Rough translation:
Usain had 3 hours interview on Monday morning. Then he had this workout in pm : 6x180m without starting blocks in 20"5 with 8min rest, which is described as moderate tempo. Mills estimates that Bolt’s level that day before the workout was 75%, and Patrick Dawson was the timer : 19’’6, 20’’6, 20’’5, 19’’9, 20’’3, 20’’1.
On Tuesday, the workout is planned to be 2 sets of 300m, 180m, 150m with 8 and 12min rest. Pace is 35", 18-19" and 16". This is described as Speed Resistance.
Pardon me, but how are either of these workouts extensive tempo? The breaks are far longer than any recommended, relatively fast, and done on the track, in spikes IIRC. I think they are about as clear of an example of intensive tempo as one could get. If that isn’t intensive tempo, then nothing is.
Also, Bolt as consistently behind at the start UNTIL the WC. I am not talking about his first few races, but all of them.
How does this change though that he ran relatively faster in the 200m than the 100m in the season? He ran a lot more 100s and never had any performances that really can compare to that 200, which was likely good for 19.1 (in good conditions) at least.
I haven’t seen the 300-180-150m type workouts but the times do seem like intensive tempo pace for someone of Bolt’s level. I think the video below was also posted here previously and although its tough to get an accurate time, the effort and apparent speed of the runs make it seem like intensive tempo to me. How would you classify it?
This 180m workout was described as “moderate tempo” by the coach, i guess it is mid way between extensive and intensive tempo. I would tend to think it is extensive due to the quite long rest (8min). The journalist wrote : “il ne s’agit pas de forcer”. Thus the workout was by no mean difficult.
His reaction times were poor during the season, and curiously were good only in Berlin. This affects more the performance at 100m than 200m. Lausanne (the 19.5 race) was suppose to be a peak performance as Bolt announced the days before the meeting that he would run full out.
The 300-180-150 is described as speed endurance by the coach. I think he eventually only did one set but not sure. On the video, this is not a workout, just his usual warm-up before races, these are acceleration build ups, not tempo.
When breaks are 8 and 12 min, basically full recovery for the pace of work done, it isn’t any kind of tempo at all, it’s Speed Endurance work. The effort level of the speed work may take it down a notch but that’s what it is.
Tempo work can be described as incomplete recoveries within reps and sets.
It was my understanding though that he did 2 sets of 300,180,150 at a much more moderate pace earlier on in the season with short recoveries, and the pace decribed there would have been extensive.
Even if you factor out the RXN, he is still far behind (relative to his best races). We’re talking over a tenth off his best 30m (rxn factored out).
The 300-180-150 is described as speed endurance by the coach. I think he eventually only did one set but not sure. On the video, this is not a workout, just his usual warm-up before races, these are acceleration build ups, not tempo.
If you watch the video in full, you’ll notice his coach says the workout is 4x110m… @ intensive tempo pace…
I don’t care what the pace is. It is irrelevant if the breaks are COMPLETE. That is NOT intensive, extensive, or any other kind of tempo.
Ben often did up to 6 x 150 with 5 to 6 min between at 14.8 to 15.2 (my timing so prob 15 45to 15.85e) as a sub maximal session.
That is NOT intensive tempo. It was enough for complete recovery for him at that pace.
If you want to change the definition of intensive tempo as far as you are concerned, then go with it and be happy.
Clearly you know best on this subject and no amount of explanation will change your mind so I might as well defer to your expertise on all things training and move on to those who have something to learn.
I assume this session (6x150) was done as part of a final training block in the s-to-l? For example:
SPP3
M- Flying 20’s or 80-100-120@Max with full-recovery
T- Tempo
W- 2X250 (30 mins rec) @100% effort
T- Tempo
F- 6X150 (5/6 mins rec) @95% effort
S- Tempo
S- Rest
My 30m cam broke down in Paris GL but i estimate his time at 3.87. His reaction time was 0.174 (rounded up to 0.18), that gives 3.69 without reaction time. In Berlin WC, it was RT 0.146 (0.15) and 30m 3.79. That gives 3.64. We’re not talking over a tenth.
Sorry, i didn’t watch the vid till the end. It was taken in Bruxelles GL, probably 2 days before the race. I timed the 100m in the bend circa 11.00 FAT. His best time in the bend beeing 9.92, this is 90% pace. We don’t know how much time rest there was between reps, probably 5min as they seem to chat a lot. BTW the coach doesn’t say the workout is at intensive pace, this is your interpretation of it. This is sub max workout to me, in order to prepare his first competition after WC and get rythm through the curve. His race in Bruxelles was a submax competition, 19.57 is at least half a second slower than his projected best.
Yes, that would be one example but not necessarily for Ben as he usually didn’t go farther than 150 in SE. I would usually keep Mons for work out to 80m, with Wed 150s, and Fri out to 120 if the sessions was sub max on Wed but perhaps only one sub max 120 on Fri after starts if the 150s were Max (ie 80, 100, 120 ,150 max with total recovery).
But what you seem to be indicating here is that Ben’s capacity to tolerate high intensity work is incredible. Based on your response he could be doing:
M- Max effort sprints up to 80
T- Tempo
W- Max effort runs 80, 100, 120, 150
T- Tempo
F- Starts, 1X120@ Sub Max Effort
S- Tempo
S- Rest
and this would be even more intense in the phase before, I assume looking something like:
M- Max effort sprints up to 60
T- Tempo
W- Max effort runs 2x3x80 or 80, 100, 120
T- Tempo
F- Starts, 2x4x60@ Sub Max Effort
S- Tempo
S- Rest
AND all with weights, plyos and medball work (and some accelerations where not mentioned).
In previous posts and material I have got off the store you seem to indicate that some separation is needed between such high intensity elements and this is why you would place SE type work (such as 2x200 or 2x250) on a Wednesday between shorter more CNS intense workouts on a Monday and Friday. What you seem to be indicating with regards to Ben is his capacity to back-up two very high CNS intense workouts within 48hours!
Remember - he still does SE on the Wed - just limited recovery for shorter efforts.
instead of doing a 300m or 250m, you could break it up into 2 x 150’s (300) or 2 x 125’s (250) and have a limited recovery between efforts, Such as a walk back to the start.
And you can control how fast each is by controlling your ACC limit
There are the two different approaches but the overall effects are moderately similar as initially you could consider the sets of 4 x 60 as a form of split run SE because the breaks are relatively short however they are dependant on following recovery abilities based on the intensity limit used. You need to see the charts compared for volume and effect throughout the phase.
A bit off topic but Boo Schexnayder pushes FEF’s out to FEFEF’s with his jumpers in SPP2 (s-l), would you ever consider doing this? It seems as though he’s mixing top-speed drills with SE somehow… i’m not sure. I’ve found ‘fast, faster, fastest’ (30m/30m/30m) effective in the past.