thursday
800m warm up
4 x 80m run throughs
4 x 150m at 80-90%
2 x 150m at 70%
had my third coach tonight. seems like I’m going to have a tuesday/sunday coach and thursday coach. anyway, seems ok tme. I don’t see any problem with having a second perspective watching over me.
anyway, after all that, tonight was my last training session here for a few weeks, as I am heading off to sydney to become a father. so I’ll be training on a footy field for a while…
saturday - thursday
assorted upperbody and abdominal exercises using a 10kg suitcase and bodyweight exercises.
friday
960m warm up
stretching
drills (40m):
run throughs:
25m x 4
50m x 3
80m x 2
100m x 1
stretching
200m x 3: 34s 37s 38s
110m x 1: 17s
150m x 1: 25s
stretching
walk home warm down
still no baby.
been sitting around eating, sleeping and watching DVD’s all week. between all that I’ve been doing my very best to keep in shape using whatever I have at my disposal.
it rained a little less than usual today, so I made my way down to the local footy field (5-10mins walk away) and paced out the dimensions. it’s nicely marked out for me with 50m lines and centre lines at 80m and the goal square being 10m. all the distances I need at my disposal.
looking around I was also pleased to note that there’s a nice little 8m long steep incline that I can use for some acceleration work later. there’s also so picnic benches that I can use for various exercis, too.
since I’m away from my coach for a few weeks I’ve decided to write out my own training routines. coach wanted me to take it easy and just “turn my legs over”, but to be honest, since I have nothing to do but work out and recover, I feel like I might as well push myself just a little.
I’ve put together this little program, and I’d be pleased to hear from anyone who has any suggestions for me.
mon/thurs/sat
upperbody, abs and squats
fri/sun
960m warm up
drills (as above)
run throughs (as above)
4 x 200m @ approx 35-40s
2 x 150m 2 approx 20-25s
walk home warm down
wed
480m warm up
drills
run throughs:
like I said, suggestions are more than welcome… 
You can give it a bigger crack than that mate. Why not run everyday if your able to? Alternate the days that you are going a little faster and do tempo runs on the days in between. At your stage of development you could do some form of gym exercise everyday. Just alternate the upper, lower and core elements around the faster track days.
There is nothing like having the most part of all day everyday to train! You can also work on your recoveries while you are at it. Stretching, ice baths, hot/colds, salt water walks, self massage…not forgetting more sleep and time to cook good food!
Hope this helps.
I tend to get injured when I run every day (stupid body), but I think you’re right in that I should try to build myself up to it. I’ll phase it in by using this program for one week, then filling the gaps with drills in the second week, and by week 3 I’ll do drills and run through’s. if I am still injury free at that point then I will step it up a little more still. I am just a bit wary because I have a tendency to increase my workload too quickly.
could you possibly elaborate on what you mean by hot/colds and salt water walks? improving my recovery techniques is something I definately need to work on. although I think the food and sleep bit is going quite well at the moment… 
Walk in the sea after training. There is something about the salty water that helps the joints and muscles, swelling and soreness. I cant tell you exactly or the science behind it but you certainly feel different. 15-20minutes works well.
Hot/cold therapy opens the cells in the heat and closes them in the cold. This is supposed to increase recovery. Dump 5kg of ice in the bath tub and fill with cold water so when you sit down the water is above the belly button. Spend approx 60secs in the ice water then 4-5 mins in the warm to hot shower, focusing the heat onto the legs rather than the back or arms- just be careful not to burn yourself!
http://www.charliefrancis.com/community/showthread.php?t=8673&highlight=ice
http://www.charliefrancis.com/community/showthread.php?t=13426&highlight=salt+water
The above two threads might also help.
awesome! thanks, mate. I’m not anywhere near the sea right now, but it’s something I’ll keep in mind for later. the hot/cold thing looks like something I could try out soon enough, though…
thumbs up
saturday
upperbody and abdominal stuff, as well as muchos stretching
sunday
warm up
drills
run throughs
4 x 200m: 39s, 38s, 38s, 32s
2 x 150m: 26s, 28s
feeling good today. did my warm up and run through’s a bit faster than usual, so I think I was a bit more tired by the time I started my 200’s. still did ok, though.
