4 x 200m with 200m shuffle recovery in 26.5-27 (working on last 100 in 13.5)
Stopped at 3 after he went 26.2, 27.3, 28.6
Did a weights sessions afterwards
1a. Kettlebell Swings 5 x 10
1b. Box Jump 5 x 5
2a. Hang Clean and Push Press 3 x 3
2b. Mobility Drill 3 x 4
3a. Hip Lift 3 x 8 x 70
3b. Speed Chin Ups 3 x 8
4a. Mountain Climbers 2 x 30 sec
4b. T Push Ups 2 x 30 sec each side
4c. Reverse Back Extension 2 x 12
Tuesday was a tempo session around 1800m
Thursday to Sunday didn’t train due to a virus.
Tonight
2 x 2 x 200m; 200 shuffle/reps, 8 minutes/sets
Set 1 - 25.7+26.5
Set 2 - 27.2+28.2
Weights
1a. Hang Clean 1 x 3, 3, 1
1b. Mobilty Drills 3 x 4
2a. Hip Lift 2 x 6 @ 80%
2b. Speed Chin Ups 2 x 8 with assisting band
3a. Mountain Climbers 2 x 20sec
3b. T Push Ups 2 x 20 sec each side x 1.5kg
3c. Reverse Back Extension 2 x 10
First and foremost you are doing an excellent job for this person who I assume is not paying you, compensating you and you are not a paid coach?
Amazing. You are amazing to be doing this for this person.
It is clear you are following solid methodology set forth by two established coaches Charlie and KitK and I also noticed you are familiar with Tudor Bompa… Also a coach and professor who had Olympic Champions in rowing and track and field.
Pindaman commented on some speed work. Don’t forget to keep your work low or high and stay away from medium. I’m trying to post some training from my journals to illustrate somewhat of how things look from 100 meter hurdler starting as I did. I loved speed days because it was fun, exciting and I was going to go fast. By the time tempo days came I was tired and hated going into those days but the flush was so important and I could " sleep" through the workouts. What I am trying to explain is the extreme contrast between very high and very low. BE CAREFUL OF MEDIUM.
I am not saying you are doing medium work but be aware of it.
One of the Charlie’s former athlete’s is using Heart Rate monitoring to guage staying in low or high intensity work. Esti and T slow do the same but are getting more technical still by using HR variability work. It think this is an excellent idea for the coach but as one person pointed out it’s something to show/ convince the athlete what is going on. It may not be enough to say " do it this way". Evidence based work may be helpful for some people.
YOu are working with one athlete and therefor suffering the consequenses to some extent due to this fact. Your athlete sounds typical and predictable. And btw… most of the issues you seem to be having with him are related to his lack of committment due to school and family. While you can not blame him what so ever if you had 20 people things would sort themselves out. Right now there is no competition within a group, your methods are falling on one person instead of the cross section of a varied group. Charlie used to say the only way to succeed is to have enough in a group that you form the needed environment and everything else ( providing the methods are in place) will sort itself out.
This is not a critcism but a comment for you to understand the things that are not going as you wished might not be ( and likley not) your fault.
I have a squad of 7, and this athlete is the most committed. His problem is his family and there set ways. The athlete is never going to be an elite, in terms of performance, athlete, he is averaging 90% in arguable the 2nd hardest degree in the state (average averaging 85% in his science degree previously). My take on him is he works incredibly hard, probably too hard, as he wants to do more
Teaching one to trust and have patience are tough qualities to coach. A persons work ethic is also related to physical capacity and brain chemistry. Many people feel work for the sake of work is good. Charlie had a bit of blue blood in him so he was always looking for smarter ways not harder ways per say.
I remember one such athlete who trained at York and if 1 x something was good Carl did 10 or 20 x the amount and then some just because he could. The guy had so much talent but he could not listen to save his life and was injured all the time and always looking for more to be his answer.
Without question most people over train.
