Following is a wrap up of my training activity for week eight (Turkey Week).  Preparing yourself physically for athlethic events such as Track & Field does’nt have to be scientific or very structured.  The objective is to stay active with tasks that get the heart rate up for a while and engage in other activities that  strengthen your body.  The final piece is to put a little time in on the technical aspects of your sport.  The weekly activities provided in this BLOG will help you to condition your body for any sport that requires speed to have an advantage. 

 
Sunday:
 Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises  (175)  
  Afternoon
     Three lap run on the track. 
     Drills (High Knees, Rat-A-Tats, Single legged Hops).
     Three 200 meter sprints @ 75%.
     Light Stretches.
  Evening
    Lunges 20 Left & 20 Right)
    Light Stretch.

Monday:
  Morning
     Dynamic Stretches.
     Heel raises  (175) 
     Sit-Ups (50)
     Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights)  
Afternoon
Evening
    Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)
    Light Stretch.

Tuesday:
  Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises  (175) 
  Afternoon
  Evening
    Squats (60)
    Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)
    Light Stretch.

Wednesday:
  Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises (175)
  Afternoon 
    Weight Training (Leg and Arm Press, Leg Lift)
 Evening
    Lunges (20 left & 20 right)
    Light Stretch.

Thursday:
  Rest:  Thanksgiving

Friday:
  Morning
     Dynamic Stretches.
     Heel raises  (175) 
     Sit-Ups (50)
   Afternoon
   Evening

 Saturday:
      Rest.

Be creative with your work-outs.  I go into each days work-out not knowing exactly what my routine is going to be that day, however;  I do know what areas I would like to concentrate on each day.  Analyze your strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis and work-out accordingly.  Work hard but never too hard.  Start off slow and gradually increase every aspect of your work-outs until you reach the point where tough work-outs do not physically take a lot out of you.

Find more Sprint Training Info @  www.peytonproject.com

Nutrition Guidelines:

Our basics for our young athletes;

1. Eat 4-6 meals each day
2. Your meals should be 400-500 calories each
3. You need protein in each meal
4. Drink water all day, no caffeine during your training season
5. Examples of meals

Even if you have workouts in the morning, you MUST have breakfast.  You cannot go 10-12 hours with out food overnight and expect your body to perform in the morning without more fuel.  For a noon practice, you should have eaten at least twice; a 3:00 practice eat at least three times and an evening practice eat at least 4-5 times.  After your last practice make sure to get one additional meal to help with recovery and rebuilding.

Now with the basics regarding how many meals, it is important that you understand the body does not need more than 400-500 calories in each meal.  By eating 4-6 meals a day they will have at least 2000 calories to 3000 calories depending on the size of your child.  This will give them plenty of calories to get through workouts as well as meet the needs of a growing body.

Protein is an essential part of an athletes meal.  Most athletes do not get enough protein in their meals.  An example of this is breakfast, which is the most important meal of the day.  It sets the tone.  Generally cereal, waffles or a breakfast bar is the meal of choice, not mine but the general rule.  Those foods are primarily carbohydrates, which are important, but without a balance of protein, their blood sugars will rise too high and then drop, just about the time they need it either for a morning workout or in school.  So, what we recommend is having two hard boiled egg whites, not yolk, with their cereal, this will add an additional 8-10 grams of protein to their breakfast.  Generally speaking most kids need 10-20 grams of protein in each meal, no more than 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.  Now before you get alarmed about the amount of protein for your young athlete, let’s break it down.  If a 100 pound athlete has 80 grams of protein a day that is still less than 20% of their total calories if they follow our guidelines.  2000 calories a day (400 calories per meal 5 meals a day) 80 grams of protein at 4 calories per gram equals 320.  A larger athlete follows the same guidelines.  We generally do not exceed 15-20% of total calories a day of protein.

1 gram of protein equals 4 calories

1 gram of carbohydrate equals 4 calories

1 gram of fat equals 9 calories

We must read our labels!

I don’t want the kids to become obsessed with calories and labels, but they must be educated to proper eating, so it becomes a habit.

I am not saying they can never have a hamburger or pizza, but it cannot be a daily part of their diet.  If they learn these habits now, they will have much more energy for the day, their workouts and schoolwork.

Water is a must.  Everything they eat and drink counts during the meal.  Juice is fine, but I prefer calories form food sources.  In the heat of this time of year especially, water is a must all day long.  Muscles get dehydrated, from caffeine (high energy drinks, soda, coffee and tea) and more likely to shut down or rip.  Water consumption must start early each day, not just before practice.  Water breaks must happen every 15 minutes of practice and game, depending on the activity level.  I actually prefer sports drinks during practices and games rather than water, because their sugar levels in their bodies drop too much during the activity.  If they are hydrating properly during the day and eating enough, the sports drinks are fine.  They have way too much sugar for playing video games, but the game or practice will expend an average of 600-900 calories, drink the sports drinks.  After the game or practice, chocolate milk is the drink of choice for recovery.  It has a great balance of protein and carbohydrates.

Protein shakes are a great way to get protein in a busy day.  The first choice should be with regular food sources, but when the schedule is tight, go for the shake.  Do not get the powders with creatine and other supplements in them.  We are just trying to get the protein the body needs to grow and recover.

I know this is a lot of information, but with the importance of the message, it is important the kids and parents get the big picture.

Breakfast:

Here are some examples of foods that should be consumed during the day.

Mix two scoops of a whey protein in with a pancake mix, the normal pancake is 160 calories with no protein, now with two scoops of protein powder, that one pancake has an additional 10 grams of protein.  Keep the syrup to a minimum.

