This is the first year I have had athletes of my own.
I picked up two athletes who had long term lower back injuries and have not been able to train for 10 months +
One athlete is pretty much over her issue, while the other athlete is ongoing but is able to work up to speed, but volume is a problem.
The biggest issue I am having is the mental side of things and outside of sports issues.
The male athlete is looking at around high 11’s for the 100 and has done a 150 in about 17.
The female athlete will do hurdles, but isn’t fast enough or agressive enough at moment.
The structure of training at the moment is as follows
Monday - Tae kwon doe
Tuesday - Speed and weights (3 x 30, 1-2x100 in and outs and starts)
Wednesday - Tae Kwon doe
Thursday - Speed End and body weight circuits (1 x 150 + 80)
Friday, Saturday and Sunday - Recovery session and a Tempo Session
One is competing in school events - 3 comps in 3 weeks and is competing in Long Jump, 90m hurdles, Javelin and 4 x 1. Aim is to compete not concerned with results, but is giving me an indicator of what is going on.
Second athlete run his first race in 18 months. Run the 100 in 11.50, faster then I thought he would, although his back was sorer then I had hope (back is 80% fixed, we basically manage it now - he is an apprentice Electrician so lots of digging and carrying involved)
This athletes training is limited with length of run and volume.
Sample session is 3 x 30m with a 20 m run in, 1 x 100m acc, maintain and acc plus a few blocks. The other session is 1 x 150m and 1 x 60m - he tends to pull up sorer from this session.
2 of my soccer players are injured, 1 has a hamstring strain - managed to 1 legged ‘A’'s this week. The other has a quad injury and was told by the physio not to sprint and your really tight!, I have been trying to get him to run and sprint relaxed and saying words along the lines of the physio.
Training is progressing, for the next weeks the first athletes mentioned are competing 3 and 2 times respectively. Then they get 3 weeks off the track as the female athlete is sitting final exams and needs to get top marks for uni. They will only compete once (from a training point of view) prior to Christmas.
We will spend time on grass after Exams are finished.
The male athlete who run 11.50 is still struggling with back issue hasn’t really stretched out past 90% intensity since the run.
Although I am expecting him to compete this weekend, subject to how he is on Thursday.
The soccer players injuries are recovering the hamstring injury is recovering nicely.
This week is a struggle as I have a professional exams on and we are coming into exam period for uni and college athletes, so I don’t really expect them to do much in over the 3 week period of exams.
For the 2 T&F only athletes they will compete this weekend in either a 100m or 100m hurdles and maybe another event, probably, a lower grade relay.
I am in the process of organising/planning training from now until the end of the season in March, so I hope to put up a structure and suggested training soon.
Today was a local comp, which is pretty much the level my guys will compete this season.
It was mild around 17 degrees C with gusty cross head winds for 100m
The male athlete run 11.62 and came 2nd the athlete who won the race run 11.50. The previous comp the same bloke run 11.25 and my athlete run 11.50. So pretty happy.
The female athlete hard her back slighty at school yesterday and did only did a Long Jump.
Both these athletes have tests and exams coming up for the next three weeks, and are only doing whatever they feel like doing.
Then we will build up to State Champs in Late Feb and Early March.
Athlete got a poor start - we haven’t done a lot of starting work as the emphasis has been acceleration and max speed.
The athlete was infront at 60 and dropped 2 metres over last 40m.
The wind made it cooler then I thought, air temp was around 15 degrees C.
After the 3 weeks off, emphasis will be max speed and speed endurance and some work on general condtioning. There will be 3 training sessions a week (all we can fit in) plus 1 recovery session and 2 tae kwon doe sessions.
Sample Week
Mon - TKD
Tue - Max Speed + Half Tempo + Resistance
Wed - TKD
Thu - Speed Endurance + Half Tempo with Bodyweight)
Fri - Off
Sat - Tempo
Sun - Recovery
If competing Thu session would be half and Sat will be comp and no tempo.
This week has been quite with athletes having exams and me having the flu.
My thoughts turned to training of my soccer players. My thoughts are I am teaching them to sprint, once the technique is sufficient enough they will develop the ability to do repeated efforts required for the game.
I haven’t really analysed the game, but I suspect that most players sprint efforts are no more then 20-30m with some efforts maybe 70m (mostly wingers)
I coach 4 players at the moment. They are 4 different players, even though they are either wingers or defenders.
Joe - Has the best maximum speed and has had some sprint training - plays as a winger.
Jimmy - Is the distance athlete, has minimal can run okay but run all day.
Daniel - Best acceleration, maximum speed not quite as good as Joe
Richard - Oldest player around mid 30’s big bloke. Trying to determine speed. Plays central defence.
My thoughts are Jimmy should play mid field and use his cardio to advantage, once he learns to accelerate will be good.
The others are in probably right positions, although I know little about soccer - but come from a field hockey back ground.
At the moment they are learning to sprint, so mixing up track speed with short hills and finish the majority of sessions with 20 x 100m with 200 push ups and 200 crunches.
It is spring here at the moment and we are having days of 31 degrees little or days of 16 degrees and 70km/h gusts.
