Brooks Johnson-Montana Clinic Speaker
Coaches at the Olympic Training Center (San Diego)
Coached at Stanford
Coached at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo
Head women track coach in the 1984 Olympics

Endurance events are longer sprint events
Runners need greater foot strength-Toe raises etc.
By running faster, athletes are practicing better running form.
Stress (Fatigue) causes the stretch inhibitors to shut down. (Sometimes seen as rubber legs)
Work on all phases of training all year long! Don't wait until the middle of the season and start speed work!

Developing Speed
Weight training
Plyometric drills
Training faster than race pace

Running on uneven surfaces develops strength in the lower extremities because the body adapts to changing surfaces. Stronger lower extremities mean fewer shin splints, foot problems, knee problems and hip problems

Running barefoot allows for developing stronger feet.

Disuse causes atrophy-Caused by wearing certain shoes. (Shoes are bad for your feet) Achilles tendon is neg. affected because heel on modern running shoes. Shoes bend in inappropriate places (Not where your foot naturally bends. Besides developing stronger lower extremities as mentioned above train in your racers more often. Brooks says shoes are like a cast!

Foot Plant: Touchdown phase (Slightly on the side of the metatarsal area) Support phase and Roll phase (off the toes) The foot absorbs shock and needs to be strong) Use the rocker board to develop foot strength along with activities mentioned above.

Critical Zone: Last 25% of the event. Train your runners to dominate in the critical zone.

Psychological-Some runners have the Delayed Reward Syndrome and others have the Instant Gratification Syndrome. The distance runner that wants immediate success will not stay running long.

SOME RUNNERS ARE:
Poor Racers vs. Racers
Goal oriented vs. Non Goal oriented
Afraid to show weakness
Afraid of not being accepted

Questions: Do athletes have same goals as the coach AND DO THEY HAVE ANY GOALS AT ALL? Some kids quit part way through the season because they may have met their goals. How do you use negative or positive reinforcement?

Develop conditioning baseline by having runners check heart rate morning and evening. If runner heart rate is 10% over normal-Take a day off or change the workout to a less intense workout. If 25% take a week off.

Indicator Workout: Late season workout to determine where the athlete is at physiologically. If runner does well may instill confidence.

Body language is a great indicator OF RACE READINESS!

Hill running corrects bad form.

Speed=Stride length and Stride Rate

Difference between great runners and average runners is the time spent on t he ground not necessarily stride length or stride frequency. Arm action does affect stride L and stride rate.

Improving Lower Extremity Strength
Barefoot running
Rocker board
Toe Raises
Calf raises or toe pulls
Hip flexor strength and flexibility (Use half squats)
Also work on upper body such as forearm strength (roll up a weight with your hands-Curls) and Abs and Obliques.

Bio-mechanical Factors
Good back kick (creates shorter lever-Faster swing through) Helps SL and SR. Also, shorter arm swing creates faster stride.
All runners should work to run fast without recruiting every muscle fiber in the body. Practice running fast downhill, wind on back or use some mechanical device as a pull device

Quite a few elite runners are neurotic or psychotic

All athletes cannot be treated the same. The great runner needs to follow a different format. For example, an elite girl should not train with slow girls-train with the faster boys if necessary.

Training the body
Body is adaptive
Body adapts to stress
Allow the body enough time to adapt (Patience)
During rest is the time when real improvement occurs
Coach/Athlete determine when to rest not the doctor or trainer
CNS
Develop the central nervous system (CNS) so that the body sends messages to the receptors to fire quicker. There are many training drills to develop quickness.

Microcycle
Monday: Flying 30's with 7-10 min rest (Build up to 30M by running 20M first. Change gears 3 times within the 30 meters. Run 3 different gear changes for a set of 9 50's)
Run 7-10 min. and repeat again. Do three total.

Tuesday: Booty Check
300-100-300-100-300 3 sets-----Run negative splits for each interval----Teaches runner to become more aggressive later in the race. All intervals are faster than race pace. The 100 is either walk or slow jog.

Wednesday:
At least 45 minute easy run

Thursday: Lactic acid development: run negative splits but use longer intervals. (600-800-1000-1600)

Friday: Super long run (3X-race distance)

THE WHOLE IDEA OF TRAINING FASTER THAN RACE PACE IS TO MAKE RACE PACE SEEM SLOW

Make sure you don't sharpen the pencil to a sharp point because a sharp point breaks easily. Don't over train the athlete to a sharp point (Whatever that is). Important point-Back off if you don't know if you are at the sharp point.

Workout at Villanova (The Tuesday Workout)
20X400 negative splits.

We take on the values of society and reward mediocrity! (Does this attitude help our kids? No)

Can you make the swimming, gymnastic Olympic team doing what athletes did back 30 years ago? (Answer-NO )In distance running, kids are making the Olympic team doing what they did back 30 years ago. What does that tell you?

By the time soccer kids reach age 15, 65% of the players have quit soccer (lose soccer kids to other sports)

Why do we lose a million kids from JR high track to high school track? Low expectations and not demanding more and not giving kids opportunities to run in big meets. (Regional, National etc)

Critical Zone
Work on getting kids to run tag (certain) times at the critical zone.

Repeats versus intervals. Repeats are race pace whereas intervals are faster than intervals.

Peaking for the big race. Drop volume by 50% and run one great workout to peak or maintain peak. Maintaining peak, increase intensity and rest.

REST IS NOT A FOUR LETTER WORD

NEW RESULTS DO NOT COME FROM OLD METHODOLOGY-Einstein

EVERYONE WANTS TO GO TO HEAVEN BUT NO ONE WANTS TO DIE(Everybody expects success on his or her own terms)

WINNERS FIND A WAY TO WIN AND LOSERS FIND A WAY TO LOSE