Coach Ange's Blog
Building An Athlete with Great Nutrition
I love to eat and I love to cook and I love to share especially when it comes to food. I made this salad up inspired by a yummy salad I enjoyed at a new restaurant around the corner from where I live in Toronto Canada.
Ange’s Kale, Parmesan and Chicken Salad (Delicious and Nutritious all in one. I love it)
- Chop up desired amount of Kale once you have washed and dryed
- Slice or grate from a solid block of parmesan cheese. ( yes, store grated will do fine but likely it's not authentic quality parmesean so even if you just buy the real deal once please try so you will experience the taste difference. The cost of grated is always less for the simple reason that you likely don't know the quality of the cheese they use)
- Roast chicken breast with skin on and bone in the night before or buy a cooked chicken at your local butcher. Don't be afraid to experiment with where you buy cooked chicken or raw as you will be amazed at how quality of chicken tastes substantially better. Watch Project Jane to see me talking cooking for athletes here.
- Add one hard boiled egg sliced ( eggs are one of the easiest and most affordable forms of protein you can have. I always try to buy organic eggs and eggs from chickens that are free range ( the means the chickens are not locked up or not locked up as much as caged chickens)
- Add chopped handful of your favorite grapes
- Add several sprinkles of black toasted sesame seeds
- Add 2 to 3 TAB of black beans
- Apple sliced from 1/4 to 1/2 gala or your favorite variety of apple
- Drizzle with red wine vinegar.
- Add desired amount of Olive Oil toss
- Add sea salt to taste and pepper if you wish
Serve with Sparkling water or green tea or my new favorite drink ever, full fat cream with cocoa and a tiny few teaspoons of sugar.
Enjoy and go try this fantastic and nutritious salad as soon as you are able.
Angé
Sample speed workout for Short to Long Speed Training
I think there is a great deal of confusion for many coaches and athletes about what actual speed training looks like. To be fast you must run fast. To run fast you must set yourself up to succeed. You will not run fast if you are tired and tight as one example. You will not run fast if you are not able to give 95 percent effort. DON’T repeat runs for speed training if you are not feeling 95percent effort is possible. The reason you don’t want to do perform speed tired or tight is you will repeat runs performed poorly. Otherwise it’s likely you are practicing running that is not fast or technically sound. It’s essential you show up to practice each day and each workout feeling great, rested and ready to grab anything you are able to from each training session.
Below is a simple question asked by an interested person who saw an interview I did on the performance of life, rest and regeneration.
Hi Angela,
I listened to you recently in an interview online. Could you give an example of a high intensity workout for speed? Thanks Roy
Thanks for your note Roy. An example of a high intensity speed workout might be the following in a short to long method of speed training.
- 4 x 10 meters from crouch start or from blocks (volume is 40m of speed) Rest between each 10 meters would be slow walk back / slightly more rest if you use blocks. ( rest between sets might be 2 to 3 minutes / sitting , shaking your legs)
- 2 x 20 meters from crouch start. Rest between each run ~ 2 m/ rest between sets 3 to 3.5 min) (volume is 40m speed)
- 3 x 30 meter from crouch start Rest between each run 3 to 3. 5m /rest between next set 3.5 to 4 /5 min (volume is 90m speed)
- 1 x 60 m crouch start (volume is 60m) (v= 60) (if you did another 60 m rest might be 6 min maybe a bit more) . Total v = 230m
Above is one example of a speed workout for a beginner without much background in sprinting and without a developed Central Nervous System CNS. The workout shown above would be preceded by proper warm up. For more info checkout this blog post Warming Up for Sprinting in Track and Field
Important Definitions for Speed Training
-
Speed / pure speed:
runs that are 7seconds or less performed at approximately at 95 percent / slightly less with full recovery.
What is full recovery?
Generally speaking you use 1 min of rest per 10 meters of speed work. If you had a hurdle in the way that won’t be pure speed because by definition It’s difficult to perform you max 93 to 95% with a hurdle in the way. Therefor true speed must be done in absence of hurdles and before hurdles are practiced. Rest between reps will be slightly different than rest between sets. Depending on the fitness of an individual will
-
Speed Endurance:
7 to 15 seconds of running with full recovery between runs. One example of SE would be 60m and above for most including 100m.
-
Specific Endurance:
15 seconds or above up to about 600 meters / 100m or 200m runners would not be running 600m but 400 meter runners would (As a 100mh I did a lot of 300m repeats (7x300m) in fall and spring for strong fitness base)
-
Special Endurance:
15 seconds or above with incomplete recovery (note/ most people will not maximally benefit from doing high quality Speed Endurance because “ practice makes permanent”. For that reason performing Specific endurance combined with pure speed in the initial phases of running makes a ton more sense until the technical aspects of an athletes development can be solidified over time.
Running fast is fun. Learning to run fast is fun too but it’s hard work. It takes time, lots of energy and lots of practice and knowledge. Sprinting requires skill and often our skills have been learned the wrong way. Children know how to run and well meaning parents and coaches believe they know a great deal about skill when often they don’t. It might help some of you to think back to when you used to race your friends in the playground. What did you do? Likely every one would line up and race a reasonable distance. Likely the younger you were the shorter the initial distance. The other thing that would happen is you might race until you were tired. There is an actual feeling to running fast and once you have run fast and well remembering what the feeling is and how to best repeat it can be an incredible asset in how you perfect the skill of learning how to sprint fast.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Angé
Is Upper Body Strength Important in Sprinting?
