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Writer's pictureMichael Dunlap

1980 was a comeback year for Dun and continued success for Beards

Updated: Jun 17, 2023

After being injured from January to May of 1980, I started my "comeback" after our wedding in late May. I built up my mileage in June/July and started structured workouts in August. Below are my race results starting in late August. My training log starts on August 26th, 1980 ; the Brandon 4 mile was sometime before that. The rest of my races are listed there as well. Beards won the 1980 National 1 hour run with 11 miles 1583 yards (5:02.6/mile). I was 4th in the nation with my 11 miles, 1085 yards (5:09.6/mile). The Prairie Striders won the National Team title. I had a good fall leading to some good results in early 1981 - Beards and I head to Houston Marathon in January, 1981. Stay tuned!

The 1980 Augustana Invitational CC meet let me run via Prairie Strides Club. I was 4:48 for the first mile and 5:00 pace for the next 4 miles - 24:48 for the win. Fun to run against my old college team-mates. Name those runners!



My college room-mate for 3 years and great friend, Randy Fisher, and I hooked up at the Longest Day Marathon on November 2nd, 1980. We decided to go out at 2:20 pace and see how it went. I wore the Athletic Attic kit as I was working for them from 1980-82. This was the old two lap course around Brookings. Our first 1/2 marathon was 1:10 - so we were right on. But then the wind came up and I was able to run 2:23:34. Randy bonked at 23 and finished 3rd in 2:26 right behind Duane Milslagal. Then it was time to start training for early 1981 and the Houston marathon.



Below is my training log for the fall of 1980. I actually have this training "program" for sale on Training Peaks. "How to run sub 2:20 marathon" . You get it for free!


FROM THE TRAINING LOG OF MIKE DUNLAP 1980


AUG. AM - 8 MILES

25 PM - 3 MILES, 8 X 220, 3 MILES - TOTAL 8 MILES


26 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 5 MILES

27 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 2 MILES, 3 X 1 MILE(4:54,4:55,4:56), 4 X 880 (2:25,2:26,2:27,2:26) 440 REST BETWEEN INTERVAL, 2 MILES. TOTAL WORKOUT 11 MILES.

28 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


29 - AM - 3 MILES, 6 X 440 UP STEEPHILL, 5 MILES - TOTAL WORKOUT 11 MILES.

PM - 8 MILES


30 - AM - 7 MILES


31 - AM - 20 MILES WEEKLY TOTAL 103 MILES


SEPT.

1 - AM - 8 MILES

PM - 8 MILES

2 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 7 MILES

3 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 2.5 MILES, 5 X 1 MILE(4:47,4:52,4:53,4:56,4:54) 440 REST, 2.5 MILES. TOTAL WORKOUT - 11 MILES

4 - AM - 6 MILES

PM - 6 MILES

5 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 5 MILES

6 - AM - 1.5 MILES, 15K RACE(48:19) 1.5 MILES TOTAL WORKOUT 12 MILES.

PM - 5 MILES


7 - AM - 20 MILES TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 108 MILES


SEPT.

8 - AM - 8 MILES

PM - 3 MILES, 8 X 220, 3 MILES - TOTAL FOR WORKOUT 8 MILES.


9 - AM - 8 MILES

PM - 10 MILES


10 - AM - 3 MILES, 3 X 1 MILE(4:50,4:53,4:53) 2 X 880(2:23,2:24) 44O REST, 3 MILES. TOTAL FOR WORKOUT 11 MILES.

PM - 6 MILES


11 - AM 7 MILES

PM 5 MILES


12 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


13 - AM - 2 MILES, 5 MILE RACE (24:48) 3 MILES. TOTAL FOR WORKOUT 10 MILES

PM - 6 MILES


14 - AM - 20 MILES

PM - 5 MILES TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 114 MILES


15 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 10 MILES


16 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


17 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 2.5 MILES,8 X 440 UPHILL, 2.5 MILES. TOTAL FOR WORKOUT 9 MILE.


18 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


19 - AM - 2 MILES, 10K RACE(33:03), 2 MILES. TOTAL FOR WORKOUT 10 MILES.

PM - 5 MILES


20 - AM - 20 MILES

PM - 5 MILES. TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 109 MILES

SEPT.