OR

Eat two hard boiled egg whites with their high fiber cereal and a glass of milk.

Snack:

A banana with a handful of nuts OR Half a peanut butter sandwich and a piece of fruit

Lunch:

Chicken breast with pasta and vegetables OR Turkey or tuna on a salad

Snack:

A protein shake with milk and fruit OR Yogurt

Dinner:

Meat Lasagna (wheat pasta) no bread OR Chicken Breast with vegetables

Do not take a protein shake with milk and ice cream just before practice.  The heat will cause you to get sick!

As always any questions on this topic or any other, please call or email me and I will be happy to answer them for you.

If your athlete is going to put the effort into practices and training, they must get the right fuel.

Thank you,

Bob Davis

Strength of America, Inc

(480) 219-0868

www.strengthofamerica.us

strengthofamerica@cox.net

**The contents of this email are not to be considered as medical advice.

Always consult a physician before beginning or changing any fitness or nutrition program.

This email is protected by copyright, 2009, Strength of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Strength of America, Inc.

If you would like to copy any parts of our email to add to your site for information for your athletes, our contact information must be added to the section. This will satisfy our copyright. Please copy the complete section, so it is not taken out of context.

Increasing your vertical jump is one of the big questions I get from athletes.  When we do our testings at schools around the valley or for sports teams, the big guys usually laugh when the smaller guys come up to get tested on their jump, at least until they jump.  Our smaller athletes almost always have a better vertical and that is because they have always had to fight to get the ball, from taller players.  Therefore their true vertical is usually better than the taller guys.

A true vertical jump is done by not taking a step.  STand reaching up as high as possible while feet together and on the ground, that is the start point or reach.  Then squat down and swing the arms upward to use your whole body.  Jump up as high as possible and touch the wall or vertec rungs (seen above), to see the difference between the reach and the final jump.  Measure the difference and that is your true vertical.

Now increasing that jump takes some work.  You must build the strength of the front thighs or quads, and calf strength.  I would recommend a few exercises; the squat jump, split squats and toe punches.  Select the link below for demonstrations.  http://www.strengthofamerica.us/SOA/Blog/Entries/2009/11/7_Increasing_your_vertical_jump.html

Author: Brandon Richey
Source: ezinearticles.com

What is the one trait that you wish to have on the competitive field, drills
, of play, drills
, that you can do better than your opponent? For me I would have to say speed. With the ability of speed itself, and the conditioning to match, I know, drills
, that I can not only be faster than my opponent, but I can be faster for the entire duration of the competition. The ability, drills
, and the conditioning have to be one in the same. After all, what good, drills
, is speed if it is only temporary?, drills
, Tune in to the following 2, drills
, drills to learn how to obtain, drills
, total athletic performance.

1. Loaded Bounds Into Sprints:, drills
, This is one intense drill that, drills
, is sure to give you the, drills
, edge you are looking for. This drill is great for developing linear speed, explosive muscular power, and overall dominant athletic performance. To start this drill you will need, drills
, a couple of things. You will need, drills
, at least 30 yards of running space and a weighted vest. Weighted vests usually come in a variety of weight, but you can start with a 20 lb vest for this particular drill. To begin, line up on the marked, drills
,, drills
, line. Start jumping (double leg, drills
, bounding) for the first 10 yards and then quickly transition, drills
, in to a full sprint from the 10 yard marker to the 30 yard marker. You will quickly see how intense this drill can get!

2. Loaded Alternating Leg Bounds Into Sprints: This drill is set up and performed exactly like the drill explained above. The only difference is that with each bound you will alternate bounding off of each leg. Alternate your legs bounding from left to right all the way to the 10 yard, drills
, marker and then immediately transition into a sprint from the 10 yard marker, drills
, to the end of the 30 yards. This will certainly help you to develop serious leg power and the overall athletic ability to match!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com
To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at: http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html
I’m Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

Following is a wrap up of my training activity for week seven.  Preparing yourself physically for athlethic events such as Track & Field does’nt have to be scientific or very structured.  The objective is to stay active with tasks that get the heart rate up for a while and engage in other activities that  strengthen your body.  The final piece is to put a little time in on the technical aspects of your sport.  The weekly activities provided in this BLOG will help you to condition your body for any sport that requires speed to have an advantage. 

 
Sunday:
 Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises  (175)  
    Sit-Ups (50)
  Afternoon
  Evening
    Lunges 20 Left & 20 Right)
    Light Stretch.

Monday:
  Morning
  Afternoon
    Two mile (8 laps) run on the track. 
    Drills (High Knees, Rat-A-Tats, Single legged Hops).
    Light Stretches.
  Evening
    Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)
    Light Stretch.

Tuesday:
  Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises  (175) 
  Afternoon
  Evening
    Squats (60)
    Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)
    Light Stretch.

Wednesday:
  Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises (175)
  Afternoon 
    Two lap run on the track. 
     Drills (High Knees, Rat-A-Tats, Single legged Hops).
     Four 100 meter sprints @ 85%.
     Light Stretches.
 Evening
    Lunges (20 left & 20 right)
    Light Stretch.

Thursday:
  Morning
     Dynamic Stretches.
     Heel raises  (175) 
   Afternoon
   Evening
     Squats (60) 
     Lunges (20 left & 20 right)
     Light Stretch.

Friday:
  Morning
     Dynamic Stretches.
     Heel raises  (175) 
     Sit-Ups (50)
  Afternoon
     Three lap warm-up on the track. 
     Drills (High Knees, Rat-A-Tats, Single legged Hops).
     Six 80 meter sprints @ 75% w/ one minute rest between.
     Light Stretches.
  Evening
     Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)  
     Light Stretch.

