Well, I finally got off my lazy tooshie today and got running. I've been dormant for about 3 months now which is really kicking me in the butt, but now I'm back and ready to fly.
As I begin my journey to post-mediocrity and to a new level of respect from other athletes around me, I'll be taking all you along with me. Like my bio says, I'm the "Unknown Spoiler" and I'm ready to really surprise everyone this year…including myself.
Up until I start training full-time, 6 days a week, in December (the 17th I believe is my start date), I'll be running 4x's a week on Saturday-Tuesday and possibly Wednesday as well.
I think I'll be doing some Ext. Tempo on Saturdays, Acc. Dev. Sunday's, Hills Monday's (to go along with my weights), and possibly another Acc. Dev. day on Tuesday since my track access is limited. I may instead opt to do some plyos on Tuesday along with some grass sprints.
Ext. Tempo is going to be like "strength" work to get me going. I'll be running high volumes with longer reps (except for today) and I'll just be trying to kick my butt into shape w/the sprinter's version of Aerobic endurance.
Acc. Dev. is going to be like CF outlined for a 40yd dash improvement program that another forum user has used to get himself down from a 4.9 to a 4.6 (and he plays soccer!!!). So, I figured by doing this workout 1x a week from now until the start of my GPP, it will allow me to eliminate the need for so much acc. dev. and allow me to only need acc. dev. during my 6-week GPP so I can have adequate time to develop the more important qualities of my race.
Hills are going to be like GS work. I'll be doing lunges, high knees, bounds, etc. up the hill and maybe some sprints (all this in a circuit setup) and I'll save the straight hill sprints for GPP to coincide w/acc. dev.
Tuesday is up in the air, but I'll figure it out as a I go. I may not do plyos, but jumps with some grass sprints, or, depending on field access, a second day of the 40yd program since that's what my buddy did (the program 2x's a week).
If I do decide to run Wednesday, since I have to work Wed.'s, I'll do a LSR of 2 miles or so for more aerobic endurance. The only reason why this is an iffey and why I don't put it b/t hard workouts is because I work Wednesday's-Sunday's and so the only two days during the week I have off I want to work on the more important qualities and if I need the aerobic endurance, I can do the LSR before school in the morning and still be able to get a workout in.
That's the overlook of my program. Any comments or anything would be greatly appreciated. I know that it's not that greatly setup or anything, but I figure anything I can do right now would be better than nothing since my long period of dormantness last year during football season is one of the biggest factors that lead to my injury, among other things. So, now onto my first entry.
Today I did 10x200m with a 200m walk b/t reps and 5min rest after 5. This was a pretty good workout. I liked it.
The reps are short b/c I think it's all I can properly handle right now, but I kept volume high to get an aerobic base in that I would have gotten during football had I played. It also allows me some time to work on Ext. Tempo so volumes don't need to be so high in-season and so I can spend more volume on the more important workouts.
It was cold out, so I wore my sweats outfit w/my tights and my trainers (Nike Tailwinds…black and silver…I believe they're the originals since like 2-3 more versions have come out recently). It also was drizzling which actually made it nicer to run in w/o interferring with my workout.
Observations-
Positive: I can tell the weights are helping out (didn't lift last season) b/c I'm better able to keep form and better able to maintain a higher knee drive. I finished the workout in better condition than most people who have been sitting for 3 months would have. My adrenaline was going since I was so overzealous to get out there which kind of made me go faster than I probably should have at times, but overall, it was pretty good. I notice I'm running curves better and I'm focusing ahead like I should be rather than on the track which was another hampering miscue of mine last year. I began using my arms again which I had a bad habit of not doing last year. I didn't really pump my arms as much as I should have last year leading to tightness (due to wanting to keep my arms close and not moving), and so my form was helped because of it.
Negative: At times I noticed my lower back was hurting, which leads me to believe I need to FIND time in the weightroom to do more core work since I'm obviously not hitting it enough. That means less talking and probably more enemies b/c of it, but who cares. I'm probably going to start throwing in some arm swings as well on Tuesday's weights session to help out as well, though this is a "hypertrophy" weights phase I'm in. I noticed I was getting a little flat-footed with my running at times which I believe is partly due to running in flat shoes that are a bit heavy (about 11-12oz). I want to get the Spiridions so I can run w/a more natural form (as far as foot-flexion) and so I'm not working so hard to stay on my toes (the shoes only weight 9oz). I was really feeling reps 7-10, but that' expected after a long layoff. I thought I did a pretty good job otherwise.