Thanks Angela. ‘More is always better’ seems to be general attitude in society, nothing about working smarter though.
On another note, I competed in my first race in about 10 years yesterday. After losing 15 kg the past year, I raced in a 60m. Technically I had no acceleration/drive phase, but enjoyed the hit out with a time of 8.33 (pb of 7.60 some 20 years ago) and managed to surprise a few people. Hopefully my athletes take notice of how little work I do
Sounds like some competition for me at either Oceania or Nats, hopefully I can make it to at least one of them.
What age group bracket are you? I’m 35-39
Last few weeks has been a battle. Between studying for exams, and breaking up with his girlfriend (done by her) the night before his last exam, I have just been trying to get him do what we can. Add to that a hamstring complaint - which I think has been brought on for a few reasons, mostly centring around sitting - no high quality work has been done.
The athlete wanted to race the past weekend, after he got through a decent session on Thursday, I let him hoping for the best but expecting the worse. The worse didn’t happen as the athlete didn’t really get out of 3 gear.
That being said, he is now onto the Gerard Mach hamstring rehab programme for the next 2 weeks with an eye to running a 400 on the 7th December.
Here is the Gerard Mach rehab programme I have been working - with some slight modifications, and I only show the first 8 days
1 Sunday Off (Compression Garments and 15 minutes in beach water up to chest)
2 Monday One Leg Step ‘A’ (Injured Leg Stays on Ground)
• Walking x 2 – 4 x 20m
• Marching x 2 – 4 x 20m
• Skipping x 2 – 4 x 20m
Upper Body Weights
3 Tuesday One Leg Step ‘A’
• Walking x 2 – 4 x 20m
• Marching x 2 – 4 x 20m
• Skipping x 2 – 4 x 20m
Regular Skipping x 2 – 4 x 20m
Tempo
• 2 x 10; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 4 x 10; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 6 x 20; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 8 x 20; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 10 x 20; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 8 x 20; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 6 x 20; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 4 x 20; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 2 x 20; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
4 Wednesday ‘Repeat Tuesday’
5 Thursday One Leg Step ‘A’
• Walking x 2 – 4 x 20m
• Marching x 2 – 4 x 20m
• Skipping x 2 – 4 x 20m
Regular Skipping x 2 – 4 x 20m
• 2 x 30; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 4 x 30; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 6 x 30; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 8 x 30; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 10 x 30; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 8 x 30; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 6 x 30; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 4 x 30; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
• 2 x 30; walk back rest/reps, 1 minute between/sets
Easy Accelerations
• 6 x 20, 2 minutes rests
Weights
6 Friday ‘Repeat Friday except Weights’
7 Saturday ‘Repeat Thursday except Weights plus
100 – 200 – 300, with limited acceleration
8 Sunday Off
(Compression Garments and 15 minutes in beach water up to chest)
I have also been getting the athlete to put heat rub on his injured sight and wrapping it in cling wrap for a few hours. He started this in on thursday night.
The plan was fluid as it depended on how he recovered from Day 7 and 8
Day 7 he got through okay, day 8 he decided that the beach water was too cold (the weather wasn’t that good either as it was 12 degrees Celsius and 40km/hr winds from the south) he decide to do a 15 minute swim at the pool where he works as a lifeguard.
Apparently that night his upper hamstring went into a bit of a spasm.
So the session I wanted him to do 4 x 50m tempo, with walk back recovery, and 6 x 20m moderate accelerations.
This is what we got through 4 x 50 at intensive tempo pace, and 2 x 20m at easy to moderate acceleration before his hamstring started getting a little too sore.
I told him to run/jog a lap. 70 seconds later he said I will do another lap later…
Frustrating isn’t when an athlete doesn’t listen to instructions, and it has probably set him back a week. I was hoping to let him have a hit out over 400 on the weekend, but I fear that has passed.