Saturday:
     Rest.

Be creative with your work-outs.  I go into each days work-out not knowing exactly what my routine is going to be that day, however;  I do know what areas I would like to concentrate on each day.  Analyze your strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis and work-out accordingly.  Work hard but never too hard.  Start off slow and gradually increase every aspect of your work-outs until you reach the point where tough work-outs do not physically take a lot out of you.

Find more Sprint Training Info @  www.peytonproject.com

Following is a wrap up of my training activity for week six.  I’m happy that you find this BLOG useful but, you all know you can’t beat a trainer.  They can see the imperfections as we work-out that we don’t notice ourselves.  So, if  you have one, stick with him/her.  If you don’t have a trainer or coach, then, try to find a training partner.  The weekly activities provided in this BLOG will help you prepare for the Indoor Nationals (or Kamloops Worlds).  This regimen is tailored for the 60 & 200 meter dashes.  It can be slightly modified to work for the 400 meters as well. 

Sunday:
 Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises  (150)  
    Sit-Ups (60)
  Afternoon
    One mile jog on the track. 
    Drills (High Knees, Rat-A-Tats, Single legged Hops).
    100 Meter Sprints (3 @ 75% max.)
    One lap cool-down  & Light Stretch.
  Evening
    Lunges 20 Left & 20 Right)
    Light Stretch.

Monday:
  Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises  (150)
    Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights)  
  Afternoon   
  Evening
    Weight Training (Leg and Arm Press, Leg Lift)  
    Light Stretch.

Tuesday:
  Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Sit-Ups (60)
    Heel raises  (150)  
  Afternoon
  Evening
    Squats (60)
    Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)
    Light Stretch.

Wednesday:
  Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises (150)
    Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights) 
    Sit-Ups (60)
 Afternoon 
 Evening
    Squats (60)
    Light Stretch.

Thursday:
  Morning
     Dynamic Stretches.
     Heel raises  (150) 
   Afternoon
     Bowling.
   Evening
     Squats (60) 
     Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)
     Light Stretch.

Friday:
  Morning
     Dynamic Stretches.
     Heel raises  (150) 
     Sit-Ups (60)
  Afternoon
  Evening
     Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)  
     Light Stretch.

Saturday:
   Morning
     Dynamic Stretches.
     Heel raises  (150) 
     Sit-Ups (60)
     Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights) 

Be creative with your work-outs.  I go into each days work-out not knowing exactly what my routine is going to be that day, however;  I do know what areas I would like to concentrate on.  Analyze your strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis and work-out accordingly.  Work hard but never too hard.  That’s how most of our injuries occur. It is far better to under-do-it than to over-do-it.  There was not a lot of activity this week because it’s my birthday week and rain.  I’ll pick things up next week.

Find more Sprint Training Info @  www.peytonproject.com

Following is a wrap up of week five’s training activity.  Use the schedule below as a blue-print for your personalized training.  Think of it as basic ingredients to use in your training regimen.   You have to spice it up.  If your goal is to be ready for the Indoor Nationals (or Kamloops Worlds) like mine, following a training schedule similar to this one will have you prepared to compete in the 60 & 200 meter dashes at or near your personal age-grouped best.     

Sunday:
 Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises  (150)  
    Sit-Ups (60)
    Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights)
  Afternoon
  Evening
    Lunges 20 Left & 20 Right)
    Light Stretch.

Monday:
  Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises  (150)  
    Sit-Ups (60)
  Afternoon   
  Evening
    Weight Training (Leg and Arm Press, Leg Lift)  
    Light Stretch.

Tuesday:
  Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises  (150)  
  Afternoon
    One mile jog on the track. 
    Drills (High Knees, Rat-A-Tats, Single legged Hops).
    200 Meter Sprint (1 @ 75%)
    150 Meter Sprints (2 @ 75%)
    One lap cool-down  & Light Stretch.
  Evening

Wednesday:
  Morning
    Dynamic Stretches.
    Heel raises (150) 
    Sit-Ups (60)
 Afternoon
    Bowling.
 Evening
    Weight Training (Leg and Arm Press, Leg Lift)
    Light Stretch.

Thursday:
  Morning
     Dynamic Stretches.
     Heel raises  (150) 
   Afternoon
   Evening
     Squats (60) 
     Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)
     Light Stretch.

Friday:
  Morning
     Dynamic Stretches.
     Heel raises  (150) 
     Sit-Ups (60)
  Afternoon
    Two lap warm-up.
     Drills (High Knees, Rat-A-Tats, Single legged Hops).
     150 Meter Sprints (3 @ 80%)
     One lap cool-down.
  Evening
     Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)  
     Light Stretch.

Saturday:
    Rest.

I want to remind  you again;  do not  follow this schedule exactly.  Add things you like to do and omit some things that you feel will not benefit you at this point in time. If you are a lot younger than I am and you are in fair shape, then; you may need to double most of this activity.  

Find more Sprint Training Info @  www.peytonproject.com

A few weeks ago, I posted an article which reviewed backpedal coaching cues.  Coach – Athlete interaction is essential if the goal is improvement.  Why?  Improvement is driven through cognition.  If your athletes are able to “Understand” they will be able to “Do”.

I’ve been playing basketball my whole life.  Until around the age of 18, I was never properly taught how to shuffle.  Shuffle!  One of the primary movement patterns in basketball, not until I was 18….  Who’s fault was this?  My coach, My trainer, Myself?  The answer….all three!  The optimal performance spectrum is accomplished through the introduction of sport skill tasks (Coaches), movement patterns (Strength Coaches) and practical understanding (Athlete).

