I SUSPECT THERE IS A LOT MORE TO THIS SITUATION THAN MERELY THE FACT ROONEY DID SOME EXTRA SPEED WORK. IT MAY BE A CASE OF PROGRAM CONSTRUCTION: WHY DID EXTRA SPEED TRAINING FORCE HIM TO ELIMINATE WHAT HE REFERS TO AS HIGH TOLERANCE TRAINING/ ON A CONCURRENT PROGRAM HE COULD HAVE HAD HIS CAKE AND BEEN ABLE TO EAT IT TOO, SO TO SPEAK… kk
Rooney better for criticism
Thu, 15 Dec 07:15:00 2011
Martyn Rooney listened to his critics to detrimental effect this year - but he insists he’s moved on and is better for it with a return to what he knows best well in motion.
The 24-year-old caved into a growing demand for him to work on his speed last season - ultimately paying the price at the World Championships in Daegu in the summer.
Rooney, making his fourth appearance on the global stage, failed to reach the individual 400m final while in the relay he led Britain to seventh overall.
He immediately knew the reason for his failures and has since returned to old ways - but does credit the switch for reaffirming in his mind if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.
“Last season is not going to be remembered fondly by me. I tried something different and it didn’t work,” said sprinter Rooney.
"[b]I was put under a lot of pressure to do speed work and so I tried to do it someone else’s way and things just didn’t click.
"Commentators and coaches have said I lacked speed so I did a lot of stuff away from my natural event - but I always thought I was quite quick[/b].
"I was working on my 200m personal best and it took the focus away from the 400m too much but I can tick that off the list, it was something that had to be done.
"I think every athlete tries something new to find that extra edge but it didn’t work for me. It was six months that I almost wasted in reality as I was there in body but not really competing.
"I am back to doing high tolerance stuff, the bread and butter and stuff that I am strong at and, in a way, it was good to know that what I was doing prior to my change was working.
“I’m about three weeks behind in terms of my training at the moment - I need to get some quality sessions under my belt and get back on the right path.”
Next year’s Aviva Series, which includes the Olympic trials and Crystal Palace Grand Prix, will feature heavily on Rooney’s 2012 schedule.
And, while most athletes can’t wait for next year’s London Games to begin, Rooney, who finished sixth in Beijing in 2008, can’t wait for them to end.
“Time spent doing anything other than training is time wasted in my opinion and it will be a matter of whoever is the fittest will come out on top,” he added.
"There is a lot of furore surrounding the Games, understandably, but I can’t wait until it’s over and then I can start talking about how good it was.
“I’m sure we’ll put on a world class Olympics. It will be hard to rival Beijing given the amount that was spent on that but I’m sure it will be memorable.”
Sportsbeat / Eurosport