The news of Dan Pfaff and Derek Evely leaving for the UK invoked some thoughts and discussion.

The UK is doing something right.  They are luring quality coaches from other countries with proper salaries and benefits into senior management positions.

Unfortunately, it’s leaving a void in the Canadian coaching system, especially at the High Performance Sprint Centre.

We already lost Kevin Tyler, who was also the personal coach to 400 meter sprinter Tyler Christopher.  When Kevin left, Derek Evely took over.

But now Derek Evely is the director of the Loughborough University Performance Centre and Dan Pfaff became the director of the Lee Valley Performance Centre.

And I’ll bet the UK isn’t finished stocking their shelves.

Lee Evans going to Nigeria

Dan Pfaff isn’t the only American coach going overseas.  And the UK isn’t the only country plucking good talent.

Former Olympic Quarter-Miler Sunday Bada is upset that top Nigerian 100 meter sprinters are running 10.5 while the rest of the world is running sub-10 seconds.

Barring a last minute change, Lee Evans will become the technical director of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

From All Africa.com:

"An American coach can strengthen our areas of strengths; which is the sprints, the humps and hurdles, where we have not been doing too well lately.

"So, there is a need for a paradigm shift from the present order to a more dynamic team," he reasoned.

Donovan Bailey, Dan Pfaff prior to Atlanta 1996

Dan Pfaff has a stacked resume, but he is probably most famous for being Donovan Bailey’s coach.  Others make a big deal over his involvement with Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery.

This is one of my favourite videos from the CBC Archives which was filmed after his 1995 World Championship victory and prior to his 100 meters Gold medal in Atlanta 1996.

It’s 15 minute long, and the best (subliminal?) one-liner was Donovan saying to the camera “one last shot of juice” with a smirk on his face.  (He always has a smirk on his face, except when racing)  You can interpret that any way you like.

The take home message about Donovan was his mental preparation with mind games, as nothing bothers him.  If you recall the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Lindford Christie caused a lengthy disturbance over his disqualification during the Finals.   Even in the 4×100 meter relay, Ghana created a delay from their DQ using ineligible runners.  In both cases, Donovan kept his composure, and brought home two Gold medals.

Focus is the key, as always.

100 Meter breakdown

The video also breaks down a 100 meter race into 4 segments:

• reaction time to gun
• 0-30
• 30-70
• 70-100

Interesting video… any thoughts?

Copyright © 2009 by Speedendurance.com. All Rights Reserved.

Now I’m getting worried.

When an eight year old become sick from the unpleasant after effects from energy drinks such as Red Bull, I have to ask one thing:

Where are heck are the parents?

Seriously, there’s a huge difference in Gatorade, or Tiger Gatorade Focus, and Red Bull or Monster drinks.

Honestly, until kids reach High School, fruit juice and water is all they need for beverages.  But Pepsi and Coca-cola are doing their best to sell (or brainwash?) them at a very young age with their TV ads.

The amounts of caffeine and sugar relative to a child’s body weight is scary.   Imagine an adult having a couple of venti Starbucks coffee with 6 sugars each.

Here is the article from USAToday: 

NEW YORK — Health experts are sounding the alarm over the possible effects on young athletes of popular energy drinks such as Red Bull, the leading brand in a growing market.

High school and college athletes are increasingly consuming large quantities of these caffeine-loaded drinks to boost athletic performance or lose weight, said a dozen health experts at the SUNY Youth Sports Institute’s first national symposium on energy drinks here this week.

But athletes who consume too many energy drinks could suffer from dehydration, tremors, heat stroke and heart attacks, the experts warned. Instead, they say, teen and adolescent athletes should drink water while training and playing — especially during hot and humid summer months.

Some experts called for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — which treats energy drinks as dietary supplements — to require warning labels on the hundreds of energy drinks now on the market.

FDA spokeswoman Susan Cruzan said Wednesday the agency does not have the authority to do that.

"We have no guidance or regulations that govern the formulation of energy drinks," Cruzan said in an e-mail. "Under current law, the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that its products are safe and such products do not require FDA premarket review or approval."