I’ve played and observed a lot of basketball in the past.  Astonishingly, I still see players with inefficient lateral movement patterns.  They simply just do not know how to shuffle!  Scooping with the lead leg and NOT pushing with the trail leg.  Yikes! Some of you may ask, “Why is “scooping” such a big deal?”  Well, because of three reasons.  First, you will be slow!  Driving the trail leg produces more force when compared to the single joint muscle function of the “scoop”.  Force application= Speed.   Second, you will be lacking change of direction speed. For example, if you shuffle with the “scoop” and your opponent changes direction how are you going to transmit change of direction force?  When changing directions, the “scoop” causes you to lose your base of support which is integral for force application in all anatomical planes.  Change of direction kinematics involve shin angles, anatomical orientation, force transmission and stability. Third, “scooping” is a nightmare for the knee complex.  If you want to stay healthy, avoid the “scoop”.  The amount of dysfunction that is occurring is scary.  Translation, deviation and connective tissue stress… the list goes on.  Incorrect foot alignment causes harmful changes to joint and muscle alignment. The result?  The poor foot/ankle alignment associated with the “scoop” can cause injury or wear to the tissues and tendons of the knee complex.

Lateral Coaching Cues

1. Arm Action- The role of the arms is stability and added momentum.  The arms should be kept close to the COG and moved in opposition of each leg extension (trail leg).
2. Torso Angle- When shuffling the shoulders should be directly over the knees. This will improve your mobility because you are aligning your COG in the correct position for optimal performance.
3. Base of Support- The feet should be hip width apart with the toes, hips and shoulders square to your opponent or line of movement. The role of the lead leg is to guide.  The role of the trail leg is to produce power.  Many times I call the lead leg the “steering wheel” and the trail leg the “engine”.  It is important to remember that every “push” is followed by a “replace” (Lateral Turnover).  The foot should be replaced directly under the hip in order to reach full triple extension on every repetition.  If the foot is returned outside the hip then full triple extension cannot be obtained and movement speed will be directly affected.
4. Eyes up- The eyes are everything. The position of the head has a lot to do with postural control. If you have poor posture you will lack in balance and motor control. Correct upper body posture accounts for optimal pelvic stability.
5. Push- I tell my athletes to “push” the floor away from them. To perform the push correctly, full leg extension should occur and the medial high arch should be the last to leave the floor.  As a coach, this cue can be the most difficult to teach and for the athlete to comprehend. Repetition is key!

Hard work always pays off,

Matthew

Lateral Movement Progressions (Follow in Order)

Following is a wrap up of week four’s training activity.  Time to start taking matters a little more serious keeping in mind – it is still very early in the season.    This is the time of year to focus on strength and flexibility to enable us to handle the demands of increased power sprinting  as the season progresses.        

Sunday:
 Morning
    Light Stretch.
    Heel raises  (200)  
    Sit-Ups (60)
  Afternoon
    One mile jog on the track. 
    Lunges 20 Left & 20 Right)
  Evening
    Light Stretch.

Monday:
  Morning
    Light Stretch.
    Heel raises  (200)  
    Sit-Ups (60)
  Afternoon
    One mile jog on the track. 
    One legged hops up High School Stadium stairs (5 left & 5 right).
  Evening
    Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)  
    Light Stretch.

Tuesday:
  Morning
    Light Stretch.
    Heel raises  (200)  
  Afternoon
    Weight Training (Leg and Arm Press, Leg Lift)
  Evening
    Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)  
    Light Stretch.

Wednesday:
  Morning
    Light Stretch.
    Heel raises (200) 
    Sit-Ups (60)
 Afternoon
   Three lap warm-up.
   Drills (High Knees, Rat-A-Tats, Single legged Hops).
   150 Meter Sprints (3 @ 80%)
   100 Meter Sprint (1 @ 85%)
   One lap cool-down.
 Evening
   Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)  
   Light Stretch.

Thursday:
  Morning
     Light Stretch.
     Heel raises  (200) 
   Afternoon
   Evening
     Weight Training (Leg and Arm Press, Leg Lift)
     Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)
     Light Stretch.

Friday:
  Morning
    Light Stretch.
    Heel raises  (200) 
    Sit-Ups (60)
  Afternoon
    Three lap warm-up.
    Drills (High Knees, Rat-A-Tats, Single legged Hops).
    200 Meter Sprints (2 @ 80%)
    One lap cool-down & Light Stretch.
  Evening
    Lunges (20 Left & 20 Right)  
    Light Stretch.

Saturday:
    Rest.

Find more Sprint Training Info @  www.peytonproject.com

Following is a wrap up of week three of training.  For me, this is still not the get up and go time. As you continue to monitor my work-outs, you will notice a gradual increase in activity involving fast twitch muscles.  Remember, the objective here is to get in shape progressively reaching a peak in June or  July.  

 Sunday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
    Heel raises  (100)  
    Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights)
  Afternoon
    One mile jog on the track. 
    Two 400’s at 90 seconds each.
    Lunges
  Evening
    Light Stretching

Monday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
    Heel raises  (100) 
    Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights)
  Afternoon
    One mile (4 lap) jog warm-up
    10 One legged hops up High School Stadium stairs (5 left & 5 right)
    Stretched immediately after the cool down lap
  Evening
    Light stretch. 

Tuesday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
    Heel raises  (100)  
  Afternoon
    One mile jog on the track. Drills.
  Evening
     Light stretch. 

Thursday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
     Heel raises  (100)  
  Afternoon
  Evening
     Lunges
     Light stretch. 

 Saturday:
    Rest.

