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Armin Hary and the Famous 10.0 sec 100m World Record

Jimson Lee — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:05:00 +0000

Here is a great article from Läufer des Jahrhunderts – Die atemberaubende Karriere des Armin Hary – 14) 1960 – Hary, strahlende Nummer 1 – GIPFELTÄNZE II.

It’s in German, so I translated the article with Google translate (as bad as it may be sometimes) and put the English version side-by-side.

You can download the PDF here (PDF, 515 Kb).

Bud Winter’s original 1964 book The Rocket Sprint Start is a detailed analysis of Armin Hary’s Rocket Start.

There’s a lot of good history in the article, and they too are obsessed with 10 meter splits and top end speed in kph (or mph):

At 5 meters, his split was 1.6 seconds, with a speed of 18 km / hr.
At 30 meters, or 3.7 seconds, speed 35 kph
At 65 meters, or 6.9 seconds, speed 39.6 kph (or 24.6 mph)
At 80 meters, or 8.2 seconds, speed still 39.6 kph
At 100 meters, or 10.0 seconds, speed "only" 38.9 kph

NOTE: the above times are hand times.

How good was this 50 years ago?

Compare that to Bolt’s electronic splits (more on Usain Bolt 10 Meter Splits and Top End Speed):

30m = 3.78
80m = 7.92
100m = 9.58

So 50 years ago, back in 1960, the top end speed was 24.6 mph or 39.6 kph!

Fast Forward to 1967

Here is an old clipping from TIME Magazine [registration required], March 17, 1967.

A lanky (6 ft. 3½ in., 167 Ibs.) Negro who wears sun glasses "for personality" and is so relaxed that he often catnaps for ten or 15 minutes before a race. Smith is called "Jet Gear" by rival sprinters—because of his huge stride (8 ft. 11 in.) and incredible acceleration. "Other sprinters reach their top speed at 75 yds, and then decelerate," says his coach, Lloyd ("Bud") Winter. "Tommie is still accelerating at the end of 100 or 220 yds. He can sustain a speed of 26 mph."

How to Convert 10m Splits to Km/h or Miles per Hour

In reviewing the splits from the Men’s 100m finals from the 2009 Berlin World Champs, it dawned on me that both Bolt & Gay both broke the 44 Kph speed limit (27.3 mph).

The old “record” of 0.82 seconds per 10 meters translates to 43.90 Km per hour. Remember when the Holy Grail was 0.83 seconds?

The new WR achieved a 44.72 Kph top end speed or 27.8 mph!

When will they break the 30 miles per hour barrier?

How to Calculate 10m segments times to Kph or Mph

Kilometers per hour (Kph) is the inverse of the 10m split-time divided by 36. That is,

Kph = 1 / [split-time in seconds / 36 ]

Why a factor of 36? because 1 Hour = 3600 seconds, and 100 decimeters = 1 kilometer

For the American audience, you convert miles per hour (mph) by a factor of 1.609. I also added how fast a THEORETICAL 30mph, 10 meter segment would be.

It’s going to be a while before we see a 0.745 sec/10m top end speed.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

Christmas Gift Suggestions for Runners: Books in 2011

Jimson Lee — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Since today is Black Friday, the day following American Thanksgiving, it officially kicks off the Christmas shopping season.

If you are looking for ideas on books to buy, you can go to the Book Review category section. And of course, there is my Rocket Sprint Start book to be released on December 1.

Here are some great books that came out in 2011 on *my* shopping list. Thank God for Amazon.co.uk as they ship to Italy without headaches… from the USA, mail delivery takes over 3 weeks!

From the list, you can see I am mainly interested History, Leadership and Coaching Books.