running in the dark on this footy field is a bit tricky. I had a few stumbles here and there, and occasionally I had difficulty seeing where the lines were. I definately want to be running in daylight in the future, but I kind of need to wait until my gf’s sister gets home before I can go. don’t really want to leave her alone right now.
first speed session is on wednesday and I’ll be getting a bag of ice from the local servo to try out an ice bath…
tues-wed: sick and tight
friday
480m warm up
drills
explosive run throughs:
gradual accelerations:
the explosive starts are basically me sprinting the first 25m, then for the second 25m I concentrate on keeping my knees and hips high and maintaining my momentum with perfect form. the 60m sprints are the opposite. I start off slowly and by the time I hit the 60m mark I am going at full speed. thinking about it now, I think I might do those in the reverse order next time.
I had planned to do a little more than I did today, but I was a little more fatigued than I anticipated I would be. I figured it would be better to under do it than overdo it. I’ll give it another shot in a couple of days and see if I get through the whole program.
my right hamstring has continued to be problematic. there has been a bit of a pattern emerging, which is that I rest for a few days, have two training sessions, feel great after the first, then feel really tight after the second. this suggests to me that I need to be a bit careful with my workload on my return session. this time around I want to try running less meters at higher intensity and with more rest…
sunday
3.5kg, a new personal best
monday
480m warm up
drills
run throughs:
so exhausted, but worth it.
been sitting too much and feeling really tight all over my whole body. really fatigued and possibly a bit dehydrated. had to go out and turn my legs over tonight, but did everything really slowly and yawning as I went.
totally worth it…
wednesday
480m warm up
drills
run throughs:
first things first, my hamstring feels much better since I found where the tight spot was and started massaging it. seems it is quite high up on the thigh and to the side. probably even ITB or TFL causing referred tension. interesting that when I press into it I can feel shoots of pain spread out to where my hamstrings are tight, but when I press on that spot in my hamstrings I feel almost nothing.
anyway, todays speed session was quite productive. felt a little sleepy starting off, but ran better as I warmed up. I have a slightly different stretching routine which appears to be serving me well and I yried for some longer recovery times, which was also good…
saturday 15-09
*prep
-one week of hamstring and quad massage
*target
-10x15m block starts
-executed
-9x. stopped due to a drop in intensity.
-slight tension in left hip/hamstring
*recovery
-*action
-massage to left hip flexor and TFL appeared to alleviate tension in hip nad hamstring.
-glute stretches
-*reaction
-overall, not much stiffness
-tight left hamstring/hip
monday 17-09
*prep
-chiro and piriformis massage
-1 anti-inflamatory tablet
-tight in left glute
*target
-800m warm up
-2:3 150m. 28, 26, 25. 24, 23, 22 (900m@148s)
*executed
-800m warm up
-28, 28, 25. 24, 22, 21. (900m@148s)
-some hip flexor tightness in 5th run
*recovery
-*action
-extended stretching focussing on piriformis.
-*reaction
-no immediate soreness in hamstring, though a slight ache in lower back and hip joint while sitting.
thursday 20-09
*target
-10m drills x6; butt kicks, A’s, B’s, straight leg bound
-stretch between sets. 3min rest
-5m drills x6; weighted (10kg) A’s B’s, two legged hop
-same stretching
*executed
-all
*recovery
-*action
-long piriformis stretch
-left hamstring massage
-ice to left butt
-*reaction
-sore sport in hamstring releived by massage
friday 21-09
*prep
-chiro and massage on left glute
-busy day (missed lunch)
*target
-4x300m
-2x200m
-upper body circuit
*executed
-3x300m. finishing into the wind. 60, 59, 58
-1x200m. 37
-some rain. running in flats
-lightheaded after 3rd 300m
-upper body circuit x2
*recovery
-*action
-hamstring and piriformis stretching
-walking and hip rotations
-*reaction
-some temporary hamstring tightness
-general muscle stiffness
decided to do one weekly post rather than a post after each session. also got a particular journal format to keep track of how it’s all working for me, especially recovery. the recovery section is filled in after 24 hours.
had some issues with tight piriformis and locked up sacro. bit of an old problem resurfacing, but I’m managing it much better now. just got to be careful of how long I spend sitting or standing still. fortunately, running seems to loosen it all up, so that’s good.