I have tailored this training regimen based on my individual needs with consideration for my current fitness level, time frame for peak performance, and the events I am preparing for.  You should tweak it for needs,time frame, and events.  Feel free to ask questions, leave comments, and share some of the things you do in preparation for your upcoming track season.

Find more Sprint Training Info @  www.peytonproject.com               

Following is a wrap up of week two of training.  Rainy weather kept me off the track for one of my work-outs.  Still, the objective here is to get in shape progressively reaching a peak in June or July.

Sunday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
    Heel raises  (100)  
    Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights)
  Afternoon
    Lunges
  Evening
    Light Stretching

Monday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
    Heel raises  (100) 
    Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights)
  Afternoon
    One mile (4 lap) jog warm-up
    150 meter sprint @ 70% of max (1)
    One legged hops up High School Stadium stairs (5 left & 5 right)
    Stretched immediately after the cool down lap
  Evening
    Light stretch. 

Tuesday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
    Heel raises  (100)  
  Afternoon
  Evening
     Light stretch. 

Thursday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
     Heel raises  (100)  
  Afternoon
      Evening
     Light stretch. 

 Saturday:
    Rest.

As I emphasized in last weeks post; I have tailored this training regimen based on my individual needs with consideration for my current fitness level and the events I am preparing for.  You should tweak it for needs and events. I admit; I did not accomplish much this week.  The good news is: it’s still very early in the training season.  Feel free to ask questions, leave comments, and share some of the things you do in preparation for your upcoming track season.

Find more Sprint Training Info @  www.peytonproject.com

Following is a wrap up of my first week of training after a one month lay off.  This is why it  may not seem to be a lot.  Keep in mind, the objective here is to get in shape progressively reaching a peak in June or July.

Sunday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
    Heel raises  (100)  
    Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights)
 Afternoon
    One mile jog warm-up
    Drills (Rat-A-Tats, High Knees, One leg hops) 
    150 meter sprint @ 70% of max (1)
    One lap cool down
    Stretched immediately after the cool down lap
 Evening
    Light Stretch

Monday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
    Heel raises  (100) 
    Leg curls (200 with 5 lb. ankle weights)
  Afternoon
    Cut the grass using a push lawn mower
    My yard is hilly and good size making this
    a decent work-out.
  Evening
    Light stretch. 

Tuesday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
    Heel raises  (100)  
  Afternoon
    Three lap jog warm-up
    150 meter sprint @ 70% of max (1)
    100 meter sprints @ 75% of max (3)
    One lap cool down
    Stretched immediately after the cool down lap
  Evening
     Light stretch. 

Thursday:
  Morning
    Stretch.
     Heel raises  (100)  
  Afternoon
    Three lap jog warm-up (2 minutes per lap)
    Drills (Rat-A-Tats, High Knees, One leg hops)
    175 meter sprint @ 70% of max (1)
    100 meter sprints @ 75% of max (3)
    One lap cool down
    Stretched immediately after the cool down lap
  Evening
     Light stretch. 

 Saturday:
    Rest.

Keep in mind that I have tailored this training regimen based on my individual needs with consideration for my current fitness level and the events I am preparing for.  You should tweak it for needs and events. Feel free to ask questions, leave comments, and share some of the things you do in preparation for your upcoming track season. I might start updating this progress report every couple of days instead of logging everything on Fridays.  We’ll see.

 Find more Sprint Training Info @  www.peytonproject.com

With only a few updates up over the past several months, it is obvious that none of those lead back into a more consistent blogging routine, so this time I’m not going to say or promise anything about upcoming posts because as I’m realizing more each day actions speak louder than words.

With today’s philosophical moment out of the way, its time to move on to the meat and potatoes of this post

Twice a week I work with a small group of 5-6 year olds on “speed” training. First, a few things: a) when I got my first training certification, I never expected to work with this age group and b) these two hours of my week are a couple of the most fun hours I have! But what I really want to write about is seeing learning in action. Each session these kids come back noticeably better in coordination drills, on keeping their balance on one leg, or with using decent arm drive technique while running — even their parents notice the difference week to week!

I think it is one of the coolest things to see this happen, especially at this age since the week to week improvement in movement/skill quality is so apparent. It is also why when introducing a new skill, I constantly remind myself to not overcoach it. I like Brian Grasso’s term “guided discovery” — the gist being that when a new movement or skill is introduced the body might not produce a perfect looking movement pattern right away or that first day, but from the get-go it is problem solving. And particularly with a younger age group, it is important to let the body’s nervous sytem problem solve without imposed limits. Then once the training session is over the nervous system is still at work making connections (basically like sorting through information) between it and the muscles to  be able to perform that new movement in the future.

To an extent I still coach like this with our older athletes (with both groups safety is kept in mind of course) because improved coordination and having experienced a greater variety of movements often means greater athleticism. Just because an athlete is 16, doesn’t necessarily mean that they have been exposed to every sort of movement — nor does it mean they cannot learn new movements and new ways of coordinating muscle actions — it might just take a little longer for these individuals to pick something up since their nervous systems are more “set in their ways”.

CB

I guess ’sprint’ is pushing it a bit, but I did what I said I would. Found a fairly flat bit of Dorset track, 7km up and back, tried to do it at 10km pace. Was a bit rougher underfoot than ideal, short sections were just shingle so that slowed me down a bit, but it was a worthwhile exercise.

Did the 7km in 38m 8s, average pace 5m 26s per kilo. I was hoping for a bit less after all the recent hillwork. This pace equates to something like a 54m 33s 10km, which would be about two minutes slower than my PB set about five years ago. So I think that means I’m still not back to full fitness yet, but then again I am five years older.

