Gonna give the log a go this year…
Background:
4th year college sprinter
Year 1: 55: 6.57 100: 10.89+3 200: 21.99
*Football in the fall through nat’l championship game. Month off with virtually no track work.
Year 2: 55: 6.50x2 100:10.81+3 200:22.22
*Football preparation in summer through game 3, death in the family caused me to stop football. Started focusing on some explosive work starting in October but no sprinting. Groin pull last race of indoor,very slight hamstring tweak ended outdoor season 2-3 weeks early
Year 3: 55: 6.60 100: 10.94+1.3, 11.13-3.2 200: 22.41
*Off-season devoted to track prep. Training went great until a vertebrae defect flared up in late August and caused me to cease training until the start of school, never could get back to the same level of training quality.
Training thus far has consisted of a few weeks off with a few 10-20 mile road rides and some BMX here and there, followed by a month or so of tempo, bodyweight, and multijump circuits, followed by 4 weeks of weights and plyo/MB circuits. During this period I have lost 8-10lbs while actually increasing my caloric intake and strength levels.
This week I am unloading from a strength and power development block where I focused on getting my body acclimated to weights and explosive work. I’ll be gathering some baseline testing numbers in OHB/Squat shot throws, broad jump, 3broad, and (maybe) vertical jump. These tests will be performed every 4 weeks.
Next week starts a pretty straight forward 3-1-3-1 GPP, some specific training tools may look familiar to those who have followed online journals elsewhere, in general this is how it looks:
Mon: Hills, lower weights
Tues: Tempo,Hip mobility/strength, upper weights
Weds: Multi-jump and medball circuits
Thurs: Hills, lower weights
Fri: Tempo,hip mobility/strength, upper weights
Here is video of one of my PB 55 races (6.50). This is the first week of using improved knee drive technique. I stumbled on step 3 or so but I think I was able to use that to keep driving for longer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdLz3MIScS0
Here is a race from the last season (6.60). I came out of the locks with the field, but somewhere between 10-30 meters I start to get left, then eat people up the rest of the race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OSTCk6Pw68
A few theories for the drop in performance over the year:
- taking time off to let my back calm down meant that I had to start from square 1 with core work, so I didn’t work very well at the body angles that my legs were able to drive me.
- Very little elastic work during GPP/SPP left my accelaration with much to be desired. Lots of max strength work helped with block clearance and initial drive, and I have always been a good finisher.
- That gross head bob, I’ve never done that in training, probably a relaxation issue resulting from my frustration at my lacking performances that year.
I can email these video files to anyone for frame-by-frame analysis.
You look tight and movement inhibited. Have you been getting any massage?
Edit: I realize it sounds wack for me to comment on a sprinter of your level but that’s what it looks like.
There could be something to that, or it could just be the frame rate, people in the crowd in the way etc. I feel the same way when I watch it in real speed, but when I go frame by frame I seem to be hitting good angles. I was dealing with some tendonitis in the back of my left knee that seemed to have affected my left knee drive, and, subsequently, my right knee extension. Aside from that I’m very flexible, student trainers get frustrated when stretching me because they don’t feel like they can give me a good stretch.
Today’s workout:
Warmup: Blue
power clean: 2x4 185 205 to fire up the CNS
16lb shot throw testing:
OHB: 48’ 10"
BLF: 44’ 6"
Squat throw(like MB accel w/o accel): 36’10"
squat: 4x4 245 40s rest
Post Chain/Core: 20 MB situp throw,12 hypercomplex,20 sprinter sit,12 PB leg curl,20-10-5 Decline Complex, 12 low cable pull-thru
I compared the footage and my elbow drove back way above shoulder level for 6-7 strides in the PB run while the elbow barely broke shoulder level in the mediocre run. I now have a good cue to go into acc dev with, thanks for the wack comment!
Got into the pool today to give the legs a rest…
I did some light swimming and messed around pushing water while keeping my feet planted then got into:
A’s up slope (format was a 1500m tempo circ with planks btw reps)
bench 1x4 75
w/ reverse pull-up x10
cg bench 1x4 75
w/ cg reverse pull-up x10
db shoulder 1x10 45s
w/ pull-up x10
Stationary MB Circuit w/ 10lb med ball
(20 kettlebell type swing
20e hammerthrow type swing
16e cossack figure 8
20e shoulder throw against wall
10e body circles)
About an hour after this my body heat got ramped up and my vascularity was noticeably more than usual.
Worked out in my basement tonight:
Dynamic Flex
2xHurdle Mob series
2xRudiment
2xMultiJump series
Then went straight into about 45 minutes worth of stretch and self massage with a foam roller and baseball, only area of significance was a knot I’ve had in my left tricep for a few days. Followed this by a shower beginning and ending with ice cold water.