I’ve rediscovered the joy of self massage. it’s going really well and I can really feel the difference after each session…
sat-sun
driving to sydney
monday 24-09
*target
-3x40m (3min rest)
-2x60m (5min rest)
*executed
-3x40m (3min rest)
-1x60m (tight hip)
*recovery
-*action
-hip rotations, piriformis stretching
-self massage
-*reaction
-little to no general muscle stiffness
-delayed tension in left hanstring
friday 28-09
*preparation
-different chiro. lower back massage and flexion-distraction stretching
-warm day
*target
-600m warm up
-4x150m (28, 26, 24, 18)
*executed
-600m warm up
-3x150m (23, 25, 19)
*recovery
-*action
-chiro and more F-D stretching
-*reaction
-slight tension in left hip flexor
trying a new chiropractor while I’m in sydney. very different approach, but seems effective so far. uses a lot more machines and less hands on than my other chiro. also, more muscle work and less manipulation…
When do you plan on racing next?
my first ever meet is on october 20…
tues/wed 2/3-10
*sessions with rehab specialist
-hip stretching stretching and pilates
fri (melb) 5-10
*target
-4x150m
*executed
-light rain
-4x150m (untimed, approx: 26, 24, 23, 21s)
-bench press 3:6 at 30kg
*recovery
-*action
-massage and exteded hip stretching
-*reaction
-some tightness, but not too much
*reflection
-sesions with the rehab guy were great, especially the 25min stretching routine he gave me. I really notice how much more freedom I have in my movements afterwards. the goal is to do it every day for at least 8 weeks.
-coach was really happy with how I ran today. said I looked fluid and relaxed after some initial shoulder tension. he was particularly pleased with my starting technique.
-hopefully we’ll get the starting blocks out on tuesday, weather pending.
-I’ve decided I need to do more upper body strength work. I’m getting too skinny, even for me…
I know the question that’s on your mind - “what’s that done to the graph?”
150m
200m
volume versus intensity
the last image shows the volume of each workout in terms of meters in the top graph, and the intensity in terms of average meters per second in the bottom graph.
as you can see, in recent times the volume of each workout has begun to drop, and the intensity has increased. I’m currently operating at around 6-6.5m/s in each workout. I would like to start to push that up to around 6.5-7mps by around christmas, with the volume remaining at around 600-800m.
currently, my pure speed sessions are untimed…
saturday
*upper body weights
tuesday
*4x100m run throughs
*3x150m
*1x100m bend (pulled up tight in left ham. end session)
*massage and stretching
*upper body weights
*pilates core exercises
wed-thurs
*massage and chiro
friday
*pilates
*10x100m run throughs. very slow to start, gradually faster.
saturday
*upper body weights
*reflection
stuffed up on tuesday. I knew I was feeling a bit tight but I still tried to run as well as I did the previous friday. I was running with a different coach at the time. he’s different to my regular coach in that he keeps encouraging me to go faster, while my main coach holds me back longer until I’m fully ready. I’ve had two sessions with coach2 and I’ve strained my hammy during both of them.