Tomorrow, if it's not too wet out, I'll do my 40yd program, and if it's too wet, I may do hills instead and put the short stuff on Monday.
Either way, it's great to get running and now I'm really starting to look forward to this upcoming season since no one thinks I can succeed alone. I'll show them all!
3 10 yard accels standing, lying, back (1 min recovery)
2 flying 20's (2 mins recovery)
1 20 yards lying face down starts (3 mins recovery)
1 20 yard run prone
1 flying 30's (4 mins recovery)
1 30 yards on your back starts (4 mins recovery)
1 30 yard on stomach start (3 minutes recovery)
I loved it. It allowed me to go fast but not kill myself and I've been dying to get out and let loose. I can tell weights have been helping me out b/c I feel stronger and a bit quicker on my starts.
Observations-
Positive: I'm getting a much better push off and much stronger push off on my starts now. I feel pretty good. I still can't believe how good of shape I'm in despite the 3 month layoff. It's great. Form is still pretty good, though a couple kinks need to be checked, but are easy to fix. Speed is still there. Didn't lose too much acc./starting speed. Can't wait for hills.
Negative: Knee drive isn't "optimal" yet as I feel myself occasionally trying to overstride and not getting my knees up like I was before. Easy to fix, however as I started noticing and correcting ASAP. Arms still aren't pumping like they should, so DB arm swings may be implemented w/weights on either/or both Tuesday and Friday.
That's it. Loved the workout. May do it again, Tuesday, but am looking more towards just like shuttle runs and things of that nature (field access) to get that short sprint conditioning in and still being able to fly.
Tomorrow— Hills Baby!!!! One of my favorite workouts.
Well, there was no running today because I had to go get my check and rode my bike to get it (2-3miles away), plus my warm clothes are in the washer, so I used the bike ride (which is killer due to only having one gear…my bike is busted UP) as my "cardio" workout and I lifted today.
Cleans - 5x3@160
Squats - 6x4@185
The cleans were awesome. I now realized that I hate doing any amount of reps over 3 because I did 3x5 the last 3 weeks and I was having a hard time keeping form (it was only up to 155), but now that I drop reps, add sets, and up weights, I feel more explosive and my form is much better, plus I feel like I'm gaining more.
The squats are still an issue with me. I tend to lean forward a bit too much at times (due to fatigue b/c the short rests) and also, my right foot has a habit of wanting to move outwards or point out more for some reason and it makes squatting weird. I almost wish I could get away with not doing them and stick with deads or step ups or something, but I know how to do them, I just think the fatigue is what's getting to me (doing density training), so when the season rolls around I should be fine b/c rests will be longer. Another reason might be that I'm going deep into the squats (feels better) and I'm not used to that b/c my 1RM I'm working off of is only parallel, not deep, so I might be doing a bit more than I can handle at the moment, but I'll be fine.
That's all for today. I'm hoping to get to run tomorrow, but my team leader told me last night he may need to call me in b/c he might be short-handed. So, we'll see. Regardless, I'm still doing upper body weights tomorrow.
So, we'll see how things go. Hills tomorrow (I hope)!!!
That was pretty good. I think I did a bit too much on the military b/c I noticed I was really laboring and using my back after rep 4 or 5. I was so spent from military and bench that I could only do 4x5 on dips when I had scheduled 4x6, but I was close enough. It's quality, not quantity, right?
Later on I ran:
2x3 30m Hill sprints w/walk back recov and 5 mins b/t sets.
Then I did 5 wind sprints of about 25yds or so. Didn't measure.
I can tell I'm REALLY outta shape. It's really kicking me in the butt. My lower back is hurting, my form is breaking down much quicker, and I'm just spent. So sore it's not funny (but mostly in the calves, not really the thigh area which is good).
Observations -
Positive: My determination is there and that's a good thing, but it may also be my downfall. I'm really excited about running so my workouts are fun no matter how physically exhausting they are. I have pretty good acceleration right now. I notice I can start quick and really get moving. I'm much more relaxed yet again, than I was last year this time. My shoulders are staying down and I notice my arms are finally back into it again. I remember the days of doing all the labor with my legs until they couldn't take any more and THEN I'd throw the arms hard.
