Ean's Coaching Sessions - Sedgefield Harriers

Apologies for short notice but I'm going to be away tonight (28th September) and don't have cover to lead the session so I'll need to cancel. Ean

It's looking very likely I'll not make tonight's session. If I can't arrange cover I suggest a training run instead. Ean

Strength and conditioning resumes Monday 4th September. Session times 6.00pm - 7.30pm starting with basketball.

Training session is not on tonight - 31.8.23.

James Mays
Perhaps the best part of being a professional athlete was the people I met. These are 3 World Record-holders, of whom I've had both the pain of competing against, and the pleasure of discussing race strategies with, prior to "Pacesetting" their World Record attempts. My friends from England;
Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe, and Steve Cram.

The training of Steve Ovett, part 2
Aerobic endurance

If the Australian Cerutty was credited as the major influence, then the great New Zealander Arthur Lydiard, who most famously worked with Peter Snell and Murray Halberg of course, must have informed Wilson’s thinking in terms of the necessity of aerobic base training.

It would not be uncommon for the senior Ovett to regularly top 120 miles a week for instance and this attention to volume was facilitated by his long term progression from daily to double-day sessions.
England Athletics Coach Education Tutor, Colin Lancaster, who sported impressive PBs of 1m51s for 800m and 3m51s for 1500m had the privilege of training with Ovett, when the former was 17 and the latter 22 years of age.

The man who now plays a leading role with the UK Lydiard Foundation recalls that, “We went out and basically had a lot of fun”.

In particular he remembers regular trips to conduct 10 mile runs over the grass and trails of the South Downs , recalling that “We all ran together and kept it ‘chatty’”.

He recalls once running with Steve when,

“He had a white coat with baggy armpits. He was quite broad shouldered and barrel chested.

People had never heard of Nike so they saw the back of his jacket and thought it read ‘Mike’- so they’d be shouting ‘Come on Mike’ as he passed them in the streets. He saw the funny side of it by the end of the run you could tell he was fed up!”

Good company

Much of Ovett’s aerobic training was conducted with Scottish schoolteacher and county level runner, Matt Paterson, especially in terms of them pounding the pavements of Brighton early mornings.

The early morning training partnership and friendship would blossom to the point that Paterson travelled to Moscow to be with Ovett during the aforementioned Olympics where they would routinely run 15-20 minute recovery runs the morning after his 800m and 1500m heats in order to maintain the habituation of his double day routine.

Even when conducting work which challenged the lactate energy system through repetition based training, Ovett would more often than not take a gentle aerobic run to these sessions in Stamner Park at Sussex University.

Perceptively, Harry Wilson would state that, “Provided you keep the speed work going and do about 10% anaerobic work, you don’t necessarily lose your speed during heavy mileage”.

Periodically some of this aerobic work took place at altitude, most typically in St Moritz or alternatively at South Lake Tahoe in Nevada, where Ovett would train with athletes with tremendous aerobic capacity like Tony Simmons and Ian Stewart, the latter of won an Olympic bronze medal over 5000m in Munich in 1972.

Significantly, and in line with the philosophy of Arthur Lydiard, he would run at a variety of aerobic paces.

At the higher end of the spectrum long intervals of for instance 6 x 1000m (1 min) were conducted in the winter prior to his Moscow Olympic success.

In addition, Steve was not averse to road racing and indeed he once ran the fastest long stage leg at the Southern Road Relays.

Strength endurance

Critically Ovett was encouraged by Wilson to undertake cross country racing with the latter maintaining that, “If a runner does cross country races during the winter, this in itself will provide the necessary proportion of anaerobic work”.
This was something ingrained into the psyche of the future Olympic champion and world record holder for the 1500m, mile and 2 miles, from the early seventies, where he would show early promise by medalling in English schools cross country championships.

Significantly unlike many middle distance athletes of today, he kept this going throughout his career, running in both National Cross Country and Inter Counties races and mixing it with the likes of seasoned internationals like Dave Black, Bernie Ford and Mike McLeod, the latter of whom would go on to win Olympic 10,000m silver in Los Angeles

Monday 3rd April. Monday strength and conditioning now includes volleyball!

