middle distance theory

Proven Workouts and Training Strategies for H.S. Middle Distance Runners

coachjayjohnson.comcoachjayjohnson @ gmail.com

Iowa Track and Field Coaches ClinicDecember 11th 2009

Friday, December 11, 2009

✴Don’t take notes - all slides are at coachjayjohnson.com

✴Do ask questions at the end of each section

✴Do take the time to go through the General Strength videos in the coming weeks

✴The aerobic/anaerobic handout is important, so let’s start with that...

What is “Speed Work?”

What is “Speed Work?”✴ Is it a workout that makes you puke afterwards?

✴ Is it “sharpening” work?

✴ Is it any workout at race pace?

✴ Is it only workouts faster than race pace?

✴ Would Usain Bolt and Alan Webb agree on a definition?

What is “Speed Work?”From this moment forward I’d like you to think about these three things when you think about “Speed Work”

When you assign“speed work” you’re either squirting in lactate or your making the kid’s nervous system better...that’s it...just those two things.

So then what’s the deal with the computer?

Which connection would your rather have?

Think of the computer as the athlete’s i n n a t e r a t i o o f f a s t - t w i t c h , intermediate and slow-twitch fibers. While a coach can’t significantly change that ratio, the coach can improve the athlete’s nervous system or “wiring.”

Can a coach significantly change this?

Can you take an athlete from one to the another?

Is this overly simple? Yes...but it’s mostly accurate and it will help you help the athletes you coach.

Just focus on two t h i n g s : s q u i r t i n g lactate into the system and improv ing the nervous system.

The Tao of Speed

✴ Would Usain Bolt and Alan Webb agree on a definition?

What is “Speed Work?”“Speed Work” in the high school setting is any workout run at race pace or faster that squirts the appropriate amount of lactate into the system for that time of year.

How much lactate does a workout produce?

O mmol. 6 mmol. 12 mmol.

200’s until you Puke

8x400 at 3,200m pace with 200m slow jogs

“Running with the Buffaloes” - 16x300m (200 jog) at 8k XC Pace*

* HS version would be 16x187m, which is 3k total....not a hard workout

Stereotype the RaceBoys Girls

4:24 1,600m = 64, 68, 68, 64* *last 400m = 16.5, 16.5, 16, 15

5:12 1,600 = 76, 80, 80, 76**last 400m = 20, 19, 19, 18

4:24 1,600m = 64, 68, 68, 64* *last 400m = 16.5, 16.5, 16, 15

5:12 1,600 = 76, 80, 80, 76**last 400m = 20, 19, 19, 18

How often do you give the athletes workouts that start at “mid-race pace” and end at 15/18 for 100m or 31/37 for 200m?

Stereotype the Race4:24 1,600m = 64, 68, 68, 64* *last 400m = 16.5, 16.5, 16, 15

2x5x300m at 1,600m pace with 60 sec and 8 min

300m,60 sec,300m,60 sec,300m,60 sec,300m,60 sec,300m

8 min of easy jogging...can even get a drink

8 min of easy jogging...can even get a drink300m,60 sec,300m,60 sec,300m,60 sec,300m,60 sec,300m

50,60 sec,50,60 sec,50,60 sec,48-49,60 sec,48-49

50,60 sec,50,60 sec,49,60 sec,47-48,60 sec,45-47

50,60 sec,50,60 sec,50,60 sec,48-49,60 sec,48-49

50,60 sec,50,60 sec,49,60 sec,47-48,60 sec,45-47

Stereotype the Race

Slower than 4:24 pace Faster than 4:24 pace

4:24 1,600m = 64, 68, 68, 64* *last 400m = 16.5, 16.5, 16, 15

On the first day of outdoor track practice can athletes safely run 100m in 15 seconds or 18 seconds, assuming you gave them a 20m run in?

Question

On the first day of outdoor track practice can athletes safely run 100m in 15 seconds or 18 seconds, assuming you gave them a 20m run in?

