Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

I decided to start a new training journal.  Over the past 2 years I have dealt with losing my mother, aunt, and uncle to cancer.  I have been through 3 knee surgeries, two in the past 3 years.  Last year I competed at the USA Indoor Championships (2006) in the 60m.  I had pr'd and been well on my way to my best outdoor season yet.  The following March I was warming up for a workout and I tore my meniscus cartilage in my L knee on March 21, 2006.  I had sugery on March 31, 2006.  3 weeks later I returned after surgery without training and competed in the 100m and ran 10.68.  Probably my best performance ever given the circumstances, etc.  I trained from then, but from favoring my knee I developed Achilles Tendonosis.  Over the past year, I tried every conceivable rehab method possible.  Nothing seemed to work, so I opted to just train through it.  I competed at a few meets this year, but the pain was too much to deal with after a while.  I met with a Dr. at Northwestern Hospital (who is considered the best foot and ankle specialist in the country), he recommended an Ultrasound Guided Needling.  It is a new practice that has been done on Thoroughbred Horses.  It has been proven to be very affective in reducing the symptoms and creating a new blood supply to the achilles.  What they do is an ultrasound to see where the tissue is dead, what kind of things are going on and where to start the needling.  So what they basically did yesterday was take a 3.5 inch needle inject it into my achilles, use the ultrasound to guide the needle and scrape away all the deformaties in the achilles.  So, he pretty much poked and prodded a needle in my achilles.  What they did was induce damage to the tissue to promote a new blood supply and promote healing.  Since the achilles is weaker now than it was before I am in a boot for 6 weeks.  The reason I have to wear the boot is because without it and the tissue being weak, I could rupture it if I fell or was forced to take an awkward step.  After getting the boot off in July, I will begin a program to remake my body so to speak.  I'm 27 years old, and plan to compete this year in an effort to qualify for the Olympic Trials.  I have set up my workouts, meets, and I am now fine tuning my lifting.  sssssss

sorry to hear bout your family Danny, I lost my uncle to cancer a couple years so I can totally relate to what you are going through.  the ultrasound guided needling is what doctors used on my gf friend for her amniocentesis -i think.

I think you're right.  They just recently started using it on achilles tendons, but they use the same kind of thing for many other things.

im curious about how you did with the bobsledding.  did that fall through or did you compete in that too?

I have had similar problems. Did u try these, the Swedish eccentric lifts and Walt's SAS(aka the Balance and Eccentric Reach with Toes) for rehab when u were trying all the methods?  If u did use them, what do u think of them?  What else did u try, cause i've strained a achilles also, took 2 months off, and started training for 2 weeks and felt it again and stopped training.  I'm wondering if I should get some ultrasound done to see if their is microtears and then what to try next, if u don't mind I asking u for advice on ur training log?

as well could u feel the deformities urself on the achilles? Must one have ART done continuosly when rehabbing to get the new achilles tissue strong, pliable and elastic to its previous strength pliability, and elasticity? Were the deformities dead injured tissue?

cockysprinter - 07 June 2007 07:10 PM

im curious about how you did with the bobsledding.  did that fall through or did you compete in that too?

Bobsedding is a long story.  Basically in Salt Lake I injured my back.  It was a combination of all the heavy lifting, trips down the track, and putting on 15-20 lbs for it.  There was also a lot of politics involved as well.  To make a long story short, my weight really prevented me from really making.  Two big pushers had to make up for the weight that I didn't have.  It was that or putting weight in the sled which in effect would slow down the push start.

Since then I ran 10.40 in 2005, and competed at the USA Championships Indoor the 60m, ran lifetime bests and then hurt my knee when moved to my achilles because I ran 3 weeks after surgery. 

It looks as though July 16 is my start date for training.  I have the boot off now and I can ride a bike and eliptical for the next 2-3 weeks.  I have a Dr. Appt for my knee tomorrow because I have some pain on the medial side of my left knee.  I had an MRI to be sure there isn't any cartilage damage again. None-the-less, I am going to request a script for PT for my achilles.  I just want to take all the necessary measures to be sure this is gone.  Right now, my foot dr has me doing heel raises and heel cord stretches. 

