Maybe he was doing intensive tempo 
Based on his best so far this year, 9.88 against Gay, the 10.42 is almost 95% on the money.
So while I know you were being sarcastic in your post; in reality, even though this 10.42 is something of a bust at first glance, relative to what we’d all like to see, it still qualifies as ‘speed development’ relative to his best this year.
On that note, while the 9.88 is nothing compared to what he’s done in the past it is the most he’s done in quite a while. Thus, in this regard the 10.42 just days later doesn’t seem as much of an eyebrow raiser as the 9.88, again relative to his current readiness/preparedness, is much more of a CNS stress then it would have been last year.
Perhaps then it was by design- maybe an instruction of Francis- as the 95% would still qualify as a meaningful enough CNS stimulus to count towards the 18 relative to his preparation this season.
I see what you’re saying, but what about his training? I mean there must be a sh*t load of sub-max work throughout the year to have him ready from that perspective. Cause I believed up to this point that it was the maximal effort speed work that he needed ?
I’m primarily looking at it from the perspective of:
- most of his times this season have been +10.0
- 9.88 is his PR so far this season
- the proximity in which the 10.42 was performed relative to the 9.88
- and, it seems as if everyone is agreeing that he is still structurally impaired (ankle) thus it would stand to reason that he and his coach might get as much as possible out of sub-max work until his readiness is actually in a position to tolerate the maximum of his current capacity.
I state that because I think we all agree that he had more in the tank on the 9.88 performance.
He’s also further ahead from last year near this point because he ran 9.88 or 9.89 with a 0.102? or very similar reaction time and ran it hard through the line (race he beat bolt). with the 0.150 reaction he got friday that run would have been 9.94.
So regardless he’s 1 tenth ahead of last year at this point (considering he can do 9.83-9.84 now) and still not 100% physically (ankle).
If he gets into low 9.7 shape or even possibly 9.6x, it be incredible however question still remains can he do it in the 4th race in 2 days?
Or, like he has done in the past few years, he rjogged a race for the crowd since he has his European training camp in that town? This seems to be the first time they have actually published the results on the web (usually runs youth heats and such).
I think his acceleration wasn’t so easy… Definitelly no miracle shape… 
During the morning of the race, Asafa ran 10x200m at practice.
I got it… hmm Do you know how fast it was?
I got it… hmm Do you know how fast it was?
I guess @ 70%. This is the same session we have been doing on tempo days. (27-27.50sec. with 2-2.5min. breaks)
If it was his tempo day, and after doing 10x200m why sub-max race?
Or did he do 2 training sessions in a day?
10x200 in 27… 2 minute breaks… how fast are you? I know 10.4/20.8 guys that would be incinerated by that workout.
For intensive tempo focused athletes, that is not a big deal. We used to have an army of 23.xx 200m / 51.xx 400m guys capable of that workout but with 90sec rests.
However I agree that athletes at the performances you speak of may be fried if their programs are focused on accel work and tempo 100s on grass.
Yes, and that’s why they were still running 23 and 51
10x200 in 27… 2 minute breaks… how fast are you? I know 10.4/20.8 guys that would be incinerated by that workout.
fogelson
I am not fast…that’s what my athletes have been doing.
I have done this kind of training with my athletes for over 6 yrs. now. Younger athletes in particular respond better to this kind of training regime (tempo) with shorter breaks. I have found that for my 100/200 and 200/400 runners but not for 100m sprinters these training sessions work wonders.
I take Hart’s approach when it comes to tempo sessions.
We did 15x200m last night in 35sec. with 2min. breaks. When we get to 27sec. pace we will do 7 reps with 2-2.5min. breaks. Over 12 week SPP period we will decrease no. of reps from 16 to 5 where we will run 5x200m in 25-25.50sec in our 12th week. This is not going to be a classic tempo session but more intensive tempo.
How fast? Well, let’s say I coach for instance a very young kid who could run now 21.90 and perhaps in 6 months when peaking - 21.10 - 21.50sec. which is our target. The kid has never been injured, responds to this type of training very well.
I guess (a speculation) Powell’s 10x200 might have been done at around 27-29sec. pace and with 3-5min. breaks judging by his body frame and also he is the100m specialist.
Powell is sub20 in anyone’s books so 27 to 28 is extensive tempo. The breaks can keep it tough but it won’t slow him down (not the next day anyway!)
The breaks can keep it tough but it won’t slow him down (not the next day anyway!)
I understand that Charlie but I wonder why would Powell do 10x200m and then race in 100m the same day in the afternoon (if I’ve understood it correctly)?
A tempo session and then a sub-max? Why? Thanks.
Not sure why that was the choice for an AM session but clearly they were training through the meet. While tempo can be done any time, I wonder what followed the next day. Where are weights at this point? Explosive work?
We don’t know the times from the workout so it’s hard to say if it was ext or int tempo. I’m sure the work was done on a track and probably was faster then 27sec.
Those are the programs that dominate the NCAA level, workouts such as 3x500, or 10x200 and no grass tempo work.