Negative: Oh my, let me start the list. My determination is going to kill me one day, I swear. I don't like giving up and I don't like cutting workouts short or half-doing anything, but my God am I eating it hard out there. My knee drive is only able to be sustained for about 10-20m before it's gone. My heel recovery is probably a bit too much as I feel myself kicking the back of my butt rather than underneath. I know heel recovery isn't that important, but I like to maintain a high heel recovery as it kind of helps me get my knees up. It's hard for me to get knee drive w/o high heel recovery. I feel like I'm two years-old again trying to learn how to walk. I've lost it all and today's hill workout really pointed out some flaws that need to be addressed. That's the good thing about starting now, though, is that I can see these and try to get these addressed before my season starts and then I'm screwed. B/C of all the flaws I'm seeing, I now realize that my gym workouts need to be more intense and I need to start implementing more GS work both in the gym and out. I tried biting off more than I can chew today and I'm dying now. I almost feel like today's workout was for nothing b/c of all the flaws I saw.
The plan: Next week, Saturday I'll do Ext. Tempo again for the aerobic endurance. I'm thinking about doing something like 4x5x100m w/50m walk recovery to really get myself some aerobic conditioning. I may even start running a 2-3 mile run once a week as well b/c now it's crunch time. The season is approaching, and though it's only my 3rd day running, it's really time to kick it in overdrive since I did nothing for so long. My hill workouts will now be geared towards GS work like lunges, A's, high knees, bounds, etc. up the hill b/c I can tell I need more GS than anything right now. I'm eating crap out there and looking even worse with all my flaws. I like the 40yd program b/c that's about all the speed work I can handle and it suits me well. So that stays on Sundays. Tuesday's I'm thinking may be my hill day since Monday's workouts are always up in the air b/c of my check at work (never there on-time so I have to wait). I think if I can get out on Mon
day's and run, I'll do hills and do some shuttle runs and stuff on Tuesday's, and if not, I'll do a long run at night and then do hills on Tuesday's. B/C of this check crap I'm now looking only at 3 good workouts a week. I wonder if implementing some running A's at this point would be too much? I already plan on doing strength endurance during SPP, but I wonder if it would hurt now? I'll think about it.
Well, that's about it for now. I gotta get some rest. Wow, these posts are long.
Sorry, mike. My journal is going to be pretty long as far as pages, b/c my posts are going to get pretty lengthy. I apologize now in case it messes anything up with the board (all the memory in one thread…I don't know).
So, I'll report back on Thursday since all I'm doing tomorrow is ABS. Peace.
Great workout. Since I dropped down to under 5 reps for Cleans, even with the increased loads, I've noticed that my form is much better and only suffers on the last set (but I think I wasn't taking long enough rest). I love Cleans (Fav Exer. :dance: ) and I could feel myself really hitting the CNS today.
For Squats, I realized that my problem with my feet wanting to move and my body leaning and everything else was that my legs weren't far enough apart. They weren't even shoulder-width, and that's probably why I was having so much trouble finishing sets properly. Today I spread them to right at shoulder-width and was hitting it today. Going deep and really feeling it.
All I'm wondering about with hypers is whether you should feel them in the hammies, though I know the hammies play an isometric role in the movement, I felt them while I was doing, but that might be because of whatever. I don't feel them now so I ain't trippin.
Great workout. Tomorrow I lift upper body and I'm not running, though I don't have to work, b/c it's the football team's last home game and we're going against our rivals, so I need to be so fresh and so clean for the game (and NOT sore :D )
Originally posted by 400Stud
All I'm wondering about with hypers is whether you should feel them in the hammies, though I know the hammies play an isometric role in the movement, I felt them while I was doing, but that might be because of whatever. I don't feel them now so I ain't trippin.
Hamstrings act as a hip extensor and knee flexor, so even if you're motion is hinged or fixed at the hips as it is in back hypers, the hamstrings probably play more than just an isometric role.
Today was a bad day. It was just an all-around bad day. I will make this short and sweet.
I did nothing today. Plain and simple. I started to workout and got through some Bent-Over Rows (T-Bar) and then started doing Seated Low Rows, and coach made me run a mile since I didn't before. So, that was the end of my workout.
Me and 2 other kids went out there and walked 3 laps before we came in. I had such a bad day that this made it worse and by the time I got back in, everything was taken so I just relaxed and cleared my mind.
Tomorrow I'ma run. Don't know what yet, but I'm running. Just know it's Ext. Tempo. I'm looking forward to running, but I'm looking even more forward to the game tonight with us and our rivals (my favorite) school.
So, I'ma forget about today, go have fun at the game, and start over again on Monday.
Finally got back out running again. This weekend I was busy all weekend so I didn't get to do anything. That pissed me off.
