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Winter 2009 $5.95 Volume 16, Number 5

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Photo: Victah, www.photorun.NET

c o n t e n t s

5 Publisher’s Note

6 Starting Blocks

12 Track Construction

30 Exit

18 Shot Put 101: Balance is Everything

20 Basics of Resistance Training

24 2009 Team Apparel

29 A Message From USADA

Dwight Phillips, 2009 World Championships.


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I t is early in the morning of Tuesday, December 8, as I write this. I’ve spent thelast few days traveling around the country. Last Thursday, I flew to Indianapo-

lis for the USATF Convention. Doug Logan continued to astound, one year aftertaking the CEO position. He proposed an aggressive $21 million budget, notingthat Nike tripled their sponsorship of USATF. An expected floor fight over newby-laws, which gave the USATF board direct control of budgets never happened:the by-laws were approved unanimously.

On Friday night, I flew out to Oregon to watch the sixth annual Nike NXN,held at the Portland Meadows Raceway. The morning started out with fog andcold. The boys’ race came down to the final 100 meters, when Craig Lutz rushedby Joe Rosa, who was then also passed by Elisa Geydon. All three are juniors, sothere’s a chance they could clash once again in 2010. Boerne XC of Texas won theboys’ team title.

In the girls race, Kathleen Stevens, Caty Flood and Rebecca Mehra battledover much of the course. Rebecca was dropped with 800 meters to go, with Stevensin front and Flood second. With 100 meters to go, Flood, the 2007 runner up,took the lead from Stevens, last year’s runner up. Flood held on, winning in 17:49.Manlius of New York repeated as team champions, taking the team lead early andnot letting up.

I spent Sunday and Monday, after a red-eye flight, learning about track construction safety issues at the ASBA convention, in a session led by DuffyMahoney of USATF. Before I gave out the awards for the Best Indoor and Outdoor Track Facilities, I noted that it was great being with an association wherethe people genuinely liked each other, worked together for a common good anddid something that helped the well-being of many by building tracks.

I am now packed up, heading out at six a.m., hoping to get back to Wiscon-sin before the first big storm of the winter. With that, we will start closing downfor the end of 2009.

I wanted to thank all of our coaches, athletes and track fans, all those who readAmerican Track & Field magazine, our blog, Runblogrun.com, our website,www.american-trackandfield.com, and our twitter account, twitter.com/runblogrunor twitter.com/americantf. Whichever way you prefer to get your information, wehope that you enjoy it! We appreciate your interest, and we thank you!

Have a wonderful holiday season!


p u b l i s h e r ’s n o t e

Larry Eder, Publisher

Group Publisher: Larry Eder, [email protected]

Group Editor: Christine Johnson, [email protected]

Advertising: Larry Eder, [email protected]

Writers/Contributors: John Godina, Chase Kough, DickPatrick, Mary Helen Sprecher, Cregg Weinmann

Circulation Changes: [email protected]

Photographers: Lisa Coniglio/PhotoRun, Victah Sailer/PhotoRun

Layout/Design: Kristen Cerer

Editor: James Dunaway, [email protected], 512-261-8354

Pre-Press/Printer: W. D. Hoard & Sons Company, FortAtkinson, WI

Publisher’s Rep: Peter Koch-Weser, [email protected],ph: 310-836-2642; fax: 310-836-7093

Special Projects: Adam [email protected], 608-957-2159

Special Thanks To: Tim Garant, Alex Larsen, Tom Mack, Mary Atwell, Julie Wells

In loving memory of Violet Robertson, 1913–2003

www.american-trackandfield.comph: 608-239-3785; fax: 920-563-7298

[email protected]

American Track & Field (ISSN 1098-64640) is produced,published and owned by Shooting Star Media, Inc., POBox 67, Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538-0067, ChristineJohnson, President, Larry Eder, Vice President. Copyright 2009 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All RightsReserved. Publisher assumes no liability for matter print-ed, and assumes no liability or responsibility for contentof paid advertising and reserves the right to reject paidadvertising. Opinions expressed are those of the authorsand not necessarily those of the Publisher. No part of thispublication may be reproduced or stored in any form with-out written permission of the Publisher.

