Here are answers to three training questions I received lately: Question #1: What is your view on right leg vs left leg forward/back in blocks? -T.H. MY ANSWER: My view on right leg v left leg in the blocks is pretty standard, I believe. Generally, left handed people have their right leg forward in the…
I need to hire some assistant coaches. Last season I had my ‘Michael Jordan’ moment. Despite the success of my sprints/hurdles/jumps group, I realized that I can’t get the results I’m after if I’m doing it all myself. As a student of the patterns of the universe, I simply looked at the best team in…
200 Meter Training By Latif Thomas The 200 meter sprint is the Rodney Dangerfield of the sprint events. It gets no respect. When we commonly think of the sprint events, the 100 meter dash gets all the glory and the 400 meter dash gets all the respect. That leaves the middle child, the 200, left…
For the most part, certain sports have it easy when it comes to in-season weight training. Football has games on Friday nights so weight training on Mondays and Wednesdays makes perfect sense. For many other sports like track and field, competitions can fall anywhere during the week and on some Saturdays. Sometimes you have two…
As the track season winds down in the spring, the distance runners enter a time that sport scientists call the transitional phase in the annual plan. Track is an unusual sport in that there is no one time that all of the athletes are finished with their season. An athlete that finishes up with a…
Training theory is a fascinating point of discussion for most middle-distance coaches. These conversations can vary from something as simple as typical microcycle mileage to something as detailed as workout construction. There is no doubt that there are “many roads to Rome” in the journey to getting a talented middle-distance runner into top physical condition. …
USATF Master Coach Tony Veney has a new program out called ‘Advanced Sprint (100/110) Hurdle Development. It’s the next level of his ‘High School’ program here at CTF. Think of it like going to ‘Level II’ school. If you’re ready for more than just ‘how to 3 step’ and ‘bring the hurdles down and in…
The use of plyometrics / bounding is fundamental to the training programs for jumpers and sprinters. Using them constructively and through periodization (seasonal and organized phases) will enhance performance and reduce the risks of injury. From basic through advanced training, novice to elite athletes can progress (using plyo’s) in any event requiring speed and…
A week or two ago, I sent out a survey asking if you’d be interested in a program based not on training (how many 30s to run or medicine ball throws to do on a Tuesday), but how to organize your program so you can manage large groups of kids (with a small staff) and…
