Today I had a good massage and an excellent stretching session. Hope I’m in optimum form as tomorrow’s workout is the most important of the week.
Had a solid training session today. I did :
AM
5x50 abs
Hurdles mobility
150 19.4 (oops)
6 (rested two minutes less because I ran so slowly the first rep)
150 18.2
8
150 18.1
8
150 18.3
8
150 18.3
10 (not my fault, the chairman of the clubs’ athletics committee bogged me down)
150 18.5
Don’t know what happened in the first rep, maybe I didn’t warm up well enough, I felt slow and heavy legged, but then felt great in the rest of the reps. The session was very solid. I don’t feel very quick right now (compared to how I was feeling 5 weeks ago), but the runs were excellent. I felt so smooth and was maintaining my speed very well and easily during the last 100m. I just loved the eveness with which I was running, I was having no problems maintaining my speed and form to the last step. I might be able to do them in 17.5-18. A big change is how my core feels. I feel solid and I’m having no problems maintaining position in long runs. I think that is the fundamental difference compared to earlier this year. Today’s runs were so easy because I was able to maintain form through to the end without any problems.
A separate note, which I’ve been noticing the last week or so, is a change in mentality. I notice that the terrible volumes and amounts of reps and works I did with my previous club/training group made me wary of long reps and gave me a fear of dying mid-workout. Since virtually all the work was in the intensive tempo bracket starting a workout too fast meant not being able to finish it and mentally it made me limit everything to a “for sure sub-dying pace”. This has been causing difficulties when I do SE runs, it has made me hate 300’s and be scared of stuff like 6 or 8 x 150. But this last week a change in mentality has been taking place. I began to notice I’m ending workouts without giving my all. I now began to ask myself, how badly do I want to each my goals, because seeing how I end up without giving my all I evidently “don’t want it bad enough”. I think something similar is happening in races. I have no hunger. I’ve just been training for the sake of training and running for the sake of running, or at best just because I like running or to have a hobby, without really wanting or being hungry to bring out the best from within me. This has to change if I want to reach my goals and I know I’m capable of reaching them, I just haven’t wanted it that bad yet. I’ve had an unguided determination, I’ve just been going forward and training without knowing where I’m going, I have to be sure about where I am going and what I want to do. These last few workouts were just a start to that, now I’m really beginning to understand what that that I felt was lacking all this time is. The hunger, the will, the sacrifice. I was sacrificing myself, but never 100%, I had the intention to run well every time this year but not completely and certainly not the hunger.
Heh. OK, that’s enough for my phylosophical discoveries. I ended the day with weights :
Hang snatch 3x3 45kg
Push press 3x3 45kg
Front squat 2x3 85kg 1x3 95kg
In the last front squat I accidentally went 10 kilos heavier then I intended to, felt strong with 95 though, 85 was a breeze. In the hang snatch I felt energy sapped, zero explosion or explosive power. I also felt like that on Tuesday. I’m noticing these tough SE sessions are reducing my CNS and overall energy significantly in the weight room.
Tomorrow I’ll do a light tempo session (10x100m.) and upper body weights. Saturday I’ll do LJ in the meet, but since the 100 is just 30 minutes before, if there is electronic timing I’ll run the 100 as a warmup and as part of my speed session.
I didn’t have a very productive day at all. I didn’t even accomplish to use it as an effective training session.
I ran 12.21 into a -2.2 headwind, for 5th in the first heat (all times were a disaster, winner won in 11.5x). Again I came out very well and then got my ass handed over to me in the last half of the race. The guy that got 4th (who is from my same club) ran in the lane next to me, and by 40 I was 3 meters ahead of him and then he caught me and passed me in the last 30 meters or so. He clocked 12.10. It was freezing. Then the long jump was a mess. For some reason peewee LJ got combined with mens LJ so 1) LJ started an hour and a half late and then 2) we had to wait 30 minutes between jumps for all the kids to jump. Disastrous organization. Then the worse part is that they cut the qualification jump to 2 instead of 3 and total jump to 4 instead of 6. I jumped 3.98 in my first jump (I reached the board with the wrong leg!), then I improved to 5.11 on the second jump, but I was unlucky enough that I got the 9th best qualifier and only the top 8 advanced to the last two jumps! In the first jump I probably ran up about 20 meters, in the second about 30 meters (I was just winging my starting point, I would look at the ground see a mark I liked and accelerate from there). The second jump I jumped 1/2 ahead of the board but at least with the right leg. Overall it was an interesting experience. I like jumping. I’m definitely going to train for it now.
