Peaking, Planning and Periodization

Timing is everything.

Can you really peak 2 or 3 times a year?

More recently, Jeremy Warnier’s 2004 season come to mind with his victories at the NCAA Championships, USATF Olympic Trials, and of course, the Olympic Games. Each of these victories were personal bests, and he sure saved the best for last!

Did he really peak 3 times that year? Or 4 times if you include his NCAA Indoor Championships?

Or was he just that dominant?

A funny analogy to this article is a bodybuilder’s daily eating plan. He just eats one meal a day – constantly – basically he eats all day long, every few hours.

So JW (and Clyde Hart for that matter) looks at the whole season as an entity. Sure, there will be rest periods and taper before big meets, and hopefully some recovery and regeneration after a maximal effort or World Records. The big meets are just blips along the way of the master plan (or Excel spreadsheet!)

Coach Hart claims it’s not “peaking”, but “reloading” after a major meet.

Asafa Powell’s coach Stephen Francis believes in one long peak from April to September. He doesn’t believe it is possible to peak for indoors, Jamaican trials in June, and then the World Championships or Olympics in August simultaneously. This may explain some of Asafa’s world records in June or September.

But he does believe in a 10 Day taper before the competition at 30% of the volume. I caution on the decrease volume as I’ve seen athletes gain weight! This is why we do a lot of low intensity tempo such as 20×100m at 75-80% speed.

This year, the NCAA Championships and USATF National Championships are exactly 2 weeks apart, so you would just carry that peak. It’s just one long peak.

Sample Periodization Examples

Here is our triple periodization model for a short to long program:

• “Period 1” from Oct – March – emphasis on 0-60 meters
• end of period 1 – usually the Indoor Championships
• “Period 2” from March-June – emphasis on 30-120m
• end of period 2 – usually the National or Regional Championships
• “Period 3” from late June to Sept – emphasis on 60-200m
• end of period 3 – the World Championships (or major meet)

Note period “blocks” are not of equal duration.

The above example assumes you live in a area where you have access to indoor meets in Feb/March, and outdoor meets in June. The WMA are usually held in September, but this year the World Masters Athletics Championships in Lahti, Finland will be held earlier from July 28-Aug 8, 2009.

So your schedule may dictate a double periodization, instead of a triple with a shortened season.

Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner’s Magic Workouts (Part 2)

This is Part 1 of a 2 part series. Click here for Part 1.

There are numerous articles on the 300-350 meter distance for special endurance workouts. It is no co-incidence they are all within the “40 second zone”.

1. Clyde Hart 300 meter Workouts (with beeper)
2. Clyde Hart’s Split 400 meter Workout
3. Mike Holloway’s 2 x 320 meter Workout
4. Why the 352 Yard Workout?
5. Which is Better- 3×300 or 2×350 Speed Endurance Workouts
6. Anaerobic Speed Reserve and the 2 x 325m Indoor Workout
7. 400 Meter Training- 2 x 300m or 2×40 second Workout
8. Jeremy Wariner’s 2 x 350 meter workouts

Let’s take a detailed look at some more examples with real split times and recoveries.

2 x 350 with 5 minutes rest

Prior to his 43.18 WR in Seville, Michael Johnson quoted on a Sports Illustrated interview that he did 2 x 350 with 5 minutes rest in “42 and 43 seconds”. Obviously, he meant to say 42/43 second PACE, and that gave him the confidence he needed to determine he was ready to assault the WR. It is possible the article was wrong and he was referring to doing 3 sets of 350 meters (see below).

Jeremy Wariner quoted in an IAAF interview with a similar workout in 2007 with split times of 40.09 and 41.60.

Just a reminder that 40 seconds for YOU may be 325 meters, or even 300 meters, so adjust your workout accordingly.

3 x 350 with 5 minutes rest

Michael Johnson would run 3 x 350 meters in 45 seconds with 5 minutes rest. When he ran 3 reps in 43 seconds with 4 minutes rest, that, too was a confidence boosting workout to run with lactate.

2 x 450 with 10 minute rest

Another gut-wrenching butt-locking workout is Clyde Hart’s springtime 2 x 450 meters with 10 minute rest. He suggests aiming 57 to 58 seconds for College kids. Originally, he started with 15 minutes recovery and worked his way down to 10 minutes.

Now, you didn’t think I would end this article without revealing Michael Johnson’s splits?

Well, he did 2 x 450m in 50 seconds with 6-8 minutes rest!

At first when I heard “50 seconds”, my jaw dropped. (I can barely run a 400 in 50 seconds, let alone 2 x 450)

But it does make sense.

A 400m in 43.18 average speed is 9.26 m/s and factoring acceleration with blocks.

A 400m with a running start in 43.18 average speed is 9.48 m/s (i.e. run 410m, time the last 400m)

So to run 450 meters in 50 sec is 9.00 m/s.

Conclusion

Basically, magic workouts exists IF you can reach your target goals for the performance you desire.

So it’s not really the workout that makes it magical, it’s really the athlete performing to your expectations.

… and the confidence you need going into the next race!

That could be a Season Best, Personal Best, Masters Age Group Record, or even better, a World Record!

Speed Endurance Magic Workouts (Part 1)

Do magic workouts exists?

At first, I always say “No”, there is no such thing. Consistent, injury free training is the way to go.

But after pouring through hundred of hours of live conferences, video conferences, recorded videos and books, I’ve changed my stance on the definition of a “magic workout”

The answer is “Your little friends are wrong. Yes Virginia, magic workouts do exists”. But ONLY if you can reach the target times of a workout for a certain performance, that is.

To me, that’s the magic workout you need to reach your goals at the next race. If you can’t reach those times in practice, how do you expect to do it on race day?

Real Time Examples of Magic Workouts

I recall at one conference, someone asked the coach of Marita Koch (Woman’s 400m WR holder of 47.60 set at the 1985 Canberra World Cup) what was her toughest workout. Was it 2 x 500 meters? Was it 4 sets of 6×60m?