Tested jumps today:
3xSLJ: 32’
SLJ: Jumped a few 10’3"s then felt something in the vertebrae defect in my back so I terminated the session and headed to the pool for some mobility work. I’ve jumped some 10’5"s during the last training phase, however.
I’ve had acute aggravation like this before and the first 24 hours are painful but after that it’s good to go. Historically, the stuff to worry about has been chronic and comes up over night, progressively getting worse. Here’s hoping this trend continues…
The back is in pain today but not as debilitating as in the past. Also, the pain is getting less and less and the ROM is getting more and more. I can stand/walk without any pain but can’t sit down for extended periods. Luckily I don’t have to do much of that for the next week or so. I’ve built my plan with enough flexibility that I can start any of the next 3 weeks.
So, I’m not worried. I’m a man of faith and I trust that everything that’s put in my way is just a stepping stone in the path that’s gonna take me where I need to be. Gonna be so thankful when I’m pain free. To my warmup, I’m adding a prayer of thanks for an able body, athleticism and the ability to develop and express these gifts through training and competition.
Back has been pain free for 2 days now after pounding it with ice and a little ibuprofen. GPP’s gonna start today as planned… let’s go.
GPP Week 1:
Monday: 240m/20 MB
PRAYER
WarmUp: Green
Hills: 3x4x20 wb/3:30
Weightroom:
MB(9lb): 4x SqV,OHB, BLF,SqF,Spike
Pc: 4x6 165,75,85,95
Squat: 7x4 40s rest 2x225,2x235,2x245,255
RDL: 3x12 135,145,155
2x Core Circuit: 20 MB Wall Sit,20 Sprinter Sit,20 PB Exchange
Today was a blessing, everything felt effortless from start to finish (well, except the core work!). I left the hill and the gym hungry for more. The hill work felt powerful and smooth even after a long break from sprinting.
my training hill with my gear by where I start my sprints.
Tues:
WU:Red
1xGS Circuit
Tempo: 1500 w/assorted side raises and planks between reps
111
112
121
211(no BW btw reps)
Weights:
BP: 886-205,215,225
w/ reverse pull up x12
DB Shoulder Press 3x8 40
w/ pull up (wide,narrow,underhand)x8
Post chain and traps were pretty sore from Monday but the GS and tempo alleviated a lot of that. Figured my chest would be toast today but everything feels good. Today will be some mobility work and multijump circuits.
Weds:
dym/static flex
hurdle mobility series
2xrudiment A
1xmultijump series
Verdun (mobility/posture series)
I’m gonna switch Monday and Thursday’s gym work from here on because the RDL’s left my hammies pretty sore. Plannin on hills and weights tomorrow but if there’s any soreness left I may do tempo and move the hills to Friday just to be safe.
Another good workout today, hamstring DOMS was taken care of by a hot bath last night:
Thurs: 300m/40 contacts
Prayer, WU Green
Hills:3x5x20
2x(3e dist skips,3e alt leg bound, 2broad)
Weightroom:
2x(4x seated double box,8x midthigh box)
Trap Bar Podium DL: 7x4 w/40s 2x185,2x195,2x205,225
Reverse Lunge 3x10e: 115,125,135
2x(10 body curl,12 hypercomplex, 15eMB(9lb) Twist,12 bent leg hyper w/ 25lb,20-15-10 decline complex,12 hip ext w/ 20lb MB)
Glutes got hit pretty hard today.
Planned on tempo and upper weights today but my dog is pretty sick and I don’t wanna risk leavin him. Gonna make the most of it though and do a general strength circuit until I’m feeling tempo-esque fatigue.
Fri:
Prayer
2x(MB circuit, GS Circuit)
Didn’t get tempo level fatigue but I decided this was enough because I’ve been up with the dog for most of the past two nights.
GPP Wk 2:
Mon: 300m
WU: Green
3x4x25 1:30/4:30
Prayer
School started today and I’m trying out a 2 a day schedule for speed and lower body weight days. Glute was feelin funky when used elastically, gonna add some more glute-specific dym/static flex to my speed day warmup. I see it as a positive because it gave me a reason to focus on solid pushes and good posture at submax efforts… and the glute was lettin me know when I was using a good ROM…
Hittin lower body and medball in a few hours.
Monday Weights:
PC 4x6 185,95,205,215
w/VSqx5 after set 2, OHBx5 after set 4
Squat 6x4 45s 2x245,2x255,265,275
FSqx5
RDL 3x12 155,165,175
BLFx5
2x(MB wall sitx25,Sprint sitx24, Dec complex 20-15-10)
MB Spike x5
All the weights were cake, stuck with my plan for weights progression tho to keep things extra fresh for the week. Talked with one of my boys from football and he said he was studying CFTS and interviewed Buddy Morris (works alongside James at PITT) last semester for school, so talked to him for a little about training theory.