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are currently seeking interviews with children and adolescents 8 to 21 years old who have become sick or experienced unpleasant aftereffects from energy drinks.

"There’s a tremendous amount of caffeine in these drinks," Jeanna Marraffa, a clinical toxicologist at the Upstate New York Poison Center told USA TODAY during the conference on Tuesday. "I would say: know what’s in these products, have a sense of how much you’re consuming and realize they are not safe. Certainly you can have toxic effects from them."

Kathleen Miller, a research scientist at the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions, said the bitter orange found in some energy drinks is "very closely related" to ephedra. Due to a number of deaths, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra-containing dietary supplements in 2004.

"In most energy drinks, they’re relatively small quantities so they’re probably not doing any harm. But we really don’t know," Miller said. "And there’s no requirement whatsoever for the manufactures to moderate the amount that they’re putting in."

Eric Small of the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan told of treating a 17-year-old female runner suffering from chest pains and fatigue. She collapsed at the finish line of one race and was rushed to an emergency room. Turns out she liked to skip breakfast in favor of drinking two or three cans of Red Bull each morning, Small says. More youngsters are substituting protein bars and shakes for real food, he adds.

"They think being lighter and eating less and drinking less will improve their performance," Small says.

Kate Zanot, a track and field coach at Harrison High School in Westchester County, N.Y., who attended the conference, said many students don’t know the difference between energy drinks such as Red Bull and sports drinks such as Gatorade, so they consume the drinks interchangeably.

"It’s a huge concern," she says.

Patrice Radden, a spokeswoman for Red Bull, said via e-mail Wednesday the company is confident in the safety of its products and does not see the need for warning labels.

"Red Bull is a functional drink and not a thirst quencher or hydrator," she wrote. "Red Bull encourages people who are engaged in a sport or other physical activity and drinking Red Bull to drink lots of water before, during and after the activity."

Rebecca Chang, a Columbia University graduate student attending the symposium, says the federal government should do more to regulate energy drinks. But, she notes, thrill- or edge-seeking athletes in their teens and 20s might be more attracted to the drinks if they have the added danger of a warning label.

Copyright © 2009 by Speedendurance.com. All Rights Reserved.

This is my Decathlon.

In any given week, or mesocycle, we try to cover these 10 types (i.e. events) of training in our routines.

The first 6 are training specific at the track & weight room, and the last 4 are things outside the track.  You can call it intrinsic and extrinsic.  Or call it whatever you like.

I can only supervise the first 6, and only guide the athletes (or prepare as much as possible) on the last 4.

It’s really that simple.

1. SPEED
2. STRENGTH
3. POWER
4. ENDURANCE
5. AGILITY & SKILL (i.e. especially in hurdles, field events)
6. CORE STABILITY
7. NUTRITION
8. RECOVERY & REGENERATION (including sleep)
9. FLEXIBILITY & SUPPLENESS (and stretching to some degree)
10. MIND CONTROL AND SPORT PSYCH

But you can’t follow these 10 items and expect a personal best.  There’s a lot of tweaking and customization involved.

You can even argue that with Pareto’s Principle, only 20% of the items will yield 80% of the results.  So focus on just 2 of the items. (I’d pick Speed and Endurance any day)

Do too much of one, and other items may suffer.  There’s only so much CNS and Energy to be distributed.

The 7 Scientific Principles of Training

Thus, you need to follow the 7 basic scientific principles of training. All areas of training are required by all athletes, in varying quantities and qualities, according to event and training period.

1. STRESS - body responds to stress that is regular and reasonable.
2. OVERLOAD - Stress must be adequate to create a need for the body to adapt.
3. SPECIFICITY - You get what you train for.
4. REGULARITY - More regular the training, the more rapid the improvement.
5. PROGRESSION - Occurs gradually and in jumps
6. DIMINISHING RETURNS - The closer you get to your potential, the smarter you must train for small gains.
7. RECOVERY - Improvements come when we recover. Must get adequate rest, nutrition and hydration. 

