The foundation of my track and field training program, which I established years ago, focuses on a very broad base total training program. My training philosophy can help athletes in all sports see the improvements in "SPEED" performance by improvement of the following:

1. Greater Efficiency of Movement (Mechanics)
2. Increase in Flexibility
3. Improve Quickness
4. Better Coordination
5. Increase in Strength
6. Improvement in Techniques

I often hear the statement, "great athletes are born" which is an all-encompassing statement that I cannot agree with. Certainly it is possible for someone to be born with a better "gene pool". From that the likelihood for that person’s success is better if those genes are used. However, does that mean that to be a great athlete you have to start with a great gene pool? Absolutely not! Is potential and desire necessary? YES! Our objective as coaches should be to develop a high level of athletic skill in each and every athlete. Why do this? Because the greater the level of athletic skill the athlete possesses the higher the level of sports skill in his particular sporting event. To have the opportunity to experience greatness, athletes have to learn "sport specific skills". Then they have to take the drills and perfect and perform them on a regular basis. By doing this, you become the level of athlete who can excel in any sport you choose!

My objective when developing a great track and field athlete centers around helping the athlete develop his balance, rhythm, agility, power, and flexibility thru a variety of drills. Great body balance, strength and flexibility equally on both their right and left side of the body are imperative for an athlete to be great. Many athletes will naturally have these qualities on one side of the body, but not on the other side. And as a result they are more prone to athletic injuries on that side of the body because it tends to be weak, awkward, or poorly flexible. Being weak on one side causes the athlete not to reach his/her full athletic potential.

Power is a quality in athletics that is often overlooked by coaches and athletes in their training. For the athlete to increase their power, he/she needs to improve in three main areas:

1. Functional dynamic strength
2. Improve their basic flexibility
3. Improve their speed and quickness

Power is defined as:

         ÷

Force = strength

Distance = a range of motion determined by flexibility

Time = speed or quickness

During the base training of any athlete, a considerable amount of time should be spent on power training. To address the need for power training, I often devote much of the fall training to doing lots of pre-conditioning on grass hills, stadium stairs and ramps. Much of the preseason work is done in the sand pit with "hurdle-hops" and low-impact "plyometrics". The vast majority of our fall work is on either grass or sand which naturally creates more power and general strength.

Barefoot running is a part of a complete conditioning program. It is useful in order to strengthen the athlete’s tendons, ligaments and small muscle groups of the feet. Training shoes act as a cast and do nothing to strengthen the foot.

Leg power is necessary for speed. For an athlete to be able to maximize 100% of his leg power capabilities, the athlete must run "HIPS TALL" over his hips at all times and keep all parts of his body near or under the "center of mass" at all times. I often see many young athletes shrink 3-6 inches while running because they are over-rotating at the hips. This causes a loss of 20%-30% of leg power and a substantial loss in true SPEED performance.

The athlete must also have a tremendous amount of lower leg strength (below the waist) because each time the athlete strikes the ground he is applying three (3) times his body weight to the ground. The coaching cues when working on proper running mechanics that I use with my athletes on a regular daily basis are:

1. Toe Up

2. Heel Up

3. Knee Up

4. Chest Up

5. Head Up

6. Eyes Up

Most importantly the athletes must remain in "Hips-Tall" position at all times

for the 6 coaching cues listed above to be effective. The athlete that does not stay in proper body position over his hips will give up 20-30% of their maximum leg power. This is a common fault of young athletes that have not been instructed properly.

Core Strength is also highly important as it provides a strong foundation for the tremendous forces created by the arms and legs. I am a firm believer that the abdominal area of the body or the core is the control mechanism of the body. Without a strong core the athlete will never become a champion.

SPEED involves the numerous areas of the body - muscle groups, circulation (blood supply to these muscles), the mind and most importantly the central nervous system. As an athlete prepares the body for speed, he/she must develop his/her motor skills so the necessary components for speed are stored as muscle memory.

The Speed Drills and Techniques that I teach my athletes must be learned and perfected at a slow rate of speed first gradually increasing until the athlete can perform them correctly but at faster rate of speed. After the athlete has mastered the drills and techniques, they can increase their range of motion and stride rate.

For an athlete to become fast and stay fast, we must utilize their fast twitch muscles regularly. Have you heard the saying, "If you don’t use it you lose it"? Well this statement accurately applies to fast twitch muscle fibers.

When it comes to an athlete’s SPEED, it starts from the ground up. First, for any athlete to excel in Speed Development, he or she must learn to use "Dorsi Flexion" with his/her foot. Unfortunately, most young athletes use "Plantar Flexion" instead. "Plantar Flexion" is a BAD habit. Because this downward pointing of the toe causes a breaking effect upon contact with the ground it is similar to continually "riding" the brakes in a moving car. "Plantar Flexion" keeps the athlete’s foot on the ground too long, maximizing ground time which translates into slower speed performance. In addition the "braking effect" can put a lot of strain on the ankle, shin, and most of all the hamstring muscles. In my opinion, "Plantar Flexion" is the number one cause of "Shin Splints" and Hamstring Injuries.

Hamstring injuries are very common in sports that involve speed. In my opinion the hamstring muscle is the weakest muscle in the body. "Plantar Flexion" increases hamstring weakness. It is important to emphasize strengthening the hamstring muscles one leg at a time as well working on lower back flexibility by spending focused time to strengthen these areas. In addition to the problems caused by "Plantar Flexion" I feel that many hamstring injuries are caused by poor lower back flexibility and this is an area that is often neglected by the athlete.

