2020 / Issue 233
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2020 / ISSUE 233 TRACK COACH Fall 2020 — 233 The official technical “IDEAL” TRAINING FOR THE SPRINT HURDLER. .............. 7422 publication of ELITE LEVEL DEVELOPMENT RATES AND AGE-BASED PERFORMANCE USA Track & Field PATTERNS FOR THE MEN’S THROWING EVENTS ...... 7428 MUT RUNNING—GOING THE DISTANCE ...... 7433 PUSH-OFF—AN INDICATOR FOR TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY IN THE POLE VAULT ...... 7440 WHEN TO INTRODUCE BODY CONDITIONING? ...... 7443 USATF COACHING EDUCATION ...... 7445 TRACK FROM THE EDITOR COACH RUSS EBBETS FORMERLY TRACK TECHNIQUE 233 — FALL 2020 THE BUNION DERBY The official technical publication of USA Track & Field ED FOX......................................PUBLISHER The general public has long been fascinated by feats of human RUSS EBBETS...................................EDITOR performance. If you think back to the days of P.T. Barnum and his TERESA TAM.........PRODUCTION & DESIGN circus, the side shows were a stunning collection of strong men and FRED WILT.......................FOUNDING EDITOR women along with human oddities that kept the “suckers” amazed and returning year after year. PUBLICATION In Bill Pearl’s book, Getting Stronger (Shelter Publications) he chronicles Track Coach is published quarterly by a number of early strong men whose demonstrations defied imagination. Track & Field News, These guys lifted huge dumbbells, bent steel bars and ripped decks of 2570 W. El Camino Real, #220, playing cards in half signifying much more than just the simple vitality of Mountain View, CA 94040 USA. a firm handshake. The Winter 2021 issue (No. 234) of Track Coach will be e-mailed to It seems difficult to imagine in our “all news, all the time” times that anyone subscribers in January 2021. would pay to watch a dance marathon or the 17,000 laps of a 6-day bicycle race, but in the 1930’s the bicycle race was a financial mainstay for promoters SUBSCRIPTIONS and routinely sold out Madison Square Garden. $19.95 per year, U.S. or foreign. Walking feats date back to the early 1800’s when Robert Barclay Allardice Track Coach became a digital-only walked one mile every hour for 1000 consecutive hours, covering 1000 miles. publication in 2015. Track & Field News subscribers get free access to It took him 42 days to complete this feat. No doubt he suffered from “sleeptus all Track Coach articles. interruptus.” See www.trackandfieldnews.com. Click on “subscribe” For the last 100 years a more popular endurance endeavor has been to walk 100 miles in a 24-hour period. This feat earns one the title of Centurion. To date BACK ISSUES OF fewer than 100 Americans have accomplished this feat, compared to over 1000 TRACK COACH UK walkers. For those challenged by the math these walkers averaged 4.16 mph for 24 hours. Just try walking 4 mph on a treadmill. Many back issues of Track Technique/ Track Coach, #92-208, are available Running seemed to lag behind all this hoopla. Even the venerable Boston Marathon singly at $5.50 (U.S. delivery)/ drew small fields with only 18 runners in the inaugural event. It took 30 years before $9.50 (foreign delivery) each the race finally cracked 200 starters. The low participation rate may have been due postpaid. No issues previous to #111 are available. to the dire predictions of medical authorities that warned of cardiovascular collapse. Clarence DeMar won the race seven times and had a different opinion. He’s reported To order, send your check to to have eulogized one of his marathon buddies, who died at 110 years old, “The experts said it was running that killed him.” Track Coach 2570 W El Camino Real, The attitudes about running all began to change with an idea from Charles C. Pyle. Suite 220, Mountain View, CA 94040 CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE TRACK COACH — 7420 EDITORIAL COLUMN early favorites and early casualties. The running boom of the 1980’s Continued from page 7420 Soon three runners began to separate was some 50 years away, but these from the field, Englishman Peter early pioneers laid the roadwork that Sports promotor C.C. Pyle (a.k.a. Cash Gavuzzi, New Jersey’s John Salo and legitimized long distance running and & Carry) got the idea for a 3400 mile Oklahoma’s 20-year-old Andy Payne. served as living examples of the limits run across America to promote the of human endurance. USATF National completion of the famous Route 66, In Ohio Gavuzzi dropped out due to Chairperson of the Mountain Ultra America’s first transcontinental highway dental problems and the battle for Trail Council Nancy Hobbs has more set to open in 1928. Professional the top two spots was set. Early on to say on the subject in her interview runners from 24 nations signed up to Payne ran with a bout of tonsillitis in this issue. participate. The