I felt since I have been getting more involved in this site again (track fever) it would be right to post a training journal. As the very few of you actually know, I am a 17 year-old sprinter in Southwest Montana, running for the high school. PR’s of 11.51, 24.1, 55.00, 19’10" LJ. Junior in high school, one more year after this, but this may be a big year for the team.
I have been training since December, and ran at three indoor meets, including the Simplot Games (pretty big deal here). Now the hard work is paying off as I go into track much faster and in better shape than ever before.
I guess I will start recording with today’s practice. We did very little today, as there is 4 inches of snow and it was the day after a time trial and alot of kids were sore. We did some start drills, reacting to a “clapper” gun by clapping ourselves, stuff like that. After that our coach explained the relay philosophy, wherein we use a non-verbal approach. This system must work well, last year at Divisionals we beat a team that placed 3 kids in the 100, and we didn’t place any. He explained that, used me as an example on some jog passes, and we went home. Tommorrow is supposed to be intervals, but the track is snow-covered, so we will probably have to run bleachers and get all distgustingly sweaty. Oh, well. After tommorrow we have spring break, and being the dedicated sprinter I am, I’m only working out one day and am going snowboarding instead (I know, shame on me). Monday we will do full speed exchanges, where I will be the anchor leg for the 1st time since 8th grade.
Cool deal, make sure to keep us updated. I’m a junior too, but I’m more of a hurdler than a sprinter. However, I am on our 4x100 team, and I gotta ask, how do you know when to pass the baton if you dont say anything?
Good luck, Mister C, in your seaon. What are your PR’s for the hurdles?
About the relay. We have, like all teams, an established mark where we start. Since I get the baton as early as possible, I start on the acceleration zone arrow. From there we go back out of the acceleration zone 20-24 heel-toes in our shoes, depending on the incoming runner. We put tape down there, and that is our “go” mark, as in we start running when the incoming runner’s hips cross it. We run to a pre-established mark about 10 meters-ish out and have a piece of tape (for me, the exchange arrow) which is our “drop” mark, and that’s when your hand goes up to recieve the baton. The only time someone speaks is in a crisis.
It was a rough day today. It would have been a 300m interval day today, but the six inches of melting snow decided otherwise. We ran the basketball bleachers inside, did a really tough workout. I’m not used to going up stairs, so I was a little more lactice than I’d expect. It was also like 80 degress in the gym, so I was covered in sweat. Oh well, I have a few days of rest. Next practice is Monday, due to spring break.
Oh ok, so its not that revolutionary, just an extra piece of tape really. That wouldnt work for our team, we can never get our marks right and we’re always yelling at each other to slow down. As for my hurdle PRs, they’re pretty crappy. I set two new ones today, though, with a 19.2 in the 110HH and a 46.6 in the 300IH. But hopefully by the end of the year they’ll be down to 16.xx and 44.xx once I get my steps down, which are respectable times.
thanks aln, I too am looking forward to my results. 1st meet is Saturday, can’t come soon enough. Hoping to PB again, if I can get a decent start and good weather (which is tough to find out here.)
Today we simply did exchanges. The wind made it kind of cold, but it was in reality around 50ºF out. It was my 1st time since middle school doing 4th leg, and it went well. I was running away from the kid, a very strong freshman, but we got it worked out. Our relay looks flying fast this year. I’m very eager to see what we can do.
A spring squall kept us from the outdoors today. We did alot of A-series drills inside, pretty easy, rough on some of the people in not as good of shape. Simply went home after that. Tommorrow, LJ approaches if lucky enough to go out.
Today became a day of changed plans. Since yesterday was planned to be an interval day, and the storm kept us away, that workout got moved to today. Hollow sprints (sprint 100m, jog 100m, sprint 100m, you get the idea). We did 3 sets of 1200m, 6-8min recovery in between sets. Even though the jogging portions were very slow, it was one hell of a workout, I was pretty gassed at the end of it. In hindsight, my legs aren’t very tired. I thought I was going to puke on the last set. Now, not much later, I’m fine. Odd.
