In adjusting times for tempo ranges-do you 1)take FAT performances or hand timed performances to determine paces from?
I do typically allow the athlete’s paces to pass or not the look test but since I don’t see many of the tempo sessions, they want actual paces to run at.
2)I know it will vary from location to the next but approximately what kind of adjustment should be made to run on a grass field? I know you have mentioned long grass, short grass etc. before as just one thing to consider.
I have a field that has fairly short grass and wonder about the degree of adjustment to make from track pr’s.
Probably the best way to monitor is to tell them they must finish at the pace they start with. They’ll know if they’re going too fast after the first session.
The problem, though, comes from the belief on my part(from witnessing a few of the sessions) and theirs that they can too easily finish at the same pace-that is, the pace is not challenging enough to serve as true active recovery work. The pace is, likely, not challenging enough and due to not always being able to be present to view these sessions, I want to provide more specific guidelines.
Though I believe they have become more challenging of late(too slow previously) yet since all of the work may be too slow and thus they can easily finish at the pace they start at, I need to make the work and times more defined.
Would a short grass field be about a 2-3 tenths slower for a 100 than that done on a track or is that not enough? I know any recommendations cannot be too exacting due to surface variation etc. but I’m just trying to hone in on the details. Thanks.
It’s tempo, it’s chicken soup and I’m sure the level of your athletes should be in that 14-16sec zone. If it’s too easy throw in 20 situps and 10 pushups on each end. Don’t make it more complex then it is.
Actually no. The times you are advocating would be too fast considering the high school pr’s and even improved/current pr’s of most of the people I have.
I’m going to make the instructions as detailed as necessary to ensure the athletes are running at the proper intensities. I’m not getting complex but I am going to provide them a range. Since I can’t watch them and a number of the ahletes have asked for the times, I’ll give them that.
I am. Every college track coach cannot get 10.5guys etc. into their school (academic standards, scholarship money available, facility quality limitations., one of the lowest ath. dept. budgets in the nation etc.) and mine is one of them.
I know well of Charlie’s chicken soup comments re: tempo-I’ve heard them many times- as I’ve got most of the products, seen him in person twice including co-hosting a three day seminar with him featured, and was of the first people on his board-the original board back in 2001.
Who said it was complex? I said no to the time range you indicated. As I said before, the athletes want a simple but specific time range to run in and I know his recommendation is 65-75% adjusted for surface conditions.
I gave you a sample answer that I’m sure CF would support. 16-20sec, if it’s too easy add some bw drills btw the drills. Also you could always start out at 20sec and work down to 16sec.
Pioneer, when I coached at the high school level I actually took a day and timed my athletes covering the distance on grass at a relaxed, yet full speed effort. By deriving percentages from those numbers I obviated any guesswork that would have otherwise been necessary in the conversion process from track times.
They all ran the tempo sessions at once and I would call out the times as they neared the finish. After a few runs they would settle in to their respective paces. Worked well.
I think you get the picture. Your looking at around Half a sec diff in tempo time for Half sec faster PB When running tempo - So long as that 12.1sec runner isnt running 13sec or low 14 he will be fine.
If he knocks out the odd 14.5 but most are around 15, again, he will be fine.
For the 12sec guy, i would be looking at a range of roughly 15sec - 16.5sec. Like RB34 says, do some push ups, burpees, sit ups, dips, squats, split squats or whatever in-between runs, or every few runs.
Or you could say to some - run faster than a jog, but deff slower than a 400m run. Or tell them, 800m pace.
We use them Wooden log Fences, we run to one, do some jumps over them (holding the log with your hands) or some push ups on them, or dips, then run 50m back where we might do squats, or burpees or something, then repeat but back to the 2nd log, then 3rd log and so on till they are done.
You just need to watch the volume. Doing it this way, it tires the heart out a bit if your run fast and forces one to slow down if they have a tendency to run tempo too fast.
Its still 75% - normally due to a much more relaxed start your looking closer to 15sec, but with a rolling start sure, 14sec is easy.
Mind you, guys i had who were 22-23sec 200m shape, we had running 30-32sec tempo, but naturally the odd 27-28sec was popped out, which didn’t really matter so long as most were 30+.
22sec + 25% = 27.5sec. So easy really.
We never bother really timing 100’s - you can tell as a coach if somebody is going too fast with Just your eyes. Esp with Body weight exercises thrown in, that will typically drop the pace to 15-17sec per 100m. EASY. Hard workout, but EASY to recover from.
Im not coaching Sprinters for the last couple of years - but it looks like im moving town in a short while, and plane on looking for Sprinters when i do move. Currently coaching General Population for fitness, weight loss and Figure.
When i have coached sprints - normally high school (then they moved to the big city for uni) and guys were typical 10.65 - 11.20 shape after 6months, By year 11/12 that is. FAT times.
What? Please explain
75% off max speed
100% = PB - lets say 10sec
50% off 10sec = 5sec. 5sec + 10sec = 15sec
75% off 10sec = 2.5sec. add your 10sec = 12.5sec
The diff between 75% and 100% is 25%.
What we are not doing is
10sec = 0%
50% = 5sec + 10sec = 15sec (this is the same)
75% = 7.5sec + 10sec = 7.5sec
100% = 10sec, + 10sec = 20sec.
which still isnt what your talking about. Perhaps iv been working too hard in the Sun today!
There is No correct time overall. that is the issue. Temperature, previous workout, time of year, field condition, personal load all play a role. If you can’t be there to supervise, you can’t simply pick a time to make up for it. Tempo times must be flexible enough to adjust for high intensity demand.
