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Training
Of great value is the one month active rest each year after the peak. The athlete should maintain as such fitness as possible in this time but with minimal physical and psychological effort. It is recommended that in the first 4 months of the year, the athlete follows a 4 week cycle with every 4 th week much easier or a 3 week cycle with every 3 rd easier. Do relaxed speed sessions all year to stay familiar with fast cadence and full range of motion. All athletes should do a core strength program to improve posture and trunk stability. Pelvic stability and postural improvement is an area of strong focus. Recommended as well is Medicine Ball throwing and catching to help stabilize the trunk. All athletes are encouraged to get a good massage as often as possible and to self massage. They should also have regular flexibility assessment from a Physiotherapist and follow a structured stretching program to develop adequate flexibility. All athletes should maintain good levels of aerobic power which may involve structured or unstructured fartlek or long track sessions for sprinters. The key is to follow a hard-easy day approach to ensure being in shape and avoid injuries. Always fuel up with high carbohydrate source drinks after hard sessions. |
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It is important in some event groups to plan the year in such a way as to perform best for the 6 week peak of the year. They should be only 4-6 weeks away from good race performances all year.