What's the limit in the 100m dash? 12.75 meters per second? Is a .78 10m split possible? What information is best to predict performance? I think the Bob Hayes split set the tone long before Rome and Berlin, since it happened and the context was clear that he was limited. Great performances in bad conditions (dirt, little training, special diets, sports medicine....) clue us to what can be done w [...]

So this past weekend, Usain Bolt casually ran what may very well be one of the more impressive races in the history of track and field (if you can call a 150m race down a street track and field). His 150m time on the rain-soaked temporary track in Manchester, England was out of this world. 14.35 seconds. That sounds like a pretty good 110 meter high hurdle time. Or maybe even a bad high school 100 [...]

This post on the BBC Sports website caught my eye. This is very interesting and I believe useful information. It has always been my contention that American middle distance and distance runners do not train the way they have to race. In order to do that you have to know how races are won and conversely lost at the world class level. This type of information can help. I am working with a company th [...]

2009 is almost upon us. 2008 was good. The emergence of Usain Bolt, Beijing Olympics, no major drug busts, and WRs in quite a handful events helped to overcome the black eye that Marion and Trevor continue to be. As we prepare to ring in the New Year, I thought it would be interesting to look at the top forum and blog postings of the last year. Most Active Forum Topics of 2008: HPC ELITE Nick N [...]

What are the underlying kinetics and kinematics that make Dayron Robles better? The most obvious aspect is to look at his technique but the key concept is the relationship of his technique to the demands of the event. His seven step approach is one glaring difference so I will focus on his other 9 hurdles and what he does differently and the same with elite hurdlers. Here are some questions that I [...]

Imagine that you are at a concert in Sevilla, after a stunning flamenco performance, clapping at a fast uniform pace, much like a heart beat while jogging. Even better, try it out right now, but stop after you reach twelve claps. Then do it again but this time execute the first, third, fifth, eighth, and eleventh claps loudly, and the remaining seven claps softly. Your clapping patte [...]

I would like to thank the emails I get from members wanting to get the myths of sports performance dispelled. Lately, the garbage coming from coaches sharing what they are doing with athletes or rewriting history is bad for sports and this industry so here goes.I hear that bobsleigh athletes are freaks. They out sprint the sprinters, out lift the lifters, and are leaner and bigger than linebackers [...]

At this past Olympics, Jamaica put on a show. The tiny island with a population of less than 3 million people won more Olympic medals than every other country not named USA, Russia or Kenya. And when you consider the QUALITY of their medals, things are even more astounding. Consider these points:If we use the point system I described HERE, Jamaica (24 points) is actually the 3rd best track and fie [...]

WCSN is again broadcasting world class track and field live for free. This time you can check out the Grand Prix meet in Rieti, Italy. Asafa Powell will be the man to watch as this is the location of his amazing back-to-back 100m races last year that culminated in him taking home what was a WR at the time (9.74). He's back in Rieti again for another stab at the world record. Following his Olympic [...]

We've recently been spoiled by the amazing feats of Asafa Powell's 9.72 personal best in Lausanne and Usain Bolt's string of sub 9.85s. So much so that it's easy to forget that someone other than these two actually produced the fastest 100m ever. EVAR. Tyson Gay. Remember him? He's that guy who didn't make the final at the Olympics due to lack of race fitness caused by an injury at the U.S. [...]