Running Coach

Triple Jump Techniques

admin — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:16:32 +0000

In many High School track programs, the triple jump is too complex and thus too time consuming for one coach to address properly. Therefore, many jumpers do not have the proper technique they need to succeed. The triple jump itself is a dynamic and challenging event. It requires the precise blend of speed, balance, resiliency, power, and explosion. In order to achieve success in the event, one must not only meet these qualifications, but master them as well. Also, they must maintain them throughout all phases of the jump: the approach, the hop, the skip, and the jump. The following article will teach proper technique for all phases of the triple jump, as well as provide some useful training and conditioning drills.

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Weight Training for Distance Runners

admin — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:46:34 +0000

Weight training has been a very moot issue when supplemented with a distance training program. Some athletes swear by it, while others totally neglect it. Great Britain’s Sebastian Coe, former world record holder in the 800m, was a hard-core weight trainer while others like Kenya’s Kip Keino disregarded such exercises. Which of these two athletes is correct? Studies by various groups such as the NCAA have been inconclusive, on average, weight training neither sped them up nor slowed them down. However, weight training does have its benefits, including: an increase overall fitness, a higher level of injury prevention (it increases bone density and muscle mass), and it also makes you look cooler.

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Running Language

admin — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:31:56 +0000

Interval Training - Running repeats of a given distance, like 400m at slightly faster than your goal race pace, with recovery after each run.

Strides - Running a short distance (usually 100 meters) at race pace or slightly faster. The purpose is to teach your legs to run faster. It will help your stride become more efficient so you can run a faster pace easier.

Sprints - This is all out or near all out running to help improve your maximum speed.

Hill Training - Run repeats up and down a hill, or run miles over hilly roads.

Fartlek - “Speed Play” Running fast for whatever distance you feel like, then slow down, run fast slow down, keep doing that for a whole run.

Warmup - Easy jogging before a speed workout to get the muscles warmed up and the heart rate beating faster to get you ready to run at a faster pace.

Cooldown - Easy jogging after a speed workout to let the heart rate slowly come down to a normal level and to help flush the lactic acid out of the legs.

Running Shoes

admin — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:29:43 +0000

Most good shoes should last about 500 miles. But this is running miles, so if you use them for other things, they will wear out sooner.

Make sure there is about 1/2 inch of room so you don’t get toe blisters or black toenails.

Your feet will swell during the course of a run, so it is a good idea shop for shoes in the afternoon because your feet will be slightly swollen from walking around that day.

Mile Training

admin — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:25:56 +0000

The best system for training in any event that we have come across has been the 5 pace system used by Sebastian Coe. For the Mile, these 5 paces will include training at 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, and 5000m paces.

The following training plan comes from an outstanding book called Training Distance Runners by David Martin, and Peter Coe (Sebastian’s Father and Coach). I highly recommend this book. This plan can be used for 1500m, or 3000m training, and should be done during the racing portion of the season.

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Hill Training

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:42:51 +0000

Aurthur Lydiard, the famous New Zealand coach said that running hills is the only beneficial form of resistance training. This is because hills strengthen your running muscles while you are running. Hills can get you in really great shape fast!

Benefits of hill training include:

Improves form.
Strengthens running specific muscles without lifting weights.
Builds strength in preparation for speed training.

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Running the Fat Off

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:15:52 +0000

Running regularly will turn your muscles into fat burning machines. The muscles will burn fat during the run and for many hours afterward. After 30 minutes of running you will be burning fat as your primary energy source. If you can run 40 minutes or longer, this will greatly increase your fat burning.

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How To Take Those Pounds Off

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 05:37:30 +0000

Every runner knows that in order to be the best that they can possibly be, they have to take off those extra pounds. Trying to lose weight may be one of the hardest things to do. If you try to eat less during the day, usually by the time night comes around you are craving sweets like crazy and stuff yourself.

Thankfully for us runners, running burns alot of calories. But for the serious runners, just running isn’t enough. To lower that race time you may have to shed some pounds. A good rule is to lose no more than 1 pound per week, so you will have a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day.

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Improving Form

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 04:42:16 +0000

Becoming more efficient can result in dropping seconds or potentially minutes off race times. Just imagine how many strides you go though during a run or a race. Thousands!! If you can make each stride slightly more efficient the result will be a huge PR!! In order to run efficiently and have good form you must be relaxed. Practice running relaxed.

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Heart Rate Monitor Training

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 04:38:54 +0000

First we have to figure out what your Maximum Heart Rate(MHR) is:

The following equation will give you a good estimate of your MHR.

Men: MHR = 220 minus Age
Women: MHR = 226 minus Age
Note: If you are already fit add 10 beats to your MHR.

Training must be done at a minimum of 60% of your MHR for any aerobic benefit. Anything less will just be calorie burning and nothing else.

Intervals should be done at 90% of MHR, and no higher. Mile repeats and fartlek which are longer intervals can be done at 80% to 85% of MHR. During intervals, recovery time should be however long it takes your heart to get down to 120 beats per minute.

Long runs: 65-70% of MHR
Recovery days: 60-70%