Coaching

[d pickup]

Competitions, results and records are exciting aspects of our sport to report and comment on, but quietly we should continue to have minds open to developments and ideas that might help coaching.

item 1
Motion sensors could help tennis players serve an ace

A TENNIS player's first serve can make or break their title chances, but identifying the nuances in arm, shoulder and wrist motion that make the difference between an ace and a fault is tricky. Wearable motion sensors could help
see:
www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627545 ... n-ace.html

One for the JT coach?

[d pickup]

item 2

Biomechanics Project - Doha 2010

... support athletes and coaches in optimization and improvement of their training and competition performance. In Doha, information was gathered to produce an analysis of the men's and women's 60m Hurdles finals. www.iaaf.org/development/research/index.html
see
www.iaaf.org/WIC10/news/kind=100/newsid=56372.html

[Anthony Treacher]

Item 3

Effects of aging and training on sprint performance - University of Jyväskylä, (FIN) 2009

Some interesting ways of measuring sprint performance are contained in a University of Jyväskylä (FIN) PhD study "Effects of aging and training on sprint performance, muscle structure and contractile function in athletes."

Referred to on Ken Stone's masterstrack.com blog and forum February 19, 2010, this interesting study has a wider relevance and application than masters athletics.

David and other aficionados: you will particularly enjoy the equipment on Page 47 FIGURE 8 of the first paper:

http://masterstrack.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/study.jpg

(Note that the full study is very interesting but it actually comprises several weighty studies. It is huge, some 14.84Mb, so wait for it to load - if you really must. It is on:
https://jyx.jyu.fi/dspace/bitstream/han ... sequence=4)

[Kermit]

item 2

Biomechanics Project - Doha 2010

... support athletes and coaches in optimization and improvement of their training and competition performance. In Doha, information was gathered to produce an analysis of the men's and women's 60m Hurdles finals. www.iaaf.org/development/research/index.html
see
www.iaaf.org/WIC10/news/kind=100/newsid=56372.html

This is the 2nd such report from the IAAF, the first was at Berlin

[d pickup]

Kermit, Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:42 pm

Much testing in Berlin indeed, for 7 events

see
www.iaaf.org/development/research/index.html

[d pickup]

Some little while ago (?) somewhere (?) in AW Forum was included information about the new rule re wind assistance in CEs, bought to our attention by Dutch statistician Hans van Kuijen.
see now
www.decathlon2000.ee/eng/news.php?art=139

He was not happy with the rule, that had 'creeped' into the rule book very quietly and had profound implications for the CE athletes.

Another article has shown concern.
see
http://decathlonusa.typepad.com/files/v ... bruary.pdf

I think the following might be a fair summary:

"rule (260-27) deals with allowable wind readings for CEs.
In the existing rule a performance was valid in case: 1. the wind assistance was 4.0 mps or less in all the appropriate events
Or
2. if the average of the 3 events was 2.0 mps or less. In the new rule item 1 does not exist anymore and a performance now is only legal if the average of the 3 events is 2.0 mps or less."

PEN / HEP (W) / HEP (M) / DEC [+ DEC (W)] should be 'treated with special care' I feel. With the complexity of their event and the infrequency with which they can do it, consideration should be taken with the constructing of the rules pertaining to them.

Perhaps GBRs CE coaches are active over this matter.

[d pickup]

Javelin Rules Should Reward Accuracy

see
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3744 ... d-accuracy

[Javelin Sam]

very interesting article.. a little bit incorrect in that the weight of the javelin never changed or the aerodynamic qualities just the centre of gravity.

target throwing has been done as an exhibition event through out the years.. i recall an event back in 1992 at thurrock harriers.. it was the Dairy Crest Games organised by Fatima Whitbread and my parents.. steve backley and mick hill were there throwing along with other javelin guys.. there was an archery board at 50/60m.. mick hill won with a Bull and steve backley was no-where near

At a recent jav fest we held at Eton we had the target as the closest to the 30m line... we had javelins as prizes.. a 600g and an 800g kindly donated by our sponsor, Select Sports Equipment

[d pickup]

Javelin Sam, glad you found the article interesting.
---
This one might not not be 100% for top training athletes ?