From the 100 from all the recent runs I can evidently conclude I’m having a problem in the middle section of the race (and with endurance at the end, but that’s not a technical problem). I’m probably 1) still failing to make a smooth transition from acceleration to full speed or 2) my top speed is very poor at the moment. I think it might be number 2. In the next loading phase I’ll make sure I work top speed well (better execution of flying runs, hurdle hops, etc).
After much thought I’ve cancelled my 200/400/LJ comp period I was planning in May. My main concern is that I was never able to put appropriate top speed in place. Even if I gain endurance in a 3 week loading period now, since my top speed is lacking I won’t be able to fulfill my potential in 200 or 400 either. Needless to say conditions are getting poorer by the day, it’s getting very cold and good times are not possible till spring now.
Weighing things out, the smart thing to do is to do a full GPP now and be ready for the September-November competition period. If I compete till the end of May I won’t have time for the good GPP I need to sort things out (I had been planning on a 3-4 week GPP in June).
With all the experience and insight I’ve gained over these past few months thanks to training myself, and all the useful discussion and materials I’ve seen in the past few month, I’m confident I can put the best parts of my knowledge together and get much closer to an optimal plan for myself then I made early this year.
It just seems like all the time I’ve been missing a component or two to get maximum performance. Last year my top speed was awesome, but I had such a mechanical messup in my acceleration that I would be 10m. back by 30 every race and then claw back, and I had excellent endurance too.
This competition period was the exact reverse. On the races where I ran decently I was powering out of the blocks and at my best 6 weeks ago only a 10.56 guy was beating me in the first 40m. Even today, considering that I’m not in top form I still came of blocks 2nd. But along the way, this period I failed to put appropriate top speed or speed endurance in place, so I couldn’t hold the ground I was gaining with those great starts. On a related note, I can admit now that it’s much more frustrating to start well and get run down then start slow and run others down. Last year at least I could blame poor acceleration, but apart from that I had solid runs. This year I just had solid 50 meter races and got frustrated and confused every time as to whether I had failed in training or I was failing to perform when I lost the race in the last half EVERY time.
Now if I can just put all three components together (acceleration, top speed, speed endurance), I could do great during the last half of the year. Last year I ran 11.37 on piss poor acceleration but great top speed, this first half of the year I ran 11.2 on great acceleration and average top speed and poor speed endurance. I was running 6.7-6.8 at my best this year and probably covering the last 40 in 3.9-4.0 last year … now I have to put those two pieces together and get a 10.6-10.8 for my money. My goal of 10.84 (10.6 manual) by the end of the year is definitely possible. I just need to put the pieces together. In my next post, I make my first draft of trying to put the pieces together of what I think I did right last year to have such great top speed and endurance and this year to have such great acceleration. Wish me luck!
For future reference, an analysis of all my competition results of the first half of 2004 put together, with notes where there was flawed manual timing and other general notes.
One thing has become clear after looking at the results and the entries of the past few months, and I’m really not that depressed or disappointed about the recent results. I clearly flawed in the planning. I evidently hit peak form in mid March then burned out. In mid-March I was capable of 11.0 on a fast track, from then on my form just declined and declined, so the poor results should not be a surprise. I just didn’t notice or accept the decline in form as I had no legal mark for sub-23 nationals and now have ended up with no qualifying mark and thus won’t be going 
:mad: . I was also around 8.8-8.9 in peak form for 80. and 6.7-6.8 for 60m., which is definitely an improvement over last year.
Date : Saturday March 6
Result : 7.59 (-1.8) - 2r1 - lane 4
Conditions : Horrible, rain, wet, wall of wind.
Run : Great start, but got caught in the last 20m. and got 2nd.
Date : Saturday March 13 (La Plata)
Result : 9.4 (NWI) - 2r1 - lane 2
Conditions : Clear day (temp high 20’s), slight headwind.
Run : Very good start, was 1st till mid way, then got passed 40-60 then the other guy tightened/relaxed too much and I almost caught him again by the line. Time was actually 9.2. First start got called 40m. into the race and we went into the blocks again with no rest.
