Athlete X came back from warm weather training. Looked happy.
However athlete spoke to other coach who put idea into athlete head that lot of races will be needed to get to full competition readiness. So athlete has come up with some crazy schedule of racing every week or even twice a week for the next two months leading to national champs. Nutts.
Anyway, first competition is done.
Athlete X run 0.02sec from personal best.
Not too bad.
Athlete Y, was all over the place smashing hurdles right and left into -2.2 run 14.4
It’s not appropriate conduct for coaches to interfere with other coaches athletes. Positive comments or accolades are fine but I don’t understand why some coaches feel the need to add their 2 cents when advice should not be dispensed in this way.
It’s important that coaches teach their athletes not to listen or solicit information from others either.
Decent day.
Athlete X run well. Looked like from 20-40/50 we can make a biggest improvements. The whole transition from drive to maxV can be improved. I think using EFE along side with 40s will be useful.
Athlete Y yet again smashed the hurdles 2, 6, 7, 10. Looked like was holding back.
Warm up was poor. I think was too anxious about the race. At the end run 13.7
I have really hard time with that transition from drive to max V (upright sprinting). I think that is by far the most technically difficult part of the race. Do you mean just 40 meter dash when you say 40s? When I saw EFEs from GPP video it looked like the athlete was starting with a rolling start from nearly upright position, so I wonder what can be done to incorporate the tricky “transition” aspect.
Can you expand more on this? Why are you having difficulty? Are you in fact having difficulty, or does it just subjectively feel like it’s taking longer than you want?
I pop up early and get excessive backside mechanics, not achieving the sprint position. It’s because I don’t gradually come up and have a smooth transition.
Can you get in the preferred position at 75% intensity.
I cannot get the transition at any intensity or speed, fast or slow. I do get closer to preferred position if I start more upright, but if I just cannot go from low angle to high angle properly.
Can you upload any video?
Please check your PM
I’m just taking a shot at this, but during the early acceleration from the low position do you concentrate on driving your knee toward your chest?
To some degree, yes. I know doing so excessively will tend to pop you up, but not doing it enough will make you fall on your face, and the happy medium is so small.
Personally I’ve found that if I just step straight down from the first step it tends to keep my hips up, which prevents my torso from popping up too soon.
I would think that if you step straight down, it would pop you up more since the force is more vertical vs. horizontal…I could be just misunderstanding what you mean.
That’s the point. Actually, it’s really more intent and sensation. I keep harping on this, but there is a huge gulf between what you are objectively doing in space (as seen by an outside observer) and what you are subjectively feeling while doing it. That’s what Charlie was referring to in Speed Trap when he talks about being able to feel what his sprinters were doing.
If you step straight down, the reaction force from the ground is going to go back up through the leg and into the hip, which will keep the hip elevated. If you’re leaning forward and the hip lifts, it naturally tips your torso forward. In contrast, if you’re leaning forward and lift your knee to your chest, it will tend to drop your hips and push your torso up. That’s why I don’t like all this drive phase, max speed lift phase, etc. type cues. That might be what outsiders are seeing, but if the sprinter tries to consciously replicate those movements as subjective sensations it will exaggerate certain movements and screw up his technique. Just cock the foot and step down from the first step to the last.
When I think step straight down, my shin angle is too vertical at ground contact and it pops me up, not just elevating the hips, but my entire body becomes more upright. From what I’ve seen, when I think step down, my shin angle really is vertical when seen on the video so it’s not just my perception. I would think that my shin angle has to be little more acute in order for me to have a “drive phase” as seen by outside observers.
Flash
You are or you have been an excellent student of the topic of sprinting and speed and how to execute.
It’s too easy for people to read a simple and inexpensive book like ‘Speed Trap’ and follow what the “Chuckster” was saying. (no one calls Charlie Chuck, nor should anyone call him Chuck ever except on occasion I will or may refer to Charlie as " … " … thank you ;))
Chris your comments are like gold for me when I read what you say.
I know for lots of you talking about the girls might mean you are not able to relate but one of the very talented girls I have been coaching kept talking to me about drive phase and I have no friggen idea what the heck she was saying except SOMEONE told her about the drive phase.
Well guess what. STOP THINKING
All of the kids want me to match the stupid arse crazy crap they are seeing on YOU TUBE by copy and paste ‘experts’ that coulda, woulda, maybe, done it for themselves but guess what?
I know some of you want to read the daily blogs of all who once frequented cf.com 24/7 and are now ‘blogging’ about what ‘they know’.
The sheer beauty of cf.com is one it’s been around forever and I am not paying anyone to say anything.
The content here is based on FACT and TRUTH and those two things are based on results. IMAGINE that results are based on FACT and TRUTH.
Go read or re read or reread again “Speed Trap” and the manual as well. And then seek out someone or someone’s that know or have done more than put pencil to paper.
And please stop thinking so darn much.