Stef's New Mission

Members Area My Training Journal
1

I decided to start a new journal because I want this to be a very different year than the two and a half previous ones I’ve had in track and field. I’ve changed my priorities in training:
Number one priority: PREVENT injuries
Number two priority: follow a program that works and stay with it - don’t do any workout that’s available, but make workouts work out for me.

That’s about it. The number one priority is the key. So far I haven’t had one year (not even one season!!!) without having something really bothersome happen to me (1 quad pull, 4 stress fractures, two of which kept me completely out, shin splints + chondromalacia, which also kept me completely out). I’m sick of it and now it’s time to start being careful.

Plus, I have myself a new coach: my Greek track pal who also does sprints up to the 400 and just graduated from physical education/ track coach (with specification in running events)/ sports management. 1) she has all the theoretical knowledge, 2) she loves doing it and does all kinds of extra research, 3) she has own personal background experience, coached by the coach of Greece’s 400m champion (Gravalos) - that’s also my coach, but I haven’t been coached as much as her, since I’m only here for the summers mostly.

First we outlined my indoor and outdoor dates and when I would like to peak. Basically, I’m trying to peak in February for indoors and then mid May for college outdoors, but my main concern is June for Greece nationals. My friend has created an outline for me with two macrocycles and hopefully it will all work out.

We started training last Monday, but now we’re only in the “Basic Cycle”, since it’s too early. THe more specific cycle begins September 5th (I forget the names of the cycles right now).

This is a general idea of the first week:
Monday: 4 km cross country, keeping heart rate at 160. Then 3 sets of circuits with body weight (abs, short hurdle hops, floor hypers, stationary high knees, push ups, mountain climbers)
2 laps cool down

Tuesday: 4 laps WU, dynamic stretching,
Drills (about 30-40m): 3low skips, 5high knees, 3* butt kick high knees
Plyos (about 40m): 3altitude skips, 3alternate leg bounds, 3*skip step bounds
CD

Wednesday: OFF (since this is the first week only, we’re making two off days)

Thursday: tempo: 1 lap WU, 10*400 with 3min rest/ rep. Those were done between 1:27 and 1:35.

Friday: 5 laps WU, dynamic stretching,
drills: 3low skips, 3high knees, 1A skips, 2B skips, 1butt kick high knees, 1hurdler’s drill
Weights: arms and legs, very light, 3 sets of 15 reps

Saturday (today): 6*100m hills with 6-8 min rests

Sunday: OFF

I will give you a general outline of the phases that my friend outlined for me so I can get some feecback from the forum.

:slight_smile:

2

Which event(s) are you going to compete in? Good luck :slight_smile:

3

Stef,

Shall i close your year 1 journal? Wow, time flys. Glad to hear you’re looking for an injury free season.

Rupert
CharlieFrancis.com

4

Yeah Rupert, you may close it.
I only have a question: if I wanted to refer back to it, it would still show up if I did a search, right?

My event is going to be 400m.
For those who don’t know much about me: I’ve been competing for 3 years, former college tennis player (D1), but then fell in love with track (still playing tennis, giving private lessons and stuff).
Open 400 pr: 60.36, but I also ran a low 59 in a relay (second leg, which according to my coach is the longest).
All my seasons were competed while being injured (first year was two stree fractures, second year was two more serious stress fractures that kept me completely out all indoor, third year was chondromalacia and shin splints which ALSO kept me out all indoor).

I’ll post my outline of training cycles later on for indoor and then for outdoor.

5

So this is the plan:
Starting last week, the time from then (August 8th) till the end of indoor (about March 5th) is about 28 weeks. This period if veeeeery long, so my options would be either starting to train in October to lessen the number of weeks, or extend the cycles as much as possible. I chose the second one.
We also included an introductory cycle, which is not really necessary but is put there so I’m training and now sitting around going nuts…

Aug 8th-Sept 4th: Introductory cycle (4 weeks)
Sept 5th-Oct 16th: Basic cycle (5 weeks)
Oct 17th-Nov 20: Special cycle (5 weeks)
Nov 21-Dec 18: Pre comp cycle (3 weeks)
Dec 19-Jan 15: 1st comp cycle (4 weeks)
Jan 16-Feb 5: intermediate cycle (3 weeks)
Feb 6-March 5: 2nd comp cycle (4 weeks)

As you can see, we were also forced to divide the indoor season into two competitive cycles because the number of weeks in the macrocycle was so great. So basically I’m having a very extended competition cycle, but the intermediate phase of 3 weeks is going to help me not to burn myself before the second, more important comp phase.

OUTDOOR SEASON: (16 week cycle)
March 6-March 26: Basic cycle (3 weeks)
March 27-Apr 30: Special cycle (5 weeks)
May 1-May 28: Pre comp cycle (4 weeks)
May 29-June 25: Comp cycle (4 weeks)

Here my focus is not the conference meet beginning/mid May for college, but Nationals in Greece, which are end of June.