Date : Saturday March 20 (La Plata)
Result : 11.4 (NWI) - 4r1 - lane 2
Conditions : Very nice clear day (temp high 20’s), slight wind in favor.
Run : Excellent start, was 2nd till mid way, then got passed 60-80 and was able to hold the last 10-20m. Time was actually 11.2. Almost a copy of the previous weeks’ race.
Date : Saturday April 3 (Santa Fe)
Result : 11.90 (+0.3) - 6rB - lane 5
Conditions : Excellent temperature and conditions (30º, no wind)
Run : Disaster struck. My block slipped and I came out towards lane 6, I almost ran into the guy in that lane, had to slow down and after about 30m. finally got my footing again, but it was too late. Had a solid middle section of the race, probably because I had a lot of unexpended energy from the accident. Inauguration of the track, it was VERY bouncy, times were poor.
Date : Saturday April 10, 9:30 AM (Mar del Plata)
Result : 11.79 (+0.4) – 6h2 - lane 2
Conditions : Good temperature (20-25º), no wind.
Run : Despite the good weather conditions poor times were run. My run was a disaster, I slept in the blocks, was 3 meters back 10m. into the race, 10m. back at 40m., had a strange burst in the last 10m., I probably had a lot of remnant from having expended no energy in the acceleration. Two idiots set their blocks in the wrong lanes and told the judge when we were ready to go into in your marks, this knocked my concentration off.
Date : Sunday April 11, 10:00 AM (Mar del Plata)
Result : 23.91 (+1.3) – 8h1 - lane 8
Conditions : Nice temperature (20º), calm wind.
Run : Blistering curve (estimate 11.2-11.4), then at 80m. ran out of gas, was with the pack till this point, then got left over 15m. behind in the straight.
Date : Wednesday April 14, 8:50PM (Rosario)
Result : 11.92 (+0.7) - 5r1 - lane 2
Conditions : Very cold (10º), slight headwind, wet
Run : Below average start, decent midsection, killed in last 40m. though.
Date : Saturday April 24, 3:45PM (CeNARD - Buenos Aires)
Result : 12.21 (-2.2) 5h1 lane 6
3.98m. first attempt, 5.11 second attempt LJ
Conditions : Very cold (10-15º), strong headwind.
Run : Solid, above average start, then from 40m. onwards got caught and passed by most of the runners in the heat. No comments about LJ, started 90 mins late, waited 30 mins between jumps, winged the runups and used short runup. Last jump was half a meter from the board, 5.50+ jump. Another positive was that my reflexes were very sharp, there was 1 false start, then a no start because a guy had his hands on the line, then the 3rd start the shot didn’t go off but the pistol clicked silently, I reacted very sharply to this little noise, so my reflexes were great. Then finally the 4th start we went with no problems.
I’ll start off with some general notes to guide myself.
Successes/strong points of the long to short program I was in last year :
Excellent top speed and endurance developed
Because all functional areas were covered with a shifting distance x volume scale
Lot’s of bounds, hurdle hops, box jumps helped in getting greater max v
Hills did marvels for me, when I felt great in the hills was when everything was coming together
Negative - too much accumulated volume from all components
Successes/strong points of the program I followed this year :
Acceleration sessions improved accel phase vastly
Same weightroom results with much lesser volumes
Negative - very poor SE work (mostly due to psoas pain)
No jumps done, I lacked stimulus to vary
This is the general outline I’ll follow, considering I have 28 weeks in total, and that I’ll be aiming for the following peaks if possible :
18-19 September Sub-23 National Cup of Clubs (this will be my chance for revenge for not being in Nationals)
30-31 October National Cup of Clubs (here we’ll be aiming for a top 5 finish in both relays)
Other important competitions :
9-10 October “Semana de Rosario” International Tournament
6-7 November “Semana del Mar” International Tournament
Evidently the definite peak should be for the last week of October/first week of November. Those two will be the most important meets on a national level and when weather should be the best to accomplish great performances.
GPP 7 weeks (April 26 - June 13)
SPP 7 weeks (June 14 - August 1)
Pre-comp 4 weeks (August 2 - August 29)
Comp phase 10 weeks (August 30 - November 7)
Competitions will actually begin at the middle of the pre-comp. So I’ll have 10 competitions in total to the major peak, 2 comps before the first “peak”, which really won’t be much more then a short taper and test.