No, it was the classic speed endurance workout of 4×30m, 60m, 100m, 120m, 150m. All with full recovery which took well over 2 hours to complete. She said she felt “bagged” for the next few days afterwards. CNS overload as well as the high demands on the alactic system.

One way around CNS recovery as well as training the muscular system is by using EMS devices. More on that in another post or read Derek’s review here.

Ben Johnson’s Magic Workout

Ben Johnson had the same workout (Charlie Francis was inspired by the East German system) and prior to his 9.83 world record set at the 1987 WC in Rome, ran:

workout: 30m, 60m, 100m, 120m, 150m

times: 3.80, 6.38, 9.90, 11.78, 14.68 seconds

He went on to run a 9.83 WR. That 60m time extrapolated to a 9.80 and 9.85 for 100 meters. See article on 60m to 100m conversions.

Bruny Surin’s Magic Workout

Both Dan Pfaff and Tom Tellez do similar workouts as above but in descending order of distance.

Bruny Surin’s (coached by Dan Pfaff) workout prior to his 1999 WC in Seville silver medal in 9.84 behind Maurice Green is shown below. In that race, a drug free Dwain Chambers finished 3rd. If you remember that race, in fact, Bruny was ahead at the 50 or 60 meter mark (video below or click here on YouTube)

workout: 120m, 90m, 60m, full recovery

times: 11.8, 8.7, 6.3 sec

No surprise, that workout wiped him out for a few days afterwards.

Again, another 6.3 for 60m.

Even Tim Montgomery was running 6.3 in training easily for 60 meters indoors in November after his Project WR of 9.78.

But as the article on 60m to 100m conversions mentions, just because you can run 6.3 for 60m is no guarantee you can run 9.8 for 100m. By the way, Usain Bolt’s splits were 6.32 and 6.29 for 2008 and 2009, and those are FAT splits.

End of Part 1. Part 2 will look at the Special Endurance workouts (i.e. 300-350m) of Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner.

Training for 400m: Balancing Speed and Special Endurance [Lactate]

One of the most common requests I get via email are training programs.

I believe coaching is an art and a science. I feel coaches need to know the science behind certain workouts, have a huge workout inventory, keeping track of the total volume per sessions, and above all, know how to plan.

That’s the science behind coaching. Easy. The art component is the tricky part.

Let’s reverse engineer a training plan.

The 400 meters requires a unique combination of speed and special endurance (or lactic workouts). There are two ways to approach this, and that is short-to-long and long-to-short.

If you were to plot a graph of 400 meter sprinters velocity at every 50m segment, you would see the same pattern whether it’s Michal Johnson’s 43.18 or your High School 52 second time. And that all boils down to speed reserve.

Speed Reserve

The topic of speed reserve has been covered in a previous post, What is Speed Reserve? Part 1 – 400 meter Sprinter types and What is Speed Reserve? Part 2 – Training Methods.

When Tom Tellez describes the 5 phases of the 100 meter sprint, only in the last 20-30 meters are sprinters decelerating after maintaining maximum velocity. (John Smith’s perfect world is to eliminate the deceleration phase). In the 400 meters, it is sad to report that after the sprinter reaches maximum velocity between the 40-80 meter mark, the race becomes one long deceleration phase. Mentally it’s a different story, and you have to add MORE EFFORT when your speeds are actually declining. Sad.

But we love the 400 meters. Happy.

So to settle the argument, yes, you need speed. The faster you can run the first 80m, the faster the overall race. That’s called speed reserve.

And yes, you need to be able to handle the lactic acid (acidosis), so those workouts are important, too.

How and When to incorporate those two elements is entirely up to you.

Remember, you can’t maintain a speed you haven’t attained!

How Many Days a Week?

I feel 3 days a week of “hard” track workouts sufficient (and I’ll go in detail what workouts), but for a group that has good (on site) therapy and recovery methods, I would train 4 hard days a week. For a Masters group, or a Youth group doing multi-sports, I would train hard 2 days a week.

For a good detailed review of the different types of workouts to prescribe, see CLASSIFYING SPRINT TRAINING METHODS from UKA. An excellent read.

I’ll just focus on the CE (competition events) components for now. (I’ll leave out the SPP and GPP workouts, and that includes weight training and plyometrics)

I would divide the training session (at a very high level) from these choices:

1. speed (which includes acceleration development and maximum velocity)
2. speed endurance
3. special endurance I and II
4. tempo
5. REST (passive recovery) or Active recovery

Examples are:

1. speed sessions up to 60m (0-30 acceleration, 30-60 max velocity)
2. speed endurance between 8 and 15 seconds, or up to 150m
3. special endurance runs between 15 and 40 seconds, or up to 350m
4. Tempo or 70% speed on grass surface
5. REST or active recovery

The key is to pay very close attention to the volumes, and the recoveries between workouts. As a rough guideline, I would target 500m total distance for speed and speed endurance workouts, 1000m for special endurance workouts, and 2000-3000m tempo workouts. It depends on the “training age” and “chronological age” of the athlete.

Below are 3 scenarios, for hard training sessions 2 days, 3 days, and 4 days a week:

4 Days a Week

1. MON: Speed
2. TUES: 2000m Tempo (i.e. 2 x 10 x 100m)
3. WED: Speed Endurance
4. THUR: Tempo
5. FRI: Speed
6. SAT: Special Endurance
7. SUN: Rest

NOTE the back-to-back “hard” sessions on Friday and Saturday.

3 Days a Week

Focus on speed early

1. MON: Speed
2. TUES: Tempo
3. WED: Speed Endurance/Special Endurance
4. THUR: Tempo
5. FRI: Speed
6. SAT: Tempo or Circuit training
7. SUN: Rest

NOTE: After a block of 12 weeks, I would switch the program in the spring to only one day a week on speed, one speed endurance and one special endurance.