Fastest Men on Earth by Neil Duncanson
Gold Rush by Michael Johnson
The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World
Yuri Verkhoshansky’s Special Strength Training: Manual for Coaches

Fastest Men on Earth

(In the UK: The Fastest Men on Earth)

This newly released book included some insight from Dan Pfaff, where he talks about top sprinters:

"First and foremost I think that great 100m sprinters are tremendous risk takers. In the 100 you take 41 to 44 steps and there’s a lot of monitoring going on with each step, checking your position, ground contact time, projection angles of flight, balance, where people are around you, acceleration curves, and you have to make a lot of very fast decisions. So when you are in the zone of a sprinter it’s super, super slo-mo and you’re processing tons of information and you have to take chances with things, so the common denominator in great sprinters is that they’re kind of gunslingers. You have to have a certain amount of bravado and risk taking in your personality. There have been some who don’t conform to that format and they can run great times, at times, but not all the time and not in championships."

Gold Rush

Gold Rush by Michael Johnson

(In the UK: Gold Rush by Michael Johnson)

Michael Johnson, who needs no introduction, has assembled his very own Olympic Hall of Fame in assessing the DNA of true champions. The book is themed around chapters where he discusses each of the key qualities and factors that make a champion.

He gets testimonials from former Olympic Gold medalists, including:

Usain Bolt (whose Beijing 2008 annihilation is on the cover), Carl Lewis, Sally Gunnell, Seb Coe, Daley Thompson, Cathy Freeman, Ian Thorpe, Michael Phelps, Rebecca Adlington, Chris Hoy, Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, Lennox Lewis and Michael Jordan.

The John Carlos Story

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

(In the UK: The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World)

This is his FIRST autobiography co-written with Dave Zirin, and not to be confused with CD Jackson’s biography Why: The Biography of John Carlos With C. D. Jackson, Jr.

John has been in the news recently with the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Special Strength Training: Manual for Coaches

(In the UK: Special Strength Training: Manual for Coaches)

If you are familiar with the book Supertraining, or the Yahoo group formerly known as Supertraining (moderated by the late Dr. Mel Siff), then you know who Yuri Verkhoshansky is.

Yuri passed away before the book was completed, so it is co-authored by his daughter, Natalia Verkhoshansky.

Natalia lives in Rome, and I will be meeting with her in the future. If you have any specific questions for her, or about the book, please contact me or email me directly at jimson@speedendurance.com.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

Vince Matthews Inducted to the USATF Hall of Fame

Jimson Lee — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:01:00 +0000

I want to congratulate Vince Matthews on being inducted to the USATF Hall of fame.

I wrote about the Munich incident last February in Black History month because most people remembered Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ demonstration in 1968.

If you haven’t read his biography My race be won by Vince Matthews, I highly recommend it.

I’ll let the readers decide if they are offended by their actions on the podium during the National Anthem (see video below). Offended, as in not being properly dressed, not standing to attention, talking and fidgeting the whole time, and having two people on the top podium at the same time. Some people think you should not mix sports and politics.

There’s an expression… you can’t judge a man until you‘ve walked a mile in his shoes. In this case it’s 400 meters! The last 1960’s and early 70’s were very difficult times in America, and I hope we’ve improved over the last 40 years.

Here is the snippet from the press conference.

Vince Matthews (Two-time Olympic gold medalist)

On what being inducted to the Hall of Fame means:

“It means a lot to me. A few of the guys that I ran with have been inducted like Larry James and Lee Evans. I have been looking forward to putting my name alongside theirs.

Were you surprised to be elected?

“For me it came as a surprise. To tell the truth, I really wanted it. I had kind of given up on the thought that it was going to come my way. I’m a little nervous about it. I would rather be on the starting line. I’m nervous about going in. There are a lot of people that came before me. I’m just nervous about joining.

On the Civil Rights movement during his competition and its influences on track and field:

“It was a big part. I hate to sound too corny, but it was the best of times and it was the worst of times. That’s the way it was. Back then our big thing was beating the Soviet Union. For some reason that was a big deal. We were able to get up and be sure we had more athletes than the Soviet Union. It was our own from cold war. We also had the whole Civil Rights movement going. We got caught up in that movement. But through it all I loved being a quarter-miler.