I’ll have two three weeks macrocycles in my GPP with one unloading week. A 3-1-3 max strength phase in the SPP. 1 unloading week then a three week macro in pre comp and then the comp phase I’ll only plan out approximate volumes right now, I’ll decide the exact workouts when I see what type of form I’m in and what stimulus or work to top off form are needed.
Speed and tempo volume I’ll try to follow :
(To be filled in)
Gym rep scheme :
Major lifts (front and deep squats, cleans, snatch, push press, bench press)
GPP
2 weeks 8x3 1 min rest (75%)
unloading 6x3
3 weeks 6x3 1 min rest (80%)
unloading 4x3
Max strength
3 weeks 3x3 (80%, 85%, 90%)
unloading 2x3 (90%)
3 weeks 3x3 (95%, 100%, 105%)
Pre-comp
4 weeks 2x3 3xweek
Comp
Maintenance 2x3 2xweek
Whew! Just looking at my gym plan excites me. I can’t wait to make some good gains. It’s always motivating to have at least one area where progress is clear and easily quantifiable. I’m hoping to reach a 3 RM deep squat max of 140-150kg, finally break through in bench press to 100kg, increase hang clean 2 RM above 90kg.
Minor lifts (lat pulldowns, arm curls, shoulder press - may include others, ie T-bar row, triceps extensions, inclined bench press)
GPP
2 weeks 6x5 1 min rest (75%)
unloading 5x5
3 weeks 5x5 1 min rest (80%)
unloading 4x5
Max strength
3 weeks 3x5 (80%, 85%, 90%)
unloading 2x5 (90%)
3 weeks 3x5 (95%, 100%, 105%)
Pre-comp
These are replaced by general work here
Comp
These are replaced by general work here
General work
Pullups, dips
Gradually increasing as is possible, currently doing 3x8
To max of 5x12 (for maintenance period)
Back extensions
Gradually increasing as is possible, currently doing 3x10
To max of 3x30
Abs
Gradually increasing as is possible, currently up to 5x50
To max of 1000 per day
Jumps :
Emphasis on Up during GPP (acc dev)
Starting with just 12 FC per session and build up to 24 FC per session
Emphasis on Down during SPP (top speed dev)
Starting with 16 FC per session and build up to 30 FC per session (higher volume then in up dominant sessions because CNS stress is less for down)
As needed as stimulus during comp & pre-comp
Layout of track work
For starters, my training week will be Saturday-Thursday.
Speed day 1 Saturday, speed day 2 Monday, speed day 3 Wednesday
Tempo days either Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday one of those days will be hills too. The problem is the hills day is not up to me, I’ll go train with my old training group on their hill day, so I’ll have to juggle the rest of my training schedule around that day.
The only etched in stone day is accel dev. for the GPP, that will be Wednesdays as the part of my club with the track is closed on that day so I’ll go to the other section in the center of the city which has the indoor track and do my acc. dev there and then go to have a massage/physiotherapy afterwards since it’s in the same place.
GPP
Meso 1
Speed Day 1 - SE2 - 4x300m. week 1, 5x300m. week 2, 6x300m. week 3, 8 mins rest, 41-43 target time.
Speed Day 2 -
Speed Day 3 - acc. dev. - 8x20m. week 1, 9x20m. week 2, 10x20m. week 3
Meso 2
Speed Day 1 - SE2 - 2x2 300m., 8 mins between reps 12 mins between sets, 39-41 target time.
Speed Day 2 -
Speed Day 3 - acc. dev. - 6x20m. 4x30m. week 1, 4x20m. 6x30m. week 2, 9x30m. week 3
SPP
Meso 1
Speed Day 1 - SE2 - 2x300m. 2x250m. 2x200m., 10-12-8-12-6 rest, target times 300 = 38-39, 250 = 30-32, 200 = 23-24
Speed Day 2 - max v -
Speed Day 3 - acc. dev./speed -
Meso 2
Speed Day 1 - SE2 - week 1 4x300m. full rest <38 secs, weeks 2&3 3x300m. full rest <37 (full out, hopefully under 36!)