Everything (i.e. the system as a whole) breaks down when we fail in any of these.

There are a ton of books that cover this in theory, but at the end of the day, you really have to use your gut instinct, “think outside the box”, and REMOVE ALL THE OBSTACLES.  Usually the biggest obstacle for an athlete is the lack of money & support for basic living needs (food, rent, etc) and medical support (massage, physio, chiro, etc).

So the magic formula isn’t::

   Genetic Potential + Training – Injuries = Personal Best

It’s Genetic Potential - Obstacles = Personal Best

Copyright © 2009 by Speedendurance.com. All Rights Reserved.

“I definitely will be running to the line this year because it’s my first serious race of the season,” said Bolt, who last September in Lausanne coasted to victory in the 200 in 19.63sec, the fourth-fastest time in history. “I’ll be going all out because I need to know where I’m at and what I need to do.”

UPDATE: Usain Bolt runs 19.59 into a -0.9m/s headwind and torrential rain with Lashawn Merrit the closest rival in 20.41 - almost one full second behind! A healthy Tyson Gay will make things very interesting in Berlin. Plus, let’s hope for ideal weather conditions!

Check back on this site in a few hours for the latest Video of Usain Bolt in Lausanne, courtesy of EuroSport!

Here is the video from YouTube:

Mistakes happen.  Here are some examples:

Photo finish equipment malfunction, so you get a manual hand time (HT) for your efforts.  Your 10.8 HT suddenly becomes a 11.04 FAT equivalent.

False start fliers that don’t get called back.

Your own blocks slip and they don’t call it back, so by the time you recover, your competitors have 20 meters on you.

After a false start, two sprinters false start, but only one runner gets charged and thus DQ’ed in the process.(Jon Drummond, are you still upset at this?)

Improper lap counters for distance events, especially at Masters meets.  This is why I love the 400 meters… if you get lapped outdoors, you’d better go home.

Pathetic Meet Management? 

Mistakes happen in real time.  Some cannot be avoided, as <expletive> happens.

But where’s the quality assurance?  The PDCA?

In May, the Adidas Carson meet had a bad Men’s 400 meter hurdle misplacement.

Then in June, the USATF Nationals had the women’s 3000 meter steeplechase water barrier set too high.

We’re not talking about casual All-comer meets, we are talking about World Class track meets and National Championships where 4th place gets to watch the World Championships and Olympic Games from their PVRs at home!

It’s a shame that one little mishap will create headlines on an otherwise well run track meet.  It’s not good for the sport and the media loves negative publicity.

Mistakes will happen, just like bad calls in basketball, football, hockey and baseball with the officials.  It’s part of the sport, and they will happen.  So deal with it.

But one thing is certain… there is no instant replay in Track and Field.  Only photo finish timers – when they work!

Copyright © 2009 by Speedendurance.com. All Rights Reserved.

This is Part 3 of the series.

In Part 1 of overspeed training, I preferred to use slight downhill grades over a rope or pulley.  While it may increase frequency, or increase stride length, it comes at a cost:  increased ground contact time.

In Part 2 of uphill running benefits, the slight uphill grade keeps their technique in balance, which is the popular term "staying tall".  Also, the ground rises to make contact with the feet, so athletes do not overstride, which also increases ground contact time.

The last part deals with using sleds (with or without weights) or the old fashioned isorobic ropes. You can buy 50 foot ones for about $29 USD, but you’ll probably want to get at least 100’ to make 30 meters.   My sources revealed Flo-Jo used this type of device.  If you don’t believe me, do a Google image search and you’ll see some nice shots of her hip flexor muscles (along with other muscles that I don’t have – and I’m a man)

Basically, the old fashioned isorobic exerciser is good for indoors when you can attach the rope to a wall.

I’ll have to go into high school physics to explain the differences between the isorobic rope and weight sled, because the work loads are different.  The sleds are moving with the athlete.  The rope provides a more constant resistance, whereas the sled decreases with increasing speeds.

