The Training and Tactics of Steve Jones

Training and Tactics of Steve Jones 

[article by Chelsea Ho of Sweat Elite]

In only his second marathon Steve Jones, a Welsh track and cross-country runner, shattered the standing world record by 13 seconds by setting a 2:08:05 at the Chicago marathon in 1984. Over his career he cemented his reputation as a marathoner of incredible tenacity, grit and unwavering work ethic, with focused workouts and straight-to-the-point running philosophies.

Nothing is Impossible

Jones joined the Air Force as a 15-year old and it was here that he ran his first cross-country race. In Jones’s words   – “It all went from there”. His ambition of competing for the RAF saw him participate in steeplechase, 5,000m and 10,000m at various levels such as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and the Welsh Championships. These races provided him with the experience to get to the next level and the brand of athletics it takes to be the best. He wasn’t picked to represent the RAF for cross-country and was told that the Air Force is too big with better runners than him. Jones used any sort of adversity, such as his injury in 1979, as a form of motivation. He recalls “If anybody says I can’t do it, I end up doing it. I don’t like to be told that.”

Jones’ appetite for hard work was unparalleled. One of Jones’ first coaches during his time at the RAF discovered this trait that propelled Jones to the starting line of the 10,000m at the Olympics. “An animal” is how 1993 World Champion marathoner Mark Plaatjes referred to Jones. He recalls a training session he did with Rob de Castella and Steve Jones: I remember the first time I did a workout with Steve and Deeks. We did a hill workout. After the first one there was Steve, hunched over at the top of the hill, vomiting. I looked over at Rob and said, “Is he all right?” “Oh yeah, that’s just Jonesy,” Deek said. And after each hill, Steve was there vomiting. He just runs so hard.

Jones’ Running Philosophies

Jones’s philosophy of training hinged around long-repeat runs by time, away from the track, hence allowing him to run free and open without any mental limitations that a track or watch may bring – running in its pure, instinctive form. Jones grew up racing countless British cross-country races, a fact he insists is vital to the development of any runner.

Jones had a long career, spanning for approximately 25 years. During his peak he averaged 80-90 miles per week, not huge mileage for a runner of his caliber. His schedule was very simple and never changed too significantly. However, the corner stone of his training was focusing on high quality and intense sessions.

Jones weekly routine consisted of one long run, three very intense sessions, and three easy days to recover. A typical week of training leading into a major race was similar to the schedule below:

Training and Race Tactics

Jones was known to race according to how he felt and wasn’t one to follow a pacing strategy. He would power off early in a marathon because he loved to race, and raced hard.

1. One of the best-known strategies that Jones used was not wearing a watch during training. His only goal as a runner was to race and outrun the others around him rather than chase times. Running without a watch allowed Jones to evaluate how he is feeling rather than dictate the pace by a watch. This philosophy is relevant for long distance runner even today. In 2013, one of Jones’ athletes, Tyler McCandless, found that running without a watch improved his half marathon time to achieve a personal best, “I haven’t worn a GPS since April, I just focus on my effort, and when Jonesy says “Go hard,” I give everything I have in that workout.”
2. “Give your best effort, and run hard,” the only set of instructions Jones gives his athletes. As a runner, he liked to keep his workouts simple by doing timed intervals rather than running a set distance, speed or pace. He reckoned it does not matter how far you get as long as the effort was the same.
3. Jones ran bravely. He wasn’t scared to go out too hard and hurt in his races. He believed “Learn to hurt in workouts, and you’ll be able to hurt in races”. During several of his races he ran hard and took off much earlier than the pack with a focused, single strategy in mind “You run fairly hard to the last 6 miles, and then you race.”

Conclusion

Jones believed in the simplicity of the sport. “A simple activity has been complicated,” Jones says of the current state of technology in running. “This is a sport that only requires a half-decent pair of running shoes.”

Some key takeaways of Jones’ approach:

• He ran according to how he felt, rather than for a set time or distance: “Take off your watch”.
• He focused on quality and intensity rather than quantity. For him it was all about effort.
• He wasn’t scared to hurt early in his races.