TRACK COACH 2016 / ISSUE 217 TRACK COACH Fall 2016 I 217 The official technical FROM THE EDITOR: WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO . 6906 publication of USA Track & Field an “old school” approach TO STRENGTH TRAINING FOR MIDDLE DISTANCE AND DISTANCE RUNNERS . 6907 INTERVIEW WITH VAUGHN NEMBHARD . 6913 FLEXIBILITY: DOES STRETCHING HELP? . 6919 RUNNING AROUND THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE . 6925 USATF COACHING EDUCATION SCHOOLS . 6932 TRACK FROM THE EDITOR COACH RUSS EBBETS FORMERLY TRACK TECHNIQUE 217 I FALL 2016 WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO The official technical publication of USA Track & Field ED FOX......................................PUBLISHER Why do we do what we do? It’s either a poorly worded question or RUSS EBBETS...................................EdITOR a moment of introspection. One way or the other it might cause a TERESA TAM.........PRODUCTION & DESIGN moment of pause to figure out—why we do what we do. FRED WILT.......................FOUNDING EdITOR At its core coaching is the effort to help people. This is a form of service where guidance and knowledge are passed along to help one achieve PUBLICATION aspirations and goals but also understanding and self-satisfaction. Some even achieve fame and fortune but for the vast majority athletic careers Track Coach is published quarterly by can be summed up with a mark or time and a short list of life lessons. Track & Field News, One of the downsides for the three-season coach is that there is rarely the 2570 W. El Camino Real, #220, downtime needed for moments of introspection. It’s always about today’s Mountain View, CA 94040 USA. practice, the meet this weekend or preparation for next season. It becomes The Winter 2017 issue (No. 218) tough to appreciate the beauty of the forest when all you can see is trees. of Track Coach will be e-mailed to subscribers by January 2, 2017. Some institutions wisely offer their educators occasional sabbaticals where one can take some time off to recharge. It might entail travel, meeting new SUBSCRIPTIONS people or even writing a book. A sabbatical offers the chance to wander or wonder or a little of both. $20.00 per year, U.S. or foreign. Track Coach became a digital-only Will Freeman, long-time coach at Grinnell College and former head of USATF’s publication in 2015. Coaching Education, did all three. He took some time off, bought a motorcycle and hit the road to ponder the mysteries of his life and the universe. His book, BACK ISSUES OF The Quest: On the Path to Knowledge and Wisdom is the result of a 10-year TRACK COACH journey of self-discovery that included chance meetings with men and women, Many back issues of Track Technique/ quasi-mythical characters and even a plucky kangaroo that combined to lead Track Coach, #92-208, are available to the crystallization of Will’s convictions and the courage to actively pursue and singly at $5.50 (U.S. delivery)/ ultimately trust the results. $9.50 (foreign delivery) each post- paid. No issues previous Introspection offers the chance to examine the why’s of how you’ve gotten what to #111 are available. you’ve got, review one’s good fortune, missteps or false starts and digest the lessons learned from each. To order, send your check to Track Coach What did Will learn? It is safe to say it never gets easy. Probably his most lasting 2570 W El Camino Real, take-away is that it solidified his fundamental principles and values that have made Suite 220, him a successful coach, teacher, father and husband. Mountain View, CA 94040 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6912 TRACK COACH — 6906 AN “OLD SCHOOL” APPROACH TO STRENGTH TRAINING FOR MIDDLE DISTANCE AND DISTANCE RUNNERS Peripheral Heart Action Training? What’s that? Coach Steadman explains this strength training system and offers a circuit of 11 exercise stations for middle and long distance runners. BY MONTY STEADMAN INTRODUCTION opinions about how this strength types of programs best meet the training should be conducted. specific needs of a particular team In any discussion of middle distance Should this strength training consist or squad and its individual athletes. and distance training the subject of body weight exercises such as of strength training sooner or later push-ups, bar work, core exercises, This article is the description of a will come up. Almost all coaches plyometric training, etc., or should it strength training program that was and experts agree that some type include actual weight training, or a developed from various previously of strength training other than run- combination of some or all of these existing systems and tailored to ning should supplement the running methods? If the choice is weight meet the strength training needs training. Injury prevention due to im- training, what types of lifts, number of middle distance and distance proved muscle