Legs crossing? Could be a weakness to semimembranosis (or adductor) unable to stablise the leg when trailing in the stride recovery cycle. See you physiotherapist.
Your proposed work for this week sounds ok to me. Only one way to find out. Try it. If you run real fast, note it down for future reference.
Wow! Thanks, I will definitely check the adductor. I have had this problem since I can remember and nobody could tell me why, so it could be nice to stabilize the stride. Could it be that the rest of the hamstring muscles are stronger that the adductor and this affects the stride? I am asking this question because I’ve always had pretty strong hamstrings (in eccentric exercise with some inclination I can block my body few centimeters from the ground with not that much effort).
Also, another question: how do you address weights workouts during competition time?
Weights during comp. I keep them as far away from the next race or speed training session as possible. If we have a race on Saturday, we will do weights maybe Monday after the Monday track session, then Tues is usually a rest day, Wednesday is back to high intensity on track and followed then by weights same day. So during comp period we drop back to one or two weights sessions a week if there is a race at the end of the week. But we will sometimes deliberately schedule a block of training and skip some meets so we can reload in the gym if needs be. The “needs be” is based on the observations/feelings of both the athlete and the coach.
Update!!
Today was huge day. My 400m boy ran a 48.93 then 25 minutes later ran a 22.6 200m. He ran against a quality runner in both events and it was the closest races of the year for him. He broke the school record (one of his goals) and now has until May 20 to prep for the regional meet, which decides who makes the state finals.
The plan is tomorrow massage and recovery jog. Thursday maybe tempo of 300s. Friday a warm-up only.
We have a high quality meet Saturday. He will run the 4x800, 400 open, and 4 x 400 and possibly a 4x200 relay. All the events will be close to hour time between. He is a 2:05 800 relay leg and our 4x800 team is top 4 in area, with the other 3 teams being there Saturday.
Sunday would be massage and recovery jog.
Monday was planning on 200+200.
Tuesday maybe 4x200 in come home pace.
Wednesday tempo again,
Thursday warm up.
Friday: Race Day
He seems to do well with recovery jogs of 15-20 minutes the day before our Tuesday meets and a few of the Saturdays. I might give Wednesday off, then Thursday 15 min jog. Friday race day.
We have been 2 weeks since doing any speed work. Our last speed session was 2 weeks ago Thursday and we did 60, 80, 120, 150, 250 with full recovery. Followed by recovery jog on Friday then Meet Saturday (ran well: 4x200 leg, 4x100 leg, 4x400 leg, all fast or him)
Last week we did Mon jog, Tues Meet, Wed 6x200 with jog recovery in come home pace, Thursday jog, Friday off, Sat meet (ran crappy). Sun off
Monday jog 20 min, Meet (today, set 2 PRs).
Any tips leading to the regional meet in abut 9 days??
Thanks again. He, and I both thank you.
Congratulations! This shows a huge improvement after the first races!
Related to the next races, isn’t it too much?
Is individual top performance a single event happening in a certain moment in time (towards which we strive hard to manage all information to us available) or more so a state which allows for individual best performances possibly in a row and over (at least some of the) time?
You seem to ‘agree’ with Clyde Hart and Michael Johnson (and others, I guess), who don’t believe in tapering as such? Am I reading you correctly?
I guess you are. Aristotle seems to tell the whole story in your signature:how does a habit ever need a taper?
I have a few questions then 
What does the duration of this high performance period depend upon? Do the characteristics needed for such a performance determine the time frame to get ready for (e.g., the shorter the event, the more cycles within a season)?
And how can we be sure this series of high performances (i.e., without tapering) are at least as good, if not better (that’s always the target, no?) vs. the individual top one ‘when it matters most’ (after tapering)?
In other words, a habit may not need tapering, but will it equal top performance (excellence) ‘simply’ by what is done repeatedly? I wish I could ask Aristotle…
*shall we move this to a separate thread perhaps?
see I don’t get this concept of no taper. If we take it literally it means an athlete is ready to run at their best at any given time almost at the drop of a hat. Hart says he moves from quantity to quality, if that isn’t a taper then what is? Unless of course what is meant by no taper is over a much shorter period in season i.e. no special 10 day (or other) phase pre major meet ala CF. So the volume and type of Wariner does in the week leading into the WC will be the same as 2 months out? Really?
