I recently read an article called "How does V02 evolve during the 800m?" by
Hanon, Thomas, Chevalier, Gajer and Vandawalle. It is in edition 3/4 2002 of
IAAF New Studies in Athletics. The researchers studied many physiological
parameters during 800m race conditions. The athletes used were about 2min
athletes. Their findings make interesting reading. The summary follows:
Phase 1- During about the first 315m or around 45s that VO2 increased.
Phase 2 - The next 215m up until about 535m VO2max was maintained. This was a
total duration of just 33s. The furthest anyone in the study maintained V02max
was 640m.
Phase 3- V02 gradually decreased to reach an average of 83% of VO2max at the
finish line. The average decrease was 20% (range 13-27%)

The explanation for the dramatic change in Phase 3 was suggested to be
hyperventilation, lowered blood pH, fatigue of respiratory muscles and a
decrease in heart stroke volume. All of these factors contributed to result in
the reduction of gas exchange with the blood.

It is apparent that only 33s of 120s in the athletes tested was spent at V02max
which is 27%. However the decline phase lasted an average of 43s which is 36% of
the race.

The 800m race is run at an average pace which is well above the Maximal Aerobic
Speed(MAS). In this study the average pace was 124% of Maximal Aerobic Speed.
Even in the final phase in the last 25m the athletes speed was still an average
of 112% of MAS. This emphasizes that the speed capacity is being provided to a
great extent by the anaerobic system.

In my view it is certainly worth working the V02max and improving it. But it
seems that an athlete could improve VO2max and maybe not be able to sustain it
for very long. It seems more desirable to be able to sustain it for longer or
prolong the distance decline starts to occur. It is also apparent that athletes
also need to fully develop their anaerobic systems since the speed is always
going to be well above MAS even when in the final 25m. It is no point having a
highly developed aerobic system and an under-developed anaerobic system.

Running at any given speed during an 800m race will require the energy to
maintain that speed to come from all of the bodies energy systems. At race pace
mid race the athlete is not accelerating and all they have to do is maintain
momentum, Fundamentally all this required is a certain magnitude of force being
delivered to the ground.

One extremely  important aspect to have a long term view about is in developing
the athletes efficiency at race pace. This is because with improved efficiency
there will be a lower energy cost to run at race pace. This way whatever their
energy systems will be able to provide in total will be able to result in a
faster performance. A useful analogy may be it is no point supercharging a race
car at great expense and ignore improving its weight, aerodynamics, tyre
pressure, gearbox etc.

The added problem with running is that training that may optimize energy system
outputs may also have the undesirable effect of decreasing running efficiency.
This can come about as the result of the natural shaping effect on efficiency
that occurs from the athletes practising the running habit in a way that
exhibits bad running form. Bad running form can easily occur in any athlete who
has not worked directly on improving its maintenance. Most athletes when
fatigued can easily lower their centre of gravity by having a more bent support
leg, lowered hips, low knee lift, overstriding in attempts to maintain stride
frequency, excessive rotation of torso, footstrike not straight, etc.
The same session in one athlete may shape improved efficiency where in another
underprepared athlete may impact to decrease efficiency eg Wilson Kipketer doing
20 x 200m in 26s regardless of rest between would tend to hold great form and
make that pace look really easy. He would get slower if super tired because of
loss of prime mover power but it would not be accompanied by overstriding,
wobbling etc. However a common under conditioned athlete may do a similarly
intense session and look like a fun runner after 5 reps and then practise
progressive worsening loss of form for the next 15. They would be typically
overstriding, twisting, low knee lift - obvious long contacts , straining etc.
This athlete may finish the session proud and satisfied because they know that
this speed session wll make them fitter i.e. it will improve their energy system
outputs. The sad part is that performance in races may decrease due to the
negative impact that this session may have on their efficiency. People may argue
that if the athlete improves in each session then the session must therefore be
worthwhile. The flaw in this thinking is that the energy system adaptations that
are happening may be of a short term nature. The improvement in efficiency is
much more longer term. As is the damage to efficiency much more longer term.
This is not the sort of thing that an athlete can detect "this season". However
it is a fault that will have a great impact long term on athletes who train
under coaching regimes that ignore the concept.