and tendon strength, of sets, number of repetitions, and runners at the high school and improved posture, improved core amount of weight lifted should be community college level. Most strength, general greater overall incorporated into a strength training coaches, to meet specific program fitness, and improved muscular program? needs, “borrow” and then modify efficiency are a few of the benefits ideas and workouts from other attributed to strength training. There is a lot of information from coaches and experts. The strength various sources concerning strength training program discussed here is The disagreements among coaches training. The problem for each coach a combination of “borrowed” ideas, as well as some experts come from is determining which of the various concepts and procedures. TRACK COACH — 6907 runners. In the spring the weight the circuit from station to station PROGRAM NEEDS room was also full of sprinters, on signals with time for rest and hurdlers, jumpers, and throw- recovery built into the time allotted As a high school cross country ers. The program had to be at each station. and track & field coach wanting conducted in a specific area of to the do the best for the middle the weight room that kept the distance and long distance runners middle distance and distance ONE OF THE results on our team, I felt that there were runners out of the way of the OF TRAINING WITH some specific areas of need to be other athletes. WEIGHTS IS MUSCULAR addressed when constructing a SORENESS AS WELL AS strength training program. • Cardio component: Although the MUSCULAR TIGHTNESS goal of strength training with • Weight Training only: Since weights is primarily muscular body weight exercises, core strength, I wanted muscular We set up a circuit, put the athletes training, and plyometric drills endurance and cardio fitness through that circuit, and the whole were a part of the team’s daily to have a place in this training. process worked all right, but I was warm-up sequence already, any not happy with it. There was still weight training program did not • Reduction of localized and too much down time for the ath- need to include those features general muscular post-workout letes. Some were challenged by already present in the warm-up soreness and tightness: One the workout and some found it too sequence. of the results of training with easy. I was searching for a better weights is muscular soreness as and more efficient way of strength • Limited time: Because cross well as muscular tightness for a training. Then while attending a country and track & field prac- day or two after a hard workout. track & field coaches’ clinic I heard tices lasted for about two and I did not want to sacrifice any a speaker who changed my ideas a half hours a day for middle running workout quality because concerning strength training circuits distance and distance runners, athletes were sore, stiff, or tired for middle distance and distance along with some time spent on the day after being in the weight runners. drills, most of the practice time room. was spent on running workouts. PRERIPHERAL HEART There were only small segments • Individualization of training ACTION TRAINING of time that could be spent in poundages: Every athlete is an the weight room doing strength individual with different capaci- The speaker at the clinic was the training. The system had to al- ties for work. I did not have a late great Chuck Coker, former cross low no time for middle distance “one size fits all” program for country and track & field coach at and distance runners standing running workouts, so I did not Occidental College and, after leav- around the weight room doing want all of the athletes lifting ing Occidental in1961, executive in nothing while waiting to lift. the same weight per exercise in a company that produced a variable These runners had to be able the weight room. We needed a resistance weight machine. He was to get into the weight room and program that could be adjusted speaking about a workout that could complete a workout within a for individual differences. be performed on his weight machine short period of time. called Peripheral Heart Action Train- The first three program needs listed: ing (PHA Training.) PHA Training • Medium to large groups in a weight training only, limited time, and was a system of strength training limited space: The weight room limited space, were easily met by developed by Dr. Arthur Steinhaus at the school was on the small developing a traditional circuit train- in the 1940’s. This system was used side and usually full of various ing program. A small area of the by a few body builders in the 1950’s. athletes. In the fall, football weight room could be set up for Although Coach Coker was indi- players and pre-season winter circuit training with a station for each rectly promoting his weight machine, sports athletes were working required exercise.