RunWV is pleased to announce this new feature. We've been in contact with former West Virginia High School track star Kim Nutter. Kim Nutter graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1972 and completed his high school career with PR's of 4:18 for the mile and 9:22 for the two mile.
I'll begin sharing my training starting with my buildup to the 1971 Cross Country season and culminating in the State Cross Country Meet in Morgantown. In May 1971 I had finished 3d in the 880 at the State Meet with a 1:58.0, finishing behind Mile record holder Steve Smith of Huntington High and Roland Flairing of South Charleston (Flairing was a Swedish foreign exchange student and to my knowledge the only exchange student to score in the state meet). The previous evening I had run a 1:59.4 on my leg of the 2mile relay, which we won in 8:05.
As you look at this training please bear in mind that it is ALWAYS better to be undertrained than overtrained. If not otherwise noted, all training was done on the roads. This training is taken directly out of my running log (which was actually nothing more than some lined notebook paper at the time).
Jul 4-Ran 4 miles in the morning easy Ran 6 miles this evening steady (sub 6:00 pace) Jul 5-5 miles easy w/Don Kesterson 13 miles steady w/Doug Carder(lots of hills) Jul 6-5 miles easy in the morning w/Don 5 miles steady this evening w/Don (5:45 pace) Jul 7-3 miles this am by myself easy 5 miles this afternoon w/Roger Rouiller (quick-5:20 pace) Jul 8-6 miles this am w/Don Kesterson and Tom Jackson easy 6 miles this evening w/Roger steady Jul 9-5 miles this am easy w/Tom 3 miles this evening w/Tom hard (5:15) Jul 10-4 miles easy w/Don this am 3 miles easy this evening by myself. Race tomorrow Jul 11-Travel to Akron, OH for 4 mile race-ran 20:19 for 2d behind Carl. 8 miles total including warmup/warmdown 71 miles total Jul 12-5 miles am easy by myself 10 miles this evening w/Rod O'donnell and Roger easy Jul 13-5 miles this am easy by myself 5 miles this evening w/Don steady Jul 14-5 miles this am w/Don easy 11 miles this evening w/Rod (hilly) Jul 15-5 miles this am w/Don easy 11 miles this evening w/Rod and Don (hilly) Jul 16-5 miles this am w/Tom and Don 10 miles this evening w/Roger (58:00) Jul 17-5 miles this am w/Don 13 miles this evening w/Roger steady(had bad cramp in my shoulder) Jul 18-5 miles this am w/Don 11 miles this evening w/Roger (ran hard/felt great) 105 miles total Jul 19-5 miles this am w/Don and Tom 9 miles this evening w/Roger easy Jul 20-5 miles this am w/Don and Tom 10 miles this evening with Tom and Roger Jul 21-5 miles this am w/Tom/Don 10 miles this evening w/Roger steady Jul 22-5 miles this am w/Don 7 miles this evening by myself hard (5:15)-right ear stopped up and hurt Jul 23-5 miles this am w/Tom 5 miles this evening easy w/Roger Jul 24-3 miles this am easy 10 miles hard this evening w/Roger (58:00) Jul 25-no am run Ran 8 mile race in Akron (40:48)-10 miles total 89 miles total Jul 26-5 miles this am by myself easy 6 miles this evening w/Roger (calves sore/legs tight) Jul 27-5 miles this am w/Tom easy (calves still sore) 10 miles this evening w/Roger and Don (right foot sore) Jul 28-5 miles this am w/Tom easy 10 miles this evening w/Don and Roger(foot still sore) Jul 29-5 miles this am in rain w/Tom 11 miles this evening(hilly) w/Rod and Roger Jul 30-5 miles this am by myself 5 miles this evening steady by myself Jul 31-no am run Traveled to Pittsburgh w/Tom for Gold Medal xc camp 4 miles easy in Mt Lebanon, PA Aug 1-11 miles hard this afternoon on hilly trails-felt great 82 miles total Aug 2-2 miles this am before breakfast 5 miles hard this afternoon in 27:50 10 miles of fartlek on forest trails this evening Aug 3-5 miles this am by myself 13 miles this evening steady in rain(felt great) 5 miles tonite easy Aug 4-2 miles this am before breakfast 10 miles steady fartlek this afternoon 10 miles very easy this evening on trails Aug 5-2 miles this am before breakfast 5x1 mile