Well, recently, I was allowed to train myself this year. I’m a junior in high school. Today was the first day this team decided to start training. I’ve been training for a while, I just have to show up to there track.
Anyway, they did 400m timing things, and I just coast it, because I felt my muscle was hurting. I also cut my training back some from 6x200 to 2x200, because it wasn’t feeling that great.
But this coach felt the need to tell me about how I should run. For some extra information, this guy doesn’t know much about track or anything, that one of the many reasons I’m training myself, but I wont go into details about that. He told me I should lean forward some when I was running. I know that is incorrect, and wont do it. He also told me to relax my shoulders. Now that is correct, when put into the circumstance. He is telling me to relax my muscles totally, which isn’t right at all. My shoulders are kepted down, but, yes, my muscles in my upper body are some what tense, because that is basically natural. It also keeps the back straight, etc., etc. Its also not like there that tense at all, I think he doesn’t get that I do have muscles under my shirt or something. When I stood up and walked around, I noticed my shoulders were practically in the same place, relaxed. I dont get what the hell he even talking about.
Anyway, how can I educate a coach that believes he knows everything about track to just back off? I also don’t think he understands that sprinters do have individual styles too, and just because I dont run how he wants me too, doesn’t make it wrong. The way I run, is the way I’m comfortable running like, and am probably going to win state this year. I’m not focused on just winning it, I’m interested in times, but I’m confident when I say that. Is there any articles, or something I can tell him that would make him leave me alone? Thanks for any help.
Sorry, but there is no justification for tightness really and I don’t quite understand what you mean be “too loose.”
Not to sound like an ass here, but your coach seems to know what he is doing at least from a relaxtion standpoint and the forward lean may have been during acceleration. You didn’t explain the whole situation, so there are some parts missing. Show your coach this forum and CFTS and ask him what he thinks.
By the way, what state are you from where you can win with 50+ 400??
Ah, the latest 500lb Gorilla on the living room sofa.
Individual expertise and the availability of qualified coaches will never keep up with the easy access to advanced information.
Why should a kid ever listen to their English Lit teaching - part time Track coach when they have instant access to Charlie Francis?
Or, when you are unhappy with your coach, go out and find a “private” coach to work with, while expecting that your team’s coach will be perfectly ok with that arrangement?
Schools will not sponsor track programs on the junior and HS levels without an adult in place. Not every adult is interested in learning "what they don’t know” So there is the quandary.
One thought. Is it fair to expect every youth coach to be an expert? Or should they also expect any given 16 year old to be threatening to break 10/20/45/1:50, and so on?
I had to laugh a few months ago when a first year member of the team I coach, walked up to our hurdle coach and asked him point blank, if it would be ok for her private coach from home to come on campus and work with her a couple times a month. “Laughed” only because I hear that at least once every 18 months and it was the first time I had heard him get the same question.
Funny still, because she hadn’t gone thru a single workout with him so it wasn’t even about what he knew or didn’t know about the event.
Funniest, because in the couple months since, she has proven herself to be no house of fire…
Comanch
There is no easy answer to your concerns.
The successful handling of the situation is what distinguishes “the men from the boys” so to speak. My advice, Be careful what you wish for and also watch out because time flys and you will find youself 25 or so years from now on the other end of a similar situtaion…
Think about it, in a way, like this:
Let’s say you have terrible football coaches. Would you dare ask them if you could go through another team’s workouts and then show up for the games on friday night?
Not exactly the same situation, but you get the point.
Give the guy a couple weeks at least. Discuss with him the training techniques he plans on using and tell him what you have read and share it with him (that means print it out, give him links, sign him up an account here, something). If you are willing to put in a little work, it might not be so bad. Plus, for a 400m runner, I see no problem with 6x200m, depending on the intensity and rest times. Didn’t you post almost exactly the same workout when asking for help before?
I’m going to hit below a 50 this year, not trying to start a fight, but I’m sure of it.
Ok, I can see he could be right with the relaxation thing, I’ll try it out some. I dont believe I explained it quite right though how he stated it. I will try to relax some more, but I felt kind of relaxed, just kept some tension. I could have been wrong about that.
The leaning thing wasn’t about the acceleration phase. He was talking about the whole time around the track. I agree that lean is needed in the acceleration, but I think that you should be errect up for proper running form.
I think I may have come off harsh in my post. I just have had a bad time with this guy last season. Anyway, I’m still learning, and will admit to making a mistake. Maybe the relaxation thing, the way I sayed it, was wrong. I still stand against the leaning thing though.
The thing about the workout, I think I pulled something, or was coming very close to it, it wasn’t feeling right. I’m not doing that to get out of a workout, but I can remember getting a similar feeling before, and that feeling lead me to not train for two weeks, and miss a meet or two because a pulled muscle came after it. The 6x200 is a tempo thing. It follows basically what we discussed. He is letting me follow my own schedule. Tuesday is tempo. I will be doing everthing back on schedule starting tomorrow.
good for you guy.
I was a little surprised (and pleased) that your coach allows you to train yourself. However that came about, it shows they are interested in what is important to you. Give the coach a little break; dont disrespect him, and hold your principles at the same time. Looks like you got the best of the situation.
Sometimes coaches dont have all the answers, but you can always learn something from them.
Its best to keep good relationships with coaches, learn what you can from them and take note and apply where neccessary to your personal training programme. Not everyone has the same needs and requirements in training, so knowing what you need and having knowledge on how to achieve it is can only help your personal development.
Like the other guys have mentioned:
read everything, educate yourself and share with you coach. If he’s not willing to listen and discuss with you, he aint worth a kilogram of shi ite. But a bit of advice from experience, ‘dont shoot yourself in the foot’ just because you think he’s a dick head, get a second and third opinion.