Some systems of training more or less keep the athlete fresh year round, by never really loading them up in the classic ways (i.e. 3 hard/1 easy). Along with that realize that tapering only adds a few percentage points to performance. And that’s only if it’s allowing built up fatigue to dissipate. Don’t build up a bunch of fatigue in the first place and tapering may become more or less moot.
Upon the duration of the high performance training inducing the deficit.
Not at all.
Maybe the real question is what prevents in most if not all training programs excellence from being a habit,and along with it top performance,day in,day out.
I don’t think such high performances can be accomplished year round. But they seem to be achieved more or less once the season starts and during it. I guess, the “racing-reloading” cycle, as KitKat has mentioned many times, plus the competitive edge, as the season progresses, would result in higher and higher performances almost by default. Having said that, I would too expect at least some differences of, say, volume, during the season. I would like to read KitKat’s comment on this issue and his experiences.
Aren’t these few percentage points though worth trying for? Or you mean it’s not worth the ‘risk’, if a ‘non-loading’ system is followed (i.e., a more conservative approach)?
Do some balance drills one foot either side of the line.
Great man.
Hopefully all others of your squad will improve the same way…
just had y fist meet…
300m, a complete shutdown @240m…
that did hurt…
So I think i will consider it a good training…
some new chances next week…
Today had last meet before regionals this Friday. He ran a 2:02 4x800 split. 4 x 200 leg was ok but not as good as Tuesday. Open 400 was bad. Neck tightening caused chest cramp. Ran 51.4. Later ran 4 x 4 leg in easy 50.5…no cramp that time.
Its interesting he runs a good 800 considering all training distances we’re under 300.
I have a girl, coming from 800 backgroud…this year , focus on 400h and 400…training going well, but now I’ve seen after the first 2 races some problems with the final…(not great weather both days…rain and 12 degrees 1 day, and strong wind the other.)
Got good improvements at 30-to 120 m, and strenght power and also work capacity…still usure if it is a speed issue, or a endurance one.
Typical training week:
m:Speed+ bounds + weights
tu:Tempo + hurdle drills ( low int)+ circuits
wed:jog + massage
thu:Hurdle rythm and some SE ( 2x250)+ weights
fri:Tempo ( short one)
Sat: 400m rythm ( like 2x200+200) and Str endurance
Typical comp week:
Sun: race ( 400h and 4x400 this week)
Mon: tempo /hurdle mob
TUe: speed + weights
Wed: jog/tempo + massage
THU: hurdle starts /5h + w
Fri: rest
satù: w up
sun: race
Sometimes I feel I unload too much during comp weeks…
I’ve spend a lot of times fixing hurdles tech, since she is 29 and never competed except 2 races 11 years ago…, and also fixed posture, strenght and running mech…so, maybe my work will pay in the future…now she is more apushing athlete and not a backside /pulling one like she used to be, arms are more controlled and so on.
Trainig times were good, just a bit slow over 150 and more…( all times, back foot leaving the ground)
30: 4"00
60: 7"65
80: 9"97
120: 15.1 ( start to lose new "sprint posture)
150: 19"4
250:33"8
300:41"4
200+200: 27"1-27"5
first 5 h 26"4( t down times)
So spending more time on the endurance /finishing part ( 8H, 8h +150m, or 500-400-300 on the flat…2x3x150 split runs and so on), or leaving it all like that, and continue to pursuee speed during off weeks?
First 2 races: 400m57"77 ( very sloww first 200m, but after a 100m and headwind on opposite straight, 28…)
400h: 62"82 ( used 25 insted of 24, and opposite leg…we spent 6 months working on havein ambidexterity…with goodd results…H5 28"2…so way off target times…but she had a bit of anxiety)
After a really bad 300 strat of the season I am wondering what to do.
Sat I ran and my legs were still a bit tired on thuesday.
Today i am planning to do a really low key meet to do some speed work 100+200.
In 3 weeks i have a meet for my team, there i like to run decent.
I am a bit in the dark about what to do…
Planning for now is:
we: 100+200 +weight
thi: rest/massage
fri: tempo (weight)
sat: 2x200+200
su rest
mo short speed, 30~80 weight
th: 4x150
wed:; rest
th: 2x300+150 or 300+150 /200+150 (weight?)
fr rest
sat warmup/warmdowm
sun: 400(race)
mo tempo(4x150/5x200) + weight
th: rest/ massage
we short speed + weight
th 300+250+200+150 (15’)
fr rest
sa: warmup maybe some starts up to 50m
su : 400-4x100-4x400
So any help/sugestions would be really appreciated(KK:cool:).