I’ve had the flu and still have the lingering effects so I am keeping contact with athletes to a minimum as half the squad have exams. As it is 2 of the squad have bad viruses…
One athlete who did compete yesterday in a 60m run 6.27 and won by a metre, I figure that is about 11.2 for a 100m which is pb territory. Need to get his maximum speed up more and improve speed endurance they are the aims for the next 12 weeks, and his starts - as he was lucky not to get DQ’d in race.
To put into context what 11.2 means, 18 months ago he couldn’t run, 9 months ago he was struggling running tempos 100’s in 22 seconds - and could only do 3 or 4.
24/11/2008 Monday TKD
25/11/2008 Tuesday Speed 2 x 30m plus 20m Run In 5-7 minutes
2 x 120m; acc 40, hold 40, acc 40 9-12 minutes
3 x block starts over 20-30m 3 minutes
Tempo 10 x 100 at 17 seconds
Resistance ‘See Separate Sheet’
26/11/2008 Wednesday TKD"
27/11/2008 Thursday Speed End 1 x 120m 15-20 minutes
1 x 60m 3-5 minutes
Tempo 10 x 100 at 17 seconds 30 seconds
Resistance ‘See Separate Sheet’
29/11/2008 Saturday Tempo “4 x 4 x 100 at 18 seconds
Push Ups x 10 + Crunches x 10
after each tempo run” “30 sec rest/reps
60 sec rest/sets”
30/11/2008 Sunday “Recovery
(Options)” “1. Self Recovery, or
2. Recovery with Darren”
08/12/2008 Monday TKD
09/12/2008 Tuesday Speed 2 x 30m plus 20m Run In
2 x 120m; acc 40, hold 40, acc 40
3 x block starts over 20-30m
Tempo 10 x 100 at 17 seconds
Resistance ‘See Separate Sheet’
10/12/2008 Wednesday TKD
11/12/2008 Thursday Speed End 1 x 120 15-20 minutes
1 x 90 3-5 minutes
Tempo 10 x 100 at 17 seconds
Resistance ‘See Separate Sheet’
13/12/2008 Saturday Tempo “4 x 4 x 100 at 18 seconds
Push Ups x 10 + Crunches x 10
after each tempo run” “30 sec rest/reps
60 sec rest/sets”
14/12/2008 Sunday Recovery “1. Self Recovery
2. Recovery with Darren”
Trying to gradually increase volume of special endurance work as anything over 180m he struggles with not from a performance point of view more because of his back.
Tonight session was the first after 3 weeks off. unfortunately 3 of the 5 have a cold virus going round and pretty a warm up and hurdle drills is all we could do.
My 100m sprinter back was sore. Figure it relates to his manual job and not doing his stretching and mobility work.
Has a bugling disc in his back after giving up trying to get it out of him at least I have some idea. Basically the bulging disc is impinging on nerve causing weakness on one side and nerve pain down that leg.
4 x 30m technical base and 20 x 100m with 20 push ups (200 in total) and 20 crunches (200 in total)
Thursday session was
3 x 50m, 40m, 30, 110m. short runs had jog back recovery with the 110 at runthrough pace. Had 10-15 minutes rest then
20 x 100m in 22 secs with 20 push ups (200 in total) and 20 squats (200 in total)
One of the soccer boys run a 800m in 2.22 and a 3000m in 11.18 (after sprinting the last 80m of the penulitmate lap… Not quick but he has done traditional aerobic work at all with me and maybe 4 runs in 6 weeks by himself.
Sprinters trained okay.
Thursday session was
1 x 120m, 15 minutes rest and 1 x90m followed by 10 x 100m ith 5 push ups (25 in total) and 5 squats (25 in total)
Tuesday was warm up only.
Sprinters had end of school dinner so where excused from Saturday training.
Well I have had 2 sprinters quit. One didn’t like competing, is going back to orienteering a sport she did 5 years ago.
The other athlete has been sent to have a think about his future. His back is causing grief and is sore even before training and is sturggling with motivation because of it. I suspect he will not return, and I will be happy with what ever decision he makes as long as it is his own.
He works currently as an apprentice industrial electrician so spends a lot of time travelling, digging and climbing. He has to speak to medical staff, as surgery is an option - although I have suggested that is a last resort due.
The soccer players are training 3 days a week at soccer, I get no say in training for that, but they are doing lots of short running with minimal rest.
So training for them is basically like this;
Active Warm Up
180m of sprint
Conditioning
a. Upper Back Exercise
b. Squats
c. Push Ups
d. Hurdle drills
c. Some run (100 - 400 at comfortable pace)
d. Abs
The soccer boys are getting flogged but an old fashioned soccer coach. So they are getting aerobically fit.
My job has basically been to work on strength and speed technique. This week has been a recovery week from soccer so I have upped training a bit.
Tuesday they did 20 x 30m all in 4.2 on first step.
Thursday they 12 x 4 bounds into sand and 4 jump squats with 30 sprints on bend.
Tuesday wasn’t planned but it happened, wasn’t a speed session more getting use to repeated efforts with decent recovery (compared to normal soccer training)