Why do some athletes develop into accomplished middle distance runners, capable of running fast and winning races, while others get just a little better despite doing similar workouts throughout their careers? Also, most young seventh and eighth graders are about equal in distance running ability after their first season and usually only a few seconds…
Archives for mid distance
Using the Kosmin Test to Determine Middle Distance Athlete Fitness
Athletes and coaches need easy ways to predict race performances and adjust their training without running the full race distance at maximum effort. A coach can predict their middle distance runners 800 meter and 1500 meter times with the Kosmin Test in as little as ten minutes. The Kosmin test is one of the most…
Understanding the Competition Period in Middle Distance Training
In considering the unique construction of a middle distance training macrocyle, the first point should be the length of time available. Ideally, it should be set up to be between fifteen and twenty weeks in duration. Secondly, the macrocycle should be divided into two phases which are called preparation and competitive. In essence, the first…
Planning the Middle Distance Pre-Competition Period
A properly schemed middle distance training macrocyle should be set up to be between fifteen and twenty weeks in length. For planning purposes the macrocycle is divided into two phases which are called preparation and competitive. In essence, the first half of the macrocycle focuses on preparation, while the second half focuses on competition. The…
Specific Preparation Period Workouts for Middle Distance
Ideally, a typical middle distance training macrocyle is set up to be between fifteen and twenty weeks in length and divided into four training periods. The difference in macrocycle time lies in the number of training sessions dedicated to the first period, or general preparation period. Once general prep is completed, the next stage is…
How to Run the 800 Meter
Click here to watch How to Run the 800 Meter Hi, everybody. Welcome to Stillwater High School. This is the human performance lab that I have and my physiology classroom here in Stillwater, Minnesota, and I’d like to talk to you today about how to run the 800 meter and a little bit about developing…
Understanding Workout Fatigue
In the 1950’s a pioneering German in athletics by the name of Woldemar Gerschler worked as a physical educator, track and field coach, and Director of the Freiburg Institute for Physical Education. He is considered the father of interval training. Gerschler was certainly the first to organize training into a systematic organization of all the…