(image: flikr, chimpmitten)

I’m on week 3 of my half marathon training program.  I decided to use Hal Higden’s novice program since I’d read a lot of good reviews on people who use his programs all the time and really find them helpful.

I’m currently ahead of schedule distance-wise, but I don’t feel too confident in my speed.  I use the Nike Ipod hookup to track my time and distance and for the first time the other day a voice told me that I set a personal best record for a mile and when she told me the time…I was a bit mortified.  Really?  Am I really that slow?

Yes, it turns out that I am one of those people slowly chugging along down the sidewalk in spandex looking borderline insane.  My current long run distance is at 6.5 miles, but it’s not pretty looking.  So how can I make the transition from slow and steady to someone who actually looks like a runner?  There is probably a very easy answer for this: speed work on a track or hills.  Neither of which sound very fun but you don’t get anywhere without some hard work.

My original goal was to just be able to cross the finish like, but now I feel like I could do better than just finishing, I think I should use my finishing time to compare a future half marathon to.  I think I do see another one in my future.  Does anyone have suggestions so that I can go from a 9:15 mile to an 8:45 mile to start?

-Laura M Cho

Visit Laura’s Blog: http://firstclasspanda.blogspot.com

Do you have any advice for Laura?

For some good running tips join Healthworks Run Club at Back Bay, it meets weekly on Tuesday nights!

http://www.increaseleap10in.com Increase your leap – jump higher. #1 selling Web vertical leap program – Explosive, speed & strength training secrets. Change your athletic potential. A complete jumping manual. A better dunk guaranteed. Go now.

http://www.increaseleap10in.com  Leap & jump higher. #1 selling Web vertical leap program – 9 keys to sports performance. Increase your explosivness, speed & strength training. Plyometrics, explosive, speed & strength training secrets. Change your athletic potential. Increase jumping confidence. The complete jumping manual. A better dunk guaranteed. Go now.

Excited over the closing days to the Month of August, I must confess such glee.

For once, my mind is filled with things to do focused on just one thing – The Speed Training.

No doubt, I have a goodly-built endurance. I have already done 2 Full Marathons as part of an endurance training. I have already done Trail Runs. My countless LSDs contributed a lot to my stamina now. Off I go now to what Im excited about.

Of course, like any other runner, my training will still include the usual cycle. Long Runs, Building Mileage, and Speed Training = Race Events.

So far, for the month of August, I start the training with a good build-up LSD. An Ultra RUN, LSD pace!

08.02.09 56KMS Km 0 to Tagaytay
08.05.09 12KMS Recovery Short Easy Run (Subject to the condition of the feet, leg and muscle. I listen to advise too. )
08.07.09 15KMS Easy Tempo Run
08.09.09 08KMS Speed Training (Oval)

A taste of what’s to come…sweet and blissful!

WORDS TO LIVE BY:

AEROBIC RUNNING means running within your capacity to use oxygen.

EVERYONE, according to his or her physical condition, is able to use a limited amount of oxygen each minute. With the right kind of exercise, you can raise your limit. This Maximum LIMIT is called – The STEADY STATE = the level at which you are working to the limit of your ability to breathe in, transport, and use oxygen. If you EXCEED this limit, the exercise becomes ANAEROBIC. When this happens, your body’s metabolism changes to supply the oxygen you need to supplement the oxygen you are breathing in. This re-conversion process has limits, so the body is always limited in its anaerobic capacity. When you run anaerobically, you incur what is called “OXYGEN DEBT”. Oxygen Debt is accompanied by the build-up of lactic acid and other waste products, which in turn leads to neuro-muscular breakdown, or simply, tired muscles that refuse to work.

The more intense the exercise becomes, the faster and less economically your body’s fuel is used and the faster lactic acid accumulates.

In other words, the faster you run, the greater your need for oxygen to continue becomes.

CONDITION YOURSELF:

Sked 3 times a Week for LONG RUNS.
Why?

To improve many parts of the physiology:
1. under-developed circulatory system are enhanced;
2. neglected capillary beds are expanded and new ones are created.
This increases oxygen transportation and utilization, thereby improving your STEADY STATE.

Also:
1. Heart becomes bigger and is able to pump more blood with each contraction and to pump that blood faster.
2. Lungs become more efficient, with increased pulmonary capillary bed activity, which improves the tone of your blood, allowing you to get more oxygen out of each breath.
3. Blood circulation throughout your body becomes better;
4. Waste products are eliminated more easily.

DO ANAEROBIC TRAINING:

Once you have developed cardiac efficiency through aerobic exercise, it is time to develop you r ability to exercise anaerobically, to increase your ability to withstand oxygen debt.

Common sense: the slower you can run, the farther you can run.

With anaerobic training, your objective is to create a big oxygen debt and lower your blood pH level so that your metabolism is stimulated to build buffers against fatigue. This is done with INTERVAL or REPETITION TRAINING.

Similar to the three long runs in aerobic conditioning, you should run hard (anaerobically) three times a week. Be sure to allow yourself to recover betwwen hard workouts, at least a day in between. The idea is to stree your system, recover completely, then stress it again.

The one important thing to keep in mind is to make your distance at least 200 meters or more; it takes a distance of this much to lower your blood pH level generally.

Anaerobic training is essential if you want to race well. Bear in mind however, that if you overdo anaerobic work, you will sacrifice the very thing you have worked so hard to achieve, your good aerobic conditioning, which determines your performance level.