On setting the world record but it being disallowed because of using brush spikes:

“During that time we competed at Trials in Lake Tahoe and the competition was fierce. There were four guys who easily could have set the world record. Puma had come out with this type of a shoe. They had a needle-point look to them and I wore them. I don’t know how much more traction I got. There was nothing I could do. I felt good when I thought I had the world record. I don’t think it would have been slower than a 44-something. All I could do was get ready for the race the next week. It’s a whole different world now. I don’t remember anyone saying we couldn’t run with the brush spikes. It was a good looking shoe. It had that allure look. It just felt good. It was just the draw.”

Here is the video on YouTube.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

History of Ethical Cheating or Ergogenic Aids

Jimson Lee — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:02:00 +0000

Wow, did I ever get a lot of email from my ESPN Radio spot on Ethical cheating or Ergogenic aids. Thanks to everyone who emailed me. I apologize, I will not be able to answer everyone individually but I will cover all the topics I wanted to cover one by one here on this Blog.

So when do you think Ethical cheating or Ergogenic aids started?

I mentioned the 1904 Olympic marathon in the interview, but it goes way back.

Way back.

Would you believe the first Olympics in 776 BC?

The primary motivators were first strength based and (perceived) energy boosters, including stimulants.

Yes, the men (no women were allowed to compete) ate sheep’s testicles, and you thought reality TV was bad!. This, of course, was to believe the testicles would give them strength from the added testosterone!

By 1863, the Europeans, especially the French and the Dutch, were drinking Vin Mariani, which then contained 6 mg of cocaine per fluid ounce of wine! (1 fluid ounce = 28 mL) But the Americans were drinking similar drinks with 7.2 mg of cocaine per ounce! You guessed it, Coke!

By 1932, sprinters were experimenting with sublingual nitroglycerine to dilate their coronary arteries. This was the start of modern day nitric oxides products, including the use of Viagra in today’s athletes. And you can’t test positive for Viagra. At least not yet.

Another use of stimulants was with Benzedrine inhalers, which is primarily a bronchodilator, and later discovered to have an euphoric stimulant effect. If you’ve heard the term “bennies” in novels or TV, they are referring to the paper strips inside these inhalers which contained Benzedrine. They would roll up these strips of Benzedrine-laced paper, and swallow them with alcohol or coffee. Anything for a high. Idiots.

Back to Testosterone

The history of injectable Testosterone goes back to 1935, but it wasn’t until 1955 when John Ziegler (then the physician for the US weightlifting team), developed a modified synthetic Testosterone molecule with the chemical name methandrostenolone otherwise known as Dianabol.

Today, it is common for men of 50 years of age or older to visit their physician every 3 weeks for a testosterone injection to “correct their hormones levels”. (I won’t get into this argument with Masters Track and the use of TUE, or therapeutic use exemption). And you wonder how these 50 year old men have a body of a 30 year old? (cough cough… other than paying for her apartment and cell phone bill… inside joke, sorry guys, you know who you are!)

We’ve all heard the story of NFL locker rooms back in the 1960s where bowls of Dianabol were available for football players to sprinkle these little blue pills into their cereal bowl! (sorry, not that little blue pill)

By 1968, the use of steroids were rampant. I’m getting off topic here, because in 1968, there was no formal drug testing, so steroid use was allowed, making it an ergogenic aid. (Actually, there was drug testing, but the results were inconclusive)

Was it a level playing field? Possibly, if everyone was on it.

So until the IAAF catches up with research and drug testing, there are many ways to “legally” have an advantage in Track & Field and all sports in general.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

The 800 Meters Should Be Run In Lanes

Jimson Lee — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:00:00 +0000

This article is guest blogged by Shon Grosse, a physical therapist, athletic trainer and performance coach at www.shongrosse.com

First, let me qualify things a little bit before the arguments start:

1) The 800 meters should be run in lanes – at least for 500 of those meters.
2) It should be run in this fashion at least at some, but certainly not all national and international meets.
3) The use of starting blocks should be an option, not a requirement.

