Felix toughens training regimen with eye on Beijing

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Triple world champion Allyson Felix said Wednesday she will begin to intensify her training for the upcoming season with the Beijing Olympics barely six months away.
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The 22-year-old US sprint star graduated from the University of Southern California last month with an elementary education degree, eliminating the burden of books from her attention as she focuses on gold in China in August.

“I’m excited to start two-a-day workouts this week,” Felix said Wednesday in an IAAF website posting. “Normally I don’t start until the summer but I’m able to begin a lot earlier this year because I don’t have to worry about school.”

Felix, the 2004 Olympic 200m runner-up, won world 200-meter titles in 2005 and 2007 and also ran on triumphant 4x100 and 4x400 relays last year at Osaka.

On Thursday, Felix will start typical training sessions at 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 in the afternoon, followed by a weightlifting session.

“One practice focuses on blocks and the other is a conditioning workout. I am excited to improve on my start without losing anything conditioning work,” Felix said.

Felix will depart Friday for Beijing and stay in China through February 6 on a publicity tour. She and coach Bobby Kersee will scout possible lodging locations near Olympic Stadium.

Felix has said she would consider seeking a golden double at Beijing in the 200 and 400 and even look at the 100, but any such dream would require qualifying at the US Olympic Athletics Trials, which run from June 27 to July 6 at Eugene, Oregon.

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Are two a day workouts typical for professional sprinters? With sprints in the morning and conditiong in the afternoon followed by weights. Is there a benefit? I can understand sprints in the morning and weights later. What do others think?

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Med ball in the morning, maybe drills, or light jog?

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maybe starts just mean reps under 30m.
in this case, the work in the morning would be less taxing on the cns and therefore she can do them every day.
just a thought.

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I know Michael Johnson attempted twice a day workouts in 1997 after injury to prepare for world champs.
He tried it for a while, but it didnt work for him - obviously the recovery time between sessions wasnt enough.
It works for some and not for others

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i think hart said he even tried three workouts a day but that too only lasted a week. the baylor program suits itself better for twice a day training as its is mostly strength work. kind of like distance runners doibg two workouts a day. since the are not high intensity, they can do it. that is why i suggested that felix may not run too far in the morning, plus she is working on her starts and you do not need to run that far anyways.