Last year, I wrote about the 400 meter sprinter moving up to the 800 meters. Unless you are a pole vaulter, gone are the days where you can just focus on one event. Usually, you have to double up in events, especially in the High School and College ranks. And then there are … [Read more...] about When Athletes Hit a Plateau – Change Distance or Change Training?
Butch Reynolds
2010 Rome Golden Gala 400 Meter Video & Fiasco
I wrote about the 400 meter fiasco from my eye witness account at the 2010 Rome Golden Gala. This is unacceptable at any level and the race should be re-run. Athletes who were unaffected should be able to keep their performance (time wise) for ranking purposes only. In all fairness … [Read more...] about 2010 Rome Golden Gala 400 Meter Video & Fiasco
2010 Roma Golden Gala – Notes from Underground
By now, we all know the results from the 2010 Rome Golden Gala. Here are some stories you would not hear or read from the mainstream media. The Wheels on the bus goes round and round In typical Italian fashion, the 4:30 bus from the hotel to the stadium left 25 minutes late. The Rome … [Read more...] about 2010 Roma Golden Gala – Notes from Underground
How to Increase Indoor Track Attendance & TV Coverage
I have an idea on how to increase the indoor Track and Field attendance, as well as TV coverage… chase after obscure World Records. That is, chase after WRs set in Yards from over 25 years ago. A recent case of this type of marketing was the special 500 yards WR setup for Jearl Miles-Clark, … [Read more...] about How to Increase Indoor Track Attendance & TV Coverage
400 meter splits – 2009 Berlin World Championships
The official splits from the IAAF can be found here (PDF). What can we learn from these splits? Standard Coaching Theory If your opening 200m is within 1 second of your best 200m, and the differential between the 1st half and 2nd half is about 2 seconds, then simple logic determines your … [Read more...] about 400 meter splits – 2009 Berlin World Championships
200 Meter Speed for the 400 Meters
I was going over the archives of some of my favourite world class quarter-milers, and just wanted an idea on their 100m or 200m times. This list proves you don’t need to run sub 20.00 for a 200m to break 44, but it certainly helps! One thing is certain, you must have decent 200m speed if you plan … [Read more...] about 200 Meter Speed for the 400 Meters
400 Meters – Speed is the Key
Gone are the days where the 400 meters was an event for 800 meter runners who moved down in distance. Today, I am convinced the short sprinters have an advantage over the “strength” sprinters like Lee Evans and Butch Reynolds. I am referring to the successes of Quincy Watts and Michael … [Read more...] about 400 Meters – Speed is the Key
Dwain Chambers Saga Continues
There's a lot of talk about banning Dwain Chambers at European meets, or even banning him completely from Track and Field for writing the book Race Against Me: My Story. This post is not about whether he was right or wrong in taking steroids and PEDs. I'll leave that opinion up to you, the … [Read more...] about Dwain Chambers Saga Continues
Ground Contact Time, Stride Length and Fatigue in the 400m
This study showed the kinetic parameters at 150m and 350m during a 400m race. The male subject was the 44.94 by Thomas Schönlebe and the female subject was the 48.56 by Marita Koch. The study was from "Incidenza dell'allenamento di forza su alcuni aspetti structurali delle prestazioni dei … [Read more...] about Ground Contact Time, Stride Length and Fatigue in the 400m
What is Speed Reserve? Part 1 – 400 meter Sprinter types
Before I discuss the topic of speed reserve, I want to talk about the different types of 400 meter sprinters. Types of 400 meter runners 100/200 sprinters moving up to the 400m: In the past, short sprinters moving up the distance were rare. Remember Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire? Today, we've … [Read more...] about What is Speed Reserve? Part 1 – 400 meter Sprinter types
