Chieftan's Championship Quest

Members Area My Training Journal
121

Monday was pre-meet day, 14x100 tempo, roll and stretch. Nothing else, not even field event work.

Tuesday: all day forecast called for storms and rain. Rain ended before meet and it was humid high 60s, with tail wind in 100m (rare for our track).

Many season best 100m and 200m times (as might be expected given temp and wind combo). My girls team lost the 100, 200 and 400 (all 3) for the first time in 3 seasons. one girl beat my two best girls in those events (12.6, 26.2/26.8, 60.6). She (other teams girl) ran great. My girls ran season best/PRs and still lost. Can’t be mad of course, but they were upset, especially being grade 12 seniors and their last home meet. Our 4x4 would blow them out, but I tried to get them to work on good smooth exchanges. The result was not good at all. Very novice type exchanges, which I am a bit upset about. This group continues to not execute things they have in the past. I’m not quite sure why.

Wednesday: Team meeting, then Big circuit

I enjoy coaching, but with big groups comes logistical issues, behavior issues, and other things non-coaching related. At the meet, it is alleged 7 kids had money stolen form their bags during the meet by someone (s) on our team. I had to address this and come up with a way to stress the seriousness of this and how I don’t want to have this occur again. In 3 years, we’ve never had anything taken before. At first my solution was team lunges around the track for 2 laps. then I figured I’d pressure the kids more and cancel this weekend’s meet unless the money was brought back. Kids have big mouths and talk. There are kids on the team who know who did it I’m sure. Considering 50 kids are scheduled to go, I’m hoping my plan works. On top of all this, my boys varsity relay team all skipped practice. They were seen lifting weights after school, and then never showed for practice.

To add more, this weekends’ meet is relay only, and I totaled 39 total exchanges for sprint events to be practiced. Many events are odd distance/combos, which makes it fun, yet stressful and time consuming to practice.

Needless to say I’m stressed.

122

To add more to it, B, my top 400m girl, is now sick with stomach flu. Missing her 2nd to last quality training session tomorrow, and possibly this weekend’s races.

123

Grade 12 girls? how far away is Prom? I bet it’s not too far. I wonder if they are feeling a lot of distractions.
Stealing money? Michigan right? Yeah, I grew up in Windsor remember? Detroit has been having a tough time for their parents and them and well kids might think it’s okay to " borrow " from those who have more?
Any idea you have to manage that is good but surely you can’t be responsible for stolen money.
The flu? Yeah, it’s going around here as well.
You are doing a fantastic job. This I know for sure.
Make a list. Check off all the stuff you did , note stuff if you did not do it but I bet you have done all the things you needed to do.
Then the next thing you need to do is something just for you or your family be it your wife or kids. Make sure you invest in other things as well as the coaching and give your self heaps of credit for the work you have done.
LEt the kids own their own stuff. Good or bad. You did your part for them. And I know you will continue to do your part for them.
Oh and thank you for sharing your story as I bet it’s similar to a lot of stories out there that we might not get to hear.

124

Thursday: warm up. 4x10m standing. 4x10m blocks. 4x150(tempo,all out,tempo, all out…rests were jog back, walk, jog).

I have a group of high jumpers only and they did a series of drills.

I spent most of day with hurdlers.

B felt ok and I decided with 5x200 in 30(finishing 200m goal) with 2 min walk. 29,29,30,30,31.
D did (4x60+200)x2.

Theft issue still unresolved. After threatening to cancel meet Saturday, it hurts way too many good kids. I’m hoping a hert to heart chat helps clear things. Then 39 different exchanges to be practiced for Saturday meet. It relay only, so with 4 batons, it will be interesting practice Friday.

125

So we ran the Saturday meet after the week of frustation. The relays did ok, my girls ran well, but no tgreat. The 4x4 was still sluggish and not getting out fast enough, even though they are capable. in the 100m, my girl, D, ran against the girl who beat her Tuesday. In the other girls prelim, I noticed she got out slow cmpared to her her 100m time, and realized she cruised the first half and crushed the last. D made the finals against her, and we talked about doing the same strategy and knowing this girl would take of around the 40m mark. D was one step behind on the take off mark of the race, but chased her down to win in a personal best 12.5 HT. For some time, I haven’t been brave enough to have someone try this strategy. I guess it was good timing!

126

Monday was pre-meet (likely 14x100m tempo as I don’t recall being over a week ago).