No technical training will improve an athletes efficiency "today", try running
on a treadmill a a certain speed and change your technique, you will not be able
to impact on heart rate at all. This is because the effect of running form
changes on efficiency is a very much slower changing adaptation than we used to.
I think coaches & athletes enjoy the quickness of so many of the adaptations
that we can bring about with training that we ignore some of the bigger slower
ones. EFFICIENCY should targetted and underpin our training philosophies because
it is this important area we compromize when we forget about it. The problem is
athletes often try to run with a better technique and feel that it is not
working and this is because it isn't.  It is just like the first time someone
shows you how to swing a golf club. It initially starts of feeling really
"fake"and it is. But eventually it becomes the habit and is totally normal, this
happens after much shaping and then it is effective. Efficiency is like this.

Training short term (season by season) in the area of energy systems can be a
long term disaster for the athlete. This is especially true if young athletes do
not have programs that target predominantly the development of efficiency first
so that good habits are in place. They could then later introduce higher levels
of energy system focused training as they improve their tolerance to maintaining
really good form under high levels of fatigue.

regards
Steve Bennett
www.oztrack.com

• Pilates
• Swiss Ball
• Bounding methods
• Theraband exercises
• Lower leg conditioning ideas
• Gym ideas
• Speed Drills

regards
Steve Bennett
www.oztrack.com

It includes information suitable for children and right through to Elite athletes.
Training for 800m is just
It can be purchased and downloaded to print instantly.

More information is HERE

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Kevin Prendergast is an engineer and mathematician by profession, and he is an accredited Level 3 coach with the Australian Track and Field Coaches Association. His special interest is the application of scientific principles to running, and he has been published often in New Studies in Athletics and Modern Athlete and Coach. Two of his works are in the fourth edition of the book Middle Distances, published by Tafnews Press.

He was one of the most successful middle distance coaches in Australia during the 1990s. His squad has included athletes from interclub to international standard. The most prominent is Brendan Hanigan (1:45.03) , the third fastest Australian ever over 800m at the time of printing, who finished fifth in the 1994 Commonwealth Games and fourth in the 1994 World Cup.

This comprehensive e-book (of 169 A4 pages + pictures) is an attempt to provide an intelligent approach to middle distance running, in which everything is reasoned, and based on scientific concepts, evidence and logic. It looks at the evidence to decide what middle distance running is and what characterises it, determines the attributes required, and deduces a training regime that will develop those attributes.

I have particularly enjoyed the sections on the enjoyed thd chapters on history of the events and the analysis and comparisons made by the author.

More information is at www.oztrack.com/fundamd.htm

regards

Athletics Enthusiasts
I have just released on Oztrack an e-book called "Modern Speed Training".  It was written by Adrian Faccioni who was the former course convenor of the Sports Coaching degree at the University of Canberra, Australia and is a Level III Sprints Coach.

Adrian has travelled and studied the methods of a variety of coaches of the worlds best sprinters. He now acts as a consultant to a wide range of sports and is developing an innovative miniature GPS Device that can be used to monitor velocity and position during sports.   http://www.gpsports.com

Modern Speed Training  is a comprehensive guide and contains 183 A4 pages of the latest information about Speed Training.

I have purchased everything related to this area that I can find and believe it is the the best Speed Training book available.

More information is at http://www.oztrack.com/faccionispeed.htm

regards
Steve Bennett
http://www.oztrack.com

In assessing what makes them different, it can be identified that these athletes have apparent Special Abilities in two areas:

1.         An incredible appearance of “Ease of Speed” at race paces. They seem to be able to run effortlessly in the middle stages of their races. All are not large athletes yet they have been able to cruise with apparent efficiency at race pace. This is also accompanied by a superior ability to accelerate and ‘change gears’ at paces near maximum.

2.         They are able to maintain a very high level of their most effective running form for the entire duration of their races. They do not collapse into a poor running position in the final straight.

I believe these two special abilities can be developed using a range of methods in any athlete. The variety of ways that athletes can improve the special abilities listed above will be discussed in this paper with some practical suggestions.

Most of the  information is  valuable to all athletes that are effected by fatigue while racing i.e 100m to Marathon

Published as a downloadable & printable E-Book April 2002
ISBN 0-9580746-1-5

US$6.95

More Information is at www.oztrack.com/order.htm

Contents

The Quest for Special abilities
The “Training in” of bad habits
Accelerating and Gears
The nature of “loss of Form”
Improving Foot Strike
Optimizing knee lift
Stabilizing the Pelvis
Can we and should we change Technique?