Here are some tips and advice for using sleds and isorobic ropes:

• install the device about half a meter from the ground (18 inches)
• distances anywhere from 10-30m (great for indoor workouts)
• "slowdown" of 5-10% in expected, but no more as technique usually deteriorate when over 10%
• ideally on the track with spikes, and good for indoors
• belt secured just above the hips no higher than the waist
• keep proper care not to obstruct the runner with the incoming rope

The bottom line is these devices should never make you run faster at speeds you cannot obtain naturally.  They should only work certain components of sprinting, or help you reach top speed more efficiently.

Copyright © 2009 by Speedendurance.com. All Rights Reserved.

I love the old stuff, and I try to collect videos of past Olympics, books, post cards, posters, T-shirts, and even a Michael Johnson collectors watch (Thanks Derek of Running Mechanics for the birthday gift!).

But my favourite collection has to be the Time Life magazines.

The image on the left is from the archives of LIFE magazine, which first appeared on December 10, 1956

The internet is destroying old school media such as newspapers and magazines.  Everything is online or in digital format these days.

So, if you are an old geezer like me, you know who George Silk is.  Or at least, you’ve seen his photographs from days of yesteryear.  

Who the heck is George Silk?

George Silk was a war photographer in 1939, and served as a photojournalist for Life Magazine in 1943.

I am a bit biased to photography as my original career was a photographer and journalist. (I guess that makes me a photojournalist?)   Back then, I used film and print, and my Sunday nights was dedicated to developing my negatives in film tanks, followed by my enlarger to make contact sheets, and finally paper prints.

Now, it’s just shoot, insert media card to computer, and click to send email.  Done.

Kids today have no idea what we went though back then.  The smell of Dektol and Hypo still lingers in my memory cells.

Anna Kournikova – The Modern Day Gunhild Larking

Gunhild Larking was Swedish high jump champion from 1952-1956 and came 4th in the women’s high jump in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics!  She was probably the most photographed female athlete in that Olympics Games.

We all know who Anna Kournikova is, and as much as she is highly photographed, she never won a Major Championship and became a media darling.

George Silk died on October 23, 2004 shortly before his 88th birthday.

Copyright © 2009 by Speedendurance.com. All Rights Reserved.

I discussed the topic of protein in great detail, and promoted Omega 3 fatty acids.  I even promoted chocolate milk, which contains saturated fats, especially the whole milk variety.

But what about fats?

Here is a brief overview of the 3 main fats: Saturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats, and Polyunsaturated Fats, and of course, the terrible Trans Fats that has made headlines over the past decades.

History of Saturated Fats and Trans Fat

During the depression years, and up to WWII, saturated fats such as butter or bread dipped in bacon fat from a frying pan was considered a delicacy.

Back in the late 1970’s, saturated fats and cholesterol were labelled the "killer" based on the increase of heart attacks from current research at the time.

Then came the rise of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, such as margarine.  Vegetable oil is a liquid at room temperature, and by pumping hydrogen through it, it becomes a solid. This process is called hydrogenation.

Margarine is also one third the price of butter. so the cost savings and decrease of saturated fats were a win-win for consumers.

This is where the whole scare of the "trans" fats come in.  The body can use the "cis" version (I’ll spare you a lecture on organic chemistry, but the cis & trans are simply the angles of the molecules) and it was thought the trans fat was responsible for clogging your arteries.  The trans fat molecules were formed during the hydrogenation process.

So here is a brief look at the 3 types of fats

Saturated Fat

Saturated fats are normally found in animal products – usually red meat or dairy.  Sumo wrestlers also eat large amounts of coconut oil to gain weight, which contains huge amounts of saturated fats.  (As a bartender, I miss my Pina Coladas, or even the non-alcohol version “Virgin Coladas”!)

Your body needs the "good fats", and saturated fats are required for optimal hormone levels such as testosterone.

People accuse the French for eating high amounts of saturated fats, but let’s not forget the average French diet is 40% fewer in calories than the typical American diet.  Take a look at some of the horrific caloric numbers in Fast Foods.  Some milkshakes are several meals in a glass, and that is only a drink!

