What do you guys think of my current situation?

OK,
I have to do two sports this year as a requirement. I would defininitely do track this coming spring. This winter I will take time off from sports and will be able to do anything I wish to do. However, I chose x-country for this fall season for many reasons, although I know it is really terrible for power/strength development.
I only have one week left of x-country, basically race for one more time next saturday (11-11-06) The winter season will be about twelve weeks until track season
That means I only have twelve weeks left to improve my maximal strength and speed. I’ve never really had any solid training experience from last year, but right now what I’m doing is only deadlifting (adding 10 pounds per week; right now I’ve lifted 245), doing some Bulgarian split squats and natural glute-ham raises. I used to train 4 times a week during the x-country season but I felt really tired and shitty because of other commitments/stress overall.
Would a lactic --> alactic emphasis (short to long with shorter recoveries to longer recoveries ala Vancouver 2004) be optimal? Or should I go straight to full recovery runs and higher intensity, since I’m only a beginner with a 12.21 PR, and ttherefore high-intensity work wouldn’t be a problem since?
I hope it makes sense.

-Wu Gong Heng

interesting!
i would imagine, a long to short will fit better, after all, you have just come off xc. YOu might as well use your ability there to help you run faster.
is it only the 100m your after? or would the 400 and 800m suit you better for track season? Perhaps the 800 and 1500? if you want to do well, and have just done xcountry, i would go for the 8/15. But, its what you want to do that dictates your training needs.

First of all, I think you probably already are fairly fit from all that millage. No need to loose that now! Keep tempo up, perhaps a higher volume than most people would do (since you are already used to it) and add in some press ups and sit ups into your tempo sessions. Then I’d follow a long to short programme but I wouldn’t go straight to flat out runs (Speed Endurance). Instead I’d spend perhaps 4-6 weeks getting ready for them. You could follow the longer side of the L-S programme on the Van’04 download to get down to 350m SE runs over perhaps 6 weeks. Then you could switch to the shorter side but perhaps keep a few of the longer sessions in there as well.

As you said you are a beginner so just keep working on the run, jump, throw stuff (medball, jumps etc) as well.

Sounds like god advice. Take advantage of what you have even if it isn’t ideal. You’ve still got plenty of time.

I would go short to long so you start working on your weakest area, max speed as soon as possible. xc will have left you well short of max speed and sprinting technique in the context of 100m.

The base you have from x-country plus tempo will keep your long fitness up.

I would agree that you should consider longer sprints or middle distance. In which case you should again do short to long for 400/800. The long would be special endurance. Again keep up the tempo for basic fitness and recovery.

Some people run a good 8/15 off endurance training only, so the short to long may be less critical for that.

Yeah, I definitely think my weaknesses are the components of the 100m: accl, max v, speed endurance. I realized my vertical jump decreased (well at least my running vertical) by like 2-3 inches because of endurance work LOL. This will be the last time I will do cross-country because next year and the year after (junior and senior year) I wouldn’t be obliged to play 2 sports per year.

Btw, I only look to improve the 100m.

I think I should go short to long, focusing directly on my weaknesses while maintaining general fitness.

I’ll just keep adding weight every other week to my deadlift (lifted 255 last time for 5x4) until I reach 300 or stagnate.

The thing is, in track season, I don’t think I will improve my times because our rest periods will be so short. Basically all we did last year is either just tempo (close to intensive) or “glycolytic” speed workouts. Last year my time went from 12.21 hand timed to 12.6 FAT. All those speed sessions that consisted of only 30 s rest intervals didn’t really improve my time. Therefore, a direct approach to my weaknesses using short-to-long approach would be ideal, I think.

Thoughts?

Anyways I will return to NJ this coming break (I go to a boarding school in California.) I will be watching Vancouver 2004 and GPP, and will be re-reading CFTS and 2002 Forum Review this coming break and think of your ideas and thoughts.

Thank you,
Wu Gong Heng

If you are concentrating on 100m I suggest

  • Acceleration runs. Think of fast reaction time, explosive first few steps and rapidly getting to max V.
  • Max speed dev. Flying starts aiming to hit and hold max v for a few seconds. Say 40-60m.
  • You may find some plometrics help find the explosiveness lost through distance running.

Then move up the distances as per short to long for speed endurance.

Get plenty of recovery between high intensity efforts - this seems to me a key part of CFTS.

Tempo should not be at high intensity with short recoveries.

Either work at high intensity with long recoveries (accels, max V, spe end) or at the other end of the spectrum (Tempo). Not in the middle.

If your coach disagrees and his sessions do not work - go somewhere else. If you want to apply CFTS principles learn from what if offers and apply it, hopefully with the help of a coach that understands it.

Thanks OldBloke,

What you outlined there is basically my plan. Last year I argued with the coaches and said that the quality of speed training suffered because we were too tired from yesterday’s workout and plus the speed sessions have only freakin’ short rest periods. That argument didn’t really go well. Heh one of my coaches spouted, “Stop reading.” I WAS LIKE WTF! LOL.

Anyways, I’ll implement the outline you posted for the next twelve weeks. After that twelve weeks, I think I can only hope that my body will be able to improve because of my school’s system, I’m bound to play one more sport (in this case I will do track).

I believe I will make the bigger gains in the short-long approach than the long-short because of the principle of specificity, and plus, it seems that the short-long is more intense than that of a long-short, and would therefore foster higher adaptation levels.

are you allowed to train by yourself? are you bound to train with a coach?

Perhaps take the weights a bit slower. Your pretty decient in the weights, if you put too much energy into them, then there be less energy for max speed.

Good idea on the DVD’s too. Some need watching more than 2 times.

12wks is ok for you to get almost fast again. You should i recon get close to FAT 12.2, same as hand held, or even 11.99??

I get to train by myself this winter (next week up to mid-february) After that, I’m bound to train with a coach.

…Yes, I’ll try to pull a 300 lb deadlift in Dec 17, then after that, just do a 3x3 maintenance once a week and focus on speed work. I’ll try to have full recoveries between sessions (tempo work only maintenance) to save time and to not confuse my body with too many different stimuli, which I think would give me pretty big speed gains in the end.

LOL my goal this year is to run between 11.5-11.7 FAT. I guess 11.99 is close enough =P, considering my running cross-country.

Thanks!