Conditioning to improve the Special Abilities
Focusing on improving function
Physiotherapy Assessment
Mid-Torso Conditioning
Swiss Ball
Pilates
Medicine Balls
Theraband exercises
Weight Training
Circuit training
Ankle Conditioning
Exercise ideas for dorsiflexors
Foot conditioning
Plyometrics

Transferring gains into Running
Drills
Hipflexor conditioning
Arm & shoulders
Running on Uneven surfaces
Hill Training
Resistance Sled Tempo Training
Downhill Running
Tempo Training

Planning Ideas
Some thoughts on planning
Race preparation phase
Foundation Training (young athletes)

regards
Steve Bennett
www.oztrack.com

I have just tracked down alot of very recent research to do wit MD events. Much
of it will not make it into books for a few years. Some of it is very useful
as it confirms that there are many things that Sprinters are using that can
be of huge benefit to MD athletes. Much of this research will be included in
a formal paper I am producing titled "Maintenance of Running Form in Middle
Distance Athletes" that will be finished in about January 2002.

  I have recently had one of my  MD 1500m athletes run his first race for the
season and even though he has been in heavy study and was not in strong
condition
to perform sessions like  5 x 800 rest 3min. He still ran a 3:57 with a last
400 in 59 and last 200 in 28s. This is  because he now has greatly improved
his "ease of race speed" from plyometrics training and good quality tempo
training
at race pace. Plus he has done a variety of things to improve his ability to
maintain good running form when fatigued.
  He has improved his 10 bounds distance from 24m to 27m in the last year. This
is an example of a training element that many distance training oriented MD
athletes would never bother with It is obvious to me that this has enabled him
to develop the ability to accelerate and kick better at the end of races. Plus
when we further develop his 5 x 800m rest 3min type of fitness and ability to
run sustained 40min runs that he will be able to move to a much higher level
and not struggle to relax and at race pace and he will be able to kick. This
is an athlete that had pretty ordinray speed 18months ago of about 54-55s 400
but now is in the mid50s range in a 400m and most of it coming from increased
stride length and decreased contact time when running.

  I will review the articles shortly on this email newsletter.
  regards
  Steve Bennett
  www.oztrack.com

  This newsletter in sponsored by the Oztrack Athletics Bookshop at
http://www.oztrack.com/bookstore.htm

There may be people associated with young 400, 800 or 1500 athletes that will find this article interesting.

Ideas for Young Talented Athletes

There are many very young (9-13yrs old) extremely talented athletes out there. Some of them like Australia's Georgie Clarke can make great progressions at an early age. 800m age 11 2:12 age 12 2:08 age 13 2:05 age 14 2:02 ....age 16 Olympic Semi Final in 1500m . In the early years she was on a very minimal and varied program and still performed brilliantly.

You only have to watch any young Athletics Championships. Some of them are showing talent because they are simply early maturers or they have already done plenty of specific training. BUT there are some that are showing the necessary qualities required to really do something big and have done very little specific training.

The Question is what do we do with this latter group of super talented athletes?

The answer to this question is often full of distractions most of them seeded in jealousy and rivalry. eg. Accusations of athletes being trained too hard are common.Even when the athlete is a good variety in training.  We have to recognize that many other sports start their preparation much younger than Athletics.

If we want athletes with good qualities as adults our young athletes need good preparation. Siting down all day watching TV or at school ,wearing shoes all day , only exercising in competition and not having a variety of experiences of the positive effects of exercise are just some of the obstacles we face. In African Nations the children do alot of variety of activities as part of their lifestyle that gve them strength and conditioning.  If we want our athletes in any sport to have a chance we have to provide them with variety when they are young or we will have to play catch up later to keep our athletes healthy.


These super potential young athletes need a broad base of training stimuli. They need coaches that are willing to arrange it for them. Not Coaches that will focus ONLY on the areas that give good results fast. Adrian Faccioni and Di Barnes presented some great information at the 2001 Australian Track & Field Coaches Congress.

http://www.faccioni.com/lectures/juniorcondition.PDF

Athletes at this stage of development should have great variety in their programs.

What follows are some examples and ideas:

Swiss Ball - training sessions - great for mid-torso development and balance.eg 20min session maybe 1-2  a week, follow videos or do a class.

Pilates - do a floor class or follow a video - similar to above.  Maybe even integrate some of these exercises into a warmup phase of a session. -maybe 1 a week

Gym - Train with free weights only and avoid max weight lifts. It is important for young athletes to develop strength. However, good guidance and supervision is needed. Variety in the program is needed. Start with a small duration sessions - maybe just 1 a week.


Steady Running - run on grass, dirt and mixed uneven terrain at varied speeds, make it fun. Kenyan athletes who are in their 30s in many cases are athletes that were playing on their farms (strength training) and play running 100+ km a week to get tho school on uneven terrain from age 6.   The trick is NOT to structure it and have young athletes pound out the steady continuos runs at an even pace on even terrain (road) or on a track!!. If we got Kenyan youngsters to do this they would not last long either.  There is no reason why our young athletes cannot do regular play like runs of 30min on uneven surfaces combined with walking or long all day bushwalks etc. Make it as natural as possible - search out trails and stay off paths and roads.


