Anyone know any thing about the training of the new World Champ at 60m? Obvious improvement was made in 2001 when she ran 10.82 and beat Marion Jones in a great race.
What training does she do? i’ve read that she works with her husband/manager Mark Block and worked her starts and first 30m.
Does anyone (Charlie) have any comments on her technique? She rips the track underneath her so strongly and is so aggressive when she races. She really throws her arms out of the blocks and gets a fanatastic split of arm/leg for a female. What times could she reach this year. She mentioned in a recent interview that she wants Arron’s 10.73 and sub 22 for the 200m!
Interesting observations by pierrejean. The three week blocks would indicate intensification and/or a drop in speed vol throughout each 3 week period (and a considerable concern with not dropping a high workload for very long). In a high workload/lifting environment, it is easiest to maintain high performance levels over the shorter distances up to 30m. Consistency is assured, but is this necessarily what is needed if one section will always remain weak? The finish is fixable, as top speed is the one area that’s toughest - and it’s already good.
What types of methods would you suggest for normalising stride frequency during speed maintainance/endurance. You mentioned that Ben’s improved as he became stronger, just wondering what type of strength you were refering to. I’m a 200m runner, so the issue of speed maintainance and endurance are of particular interest to me.
PJ, if Zhanna’s final part of her race was effected during her harder parts of her program wouldn’t that therefore indicate what Charlie posted earlier with Zhanna needed to train smarter not harder. Almost like her peaking lighter weeks may be better suited to her racing faster more consistent times than her training with a much higher intensity and volume?
Zhanna peaks when it counts thanks to her training program. She’s has shown she is able to peak at 10.80-10.80 without wind, the problem is to make her able to run let’s say 10.70-10.75 without wind. (that’s Marion Jones’ best level, which she hasn’t reached since Sydney…).
Like charlie suggests, emphasis on quality rather than quantity is a solution to improve her level and develop at its best her speed.
About her maximum speed, back in 1997, during the 100m final she topped the maximum speed, fastest than Jones, with 10.72m/s. Since then, in all her <10.90 races, she has reached that speed, and in my opinion, that’s the hardest part of the race to improve. Her last 40m (speed maintenance (60-80m) and specific endurance (80-150m) are the part where there’s the more room for improvement.
The steadiness of her starts is to work too, this indoor season, it seemed that it was her main objective, and concentration work is a good factor.
Charlie said that she does at training 8 x 100m under 11sec ht with 5 to 7 min breaks. This is impressive, but that won’t attack directly the problem of speed maintenance.
For this, she could have more breaks between heats, and run in progressive acceleration during 1/3 or the distance, and run at 100% until the 110m line, not the 100m line in order to not try to modify her stride or stop her effort when she’s near the finish line. That’s a psychologic thing, very important.
During the competition phase and in a peak form, she could work supra-maximal speed (slight downhills), but only if her technique is at her best level, in a high level of concentration on technique, in order to prevent injuries or bad technical reflex. I don’t know if she has the equipment for this.
An other solution would be to run with strong wind assitance in the same mind conditions, but it’s difficult to decide the weather!
However, it’s difficult to give some opinions/advice when you don’t know personally the athlete, and i’m sore she and Mark Block do their best to find solutions. I base my propositions on the different training programs of former/current World class sprinters/hurdlers and biomechanical analysis.
Originally posted by Charlie Francis
Re Vert Plyos
This requires knowing the ratio of training to competition and, not only race times, but section breakdowns as well. I havn’t done it in this case. Maybe pierrejean can shed some light on this.
[quote]Originally posted by Charlie Francis
Re Vert Plyos
This requires knowing the ratio of training to competition and, not only race times, but section breakdowns as well. I havn’t done it in this case. Maybe pierrejean can shed some light on this.
Pierrejean, your expertise is needed.
Thanks [/quote]
Sorry, i’m not fluent in English, and i’d like to know what “section breakdowns” does mean, as well as “limb passes BDC”
Originally posted by Charlie Francis
Re Vert Plyos
This is a complex issue, which is hard to evaluate easily as it has to do with the amount of time spent in conditions of strong loading and therefore lower top speed and the amount of competition time available. One means of making an analysis would be to look at early comp results vs late comp results. If there is a big difference, then the speed might come from racing itself, but if results are good from the beginning of the comp period, another explanation must be present (such as vert plyos). This requires knowing the ratio of training to competition and, not only race times, but section breakdowns as well. I havn’t done it in this case. Maybe pierrejean can shed some light on this.