1. MON: Speed Endurance
2. TUES: Tempo
3. WED: Speed
4. THUR: Tempo
5. FRI: Special Endurance
6. SAT: Tempo
7. SUN: Rest

2 Days a Week

1. MON: Speed
2. TUES: Tempo
3. WED: REST
4. THUR: Speed Endurance/Special Endurance (depending on the time of year)
5. FRI: Tempo
6. SAT: REST or Circuit Training
7. SUN: Rest

Fine Tuning your 400 meter Workouts, Part 1

This is a follow-up to the article Training for 400m: Balancing Speed and Special Endurance

You’ve done your GPP (General Prep) last fall, and are currently doing SPP (Specific Prep) training or possibly be in your Competitive phase. For a good detailed review of the terminology of different workout types, see CLASSIFYING SPRINT TRAINING METHODS from UKA.

You are healthy. You are strong as a horse.

It’s already May, and if you are planning to run a Championship meet in July and August, you better start getting ready mentally and “physically” if you haven’t done so already.

The key question now is, “Where are you in terms of progression?”

The stopwatch is your best friend now, and you’ll either be doing:

1. time trials
2. competitions
3. “magic workouts” for both speed endurance and special endurance

The results will be used to extrapolation times to see where you are at. I talked about extrapolating times (either 60m to 100m extrapolation) and what you need to be able to run for a 200 meters to run the 400m time you desire. The 100m to 200m extrapolation can be found here.

The 4 Critical Items in your Inventory

The following is a checklist of 4 components you need to verify in your inventory:

1. Speed: Acceleration Development
2. Speed: Maximum Velocity
3. Speed Endurance
4. Special Endurance

You have to periodically monitor the seasonal progression of these 4 workout types and ADJUST your workout planning accordingly. This is the number one reason why “mail order workouts” don’t work 95% of the time. Unless you have constant feedback of workout splits and time trials, as well as video analysis, chances are a mail order workout won’t give the performances you desire. How can you measure recovery and CNS overload? Running economy?

Also, there’s nothing worse than bad mechanics that can be corrected. Especially when doing drills. Here’s a joke:

Q: What’s worse than doing drills with bad mechanics?

A: Nothing.

If you are doing a double or triple periodization, then you have a small block of SPP training after each competition phase (after a brief rest period, of course). So, what do you focus on?

Again, it depends on how on target you are based on your desired PB times. See my articles on “magic workouts” for both speed endurance and special endurance.

The KEY question right now is assessing your current speed, and how far (not fast) you can maintain it.

For example, if you want to break 48 for 400m, you’ll be running splits of 23 and 25 (roughly) with a 200m SB of 22 sec and 100m SB of 11. Note I am using SB and not PB (season best and not personal best). At 11 seconds for the 100m, I would ESTIMATE a 7.14 FAT or 6.9 HT 60m time or even slightly faster. But if your athlete is running 7.1 or 7.2 HT in practice from a standing rolling start or out of the blocks, I would show some concern, but I wouldn’t panic. I would simply re-evaluate the training plan and get more speed sessions in. This of course is a case-by-case basis as you also need to assess his speed endurance and special endurance times, as well as knowing the physical attributes of your runner.

Why am I hammering on this? Because you cannot maintain a speed you haven’t attained.

There is one caveat, as one of the biggest determinant in this equation is whether you are training long-to-short or short-to-long. I’ll go over some detailed workout examples in Part 2 of this article.

Summer Sprint Training: Important Variables to Consider

This article is guest blogged by Jim Hiserman, author of the books Program Design Method for Sprints & Hurdle Training and Strength and Power for Maximum Speed

Jimson’s informative blog article on Sprint Workouts addressing Speed Training appropriate for the major competitive portion of the year was, as usual, a great resource for coaches and athletes competing this Summer.

But what about the thousands of High School and Collegiate sprinters in the U.S. who have finished the season and are ready to resume Summer Conditioning programs?

I know too many high school and college coaches who use only General Conditioning methods over the Summer for their sprinters and hurdlers. These General Conditioning methods do not include Speed (95% of Absolute Speed/Relative Intensity) or Sprint Specific Strength Exercises.

Research and coaching literature reviews suggest that Absolute Speed be present in varying amounts throughout the Training Year. Research has shown that as the speed of runs decreases, the biomechanics will also change. These changes are more dramatic than most coaches would imagine. The IOC Biomechanics Project at the 2008 Beijing Olympics pointed out significant differences between Usain Bolt’s biomechanics when comparing his Opening round 10.20 with his Final 9.58.

Indeed, research shows that in order for positive enhancement or maintenance of Absolute Speed, training throughout the year must include some sprint efforts of 95% or higher at least once per week. This is necessary to improve or maintain the timing of muscle firing patterns (which include both inter-muscular and intra-muscular coordination) similar to competition speed.

For more information explaining the importance of Absolute Speed in varying amounts throughout the year, coaches should access CLASSIFYING SPRINT TRAINING METHODS by British National Coaches Michael Khmel and Tony Lester.

Sample Exercises & Workouts

Just as important to the Neural Training that must be present in Speed Training during the Training Year is the application of the Specific Strength/Power exercises shown to be most important for Speed improvement and/or maintenance.

Squats, Pulls and Deadlifts address the very important Neural Training components vital to the increase of Maximum and Explosive Strength relative to Sprint Mechanics.

Variations of the Squat (Half squat, Quarter squat, Snatch Squat, etc.) and Clean (Clean Pull to Chest, Snatch Pull to Chest, etc.) and Deadlift (Clean Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, etc.) should be vital components of Sprint Training on a year round basis (see Weightlifting in training for athletics-Part II, NSA Vol. 20, issue 2, pg. 38, IAAF 2005). Additional background information on Specific Strength/Power Training for Sprint/Hurdle Training can be found in Strength and Power for Maximum Speed

Because the intensity of these types of activities is high, the volume during the Summer is kept low. One day of Speed and one to two sessions involving one to two of the key Strength exercises is sufficient. Other general exercises, especially emphasizing Core /Postural Strength development, can be implemented along with Extensive Tempo runs emphasizing a progression of increasing total volume per session two sessions per week.