The two hour s&c session is split down into four 30min sessions. The first (6-6.30) is basketball then we have shuttles and circuits. And now the final half hour will be for volleyball which we trilled for the first time last week,

Basketball and volleyball are recommended complimentary activities to running and athletics as they include plyometric exercise. They are also fun.

You don't have to attend the whole two hours of s&c, it's ok to come along for the individual half hours.

The nights are lighter, the weather has improved. We'll do the 2x 1 mile benchmarking time trial at NETPark tonight.

Thursday 23rd Feb - I said at last weeks session that we'd do the 2x 1 mile benchmarking sessions this week however as it's half term I'll postpone that until next week. This weeks session is on as normal. Ean

Strength & conditioning tonight (Mon 13th Feb) Paul Weir has offered to come along again to offer sports massage anytime between 7.00pm and 8.00pm. So if you have any niggles etc. that need to be resolved contact Paul directly or message me and I'll pass it on.

Adding yet more value to Strength & conditioning on Monday evenings.

The format for Monday evenings s&c that has been in place since last September is working well. Just to recap;

6-6.30pm basketball
6.30-7.00pm boot camp style exercises (get a sweat on!)
7.00-7.30pm: Ean – focused circuit training using equipment; Jane – Pilates
7.30-800pm: Ean – drills, foam roller, stretches; Jane Pilates

I have the opportunity to tweak the last half hour of my session (7.30-8.00pm) to make it more value-added for runners.
I’ve always had in mind that I can give one-one feedback on running style, training plans, injury recovery etc. (all part of s&c) and I feel I have the opportunity do that between 7.30 and 8.00pm.

It’s rare as a club runner that you have the opportunity to have one-to-one feedback on your running issues so this a good opportunity. I often get asked ‘how can I run faster’, ‘why do I keep getting a calf/hamstring/knee/ankle/IT injury?’ Running often results in back injuries. This is a chance to feedback and discuss.

Also, Paul Weir who qualified in sports massage last year is willing to come along between 7 and 8.00pm to offer massage which can be a 15 min session on a particular issue or a longer general session. There will be a charge but Paul has assured me it will be competitive and it is an opportunity to receive a massage from an experienced competitive runner.

If you wish to take advantage of a massage it would be useful to know and I’ll pass it on to Paul (or contact him directly). For running feedback just turn up and let me know before 7.30pm so I can plan the last half hour.

Ean

S&c Monday 4th July. We don't have the sports Hall so weather permitting we'll do a session on the school field. 6pm - 7pm.

S&c Monday 27th June - joint session 6.00pm - 7.30pm.

S&c tonight will be a combined session again due to exam and holiday season. 6.00-7.30.

Monday 13th June. S&c tonight will be a session 6-7.30pm. Starting with basketball.

To ease the guilt of not attending a session on a bank holiday (especially as there will be street parties to go to) tonight's session (2nd June) is cancelled.

Monday 30th May. As its half term there will be a combined strength and conditioning session at the college tonight 6.00pm - 7.30pm.

Monday 23rd May s&c will be a combined session 6-7.30 led by David Round.

Thursday 19th May & Thursday 26th May John Haycock will lead the NETPark sessions. Unless wet they will be grass sessions. 6pm NETPark.

S&C Monday 9th May - junior and senior sessions will be combined into one between 6.00 - 7.30pm. Ean

Thursday 5th May session. 2x 1 mile benchmarking at NETPark.

S&c tonight is back to normal times - 6.00pm junior adults, 7.00pm seniors.

Thursday 14th April at NETPark.

Monday 11th April - s&c will be a combined junior/senior session 6.30-8.00 with basketball first 30 mins.

Thurs 13th Jan: 2x 1 miles benchmarking session, NETPark at 6.

Sessions over Christmas: S&c is on tonight (13th) and then off until the 3rd Jan (assuming the College opens then), Thursday session continues throughout on 16th, 23rd and 30th December.

Someone left a red top at training tonight. I have it.