Speed Day 2 - max v -
Speed Day 3 - acc. dev./speed -
Pre-comp
Meso 1
Speed Day 1 - 4x200m. full rest, full out! 
Speed Day 2 - SE1 - 4x150m., full rest, full out! 
Speed Day 3 - acc dev./max v/speed -
That reads really solidly aln. I’ll keep reading you’re diary to se how you’re going.
Did you hear about the “sudamericano universitario” run this weekend here in Chile. Apparently Chile got 1st place in the 4 x 100 and Argentina got 2nd. and a mate who trains with me got 5th place in the 100 his name is Felipe Castillo. He ran a 10.9x despite having run a beautiful 10.72 last weekend and taking it easy during the week. I saw the relay team practice and these guys had it going on!!! they made a few poor switches at the practice and pulled a 41.3 so if they ran without those kinks , they should’ve busted out a 41 flat at the champs.
Cheers
Funny, I just asked about the Southam University Games in your training journal, then read this here. I keep a National ranking (top 20) for the men’s sprints, hurdles and horizontal jumps, so I’m looking for the results to see if anyone has better their season’s best. If the got 2nd in the relays then they surely have the no 1. mark of the season so far for Argentina. What happened with Brazil, it’s hard to believe Argentina and Chile beat a Brazilian sprint team!?
First workout of my GPP :
Hurdles mobility circuit
300 40.3
8
300 42.5
8
300 42.5
8
300 45.0
Solid track workout. Lactic was kicking in nicely between those last reps after that a little too fast first rep (target time was 41-43). I now feel ashamed when I look at my old training journal and see that an year ago I was bumming around doing this in 44-46 accumulating no lactic, I was plain and simple doing nothing.
Weights:
8x3 hang snatch 35kg (1 min rest)
8x3 push press 35kg (45 sec rest)
8x3 deep squat 90kg (45 sec rest)
Back extensions 3x10
Hang snatch and push press were a breeze, deep squat seemed like a breeze till the middle reps I could begin to feel the fatigue. The last ones I was fatigued, I had almost forgotten how volume type fatigue in the gym feels like. Bar was flying up in snatch and push press though. My form was SO solid in snatch, I had never felt like that technically. Impecable lifts, right triggering and use of body parts, etc. It felt so easy and smooth. I’ll have to examine what to do in the next session, I think a light session like this one once a week will be beneficial to engrain correct technique.
A major change is occurring, it has been occurring for weeks, but now I see it clearly. My mindset has changed a lot in the past few weeks. in particular my motivation and hunger. The last year or so I now see I have been pretty much training because I like athletics but with no clear goals or ambitions. I haven’t trained at 100% effort and sacrifice. I’ve done all the sessions I’ve had to do or planned, but I see factors have been missing. For example last May when I did some similar work to what I’ll do in the GPP I’ve planned now, I started doing these 4x300’s in 44-45. I was not ready to suffer and pay the price. Now I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get where I want to get. I got to 11 manual shape this year and mid 22 manual (last year before I got injured) shape last year training without complete sacrifice. I now see that improving from mid 22 to sub 22 is no joke. In particular for training for the 200, there are no shortcuts to that type of performance. Great things will happen in September-October if I put in the effort and sacrifice I need to put in during this GPP.
Had a good tempo session. Did :
4x5x100m. with 30 secs and 2 mins.
Form felt weird though, as if I was arching my back. Then in the last half I noticed I wasn’t completing the recovery phase.
Weights :
Bench press 8x3 55kg
Bicep curls 6x5 25kg
Standing shoulder press 6x5 20kg
Dips 3x8
Lat pulldowns 6x5 35kg
All with 45 secs rest.
Tomorrow is my first accel dev day, looking forward to it.
everything looks good 
dont worry about the times they’ll come
Cheers,
Chris
Yeah, I’d almost go as far as saying that something I have to work on as part of my training is getting the numbers out of my head and just running. The results will come if I train well. The problem is that I’m a statistics freak. It’s inevitable … I guess that’s why I’m an engineer (well, almost). But I’m sure it would help me to get the numbers out of my system.
Massage and EMS (for recovery)
Acc. dev.
6x20m.
Weights :
Hang snatch 8x3 37.5kg
Push press 8x3 40kg
Deep squat 8x3 90kg
Body weight 67.8 beginning of session 67.2 end of session. Record low weight for this year I believe.