Basically, three track training sessions per week would involve one day of Speed with low volume/high intensity, one day of Extensive Tempo with longer reps (250-400 up to 600) and one day of Extensive Tempo with shorter reps (100,150,200).

For a complete explanation of Extensive Tempo and Speed workout guidelines, coaches can refer to either CLASSIFYING SPRINT TRAINING METHODS or Program Design Method for Sprints & Hurdle Training

Masters Track is like a Car: It’s Mileage, not Age that Matters – Part 3

This is Part 3 of a 3 part series. Part 1 talks about being injury prone. Part 2 talks about expectations. Part 3 are my top recommendations.

My Top 7 Recommendations

I covered some of these topics two years ago in this article but I’ll elaborate more here.

1. Get Fit First

GPP (General Preparation) workouts all the way, especially for leg strength and power, and core workouts. Tempo workouts (with light circuit training) will help melt the fat, trust me on this.

2. Lose Weight and Regain Flexibility & Range of Motion

Unless you resemble your College body, any excess weight will increase the stress on your body. Using traditional height and weight numbers won’t cut it, as you can gain fat and lose muscle and still have the same bodyweight.

3. Strength, Speed, and Explosive Power are Synonymous

Running fast in workouts are great, but you need strength and power from plyometrics and weight training. Hills are great for power and stride length. 2X per week is sufficient. For a balanced training plan, see article here.

Outside of your competition event, I believe here is the key to success: a balance of various isometric strength, dynamic strength, speed strength, power, and explosive power. The number of sets, reps, and load (i.e. weights) will vary.

You are basically trying to prepare your body for the physical strain of a particular movement. Unfortunately, the only way you can get better at pole vault is pole vaulting. The only way you can get your muscles and tendons ready for pole vault is pole vaulting.

So you want to prepare the body the best you can in all forms of movement. If you are still getting injured, you’ll have to revisit the Injury Bug section.

4. Recovery is King

World Class athletes do not work in an office 40+ hours a week, train after work, and sleep 5 hours a night. So how do you expect world class results?

Hopefully if you are over 40 or 50, you now have the disposable income to pay for extra physio, chiropractic, and massage services. (As I said, hopefully, but I don’t mean to offend anyone. Times are tough!)

Here is my quick checklist on ways to recover. Some of these topics overlap into injury prevention and treatment. You can use the Blog’s search function to research these articles as I’ve covered each of them several times over the past 4 years. I’ll write more in detail in the future if there is a demand.

1. sleep
2. active recovery
3. passive recovery
4. water and proper hydration
5. massage, ART, trigger point therapy, foam rollers
6. EMS
7. microstretching, resistance stretching, yoga
8. compression clothing
9. supplements (i.e. ZMA, glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate, etc)
10. breathing techniques
11. ice baths, contrast baths (hot/cold)
12. Active Therapeutic Movements
13. ASTYM treatment
14. Low Level Laser therapy
15. Copper, Magnetic & Titanium Bracelets, and PhysioBalm
16. muscle rubs, arnica, traumeel

5. Nutrition is Queen

You’ll need to get your weight down and lose the excess fat. You’ll be surprised what 5 pounds of weight loss will feel like. Avoid dieting, using caloric expenditure as your weight loss mechanism. Many people try to substitute supplements in exchange for bad nutrition, which is a bad idea. Whatever you eat, try to have the foodstuff packed with vitamins, minerals, good fats, and fiber.

6. Train on Grass… Surfaces, that is

No Ross Rebagliati jokes please!

Get an old pair of spikes, get long spike pins or needles, and do sprint work on grass surfaces. You’ll want to go on a synthetic track and run fast just to feed your ego, but your legs and joints will pay the price the next day (or two!) Since I recommend running top speeds at 95%, there’s no need to go 100%, especially in practice. In the World’s Finals, well, that’s a different story.

Bud Winter was the first person to prove the idea that the key to winning in sports was not to extend a 100 or 110 percent effort. He said “Far more can be achieved with a four-fifths effort”. His book So You Want to be a Sprinter covers this topic, and his classic book Relax and Win is scheduled to be re-released.

Speaking of World’s, some athletes worry about running the rounds, but you have to get to the starting line of the heats first!

7. Growth Hormone and Testosterone… naturally!

I don’t have to tell you that Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and Testosterone is the holy grail to staying young and being stronger (but I just did?). For those who want to cheat, that’s your prerogative, but I rather get mine naturally. Here are 3 ways:

I mentioned ZMA in past articles on the Blog. ZMA is simply Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B-6, and taken before bedtime (in the correct formulation) to increase natural testosterone, and provide a deeper sleep. A new formulation is available. I’ve used this in the past, and I feel it works. Some experience lucid dreams.

But the good news is exercise is known to stimulate HGH release, and the higher the intensity of the exercise, the more HGH will be released.

Phil Campbell, author of the book Ready, Set, Go! Synergy Fitness, recommended limiting carbs up to 2 hours after exercise so it does not inhibit the natural Human Growth Hormone (HGH) from being secreted from post-exercise activities. Remember, this advice is for those who want to benefit from natural HGH, and not fat loss or recovery. For recovery, you’ll need a good post workout shake. You’ll have to decide what works best for you.

Good Luck to everyone on your comeback trail!

Masters Comeback!

Contemplating yet another Masters comeback.
In my mid 30’s while still running open meets, I had great visions of performing well when I, Jimson Lee, turned 40.
The Canadian Masters record was tied at 50.10 and I had just run 50.44 at age 34 after a 4 year lay-off.
All my non-running friends at work thought I was nuts to be actually looking forward to my 40th birthday.
No need for mid life crisis… track is life.

Those dreams disappeared pretty fast, so I started a new set of goals after researching Masters Track more seriously.

I was getting close to my “Theoretical Attrition Goals” a few months before turning 40 (23.54, 37.11, 52.63 for the 200-300-400), but I was hampered by a nagging Achilles injury time and time again.

