Ah, yes! Track season! Simultaneously the source of great fun and great overwhelm.
I’ve already posted my annual plan for the track season. But I thought I’d share my Week 1 microcycle. This is my plan for the first week of practice. Will it go this way? Not likely. But since I know the physiological effect I’m looking to elicit for each session, I can easily come up with a Plan B or Plan C if (when) something doesn’t go right. Keep in mind our first meet is exactly 14 days into the season, not that this fact in any way affects my planning.
I anticipate the weather may not cooperate so I may not be able to stay outside all week. I anticipate some kids claiming they are ‘injured’ because the warm up half cripples them because they don’t do any athletic development in their other sports. They just play their other sports.
Either way, I am solely responsible for the sprints (55, 300, 4×2, 4×4), hurdles (55HH, 55LH) and jumps (HJ, LJ).
(Yes I consider the boys 55 high hurdles to be a different event than the girls 55 low hurdles.)
Monday 11/28
Theme: Acceleration
Stationary Dynamic Warmup
+skipping progressions
Arm action
Acceleration Development
wall drill (x1, x3, x7 seconds)
(up to) 5 step accelerations (total = 10-20 reps)
-cue= push the hips
-cue=step over the ankle, over the ankle, low calf, low calf, high calf, knee
Strength
Teach Standing Long Jump (SLJ) progression
Weight Room (Invite Only)
-Begin Clean Progression
-Teach Front Squat
Tuesday 11/29
Theme: Intensive tempo
Extended WarmUp
3-4 x 4 x 100m R=90″/5′
-Boys: 13-15.5″
-Girls: 16-18″
Strength
Bodyweight Circuit: 40″ on, 20″ off.
-Jumping Jacks during recovery for non-1st year athletes
Core
Wednesday 11/30
Theme: GS/Recovery/Tech
Sprints: Scramble circuit
Jumps: Teach: Rollover start + Run, Run, Jump
Hurdles: Teach: Mobility drills, Over drills
Core
Thursday 12/1
Theme: Acceleration
Stationary Dynamic Warmup
+skipping progressions
Arm action
Acceleration Development
Wall drill (x1, x3, x7 seconds)
3x5x10m R=jog back/2-3′
-rollover, touch and go
-skate start
-hop/hop start
-pushup (up)
-Jumps Rollover
Strength
Teach Standing Long Jump (SLJ) progression
My weight room is a privilege – invite only!
Weight Room (Invite Only)
-Continue Clean Progression
-Teach Front Squat
Friday 12/2
Theme: Recovery
General Warmup
5-10 x 100m @ ~70-75% (sprinter jog turns, run straights)
Core
10′ Static Stretch
Saturday 12/3
Theme: Event specific workouts
-Wheaton – Invite Only (7am)
-No more than 7 athletes per event group, per gender (lots of opportunities in hurdles and jumps…)
Event Specific Warmup (in groups)
Sprints: 5-6×200 R=5′ Boys: 26-28″, Girls: 31-33″
Hurdles: Approaches over 1, sprint through H2
– Finish with circuit: Dynamic
Jumps: All- Measure Approaches + RRJ progression
-HJ: Slalom Runs, Circle Runs
-LJ: Accelerations from Rollover Start
Strength (All)
Multijump Circuit: Venus
Sunday 12/4
Rest
To cover some of your questions, 95% of the skills, drills and progressions I use here and throughout my annual plan come from the following sources. Therefore I recommend referring to your copy of the appropriate program for answers to ‘How do you do that drill?’ and ‘What about that warm up?’ related questions. (All other questions can be posted below):
1. What I use to train my sprinters: Complete Speed Training 2
2. What I use to train my hurdlers: Tony Veney’s ‘Advanced Sprint Hurdles Development.
4. What I use to teach Olympic Lift progressions and other weight room activities: Boo Schexnayder’s ‘Weight Training for Speed, Power & Sports Performance’
5. What I use for many of my pre-made circuits, so I don’t have to do extra work: Boo Schexnayder’s ‘Exercises for Sports Performance Training’
(Though I recommend Boo Schexnayder’s Complete Technique & Teaching for the Jumps Program instead of getting individual DVDs piecemeal.)
That’s my plan for Week 1. Feel free to to ask questions or make suggestions!
– Latif Thomas