The 800 meter run is considered the shortest endurance race in track and field. While it is twice the length of the 400 meter dash it retains some of the physiological and psychological characteristics of that event. Here we will consider the 800 meter runner. In profiling the 800 meters the importance of speed, speed…
Archives for middle-distance runners
Common Injuries in Distance Runners
Running injuries can be defined in numerous ways and their treatment suffers from the lack of a consistent set of defining parameters. The scientific literature variously defines a running injury to have occurred when it is severe enough to reduce the volume of miles run and cause the runner to take a medication or see…
Fatigue, Part 3 – The Anaerobic Glycolytic Energy System
Information presented in the first two sections on fatigue during exercise (Part 1 Fatigue-Energetics and Part 2 Fatigue-Anaerobic Alactic Energy System) pointed out the importance of beginning every discussion on energy system metabolism with basic knowledge of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and its role in muscle contraction. Humans have advanced through natural selection using three metabolic…
Gerard Mach Speed Drills
Most successful track coaches prescribe repetitive physical drills for their team members on a regular basis to facilitate the learning of an under-developed skill. Warm-up activities are probably the most commonly done drills throughout the team, but other events, especially those in the field, have a selection of drills that are necessary for successful learning. …
The Genius of Frank Horwill
Frank Horwill was a middle-distance coach in Great Britain during the heyday of the British Milers Club, a training group that he founded. Before there was David Rudisha and Asbel Kiprop of Kenya, there was Steve Cram, Steve Crabb, Sebastian Coe, and Steve Ovett of the British Milers Club in the 1980’s and early 1990’s…