For athletes, consuming saturated fats is okay, as long as the carbohydrates, protein, and essential macronutrients are in order, preferable from whole natural foods.

Monounsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated Fats, for example Oleic acid found in olive oils, has made the Mediterranean diet extremely popular.

It should be reminded that "fatty foods" like steak contain equal amount of Monounsaturated and saturated fats.

My advice with monounsaturated fats is don’t cook with it - frying oil will change the chemical structure.  Add it to salads, or add it afterwards to "steamed meats" in wooden baskets.

Even in Italy, buying canned tuna is packed in Olive oil, whereas in Canada and USA, tuna is normally packed in spring water or light oil. 

Polyunsaturated fat

Common forms of polyunsaturated fats are alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid.

These are considered "essential fatty acids", because they are the precursor of other fatty acids such as gamma-linoleic acid.

I suffer badly (and I mean badly) from mosquito bites, and I find increases of Omega-3 fatty acids and gamma-linoleic acids powerful anti-inflammatory properties.  What works for me may not work for you.

Omega-6 is normally very high in North American diets, and I believe ratios are important, thus supplementing with Omega 3 makes a lot of sense.  The ideal ratio of Omega-6:Omega-3 is a probably around 2:1 or 3:1, but the average North American diet with fast food is probably about 20:1. 

There are some major differences in flax oil (primarily alpha-linolenic acid) and Omega 3.  Flax seed or oil is not enough.  Flax is mainly alpha-linolenic acid, and he conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to linoleic acid (or EPA/DHA to be exact) is marginal.

I believe healthy average people who eat crushed flax seed and plenty of fish are probably getting enough Omega 3, but athletes may want to supplement with fish oils.

A typical supplement is 3 fish oil capsules daily where a 1 gram fish oil capsule typically contains 180 mg EPA and 120 mg DHA.

Cardio formula “oils” are popular even since they discovered Northern First Nation (i.e. Eskimo or Inuit) had low rates of heart disease despite a high fat diet from fish, seals, and other marine animals.  But when was the last time you’ve seen work in an office 8 hours a day eating fast food and junk and driving their SUV to the corner store?

The Bottom Line

Don’t go overboard on saturated fats, use Monounsaturated fats (i.e. olive oil) when possible, and supplement with Omega 3 if your diet is low in it, or if you eat large amounts of Omega 6.

That is probably the best advice I can give to anyone.

Further Reading

Being in Vancouver, Udo Erasmus is the most famous authority when it comes to fats.  His book Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill: The Complete Guide to Fats, Oils, Cholesterol and Human Health is a best seller.

Another good reading is Dr. Mary G. Enig’s book Know Your Fats : The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol.   Dr. Enig, a consultant on nutrition to individuals, industry, and state and federal governments, is a licensed practitioner in Maryland and the District of Columbia.  This is also highly recommended reading if you wanted to learn more about fats.

Copyright © 2009 by Speedendurance.com. All Rights Reserved.

When Michael Johnson became the first man to win the 200-400 double at the same Olympics, a lot of people didn’t know that feat was accomplished TWICE by a female athlete.  USA’s Valerie Brisco-Hooks did it in the Eastern Boycott Olympic Games of Los Angeles in 1984.  Then Marie-Jose Perec of France did it hours before Johnson did it in Atlanta 1996.

But how about being the first person to win the 100-200-400 at the same Olympics?  Or, hold the world record in all 3 simultaneously?   Or become the first person to make the finals in all 3 events in different Olympiads?

The name Tommie Smith should ring a bell, as he held several World records simultaneously, but those events include distances in Yards vs. Meters, and the 200/220 straightaway and curve.  While you’re at it, let’s bring up Ray Ewry with his standing LJ, TJ, and HJ victories!

Before we get to all the different combination and permutations, let’s take a look…

100-200-400 at the same Olympics

When I think of the first 100-200-400 at the same Olympics, I immediately think of the movie Golden Girl with Susan Anton.  I was in high school at the time, and, well, any teen-aged male will remember that movie.  Remember the shower scene?