I had to cut my acc. dev. session short because some ---- <- (fill in with very, very bad words :mad: ) aerobics class invaded the track to “warm up”. I had originally planned 8 or 10 x 20m. These 6 felt solid in terms of acceleration, I felt strong and like I was really getting moving after a couple of steps. The problems were 1) slow first steps, I was trawling out in the first 2 or 3 steps every time and 2) hip position was very low on many of the runs. The first problem was due to not being able to get into good position for a 3 point start. Since I had a massage before the session instead of after, because I was destroyed from Monday, I had to go to the indoor track later then I’d ever go. At 7 PM it was full of people jogging, etc. I had to look for gaps between runners and rush through the start in every rep. So I ended up not being able to do anything technically because I had to worry about the people all the time. The hip problem was the same thing, I couldn’t work on correcting it. A realization is that I might have gotten into the habit of accelerating with poor hip position during this comp period, but I never noticed because I never did accelerations on a good track. So that’s why I was having problems in my competitions, start was always great, but the poor hip position was limiting top speed. Well, regardless of whether this was what happened or not, it will be corrected, that’s the bottom line. Next Wednesday I’ll be able to do my track work earlier and not be bothered.
Weights felt great, probably de to the extra CNS energy from not completing the track work. I increased the hang snatch and push press weight 5% and 10%, and it still felt like I was flinging the bar up effortlessly. This gym has mirrors too, this was the first workout here since February I think (because I only do acc dev here), so it was the first time since then I see myself lift. I could see straight away that something has changed dramatically in my lifting technique. My quads were flexing which I had never seen before (I was probably using my arms for most of the lift up to just a few months ago) and the bar speed was very high. I wonder what types of numbers I’ll be posting in the OL’s in coming months. This technical improvement throws off all my planning in terms of intensities because I have no idea what my new max’s are. Even just a month ago, I remember I did some hang snatch to change stimulus and 40 was hard, and I was doing 3x2! Just a month afterwards 8x3 with the same weight is easy! It’s almost ridiculous. It’s just weird how that fell into place. I almost didn’t notice the change happening. 
It just kind of happened within a couple of sessions. First I remember a month or so ago I began to feel different doing hang cleans … then out of nowhere last week I was feeling very solidly technically with hang snatch. Well, I’m not complaining about the improvement though!!! Another note about today is the work the therapist did on me, geez, today I was really surprised by the work he did, he really knows what he’s doing. I was wrecked at 5 PM and 6:30 PM after an hour and a half of work on my legs I was feeling like new doing those 20’s and even better in the gym afterwards. Bravo! He deserves an applause.
Tomorrow a tempo session, and Friday is my off day. I’m almost done with my complete plan, I’ll post it up this weekend. I’m feeling very happy about how the new plan is looking. I think I’ve gained a lot of perspective about many phases of training and have made so many improvements. I know if won’t be close to perfect yet, but if I got a point where I was doing 8.9 80’s and feeling great with what I did January-March I think even better results can be achieved with the new plan.
Ended up taking my off day yesterday.
Today I did tempo. Freezing cold, I couldn’t move and was concerned all the time about pulling something, this being the first session I do in such cold. In a week or two I’ll be adapted, but these first sessions are worrysome. I did :
3x200m. (33-34) 2 mins
200-100-100-200 1 min and 45 secs rest
200-200-100-100-200 2 mins/1 min/45secs/1min 15 secs
I had originally planned to do 10x200 but it was so cold I didn’t want to stand around that long.
Weights:
Bench press 8x3 50kg
Lat pulldowns 6x5 40kg
Dips 3x8
Standing arm curls with barbell 6x5 25kg
Standing shoulder press with barbell 6x5 25kg
Back extensions 3x10
This workout really hit my ES, I should have reduced the back extensions, because I was already feeling my ES fatigued before doing the back extensions. Bench press was light, going back up to 55 or maybe 60 kg. Lat pulldowns is also easy at that weight. Dips are ridiculously easy now. Arm curls and shoulder press were easy too, so I’m increased weight 5% across the board next week, I started a bit too conservatively.