Tuesday we had another tough meet, D ran a 12.7, wasnt executed like Saturday, but still happy for the result. The girls 4x200 ran well and contine to show ability to be a state finalist team (although they will get killed, but making it is a great accomplishment!). B, in the 400, had a tough opponent, a girl who had a better time. Since satruday relay race, and knowing this girl’s time, we had talked about her getting out quicker. In her race, she got out way too slow, was behind by 1 second at the 100m mark, and lost by 1 second. I think it was a lesson learned. Many girls complained this meet about being sore, achy etc. Typically this came on the weekend meet, but this year it came in the 2nd to last Dual meet after the famous weekend invite. Overall, this day wasnt great, but the girls won as a team.

Wednesday was big circuit and stretch and rolling.

Thursday B did 4x50m race modeling on the curve and we also worke don 4x200m and 4x400m handoffs, as we are trying to sharpen those. This coming weekendwill be focused on relays executing in preparation for regionals next Friday. A few girls doing 4x100m did 3x80m instead of the race model. The 4x100m was talked about but after looking at results, we are likely 4-6th best in the area, not the top 2 needed to make state finals. I have made adjustments and swapped runners to prepare for next year’s team!

Friday was pre-meet, 14x100 tempo.

Saturday was beautiful weather. 70 and sunny, slight cross wind. The 4x200 set a season best 1:47.65 (#2 in school history, 1 second off school record). We took 3rd, but showed we should run top 2 at regionals (as one team in top 3 isn’t in our region). The 4x100 had 2 terrible exchanges, related to take off timing. Incoming runners ran up on the outgoing. The time was not good, one of the worst of the year. The 4x400 ran a season best, but still not where I hoped they’d be at this point. Our #2 runner is our weakest link and she has a hard time getting our quick enough, along with poor cut in angles on the back stretch. #3 ran well, a season best, along iwth our #1. B, the #4, ran well but not her best. 4:08.02.

Friday I hope they can run sub 4:06 and that should be us in one of the faster heats.

127

Monday was 10x100 and meetings, as this was last practice of year for 90% of the team. It rained and stormed and many didn’t get to do much.

Tuesday: last dual meet of season. I tried to change the date to earlier in the season but the other team wouldn’t do it. In years past we never raced on Tuesday before regionals. The kids who have potential to make state finals I put in 1 event, the 4x200 only, as to avoid lactic in 7 days prior to big race (per advice from the great KitKat), and to have one more competition relay exchange. The meet was cancelled/forfeited due to weather. We drove the 1 hour to their school, the monster storm came. Our girls needed one mroe win to win the league outright, and their girls team was not good at all. our boys team had a few losses, and their’s had one, and if our boys forfeited (in exchange for their girls) they had possibility for co-title on the boys side. The alternative would be to make it up Wednesday, 2 days before regionals (in which case I woudn’nt run anyone at all competing friday). All coaches agreed on the forfeit to avoid the head ache of re-scheduling etc. A few kids were bummed, but weather issues late in year are tough to deal with, one reason why we tried to re schedule it.

On the way back to school, a few girls and 2 boys had practice. My boy hurdler, N, did some 300m race model pacing work trying to sharpen up for Friday.

In my posts, I haven’t mentioned that I have a 9th grade girl, about 5’9" and very thin, start hurdling this year. I saw her dance at practice and had a track girl recruit her out. She was pretty bad early on, running 21 seconds for 100mH. she made slow progress but was literally jumping over hurdles using a 4 step. I created a set up using high jump standards and a rubber band (high jump practice band), along with 2 hurdles on the side to create this type of situation :
http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_10152_10753_2003407_-1

The first day we did about 20 reps through (on turf), then had her on the track do 3 hurdles, and she went off and 3 stepped them easily. Then in saturday’s meet, she 3 stepped 9 of them before having an issue on H10, but breaking 18.5! She made the finals and struggled alternating 3 and 4 steps throughout, but happy to see her rip 9 hurdles 3 stepping.

Tuesday after she 3 stepped to a 17.5 HT. Then Saturday (May 10) she went 17.85 fAT and made the finals. In finals, she jogged the first hurdle and then got passed by everyone and ran terrible 18.5 (when this was great two weeks ago!!). She is ranked top 8 in region and if she runs fast and hard like she showed, could contend for a top spot at regionals.

128

Tuesday’s meet was cancelled due to really bad thunderstorms, and with no time to make up meets, there was a shared forfeit. Their girls forfeited so our girls would win outright league championship, and our boys (with nothing to lose or gain) forfeited so their boys would have potential to share a championship with another school. We drove back to school (an hour!) and I had kids practice, as the storm had passed by. We did a lot of modeling over 50m, and my hurdler did a few models over 1 and 2 hurdles.

Wednesday and Thursday were easy warm-up, tempo (wednesday) and feeling good. Weather Friday is looking to be 50s and sunny. Should be great day for great performances.