I get many questions about strength training for sprinting and it’s usually from athletes, coaches and concerned parents. Recently one such athlete asked “ I am curious as to whether gaining upper body strength would be beneficial to running faster?
In two words "Absolutely Yes!"
Everyone is potentially able to improve their upper body strength but your strength gains in your upper body are not necessarily going to be 100 percent transferable in improving your speed development.
Here is the complete question from the athlete from the website.
Athlete Question:I am curious as to whether gaining upper body strength would be beneficial to running faster?
I currently have good strength at 70kg 180kg below parallel squat & 180kg RDL. I can bench only 100kg as I don't do the exercise or really train my upper body much. Should I train my upper body a little bit more?
Gaining upper body strength is essential to improving your fitness, your overall strength and therefor it will directly and indirectly be beneficial to running faster.
Getting stronger in your upper body you will not guarantee improved speed. Begin to integrate bench, arm pulls, seated row, incline and decline bench. Adding pushups with in your warm up in small numbers as well as adding pushups into tempo days is another way to raise your upper body strength.
Incorporating strength training for sprinting has been an area of specialty for Coach Charlie Francis. I strongly recommend reading Speed Trap to fully understand his training methods. I also recommend purchasing the Weights for Speed Bundle. Reading this material will give you a comprehensive look at how to plan effective training for speed development. . You need to prioritize speed work, add lifts only if you are able to maintain high quality work. When it comes to sprint workouts everything possible needs to be done to put yourself in the best possible situation to run well every time you perform a sprint. Quality sprinting consistently needs to be your end goal to improve your sprinting.
Here are a few ideas you might think of when you begin the discussion on how to add a variety of upper body training and how that will help you towards sprinting faster.
1. Making sprinting a priority in your training, combined with lifting weights, will supplement the high intensity demands of sprinting. Weights for Speed Bundle
2. Using a medicine ball in your warm up and within your training does not only add an element of strength training to your daily routine but it is also adding an exercise that helps with mobility, core strength and coordination. Use a very light medicine ball and don’t’ be hasty moving to the next weight of medicine ball.
3. Adding upper body mobility exercises to your daily warm up like arm swings front and back help loosen the area around your shoulders and neck.
4. Practicing Power Speed Drills within your warm up and making sure you are using your arms for each drill is an important addition into your training. How you use your arms in your drills will transfer into your running. South Africa Practical Sessions Bundle
5. Stand in front of a mirror and watch your arm actions while using your arms as though you are running. Keep your shoulders relaxed and down while consistently maintaining a 45-degree angle at the elbow. Hands should be relaxed and practice holding hand in a fist with the thumbs up (don’t clench your fist tightly, tightness has a tendency to migrate into other areas which is not desirable for sprinting)
6. Weights to add into your weight lifting routine: Bench, Arm Pulls and or seated rows, upright row, incline and decline bench, pull downs and push ups. Cleans are an advanced lift which require technical advice to make the most of this exercise.
7. Practicing explosive medicine ball throws and drills allows you to both gain strength and utilize and or convert the strength you have into power for running. Examples of these throws are in GPP as well as South Africa Practical Series download.
8. Running Tempo in your off days facilitates loose muscles, muscles that are more mobile and muscles that have greater circulation which makes them easier to get stronger and also easier for you to utilize strength you currently have. A great example of a tempo workout which combines upper body strength training is the:
PUSH UP / SIT UP WORKOUT
Everyone learns to dread this workout but you will love the results.
TRY THIS PROGRESSION FIRST.
If you have been routinely doing tempo such as 2(10 x 100meters) with less than 5 minutes rest between sets you will likely have little trouble doing this workout yet there is a specificity to all training so give yourself a few weeks of doing this workout 1 or 2 per week before you will start to feel great doing it.I strongly suggest beginning this workout with a shorter distance such as 80 meters and using less than 10 pushups to begin (for woman) and less than 20 situps (for men). Initially men will have little trouble with the pushups and the woman will have little trouble with the situps. Obviously exceptions apply. A reasonable starting number is 4 to 6 pushups building to 10 over 2 week period. 10 to 12 sit ups building to 20 in a 2 week period. If this progression is too steep a more radical reduction is suggested. NON TRACK athletes may need more progressive progressions.
It's recommended that you modify warm up for tempo. If you are stiff from speed work take more time. Cooler weather like the spring and or fall may require more time. Use contrast baths before and or after tempo to jump start a warm up leading into tempo or speed workouts.
PUSH UP AND SIT UP WORKOUT
Full workout is 2 sets of 10 x 100 meters ( *tempo pace / low intensity as defined by 75 percent intensity or lower)
- Method =
- Run 100 meters and do 10 pushups
- Run back 100 meter do 20 varied sit ups ( press here to see varied sit up circuit in GPP)
- Repeat to 10 sets
- Rest is less than 5 minutes for elite athlete / if it takes you more than 5 minutes begin the progression of this workout with 1 x 6 x 100 meter of push up / sit up workout. Repeat 2 to 3 x per week for 2 or 2.5 weeks before trying 10 x 100 meters.
Good luck.
Send me questions if you have any.
Best,
ange