Middle distance success: Steve would be proud

My college running coach for the final three years of athletic participation at Marist was the late Steve Lurie. Steve passed away a few years ago. He left behind a long and very interesting legacy through his journey in our sport – as a coach, journalist and very active and informed commentator and fan.

During his relatively brief tenure as Marist coach, Steve imparted a passion for middle-distance training, racing and relays. Steve loved the 4x800 and the DMR. Much like my tendency in coaching is to move athletes up to longer race distances, Steve’s penchant was to move us all DOWN to the 800.

This posed a problem for me at the time, since I was then, am now, and forever will be “speed challenged.” After cross country season ended, Steve turned us all into tracksters. We were on the track early and late and often, doing interval workouts. Again, given my biomechanical flaws and lack of speed, this was a big issue. And it was a big reason I began training for and racing in marathons at the age of 19. No need for 3-4 track workouts a week if you are going to be a marathoner, right?

Steve agreed, and I was set free to run long and hard and hilly courses outside on most days. Oh sure, I did my share of interval workouts on the old McCann track and our various old-school venues (Dutchess Community College’s old cinder track, Poughkeepsie High School when it was a beat-up macadam surface, various golf courses until we were kicked off by angry duffers). But I certainly did not do as many interval days as Steve’s beloved middle distance men.

It is certainly true that middle distance runners need to train a bit differently than long distance runners. These days, middle distance athletes almost have to train like “long sprinters,” as the race and feel of the 800 can sometimes resemble a sprint. Want proof? Elite-level 800-meter races outdoors START IN LANES!

Anyway, looking at how well our middle distance core of athletes is running, I think Steve would be proud. I could hear him saying, in that gravelly, staccato voice of his: “Peter … Ha Ha! 1:54-point, followed by 1:55-point, 1:55-point, 1:55-point … that’s a heckuva relay you have there. For what it’s worth. Ha Ha!”

I think Steve would also be proud that one of his Five Star Running Camp alumni, Matt Panebianco, was on that record-setting 4x800 relay from Bucknell.

And although throughout the majority of his career Steve coached boys and men in high school and college, I bet he would be pretty stoked to notice that our women’s indoor 4x800 team set a school record and ECAC qualifier, and that our women’s DMR ran so well last winter.

As a side note on this topic, a common thread through all our middle distance success is graduating senior Briana Crowe, who had a great breakthrough effort in her 2:16-point down at Bucknell; we will miss Bree quite a bit when she graduates – every middle distance success our program has attained in the past four years, she has been part of in some way.

Sometimes you have to let life play out. A year ago at this time, we were fretting about the possible negative effects of losing our indoor track facility in McCann, and how it would have a less-than-positive impact on the sprint and middle distance crew. Since that time, all those athletes have been doing is setting school records, achieving personal-best times and raising the bar for future teams, individuals and relays. It is a testament to the hard work, dedication and no-excuses attitude of these women and men.

Once again, we’d like to think Steve would be proud.