MILES MAKE THE CHAMPIONS = it is wise to run once a day at faster aerobic speeds and, supplementary to this running, to jog as many miles as you find time and energy for; even if it is only for a fifteen minutes jaunt.

The more miles you are able to run aerobically in training, then the greater endurance you will be able to develop.

SHARPEN YOURSELF:

You have built your aerobic capacity and developed your anaerobic capacity. ow you need to keep your ability to tolerate oxygen debt high without dragging your condition down.

Do some Short Sharp Sprints of 50 to 100 meters with 50 to 100 meters floats in between. This will allow you to tire your muscles without lowering your overall blood pH. Doing sharpening once a week is most effective for maintaining your maximum anaerobic development. In conjuction with races or time trials during the week, you can continue to improve your race times for quite a while.

MARATHON CONDITIONING:

It is necessary to run as many miles or kilometers as you possibly can at economic or aerobic speeds to lift your oxygen uptake to your highest possible level as the foundation upon which to base your anaerobic or speed training.

To gain the best results for the time spent in training, it is important to run at your best aerobic speed = speed at a level just under your Steady State or Maximum Oxygen Uptake.

Even very slow running will effectively increase general cardiac efficiency and therefore raise the oxygen uptake.

One can run too fast or too slow and it is important to control the running efforts as well as possible if the optimum results are to be achieved in the time spent exercising.

It is important to do a large volume of training and it has to be economic, or aerobic.

It is necessary to time your runs over measured courses, and to progressively increase the running efforts as fitness improves.

The running time daily should be increased so that as your oxygen uptake improves you will find the training progressively easier, and your possibilities of increasing the running time greater.

Suggested Schedule:
Monday 1 hour
Tuesday 1.5 hours
Wednesday 1 hour
Thursday 1.5 to 2 hours
Friday 1 hour
Saturday 2 hours or more
Sunday 1 to 1.5 hours

This running should be done easily and the miles covered of no real account. The time spent running is the most important part.

Do not go straight into such schedule, but work up to it according to your fitness and ability to train.

Once you are sure you can run for two hours without any real problems, then start out training to the watch per mile as follows: Run over a measured courses for one week, without any influencing factors such as watch, per mile pace, or another runner. Try to run evenly in effort and as strongly as your condition allows.

Start a watch at the start of the runs, so as to be able to take the overall time for each run at the conclusion; this giving an estimate of your capability and condition at this stage of your training.

The time taken from the first week’s training should give you a fair indication of your capacity to train and a basis on which to train further.

The following week, you should use these times for control and then run the same course at the comparable times by checking each mile time as you pass your mile markers.

After a week or so, you will find that the previous times used for control are becoming too slow for you, as your oxygen uptake improves.

For best result, run at your best aerobic effort and supplement by running at easier effort on some day rather than running same mileage a day.

The total weekly mileage that you manage to do will be governed by your climactic conditions and available time for training. However, it is important to realize this point; that IT IS NOT THE DISTANCE THAT WILL STOP YOU IN TRAINING AS MUCH AS THE SPEEDS. If you keep the running efforts to a level within your capabilities, then you will quickly be able manage a large mileage. It is better to run a long way slowly rather than to curtail the mileage possible by running too fast.

Run with what you feel you are capable of…the more the better.

Run on Flats, Hills, Any Terrain, even on undulating courses.

It is also wise to jog easily every morning for at least 15 minutes or longer. The longer the better.

This is quite a scientific approach. I myself am nose-bleeding. Yet, browsing through the concepts and what the author says, this is easily adaptable and doable.

To sum it up:

1. PHASE 1 – RUN LONG RUNS
2. PHASE 2 – SPEED TRAINING
3. PHASE 3 – MAINTAIN BY PRACTICING.
4. KEEP ON RUNNING.

Do not mix all the ingredients. Instead, pour them one by one in your system, and spread them well. Taste and see the product afterwards.

Next article to come: RESISTANCE TRAINING.

Googling up, I chanced upon an interesting article. I like it as it is. I’d like to write something that would translate to what it says here…but what the heck? Why not just link it here?

So I did…re-read, re-read and re-read. Juggling everywords and thoughts in my mind, I find it more interesting to try. Why not? There’s just really nothing to lose. I want to improve my speed. I already have the endurance. In fact, I have already finished already two (2) FULL Marathons. What’s the fuss?

..and so, I’m decided to try it out. In fact, if it’s as easy as it is said to be that it is, better for me!

Experiment #1:
Will go to an oval. Set up my timer, and just do it. How? =

build up to ten 800s in the same time as YOUR marathon goal time

The author says:

If I can get my 800s down to 2 minutes 50 seconds, I’m in 2:50 marathon shape.
If I can get down to 2:40 (minuses), I can run a 2:40 marathon.
I’m shooting for a 2:37 marathon right now, so I’m running my 800s in 2:37.

He (The Author) continues:

Anyone who has been running for a few years, and in particular trying to improve his or her marathon time, knows that training theory can get quite complex. You’ve got pace, you’ve got pulse, you’ve got max VO2, you’ve got lactate threshold, you’ve got cruise intervals, you’ve got tempo training, you’ve got enough gibberish to launch a new line of dictionaries.

And now you’ve got an easier way: you’ve got Yasso 800s. Want to run a 3:30 marathon? Then train to run a bunch of 800s in 3:30 each. Between the 800s, jog for the same number of minutes it took you to run your repeats. Training doesn’t get any simpler than this, not on this planet or anywhere else in the solar system.

As published, the author begins running his Yasso 800s a couple of months before his goal marathon. The first week he does four. On each subsequent week, he adds one more until he reaches 10. The last workout of Yasso 800s should be completed at least 10 days before your marathon, and 14 to 17 days would probably be better.