22 - AM - 7 MILES

23 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 7 MILES


24 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 10 MILES


25 - AM - 8 MILES

PM - 7 MILES


26 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 1.5 WARM-UP, 5 X 1 MILE(4:47,4:51,4:53,4:56,4:51),3.5 MILE COOLDOWN - TOTAL FOR WORKOUT 10 MILES.


27 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 7 MILES


28 - AM - 20 MILES TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 106 MILES


29 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


30 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 2 MILES WARM-UP, 5 X 1 MILE(4:54,4:47,4:42,4:43,4:47), 3 MILES COOLDOWN. TOTAL FOR WORKOUT 10 MILES.


OCT.

1 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 6 MILES


2 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 8 MILES HARD FARTLEK


3 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


4 - AM - 5 MILES


5 - AM - 2 MILE WARM-UP, 1 - HOUR RUN 11 MILES, 1085 YARDS, 5 MILE COOLDOWN. TOTAL FOR DAY 18 MILES. TOTAL FOR WEEK 87 MILES.

OCT.

6 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 7 MILES


7 - AM - 8 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


8 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 2 MILE WARM-UP, 8 X 440 UPHILL, 5 MILE HARD. TOTAL FOR WORKOUT 11 MILES.


9 - AM - 8 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


10 - AM - 5 MILES

11 - AM - 1 MILE WARM-UP, 15 MILE RACE - 1:18:03


12 - AM - 15 MILES TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 95 MILES.


13 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 11 MILES


14 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 7 MILES


15 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 4 MILES


16 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 7 MILES


17 - AM - 8 MILES

PM - 7 MILES


18 - AM - 7 MILES

PM - 8 MILES


19 - AM - 23 MILES TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 117 MILES


20 - PM - 11 MILES


21 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 4 MILES


22 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 2.5 MILE WARM-UP, 3 X 1 MILE(4:56,4:54,4:52), 2.5 MILE COOLDOWN. TOTAL FOR WORKOUT - 8 MILES


23 - AM 7 MILES

PM 6 MILES


24 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 2.5 MILE WARMUP, 6 X 880(2:25,2:25,2:24,2:24,2:24,2:24)

2.5 MILE COOLDOWN. TOTAL FOR WORKOUT - 9 MILES.


25 - AM - 10 MILES


26 - AM - 1 MILE WARMUP, 10K RACE(31:22), 2 MILE COOLDOWN - 9 MILES TOTAL.

PM - 5 MILES

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 89 MILES


27 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


28 - AM 10 MILES


29 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


30 - AM 10 MILES


31 - AM 5 MILES


NOV.

1 - REST


2 - LONGEST DAY MARATHON - 2:23:34

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 71 MILES

NOV.

3 - AM - 5 MILES


4 - AM - 5 MILES


5 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 6 MILES


6 - AM - 6 MILES

PM - 6 MILES


7 - AM - 5 MILES

PM - 7 MILES


8 - AM - 7 MILES

PM - 7 MILES


9 - AM - 14 MILES

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 73 MILES


10 - AM - 7 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


11 - PM - 10 MILES


12 - PM - 10 MILES


13 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


14 - AM - 10 MILES

PM - 5 MILES


15 - AM - 10 MILES


16 - AM - 16 MILES

TOTAL FOR THE WEEK 88 MILES

WEEK OF NOV. 17-23 - 92 MILES

WEEK OF NOV. 24-30 - 67 MILES - ILL-DIDN'T RUN 3 DAYS STILL GOT IN 20 MILE RUN ON SUNDAY.

WEEK OF DEC. 1-7 - 114 MILES.

WEEK OF DEC. 8-14 - 115 MILES.

WEEK OF DEC. 15-21 - 120 MILES.

WEEK OF DEC. 22-28 - 87 MILES(6 DAYS) 19 WEEKS - 128 DAYS

OUT OF 133 POSSIBLE

WEEK OF DEC.29-JAN.4 - 105 MILES RUN. 1860 MILES FOR A 14.5 MILES PER DAY

JAN. 10, 1981 - HOUSTON MARATHON - 2:19:48 RUN AVERAGE.


This is what 120-140 miles a week looks like!! Christmas 1980 in Excelsior, MN training with the Beards for a week. Two weeks before Houston Marathon.



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