As a track and field fan, the 800 meters remains the race on the program most likely to be diagnosed with “multiple personality disorder”-an endurance sprint, as well as the gateway to the middle distances. An event populated with more middle distance runners than long sprinters, at least at the elite level, even though it is romantically referred to at times as the ultimate sprint. It is a race that should allow an athlete to express the best and the ultimate in speed endurance.

What the 800 has become however is a monotonous tactical game, especially at the championship level. For many spectators the 800 is a frustrating race-not fast enough to count as a true endurance sprint, yet too short to allow true middle distance tactics to emerge. For many athletes, being boxed in, dealing with flailing elbows, as well as collusion in the pack do not allow the realization of their true running mechanics to occur from 150 meters through up to 700 meters, all of which can have drastic effects on performance and ultimately outcome.

So what is the solution? Realize that the only way to keep the 800 “honest” is to run the race in lanes, just as all other sprint events are. Let’s clarify a few things below, lest I alienate more athletes, fans and coaches than I already have.

(Editor’s Note: The International 800 meters had a two turn stagger from 1973-76, including the 1974 Commonwealth Games and 1976 Olympic Games. In some states, like Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio & Iowa, the high school 800m still uses the two-turn stagger.)

Run the first 500 meters of an 800 meter race in lanes just as the 4 x 400 meters is run for the first two legs. The athletes can then break for the pole on the second lap, at the “traditional” break line, just 400 meters later than usual.

Running the entire 800 in lanes would be counterproductive. The stagger would be too long, and the race would essentially become a glorified time trial. However, running 500 meters in lanes and then breaking for the pole with 300 meters would add a very interesting flavor to the race. Each runner would be responsible for setting their own pace prior to making a decision about how to handle the penultimate part of the race. The “pack” aspect would also largely be dissected from the race, allowing improved running biomechanics to be utilized by the competitors through the heart of the event.

Additionally, talented athletes who had a prior dim view of the 800 (such as good, if not great 400 meter runners as well as 400 meter hurdlers) could be coaxed to train and compete in such an event without the downside of pack running tactics. A Jeremy Wariner-David Rudisha-Breshawn Jackson showdown, for example, especially with 300 meters to go after the break, would no doubt be scintillating for fans of the sport.

The 800 should be run in this fashion for at least some, but certainly not all national and international meets. This is a no-brainer, as track and field purists (and more than likely many federation big wigs) will balk at such a drastic change initially. However, introducing it as an exhibition race, or making it a marquee event with an above average purse to lure great talent at a larger Diamond League meet or a meet such as the Prefontaine Classic would be ideal. Once competitors get a taste of a cleaner, more honest race and spectators see how the 800 now resembles both a traditional long dash as well as an exciting velodrome cycle sprint, you can bet the event will develop at least a rabid cult following.

The use of starting blocks should be an option and not a requirement. This goes without need of further explanation. Drive phase mechanics will become even less important in a longer race, and energy may be wasted in a block start that could be better utilized in the closing moments in the ultimate test of speed endurance.

That said, if a 400 meter convert wishes to use blocks in an 800, why should we not let them? Psychologically, this may play games with 800-1,500 specialists, as a new type of runner with a different strategy will likely be next to them (right of left) for over a lap. Again, an interesting twist in an event that could use a bit of a facelift.

Hopefully, this topic will make it to other message boards and allow some spirited debate. From my vantage point, however, the 800 meters is one race where a simple rule change as discussed here will inject fan interest, open the door to additional world class competitors, and allow a different kind of excitement in a race that deserves to be the culmination of speed, endurance and mental toughness. Make the 800 what it truly is- an endurance sprint- and help it become realized as such by allowing it to be run in lanes.

