For this type of thing my philosophy is to keep it simple. I’ve come to that over years of trying to be too cute with my offseason and summer training programs. But, it’s impossible to know what equipment and spacing options every kid has so trying to design training for every scenario is impossible and…
All posts by Latif Thomas
Wicket Drills for Distance Runners
It’s no secret that modern training strategies for middle distance and distance runners have evolved toward using more speed training and speed development workouts and progressions typically found in sprints programs. But your strengths probably aren’t in your understanding of not only how to teach efficient sprinting mechanics to your distance athletes, but also how,…
Those drills don’t actually teach speed
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 2011 and I was attending the first USTFCCCA Event Specialist Certification school (sprints, hurdles, and relays). We were getting deep into the max velocity / top end speed curriculum when it happened. You have to understand… …this topic impacts me greatly because my high school and…
How to Set Up the Wicket Drill
The “wicket drill” is the best drill on the planet for developing maximum velocity mechanics and technique. The problem is that most coaches don’t know how to set them up properly, let alone instruct them in a way that maximizes the effectiveness of the activity. If they’re set up wrong, especially the run in, the…
What We Learned Shadowing Boo Schexnayder and the LSU Track & Field Program
In October (2019), I went down to Baton Rouge with my good friend David Cusano (Head T&F Coach – Colby College) to shadow Boo Schexnayder and the LSU track and field program. During the time we were there, the team was starting their second cycle of GPP. They were coming off a recovery week and…
Get Free CTF Programs When You Purchase Freelap
A couple of years ago I invested in a Freelap timing system and man oh man. What a game changer. That thing is a perfect example of ‘once you have it you don’t know how you lived without it’. If you’ve been kicking the tires, but don’t have a system yet OR you have a system and are…
How To Improve Your 4×100 Meter Relay “Differential”
Want to improve your 4×100 meter relay times, consistency, and/or team culture? Shoot… what sprints coach doesn’t? No other event in track and field has the power to elicit the extremes of highs and lows… season to season… meet to meet… exchange to exchange… practice to practice… like the 4×100 meter relay. Anyone who isn’t…
5 Ways to Approach Summer Training for Sprinters
What to do when the summer months are upon us? You’ve got a number of options, so here’s my take on getting the most out of summer training for sprinters (or any athlete in any sport, for that matter): 1. Consider Not Training At All. Summer competitions are more popular in some places than…
Long Sprints Training with NCAA D1 Northeast Region Coach of the Year Marc Mangiacotti
The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) just announced their regional awards for the 2019 Indoor Season. Three Harvard University coaches affiliated with Complete Track and Field won Northeast Regional Coach of the Year Honors: 🔥Marc Mangiacotti (Men’s Assistant) – CTF Clinic CoDirector, Hurdles Group Lead Instructor & author of…
Max Velocity is more important than Acceleration
When it comes to training all elements of acceleration and max velocity (top end speed), I used to be a ‘short to long’ purist. On paper it’s completely reasonable to assume if an athlete can’t accelerate from 0-10m the way you want then having them do 20m and 30m runs is counterproductive. Because it will…
The Truth About Distance Runners and the Weight Room
Finally! Scott Christensen’s newest course is finally ready for you, and we can’t wait to see the results you get because of it. If you’re currently trying to incorporate a functional strength training and power development component to your middle distance and distance program, or you think you want to start, make sure to…
Conferences I’m Speaking At in December [Chicago & Maine]
I’ll be speaking at two conferences I recommend you attend. On Saturday December 1, I’ll be at the Maine State Track Coaches Conference at Thomas College. It’s not a huge event yet, but I like that these Maine college coaches are taking the initiative to create content for high school coaches in order to…