Coaching
Two-time Team USATF coach Bob Larsen selected as 2019 Legend Coach
Written by USATF
INDIANAPOLIS -- Bob Larsen, longtime UCLA coach and co-founder of the Mammoth Lakes High Altitude Training Group that spurred the resurgence in American distance running in the early 2000’s, is the 2019 USATF Legend Coach, USATF announced Friday.
Many athletes use plyometric exercises but are they being coached correctly and do the activities relate to the needs of their event?
As coaches we can often just let our athletes get on with plyometrics, thinking they will do them properly. But turn your back and you’ll often find them chatting and not doing the exercisesst to utilise when “coaching” plyos.
2018 Virgin Money London Marathon Diary: Coach Patrick Sang about Eliud Kipchoge Winner London Marathon with Andy Edwards, Race News Service
Written by RunBlogRun
Coach Patrick Sang knows the sport as coach and athlete. His unique view allows him to advise many of the finest athletes in the world. One of them is an athlete who has won three London Marathons. Another is an athlete who has won three world half marathon championships and two world cross country championships.
Edrick Floréal In Charge At Hurdles Central
Written by T&F N- Jeff Hollobaugh
At 51, Kentucky’s “Coach Flo”—Edrick Floréal—has arrived at an enviable position in the sport.
The Wildcat mentor need only take a glance around his Lexington track to see an assemblage of talent that would sell tickets at any meet. There’s Kori Carter, the world champ in the 400 hurdles. She often works with World Indoor hurdle champ Kendra Harrison, who is also the WR holder in the 100H. And don’t forget Jamaica’s Omar McLeod, the Olympic and world champion in the 110 hurdles.
Andrew Wheating Gives High School Coaching A Shot
Written by Milesplit- Cory Mull
When Andrew Wheating arrived at his first high school practice at Portland Madison last fall, it didn't sink in that he was a coach until teenagers starting asking him rapid fire questions.
Can I do this after practice?
How many miles am I doing?
Hey coach, why does this hurt?
How to Harness Your Mental Strength, According to Marathon Record Holder Deena Kastor
Written by Rozalynn S. Frazier
When it comes to running, or any fitness feat for that matter, it’s not just about how well your body performs; it’s also about your mental strength. And that is exactly what Olympic bronze medalist and long-distance runner Deena Kastor, 45, talks about in her new memoir, Let Your Mind Run ($27; amazon.com), on bookshelves today.
Great read for coaches about Ato Boldon, himself a former junior and senior World Champion, on working with world-class junior athletes. Whether athletes we coach are as good as Briana Williams or someone trying to break 6:00 for the mile, a long-term focus will always yield the best results...
It is easy to see what all the fuss is about where young Jamaican sprinter Briana Williams is concerned.
With a personal best of 11.13 seconds, which makes her the fastest 15-year-old female in the history of the 100m and a record-breaking performance at the recent Carifta Games in The Bahamas, where she won the Austin Sealy Award after breaking a 20-year 100m record with an 11.27 seconds run, taking the 200m in a personal best 23.11 and helping Jamaica to the 4x100m relay title, there's little wonder she's being heralded as a flag-bearer for Jamaica's next breed of sprinting royalty.
Nassau Guardian- New attitude essential for The Bahamas to get near Jamaica’s high standard
Written by Fred Sturupp
Fred Sturupp takes a good look and makes some great points about how the level of Bahamian athletics can improve. Through increased education of and cooperation amongst coaches, as well as increased access to high quality coaching Bahamian athletes can close the gap on their Jamaican rivals. Enjoy this article and ponder how the suggestions in it can be used to improve your own coaching...
No doubt, it still can be said legitimately that The Bahamas has a rivalry with Jamaica in junior track and field.
A few questions popped up though, following the 47th CARIFTA Games (that translates to the Caribbean Junior Track and Field Championships), which concluded on Monday night at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. Jamaica won handily.
John Shepherd delves into the detail of long jump improvement
Researchers have focused on what happens at take-off, as well as the penultimate step, and how this affects distance achieved in the long jump.
Nike Embraces Meditation For Pro Athletes With Headspace Partnership
Written by Jen Booton
Training the mind is just as important as training the body. Oftentimes during a race the mind limits performance more than the body, so it'd be foolish to only work on physical and physiological aspects of training. Simultanesouly combining mental training with traditional running workouts might yield the best results, as it's during running that the running mind needs to be at its best. Enjoy reading about how Colleen Quigley and other elite athletes are beginning to incorporate mindfulness training...
Ahead of a recent race, mid-distance steeplechase runner Colleen Quigley was listening to a guided meditation led by Headspace cofounder Andy Puddicombe. Eyes closed, she took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders as he talked about mental preparedness in a soothing voice through her smartphone. Moments later she lined up at the start and powerfully took off at the gun blast, feeling confident with her training and ample time spent visualizing what she needed to do to win.
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AW- Zane Robertson: training for Gold Coast glory
Written by AW- Colin Thomas
Physiologist and running coach Colin Thomas shares his experience of working with the New Zealand athlete in Kenya as he trains for the Commonwealth Games marathon
New Zealand’s Zane Robertson is in the process of fine-tuning his preparations for next month’s Commonwealth Games. The 28-year-old, 5000m bronze medallist in Glasgow four year ago, will this time be running the marathon and pitting his wits against the likes of Britain’s Callum Hawkins on the Gold Coast.
Interesting take from legendary coach Vern Gambetta on the decline and evaporation of physical education in America leading to a decrease in early exposure to instruction in movement skill acquisition and thus future athletic potential decreases...
The bottom line is that for a long time the American “non-system” has served us quite well. What has happened? The first thing that changed was the erosion of mandatory physical education to the point where today there is only one state that has mandatory physical education K – 12. The most obvious impact is that youngsters are no longer exposed to systematic physical activity. They are no longer taught basic movement or sport skills as part of an organized curriculum. What we failed to notice is that because physical education was no longer mandatory and that less physical education teachers were being hired. The physical education teacher made up the pool of trained coaches. Then there came an increased emphasis on academic achievement to the exclusion of physical education.
Alan Webb is one of the finest milers and middle distance runners ever produced from this country. The amazing thing about Alan, no matter if it was a good day or bad day, the guy spoke with us. The pressure on Alan, and I am not saying this for you to feel sorry for him, was tremendous. In the end, Alan Webb put more pressure on himself than media and fans. That was because he knew, instictively, what he was capable of.
His versatility, from 1:43.84 for the 800 meters to the NR of 3:46.91 for the mile, to the 13:10.86 for the 5000 meters, to the 10,000m in 27:32.72 was more than impressive.
Multiple global track gold medallist and his new coach speak ahead of this weekend’s Vitality Big Half
Mo Farah’s new coach, Gary Lough, plans to work on the world and Olympic champion’s weak areas while not neglecting his strong points in the run-up to the Virgin Money London Marathon in April.