About the Author

Shon Grosse is a physical therapist, athletic trainer and performance coach with a private clinic/ studio located in Colmar PA. In addition he is masters’ sprinter and an avid collector of vintage track spikes. You can read more from Shon on his blog at www.shongrosse.com. He can be reached via e-mail at shon@shongrosse.com.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

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

Jimson Lee — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 08:00:00 +0000

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 Political Olympics, you immediately think of 1936 & 1972. Some may include 1968 “up there” in the ranks. While you`re at it, add 1980 and 1984. Heck, add Montreal 1976 with the African boycott and the whole Taiwan/PRC mess.

That is why Ben Johnson’s 100 meters 1988 Seoul race was so special (at least to me). For the first time since Bob Hayes and the 1964 Olympics, you had the real Games. A full representation. Canada, USA and the rest of the world.

For 1988, there was no boycott, no mess… though some would argue the 1992 Olympics were the real Games with the Berlin Wall coming down in 1989. Germany would be united (was that a good thing?). The Soviet Union was chopped up rightfully to the independent countries. For example, Sergey Bubka would compete for his native Ukraine in 1992, and not the USSR.

If you want to talk politics, the whole late 1960’s was complicated and to narrow it solely on 1968 itself is totally unfair. Focusing on the 16 days of glory does not do justice in my mind. There’s more to history and human rights than the Olympics (though the Olympics does make a good worldwide marketing campaign, don’t you think?)

Sadly, the 1968 Olympics did not end the politics and social change. Four years later, Munich would be haunted with another horrific ending.

Several books exists about 1968, from the journalists’ point of view to several autobiographies from well known track and field athletes. Here is a partial list:

Amy Bass – Not the Triumph But the Struggle: 1968 Olympics and the Making of the Black Athlete
Douglas Hartmann – Race, Culture, and the Revolt of the Black Athlete: The 1968 Olympic Protests and Their Aftermath
Tommie Smith – Silent Gesture: The Autobiography of Tommie Smith
John Carlos Bio – Why: The Biography of John Carlos With C. D. Jackson, Jr.
John Carlos AutoBio - The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World
Lee Evans – The Last Protest: Lee Evans in Mexico City
Jim Adkins & Speed City - Life Lessons from Speed City
Richard Hoffer – Something in the Air: American Passion and Defiance in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Richard Hoffer is best known for his boxing coverage, so obviously details of George Foreman is covered in great detailed.

Track and Field Books on 1968

. . .
. . .

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

Ghost Runner–The John Tarrant Story

Jimson Lee — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:00:00 +0000

If you think Jim Thorpe got screwed over by Avery Brundage, then John Tarrant is another one to add to that list.

John Tarrant was banned for life from running because he was paid GBP 17 for expenses as a teenage boxer in the 1950s, thus labeling him as a “professional”.

But his love for running was greater than that. He ran without a bib number (we call them “bandits” nowadays) and he became one of the greatest long-distance runners the world has ever seen.

There are several reviews of his book on the web. The best 2 are here:

By Bill Jones (Independent.co.uk)
By Pat Butcher (Globerunner.org)

Here’s a snippet:

But Tarrant, wearing a rucksack packed with rocks, pounded the Derbyshire hills, growing stronger, faster and more angry with every patronising rejection he received. By the summer of 1956, it was a hell he could no longer live in. Arriving alone in Liverpool on a warm, August Saturday he calmly stepped unannounced into a crack field of international marathon runners, wearing moth-eaten plimsolls and a shirt with no number. For over 20 miles no one could touch him; then, just as suddenly, he was gone.

Within 24 hours, his story was out, and every newspaper wanted a piece of it. The Daily Express tracked him down to Buxton and tagged him "the ghost runner". "I ran to convince the AAA that I am purely amateur and race for the love of it," he told them. "I needed to show I had the ability."

For left-leaning tabloids such as the Daily Mirror, this dour, hard man was manna from heaven; a working-class underdog in a loaded fight against the chinless toffs they had hoped a Labour government would sweep away.For the next two years, "the ghost" gatecrashed races all over Britain, and as security increased to stop him, so did Tarrant’s cunning. Apoplectic officials armed with his photograph would be left fuming when he hopped off the back of his brother’s motor-cycle, slipped out of a crude disguise near the start and hared off after the leading pack, the crowd delightedly urging on the man with no number.