American Track & Field is not related to or endorsed byany other entity or corporation with a similar name andis solely owned by Shooting Star Media, Inc.

Publisher recommends, as with all fitness and healthissues, you consult with your physician before institutingany changes in your fitness program.

Puma

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C A M E R A A T H L E T I C A : M E B K E F L E Z I G H I , I N G N E W Y O R K C I T Y M A R A T H O N



C A M E R A A T H L E T I C A : S A N Y A R I C H A R D S

IAAF ATHLETE OF THE YEAR • JESSE OWENS AWARD, TOP U.S. FEMALE ATHLETE



Bob Larsen has been coaching Meb Keflezighi since the distancerunner arrived at UCLA as a freshman in the fall of 1994. Theircoach-athlete relationship has evolved into friend-friend in their

15-plus years of collaboration.“It’s been helpful to us to have been through the good times and the

not-so-good times,” Larsen says.The most recent good time — a win at the New York City Marathon

in November that was Keflezighi’s first victory at 26.2 miles and the firstNew York win by an American male since Alberto Salazar’s in 1982 — waspreceded by a tough stretch.

Two years ago, at the Olympic Trials held in New York’s Central Park,Keflezighi finished 8th, with a fractured his hip — though the injury wasnot detected at the time. Worse, his friend and former training partnerRyan Shay died during the race.

Keflezighi couldn’t attend the funeral. His legs were so swollen, “likeballoons” he remembered, that he spent the next few days crawling aroundhis hotel room on all fours. He thought his running career might be over,a feeling that would surface often during the next several months as hesearched for a diagnosis and a cure.

“He talked about whether he could make it back,” Larsen said. “Isaid, ‘If you don’t, you’ve had a wonderful career. Either way, I’m withyou.’ I felt he was going to make every effort to get it done.”

The stress fracture of the right hip was finally discovered months laterafter visiting doctors in several cities. The conclusion was that Keflezighi,dehydrated from an illness on the eve of the Trials, suffered calf cramps thelast half of the trials marathon and altered his gait, resulting in the injury.

In the fall of 2008 Keflezighi spent two months of 12-hour-per-dayrehab at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, away from hiswife and two young daughters. He had to rebuild the right side of hislower body.

“You’re only as good as your wheels,” Larsen said. “That whole sideneeded balancing out, from the hip all the way down. The whole founda-tion needed to be reworked.”

The preparation laid the groundwork for Keflezighi’s revival in 2009that included two marathon PRs, the second the 2:09:15 in New York,and his 19th U.S. title in cross country.

His 20th came at New York, which doubled as the national marathonchampionship. Right after the race, he rated it his career highlight, betterthan his silver medal at the 2004 Olympic marathon.

It was emotional. He took the lead for good at about 24 miles. As hewas pulling away at 241⁄2 miles, right at the spot where Shay collapsed in2007, Keflezighi blessed himself.

Larsen still leans to the Athens Games as their career highlight: “Youhave more opportunities at New York than you do at the Olympic Games.If you nail the Olympic Games, you’ve got to thank your lucky stars. Still,New York is so doggone tough. With that field, to do it there after all thattime, wow.”

At 34, healthy again and with a major victory as part of his resume,Keflezighi is committed to staying in the sport through 2012 and possiblythe Worlds in 2013. All with Larsen in his plans, of course.

He’s talking about either Boston or London in the spring.“God has blessed me with another chance,” Keflezighi said. “I have

accomplished many things. It’s possible there are others to accomplish. Idon’t think my God-given talent has been fully tapped.”

Starting Blocks

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There are lessons to be learned fromthe way IAAF and South African offi-cials handled the gender controversyof Caster Semenya, 18, the unknownSouth African 800 runner who sud-denly ran 1:56.72 in July and inAugust won the World Champi-onships Women’s 800 in 1:55.45.

