Your guy obviously needs the race experience at 400, being as he’s a bit of anovice. He’s also coming to a peak from a new style of program with a fairly big base to build from.
I note that the Austrralian Host Nation for the Comm Games conducted a grand prix on Saturday in Canberra and they have their Selection Trials starting this Thursday in Sydney.
Most of the top 400 guys raced on Saturday, with 45.06 winning.
I think you are doing a Wonderful job with this athlete. Back yourself and back him in too. If he’s as good as you think, he’ll handle this race and carry the extra toughness (if not also the confidence of an improved time) into your own trials.
Sprint coach, if I were you I would build a “race modelling” component into every session - if not every rep - between now and your trials.
His fatigue in the last 50m is only normal, although probably exacerbated by the technical and/or pace judgement mistakes he’s making in the first 350m of his race.
we’l after 2 months of training i tried a comp.
A low 49 was expected.
It was the worst 400 race in years.
the first 200 were ok +/- 23,2
but i finisched in a 50.30
I just couldnt hold form in the end.
2 hours later i tried some slower start(at least + 1s slower, wich is way too slow). that ended in 50.80. the last 200 were going ok.
I wasnt really tired, not too much “acid” in the legs.
That was a real dissappointment, because i training is going really well. I am hoping i have some trouble starting up the season if not, i am not happy.
Just a thought though. All the short speed, accelerations, circuits, split-run backups, over-distance reps, hills and/or weightlifting don’t mean a thing unless you can deliver a spectacular 300m. If you can produce a great 300 (in training or whatever) that is the guts of the 400m. You can run sub-12 for the last 100m if you like, but unless you can nail it to the end of a decent 300m split, you won’t run a great 400m race time.
Sorry KK, the post wasn’t meant to anger anyone. I did use his stuff, but changed the order around for it to be set up in a way of High Intensity/Low Intensity scheme.
I think that is what I was looking for, if the scheme looked ok? But from your comment it must look ok. Thanks for your help though KK.
I know, I was very dissapointed about not going in "full"in the second race. One good thing is that my legs are really fresh today.
The next 3 weeks we are working more on specific lactic (speed) work. and hopefully get in shape soon.
I cannot understand what is going on with my athlete. As we have 2 weeks ONLY to get from a 46,5 to a 45,5 - and I KNOW that my athlete has the base,etc to do it - I have decided to train VERY specific with him. On Sunday, he did 2 x 200 [2’ ] - times 21,58 (RP) and 22,87 (full effort). On Monday 300+100 [40"] - 32,28 and 12,29 - both full effort.
At this stage, I have left the 44 out of my mind for a while, just struggling to get to qualifying times. But I’m pretty sure that he can run BETTER than 45,5. You will agree - if he can handle the 2 x 400 (simulating) one day after another - WHY not in a race?
My own answer for this predicament is - WRONG RM, WRONG “tactics”. He was scared to go fast the first 300m - as he had no confidence that he will be able to survive the last 100m. And the injury-ghost is ALWAYS in the mind. My recommendation is - FORGET injury, forget what happened the last 2 races.
What do you recommend for the final 400m next week? GO for sub-33 and survive the last 100m OR change the RM? To what?
At least he is positive once more. And the coach is calm (on the outside)!!! I have never prayed more in my life than over the last 4 days, did not sleep for 2 days … planning, thinking, etc. But at the same time, I KNOW he has enough talent, AND he has a good base with your programme, Kitkat. Everything must get together now - the ONLY thing!
Next special endurance session, what about a full run of some sort before the first SE, maybe 30min before. I’m thinking because he had a problem on his first race but a great relay after. KK, What do you think? How long a run? Maybe 120??
If confidence to take it out hard is the problem maybe you should have him run a 350m at TARGET race pace in place of one of the [200+200] or [300+100] sets. Run the 350 as the first “set” when he’s fresh. Time each 50m section from 200m on and see how he copes.
Sprint Coach . . . you know what you are doing. Your instincts are good. You have a good technical eye and a good tactical awareness. You are the only person on the spot, so I’m, sure you will make the correct executive decision.
Having said all that, as far as tactics for his next race: He definitely still needs to use his “sprinter’s advantage” and get out quickly in the first 60metres, then, as discussed earlier on this thread, he needs to go into cruise control and almost roll from that point (60m) through to the waterjump where he can think about dialling up the power for a surge home. He’s just got to conserve as much energy as possble by relaxing on the run and that will help his rhythm. It’s something you rehearse every track session and especially when race modelling.