Finally got speed trap, wow, the first few pages are great, I’m really engaged, can’t wait to get into the book! Also reread/rescanned CFTS and 02 Forum Review, I picked up many new things and concepts that hadn’t quite gotten rubbed in the first time. The one that really makes me happy is that strength is general. So despite the fact that gains in the lower body are getting harder (already deep squatting 2RM over 2x body weight) to achieve and I probably have 30-50% in total gains I’ll achieve in my lifetime from where I stand now, in upper body, since I have worked very poorly in the past I have as much as 100% possible gains to make. If I work upper body well now I’ll greatly increase organism strength for this next period and that could transfer to unexpected gains (since lower body gains I estimate will be 5-10%, but I might improve more then that in speed).
I had forced rest yesterday. It was labor day here and my club was closed, there was no way I could do my CNS intensive day and the hill was out of the question because it was a holiday and the hill is in a touristic center it was surely packed and impossible to do a workout there (from previous experience).
Today I did tempo :
6x300m., 2 mins rest.
Ended the day with upper body weight circuit :
2x3 (8 pullups, 12 pushups, 40 abs)
20 pushups at end (to failure)
The tempo felt GREAT. I now see I should have always been doing longer tempo runs. 100 are too short for me. In particular these longer runs really help me with my technique, with keeping relaxed and in good form during these long runs. Target was 49-55, or more precisely I was aiming for 52. The first one went a little out of hand, I did 48, I thought I would die after that fast opener, 2nd one was 53.5 and then I stabalized in 52.5-53 the last 4. I felt very smooth and very well technically. But the big realization/improvement came in the last 3, I had to automatically adjust and economize my running to keep running the same time. Everything just clicked together, it was awesome. My arms were pumping in a harmony with the rest of my body I had never felt. I was also more relaxed then I can ever remember. Everything was forward, everything was movement in the right direction. I now couldn’t be gladder about trying this session. I think I might be on the verge of a technical breakthrough if I’m able to apply this new “zone” of relaxation and technique I’ve found to my sprinting workouts. Looking very optimistically to tomorrow’s lactic 300’s, I really hope I can apply the new breakthrough there.
What sort of warm-up and stretching do you use before and after your workouts? I am trying to work on my flexibility and lose weight, so if you could let me know what type of flexibility things you do, it would be greatly appreciated.
GREAT session. I did :
300 44.5
8
300 41.6
8
300 42.5
8
300 42.6
8
300 43.1
What I’m surprised about is the speed with which my lactic endurance is increasing. Every week it takes longer (more reps) for the burn to be at the same intensity as just the previous week. Screwed up slightly with the pace on the first one, I accelerated too little. That takes me to another thing I’m noticing, or actually it’s something that’s become clear after the reread of CFTS and 02’ Ebook. Everything is in the acceleration in every run. That’s why we put acceleration in place before anything. With acceleration in place these 300’s in 42 are ridiculous. I just accelerate quick (but smooth) for 20 meters and maintain the speed. It’s something before I didn’t notice or was too inexperienced to notice - how important it is to get into the right pace as quickly as possible. If you accelerate well it’s just like a recipe. Put in x grams acceleration in and then just hold and you get x time on the run. In particular this applies so much in the SE runs where you are not reaching top speed. Accelerating well gets you to the desired speed quickly and puts you in a position to work relaxed and concentrate on keeping form, etc - lets you focus on the important part of SE runs. It also makes the runs much easier. Last year I didn’t understand this and for example in 300’s or 500’s I would go out on a very gradual acceleration and not reached the desired speed till 40 to 50m., this would also mean I’d have to put in more effort then needed and or 1) reach a slightly higher top speed then needed to compensate for the slow acceleration or 2) have to quicken the pace at the end to make up for the poor start - either one certainly wasn’t the ideal way to start. Another positive of these last SE runs is that my form is really coming along during long runs. I don’t feel like I’m forcing the pace or struggling to hold form as just 4 or 5 months ago. I now finish off SE runs being able to maintain form and hip position - my motto is “everything moving forward” while I’m entering those last 100 meters. Last year to run the same times I would have had to start much harder because I’d decay and slow down so much in the end, in particular because of a breakdown in mechanics.
