I am a sprinter and a freshman at college, have been training with my track team for several months now (since the beginning of September). In high school indoors I ran 24.24 200M, 52.9 400M, 6.94 55M, 37.3 300M. Not too good but I really was excited to improve those times with a college training regiment. We did a GPP from Sept- about early December or late November then started training indoors. I felt good in the GPP felt like I was getting in good shape, then took a week off for Thanksgiving and came back, trianed for a week, and ran a 55M in a meet. I ran 7.50 and was shocked. Didn’t know how this was possible after feeling like I was in great shape. Kept training, then took about a month off (I know, stupid) when I went home for Winter break. Started training a month into winter break, but mostly just lifting and treadmill sprints. Came back, trained for 2 weeks, and ran a 200M yesterday. I ran 26.51, again completely shocking. I feel like I am in decent shape, I just have no idea how I could possibly run that slow. Earlier in the week I ran a 25 high in practice. This makes no sense to me. I really need help because I have zero confidence now I am in awe of how slow I am. It makes no sense to me. PLEASE HELP!
Need help!
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Participant
I dont know if its my form, my mentality maybe Im nervous about the people im running against being faster than me, I might be tightening up while I run trying to catch people, I really just dont see how my times could be THAT much slower. So confused.
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Participant
I do become a bit stressed when the others I train with go out very hard in practice. I feel like I fall behind and that may cause some stress. I get usually about 8 hours sleep a night, I don’t really do anything specific to recover. What should I be doing?
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Participant
Have there been any differences in your training this year versus last? How were things going prior to the month off?
Have these just seemed like bad races or is your training overall lagging behind?
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Member
https://elitetrack.com/forums/viewthread/8842/
This thread would be a very beneficial read to see what kind of things you can be doing to boost recovery along with the other threads in that section. The most important IMHO is one that you already have done which is sleep. When I mean stresses it doesn’t just mean stress on the track but also personal stresses such as grades, class, girlfriend, money, travel, etc. You are also a freshman in college which from my personal experience can be a big source of stress in itself.
Also many athletes I have spoken with have seen decreases in performance their freshman year due to the change in program. Your decrease could be from a variety of reasons but you just need to keep paying attention to your body and stay positive.
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Participant
I know that it is important to stay positive and I am also aware that freshman year of college is often a time when athletes struggle, the only thing is I have never heard of a greater than 2 second struggle. I also agree I have many stresses grades, a girlfriend, etc. but as I said 2 seconds just confuses me so much. I don’t know what to focus on in my training to salvage this year.
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Participant
Have you spoken with your coach or assistant coach about it? They may be able to tweak your training or at least talk through some other options for you competition wise. Like Andrew said earlier, a new program can impact to your performance. Maybe a different race would fit better this season. Don’t limit your options this early in your career. Try some different stuff and have fun with it.
Competing in track and field should be fun. Relax, have fun, maybe try some other races. Hell, learn everything in the decathlon and give that a go!
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Participant
I have talked to my coach, and all she has said was I am not in good enough shape after the month off. I cannot see how this could make a 2 second difference. I agree I should try to find some other races, but I would like to stay in the sprints realm.
I felt today at practice doing 2 sets 3×250 with a walk back recovery that I was almost too weak to carry my own body, my mentality is shot and I feel like I lag behind and cannot speed up. I am concerned about my weight. I know that usually gaining weight is not advisable, but I weigh about 142 lbs. whereas I usually hover around 150. I think this might be a cause of my weakness and if I put some weight/muscle back on I will be more able to push through.
Any thoughts?
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Participant
In addition to putting on a few pounds, I’d suggest checking the following (sorry if any of these are too obvious):
-getting enough sleep
-getting proper balance of carbs, protein and fat (including proper balance of mono-, poly-, and saturated fats, especially omega-3s)
-you could probably take 2000 IU of vitamin D if you aren’t getting much sunlight
-stress levels in check
-not overtraining -
Participant
Decided I’m gonna start logging my training. Here we go.
Today at track:
2×7 stadiums (we run from the bottom of the football stadium to the top and down 7 times, then rest and repeat)
Felt extremely tired after the first set, hard to make it up the last couple steps.Lifting about 1 hr. after: Upper Body
Bench press 5×5 140 lbs.
Shoulder press 5×5 40 lbs dumbbells
5×6 pull ups
3×10 dips
curls and triceps extensions supersetted as such: 10, 9, 8…down to 1 -
Participant
3/17
Finally back to practice today after missing a full week. Still not 100% but felt good to get back on the track. Beautiful day as well.
Workout was:
3 sets (40, 60, 80) walk back recovery between runs, 3 min. between sets
My legs started to break down after the first 2 sets, probably because of all the time off.
Ab routine after practice. -
Participant
3/18
No practice today, so instead I just played basketball outside for 2 hours. Pretty sore legs.
3/19
Ran ~1 mile to the track.
5x 150m with about 3-5 min. recovery. Know that’s a wide range, but I didn’t really keep track, just walked back pretty slow. Also didn’t have a watch. Went out in a stride basically for the first 50m then picked it up, focused on coming down the home stretch picking knees up and staying strong. Felt good.
Ran ~1 mile back. -
Participant
3/20
Was gonna take a rest day, but my friend asked me to go to they gym. Fifured why not do upper body.
Did short workout:
5×5 dumbbell bench press @55 lbs.
5×5 dumbbell shoulder press @40 lbs.