on a gradual uphill dirt road (4:50, 4:50, 4:51, 4:50, 4:50)-tough workout 6 miles easy on trails this evening Aug 6-2 miles this am before breakfast 7 miles easy this afternoon on trails 12 miles easy this evening w/Tom Aug 7-last day of camp hilly 5 mile run hard in 28:25 Trip back to Parkersburg this evening Aug 8-5 miles this am in Parkersburg w/Don 4 miles this evening easy w/Don 121 miles total Aug 9-5 miles this am w/Don/Tom 12 miles this evening w/Rod and Roger Aug 10-5 miles this am w/Tom/Don 10 miles this evening w/Roger(humidity bad) Aug 11-5 miles this am w/Don and Tom 11 miles this evening w/Rod easy(hilly) Aug 12-5 miles this am w/Don 10 miles easy this evening w/Roger Aug 13-5 miles this am w/Tom 10 miles this evening w/Tom hard(felt great) Aug 14-5 miles this am w/Tom 8 miles this evening steady w/Roger (felt strong) Aug 15-5 miles this am by myself 3 miles this evening by myself-felt tired 98 miles total Aug 16-5 miles this am w/Tom/Don 9 miles this evening w/Roger easy Aug 17-5 miles this am w/Tom and Don 10 miles this evening w/Tom to Jackson Park in Vienna Aug 18-5 miles this am w/Don 10 miles this evening w/Roger steady (6:45 pace) Aug 19-5 miles this am w/Tom/Don 5 miles this evening easy by myself Aug 20-5 miles this am w/Tom and Don 5 miles this evening w/Don easy Aug 21-5 miles this am w/Tom 5 miles this evening w/Tom easy Aug 22-5 miles this am by myself 5 miles this evening by myself 84 miles total Aug 23-5 miles this am w/Tom/Don 5 miles this evening w/Tom/Don easy Aug 24-Cross Country practice began today-5 miles of fartlek at City Park this am 10 miles w/Jim Lund easy at City Park Aug 25-5 miles this am w/Tom, Jim and Don 20 minutes of Indian Run at City Park-then 8xhills at Mt Olivet cemetery Aug 26-5 miles this am w/Tom 6x440 at City Park in 68-5 miles total for workout Aug 27-no am run Travel to Morgantown this afternoon-4 miles easy on WVU Golf Course Run in 24 hour relay tomorrow
This 24 hour relay was run on the WVU track with a 10 man team comprised of several All Americans and AAU National Champions(Carl Hatfield, Don Sauer, Mike Mossor and Paul Talkington). I was the only high school runner on the team and needless to say I was a bit intimidated. I was concerned about holding the team back. As it turned out, I ran the fastest mile of the day(4:32-my first mile of the relay) and ended up having the fastest average (4:52 for 29 miles run). This was a phenomenal run, but I came out of it with a nagging leg injury that turned out to be a stress fracture which continued to bother me off and on until the end of track season. It was a truly dumb move but one in which I should have known better, even as a high school runner.
Aug 28 & 29-24 Hour Relay at WVU 78 miles total Aug 30-no am run jogged 4 miles easy at City Park this afternoon Aug 31-5 miles this am w/Jim 3x1 mile intervals w/5 minutes rest at City Park in 5:05, 5:02 and 4:57 5 miles total Sep 1-5 miles this am w/Jim 10x440 at City Park in 68-Left leg hurt-5 miles Sep 2-2 miles this am by myself 6 miles this evening at Park to include 3 mile time trial in 14:54 Sep 3-no am run ran ladder in practice(220, 440, 660 880-29, 65, 1:35, 2:12)-5 miles total Sep 4-ran 2.5 mile time trial in 12:06(1st mile in 4:29) 10 miles easy this evening w/Tom Sep 5-3 miles this am 5 miles this evening (leg still aches) 58 miles total Sep 6-5 miles this am w/Tom easy 4 miles in practice to include 4x880 in 2:25 Sep 7-no am run 5 miles in practice to include 6x880 under 2:20, then 10xhills at Mt Olivet Sep 8-5 miles this am w/Tom ran 12x440's at City Park-all under 70-6 miles total Sep 9-5 miles this am w/Tom and Jim easy 6 miles in practice to include 3x 1 mile in 4:31, 4:34, and 4:41 (5 min rest) Ran 8xhills at Mt Olivet after intervals Sep 10-2 miles this am w/Tom jogged and loosened up 2 miles for race tomorrow in Charleston Sep 11-First xc race at Coonskin Park-won race by 40 seconds-team 3d 5 miles total w/up and w/down-felt super strong(leg still hurts) Sep 12-5 miles this evening very easy w/Tom 50 miles total Sep 13-no am run ran 10x880's in practice all in 2:25-felt terrible-rainy/cold conditions my worst workout all season-8 miles total Sep 14-no am run ran 10x220's in practice, between 28-30-5 miles total Sep 15-no am run ran 5 miles over Core Rd, then 10xhills at Mt Olivet-8 miles total Sep 16-no am run ran 5 miles easy on roads today Sep 17-jogged and loosened up for meet at Huntington tomorrow-leg aches-5 miles