Bushwalks - a great way to build base stamina and strengthen legs. A very natural exercise mode. There are some great ones in any National Park.

Other Sports - Participation in avariety of other sports is good for all round developm both physically and psychologically. We just need to make sure that in whatever other sport they play that the training and competition should be very varied and appropriate. Many other sports are years behind athletics in using methods that are the best in training for running. 

Athletes that prepare for Athletics following the general philosophy presented here will be prepared brilliantly for other sports that may play or later specialize in.

Medicine Ball - med ball exercises can be performed that are good for everything from balance, strength, power etc. Maybe even help our athletes not get knockedover as easily. Be creative. (www.faccioni.com has some great medball exercise ideas
also)

Foot/ankle/lower leg conditioning - walking on toes, walking on heels , wals on soft sand, foot strengthening eg roll up a towl, pickup pencils  etc.

Plyometrics - bouncing exercises of varied intensity in different directions. Maybe over obstacles or up onto obstacles. Do standing Long Jump tests. Play hopscotch.Ease into it gently and design other fun games to play. Whatever athletes are used to doing will generally not be a problem.

Competition - DO NOT overcompete. Young athletes should enjoy the process of all aspects of this sport. It is common to see under prepared athletes (that are supposedly being looked after) overcompeting by going in multiple races a few times a week.  Athletes cannot work on technique when under pressure. Competing alot may be fun but is the quickest way to create future problems.When athletes do compete compete in a variety of settings against athletes of varied ages and levels, and in different events. Spending all day at track meets or Gala daysis not everyones idea of fun so try to spend quality time at the track. Not hours waiting for the next event.

Speed improvement - this is an important age for the development of speed. To not work on it now may mean missing the boat. Increasing cadence and improving co-ordination are very important.

Technical improvement- This is paramount to longevity. Young athletes must spend enough time each week improving their technique. The common way to compromize this development is to compete too much (no athlete will be able to change an old technique during max effort situations) or do too much of one type of training eg focusing only on aerobic development.

There are many talented athletes that fail to make it or develop chronic injuries that prevent them reaching their full potential. I believe that with these athletes we can maximize their chances of avoiding problems by providing them with a varied program and ALWAYS focusing on improving technically and being patient. Never let one type of training dominate the others. When the athletes are mature then it may be more appropriate to let certain kinds of training dominate the program ESPECIALLY if as a young athlete they were exposed to a few years of multi lateral training and now have excellent posture/technique etc.

In the meantime athletes that train with variety will likely meet success off relatively small volumes of training in every area and show good performance improvements anyway.

The best way to judge a program is that the athlete should improve steadily technically. There may be hickups as the athlete has a growth spurt for example BUT generally the athlete sould be improving technically throughout their foundation years.  

"Saving kids for later" by getting them to do next to nothing in a low key program is a myth that will never produce talented athletes that are resilient as adults.


regards
Steve Bennett
www.oztrack.com

Here are a just a few notes about Track Session Variety
by Steve Bennett Sydney Australia
www.oztrack.com
(It may interest you to note there is approaching 1600 people on this 400-800-1500 Tips List)

Short reps - short rests eg

3-4 x 6 x 200 rest 30s. The reps are usually done about 3000m-5000m race pace. Scientifically the theory is that these session can boost stroke volume of the heart and aid in development of a higher VO2max and 3km race speed. A higher VO2max should also mean an athlete can stay less lactic at any speed in an 800 or 1500m race.

Because each rep is short it should be easier to maintain good running form than in longer reps.

These sessions can be misused. Athletes can run them too fast and turn them into huge lactic experiences where they blow up near the middle of the session and survive in pieces over the second half. In this situation an athlete will most likely do damage and feel flat for the days after the session. So start easy and progress sensibly.
Athletes usually notice that their hearts tend to beat harder during the recoveries than during the runs. This is "the plan" and it is this occurrence that is theoretically meant to expand the heart chambers. If the athlete is running hard enough that this is happening then there should be adaptation occurring from this sort of training stimulus.

The above information is very specific to 400m , 800 and 1500 athletes also need to do some very hard longer reps.

