Archives for mid distance training

A Need for Iron

Minerals play an important role in the physiology of the body.  Generally they act as co-enzymes for many bio-chemical processes and many are linked to the actions of organic vitamins which are responsible for many different aspects of life.  Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, constituting approximately 40% of the total mineral…

Goal-Setting for Athletes

Before the track season begins to stir with physical activity is an important time for the middle distance coach to establish oneself as a psychological leader.  It is a time for long-term planning of coach directed individual motivation issues.  It is a time to establish a list of performance and training goals for each athlete. …

Dissecting Elite Level Middle Distance Workouts

Training theory is a fascinating point of discussion for most middle-distance coaches.  These conversations can vary from something as simple as typical microcycle mileage to something as detailed as workout construction.  There is no doubt that there are “many roads to Rome” in the journey to getting a talented middle-distance runner into top physical condition. …

Fall 800 Meter Training

For 800 meter specialists, fall is the time of the year for extended general preparation activities in 800 meter training, that lead into a shorter period of specific preparation work.  In some instances the 800 meter runner is a member of the cross country team.  This scenario is more likely to occur in a high…

Training the Thresholds

The summer months are an excellent time to review the scientific basics of the aerobic energy system training and reflect back on how your athletes performed last spring following their particular training program.  From the performance data sets of your athletes you can diagnostically check to see if you had them properly prepared for the…

The Case for Barefoot Running

Running in humans has been described as “controlled falling”.  It is accomplished with a coordinated combination of stride length and stride frequency in the lower limbs, with balance and stabilization help from the upper limbs.  Over the past century there has been considerable scientific effort put forth in understanding the nervous system control of both…