And finishes his article with:

The rest of the time, just do your normal marathon training, paying special attention to weekend long runs. Give yourself plenty of easy runs and maybe a day or two off during the week.

But don’t skip the Yasso 800s. This is the workout that’s going to get you to the finish on time.

Three or four weeks before the marathon, do a track workout of 10 x 800 meters with a 400-meter jog. You should be spent after the last repeat. The average of your 800 times is a good barometer of how fast you can run in the marathon–but in hours and minutes instead of minutes and seconds.

I wonder why the heck 3 to 4 weeks before the marathon.

Sound interesting eh? I am very much interested. I’d try this out soon…hmmm. I wonder what my new scheds would be.

Tuesdays: Paddle.
Thursdays: Paddle.
Saturdays: Paddle. Yasso RUN at the Oval after.

When is my long runs?
When is my tempo runs?
When is my easy runs?

I guess i’d have to work this sked first.

Care to join me?

Athletic Movement & Performance “AMP’d” is our sports conditioning program focused on improving athleticism and preventing injuries for all athletic levels.

With AMP’d you have a variety of classes to improves basic body alignment, focus on functional strength, stability, power and speed. Adults begin the APM’d program by participating in Circuit, whereas youth athletes begin with Fundamentals.  From there, SWSI places you in a class to meet your physical goals.

AMP’d – CIRCUIT
Enjoy a great 45min workout to get your body engaged in physical activity. Our training methods develop muscle, overall functional strength and athleticism. Every single exercise challenges your fitness levels regardless of whether you are a beginner or a seasoned athlete. Bring your friends and get started today!

1. Fun
2. Hard Workout
3. Camaraderie

AMP’d – FUNDAMENTALS
Basis for all athletic movements focused on injury prevention and overall athleticism. Participants learn how to use their own body weight to build overall functional strength and functional power. In youth sports, athletes give less than 90-100% in a traditional practice, and therefore train to be slower. We intentionally keep the session short, focus on specific movements and give frequent breaks…Then we can ask for 100%.

1. Core Stability
2. Balance
3. Movement Fundamentals

AMP’d – VARSITY
For the high school athlete looking to Improve game preparation and body readiness. Offered as team training or individually, AMP’d – Varsity creates the explosive athlete for ultimate success.

1. Speed
2. Power
3. Game Strength

AMP’d – ELITE
A superior training program for the complete athlete which fine tunes athleticism by focusing on all aspects of AMP’d. Classes focus on speed or power training.

1. Superior Athleticism
2. College Athletes
3. Pro Athletes

Receive real-time updates about our training schedule, events, and other exciting news by joining our Facebook fan page and following us on Twitter

Hi guys!

Wow aren’t I glad the weekend is here! This week has been insane, and I have also been getting up 30 minutes earlier because I wanted to increase my mileage, which got me extra tired I suppose. Well, more on that later!

This coming up week is officially my last week of school. I still have my dissertation but after my finals (June 1st and 2nd) I am out! Which means, I will have a Bachelors degree in international business and frankly no idea what I want to do next. Growing up is hard to do!

So today was a long day run!15.3 KM!

I was not sure how it will go; on each of the last three days I have run 10.7 KM, and on the last day (Friday) I actually did this in intervals which means I was driving my body crazy! Oh and I should also mention that I ran it without earphones. Can you believe it? I used to have a life dependency on my iPod!

Anyways, I woke up at 6.45 and headed outside.

My run went by extremely well. I actually did not feel like I was going to die and the mental game I had to play last week was not really necessary today. I guess all these 10 KM runs are helping!

I am still not sure what I will do tomorrow because I am mainly dependent on my body, the weather and my tiredness level. That said, I also have my bikes and roller skates ready for usage. I cannot stand biking – it hurts my knees like crazy. But roller skating is fun. But at the end of the day I am still a running addict and I want to run!

No strength training today, but I have an ab-filled plan for tomorrow and I still need to do Gina’s lower body strength routine!

I had some pains at the back of my left knee (which was there for the last 5 days or so) so I did some of Polly’s yoga. I LOVE her videos! She makes me like yoga!

As ya’ll can probably tell from my food posts, I am eating a ton because I am so hungry. Well, it changes really. One day breakfast will leave me super food (thank you, broccoli + tortilla) and the next day I will feel like I need to eat again as soon as I am done!

I have been mainly craving apples and veggies….but today my mother came home with these:

Guys, Creme Caramel is basically Dulce de Leche in its European format. This was SCREAMING my name! My ma and sister just took a teaspoon each and started eating and eating! I had to get up and leave the table because I knew I would not be able to stop once I got started. I am waiting till I get to Israel and have the light version

Well, don’t take it the wrong way either. I wanted to eat it but not too bad. I don’t deprive myself of foods, but I found that my biggest craving at that moment was another portion of steamed veggies. Since I couldn’t be bothered to make those, I just left.

So I found these online today!

New Moon – Official Poster

(really???)

Okay. Bella looks strong and determined. She should be looking desperate and highly dependent on Jacob. I think Taylor Launter  is the only one who sort of resembles his character in this poster. What I don’t get is why he is between Edward and Bella?

Robert Pattinson Edward is of course not the Edward Cullen I have in my head. Yes, I know, Robert Pattinson is the hottest thing on this planet (after all, his kiss was auctioned for €20,000 – HAHA!!!), but he is siknnier than the Edward Cullen who I imagined!

But I still HEART them all! LOL I am such a positive individual, aren’t I?

So some more New Moon goodness:

I will leave you with THAT!

See you tomorrow!