Here is what kind of focus will be put on each cycle:
Introductory cycle: endurance running and tempo endurance, strength endurance, strength training
Basic cycle: tempo endurance, power speed, strength training
Special cycle: speed, speed endurance, special endurance, special power speed, strength training
Pre Comp cycle: special endurance leading to speed endurance, strengh training
Comp cycle: speed (high intensity), power speed, special strength training
Intermediate cycle: first week is easy, second week increase volume, keep intensity the same, third week decrease volume, increase intensity
2nd Comp cycle: increase intensity, decrease volume.

6

So your training on a bike, but your a sprinter.

7

That’s training cycle not a bicycle.

8

Stef

Your journal will be viewable, members just wont be able to post to it.

Rupert

9

Steph I take it from your posts you run for a school in N.E. You really dont need to break your cycles up that much. We go sept4 until xmas break as 1 cycle. We do a 3week build up and unload in week 4 also thanksgiveing week tends to also be a little lighter. During Xmas break if you dont have acsess to an indoor track it is hard to really do speed. So we stay with hills and tempo work. Maybe you have acsess to a track. It is hard for some one to set up a program for a runner from N.E. if they are not familiar with the wheather up here.We usually try to slip some S E work in during warm days in oct or nov. So no matter what your schedule says,be prepared to adjust. good luck.

10

That was a joke, right??

Right?? :rolleyes:

11

Mekstrand,
you’re right about the weather conditions in N.E. and of course the cycles that we set up are not going to be rock solid, but they will be adjusted according to the weather conditions and availability of an indoor track, which I probably will have (there’s an indoor track I can use about half an hour from my house) .

Plus, we might be having a couple track meets in December, so that’s why we decided to make that the 1st competition cycle and then if I’m lucky enough to spend my winter break in Greece, I will be attending a few indoor track meets here as well, which will NOT be intense, but more like practice meets.

12

We also have 2 meets in Dec,but we dont change our training. We use the meets as a time trial. Do you have an indoor track to practice on during the season?

13

shumon you are def a ray of sunlight…!!!

14

yes it was, i thought it was quite good, and intelligent.

thank you

15

Yeah, there’s a 165m track that I’m not very fond of which is right next to my university, the surface is a bit hard and the turns a bit tight.

There’s also a rubber 200m one a bit further. I’m hoping to be able to get to that one quite more often.

16

:slight_smile: I thought it was funny too

You had me suspect that maybe I gave the impression that I’m a cyclist, since I hadn’t even mentioned what event I do!!

17

Last Monday:
2km easy trail run, stretch
Weights: arms and legs, abs
45min Tennis

Yesterday (Tuesday):
1 lap WU, dynamic stretching
6*600m at about 70-75%, 3-3.5min rest/ rep, done @: 2:20, 2:26, 2:22, 2:25, 2:20, 2:18

18

Stefanie,

Quick question about your injuries over the past few Years.
What type of surface do you train on? Tempo on Grass, Track or Road. How big is the track you usually train on - you mentione 145m - The tight corners will cause injuries
What type of regeneration do you use.

Luc

19

IN the US, during the school year, when the weather is nice we train on a rubber outdoor track (which is relatively hard), but that’s the best condition available. If we do long run they’re on asphalt and we hardly ever run on grass. Tempo is doing on the track.

I know this is wrong. So this year I will be extra careful, and I won’t be training with my college team every day because I know that might cause me injuries. I’ll be doing all my tempo on grass if possible, plyos and such on grass as well, and spring on track.

For indoors it gets harder because all the grass is covered with snow. So I’m going to need some recommendations for my tempo. The indoor track that we have available is 165 meters, it has a gym rubber floor, which is not good at all. But it is possible that I can get access to another 200m nice track assuming I work out my schedule so I can get there during the public hours time.

Last winter the reason I got injured is because I was doing high volume of sprints on spikes from very early on (November) and I wasn’t running on grass at all.

Yesterday’s workout:
4 laps WU, stretch
drills with hurdles (5) to practice turn over. I don’t do hurdles - but since it’s early in the season I do exercises with them for technique, stride length, turnover, etc…it’s fun :slight_smile:
Weights: arms and legs, 3 sets of 15 reps, about 7 exercises, plus abs

Today is long warm up and plyos

Tomorrow I’m flying back to US.
:frowning: :cool: :confused: :o :slight_smile: :stuck_out_tongue:

20

Stephanie,
I suggest you talk wiht your coach about changing the surface you run on and even to incuding changing your temp to a bike. First I would talk with the rest of the team and see what kind of injuries they have. Also talk with your the therapists. It appears that your team wil have a history of lower body injuries and stress fractures and you can bring this info to the coaching staff
As a coach at the college level - I do not suggest training outside of the team, that can only create a negative atmosphere.
BEst of luck