129

Friday May 16:Regional finals

Boys: My hurdler took 2nd in the 110H earning a spot in state finals! I didn’t expect him to be top 2, but he stayed focused and caught people towards the end of the race. So happy for him.

Girls: D, in the 100m, ran a really sloppy semi final and didn’t advance. She was very upset afterwards. About 30 minutes later, the girls 4x200 took 2nd, advancing, but with an average time for them this year (we have the 2nd slowest qualifying time going in)

In the 400m, B, took 2nd in 60.1, a season best time, but not where I thought she would be. D, took third and looked like she was going to pass B but faded late running 61.1.

In the girls 4x400, it was a race against the clock. Our goal was sub 406. They ran hard but only ran 4:07. It appears they will be in the second fastest heat, and a 406 would have landing in the fast heat.

They had the rest of the weekend off, Monday was warm-up and stretch.

Tuesday was conference champiionship. D ran incredible. Just losing the 100m by a lean, but won the 400m, and the 200m, and anchoring the 4x200. B took 2nd in the 400 (61.) and 6th in the 200 with a terrible time. She of course was upset. But I know she didn’t feel great but still did ok. The girls 4x400 team wasn’t together in this meet, so another group ran. The girls won the meet convincingly. My boy hurdler did ok in the 110H and same in the 300H. He keeps making mental mistakes that we have discussed all season to not do.

Wed: Warm-up and stretch

Thursday: County Championship meet:
D wanted to run the 100 and 200. She looked good early and was out leaned in the final 12.73 to 12.75 FAT. The girls 4x200 was up next and set a school record and winning the meet! They ran incredible. in the 400m, B won in her first sub 60 race this year 59.97. in the 200m, B and D were in the final, and D won the 200 in a season best, B came in second with a personal best. In the girls 4x400, I made a change to the order as I felt my 2nd runner was losing too much. I moved her first and planned to let the other 3 make up anything she might lose initially, as they tend to be better at going after people. They ran a 4:06 finally winning the meet.

Friday: warm-up stretch

Saturday: Team state finals

girls 4x200 ran ok but not like Thursday. It was the first time we had more than one good school in a heat with us, and was good prep for state finals next week.

in the girls 400m, B ran 59.87 from Lane 8. I’m very pleased with that time considering the week of races they have had.

In the 200m, D ran a PB but got destroyed. Our state has a 10th grader who is one of the fastest in the nation, who ran 24.18 that day.

In the girls 4x400, they ran 4:04 and showed they have potential I’ve been expecting from them all season!

Sunday: rest:

Monday: Treatments and practice.

Saturday is the last meet of the year, state finals. I’m hoping the 4x400 can get top 8, which will likely be 4:02 or faster. More posts to come.

130

Saturday May 24: Team state finals

It was pretty hot for us and there was limited shade. The meet was run very quickly which is both good and bad.

The girls ran hard, some ran PRs, some didn’t, but gave great effort nonetheless. The 4x4 ran a season best 4:04, which I was very proud of, considering the 8 days and 4 meets they had. B ran another season best 59.87 FAT in the 400m from lane 8. D ran another PR in the 200m but was beaten by one of the nations top 10th graders who ran 24.18.

Sunday: off

Monday: Massage/treatment day

Tuesday: 4x50 race model on turn, 1x60 all out.

Wednesday 8x100m tempo, batons

This is similar to last year’s format, except last year they didn’t have a race on Saturday. So I 've pushed back the session this year to Tuesday, and will do a light quick session Thursday of modeling.

Friday we drive 2 hours up to the hotel to do a shake out.

131

State finals results:

110H: he got a terrible start and ran a season worst time. He wasn’t sure what happened and was taking his last high school race hard. A new qualifying format was used, and he would have had to drop major time off his PR to advance, so at least knowing that makes it a bit easier to handle. I think I backed off his training too much, and his training distances were too short.

Girls 4x200: goal was to set a new school record (from their previous mark mentioned in posts above). They ran 0.09 off that mark! They ran great and were happy with their results.

girls 400: Goal was 59.0 or faster. Originally start list had her in a 2 person heat, but a few scratches put her in lane 8 with 7 others, better than a 2 person heat. She got out well, as trained for, and came through in 59.3, missing the goal by just a bit. She was very bummed, but it was a PR for her, but not the school record she was after. Wind wasn’t a factor at all. All sprint races were under 1.0m wind.