Question

100’s and 150’s at “end of the race” pace should be assigned as early as athletes can safely handle them.

800m workouts 3,200m workouts XC workouts

200’s until you Puke800m workouts

2x3x300m at 800m pace with 90 sec and 5 minutes

2x3x300m at 800m pace with 3 min and 10 minutes

300m “fast, faster, fastest” with 2 min walk, 3 min jog

photo by Randy Miyazaki of TrackandFieldPhoto.comFriday, December 11, 2009

photo by Randy Miyazaki of TrackandFieldPhoto.com

Maggie Vessey

Maggie Vessey2007 - 2:11.57

Maggie Vessey2007 - 2:11.57 2008 - 2:02.10

Maggie Vessey2007 - 2:11.57 2008 - 2:02.10 2009 - 1:57.84

Coach Greg Brock’s Connector Workout

I have a workout I call the Connector workout. You've done some cardio, you've done some real short stuff.So then how do you something that is race specific without actually racing and just tearing people down??? This is an old Bowerman thing. You obviously know about the 40-30 drill (where an athlete runs 200 meters repeats continuously alternating them in 40 seconds/30 seconds). Well, when you have a half-miler of Maggie's ability, you maybe start in the fall with maybe 32-33 and then just add 10 seconds to that. So she'd run a 43 second 200 and then a 33 second 200 and then do that again. It's a non-stop half mile of running but with varied pace. Now that's a 2:32 half. You do 3 or 4 of those. That's a decent workout.

- Interview with Robert Johnson of LetsRun.com, 08.12.09

Coach Greg Brock’s Connector Workout...one guess as to what’s going on...

200m in 42,...one guess as to what’s going on...

200m in 42, 200m in 32,...one guess as to what’s going on...

200m in 42, 200m in 32, 200m in 42,...one guess as to what’s going on...

200m in 42, 200m in 32, 200m in 42, 200m in 32...one guess as to what’s going on...

Dealing with lactate, not producing lactate, is one of the keys to middle distance success

...another guess as to what’s going on...

200m in 42,

200m in 42, 200m in 32,

200m in 42, 200m in 32, 200m in 42,

200m in 42, 200m in 32, 200m in 42, 200m in 32

...a third guess as to what’s going on...

200m in 42, 200m in 32, 200m in 42, 200m in 32

...a fourth guess as to what’s going on...

Who cares? Just teach athletes to deal with lactate!!!

2x3x300m with 90 sec and 5 minutes2x3x300m with 3 min and 10 minutes300m “fast, faster, fastest” with 2 min walk, 3 min jog

2x3x300m with 90 sec and 5 minutes2x3x300m with 3 min and 10 minutes300m “fast, faster, fastest” with 2 min walk, 3 min jogThe point of this slide is not the mmol. of lactate associated with each workout. The point is that workouts exist on a continuum

The point of this slide is not the mmol. of lactate associated with each workout. The point is that workouts exist on a continuum

Early Season Mid Season Late Season

Proven Workouts and Training Strategies for H.S. Middle Distance Runners

Questions

middle distance theory

speed work coachjayjohnson

field coaches clinicdecember

iowa track

race pace

general strength videos

proven workouts

coming weeks

slowtwitch fibers

Sports

graph theory for the middle school

roving the distance jennifer harvey norwood middle school

middle distance training

theory of distance-time

middle school distance learning handbook

aberfeldy middle distance triathlon sunday 22 …

transactional distance theory: the effect of disseminating

preparation of the elite junior middle distance runner

distance-based stochastic modeling: theory and...

middle-distance master calendar - megan smith ·...

cism middle distance

middle-range theory as hermeneutics

braves middle distance and long sprint philosophy

the distance from the middle of one compression to the...

strategic and tactical decision-making in middle distance...

school distance learning parshall middle and high...

graph theory - introduction. distance in graphs....

theory distance

middle distance training2

a critical analysis of transactional distance theory