Here is the first week of off season training…..

Monday July 16, 2007

Workout Emphasis
Acceleration Dev. & Strength Dev.

Dynamic Warm up
Sprint Mechanics
3 x (3x30m) sprints - 2 min/rep & 5 min/set
Grass Cooldown

Power Clean 4x3= 176-176-183-183
Clean Pull 4x3= 200-200-207-212
RDL 3x5=
BB Row 3x5=
Wt. Chinups 3x8=

CORE= Monday "Hard Core Meltdown" Workout

Tuesday July 17, 2007

Workout Emphasis
Anaerobic Condition & Regeneration

Dynamic Warm up
Hip Mobility
R&L Leg Lead x2 (each)
Walk Through x2
Side Walk Through x2 (each)
Side Flex x2
Side Straddle x2
Side Rhythm x1
Over/Under x2

Extensive Tempo
3 x (120m, 100m, 80m) - 2 min/rep - 5 min/set

CORE= Tuesday "Hardcore Meltdown" Workout

Wednesday July 18, 2007

Workout Emphasis
Strength/Power Dev.

Dynamic Warm Up
Game of Choice

Med Ball Circuit
Orangemen (light MB) 65-80 Throws
Chest Pass
Overhead Pass
Across Body Toss
Hammer Toss
Clean Toss
Forward Toss
Backward Toss

Back Squat 4x5= 263-263-273-273
Step-Up 3x5=
Bench Press 4x5= 175-188-188-195
Push Press 3x5
Standing Calf Raise 3x5=

CORE= Wednesday "Hardcore Meltdown" Workout

Thursday July 19, 2007

Workout Emphasis
Max V
Strength Dev

Dynamic Warm Up
Sprint Mechanics
Max Vel. Sprints
Grass Cool down

6x30m w/30m fly In @ 85-90% - 3-5 min/recovery or HR <120 bts/min

Snatch 4x3= 125-125-131-134
Snatch H Pull 4x4= 176-176-183-188
Good Mornings 4x5=
Russian Leans 3x6=
Wt. Reverse Hypers 3x8=

CORE= Thursday "Hardcore Meltdown" Workout 

Friday July 20, 2007

Workout Emphasis
Active Recovery

Light Warm Up
Game of Choice

General Strength Circuit
150-200 reps

CORE= Friday "Hardcore Meltdown" Workout

Saturday July 21, 2007

Workout Emphasis
Strength/Power Development

Dynamic Warm Up
Hip Mobility
R&L Leg Lead x2 (each)
Walk Through x2
Side Walk Through x2 (each)
Side Flex x2
Side Straddle x2
Side Rhythm x1
Over/Under x2

Hang Clean 4x3= 153-153-160-160
Back Squat 4x5= 263
* SL Squat 3x8=
Wt. Dips 3x8=
Shoulder Complex 2x10

4x60m strides

CORE= Saturday "Hardcore Meltdown" Workout

are you really doing squat on wed then max v and more weights on thur?

Yup. I did this program last year.  It's was designed by the Strength and Conditioning Specialists for the USOC and OTC.  I didn't do the running portion last year, but just the lifting.

Danny, I don't know your max for squat so I don't know what % you are using, but do you feel burnt out at all for the next day on your MaxV, or does it just take a little getting used to?

Hey Danny,

I was wondering what the "hardcore meltdown" was?

00Scoots - 26 June 2007 10:39 AM

Danny, I don't know your max for squat so I don't know what % you are using, but do you feel burnt out at all for the next day on your MaxV, or does it just take a little getting used to?

I'm starting light in comparison to my max from last year.  I just got my foot out of a boot and will be squating for the first time in 3 months so I'll start on the lighter side of the squat to just get back into it.  Right now I couldn't squat my max.  It will take some getting used to, but that's just one week as they will change from week to week. 

Hard core meltdown is really difficult core and ab routine. 

Is it possible to describe it?