Yesterday I just lifted b/c I had to work and did the following:
Squats - 5x4@195
Cleans - 5x3@165
Great workout again. People started racing in the parking lot after I got this far so I joined like an idiot and didn't get to do my hypers. However, I did notice that my form is pretty bad even though I almost won (lost by like .1 to a XC kid…the 400m runner I despise on the team and want so bad to destroy this year). But, it's all good. We were both nervous and I slipped, but he still beat me, so it's all good. Rematch the last day of the semester on the track in a 100m….not a 40m pavement run.
Today I did my 40yd program again. Grass was wet so I couldn't stop as fast I should be b/c I had to avoid slippage. It was fun though. Loved it…now analysis…
Positives: Great to get out and run again. I love running fast over all else in life (besides women ). I can tell that things are getting better already. I started noticing more dorsiflexion rather than plantar flexion in my stride and I didn't force my heels up, but rather focused on knee drive and I noticed it was all falling together again. Arm motion was good. I think the main reason for the great workout is the fact that I have the entire day off from work and school so I was focused and more prepared and had a much better warmup than normal. When I warm up good, I sprint fast…when I don't, mediocrity is my name. I have early release Thursday and no work, so I'll be doing some GS work on the hills.
Negatives: I noticed I was being a little tight at times and one of my runs was horrible as far as form, but I think the problem was that I had to really watch stride and what not since I had to avoid slipping and had to slow down much slower than normal. I think I did well despite the tightness, but that is something I really need to address since it's one of my biggest downfall. I have trouble getting up quickly from lying on my back and/or front then sprinting and accelerating, but I don't know. Does anyone have any videos of the "proper" way to perform sprints from a lying position on the back/front since I don't know why I take so long getting up? Thanks.
That's all for now. To be updated on Thursday b/c tomorrow is an ab day in the gym and no running.
Why don't you just race at a meet? Also, you might think too much for your own good. You probably didn't win that "race" because you just got done lifting. That was pretty foolish to go out and lift, you could have pulled something.
I'm not trying to rip on you. I think things will come around for you once you get training more consistently. Try not to list all the negatives. Focus on form in your drills, workouts, etc. You are trying to reach a higher level and you may not have as much natural talent as a 48.0 400 runner. You can make that up with your form and race plan. What is your race stategy for the 400?
Well at least 400Stud have started training. For at least the prior 3 months, all he was doing was talking about training. Good for a coach, bad for an athlete
drivephase - for the 400m, I go out hard the first 80m or so, almost like a 100m, maitain for the rest of the curve and the straight, relaxing arms and maintaining leg speed, then pick it up going into the next curve and give everything I got the last 120m or so. I ran my best 400m race running like this.
I like to point out the negatives so I know what I need help on, and so, for future reference, I can see how I've progressed "on paper" and so I can analyze things as time goes on. I don't "focus" on the negatives 100%, but it gives me something to work on, because if all I did was just enhance my good qualities and pay no attention to my deficiencies I'd never get better.
All I've been doing lately is focusing on form in drills, workouts, etc. and it's already getting better. I can already see a difference. I know what my problem was, and since I've been talking about it and focusing on what my problem was, I've fixed it and things are already getting better.
I'm a very analytical person b/c I feel if you're too "lazy" and uncaring and just "go with the flow" you'll never get better. So, just get used to it, b/c all my posts will be long since that's the best way for me to coach myself since there is no one in AZ good enough to do it.
Dark Knight - I know. It's been a long stretch, but the stresses in my life are slowly going away, so it's all good. I'll be training more consistently and I've been taking advantage of my time much better, except for one or two days. But, it's all good.
No training this weekend. Had things to take care of. Upper body weights on Friday. Tomorrow I'm going to do some hills and GS stuff and for lifting I'm doing Cleans, Squats, and Hypers…5th week of density training.
There is NO ONE in AZ that can get me to Youth Nationals (qualifying time in the 50's) and Regionals (need to be in the 50's pretty quickly). No one. Especially on the westside of town.
I workout, at the moment, at school, lifting and running, with my hill workouts in Thunderbird Canal. When I start training full-time, I'll be running at GCC Monday-Friday, school on Saturday, and lifting at LA Fitness on 59th and Bell. But, at the moment, I have to make do with school, and when the time comes, I'll get my membership at the gym and GCC is always open, so it's all good.
). I can tell that things are getting better already. I started noticing more dorsiflexion rather than plantar flexion in my stride and I didn't force my heels up, but rather focused on knee drive and I noticed it was all falling together again. Arm motion was good. I think the main reason for the great workout is the fact that I have the entire day off from work and school so I was focused and more prepared and had a much better warmup than normal. When I warm up good, I sprint fast…when I don't, mediocrity is my name. I have early release Thursday and no work, so I'll be doing some GS work on the hills. 
