During my web searching, I ran across an old Landon Donovan interview & article in “Outside” magazine.

The article describes Donovan’s training secrets that he picked up from studying Kenyan marathon runners:

“The Kenyan runners who always win marathons never jog,” says Donovan. “Ever. They always run at 90 percent of capacity, teaching their heart and body to endure.”

So Donovan never jogs. Instead, he trains at 80 percent of his maximum heart rate until he’s exhausted, running through obstacle drills, lifting weights, and teaching his body “recovery endurance” through a sequence of sprints and rests. Then he chases all that with a team scrimmage that lasts up to 90 minutes.

By building up such incredible endurance, he never has to worry about getting tired during technical training or scrimmages. Instead, he can focus entirely on his ball-handling and team-building skills at peak performance.

I’d say it’s working for him!

read the full Outside Magazine article here

“That lad must have been born offside.”
Sir Alex Ferguson on Filippo Inzaghi

talking about good defending…
“The goalkeeper is the jewel in the crown and getting at him should be almost impossible. It’s the biggest sin in football to make him do any work.”
George Graham, 1997

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”
~Pele