first place prize was but was able to remain competitive. It $25,000. That prize was figured to be was in his native Oklahoma where he Finally, it bears mention of the passing the equivalent of 20 years salary for the inched to the lead. From that point on of Coach Ed Bowes of Bishop Loughlin average American working man. The he was never bested and labored on High School in Brooklyn. For almost 50 race began with 199 runners. to a 15-hour victory by the race’s end years any runner from the New York in New York City. metropolitan area (and well beyond) Despite the glorious anticipated payday, was touched by Ed’s dedication to hills, heat and the grind of 60-mile days The final leg of the 84-day race was a the sport. He founded and served as thinned the ranks by 70 runners after grueling 20-mile run around the board race director for the Manhattan Cross the first week. Dubbed “The Bunion track at Madison Square Garden. At Country Invitational held each fall at Derby” by the press and championed by this point only 55 runners remained. Van Cortlandt Park. The Manhattan Pyle’s incessant promotion, the Bunion Payne negotiated the 200+ laps in Invite is touted as the largest high Derby soon captured the imagination front of an enthusiastic crowd to win school XC meet in America with over of the country. the well earned grand prize. 10,000 yearly participants. With competitors from Europe, Africa The race was contested a few times The Bishop Loughlin Games are a and North America everyone had more and went through several yearly fixture in the metropolitan New someone to cheer for. The race was reincarnations but it never again York indoor scene. Ed also had some set up like the Tour de France with daily captured the national attention of the success as a coach. It is a lifetime destinations and cumulative segmental inaugural race. Payne raced a few achievement for a high school coach timing. Each day was a new day with more times and went on to graduate to have a distance medley relay team rabbits and hares and the endless from law school. He invested his prize compete in the Championship of miles. National interest continued to money in Oklahoma land that eventually America race at the Penn Relays. Ed grow as the ultramarathoners crept produced oil and gas. Salo won the has the singular distinction of having their way across the US. 1929 Trans-America race only to die Loughlin teams win the race three an untimely death two years later after times. Ed was a mentor to many and Famed distance runner Arthur Newton being struck in the head by a wild throw a friend to all. May you rest in peace. from South Africa was one of the at a baseball game. THE POLE VAULT A VIOLENT BALLET By David Butler Foreword by Scott Huffman & Tim Mack / Introduction by Jim Bemiller Facebook: The Vault: How Bamboo Steel & Fiberglass changed our lives For More Information Contact: David Butler at [email protected] $47.95 USA / $79.95 International TRACK COACH — 7421 “IDEAL” TRAINING FOR THE SPRINT HURDLER A perspective on how the coach can manipulate and mimic the training environment to create “ideal” training” for the sprint hurdler. BY MIKE THORSON, UNIVERSITY OF MARY HURDLE COACH (FORMER DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY, BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA) Our top level sprint/hurdle coaches real secrets or shortcuts to suc- the sprint hurdles is largely deter- are frequently asked an assortment cess…no quick fixes. The basics mined by the ability of the hurdler of difficult and challenging ques- are the foundation of their coaching to generate very large amounts of tions concerning training in today’s and they coach the fundamentals power and strength at exactly the track & field world. What is the best each and every day. The lead- right time! There is no better way of training? What are the best drills ing, elite coaches employ sound, training than in competition. None. that should be used? What are science-based training developed some of the “secrets” that enable from years of research and proven The greatest speed training envi- top-level sprinters and hurdlers to results. ronment occurs in actual races, be successful…to be elite? according to Ralph Mann and A lot of young coaches (and some Amber Murphy in a book entitled, Everyone wants the “magic” for- not so young) may be surprised The Mechanics of Sprinting and mula. Everyone is looking for that when they learn that the best or Hurdling. Competing often and little, extra edge. Unfortunately, “ideal” training for sprinters and using competitions as your op- there isn’t any such thing. Most hurdlers is competition—actual timal training ground is a recipe coaches will tell you there are no meet competition! Success in for success, as many high school TRACK COACH — 7422 and collegiate athletes have dis- covered.