As far as his 300m race pace, I think if he does everything correctly, that time will take care of itself. But as his advantage is speed rather than endurance, I would be thinking he needs to go sub-33sec to have a chance of getting his 45.5. 400m. But he needs to get to 300m feeling as though he hasn’t started to race yet. And that’s a function of rhythm, relaxation, technique and tactics (ie: accelerate aggressively for 60m, then cruise in a tall, open posture).
But I agree with Charlie: I’ve written that during the warmup an athlete should light it up at least once, even if it’s only over a flying 30m to 60m zone. But perhaps in your guy’s case he needs to blow it open a bit longer, out to 120m partially around a bend, as an element of his pre-race warmup.
He needs to get hot, then simmer down gently quite a while before going onto the blocks for his race - preferably at least 30 minutes before. A 120m burst will generate very little lactic acid if any, but it will blow off the cobwebs and light the fuse, neurally-speaking.
Charlie do you have advice about the optimal length of time between the full tilt sprint (120) in the warmup and the race start?
In major tournaments it can be more than 30 minutes between entering the “call room” and being allowed onto the race track.
The best guy I worked with ran at race pace and even faster for about 80 metres and then maintained a race-pace relaxed rhythm for a further 40m through to 120m about 30 minutes before his race. He felt he needed that long to gently come down and relax again before lining up for the race.
So some guys put in their top burst on the warmup track before heading to the call room, while others do it during the callroom waiting period if there is a tartan track (under the stadium) and still others do it on the main track just minutes before the gun goes. kk
If you had a plan and have worked on it for some time I can’t see how changing it at this late stage is going to be advantagous. This is what you worked for, if it doesn’t work it doesn’t work but don’t screw it up by bottling out. You have already done everything you can to ensure you achieve your goals. There is money in the bank all you have to do is tap into it. Have faith, nothing in life that is worth anything is easy. Half the habit of winning is believing in yourself. The other half is learning when you don’t.
I have my fingers and toes crossed for you (so don’t waste time doing it yourself ). All you have to do is keep doing what you have been doing. Good luck!
Special Endurance breaks can be beyond 30min so he could use 40min if needed to account for the call room- but the idea is to try this in training first to feel it out. He’ll also let you know if this feels too far or right for him and you can adjust before the next meet.
Does the recovery period in such cases/trials between two runs depend on where you are coming from in terms of your training? I mean, would you normally need longer rests the deeper you are into a competitive season? Or does this depend on what you want to achieve with this first run (e.g., race pace, neural drive, etc)?
Thanks!
Thank you very much - everybody … for the recommendations, the support and the inspiration. A BIG appreciation! Will keep you updated.
This afternoon, my athlete did 2 x 80m run-through’s and IMMEDIATELY it made a difference. In the past, we were so scared to go hard in the warm up, in the fear that he will use a lot of energy - that is, BEFORE the race. Charlie and Kitkat - you were right, my athlete was not ready without the longer run through’s, the past 2 races. (After the run through’s, we have waited just more than 10’ - I will make it 30’ over the weekend, to see what the effect on a race will be.)
We focused on RM - especially the first 200m and the last 100m. He was suppose to run the first 200m in about 21,6 (from first foot contact) - his time … 20,89!! And that was EASY - without big effort. Last 100m - 12,2.
I am confident, my athlete is confident, without being OVER-confident or not realistic - what MORE can one ask??!! Without the input of all of you - this was impossible. Thanks once more!
(Thank you TC for holding thumbs - now I can concentrate on the work that must be done!)
Isn’t it amazing how a simple thing like a better warm up can help! Although you don’t want to be fatigued from your warm up i definitly think something “fast” needs to be done.
To compensate for the energy used during the warm up I have found taking arginine/methionine/glycine directly after “fast” run seems to help (I’ve only done this with sprinters for the last 2 races of this indoor season and they are of a lower level than yours so it isn’t battle tested yet). I actually also use the arginine before the warm up to increase blood flow but then top it up again after the fast run. Was wondering what Charlie or other supplement gurus think of this approach?
That’s great. Now you’re seeing more of what you know as a coach must be there! The only further thought I have is maybe to transition the warm-up run out to 20min first as the jump from 10 to 30 might be a bit unsettling for him the first time.
as a rule, I’d suspect yes. It’s easier to maintain the warm-up for longer and the warm-up should be spread further away (It’ll likely be faster as well, making the longer break necessary)
In what way does arganine increase blood flow?
I’ve heard of 400m athletes taking asprin to thin the blood and reduce that bloaty-can’t-lift- my-legs-because-the-blood-had swollen-my-glutes-too-much feeling u get in the last 100m.
). All you have to do is keep doing what you have been doing. Good luck!