well I am currently looking for a different coach thats more geared to sprinting. I think the continuous slow tempo training year round really hurt my speed. I have never really ran track before but when I trained by myself my pr was 10.74 and I started that season with 11.4 so i decided to get a coach and now I ran a best of 11.19 all year and in my last meet ran 11.5.
I’ve never ran so slow in my life well I see what happens once I find a sprint coach
Hello all,
I just raced my first 200m of the year yesterday, and I ran pretty ridiculously slow. My wind legal PB is 25.15, and yesterday I ran a 26.41- yikes!
I was in lane 4, got a pretty good start and felt pretty good in the first 50m. I didn’t really “float” the second 50m of the race though, I probably expended too much effort. (My coach had me at 12.00 ht through the first 100, so he thinks there is enough speed in place to go under 25.00 FAT which is my goal this year)
The second 100m of the race was a disaster; I was focused on passing this guy in lane 5 that I usually beat, and instead of just letting my long limbs do their job, I started to hammer my arms and muscled it big-time. I died a horrible death at 160m. What a rookie!
I have hardly done any speed endurance past 120m yet, and the past 8 weeks of SPP have been pretty heavy on the weights. I’m a lot stronger than I was last year, but I’m currently about 9 lbs heavier. I could probably stand to lose 5 to 7 lbs of fat.
So I asked myself “What would Charlie do?”, and here is what I came up with.
I’m going to back off the weights and start a maintenance phase next week, then start to compete as much as possible in early to mid July. (I’ll be in scorching hot Texas, so conditions should be really good)
I have loads of time on my hands in July and August, so I can do more low intensity stuff. I just haven’t had the time lately for more than 1000 reps of medball a week. I can slowly bump that up to 2000 to 2500 reps per week, then back it off if needed closer to late July.
My two main meets are the USA Masters in California July 22-25, and Colorado Masters August 28-29.
Is it pointless for a masters guy to do a triple periodisation?
Should I just do a long taper off what I have now speedwise through July and August, or taper down for USA Masters in late July, then do some active rest post-meet the last week in July, then another four week block in August?
Keep in mind I have a helluva lot of time on my hands in July and August for low intensity stuff.
Comments would be most appreciated. Thanks everyone!
T
When is your next race? If you want to get strong at the 200m and you must get some overdistance work in ex 2x250 rest 25-30mins.
For ex:
Mon: Speed 0-60m+Weights (bench+rows)
Tue: Tempo 1500m+1000throws+600abs+mobility
Wed: REST
Thur: Starts+SE 2x300, 2x250, or 2x200-180-150+Weights (sq+bench+pullups)
Fri: REST
Sat: Tempo 2200m+900throws+600abs+hurdle mobility
Sun: REST
If you are feeling great maybe you can fit another tempo day into the cycle. Also if you can fit a 400m race into your cycle early on.
Hi RB,
Thanks for the detailed response. My big races are in bold, the others are possibilities. If you know of any others, feel free to let me know.
I totally agree about the overdistance. I’ve done a couple of 220’s but only at 95% since I’m racing soon. I did more of them last year and they worked for me. I think since it’s almost July, races are going to be much of my SE for the summer.
June 27, 2010: Ontario Masters Championships, Toronto, ON
July 8, 2010: Thursday Night T&F - Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
July 9, 2010: Summer Twilight Series - Austin, TX
July 10, 2010: Texas Masters Championships, Coppell, TX
July 15, 2010: Thursday Night T&F - Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
July 22, 2010: Thursday Night T&F - Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
July 22-25, 2010: USATF Masters Outdoor Nationals, Sacramento,CA
July 29, 2010: Thursday Night T&F - Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
August 13, 2010: Summer Twilight Series - Austin, TX
August 28-29: Rocky Mountain Masters Games- Boulder, CO
There is about five weeks between my big July meet and my big August meet. There are a couple of approaches I could take:
-
Do a single taper from the beginning of July to the end of August.
-
Active rest after the USA Masters meet from July 25 - July 30, and a short third SPP leading to the Colorado meet on August 28-29.
Which is best, and why?
Your problem is from a lack of planning because with all those bunched meets you can’t really do too much of anything. Most of your training should be done by now, you should be maintaining with starts and 1-2x150’s submax early in the week. You still have about 2 weeks before the first bunch of races = time to perform at least two overdistance sessions ex: 2x250 or 2(150+100)rest 30-60sec/20-30min. Just expect to run like shit until August use the meets as training.
I forgot your last question:
There is about five weeks between my big July meet and my big August meet.
After the USA Masters meet (July 22-25), should there be active rest and a short third SPP?
Or should I just do a long taper down from the beginning of July to the Colorado meet?
You have no time to take rest or perform SPP 3 etc. If your body is worn out take 2-3 days of passive rest then get back to work. Train then perform a 10day taper leading into the last meet in August.
Thanks RB!
I will get to work, and will do those 2x250m overdistance runs next week as you advised. I will only run meets if they work for me.
I need to run a 24.xx or I just wasted 9 months!
T
Hey RB,
I’m going to start a journal, first entry being yesterday’s two sluggish races.
Damn - I suck at giving advice. 
It wasn’t that bad…I just had an atrocious drive phase in the 100m and I ran the 200m at about 98% effort nice and smooth. Still pretty bad in the last 30m though.
We can tell how your advice works later in July / August! 
LOL, after all it’s only advice - I’m not in Texas coaching you 1 on 1.
Well finally 3 years later I have finally broken 22 seconds @32 years old lol. Ran 21.86 on a slow track into a -.5 headwind and opened up with a 10.74 legal both PRs my fastest time was 10.74 with a 5.6w in 2003 lol. Still have yet to get in shape or lift any weights this season. Lets see how far I can go
Sweet - Nice work.
This is the start of Summer for you?
How interesting is that? Charlie always stated altitude and wind aids could create a neural pattern that would allow you to run that time (often exactly, as in your case) legally in the future. Amazing!
What a great story to run your PR at 32. How has your training evolved over the years? Why do you think you ran your PR’s this year as opposed to the past? Congratulations, you must feel really good.
Well I am not too sure it is a bit weird. I have been through many coaches since high school. I started running track in 1995 but for some reason could never break 11 seconds in the 100m legally ,22 seconds in the 200m and 50 seconds in the 400m. I switched coaches again about a year ago. The training is a bit more intense as far as workouts go.
Sweet - keep going.
Agree with RB34, good work, and keep it going, one of the athletes I coach hit pb’s at 100/200/400 at the age of 32. Then she became pregnant, but I don’t think your going to have the last part happen to you (lol)
Ran again this weekend I think I could have done better in the 100m but ran 10.78. 200 meter I ran a new personal best 21.48! Still trying to learn the best way to run the race I have been taking the curve easy so hopefully I can get down a bit more. Overall I am pretty happy never thought I would ever break 22 seconds haha feels good.
Great work!!! How’s your training?
Good stuff, consistant, hopefully it will continue, you are being rewarded for your perseverance, sometimes it just takes a while. You can be doing the right training but the results don’t always happen straight off, patience is the key.