Complete Speed Training

Iwan Thomas on the Pressure of the Olympic Trials

Iwan Thomas

Share This is a great five minute video that all athletes should watch before the Olympic Trials. Yes, the video talks specifically about the pressures of the UK 400 meter Olympic Trials, but the take home messages can be for any country, any event, or any sport. After 4 or 8 long years of training, [...]

Mental Coaching with Steve Williams [INTERVIEW, Part 3]

Jimson Lee with Steve Williams

Share This is part 3 of a 3 part series. Part 1 was about Greatest Sprinter who Never Went to the Olympics and Part 2 discussed The “Dirty Business” Side of Track & Field.  Shortly after his competitive career, he coached alongside with Brooks Johnson in Florida (To hear what Brooks has to say about [...]

Your Behavior Matters, On and Off the Track

two-guys-drinking-beer

Share The purpose of this article is to remind you the rules have changed on how you conduct yourself outside the track. When I was competing for McGill University from 1982-86, our initial conduct we had to follow was to behave ourselves when travelling on school “business”.  That meant shirt and tie on airplanes, and [...]

Can Two Bulls Stay in the Same Corral?

2 bulls fighting 160

Share In Botswana where Setswana is spoken, there is a famous proverb: Poo, ga di nne pedi mo sakeng. Literally translated, it means: Two bulls can’t stay in the same corral. I know what you are thinking… “Jimson, you are drinking too much grappa! What does this have to do with Track?” But seriously folks… [...]

Reaction Time Differences in Men and Women

Share Men have an unfair advantage over women because of their strength and size.  That’s why the events are separated by gender, and Para-Olympians have their own games. Because of this, we have the women’s throwing events using lighter implements. We have the women’s hurdles at lower heights than men and with shorter spacing in [...]

Ethical Cheating or Ergogenic Aids: Nootropics

Share This is part 4 of a multi part series.  Part 1 was the ESPN radio interview. Part 2 looked at the history of Ethical Cheating or Ergogenic Aids and some of the disgusting food choices.  Part 3 discussed coffee and caffeine. Let’s go over some of the common products you can buy today over [...]

Gold Rush: Michael Johnson’s new Book

Share . In the USA: Gold Rush by Michael Johnson In the UK: Gold Rush by Michael Johnson If you like Michael Johnson’s first book, Slaying the Dragon: How to Turn Your Small Steps to Great Feats, you’ll probably enjoy this book. Johnson has assembled his very own Olympic Hall of Fame in assessing the [...]

Delaying Physical and Mental Fatigue with Phenylalanines, Tyrosine

Share The consumer market is flooded with increased energy and mental alertness drinks and pills.  Phenylalanines claims to promote energy, mental alertness, elevates mood, and enhances concentration.  I will attempt to explain how and why this works. Without bringing back bad memories of College Biochemistry, here is the pathway (I’ll skip the enzymes for simplicity): [...]

The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World

Share The new book The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World will be released on August 30, 2011.  This is his FIRST autobiography co-written with Dave Zirin, and not to be confused with CD Jackson’s Why: The Biography of John Carlos With C. D. Jackson, Jr. When you think of the [...]

Motivation Speech Video: I AM A CHAMPION

Share This coming weekend is Championship weekend with the Trials for many countries including Jamaica, Canada and the United Sates.  If you need extra motivation, read on. Some people like hard rock music before a race to get pumped up for the big event. Some people like a calm surrounding so they can just focus. [...]

3 Tips on How to Stay Cool & Calm Under Pressure

Share The key to success, execution and leadership is composure. In Track, the “worst” moment is the 5 minutes leading up to the gun.  Once the gun goes off, the rest is all automatic. Remember that stupid TV commercial for the antiperspirant deodorant?  One of the rules of success was “never let them see you [...]

How to Race the Indoor 400 meters (Part 2)

Share Click here for Part 1.   This article will talk about the night before and the morning of the big 400 meter race. So, how do you prepare for a 400 meters? What better person to ask than one of the greatest most competitive quarter milers today? Yes, I’m talking about Lee Evans. For a [...]

How to Race the Indoor 400 meters (Part 1)

Share In traditional Lyle McDonald fashion, this article will be broken up into a multi-part series. Racing the 400m isn’t just showing up at the start line, nor is it 1 hour before the race.  It’s starts the night before.  Actually, to be really picky, it starts in September or October.  That is where the [...]

How to Learn and Apply Mental Imagery & Visualization Techniques

Share This Blog has a lot of coaching success articles, but not one article on how to do learn and apply mental imagery & visualization techniques. So it is with great pleasure to have this article written by Elisavet Velentza, Department of Physical Education & Sport Science, at the University of Thessaly, Greece. Table of [...]

USATF Track and Field Level 1 Course

Share The fall season is a great time to get certified in any coaching discipline.  The USATF Level 1 is no different.  There are still several spots available depending on where you live. Level 1 schools are usually two or two-and-a-half-day courses where 21.5 hours are spent on track & field and related sport science.  [...]

Bud Winter – Relaxation is the Key

Share Before the Internet, Track fans were at the mercy of Track & Field News or Sports Illustrated for two month old news at the newsstand.  I even remember paying $5 a month for ESPN email alerts back in 1993 to my Freenet account! Sports Illustrated archives, better known as Sports Illustrated Vault is a [...]

Deep Breathing Exercises to Relax or Calm Pre-Race Jitters

Share Can deep breathing exercises be used to relax or calm pre-race jitters? The answer is yes, as I’ve had several good tips over the years from several people, so I will give credit where credit is due. In my early days of the 400m, I would get so nervous that “belly breathing” was the [...]

Bud Winter’s “So You Want to be a Sprinter” now re-released

Share In 1956, Bud Winter of San Jose State University and Speed City fame published a landmark book titled So You Want to be a Sprinter. It was updated in 1973 and became foundation for many coaches back then who would later become world class coaches. Those coaches include Usain Bolt’s coach Glen Mills, Frank [...]

John Wooden and Bud Winter on Relaxing and Winning

Share Anyone who watches Usain Bolt before any race will notice he is loose and confident before every race.  In a big pressure race of the Olympics or World Championships, he’s playing and smiling to the crowd, while others are focused, staring at the finish line or staring at their belly buttons. Asafa Powell, who [...]

Torrin Lawrence on Mental Strength and 400 meters

Share Torrin Lawrence is quickly becoming a household name in the elite 400 meter running scene.  His recent 45.03 seconds was the third-fastest in collegiate history and the fastest time in the world this year.  The indoor world record for 400m was set in 2005 by Kerron Clement’s 44.57.  He also ran 32.32 in the [...]

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