Today was a relatively easy day, 2 or 3 starts at the 3 different places I start from. Was a little sore from yesterday’s workout, but it didn’t seem to affect me too much. I was making up the stagger on 12.6 100m kids on the curves and felt good out of the 100m starts. Hopefully I get a better start Saturday, my last one was bad. Tommorrow, I believe, is just a warm up and 4x400 exchanges, and I might do 1 or 2 4x100 exchanges to solidify an inexperienced kid on the 3rd leg.
Today, again, was easy. Preparing for the meet tommorrow, we simply discussed 4x400 exchanges and did a couple, then I did 2 exchanges with my 3rd leg guy. Both of them went very well, I see no reason why we shouldn’t have a very good relay this year. Over 20 teams should be at the meet, but most of them are weak. I also see no reason why our team shouldn’t win the meet. (Knock on wood.)
Today was ridiculously easy, we warmed up and did jog passes with the 4x100 teams. We have a different guy running the 3rd leg as we did Saturday, but he runs a good curve, I think we’ll do better. I’m still a little sore, hope to sleep a bit of that off. Running the 100m, 400m, and both relays.
Today was ridiculously easy, we warmed up and did jog passes with the 4x100 teams. We have a different guy running the 3rd leg as we did Saturday, but he runs a good curve, I think we’ll do better. I’m still a little sore, hope to sleep a bit of that off. Running the 100m, 400m, and both relays. Goals: 11.47 and 53.3. Relays: 44.8, 3:36.6.
I’ve missed a couple days due to a computer foul-up. I will bring us up to speed.
Tuesday: Meet
Wednesday: Easy practice, warmed up, cooled down, went home
Today: Exchanges/starts. Exchanges were perfect again, I did most of my starts on the straight. My coach wants me to run the 100 alot because I’m in the mix at divisionals for sprints and I need to get used to high-stress events. The 100 stresses me out. Hopefully it will go better Tuesday.
Today was a run practice, tempo runs 2 sets of 5 200s, around 36sec. Our 4x400 relay ran them together, made for a good practice, we all ran slow while trying to beat each other, if that makes sense. I’m very excited about both relays this year.
Another easy day, exchanges and starts. I don’t really like doing starts before meets, so I only did two. We have yet another new guy running the 3rd leg of the 4x100, but he’s our old first leg and has beat me in the 100 before (by .01). Our handoffs were good, I think we’ll be faster with our new set-up. Shooting to be the fastest 200m kid in the division tommorrow, hope it can happen. 100m, 200m, both relays.
Today was lax, because of the meet yesterday. Got lectured about throwing a baton after a race (yeah, I know, but I was really ticked) and then did warmed up and did build-ups, and whirlpooled. That’s a day.
I’m going to start incorporating what my lifts during weight training into my journal. They are key, too.
Lifting: 3 sets, 10-8-10 box squats (155lbs, not hard at all); SLDLs, 60lbs, 3x10; Incline leg lifts for lower abs, 3x10; Ham curls 3x10, 30lbs; 50 push ups, 50 crunches
Track: Flying 150s on curve, build up 25m, run 100m, jog out 25m, walk to 25m before next curve; 2x8 7min recovery between sets, 8 laps total, 1600m of it fast…were going to be 90% but it was 35, windy and snowing, lowered to 70%, ran last 2 100m segments a little faster as we warmed up. Felt good, took care of some soreness in my left calf. Whirlpooled after.
Tommorrow exchanges with the correct relay order, in my opinion. Won’t do much else, huge meet on Sat. and I’m running 100m, 200m, 400m, and both relays. Prelims/finals for 100m, so I’ll probably run that twice…everything except the long relay occurs before the open 400m, though, so the sched. works out well.
Post meet: I did poorly and injured my calf. The trainer looked at it today and said it is a slight strain, and though the meet we would have had tommorrow is canceled, I wouldn’t have been able to run anyway. Our target is the 200m and 4x100m on Sat. but we will see how progress comes.