Also adding more fuel to the disappointment was the 2003 WMA was moved back from Sept (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) to early July in Puerto Rico making me 39.9 years old and ineligible. Back then Masters was only M40. M35 need not apply.

No need for sympathy. Fellow Canadian David Lee Provo took center stage (though we would have had an awesome relay team). Not taking anything away from David, but my ex-McGill teammate Allan Tissenbaum would have been in the mix for the medals.

Salvaging a frustrating season, I ended up finishing 2nd to David at the Canadian Masters Championships in the 200 meters on a bad Achilles (23.73 wind –2.1) in August as my Masters debut. I knew I had one good race in me before I reinjured it again, in which I did.

Moral of the story: Records look soft at a distance. The records at the next age group always seem attainable, but attrition rate does not lie once you get there.

Fast Forward to M50

Fast forward 10 years and now I’m approaching 50.

Once again, I am not depressed as I have something to look forward to. Also being in Italy, I have several top guys to chase down (as well as Dutch guys, too) (Enrico and Eric, are you reading this?)

The question is, what?

What goals can I expect?

I’ve always said for a 400 meter man, add 4 seconds to your open PR to get a M40 goal, then it’s 2 seconds every 5 years. For the 200m, add 2 seconds to your open PR to get a M40 goal, then one second every 5 years.

Below is a chart (left side). I am highlighting 22 & 48 which is very close to my 21.98 and 48.36 open PRs:

One can also use WMA age grade tables (Excel sheet here) and get similar goals (see table, right side)

It’s pretty obvious that World class sprinters in the open category will always have an edge when they turn Masters. Names like Willie Gault or Bill Collins are familiar names in Masters circles.

So there you have it.

My goals will be 26 and 56 at M50 and in a perfect injury-free world, 25.53 and 55.06.

I won’t bother checking how these times rank at the WMA Championships because there is the additional element of surviving the rounds.

SIDENOTE: WMA 2013 is scheduled for early July and once again, I’ll be 49.9 years old. However, the World Masters Games (WMG) are in Torino starting August 2, 2013 AND it’s an easy train ride away. Check back in 3 years!

Masters Track is like a Car: It’s Mileage, not Age that Matters – Part 1

This is Part 1 of a 3 part series. Part 1 talks about being injury prone. Part 2 talks about expectations. Part 3 are my top recommendations.

This post is dedicated to anyone over 40 35 trying to make a comeback in Masters Track, but it also applies to everyone of all ages who wants to begin Track and Field, or any sport for that matter!

I get a lot of email from readers asking for advice on making a comeback, especially the sprints. However, the thought of a sedentary 50 year old male weighing 90kg (~200 lbs.) running a 400 meters or doing triple jump scares the heck out of me.

Since I like to ramble (and that’s what old guys like to do, by the way), here are some pointers and recommendations for your training plan.

The Injury Bug

The number one setback you will incur is injuries. There are several books on injuries and how to prevent them, but I’ll try to summarize it here.

The most common reason for getting injured is the old cliché, and that is doing too much, too fast, too soon.

John Smith of HIS gave me 3 pointers (you can read my 2005 meeting here) and that is:

1. when you are tired (i.e overtraining)
2. when there is an imbalance
3. when the mind wants to do something the body doesn’t want to do

My personal stance on injuries (and I’ve had a lot) stems from two reasons:

1. too much repetitive pounding, twisting or force on muscles, tendons and joints
2. when you are compensating for a weak muscle

An example of too much pounding and twisting are Achilles injuries, and I’ve had my fair share. Having good ankle mobility and Achilles flexibility is one thing, but that cannot cure the high volume of pounding, twisting and force of sprinting. Think carpal tunnel syndrome in your wrist for computer people, and imagine your Achilles has 200,000 miles on them, and you can’t change the shock absorbers. You can ice, take Advil, and stretch all you want, but you’ll have to get those tendons stronger if you don’t want the soreness down the road.

It’s the same for shin splints. If you run the 800 meters and up, and you doubled your mileage from 40 miles per week to 80, that’s like going from 120 mpw to 240 mpw for the Elite guys! The body can only handle so much pounding.

As for compensating, Loren Seagrave once said, “Elite athletes are the best compensators in the world”. Read the article Hamstring Injuries, the Iliopsoas and Imbalances and you’ll get the idea.

Now that I’ve depressed the hell out of you, I’ll talk next about prevention and hopefully cure.

Masters Track is like a Car: It’s Mileage, not Age that Matters – Part 2

Considerations and Expectations

If you had world class speed as an open athlete, chances are you’ll do well in your age group. If you were a mediocre athlete back then, chance are you’ll be mediocre in the Masters.

There are exceptions to the attrition rule where “average” athletes have shown little attrition and become world class at the Masters level. (i.e. USA’s James Chinn, Canada’s Mike Sherar and Holland’s Eric Roeske are just a few examples).

And of course, how can we forget the amazing Troy Douglas or Merlene Ottey who were still competitive at 40?

If you want to know what to expect (with exceptions), I wrote an article about realistic goals from Open to Masters where I mentioned some basic formulas or using WMA Age Grade table (more on that below)

Using the car analogy, the real key is how much mileage you have in your body. Some people are born with a durable car, others are born with a delicate car (or sometimes lemon?). Over do it, and you end up with Achilles tendonitis, bad knees, or chronic hamstrings problems. What used to take 2 weeks to recover is now 8 weeks or several months. Sadly, you can’t change your shock absorbers at 100,000 kilometers or miles.

Your “total mileage” and realistic training volumes will determine how long you can run before getting injured (again). But if you take care of your car and change the oil often, you can have a 1999 Saturn SL1 with over 300,000 km and still runs smooth (heh heh). You won’t pick up any chicks on Robson street on a Saturday night, either.

So What Can You Expect?

It’s pretty obvious that World class sprinters in the open category will always have an edge when they turn Masters. Names like Jeff Laynes (who just turned 40), Willie Gault or Bill Collins are familiar in the Masters circles.