spent quite a bit of time on rehab for the next few days. felt ok by friday, so I had a very gentle session in the rain. the goal now is to be as loose as I can be by next saturday for my first meet. unfortunately, I’ve now had to reassess my expectations for my first meet. I was hoping to run somewhere around 12.2-2s, but now my main concern is to get through injury free, so I’ll be looking at something like 12.8s. not even sure if I’ll do the 200m now. I’ll probably make that decision on thursday…
Sunday
*10m drills: 2x6 A skips, 2x6 running A’s
*5m weighted drills (10kg): 2x3 A skips, 2x3 running A’s, 2x3 two legged hops
Monday
*NSAIDS - nurofen
*ice application for hip area- front and back
Tuesday
*cold wind and rain
*800m warm up
*5x100m (15, 15, 15, 14, 14)
*upper body weights
*light olympic lifts: 3x6 10kg, 3x3 24kg
*more ice
been a bit tender in the hip area again, causing the usual tightness in the hip flexors/extensors and hamstrings, though given my scare last Tuesday I’ve been feeling ok in the thigh. Still, with my first day of competition on the weekend, I’ve been running very carefully. The last thing I need is to tear something before I’ve even started.
My only aim for Saturday is to get through it injury free. Even if I run tragically slow times, at least I can be guaranteed to better them in my next race. I haven’t even done any block work with my coach, so I’ll have to do a bit of internet research to learn how to set them up. I have a fair idea, but a bit of revision couldn’t hurt. I was planning to do some block starts tonight, but the weather was pretty ordinary.
Upper body weight work is feeling a million times easier already so I’ve decided to add some oly’s to the routine. I think I might try some weighted stair work somewhere down the track, too. Unfortunately squats haven’t worked out for me as it just seems to aggravate my hip problem, so I’m looking for squat substitutes. Oly’s were ok today as I was able to do them without having too much of a deep angle at the hip. Any suggestions for other exercises would be welcome, as would possible ways of improving my chances of squatting without injury…
thursday
*30m block starts x 6
I was always amazed at my cricket club by the way that all the “experts” would swamp any newcomer with curious advice. these eager little helpers often were actually the players with the worst techniques - the very last people who should be giving out advice. unfortunately the new guys on the scene were not experienced enough to tell the difference between good advice and bad advice.
turns out that every sporting club has such well meaning characters who want to help but mostly hinder. today I was the newbie. after having a couple of starts I was advised by an onlooker that I needed to be leaning forward more in the set position. she then manipulated me into a position where I was leaning so far forward that I couldn’t put any pressure on the blocks and when she let me go I fell flat on my face. I tried out her advice a couple of times but I came out of the blocks slowly and with very little force.
I think I’ll just do what feels right and wait until I can have a session with my coach before I actually change anything.
anyway, just a couple of days before my first race. hip has been feeling a lot better over the last couple of days, so I’m a bit more optimistic about my prospects. I know I won’t exactly be leaving fire trails behind me, but I feel like I could probably be pretty competitive…
saturday
100m: 12.80s wind: -2.1
200m: 25.88s wind: -0.6
long jump: 4.01m
sunday
upper body weights
monday
snatch: 2x6, 10kg. 1x3, 25kg.
tuesday
5x100m: 17, 17, 17, 16, 13
3x30m - one exhalation for the distance
wednesday
car accident
whiplash
“my main concern is to get through injury free, so I’ll be looking at something like 12.8s.”
well, I made it through the weekend injury free only to get driven into for the second time in 7 days. now my car is a write off and my neck is giving me grief.
having crossed the line in first place I was delighted to be told my time was 12.3s. two days later I was less than delighted to find out that the official electronic time was actually 12.80s. looking on the bright side, that’s actually the time I predicted and I did it into a headwind, so I can’t really be too disappointed. still, I don’t think I’ll ever put much stock into the times they give me on the day from now on.
been working my upper body for a couple of weeks and I’m already seeing and feeling a huge difference. even more pleasing is that I’ve only had two lifting sessions with very light weight and my legs feel way more powerful already. I’ve decided to make a shift into much lower volume of training to allow myself greater intensity. I feel like my body (the left hip/hamstring, in other words) can handle the extra effort much better now.
I was hoping to do some block work with my coach tomorrow but since I now have mild whiplash I’m not sure if it will be wise. I guess I’ll see how I feel tomorrow and then I might just take it easy.
there’s no 100m individual race this weekend. only the 200m and 100m relay. I think this will be a good opportunity to have a crack at my initial preseason goal of 24.something for the 200m. I was pretty close last week, especially given that I shut up shop a long way out from the line…