The Claim: For Better Muscle Tone, Go Lighter and Repeat

The writer attempts to dispel a few miscoceptions about working muscles.

see
www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/health/06rea ... ef=general

[Anthony Treacher]

There is some practical material, mainly for sprints and long jump, in http://www.athleticdesign.se/athletics/index.html. Check out the High-Speed Video Analysis of young sprinters and long jumpers. The thoughtful editors Ola and Anders are games producers working with the Swedish IFK Lund athletics club. Somehow they hit exactly the right note. Good work.

[d pickup]

THE IAAF COACHES EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEM

The IAAF offers coaching provision

see
www.iaaf.org/development/coaches/index.html

The IAAF has also, since, 1986, published 'New Studies in Athletics'

see
www.iaaf.org/development/studies/index.html

[d pickup]

Searching for the WR for 100 years (women) I incidently came across 2 photos of Powell in flight mid-stride.

What percentage of the time in a stride is a sprinter in the air?

c.50% in mid-race is suggested at:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=uZEj ... &q&f=false

Other analyses will have been done I am sure of this aspect of a sprinter's stride, and has analysis of Bolt's running for instance given an interesting figure in this matter?

re photos of Powell in flight: see
www.iaaf.org/IWC10/news/kind=100/newsid=56470.html
also
http://theviewfromthefinishline.blogspo ... ttack.html

[Kermit]

The 2010 International Festival of Athletics Coaching (IFAC) will be held at the Marriot Hotel in Glasgow, Scotland, between 29-31 October, announced Dr Frank Dick, the president of the European Athletics Coaches Association (EACA). The festival will also mark the 50th Anniversary of the EACA. http://bit.ly/dzCkdv

[d pickup]

Athletes turn to plasma therapy, but the data are mixed

Treatment of joint issues with platelets is believed to speed up healing. But studies reveal conflicting results.

see
www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-p ... 6581.story

[d pickup]

Putting on the Stripes to Ease Pain

'Kinesiology tape can help take pressure off overused muscles, reduce swelling and alleviate pain from injuries, say companies that sell it. Scientific evidence is mixed, but clinicians say it seems to work—at least in the short term.'

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... bs%3Dvideo

[d pickup]

Athletes' sweat test road to glory

'Track athletes in Ireland preparing for the 2012 Olympics have been testing a device designed to improve performance by optimising their hydration levels during training. ... investigating whether it is possible to apply the same approach to lactate, which is also present in sweat.'

see
www.newscientist.com/article/dn18831-at ... glory.html

[d pickup]

There is a regulary-added-to site run by M Bingisser, SUI HT champ, that centres on HT; he threw 65.88 in his last meet, 17apr10

Very interesting. 'Comments' raise interesting points too.

Book Review: Bondarchuk’s Transfer of Training in Sports Volume 2
see
www.mbingisser.com/2010/04/transfer-of- ... -volume-2/

re vol 1 of Bondarchuk's book
see
www.mbingisser.com/2010/04/april-training-update/

Saving the Hammer Throw
see
www.mbingisser.com/2010/04/saving-the-hammer-throw/

[Kermit]

This has been sitting in my feedly for over a week without me paying it any attention whatsoever - silly me!

USA Track & Field (USATF) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) announced today they will mutually support USATF's Win With Integrity program and ACSM's Exercise is MedicineÔ (EIM) initiative. The two Indianapolis-based organizations are promoting a healthier America and combating childhood obesity, which has tripled in the past 30 years. http://bit.ly/bMSJD4

Over the past year within the health & fitness industry there has been a massive shift towards functional exercise which can be done by people of all ages. Personally I have seen huge improvements in many of my clients since I made changes to their programmes in September. I am about to do a pilot project next week with a group of year 5 and 6 students with the aim of getting them fit to run in their district schools championships. If it is successful then hopefully the school will be implementing it as part of the schools PE curriculum.

I have also come across some fascinating blogs directly aimed at athletics coaching. They will start appearing on this thread soon.

[d pickup]

Under the Microscope: How fast can a human run?

Prof Craig Williams, School of Sport and Health Sciences, Univ of Exeter

Researchers think 30mph could be the human limit. 100m in 9.58s = 23.3mph ... '60-80m ... Bolt averaged 27.8mph.'