Girls 4x400: Goal: top 8, break 4:02.8 school record:
In the second fastest heat, they were down after the first leg, in the lead after the 2nd leg (as I expected, the first two girls ran their butts off and we had the lead). The exchange took place as the 3rd runner crossed in 2:01, she ran a 58.3 second split, and the anchor, ran a 58.0 split (timed from video camera at finish line) for a 3:57.6, good enough for 5th place in the state! It also turns out to be the fastest time by a team from our county in history, going back at least 50-60 years. This year was also the fastest 8th place time at least in the previous 9 years (I recorded the 8th place time going back 9 years, which trended at 4:02. This year, it was 4:00). I was in tears after the race. They were too once they found out they took 5th! They were just happy to the beat the school record.

At the banquet, I broke down in tears crying, couldn’t speak, so sad to see these seniors leave. They have spent so much time with me they are almost my own kids, they are like family to me. I came back to coach one more year to see them out, and I am so proud of their accomplishments. I’m debating coaching next year, due to several layers of issues (family, team, money etc). I’m planning a summer training group and then my girls cross country team in the fall, and will make a decision for track then.

Girls ended year league dual meet champs (5-0), division meet champs, county runner ups, team state finals qualifiers, 4x200 and 4x400 girls set school records. My seniors are scattered throughout my schools all time top 10 list in addition to the records they set. I graduate 3 seniors, return many girls. Hoping they step up their dedication in the next year and exceed expectations.

Having used a concurrent approach again this season, I will be working on a 2.0 version of what I posted after last year summer season.

132

2015 Season!

This year I will be only coaching the girls team. Every event except Shot put and pole vault. Long story behind this.

Monday March 9: 12 inches of snow on the track, so we will be indoors this week. Temps scheduled for the 40s an 50s all week.

Distance: Easy 20-40 minute run based on who they were

Sprints/Jumps: Short hill sprints in our school parking lot. 5 x hill, rest, 5 x skip up the hill for distance, rest, partner towel resisted sprints.

Tuesday: Snow beginning to melt. I shoveled today and yesterday hoping to get to track for Friday to do some timed runs that I usually do the first week every year to see how the new girls stack up with the returners.

Sprints/jumps: Did basement tempo style workouts alternating 40 seconds running with 40 seconds of the fast ab circuit shown in the GPP download. After, did a strength circuit

Distance: New girls road bike for 30 minutes then did strength circuit, my XC girls did bike and ran and strength circuit. A few more fit girls did a 3 mile “tempo” run using Vigil’s mile + 40 sec pace. We will do these on Tuesdays for a month.

Strength circuit: jump rope, med ball throws to wall (chest, side, overhead), push ups, crunches, 1 foot balance exercises. We did each about 3 times 30 seconds

Wednesday: Distance: A fartlek run I call “Kenyans” of 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy, for 10 cycles. Fit girls did 8 miles at hard pace. After did fast ab circuit.

Sprints/jumps: Standing accels for about 20 m in the hall x 3, then did 3x partner towel resisted runs, then 3x accels, then 3x wall posture drill, then 3x accel. Thendid a plyo circuit of squat jumps, 1 leg step up jumps, straight leg jumps and jump rope.

Hurdlers
(about 10 girls) did some drills afterwards: Trial leg slides ,leg lead to wall, walk overs, and then did a few reps over 1 hurdle.

Long jumpers: did “run run jump” drill to work on take off rhythm., then did a few "take off"s over a 12 inch box working on knee drive and upper body posture at take off.

Thursday
I had a staff meeting so gave team day off. A few distance girls did hills…Kit Kat’s 2x1 minute with walk back rest, 10 minute between sets, they did 2-3 sets.

I have now completed removing the snow from certain lanes to use on Friday! The girls brought boots and walked all over lane 1 Wednseday and it melted by Thursday. Only the second turn was still snowed. It appears out 100m straight is up hill, since all the water is still at the start line. Not only do we run to the west (into the wind most days, it’s also up a water gradient)

133

Friday:
Temps in 40s, track was cleared enough to do 2 lanes for 150m and lane 1 all the way around open.

Distance: 800m time trial for new girls. Chose this instead of mile cause so many girls had no background, posed a slightly challenging distance to some. A mile would have been terrible, as I had a few girls run over 4 minutes of 800m.

Sprinters: 60m, 150m time trial. I have done this every year. I like non race distance trials for sprints. I am trying to find a few more years of testing data, but based on what I have, there is a pretty close relationship to the sum of the 60+150m time= their season 200m potential. 2 years ago, a runner of mine ran 7.89 and 20.19 and later in the season ran mid 27’s in the open 200. A few other runners had similar relationships.

134

Weather has finally seemed to break, predictions in the 40s and 50s all week!