Finalist in the 100-200-400 in several Olympiads

The first man to make the Finals in all 3 sprint events in different Olympiads belong to another Jamaican… Herb McKenley.  McKenley sadly died in November 2007.

McKenley was also ranked number 1 in the 1947 world rankings for 100m, 200m and 400m.

Usain Bolt will probably take over that crown when he takes up the 400 meters seriously.  I can only imagine what he will run with that speed, speed endurance, and his long graceful stride.  (Carl who?)

Greatest Female Sprinters

6 female athletes have held world records in the 100-200-400.  The confusion arises with the compilation of 100, 220, and 440 yard races.

The list includes Poland’s Irena Szewinska, Australia’s Betty Cuthbert and Marlene Mathews, and three British ladies.

My favourite is Poland’s Irena Szewinska because of her amazing longevity, graceful stride, plus her victory in the 400m in my hometown of Montreal, Canada back in 1976.  I still remember that race clearly.

Marlene Matthews ran a 440-yard world record (57.0 sec) in 1957 and 100 yards (10.4 and 10.3 sec) and 220 yards (23.4 sec) in 1958.

Betty Cuthbert ran a 200m world record (23.2 sec) 1956, ran 100-yard world record twice (10.4 sec) in 1958, ran 440-yard (55.6 & 54.3 sec) in 1959, then finally the 400m (53.5 sec) in 1963 and winning the Olympic gold in Tokyo 1964 (52.01 sec).

These ladies were truly all around sprinters.

Who are YOUR favourites?

Copyright © 2009 by Speedendurance.com. All Rights Reserved.

Timing is everything.

Can you really peak 2 or 3 times a year?

More recently, Jeremy Warnier’s 2004 season come to mind with his victories at the NCAA Championships, USATF Olympic Trials, and of course, the Olympic Games.  Each of these victories were personal bests, and he sure saved the best for last!

Did he really peak 3 times that year?  Or 4 times if you include his NCAA Indoor Championships? 

Or was he just that dominant?

A funny analogy to this article is a bodybuilder’s daily eating plan.  He just eats one meal a day - constantly - basically he eats all day long, every few hours.

So JW (and Clyde Hart for that matter) looks at the whole season as an entity.  Sure, there will be rest periods and taper before big meets, and hopefully some recovery and regeneration after a maximal effort or World Records.  The big meets are just blips along the way of the master plan (or Excel spreadsheet!)

Coach Hart claims it’s not “peaking”, but “reloading” after a major meet.

Asafa Powell’s coach Stephen Francis believes in one long peak from April to September. He doesn’t believe it is possible to peak for indoors, Jamaican trials in June, and then the World Championships or Olympics in August simultaneously. This may explain some of Asafa’s world records in June or September.

But he does believe in a 10 Day taper before the competition at 30% of the volume. I caution on the decrease volume as I’ve seen athletes gain weight! This is why we do a lot of low intensity tempo such as 20×100m at 75-80% speed.

This year, the NCAA Championships and USATF National Championships are exactly 2 weeks apart, so you would just carry that peak.  It’s just one long peak.

Sample Periodization Examples

Here is our triple periodization model for a short to long program:

• “Period 1” from Oct – March – emphasis on 0-60 meters
• end of period 1 – usually the Indoor Championships
• “Period 2” from March-June – emphasis on 30-120m
• end of period 2 – usually the National or Regional Championships
• “Period 3” from late June to Sept – emphasis on 60-200m
• end of period 3 – the World Championships (or major meet)

Note period “blocks” are not of equal duration.

The above example assumes you live in a area where you have access to indoor meets in Feb/March, and outdoor meets in June.  The WMA are usually held in September, but this year the World Masters Athletics Championships in Lahti, Finland will be held earlier from July 28-Aug 8, 2009.

So your schedule may dictate a double periodization, instead of a triple with a shortened season.

Copyright © 2009 by Speedendurance.com. All Rights Reserved.