Great Speed Performance starts with "Dorsi-Flexion". "Dorsi-Flexion" is keeping the toe and heel up while running. The runner is literally stretching the calf muscle while running. When running the athlete pulls the heel tight "through to the buttocks" and then places it on the ground under the knee. When the athlete’s foot lands on the track surface or the ground, the foot is then cycled backwards or pulled up to the buttocks. At this point, the foot is then brought back down to the ground with again, the toe up, as it makes contact with the ground underneath the knee. A common mistake made by coaches is to tell their athletes to take "longer strides". "Over-striding" causes a "braking effect" as the athlete often lands on his heel and the athletes also lose power.

How does the use of "Dorsi-Flexion" make an athlete faster and why is it better than "Plantar Flexion"? Dorsi-Flexion makes an athlete much more active upon contact with the ground or track and also allows the athlete to "get-off" the ground or track surface quicker. "Rome was not built in a day" and don’t expect your athletes to pick up this new technique overnight. The bad habits of athletes took years to develop and it will take he/she weeks to correct it, but once the athlete learns "Dorsi-Flexion", the he/she will be much more efficient in landing. Efficient landing minimizes both ground time and air time which translates into faster speed performances.

To run fast an athlete must run on the balls of his/her feet at all times. This means landing on the "widest part" of the front of their foot each and every time. Athletes must also learn how to strengthen the tendons, ligaments and small muscle groups in the foot, ankle and below the knee if they are to be able to run on their toes. An athlete’s body cannot be supported unless these areas are strong. Good exercises to strengthen the feet are,

1. Bare Foot Running
2. Sand-Pit Plyometrics
3. Weight Training exercises focusing below the knee

If an athlete attempts to land and push off their heel, he/she can never master SPEED. Remember! Unless you plan on running a marathon nothing good ever happens on your heel.

Proper arm action is important for speed as well. The athlete must move the arms in a quick and efficient manner stopping the hand near the chin on the upward motion and at the hips on the downward motion. Remember! A short level is a quick lever; a long lever is a slow lever. To run fast the athlete must have a "Piston" type arm motion to maximize their SPEED! Two key points you should take note are:

1. The arms never cross the mid-point of the body. Find the "mid-point" by drawing a line down the middle of your body to separate it into two equal parts. Crossing the mid-point with either the arms or the legs will cause slowing down of SPEED performance because of inefficiency of movement.
2. The elbows must be kept within 2- 4 inches of the body at all times. If the arms are too far away from the body, this "Chicken Wing" movement will cause the athlete to lose maximum SPEED performance.

Last but certainly not least, is the posture for the upper body:

1. The shoulders should be kept low and relaxed at all times
2. The face and the jaw should remain relaxed.
3. The athlete’s head should remain in its normal position which I refer to as "Neutral Head Position" as if he was merely standing in place.

If the athlete drops his head or eyes slightly when running, it hinders the ability for a nice high knee lift while running. By dropping the head, the athletes now lowers his center of mass causing a domino effect on the rest of his body which in turn causes his performance level to decline. To help the athlete keep his head up, have him raise his eyes and look forward 30-50 yards. Have him focus on an object that is 6-8 feet above the ground that is located past the finish line. Examples of this would be a tree, building or a set of windows. Doing this ensures that the athlete’s head and hips remain tall throughout the entire distance run or the race.

A good diet is vital to achievement. Thankfully athletes are becoming more and more interested in how their diet affects their athletic performance. It is now recognized that the right diet, combined with the latest "legal" nutritional supplements and combined with proper training, adequate sleep, proper hydration and coaching can significantly improve the overall performance of today’s athlete.

I have stated to my athletes many times before, that you can be the greatest trained athlete in the world, but,

Yes, it is true that the talented athlete with a poor diet is going to be at the same level as the athlete who trains only half as hard, yet employs a well-rounded nutritional program.

Good nutrition is about more than just food. Athletes must also drink WATER. Hydrate properly and sufficiently! To be properly hydrated an athlete should be drinking a MINIMUM of 8-10 large glasses (total of 100 oz. +) of water and/or sports drink daily. How do you know if you are drinking enough fluid? If you are sufficiently hydrated, you should be going to the bathroom at least ever 45 minutes during the day and once during the night and the urine is a pale yellow color.

Get Rest! Discipline yourself to get 8-9 hours of sleep each night. Sleep facts:

1. Every hour you go to bed before midnight counts as 2 hours of good sleep after midnight.
2. R.E.M. sleep, the deepest of all sleep patterns, can only be achieved when you go to sleep before midnight.
3. Going to sleep before midnight allows your body to have the proper regeneration before the next day’s workout.

So, last but not least having been successful as a coach for 25 years, I have developed several products that support a coach’s efforts to build a successful team. I encourage you to invest in one of them. They work for all levels - high school, junior high, club coaches and individuals who work with young athletes.

1. World Class "All-Sports" Speed Book & Video or DVD

2. World Class "Elite" Hurdle Training Program Book & Video or DVD

3. Essential Relay Techniques Program Book & Video or DVD

4. "Oregon Training Program" - Recipe Book

I wish you well and look forward to your team’s increased speed!