Training Mid-distance Track & Field School …...middle distance runners Middle school track --...
17
Mid-distance Track & Field Training A Model for Developing 800/1600m Runners in our High School Programs
Transcript of Training Mid-distance Track & Field School …...middle distance runners Middle school track --...
Mid-distance Track & Field TrainingA Model for Developing 800/1600m Runners in our High School Programs
My History at DCHS
My History at DCHS
● Working with different head coaches● Advocating for new runners to join our group● Cross country dominant event group (pros/cons)● Drake Relays and State Co-Ed Track Meet● Striking gold in Jason Thomas, Ryan Schweizer, Matt Fraizer
Our model for 800/1600m runners at Dowling Catholic High School involves recruiting strong athletes, developing from XC, and comprehensive in-season training
Challenges of High School Coaching
Social aspects and kids joining the team for other reasons than running
Young athletes
Ignorant, indifferent, misguided or unsupportive parents
Multi-sport athletes
Wide range of abilities
Early self-selected trajectory as one type of athlete, which is sometimes difficult to change despite the saying,
“If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck”
Identifying 800/1600-meter Runners
Cross country runners the easiest place to start
Successful in XC
Tall, lean and fast with good stamina
Competitive and willing to hurt
Desirous to work on their craft year-round
Buy-in and trusting of your coaching
Prior track experience (i.e. middle school)
PE mile runs or pacer tests
Prior sports experience (soccer, track & field, basketball, football)
RecruitingAre you actively recruiting capable runners to join your event group?
How else can we identify mid-distance runners and get them to run for us?
Create feeder programs for XC and track & utilize them if they already exist!
If you coach the middle distance events you really need to be coaching XC and vice versa
Cross country is going to be the best place to start recruiting your middle distance runners
Middle school track -- middle distance runners in MS are the most likely candidates to continue at HS level
High school track team. Advocate for tall, lean and fast 400 runners to try the 800. Work with other coaches to find the best events for your better athletes.
Build a culture where athletes want to join your group. Make the appeal one of hard work so you attract the athletes you want.
Work at recruiting strong athletes from other sports to run for you. Pick up the phone!
Training 800/1600m Runners
Develop aerobic system year-round, including cross country season, and maintain in the spring (ex. daily runs, tempo runs, 3k-5k pace reps)
Develop anaerobic system pre-season, in-season and summer (ex. race pace reps)
Develop sprint mechanics, top-end speed and speed endurance (ex. build-ups/flys, 200-400m pace reps)
Weightlifting for strength, power. Strong posterior chain = speed!
View our 2019 season training plan: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15c_cy9InpId5lOpN_dpe9vTZ2m84UYPsjO1Td-Z2dOg/edit?usp=sharing
Training 800/1600m RunnersAbsence of a comprehensive pre-season training program makes prep for track season more challenging (i.e. less base)
Remarks about our winter training program
Develop training volumes based on what your runners are capable of handling, not an arbitrary ideal
Acceleration Workout Video -- https://vimeo.com/80654408
100-110-120-130-140-150-160-170-180-200m. Eleven reps progressing in 10m steps between 100m and 200m. Start at 1600m race pace and end at 400m race pace. Add approximately 1 second to each rep. Total volume at speed is 1650m.
A 5:00 miler/:60 400 runner will start at 19 seconds and end at 30 seconds
Racing Strategies for the 800
Racing Strategies for the 800
Practice starts for fast reaction time
React to the smoke (eyes up!)
Sprint start for 7 seconds
Straddle the line between lanes 1 & 2 after cutting in
Even paced race (not even effort!) from 200-800 meters, but 2 second difference from first to last 400
Pace for third 200 normally slows -- Kickers may wait, others will find their way back into the race, while non-kickers want to maintain their pace and create a gap
Final 100 utilize sprint mechanics; training and competitiveness will win in the end
Racing Strategies for the 1600
Racing Strategies for the 1600
A fast start isn’t as important as a clean start
Even to negative split pacing is ideal
For a 4:30 mile the ideal is even 1:07.5 400m splits -- 1:07.5, 2:15.0, 3:22.5, 4:30.0
Teach your runners to understand that a 1:07.5 (33.75 per 200) opening 400 may not mean they’re on 4:30 pace. (It may just mean their start was faster than race pace.) It’s likely their first 200 was 32.75 and their second 200 was 34.75 (4:38 pace). In this scenario if your athlete feels good about their 400 split they’re going to be disappointed at 800 when they learn too late that their pace slowed by 2 seconds (1 second per 200 slower than goal pace from 400-800).
Clean up pacing by teaching runners to start conservatively and increase pace with each lap.
A Champion’s Mindset
The highest performing athletes look inside themselves to
correct mistakes instead of pointing to external factors to
excuse poor performances
“Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity”
By recruiting strong athletes, developing them year-round, and facilitating comprehensive in-season training programs we are going to have far more success and enjoyment in coaching the sport of track & field.
