Young runner's training journal

Hi Rick,

I know you corresponded with ESTI regarding your proposed taper plan. I would suggest keeping to a 7 day taper for Keana, as I suspect she might feel a bit too flat if you backed off for 10 days. Thus perhaps do a final stimulus about 7 days before (perhaps 250, 120 or 300, 150 or whatever you deem appropriate), then keep the tempo easy (2x10x100) and just do a few fast relaxed runs that arent lactic inducing (150m or less, 95% or less) on your speed days. You could use a few explosive medball throws instead of going back to weights.

Let us know what you decide!

Here is what we have done since Saturdays meet:

Sunday

OFF

Monday

5 x 300m @ 70%

Tuesday

(Was to be 1st day of taper)

4 x 30m Bock Start:
(4.69, 4.65, 4.59, 4.60)

15 minute break

80m Falling Start:
(10.84)

20 minute break

100m Falling Start:
(13.69)

She has’nt done falling starts since before freshman High School track, or a little over a year.
She needs to work on falling starts, as she has a long delay and improper form…just needs some practice… but her time for each run does reflect this.

Wednesday

7 x 200m @ 70%

Thursday

(Today!)

4 x 30m Block Start:
(4.50, 4.39, 4.39, 4.36… All PB runs)

1 x 50m Falling Start: (7.38…Bad start, needs work on falling start)

1 x 60m Falling Start: (8.77…again, bad start, need to work on falling start)

300m Standing Start: (43.13… PB)

She is getting PB’s in all her runs, even though she is getting bad starts with the falling starts, it’s obvious that she is running at PB velocity.

We were going to do one more run, a 120m standing start, but ran out of daylight and didn’t have time for the recovery after the 300m run.

In the shorter sprints, her arm swing is looking much better, her hands are open and more rigid (not limp, flipping back).

I think that the 2 years of cross country influence is finally wearing off!!!

Rick,

So far so good with the taper.

However, your workout data from previous weeks has all been removed. What happened?

Will add previous workouts later…

Friday

TEMPO

2 x 10 x 100m @ 70%

Saturday

(Today!)

4 x 30m Block Starts: @ 95%, fast, but relaxed:
(4.60, 4.52, 4.59, 4.54)

1 x 80m Standing Start: @ 95%, same as above: (10.90)

Medicine Ball, one set of 15 each:

Chess Pass, Overhead Pass, Sit-up Chest Pass, Sit-up Overhead Pass

(6 days until raceday…March 1st)

Sunday

OFF

Out of curiosity, what times was she running for her “70%”? I’ve found that sometimes my good 200/400 runners will be able to continue running faster 100m tempo (which is supposed to be 65-75% depending on the day) than 100m specialists who are definitely faster over 100m.

She was averaging around 17 to 18 seconds… these were very easy for her and I had to keep reminding her it was 70% tempo… she would run these like the big circuit…she would run 100m, then briskly walk the 50m across the football field to the other side of the track to run her next 100m, etc.

I’m not sure what you have planned for speed work before March 1st so this might be moot, but if it was my athlete, I’d be cautious with monitoring her warm-ups & body signs with the topspeed work going into the race due to her hitting PB speeds (to reduce risk of injury). Keep us posted with everything and keep up the great work! Your daughter is very lucky.

Thank you for the words of wisdom… I will watch her closely…

And, actually, I feel very, very fortunate to have a child that loves a sport as much as my daughter. She does not complain, actually, she drives me much of the time when the weather is bad, or poor conditions… she still wants to do her workout no matter what.

She really wants to be the best she can be and has had this love for track for the past 5 years… and believe me, she will do what it takes to get there.

This is what I’m thinking for her workouts this week:

Monday

Tempo

1 x 10 x 100m @ 70%, relaxed

Medicine Ball work, upper body only

Tuesday

4 x 40m, relaxed, 90%

Wednesday

OFF

Thursday

4 x 40m easy, relaxed starts and runs

Friday

Race day

What times on Friday are the 60m heats/finals and 200m heats/finals (or are they timed finals?). If finals, do you expect her to make it to the final?

The Prelim for the 60m is at 6:10pm (4 heats)

The Final for the 60m is at 7:45pm

The 200m timed final is at 8:25pm (2 heats)

Updated heat sheets came out today, her events are:

60m: 2 heats, timed final @ 7:10PM

200m: 1 heat, @ 7:50PM

That’s pretty good actually. Close together, but only 2 runs in that order is nice.

Time to update:

Went to the University of Washington meet on March 1st, she warmed up and was ready to run in the 60m when she talked to one of her track friends who had just been told that she should not run in the meet because High School track season had started, and because of High School rules, she could lose her HS eligibility…thankfully her friend found her before she raced and told her the news.
It was a long 150 mile drive and no events, but…it was good to have found out before racing.

Today… she is on a new HS Track team. A couple days ago, she transferred from the school that has caused her so many problems, getting to the point it was unsafe and unhealthy for her to continue there… to an online program she will be doing at home. She is an A student, and very studious, so this will work great for her…she can work at a faster pace and homework won’t interfere with training, travel etc., will make things much easier for her.

She is out of the country now due to a family emergency, but will be back on the 18th and very excited for her 1st day of HS track. They have a good sprint program, are flexible and want what is best for my daughter… she already knows at least half the kids, this will be a great fit for her, and the team.
She is very very excited.

Interesting. Is it governed by a Washington highschool track/field association? In BC, athlete may not compete in club/open meets representing their school, but they can if representing their club or unattached.

WIAA…HS athletes can’t compete with college teams, which they draw the line when HS outdoor season starts, as the other meets are “open” meets and not college competition.

HS athletes can only wear uniform in WA State coaches association “approved” meets…can’t wear uniform at club meets or non-school meets.

“Interesting. Is it governed by a Washington highschool track/field association? In BC, athlete may not compete in club/open meets representing their school, but they can if representing their club or unattached”

It appears it is similar here… as long as the student is not in college/high school uniform, and does not gain “points” for a college team, they can run in open college meets.

But, was also told, that technically it could be counted against you in later college, and viewed as “college tryouts”… I need to find out more about that…

I would be extremely surprised if this was the case.

Surprised by which, or both?

This:

But, was also told, that technically it could be counted against you in later college, and viewed as “college tryouts”… I need to find out more about that…