Sep 18-ran 2d xc meet in Huntington(Ritter Park)-won race by 9 secs over Tom-had about a minute lead-got lost and had to ask directions. Team was 1st-leg ached so bad that I didn't think I could run at all-couldn't do any warm up w/team because of the pain. 4 miles
Sep 19-5 miles this am easy w/Tom and Don 40 miles total Sep 20-5 mile loop steady w/Tom, then 10xhills at Mt Olivet-7 miles total Sep 21-ran 4xmile and a half in 7:05, 7:25, 7:30, 7:35 w/5 min rest-felt strong-7 miles Sep 22-6 miles easy w/team Sep 23-ran 3.5 mile time trial in 16:40-5 miles total Sep 24-jogged/loosened up 3 miles for race tomorrow Sep 25-3d meet-Bellaire, OH xc meet-ran 9:31 for 2 miles-won race by 35 secs-team 1st-5 miles Sep 26-5 miles w/Tom and Don easy 38 miles total Sep 27-8 miles easy w/team in practice-felt good Sep 28-5 miles quick w/Tom, then 10xhills at Mt Olivet Sep 29-ran 3xmile and a half intervals-7:20, 7:27 and 7:30-6 miles total Sep 30-jogged/warmed up 2 miles-meet in Morgantown tomorrow Oct 1-ran in WVU invitational-won race by 15 secs-team 6th-felt strong-5 miles Oct 2-ran 5 miles w/team easy on Worthington Golf Course Oct 3-5 miles easy w/Don/Tom 36 miles total Oct 4-8 miles easy w/team Oct 5-5 miles steady w/team then 10xhills at Mt Olivet
Oct 6-ran dual meet against Doddridge County at Worthington-won individual race by 50 secs-shut out Doddridge-4 miles
Oct 7-5 miles easy w/team out Core Rd then 4 220's hard(no time) Oct 8-jogged/warmed up for meet at Coonskin Park tomorrow-3 miles Oct 9-ran in meet at Coonskin Park-team 2d-won individual race by 40 secs-5 miles Oct 10-5 miles easy by myself 35 miles total Oct 11-8 miles easy on roads today w/team Oct 12-3x1 1/2 mile intervals in 7:35, then 10xhills at Mt Olivet-6 miles Oct 13-5 miles in practice easy w/Tom Oct 14-4x440 in 65 w/ 1 min rest-5 miles total Oct 15-jogged/warmed up 2 miles-race in Wheeling tomorrow Oct 16-ran in West Liberty Inv-won race by 12 secs-team was 3d-5 miles Oct 17-5 miles easy w/Tom and Don 36 miles total Oct 18-4 miles hard on roads, then 9xhills at Mt Olivet Oct 19-ran 4x880's in 2:20 and 4x220's in 30-5 miles Oct 20-ran 2x440's in 61, 59 and 1x880 in 2:09-5 miles Oct 21-ran 6x220's in 30-4 miles Oct 22-jogged/warmed up 2 miles-Regional Meet at Wheeling tomorow Oct 23-ran in Regional-fell down at start-won race by 35 secs-team was 1st also-5 miles Oct 24-5 miles easy-felt lousy-legs heavy and tight 30 miles total Oct 25-20 minutes fartlek, then 7xhills at Mt Olivet-5 miles-felt much better today Oct 26-ran 1xmile in 4:45, then 5xhills at Mt Olivet-5 miles Oct 27-ran 4x220s in 30 and 1x880 in 2:10-5 miles Oct 28-4x220 in 29 and 1x440 in 57-4 miles total Oct 29-jogged/warmed up at City Park 2 miles-run in State Meet tomorrow Oct 30-ran in state meet-won individual race by 33 secs-team 2d to Keyser-5 miles Oct 31-10 miles easy w/Tom 36 miles total
Most of my training that Fall was done with Roger Rouiller (a local Parkersburg runner who eventually ran a 2:25 marathon and was a teammate of mine on the West Virginia Track Club team, along with Carl Hatfield, which won the Boston marathon team title in 1974), Tom Jackson, Don Kesterson and Jim Lund (my teammates on Parkersburg's cross country team. We placed 1st, 3d, 8th and 16th in the state meet and seemingly had it won, but our normal 5th man had a bad race and Don Kesterson ran a tremendous race to salvage 2d place-we lost to Keyser by 5 points. More about these outstanding athletes when I share my training for the 1972 track season.