March 16 Monday: Sprinters did acceleration work and short speed endurance, doing 2 sets of 4x40m with walk back recoveries.
Distance did stride and an easy run.

March 17 Tuesday: Distance did hard fartlek on track, as the wind was pretty strong. The original plan was anaerobic threshold run (mile+40 sec pace) but that wouldn’t have ended well.
Sprinters did tempo.

March 18 Wednesday: Distance: long run at the park in town
Sprinters: Accels, some max velocity technique work, and then long speed endurance

Many girls complaining of sore quads.

Thursday: March 19
Sprinters: Planned active recovery day. Took a lot of planning. I have 12 rollers, 6 stretch straps, 6 rubber bands (for joint distraction mobility work), tennis balls/lacrosse balls, calf stretchers.

I had enough to break into groups of about 6. On paper it timed well, but reality was it was too much new stuff in one day to give 40 girls. We still got in some rolling and stretching and mobility work.

I had planned some tempo work too, but lacrosse game interfered.

Distance: One group did 8x400, the other 10x200 with (1/2 distance jog recovery). Tough session that was just about right for them.

We had to leave early because of a lacrosse game. Balls were flying all over the place so we packed up and left. Next closest place half way decent to train was half mile away.

135

ESTI, your situation sounds similar to mine - we get 2 days a week on our own track, the lax team gets 3, Saturday is a free for all.

Just curious behind the intent of presumably incomplete recoveries (if you’re going by the 1’ per 10m rule of thumb) with the 4x40 sets on Monday - just trying to sneak some system work in or?

Good luck in your season!

136

I only noticed this now. That is an exceptional result and really speaks to the quality of your program

137

The result of studying the Lactate Threshold thread for several years! Kudos to KitKat for sharing his years of wisdom on here for us all to benefit.

138

Similar in concept to the short to long speed endurance training. Charlie outlined Ben doing sets of 4x60m at various intensity limits throughout the SPP (video and charts in Vancouver video in the store). It does tax the body pretty good. If I had given a 150 instead (4x40=160, yes I know! but for common training distance sake), for example, it can change the result alone from the mental image of it “being far.” When kids hear 40m, they give a little more effort, at least in my group. When I gave 2x200 later in week, it wasn’t much different than a tempo run in terms of time. Considering most are not fit coming in and we have to run a 200 March 31, it gives me a way to help them from having mental blocks.

139

Friday:
Sprinters: all one group today, 12x100. A few of the older kids didn’t feel well so I went with a very conservative session.

Distance: 30 minutes on the grass

After, nearly everyone rolled out and stretched. 1 set of quick ab circuit and our push up routine.

With the chaos of the week, sprinters didn’t get any block work in, so we got in a few today.

Saturday about 10 girls will compete indoors. Results to follow!! I’m not expecting anything spectacular. Distance kids have heavy legs from out aerobic training block, everyone else is getting legs under them. I do want to see how my 4x200 team does so I can start to work on dual meet events for the 31st.

We haven’t lost a dual meet since 2012, and the first one this year is arguably the best team in our conference, at least on paper. As I started to sketch out the event line up, I think we can place 2 in each open running event and hopefully win 3 of the 4 relays (5 pts to the winner, 0 to loser). In the past 2 years, my sprint relays only lost one dual meet race. We have killed teams in sprints, but that depth of talent is now graduated. I have a very young team, only 4 seniors( 3 sprinters, 1 distance) with some young 9th and 10th grade talent to develop.

Side note, two of my girls from last year’s team are running in college, B, is at Central Michigan University, and D, is at Penn State. My boy hurdler N, is at Oakland University. My current distance senior has a few nice choices for schools for next year and will hope to make her decision soon.

Since I started coaching here, I have had at least one athlete All-State (top 8 at state finals) each year. I plan to continue that, but it will be tough this year. First, I need to get them to the Finals!

140

ESTI, you are one of the people who have studied the information and gone out and tried things for yourself and continued to learn and question. This is exactly what Charlie did.
I have learned the most from people like Charlie who openly admit they do not know it all.
Charlie would and did fight to end of the world for the things he knew for sure.
But, he also would tell you if he was not sure or if there was something he felt was up for debate.
The information is all here in the forums and also in the downloads but the work is not done for you. Having a reasonable size group is an excellent start because it will give you enough cross section of varied talent.
The other thing not to forget is the amount of time Charlie put into what he did. He spent countless hours on the phone with certain coaches and countless hours working with people to teach them how to train and gave them the reasons first hand why certain things are important. CHarlie also learned a great deal from others as well and sometimes teaching others give insight to why the things you know are as important as they are.