I’ve always said for a 400 meter man, add 4 seconds to your open PR to get a M40 goal, then it’s 2 seconds every 5 years. For the 200m, add 2 seconds to your open PR to get a M40 goal, then one second every 5 years.

Below is a chart using the left side as my basic attrition rates. I am highlighting 22 & 48 for 200/400 meters which is very close to my 21.98 and 48.36 open PRs.

You can also use the WMA age grade tables (Excel sheet here) and get similar goals (see table below, right side of chart) for your age group and events.

These are just general guidelines, and it would be great if you can prove me wrong with your Masters comeback.

Planning Training and Racing for Quality 400 Meters

Lee Evans is a double Gold medalist in the 400 meters (World Record) and 4 x 400 meters relay (World Record) at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Normally, I don’t cut and paste an article if the URL still exists on the web, but this one was really worth repeating.

It really goes in depth on what it takes to become a champion, and the importance of focus.

Especially during the turbulent times of 1968 in America.

The original article can be found here at http://www.watfxc.com/TF/Clinics/Lee%20Evans%20Article.htm

Planning Training and Racing for Quality 400 Meters
Presented at the IX International Track and Field Coaches’ Congress,
Santa Monica, California, July 30, 1984

By Lee Evans

There are many ways in which to help your athletes to train and to run quality 400 meters races. Coaches look for athletes who can win, become local and national champions, Olympic Champions and World Record holders. I believe the first important thing to do when working with a young athlete is to find out what It Is that he wants to accomplish. What are his goals? Does he want to be the fastest in his town? In his state? In his country? The fastest in the World? Before I would work seriously with an athlete I must know what he really wants to do with me helping him. What does he really want to do with his ability in whatever event he wants to compete in? Once this is defined, I can then set a course that I feel we can work together to help him reach his goal. Some athletes like being 3rd or 4th in a race; they do not like the pressure of winning.


As coaches we need to find the athletes who can accept the pressures of being a winner, to accept the pressures of being the best In his event and then to help them to achieve’ this. Hopefully everyone wants to be a champion. Many say that but they are not serious about it. Within the first month of working with an Individual I will find out how serious the athlete really Is In terms of whether he wants to do the work which Is required to become a World Champion or to be just a local competition winner. I will then plan a training schedule accordingly.


I am talking about the 400 meters because this is where I have had a great deal of experience and success. Most of you know my background. People ask me, “How Is It that your World Record has lasted so long-i6 years now?” At first I shrugged my shoulders; but then as I reflected back I realized that I really love to run. I will run anything. I was in love with my coach, Bud Winter of San Jose, who was guiding me in my running career. This person was like a God to me. Anything he said I would do. I believed in him.


What would I look for in an athlete if he really wants to do well? How much dedication does he have? How much respect does he have for me personally? If the athlete says, “I like this guy,” I will help him with his training schedule. How the athlete respects his coach and how well he listens to what the coach has to say is most Important. I have had coaches for whom I had very little respect. I was very fortunate to have a college coach whom I was able to believe in. Somehow he was able to instill in me a strong feeling for him personally. That made me want to compete harder not only for me but also for him.


As a coach you might want to find a way to communicate with an athlete so that he can produce his best. It may be human nature that makes it possible for an athlete to do better in competition not only for himself but also for someone else who is very important to him. This relationship with my coach made me work harder not only to be successful for myself but I also wanted success for him. So it is important in coaching an athlete that you respect him as an athlete and that he respects you as a coach, and together you work toward the ultimate, which is to be a champion to set a World Record.


Right In the beginning I will ask an athlete write down his goals. Then I would say, “So you want to be a winner.” Now write down all the reasons why you want to be a winner. “Some athletes will give as many as 20 reasons. Others might only give 2 reasons. Some athletes really do not want to win. They might give a reason such as “it will feel good to win,” or “I want to win a medal.” I have had athletes who have indicated only one reason why they want to win. When coaching I try to give these athletes many reasons why they might want to win. This is the way I competed. Every day I would give them different reasons why they should want to be successful. Every day I would invent reasons to keep them interested. As coaches we need to find as many reasons as we can for athletes to want to be successful. When I was in Africa it was very easy to find reasons why the athletes there should want to do well in their events. It might mean scholarships to America. It meant moving up in their community, country socially and economically


There are many ways to become a winner. Some of the goals we set together with athletes might be to go undefeated during the current season. Each year beginning with 196 I would write in my diary, “I want to go undefeated this year.” As a coach I would try to get athletes to keep a diary in which they can list their goals and objectives for the season and I would try to I them stick to them.

I would develop a training program beginning in September which we would try to stick to so we could develop a solid base from then I would begin with long distance runs. This is the time when you need to work with the athlete’s head to get him psychologically prepared to become a winner in June or July. I would get them to believe that it is easy to win because most athletes do not run the whole race to win.

I was In Africa for seven years and since I have returned I have not seen a 400-meter runner who runs the whole race. They might run 395, 396 or 398 meters. When I was running I would run 402 or more meters. This is how to win the big important races. You must teach your athletes this principle very early. Sometimes it takes nine months to get them to believe in this. The things I want them to do in July I have them working on in September. Sometimes I need to really harass them about the many small things, but this one is the most Important. Running the entire distance and beyond it will make your runners winners. I try to teach them that during the last three strides they must Push! Push! and Dip! They must push hard at the ankles and in the last stride drop the head and bend at the waist and throw the hands back and to go past the tape to 401 or more meters. I learned this from my coach. He would really harass us about this. We would continually rehearse this.

The athlete may have practiced all the many little things he must learn to be a winner, but he must work on this especially when it is important at the end of the season in the big races. Everyone is running at their best and they are all tired. You know they are all tired and the competition begins to slow down near the end of the race almost to a stop. In such cases in my experience I would say, “Thank you,” because they made it easy for me to win during the last three strides.