Physio seems to think he has scar tissue, as his mobility and strength levels are good. His lower back is tender and a bit inflamed. Hamstring issue, according to physio most likely relates to back issue. Nothing surprising there, although athlete was told this by me.
Physio told him not to do any running over 75% pace, which is smart and that is what he was meant to do in the first place. Physio also told him to swim and do long runs to keep fitness up.
Not sure whether I am being precious or not, but I find that advice from the physio to be wrong - based on the fact swimming caused his hamstring to cramp which suggests their is an issue with his back, hips, and hamstring when swimming. The athlete has admitted what I had been advising him was right, yet believes the advice from the physio.
On another note, the rest of the squad is training well so that is at least keeping me sane.
Sounds like his hips are out of alignment?
How flexible are his hip flexor and thighs? Tightness there can misalignment the hip girdle and cause the issues you mention.
I will need to test them, but based on the fact he is a uni student and has just finished exams - I would suggest he is tight. As a side note he made the deans honour role.
Just sent me a message from the athlete. His hamstring is getting tight, so he is going to do a swim instead of a running tempo. Considering last time he did a swim when he wasn’t meant to, his hamstring cramped up, and we are now in a worse position…
He runs his tempos too fast and rushes. Think middle distance/distance athlete always rushing to get things done.
My take is now let him have his way, and see if he learns anything from it. I am wasting too much time on him not listening to me at this time, and not enough time on my other athletes.
Yes this is a bit ranty, but it is better here than directly at him or my family.
We returned back to training this week, after Christmas and New Year break. Athlete went to the gym and run over the break, so came back from that period fit.
Monday he trained in flats.
3 x 3 x 50m; walk back between reps, and 8 minutes between sets
then Weights (which consisted of only deadlifts)
Deadlifts 1 x 3 x 80, 90, 100kg
Tuesday - Tempo
2x3x200m, 200m jog between reps and 5 minutes between sets
Thursday
set 1 60-300-60; 30 sec rest, 20 minutes then
set 2 60-300; 30 sec rest
Then Weights
1a. Kettlebell Swings 5 x 10 x 20
1b. Low Box Jump 5 x 5
2a. Overhead throw 3 x 6
2b. Active Cossack Stretch 3 x 20 sec
3a. Push Press 2 x 3
3b. Stiff Leg Deadlift 2 x 6
3c. Squat Stretch 2 x 20 sec
4a. 1 Arm Chin Ups 2 x 5
4b. Front Squat 2 x 3
4c. Chest Stretch 2 x 20 sec
5a. Ab Pulldown 3 x 20 sec
5b. Waiter Walks 3 x 20 sec each side
We have 7 weeks to our State champs, and the athlete is over a hamstring injury that he re-aggravated twice due to his work as a life guard.
He has raced 3 times in the last few weeks, and Saturday he will race a 400. This will give me an indicator of where I think he will be able to run at the State champs.
Tonight’s session was
3 x 50m + 1 x 300, with 30 seconds (or so) rest between reps. He did his 300 in 39.
He is lacking his top end speed, and is working too close to his speed at the moment.
His training at the moment, in my opinion, is hodge podge as we are trying to get everything up and not nailing anything in particular.
10/02/2014
Monday
3 x 50 + 1 x 300 Walk Back/Reps
Weights
24/02/2014 - Planned
Monday
"1 x 120m Block
Weights
Tuesday
10 x 100m easy, 30 sec rest between reps
Wednesday
Off
Thursday
Warm Up Only
Friday
Off
Saturday
Competition 400 + 4 x 200m state champs
Sunday
Off
I will review training after this, just to mak sure everything seems to be tracking okay.
The athlete during the winter and prep phase was tracking 2 seconds improvement on 400, but calf and hamstring issues (and athlete not doing things he was told at these times) ate into confidence and initial training gains. Don’t take that as me blaming athlete, just calling it how I see it as I am more to blame than the athlete.