Indoor Track Season: Week 1 of 13

Posted by Latif Thomas



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!

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.

3. What I use to train my long jumpers: Boo Schexnayder/Todd Lane’s ‘The Long Jump – Technique & Teaching’

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



Latif Thomas - Latif Thomas owns and operates Complete Track and Field and serves as the Co-Director of the Complete Track and Field Clinic at Harvard University, the largest track and field clinic in the United States. A popular speaker and presenter at some of the largest coaching clinics across the country, Latif has true passion for the sport and it definitely shows. Over the past 19 years, he has coached more combined League, Division, All-State, and New England Champions in sprints, hurdles, and jumps than he can count. Follow @latif_thomas on Twitter.

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