One lesson is that gender is not assimple as X and Y chromosomes. Theother is that delayed action and publicdebate on private issues can be damag-ing, both to the runner involved andcompetitors, who may be facing some-one with unfair advantages.

The IAAF, South African officials,and representatives of Semenya werestill negotiating a resolution of the caseas we went to press in early December.Two areas were involved: (1)Semenya’s World championships goldmedal and prize money of $60,000,and (2) her future as a track-and-fieldathlete, based on still-continuing med-ical studies. The best bet is that shewill be banned from future interna-tional competition as a female but willkeep the Worlds gold medal and prizemoney. There was also the possibilitythat a second set of World

Championship medals would beawarded for the women’s 800.

According to a September reportby the Sydney Herald and neither con-firmed nor denied by the IAAF,Semenya has both male and female sexorgans, and an unusually high testos-terone concentration, which wouldprovide a huge competitive advantage.

The South African federation hadSemenya undergo gender testingbefore the World Championships andelected to enter her in Berlin despitepotential problems, though the federa-tion initially denied any testing. After

A Case Mishandled

Too bad the sport doesn’t have anannual comeback athlete award. If itdid, Dwight Phillips would be ourcandidate for this year’s winner.

The 2004 Olympic long jumpchampion and ’03/’05 world champi-on, now 32, disappeared from sightafter he was (1) injured, (2) missedmaking the 2008 U.S. Olympic team,and (3) was not world ranked in 2008.

He put on a lot of weight, andwas apparently finished as a world-class jumper. That’s what most peoplethought. But when he heard about theInternet chat room remarks that hewas washed up, he decided he didn’twant to be “irrelevant” in ’09.

He got back into training — andwith a vengeance — winning theworld championship and posting fiveof the top seven marks of the year, ledby a PR 28-81⁄4.

The remake began last fall whenPhillips returned to his native Georgiaand began working with LorenSeagrave, who wanted to return totrack coaching from his speed/powerwork in other sports and who hadbecome affiliated with Life University,an Atlanta school for chiropractors.

Before Phillips could straightenout his career, he had to straighten outhis body, pounded by years of trainingand landings. Specialists at Life putPhillips through a kinetic chain neuraldeficit assessment (a body/musclescreen) to detect misalignments.

“The keystone of the process isthe concept that over time with a his-tory of repetitive motion, imbalancesare created where communicationoccurs between the brain and mus-cles,” said David Ward, Life’s directorof chiropractic sports performance.“We have developed in-house a systemwhereby we can identify communica-tion disconnect, where it’s comingfrom and create a strategy of how tocorrect that.”

Phillips had plenty of problemsthat were keeping him from reachinghis potential. “We had to put Humptyback together again,” Seagrave said.“Basically his whole pelvis wasn’t firingright. He had inflammation of thelower abdominal region where thepubic bone comes together. He (also)had hamstring issues.”

Once Phillips’ body was alignedcorrectly, Seagrave spotted a flaw inPhillips’ running technique, correctinghis heel kick. “I shortened the back-side of my mechanics,” Phillips said.“It made me more efficient, faster. Iran taller. It made me have bettermechanics off the board. Loren stillhas the eye. That (observation) haspaid dividends.”

So has a drastic diet change.Eliminating favorites like pastries andcookies, the 5-11 Phillips dropped near-ly 25 pounds, to the mid 170s. Seagravealso got him to realize the importance ofrest and recovery in training.

“Here’s a guy that loves track andfield and training so much that heover-trained to the detriment of hishealth” Seagrave said. “Now he under-stands that in a lot of cases, relative tohis experience and where his body is,that less is often more.”

A few more inches and Phillipscould have a world record, the 29-41⁄2of Mike Powell, set in 1991. Phillipsalready has an odd one: that personalbest, the 28-81⁄4 from June, is thelongest jump ever into a headwind.