Thorough thoughts reflected here.

see
www.independent.co.uk/news/science/unde ... 60718.html

[d pickup]

European Athletics Council

All sorts including:

'create a European Athletics Coaches' Award, with the first edition set for the European Athletics Convention in Novi Sad, Serbia, in October.'

see www.european-athletics.org/index.php?op ... 9&Itemid=2

[d pickup]

‘Saving the Hammer Throw’ Revisited
(follow up to entry Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:23 pm)

Eckschmiedt wants to stop the hammer throw’s drift to the periphery of track and field by changing the weight and length.

Here some reactions to the propsed change.

see
www.mbingisser.com/2010/05/saving-the-h ... revisited/

[bingisser]

D pickup,

Glad you like the my recent posts and thanks for posting links to them. Let me know if there are any topics you want me to write about in the future.

Cheers,
-Martin Bingisser (www.mbingisser.com)

[Kermit]

Circuit Training for Endurance Runners (warning this video contains swearing). Many of the exercises seen on the video I have regressed for use with all of my clients with very good, positive results. http://bit.ly/aztszO

[d pickup]

Kellan flips 'the flop'

An interesting new HJ style?

See the video for yourself at
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100505/ ... c=pg&tc=ar

[MarkC]

Not a valid jump in competition though... And not particularly revolutionary, you'll see people doing that all the time messing around high jumping

[d pickup]

'Track skills often decline as girls mature into women'

Perhaps old hat to many readers ... choose carefully who might undergo the 10-year plan aiming for adult excellence.

www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/sp ... 7883a.html

[d pickup]

One Month With Bondarchuk

HT training ideas; lots of meat here from Bingisser, SUI HT Champ.

see
http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/t ... ondarchuk/

[d pickup]

Cuban Javelin Thrower Trains With A... Grenade

In Cuba the Russian tanks of the cold war rust away, so are their javelins rusting too!

Actually this is a light story, well just a pic really, a nice pic, well 7/8ths pic, Yanet Cruz, CUB, '88, who, atypically, has a smooth progression career, improving every year:
10 62.07 12/03/10
09 62.90 09
08 60.84 08
07 58.81 07
06 54.20 06
05 53.20 05
04 52.15 04

There have been good CUB JT throwers, their NAT recs both very fine:
87,17m Guillermo Martínez 1981 08/07/2006
71,70m Osleidys Menéndez 1979 14/08/2005 (prev WR)

... back in my school days us 1st years didn't have JT, we had cricket ball throw - and the record had lasted years and years since 1928

see
www.daylife.com/photo/0gxD67z8QD74V?q=Cuba

[d pickup]

New Research Defines Perfect Taper Routine for Distance Runners

"Myocellular basis for tapering in competitive distance runners."

Scott Trappe Taper Principles

*** 3 weeks before race: Do 75 percent of normal "midseason" training. Eliminate most "medium-hard runs." Do usual interval training.

*** 2 weeks before race: Same as above.

*** Last week before race: Do 50 percent of normal training. Eliminate virtually all medium-hard runs. Do 50 percent of usual interval training.

see
http://peakperformance.runnersworld.com ... nners.html

###

Racing the Hands of Time
Running and chronological ages aren't the same

see
www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?Artic ... &PageNum=2

[d pickup]

David Oliver gets my vote for the performance of the evening in Paris (16jul10)

110H athletes need speed and strength. They also need mobility.

Colin Jackson, GBR, '67, 1.82, 75kg, 12.91/+0.5 '93 WR
good lean at TO

Xiang Liu, CHN, '83, 82kg / 1.89m, 12.88/+1.1 '06 WR ... 12.91/+0.3 '04 =WR
great start, silken (to use a Jackson word), hugs the hurdles

Dayron Robles, CUB, '86, 1.91m / 80kg, 12.87/+0.9 '08
not much lean, big athlete, powerful athlete

David Oliver, USA, '82' 1.83m / 88kg, 12.89/+0.5 '10
'08: less muscular?
'10 Paris: great body fold over hurdles, muscular, shaves hurdles

Overall
Newton No.3: to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Is it pertinent to say that returning to the upright out of a good lean over the hurdle the legs will inevitably return more switly to being able to get back to running.

A good lean requires good range of movement in the appropriate joints. How many hurdlers are unable to go over the hurdles with a straight lead leg because of lack of mobility in the hams.

Also the less the C of G of the body is raised the better.

We think Oliver shows superior strength, mobility and technique.

In this context it is significant to talk of steeple chasers, who have appauling hurdling technique and poor mobility. Why is that aspect of their physical being so neglected?