43 o achieve Speed along with endurance Larry Almberg emphasizes High Quality training As opposed to High mileage. He does Speed work on a track a runs Quot in a Pool and works on strength flexibility and form in addition to the Standard Road running. He averages 40-50 Miles a week modest for a runner of his Caliper. The following approach can be adapted by any runner seeking to improve racing performance through the use of Speed and running mechanics. Monday tuesday wednesday thursday Friday saturday sunday 1.5 mile jog 8 x 200 meter sprints on a track with 1-minute rest Between each 200 1.5-mile jog. Morning 5-mile Road run. Evening 5-mile Road run with several Short accelerations. Morning weight training plus calisthenic Pool running 4 repetitions of 2 minutes 10 seconds equivalent to half mile each with 20-second rest Between each. Evening track workout of 200, 400, 600, 800, 600, 400, 200, with 1-minute rest Between each followed by 3 More 200s. 9-mile Road run. Morning weight training and calisthenic. Evening drills such As bounding skipping knee lifts work on form and running mechanics. 9-mile Road run. 7-mile Road run followed by 4 x 150-Yard sprints with 250-Yard jogs Between each sprint. A amps Susan Harris by Marc Bloom new York times Hen Larry Almberg was in College he ran the mile in 4 minutes 10 seconds. Now at 43, he has acquired even greater Speed with a mosaic of High Quality training that can serve As a Model for All competitive runners. Almberg a school administrator from Ellensburg wash., Hopes to become the first Man his age to run a 4-minute mile. The world record for the runners world masters mile an event for top performers 40 and older is 4 05.39, held by a kenyan Wilson Waiswa 41. Almberg recently ran 4 09.21 on a slightly Uphill Road course and feels that performance is Worth a 4 05. He also has run a competitive 400 meters in 53.2 seconds followed by an 800 in 1 57. He attributes this showing of Youthful Speed to a diverse training program which features weight training calisthenic drills on form and Speed Quot running Quot in a swimming Pool in addition to Road running. Quot i get bored if i do the same workouts i keep trying new techniques Quot Almberg said. Pool training is Almberg s Linchpin. Once or twice a week he follows a weight training session with vigorous running in deep water. He uses time As a gauge. For example Almberg will run hard for 2 minutes or so rest for 20 seconds then run hard again doing at least four fast runs. Water pressure provides the resistance to achieve a strenuous workout. Unlike other runners who have begun to try water training Almberg eschews a flotation device relying on strength to keep his body upright in the Pool. This makes his task More challenging and enables him to elevate his heart rate More readily. Almberg credits Pool training with preventing injury the Bane of runners Over 40 who attempt stressful Speed work on the track. Running is a weight bearing activity and exercising in water eliminates pounding of the Muscles and joints. Perhaps More importantly by concentrating on knee lift and leg Extension in the water Almberg improved Range of motion in the quadriceps muscle and hips lengthening his natural stride and making his running More fluid. One of the most limiting factors in running performance is muscle and joint tightness which increases with age. Recreational runners Over 40 tend to have a Short stride which can compound the tightness. Seeking a competitive Edge they usually add distance instead of Speed a that is Quantity instead of Quality a which Almberg contends is a mistake. He rarely logs More than 40 Miles a week modest for a runner of his Caliper. Quot Low mileage has Given me longevity Quot he said. Quot i m not run Down or Burnt out. I have a lot of life left in my  Almberg quit running after College and resumed seven years later when he Felt he had grown out of shape. Typically he gravitated to High mileage and the Marathon achieving an outstanding 2 26 at age 40. When a Friend invited him to run the mile a year ago he resisted saying Quot in a no Middle distance  Almberg finally agreed to try the mile and he ran 4 21. A week later he ran 4 13, then a 3 53 for 1,500 meters equivalent to a 4 01 mile. Quot at the time Quot he said Quot i was not much More than a weekend  last summer Almberg won the . National masters title in the 1,500, and placed second to Waiswa in the world masters championships. He has since beaten Waiswa in an indoor mile race and believes he is now capable of a 4-minute mile. As in any top class mile fast times Are dependent on careful Pace setting. Almberg would like to reach the three Quarter Mark in 3 02. With that he feels he could run the last Quarter mile in 58 seconds. What makes Almberg s Success All the More impressive is that unlike Waiswa a three time olympian he has emerged from the crowd. Friends say Almberg Quot has come out of the Woodwork and have branded him with the nickname Woody. A soft spoken unassuming athlete Almberg recommends that All runners whether milers or 10k specialists keep Overall mileage Low and work on achieving total fitness. He does weight training for upper body strength and drills that refine his running form and mechanics. His Road runs Are Between five and nine Miles. Along with Pool training he includes Speed work on a track such As a a ladder Quot workout consisting of a 200, 400, 600,800, 600, 400 and 200. Before tackling such intensity he says make sure you have a foundation of consistent running for several months. If you Experiment with Pool running fashion it As a structured workout Quot not just kicking in a Pool Quot Almberg said. Quot concentrate on leg Extension and knee lift and try to have somebody critique your  should Almberg s form hold up for a 4-minute mile or even a 4 05, he will join other midlife athletes such As Nolan Ryan whose remarkable Success has brought a redefinition of aging. Quot i have More Speed now than i Ever thought i was capable of achieving a said  you paunch and wheeze War weapons a amps Gus Schuettler Many people buy the wrong Home exercise equipment and it ultimately Juat gathers dust. Besides going to a gym is  press americans spent an estimated $5 billion last year on physical fitness equipment to fight the paunch and wheeze War but about 90 percent of it went into the closet after a Short time equipment marketers estimate. Quot people in the 35-to-50 age bracket with yearly incomes of $50,000 and More want to live to enjoy the Money they re making and so they invest in equipment and programs Quot says Michael Simmons president of California based pro Tec sports International a manufacturer and distributor of recumbent exercise cycles. Quot but most of them Stop using the equipment regularly because they bought the wrong device for the wrong purpose. By far most of the people who buy sophisticated exercise equipment for Home use should buy health equipment Quot he explains. Not Only that but they could save a bundle by going to a gym regularly. Simmons says Industry studies show the majority of purchasers Are past 40, in essentially sedentary occupations. Quot they need aerobic exercise for heart and lungs and muscle tone rather than bulging biceps but they mistakenly buy $15,000 Home a gyms designed for anaerobic lower oxygen use workouts Quot says Simmons. Quot they infrequently use the equipment and it does no to deliver the vascular conditioning they need so they Stop the program and store the  the High dropout rate also can be attributed to perceived Lack of time and convenience soreness and boredom according to Jim Warren a corporate fitness and conditioning consultant. Quot what most people who say to not an athlete done to realize is that it takes what we Call a foundational fitness for the average Man and woman to maintain the Energy Overall muscle tone and Freedom from Back and other chronic pain to get through 365 Days of work family life and recreation Quot says Warren who Heads California based fit America inc. Warren agrees with Simmons that changes both in fitness concepts and equipment Are Good news. Quot physicians who specialize in aerobic exercise dynamics have scaled Down by As much As 70 percent the requirements for effective workouts Quot Simmons notes. He cites an american medical association study showing that individuals As old As 90 can exercise in moderation maintaining body and muscle tone through Milder isometric resistance exercises performed for a few minutes every  16 a a a the stars and stripes tuesday september 11,1990