I finished the day with weights :
Hang snatch 8x3 37kg
Push press 8x3 40kg
Front squat 8x3 70kg
3xdown-up jumps from 50cm. box after each front squat set
Back extensions 10-8-6 (I had to go decreasing the reps because I was out of time and only resting like 15 seconds between sets)
Hang snatch and push press were too easy, increasing hang snatch to 40 and push press to 45 on the next session. I was conservative with front squat and went below 70% on this first session, I didn’t want my quads to get destroyed and put the quality of Wednesday’s accels in jeopardy. Increasing to 75 or 80 on the next session.
Other notes :
Finally went to the supplements shop and got all the stuff I need for this prep period. Got my multivit - which had run out about 3 weeks ago, I was getting worried about not taking my multivit because of the cold temperatures and it’s flu season here. Also got BCAA’s. The price went down a bit and it convinced me to finally give them a shot. Took my first 3 capsules 15 mins after the workout today. I also began taking creatine a week ago. So overall my supplements schedule will be :
Morning - multivit
Morning or midday - 2-3g. creatine
15 minutes after weights workout - 3 capsules BCAA
I know the creatine dose is low for the initial weeks, but I don’t do a loading period. I like getting it gradually in and not risking getting tight hamstrings.
Hi Hoss,
The first thing I would note is that there is no formula to “the right stretch” or “right warmup”. These are very personal and there are many different approaches, for example for warmups from those that do just some stretches and strides to the Seagrave warmup! Look at all these approaches and grab what you need. Use them as your toolbox and grab those tools and go testing what works for you. The foremost priority is that it works for YOU. What works for others might not work for you.
There is a post from around February or March where I talk about my warmup. It’s pretty much unchanged since. 2 laps, static stretching, 2x50m. strides, 3xhigh knees skipping, 3xbuttkicks, 2x50m. strides, dynamic stretching (if a CNS intensive day), then some accels. This of course changes depending on the workout and weather conditions I might add or subtract things. Warmups are very personal and you should go mixing all the different components, drills, lengths, etc and find what works for you.
To create my flexibility routine I used http://www.exrx.net . It’s a very useful site. Go to the “exercise and muscle directory” and then in the exercises part go selecting the body sections ie “thighs” and it gives you a ton of exercises and stretches for each part, with very useful pictures of how to perform them. To create your initial routine go through the lists and make a routine including one stretch for each major muscle group. Go trying out the stretches and see which ones work best for you or you like the most. Then you create priorities, for example I do extra abdominal and psoas stretches because I’ve had problems in this area. I also do extra hamstring stretches just in case (3 in total). Through time you’ll go refining the stretches and get what works best for you. This will be your standard static stretching routine. Then on CNS intensive days I also add dynamic stretches (ie leg swings, rotations) at the end of the warmup, right before starting the track session. These should be added gradually and carefully as you don’t want to overdue dynamic stretches and get injured (cause the wrong effect on the muscle, or leave the muscle in the wrong state). These are even more personal, you should start with a few and little quantity and get to what you like.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Alex.
Hurdles mobility
10x200m. 30-31secs with 2 mins rest.
Felt great today, I was just cruising. I think it was mostly due to the surface, I did them on a surface I had never done them before, a dirt strip. It was humid from the rain yesterday and the grip was excellent. The surface was so fast one could have done a good sprinting workout there with the right spikes.
Decreasing rest by 15 seconds between reps next time I do a similar workout, I’m too close to 75%.
Moved my accel session to tomorrow and took my rest day today. I have a little strain at the top of my quads which we worked on with the therapist. I then did upper body weights :
Bench press 8x3 60kg
Standing arm curls with barbell 6x5 25kg
Lat pulldowns 6x5 45kg
Dips 3x8 (30 secs rest)
Standing shoulder press with barbell 6x5 25kg
Everything with 45 secs rest except dips. Something strange is happening. The amount of rest is not affecting me. I can do 8x3 with equal effort with 45 secs or 2 mins rest. I’ll have to think what to do. I’m doing the right percentages of max effort, but the weights are just feeling too easy. I don’t get it. The strange thing is that for example the bench press at 60kg, the only reason I can’t do more is because strength is limiting me, but with such short rest and so many sets fatigue should also be a limiting factor, but I don’t get fatigued! I feel the same intensity and effort on set 1 and set 8. i really can’t think of any explanation, and reducing rests even more seems ridiculous, I’ve never heard or seen anyone do sets with say 15 seconds rest!