5×6 pull-upsWeighed myself in at 145.0 lbs. Gained a bit, good weight for me I think.
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Participant
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Participant
3/22
Another tough day for me. Everyone has been wearing spikes and I have forgot mine two days in a row, so keeping up is that much harder.
1×450 in about 67-68 secs. This was pretty tough.
1×250 in about 34-35 secs. Lactic acid was built up and the last 50m was a struggle.
2×200 both in around 27-28. Definitely struggled at this point.Also, all times are approximate because only the first through the line is timed and I finish well behind them. Coach noted I seemed like I was trying to power through the last 50 and tightened up.
Just trying to get back into shape.
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Participant
3/23
Rainy and cold out. Practiced inside. Pretty easy day.
8x 50m Didn’t go all out on these, pretty relaxed. Did 3 out of blocks. Felt good.
Afterward I lifted at the gym. Did upper body.
5×5 dumbbell bench with 55 lbs. each hand
5×5 dumbbell shoulder press with 40 lbs. each hand
5×6 pull-ups
3×10 dips
16, 14, 12 alternating dumbbell curls with 30 lbs. each hand -
Participant
3/27
Cold out, and had no watch which was a mistake, really gotta get one.
2x400m pretty quick. Rest about 6 min. Died on the second one, hard to breathe in cold air.
2x200m with walk back recovery.
2x150m with walk back recovery.Pretty tired after this one. Cold air hurt a lot.
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Participant
samzdaman. Looks like you’re not getting too much response on here. I have a few questions though:
I’m in the UK so can you give me a feel for age. Your first post mentions times in high school. What age were you when you did these and how old are you now?
Who sets your training program and how far in advance can you see?
Looking specifically at your training log, there are a few issues where you really need to take more responsibility. Sorry to sound harsh but if you were one of my athletes I would want you to manage yourself better. If the coach is only timing the front runners (it is difficult to time everyone sometimes) the time yourself. It doesn’t have to be perfect accurate. Also there are a few sessions where you haven’t timed yourself. They sound like ones you’ve done yourself, but TBH perceived effort is of limited use in sprinting in my opinion.
Finally forgetting your spikes two days running is kinda taking the p!ss a bit and your coach might be a little peeved with you.
The effort I put in with my athletes is in direct proportion to the effort they put in. You obviously want to improve, so it sounds like you need to show your coach and everyone else that you are serious. Get a specific understanding of what is important about each session and make sure you focus on that. There’s no point training below the effort level for the reps just to complete the session.
Forget what everyone else is doing speed-wise, you need to be training yourself and you are the only one who can influence this.
This is a massive assumption on my part based on your posts of course, so feel free to bat this back. -
Participant
I was 17 then, 18 now, so last year. Also, I do agree with what you are saying, and I may not be taking the full initiative in training. I do need to time myself, and as for doing reps just to finish them, I usually mean that I do what I can at the time, I put in the effort that the workouts demand I always give my best, its just that at times I fall behind. Forgetting the spikes, yes, I shouldn’t have, but I’m just looking forward. Also, my coach tells us these workouts the day of.
3/28
2x(3×200) into a strong wind. 5 min. between and 7 between sets. Went 29.0, 28.6, 29.2, 28.5, 29.3, 30.7. Lactic acid was all through my legs. Pretty disappointed with the workout, maybe the wind had something to do with it.
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Participant
Your training log is called “need help”. I can see that. HAHAHAHA
Go to forums, training journals and start again properly.
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Participant
If the coach is only timing the front runners (it is difficult to time everyone sometimes) then time yourself.
The Freelap Timing System makes it possible to accurately time one athlete or an entire team. I posted a brief description on how to do this at https://www.freelaptrackandfield.com/articles/timing-multiple-sprinters-with-freelap.php
Best,
Christopher -
Participant
Your training log is called “need help”. I can see that. HAHAHAHA
Go to forums, training journals and start again properly.
Good post joe, very constructive. Plus, isn’t he posting a training journal so he can be helped?
samzdman
I’m encouraged that you took my criticism on the chin. Based on that I’ll try and help some and maybe others will add to what I’m posting.Can you give me a little more info though. How many organised sessions do you train with your coach in a week and on which days?
Does the coach give you specific or general things to do when you aren’t with them (obviously this depends on the answer to the first question)?
Is there any way you can get a view of the sessions upcoming for say a month from your coach? This isn’t for me to critique them, it is so you can get a picture of the pattern and organise yourself better. If the coach isn’t giving you advance notice it is difficult to mentally and physically prepare yourself.
Can you give me an idea of the overall session you did 3/28. How long was the warm up and what did it entail for example? Did you do anything else after the 3×200’s. Also, this might sound obvious but what effort % was the reps at. Looking at it you said you were disappointed but it was into a strong wind and that is a tough session. I would fully expect a lot of lactic in there, certainy in the last rep of each set. You must have been around 90% into the wind so 5 mins recovery before the next one is a tough ask. It sounds like an extensive tempo session in which case your times look okay if the wind was strong.Whereabouts in your season are you? So roughly speaking, how long is your season, when did it start and when is your major competitions, just so I can get a feel for the stage of training you are in.
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Participant
[quote author="joe" date="1301435576"]Your training log is called “need help”. I can see that. HAHAHAHA
Go to forums, training journals and start again properly.
Good post joe, very constructive. Plus, isn’t he posting a training journal so he can be helped?[/quote]
EDIT – He moved it
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