800m athlete sessions like :
3 x 400 rest 20min at just above 400m speed. I have seen a 1:46 800m runner do 2 x flying400 in 47.6 with an 18min rest. Another 1:49 athlete did 48.7-49.5-50.2 on a grass track with rests 20-25min.
A 1:43 athlete did 600 in 74.5 rest 15min 400 in 48s rest 15min 200 in 24s rest 5min 200 in 24s

1500m athlete sessions like:
1000m at race pace rest 5min 600m hard rest 5min 200

2 x 800 at 1500 pace rest 5-10min then some very fast 150m reps.

The above training is generally performed before the major part of race season (Peak) has started. Athletes should rest and become fresh and focus on racing during the peak. These "gun" sessions should have confirmed for them that they are in good form. Although sometimes athletes may do super crazy shorter volume sessions during a peaking phase to try to send the peak higher. But the plan should be to be fresh and ready to race well in any key race.

Recommended Middle Distance Training Books - Top 3 Books

Better Training For Distance Runners, by David E. Martin, Peter Coe. A comprehensive guide to training.

    BUY NOW

Price US$18.36 (July 1998) + Postage
 If you are a competitive runner who races 800m or further this is a virtual bible in terms for technical advice, training guidelines, and example programs. It covers the science, strategy, and psychology of serious training and competition.

This is a great book.

Available from Oztrack Athletic Bookstore

 

Another good book is Run with the Best
by Australian Coach - Tony Benson

It includes a great deal of discussion about variety in Track Sessions and how to accumulate a good base of aerobic strength.

 

Find out the truth about how the Kenyans Train in

Train Hard - Win Easy : The Kenyan Way
by Toby Tanser and John Manners

This book is a great way to learn allot about variety in distance running very quickly.

Core Stability and Conditioning for 400-800-1500

To reach their potential an athlete may need to develop:
1. A better postural position. This may involve improving flexibility dramatically and then setting out very seriously to change body position.

2. Higher levels of balance, which is provided by both the nervous system and many fine muscles, positioned near the spine. This system of body position control must be challenged in a variety of ways to develop this area to high levels e.g. Swiss ball, wobble board, Med Ball catching & throwing, foam rollers etc. This is also the way to further re-enforce a better postural position.

3. The qualities of Endurance, Strength & Power in the trunk. There should be much more variety in trunk conditioning than simply sit-ups, crunches and back extensions.

Athletes need to be able to hold their bodies in the ideal postural position for the complete duration of their event. To achieve this goal will require the strength in the right muscles to hold body position as well as the endurance to maintain the position. Athletes like Wilson Kipketer, Hicham El Guerrouge , Marion Jones, Frank Fredericks, Michael Johnson etc. have their trunks conditioned well enough to achieve the goal of maintaining ideal body position for the entire race almost every time they compete.

This season, many of the athletes that train here in Sydney with me have followed a comprehensive Core stability & conditioning program. This has involved:

Weekly B00004TQ18
3 x 20min Swiss Ball conditioning sessions (following Paul Cheks Swiss Ball Video 'Better abs,buns,backs')
3 x 20min Pilates (following Denise Austin Pilates floor exercises  Video)
1-2 x functional Gym Training eg Single leg lifts - all free weights - posture enhancing exercises

Some have also done extra exercises on different days for
-lower abs eg straight leg lowering - maintaining a neutral posture - 3 x 10 maximal load contractions. The goal is to eventually be able to lower straight legs to floor while maintaining a neutral spinal curve.
-upper abs  eg swiss ball crunches with a heavy weight - easy up to 80lb 3 x 10
- external oblique's - across body cable pulls in a standing position eg 3 x 10 both down and across each way then 3 x 10 up and across each way
-back extensors.- hyperextensions on a back extension machine. and also reverse hypers. 3 x 10

For Drills at the Track athletes have simply concentrated on two
1. Ankling - circular movements of lower leg maintaining dorsiflexion. Do 6-8 of these over 6-8s.
2. Quick Recovery High Knee Running - they catch their leg early bring it rapidly up underneath and keeping their pelvis stable lift their knees as high as they can without 'sitting'. They do these at varying speeds maintaining good form which means no extra bum out or sitting as well as keeping their feet dorsiflexed.  They do about 6-8 of these over 6-8s at varying speeds.

Most track sessions have ended with some relaxed 150s at about 800 pace. Where they can practise relaxing and running at a decent speed in the right postition.

• I have noticed usually within 6 weeks that athletes are moving differently and with improvement of their ability to maintain good pelvic position under conditions of high fatigue.
• Athletes have had good gains on maximum speed. Some athletes have improved their standing 60m time by as much as 0.6s. Some athletes that had poor speed now have developed much higher maximum speeds.
• Athlete contact times have decreased.