About Zhanna Block’s season and competition program, i have noticed that she has peak form every 3 weeks, between early June and late August.
Maybe it is due to a special periodisation, with 3 weeks cycles ended by a peak form, those peak forms gradually increasing through the year?
The main improvements i’ve noticed between her so-so races and her top-form times, are in speed maintenance (60-80m) and above all specific endurance (80-100m).
Start and acceleration (0-30m) remain about the same, with some variations though, but it’s difficult to compare because this part of the race varies with concentration level, opposition and psyche things of the competitions.
I guess Borzov’s definintion of “fairly fast” needs to be checked as it could mean lots of things.
6x200m plyos must be the hardest thing you can do to your body, she must have a serious regeneration program to be able to survive that kind of work. I have heard of triple jumpers alternate leg bounding 150m in 17.5, what would Zhanna do for 200m ALBs?
Quick question, by Zhanna having such a high volume/intensity in her program does that give her a much higher peak when she does finally lighten off? Meaning does she ran 11.00-10.95 in her lead up and then pop some 10.80-10.75 when she hits Paris because for the first time that year she is acutally fresh and rested? Does this make peaking for the meet a hard challenge with a great risk of hit and miss to actually running faster times?
Originally posted by Dazed
What types of methods would you suggest for normalising stride frequency during speed maintainance/endurance. You mentioned that Ben’s improved as he became stronger, just wondering what type of strength you were refering to. I’m a 200m runner, so the issue of speed maintainance and endurance are of particular interest to me.
In my archives, i found an interesting article by Valeriy Borzov, who is from Ukraine like Zhanna, where he gives in a way an answer to your question:
In: Training Procedures in Sprinting, Modern Athlete and Coach, (Australia), 1984, n°April, pp.15-17
"To develop my general endurance and leg power Petrovski made good use in the winter of the 76 steps of the Kiev Stadium. The most difficult exercise he employed was bounding up the stairs with a high knee lift to the chest. It was repeated until complete fatigue and had to be executed with a correct technique.
This, however, was not the end of a training session. What followed were some fairly fast varied speed repetitions over 400m to 800m distances. Why? Because, on one hand, this work helped to improve my lagging endurance and, on the other hand, it also assisted in the development of an economical movement structure. The tired muscles simply had no choice but to work in the most economical movement pattern.
Sometimes the upstairs bounding was replaced by different type of jumping exercises but the running of 400 to 800m distances always followed. I performed this training once a week during the preparation phase, usually in Fridays".
She probably does at least some training that Charlie told her to do back in November though she would probably deny even meeting with him. Sorry, I know I was not of any help. I have heard rumors of high volumes of bounding but I am not sure.
Yea Pioneer, I understand that the Block"heads" believe in high volumes of bounds in place of sprinting in the GP period. I think doing 6x200m of bounds is a “smart” choice. I think that they are now consulting with the Saint of Compton on training theory. Probably will include depth jumps onto pavement, wabble board squats, and overhead extensions.
She does rip up the track- but you should see what she does to a steak- or so I’ve been told, since, as she pointed out, anyone meeting with me owes the public an explanation, I must never have met her!
200meters of bounds seems simple but so much. Even though I’m into science a bit, I love anything simple that just requires good ol’ hard work. I don’t know how my legs would feel after even a 100meters of bounds but I’d dffinately give it a shot if I was convinced enough of it’s possible benefits. Personally I’m not interested in to much “general preperation”/ conditioning for the sake of it/ or huge amounts of base work. If that many bounds could directly improve my running speed I would do it. Anybody give a few more ideas on 100m and 200m bounds? Also, I take it, that’s double leg bounds and not hops? Plus, why does no other sprinter I’ve heard of do very high rep bounds? I’ve done low rep plyometrics for shere explosiveness, but I’d love to think that higher reps would be better for 100 & 200meters.
Ripping through a steak hey??? Interesting Glad that she is getting adequate protein in her diet!
Any comments on her technique. i think she’s an exciting talent and I’ll be keen to see any CF tweaking that may have taken place over the winter. 7.04 is a damn good start! Oh the smoke and mirrors of elite athletics!
Glad that she is getting adequate protein in her diet!