ALTHOUGH I like to think of myself as a modern-day coach, I sometimes find that integrating old school methods which were successful in the past can be the catalyst to better performance today. You’ll find out about some of these below.
Making changes
At the end of a season or peak training phase it is time for rest and recuperation for the athlete and the coach too. However, it is also an important period when reflection takes place on what went well and also what didn’t go so well.
It is very frustrating, even demoralising, if the season has been a poor one. It certainly needs a clear mind and steely self-belief to know that the work done, although not producing the goods, still included most of the ingredients for a successful outcome.
It is therefore, at times like these for me, a case of making those tweaks and not wholesale changes. This is a theme which John Shepherd explores some more on p42 when looking at the indoor to outdoor seasons transition and periodisation models.
Coaches and athletes can get stuck in a rut and lose track of how things can be made better. Generally, many go down the route of training harder with more volume when they want to have a better next year (or subsequent training phase). Although there is nothing initially wrong with this, it doesn’t always solve an existing problem. It isn’t always volume or even quality work that have led to racing inadequacies, and that’s why I look back now and again at training diaries to see how things were done and I can take from this to make training plan tweaks to get those good results back on track.
Below you’ll find some of the go-to tweaks that I have used to improve performance over the years.
1. Getting the start right
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Denne historien er fra March 05, 2020-utgaven av Athletics Weekly.
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Carbon Footprint
You'd have had to have been running on a different planet to miss all the recent debate about carbon-plated shoes. The talk of bans and performance enhancement has been so widespread that even non-runners are asking their running friends about the potentially magical footwear.
Trail time
WHEN looking for a trail or off-road running shoe, it’s often all about the grip. However, given that no two paths are the same, careful consideration is required. What’s the terrain like where you’ll wear the shoes the most? If you’ll be negotiating soft, wet and muddy conditions then look for deeper lugs. For tackling gravel tracks and forest trails then more evenly spaced lugs will work better. When it comes to cushioning, consider how hard the ground will be; if it’s soft then you’ll be fine in low-profile shoes, but on those firmer tracks reasonable cushioning will be called for.
Stay neutral
EVOLVING every year, if not month, neutral cushioned shoes are seeing developments in cushioning materials and dynamics at a pace which is nothing short of astonishing. The latest models feature new polymers in the midsoles to give them a cushioned feel while at the same time keeping their weight to a minimum. Give them a spin and choose the most comfortable for mile after mile of shock absorbing running.
Support network
WHEN it comes to ‘over-pronation’, a common question is ‘how much is over?’. With no hard and fast rules, it’s best to choose a shoe that instinctively feels right. Gait analysis can often assist in helping you make this choice and your specialist running store is always a good place to start if in doubt. To help you make that choice, here’s a selection of some of the best ‘support’ shoes around.
Need for speed
THE racing shoe segment of the market is becoming somewhat split. This is partially due to the rise of carbon-plated footwear but also the fact that many shoes are becoming much lighter. Here we take a look at some of the leading contenders to toe the line in.
Gadget show
WITH technological products to enhance every area of life, running is now no different. From headphones to treadmills, the devices to aid performance and recovery are endless. Here we take a look at some of the latest gadgets and gizmos to enhance your training.
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