(Photo courtesy of EliteRunning.com)Cecil Franke, a former Indiana High School State Champion in the 3200m and former Ball State University ('90) standout, was the oldest finisher (39 years old) at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials- Men's Marathon placing 67th overall. His marathon trials qualifier came at the 2006 Columbus Marathon in which he won with a time of 2:18:13. Franke is currently a schoolteacher and cross country and track coach at Centerville High School in Dublin, Ind.
Interview By: Derick Lawrence (3/03/2008)
You were the Indiana High School State Champion in the 3200m and competed collegiately at Ball State University (’90), setting school records in the 5,000m (14:20) and 10,000m (29:15). Tell us about your high school and collegiate running career and what led you to marathoning?
After college, I moved to Kansas to take a job at a small junior college and kept training for the 5K-10K range. With a busy schedule of teaching, coaching, and recruiting, there wasn’t much time to dedicate to my career and I accepted it as a new phase of life. After returning to Indiana and the teaching profession after a few years away, I started working out with the high school team at Centerville. I realized that I could still move well and things escalated. When I turned 37, I realized that I was running out of time to make a serious attempt at the marathon. With the urging of several friends, I shifted my training to ten weeks of intense training and ran Columbus in 2005 in 2:23:46. I was hooked.
You are currently a schoolteacher (U.S. and World History) and cross country and track coach at Centerville High School in Dublin, IN. How have you applied your own training and experiences into your teaching/coaching?
The students at Centerville have really responded to what I have accomplished in the last few years. It helps me as a teacher because they are more interested in what I am doing. As a coach, it has been both a blessing and a curse. Most athletes take comfort that I practice what I preach, but I think my work ethic scares the “would be” distance runners away that are afraid of the workload. I have to convince them that I will not make them do what I do.
How do you balance marathon training and teaching/coaching?
Most of my hard training takes place before the sun comes up. During the week, I have to get in the primary workout before school and run the second workout of the day with my athletes. It is very tough in the winter to do speed work at 5:30 in the morning, but it has to be done. The ten weeks leading to the marathon go by fast because I’m so busy. You have to be realistic and get things done so you can get to bed by 9:00.
Your U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier came at the 2006 Columbus Marathon in which you won with a time of 2:18:13. At the November 3rd trials you placed 67th. What were these experiences like for you?
At Columbus, I knew it was going to be a great race. The summer before the marathon training period was very fast and the workouts leading up to the race were simply fast. Things were flowing and it felt great to run fast. I really think I could have gone faster, but the race directors pulled the prize money and nobody showed up. I ran the last 18 miles by myself. There should have been $5000 to win, but there wasn’t. It was hard to be upset about it having hit the A standard and felt so good doing it.
At the trials, it was a bit different. I pushed the training a little too hard and felt things slipping with about three weeks to go. I lined up hoping that the taper would put my legs back under me, but by mile 15, I knew it was going to be a little slow. The margin for error at the trials is very unforgiving. Mile 4 was 5:00 and it wasn’t fast enough to stay with the group I had gone to race. I felt I paid the price for being older and too insistent on working harder than ever before. I was the oldest person to finish the race, but I certainly was not happy with 67th. Regardless of the performance, it was all I could hope for the make it to the trials at this point in my career. American marathoning is better now than it has ever been. Look at the times posted from the trials and look at the course. Central Park was relentlessly rolling.
What key concept(s) do you believe are necessary for success of a marathon runner?
I think the ability to focus for long periods of time is one key. You can’t forget why you’re doing it at mile 20. The discipline to train at you’re threshold while avoiding injury is extremely important and as much an art as a science. I learned by preparing for the Flying Pig Marathon in 2006 that letting the training come to you is a better approach. Forced training has a way of bringing fatigue and injury.
What key workout(s) or training element(s) do you incorporate into your marathon training?
I do ten weeks of the following:
I hit 100-110 miles per week for right around ten weeks to get ready. I keep a basic pattern of fartlek on Tuesday, speed on Thursday, and intense strength on Sunday.
Tuesday is fartlek: 8X4 minutes hard with 2 minutes moderate/easy
Thursday is on the track with 6-8X1200 meters with 400 meters recovery. I usually take the 6 option in the first 3-4 weeks of training and switch to 8X1200 in the last 6-7 weeks.
Sunday is 20-24 miles very hard
Everything else is moderate to recovery. I do some intervals with my high school team as well, but I’m usually tired from the morning sessions.
Could you outline your last two weeks of training leading up to the marathon trials?
I really do not taper much. My last week is the only difference. Two weeks out, I do my last 20 miler and keep the speedwork. One week out I run 15 miles very hard and do the fartlek with about 5-6 days to go. The two days before I cut to 5/6 miles per day.
How important is recovery in your training regimen and how do you apply this to your training?
It has been increasingly important in the last year or so as age is catching up. I do not bounce back as well as I once did. Sometimes it takes just as much discipline to run easy on the recovery days as it does to run hard on the intense days.
What has kept you motivated to train at a high level?
I have been amazed at the results so far. When I started a come back about 8 years ago, my goals did not include the trials. Winning at Cincinnati and Columbus were beyond my expectations. Being competitive on a national level at this age is just plain fun. If it ends tomorrow, I will have no regrets.
What are your racing plans this year?
I am currently preparing for Boston and plan on using the summer to get the leg speed back in order. Speed is definitely going away.
What words of wisdom would you give to collegiate runners looking to take the step up to the marathon after graduation?
Do not be afraid. You lose more leg speed to age after 32-25 than you do by training for the marathon. If you are not afraid to be uncomfortable for long periods of time, the race is great. If your favorite event on the track is the 10,000, you already have the right mindset. Have fun.
Thanks to Cecil for a great interview.
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