Another important thing, which helped me win, was Mental Preparation. I was a little different than most of the others. On the night before the big competitions I would be in bed by eight o’clock in the evening and I would stay in bed in the morning after a good night’s sleep. In the morning I would sit up in bed, close my eyes and practice visualization. I would see myself winning the race from each of the lanes one through eight. I would see myself run every step of the race. I would see myself have a perfect start. I would see myself run the first 100 meters fast. I would see myself run the second 100 meters with the longest stride possible, and In the third 100 meters I would feel myself run as fast as I had ever run In my life. In the last 100 meters I would see myself maintain the speed, which I had generated during the third 100 meters. I would run this in my mind over and over again at least fifty times. I would not just visualize the race; I would begin from when I would leave my room and I would go downstairs or take the elevator. I would get on the bus. I would go to the warm up track and I would go through my warm up. I would do four laps of warm up and I would stretch. I would do 3 x 100 meters and about three-fourths speed. I would make certain I would not be diverted by anything such as a girl friend or by buddies who might come over to ask how I was doing. I would always tell them I would talk to them after the race. My head was on straight and I tried to keep it that way. By concentrating on what I had to do I knew that I could win and set a record. I set eight World Records during my racing career and each time I did I can remember going through this mental practice, spending the whole day In my room. In fact it became very boring and I did not like it at all and I was glad when the race was over with. I would just sit or lie there and concentrate on how I would push hard out of the blocks, I would have a long low lead arm. I would make up half the stagger- distance on the runner In front of me during the first 50 meters and then I would catch up with him and on and on and on. I would think and concentrate all day and when I would actually go to the stadium I still had this mental set. When the starter would shoot the gun I felt I was detached and no longer a part of the race. I would lay off the shoulder of the runner In front of me and try to hold on to this runner who is running like mad and I was the one who was running like mad, but I was not there any more. I am in another place observing, the same as a spectator observing. Perhaps I placed myself in a hypnotic trance (I really did not know what it was) but I knew I could do that when I could take the time to do it. I did It out of the competitive desire, I wanted to win very badly because It was something I had worked very hard to get. I wanted to win the race and I wanted to set a record so I spent 8 to 10 hours I knew my opponents did not do to prepare as I did.


So mental preparation is important and I tell athletes this. You just don’t show up for the race and Just say you are going to run as fast as you can. You can develop a certain magic, perhaps a spiritual oneness of mind-body coordination. To me, this is what preparation is physically and mentally. This gave me confidence by having done everything I could have done to be ready for when the important event came. You have respect for your opponents and for your coach, and you have the confidence of and from your coach, so that when you step to the line you are ready to take on anyone. I always believed I could wipe out all my opponents. I watched most of them in practice and I knew I had done a lot more than they had to get ready. I practiced doing 30 push-ups and 30 sit-ups daily before practice. I practiced each section of the race. I practiced the last few steps and the dip at the tape and beyond it daily.

You just have to get your athletes to believe and to do more than their opponents so that they feel they have an advantage. This helps especially during the last 20 meters when their arms get tired but yours don’t get tired. Everyone is training and they are all in great condition but you must feel you have done more of the many little things and better. All this helps right through the last dive for the tape. The one who wants it the most is the one who has worked for it and has this confidence. If one approaches a race with any doubts, it is all the little things no one else has done that might make the difference. I knew they would be tired and I would be tired but I had that little bit extra. This is the psychology of being competitive.

Now I would like to talk about the value of even pace racing for the 400 meters. There has been quite a lot of discussion concerning this. I personally feel that the entire 400-meter race is anaerobic-run in oxygen debt all the way. I have run the first 100 meters of the race and felt winded, but as I was accustomed to running in an oxygen debt condition I learned to ignore it. By running 500’s at least once a week you can learn to run a quality race under this condition. You can still work through the race since you will have trained doing these strong 495’s since February. I really did not like doing 500’s but when my coach said do 3 x 500 meters I would go out and do them the best I could. Athletes need to be reinforced with all these positive things, which will help them so that they believe in what they can do. I believe there should be only a one second differential between the first 200 meters and the second 200 meters in a quality 400-meter race. I have experimented with myself and with athletes I have coached using many variations-running as fast as possible from the beginning hanging on to the end; and I have experimented with running conservatively for the first 200 meters. For an athlete who’s best 200 meters out of blocks is 22.0 I would convince this runner to run his first 200 at about 23.2 to 23.5; and if he has been training correctly he can come back with another 23 flat. Even if he comes in with a 24 it is fine because if we continue to work on his speed to get his 200-meter time down, his 400-meter time will come down also.

In running the 200 meters under control, the fatigue does not build up as rapidly in the body. The fatigue is delayed to where he might feel “the bear” in his muscles coming into the last 50 meters-even when running evenly. When John Smith ran 44.5 for 440 yards in 1971, he ran his first 220 yards In 22.2 and the second 220 yards In 22-3. In running that kind of a race he was in total control of the race at 270 yards. It even looked as If he was accelerating. He was not accelerating, he was maintaining the same speed he was running from the start and he kept It all the way through.


As a young runner at 18 years of age, the first time I ran 46 1 ran 23 flat and 23.1. All of the fast 400 meter races began with Mike Larabee, gold medallist In 1964, myself In 1968, John Smith, etc. Anyone can go out to burn the first 300 meters in 32 seconds and then tie up. I can do that today (maybe 33.5) but fatigue will set in and I will finish slowly.

This is what many American 400 meter runners have been doing during the past few years, and I have been telling them if they go out In 21.2 when their best time is around 45, it is not very smart to come back with 24 seconds. It just sets up the race perfectly for a competitor to go by you in the last 50 meters. Thus they can be defeated with a 45.1 or 45.2. If a runner can run 45.4 the smart thing to do is to go out at about 22.3 or 22.4. In this way he can start racing at the 200-meter mark. The race starts at the 200-meter mark. Get to the 200 meters in a relatively good position-you should be able to reach out to touch the leader at 200. Let him have no more than 3 meters but take it back in the third 100 meters. On the back straightaway you should be either about one step ahead or one step behind. After running the first 200 meters under-control you will be able to maintain the speed you build up in the third 100 meters into the finish. This is what it takes to win the big races. Any good finisher-the one who can run the last 40 meters well, can Win. The winners look like they are making a fast move in the last part of the race but they are only maintaining their speed.

