Running, Track and Field discussion

Are Arthur Lydiard's training methods still in vogue? My understanding is that most coaches have moved on from Lydiard's reliance on interval training.

Perhaps Steven as a former high school coach can shed some light on this. I am now coaching a youth track team, and am curious about which training methods are considered most effective today.

I've been out of the loop on this for a while, I'm going to check with some friends who are more currently involved and get back to you and the rest of the group on it.
What I do remember is that intervals were still being used in the early 90's but nowhere near the amount that Lydiard suggested. Maybe one day a week, with more long distance aerobic work in the beginning and then decreasing distance work and increasing speed work as the season progressed.

I noticed while reading Chris Lear's Sub 4:00: Alan Webb and the Quest for the Fastest Mile and Running with the Buffaloes, it appears that Coach Ron Warhurst at Michigan and Mark Wetmore at Colorado both invoked the training schedule Steve posted here: concentrate on endurance in the pre-season, and then work on speed more during the competition season. I will note that Coach Wetmore apparently remains a devotee of Arthur Lydiard.

I need help from you fellow members of this Group.

After coaching three youth team sports the past fifteen years, I served for the first time as a youth track team coach this past spring. In the thirty-six years since I competed in track, training methods have changed markedly. For example, preparatory stretching is emphasized less these days; most runners supposedly use strides, leg kicks, etc. to warm up.

I invite my fellow members to provide information you wish to share about training youth runners, proper warm-ups, race preparation, diet, and other training techniques. My runners range in ages eight to fourteen, both boys and girls. They compete from in races from fifty meters to 1600 meters.

Steve, you served as a cross country and track coach, and competed in college. Please feel free to lend your thoughts here; I am sure you have very useful information.

Thank you all very much.

Best regards from the Palmetto State.

Doug

Hello, I do track!! I love 100 meter and 200 meter. I am the 7 fastest 12-13 yr old girl in California. Any tips to do good?

Wow, Emma! You must be a very talented runner. Congratulations on your success and may you continue to excel.

Thank you very much for joining our Group with Goodreads.com. We look forward to your participation and to reading about your track career. Please share your progress with all of your fellow members.

One of our Group's mediators is Steve. He is a very friendly, smart man who was a competitive runner in college and a successful high school track coach. I am sure that he can offer you some pointers.

Meanwhile, please check out some of the books listed on our Group's bookshelf for training manuals and biographies about famous sprinters, such as Wilma Rudolph and Florence Griffith-Joyner ("Flo Jo").

Do you have a coach now? It is very important that you work with a coach regularly who can watch you run, and then offer tips and ideas to improve your performance and times.

I coach a youth track team here in South Carolina, including some girls about your age. Before each practice, I have the girl sprinters do a series of warm-up exercises such as strides, high knee lifts, "butt kicks," "Frankenstein monster" strides, side-way steps, and others. Then the girls run intervals of varying distances to build up their strength and improve their speed. We also work on the crucial sprinting skills of the start and acceleration. I often have the girls sprint up a hill next to our track at least ten times to build up the strength in their legs. Of course, every so often we time the girls at their racing distances to chart their development as runners. All of these techniques seem to work well for them.

We at the Running, Track and Field Group will want to know how your training and races go, so please keep us informed.

Best wishes in your track endeavors, and for the coming school year. And happy reading!

Thanks again for joining our Group.

Douglas in South Carolina

Emma,

Have you competed in the Hershey Track and Field Games? This is a very well organized, successful national track program for young people.

The Hershey track website is: http://www.hersheystrackandfield.com/. You'll find information about the program, as well as some links for training ideas.

On our Group's bookshelf is a book that I use as a youth track coach, which was published jointly by Hershey and by USA Track & Field. The book is Coaching Youth Track & Field. Another book I've found useful is Getting Started in Track and Field Athletics: Advice & ideas for children, parents, and teachers.

I hope that the website and books will help you.

Best wishes from the Palmetto State.

Douglas

Douglas wrote: "Wow, Emma! You must be a very talented runner. Congratulations on your success and may you continue to excel.

Thank you very much for joining our Group with Goodreads.com. We look forward to yo..."

I have in fact ran the Hershey Track in Field Games. That is where I became the 7th fastest girl in the 200 meters for the State Finals! That is a good workout for training. I will make sure I do that! In school cross country is coming up and I am trying to train for that. Do you have any suggestions??

I actually did a project once on Wilma Rudolph! She was a very inspiring character!