Coach Ange's Blog
Speed and Power Coach speaks about Coach Charlie Francis
I really enjoy the part of this site when I receive notes randomly giving me feedback. I will not lie and say the past controversy as told in "Speed Trap" has not made life a bit of hurdler no pun intended. It brings me joy to report I continue to hurdle successfully over each barrier life throws my way for me and my family. For this one reason I feel compelled to share stories that touch me. This note I have recently received is a great example. The name and exact location have been changed with permission from sender as it is not relevant to the content.
"Sprint your own race"
Angé
Hi Angela!
I am a Canadian working in the EU. I used to coach track in a Canadian city and have seen you rundown in Provo Utah back in the day. I never had the honor of actually meeting Charlie and talking face to face with him, but really enjoyed the forum and have learned a lot from him that way. I have read Speed Trap a few times and I believe that Canadian athletics really did them selves a disservice by banning Charlie for life. I was yet not coaching when the Seoul Olympics took place, but I can remember exactly where I was when Ben crossed the line in the final. I suspect that jealousy played a big role in Charlie getting blackballed.
I was at the Canadian Jr champs in Vancouver in 79 when Mark McKoy ran at his first Jr nats. I was stretching close to Mark and Charmaine Crooks and they kept talking about "Charlie" and how he would be happy with their performances. I did not know who "Charlie" was at the time.
I know that I am not telling you anything new, but I believe that Charlie was one of the few true geniuses in track and Canadian track could have learned much from him. I have taken some courses from “Mr Sport” and have talked to “Sportman” over the years over a variety of subjects and know that this coach is a big fan of Charlie's. I am as well, and just want you to know that there are voices out there not only in North America but all over the world that acknowledge the legacy that Charlie left.
Thank you for keeping the fire burning!
I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!
sincerely,
A Coach who has taken time to share with all of us ( how cool is that?)
Dept of Sport Science
University of “someplace in EU”
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
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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
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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.
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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)
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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