Finally, in 1958 – with one terrible caveat – the administrators caved in. Tarrant would be allowed to run in Britain, but never for Britain. There would be no GB blazer, no parade under the Italian sun. Instead, almost permanently broke, wearied by the battle and steadily weakened by stomach cancer, he took himself to new challenges beyond the reach of the "gentlemen players". In the 1960s world records would come at 40 miles and then 100 miles (over 12 non-stop hours around a track). In South Africa he tore up the apartheid rulebook, running as the only white in outlawed black races, a "ghost among ghosts"; he is still a hero there today, long after he succumbed to his illness in 1975.

(In the USA) The Ghost Runner: The Tragedy of the Man They Couldn’t Stop

(In the UK) The Ghost Runner: The Tragedy of the Man They Couldn’t Stop

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

More on Peter Snell – Training and Racing

Jimson Lee — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:00:00 +0000

A while back, I posted Peter Snell’s training log leading up to his 1:44.3 800m world record. Many of you know his coach was the legendary Arthur Lydiard (read Was Arthur Lydiard Right All Along?)

This National Film Unit classic from New Zealand tells Peter Snell’s story up to just prior to his triumph at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He had already won 800m gold in Rome and held the world record for the mile.

In the video, Snell’s gives some candid commentary as well as footage of training and racing, including priceless footage of Snell running in the Waiatarua hills, through bushes and leaping farm fences. I’m not sure I would want to run through rural America today, unless I knew the farmers.

He quotes, "It always gives a feeling of exhilaration to run in the New Zealand all black singlet."

He offers insight into the methods of coach Arthur Lydiard (15 miles a day, 100 miles a week).

Here is a great video presented in two, 10 minute segments from New Zealand’s National Film Unit. The link to Part 2 is on the right of their video page.

It’s a great piece of history and a great inspiration.

>> Click here for the video from NZ on Screen

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

For Bud Winter, Speed City and Spartan Fans Only

Jimson Lee — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Below is a special section from the October 2008 edition of The Spartan Daily.

This wonderful 10 page colour booklet (PDF file, 10.7 Mb) is a nice anthology of stories all related to Bud Winter and Speed City.

It contains 9 short stories, and if you are a Bud Winter, Tommie Smith, John Carlos, or Speed City Fan, you’ll enjoy it.

If you are a SJSU alumni, Human Rights activist or Historian, you’ll enjoy it too.

The booklet even has a special section on the symbolism of the Silent Protest monument, which was erected in 2005 (see my visit to SJSU here)

Of course, there is the Saving Winter Field controversy, which I covered here several years ago.

>> Click here (or right click, and choose “Save As”) to download the October 2008 edition of The Spartan Daily.

>> Click here for Bud Winter’s website and his landmark book So You Want to be a Sprinter.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

1968 Mexico City Olympics: The Forgotten 800 meters

Jimson Lee — Thu, 19 May 2011 08:00:00 +0000

When you think of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, you immediately think of the Black Power Salute of the 200 meters, Kip Keino and Jim Ryan in the “rabbited” 1500 meters, the Bob Beamon Long Jump, and Dick Fosbury’s High Jump.

These events are etched in Gold.

Some people may even remember the Marathon. Not for the winner, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia, but for the guy who finished last: John Stephen Akwari

For me, I talk about the 400 meters and the 4x400m all the time. What the hell did you expect? This site is called Speedendurance after all)

POP QUIZ: Who won the 800m?

Ah hah, you had a blank moment.

Come on, it wasn’t an African, American, or European… the countries you would expect to win.

Well?

Here is video on YouTube, but use the player below so there’s no spoiler.

Awesome race execution by the winner.

(scroll down for the winner)

The winner was Australia’s Ralph Doubell.

And, co-incidentally, Doubell was coached by Franz Stamfl, the same man who coach Roger Bannister to break the 4 minute mile.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video