To win the big races it takes a person who can lift during the last part of the race. It takes a lot of mental preparation to be able to lift during the last 40 meters of a quality race. My best time for 200 meters before Mexico City was 20.4. 1 ran the first 200 of the 400 meters there in 21.4 so I was within one second of my best 200-meter time. I came back during the second 200 meters In 22.4, but to me that 22.4 was agonizing because I was braking the whole time. I wanted to race, I really wanted to go faster’ This was the Olympic Games and I wanted to run as fast as I could right away but It took a lot of discipline and a lot of concentration not to go faster. When I saw the 200-meter mark I knew that was the time to race as fast as I could. I ran the third 100 meters as fast as I could go. By racing the third 100 meters the other runners will come back to you if you just do not panic. The main thing to be thinking about is high knees, for- ward arm drive toward the finish line, and relaxation. Running the last’100 meters was just like having a tape recorder in my mind repeating over and over-High Knees! Forward Arms! Relax! Relax! Relax! This is what Coach Bud Winter coached into us-Tommy Smith, John Carlos and me. You learn to do this right through the finish and beyond with practice. I never really liked doing 500’s but when my coach said do 3 x 500 meters I would go out and do it, and In the long run it certainly worked for me.


Here is a sample excerpt of his training log:

University of Washington 400 meter training for the year 2001
Monday:
3 X 300 meters/ 3 X 100 meters
1. 300m- 1:00 min- 100m 3:30 Interval
2. l00m-1:30min-300m 3:45 Interval
3. 300m-1:00min-100m


Tuesday
6 X150 meters/5 X 50 meters
1. 150- :40sec-50m 2:00 Interval
2. 150m-:40sec-50m ETC


Wednesday
2 X 500m/8 X 50m
1. 500m-:35sec-4 X 50m 6:30 Inteval
2. 500m-:35sec- 4 X 50m


Thursday
10 X 100m with 30:sec. Interval


Friday
Race 2/2/2 Sprint 50 meters jog 50 meters
1. 2 laps 50 meters 4:30min Interval
2. 2 laps 50 meter 4:30min Interval
3. 2 laps 50 meters


Monday
4 sets of 150-200-100 walk 4:30 between sets


Tuesday
3 X 300 meters-I X 500 meters-4 X 50 meters


Wednesday
3/2/1 = 3 laps 50’s walk 1 lap interval-2 laps 50’s walk lap interval lap
50’s

Speed Reserve - 400m

Speed Reserve – 400 meter Sprinter type

Before I discuss the topic of speed reserve, I want to talk about the different types of 400 meter sprinters.

Types of 400 meter runners

100/200 sprinters moving up to the 400m: In the past, short sprinters moving up the distance were rare. Remember Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire? Today, we’ve seen some successful 100-200 sprinters move up like Quincy Watts because his short speed workouts and competitions caused him too many injuries.

200/400 combo: Other than Herb McKenley, Tommie Smith or Michael Johnson, 200/400 sprinters that dominated both events are extremely rare. 400 meter specialists like today’s Jeremy Wariner and Lashawn Merritt are superior in the 400m but not a factor to win a 200 meter races. Thus Michael Johnson was truly an exception, and probably saved the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

400 meter specialist: 400 meter sprinters specialists exists in past and present day athletes. Why? Because popular Track and Field combos are 100/200, 800/1500, or 5000/10000. Most 400 meter sprinters fall under this category.

With the 100 meters and the Mile being the marquee events in the old days, the 400 meters was the event in the past for the second strings sprinters. Today, try to get on the Baylor 400 meter squad. You’ll probably end up moving to the 200 or 800 meters!

400m/400 meter hurdle combo: Angelo Taylor (PB’s of 400mH 47.25 and 400m 44.05) and Kerron Clement (2005 400 meter Indoor World Record at the NCAA indoor championships with a time of 44.57) are the most recent success of this type of rare combo.

400/800 combo: In the pre-modern era, 400 meter sprinters were also 800 meters runners. A resurgence of 400/800 combos was Cuba’s Alberto Juantorena in 1976.

Speaking of Alberto Juantorena, his 800 meters at the Montreal Olympics was a World Record in 1:43.50 followed by his sea-level World Record of 44.26 for the 400 meters 3 days later. That’s quite a range.

One thing is certain: to run a good 800 meters, you need 400 meter speed in the 46 point category like Gary Reed or Sebastian Coe. Gary could easily make the finals at our National Championships if he entered the 400 meters (though that doesn’t say much about Canada’s 400 meters depth, Tyler Christopher excluded. Heck, we haven’t sent a 4×400 meter relay team since the 1992 Olympics!).

Didn’t Russia’s Yuri Borzakovski take a “year off” and focused on the 400m?

When your PB is 46 seconds (or faster) for 400 meters, going through the bell lap at 50 or 51 will be relatively easier than an athlete with a 48 personal best.

This brings up the concept of speed reserve, which I’ll cover in tomorrow’s post.

Let’s not Forget the Ladies

The women’s side of 400 meters is slightly different, with speed always being the key to a good 400m. “Slow” strong women like a “female Butch Reynolds” who can run even splits or negative splits just don’t exist, at least not on the World stage.

200/400 combo sprinters like Cathy Freeman and Marie-Jose Perec had good 200 meter speed. And lets not forget Valerie Brisco-Hooks, the first person ever to win a 200 and 400 in the same Olympics.

A good 400/800 example is the recent success of Pamela Jelimo, who was a good 400 meter runner and now an untouchable 800 meter runner. I would love to see her break the existing 800 meter record which the whole world thinks it’s tainted with drugs anyways.

Thus speed reserve is even more important for the women’s 400 meters which can lead to a successful 800 meters.