Regarding Powell’s 18-year-oldworld record, Seagrave consulted withPowell’s former coach, RandyHuntington, and discovered thatPhillips generates sufficient runwayspeed to make the record attainable.

“I’ve told him, ‘Brother, it neverhappens when you’re trying to breakit,” said Seagrave. “It only happenswhen all of the things under a conflu-ence come together. You’re kind of sur-prised yourself when you set the worldrecord, like Bob Beamon (at the ‘68Olympics) in Mexico City.”

Phillips, who ran a personal best10.06 for the 100 in May despite astumble, would also like to break 10 inthe 100.

“He’s got this big buzz aboutbeing a 9.9 100 guy, “says Seagrave.“You’re not a man unless you run 9.9in the 100. I tell him, ‘Brother, 9meters (29-61⁄2) trumps 9.9 any day.”

Phillips Jumps Back on Top

s ta r t i n g b l o c k s


the August championships, the IAAFannounced there would be furthertesting. All of this was played out inpublic, embarrassing Semenya.

“These international sports offi-cials needed to say to themselves thatthey were talking about a kid here,”Mark Levinstein, a U.S. lawyer whohas represented athletes in disputes,told USA Today. “That they needed toget answers, that they needed to dothat privately, that there might havebeen speculation surrounding her, butlet’s make sure she has a (legal) coun-selor, let’s make sure she understands

what’s going on, let’s make sure she isbeing taken care of. It doesn’t soundlike that happened, and that’s just sad,all the way around.”

John Cook, who coaches sometop U.S. middle distance runners,including world 1,500 bronze medal-ist Shannon Rowbury, has stated thatother female runners should boycottraces that include Semenya. He thinksher levels of testosterone could enableher to run the 400 in 47, the 800 in1:52 800 and the 1,500 in 3:50.

“The main issue is the testosteroneratio,” Cook said. “It’s just too big an

advantage. We may as well go back tothe East German system where all islegal. We will not compete wherevershe is. There’s no way we can competewith that testosterone level. It’s a joke.”

Looking at L’affaire Semenya from alonger-range perspective there have beenenough previous gender-sensitive issuesconcerning women athletes that theIAAF ought to have had an early-warn-ing system in place for such cases, rareand difficult for everyone as they are.

We think that USATF andUSOC ought to be similarly prepared— right now.

• The IAAF athletes of the year, announced in November,were Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who reset his 100 and200 world records, and Jamaican-born U.S. citizen SanyaRichards, who dominated the 400, leading the world listat 48.83 and winning her first individual world champi-onship. Clyde Hart, who coaches Richards and quarter-miler Jeremy Wariner, was named coach of the year.

• Tyson Gay and Sanya Richards were named winners of theJesse Owens Award as the top U.S. male and female athletes.Although overshadowed by Bolt on the world scene, Gayhimself had a tremendous year. He ran 100m in 9.77 or bet-ter three times and set a new U.S. record of 9.69, and led theU.S. 200m list with 19.58. All this with a sports hernia/groinproblem which bothered him for most of the season, andwhich has now been corrected by post-season surgery.

• Carmelita Jeter, third in the 100 at the Worlds, finishedthe season on a tear, recording the year’s two fastest times,10.64 and 10.67. The only woman ever to run faster is Flo-rence Griffith Joyner (10.49, 10.61, 10.62).

• Elected to the USATF Hall of Fame Class of 2009 were800 runner Joetta Clark Diggs, 400 hurdler Andre Phillips,long jumper Randy Williams, 1940’s long jumper WillieSteele and veteran coach Ken Foreman.

Williams won his Olympic Gold medal in 1972, just afterhe turned 19: “It was my first time overseas and I was inLa-La Land just from that experience. It’s almost like I don’tknow how it happened.”

Phillips won at the 1988 Olympics, handing Edwin Moseshis first Olympic defeat, “When I came across the line andrealized that I’d won, I automatically didn’t think that Iwon the Gold; it was that I finally won one against Edwin.”

• In November, the International Olympic Committeestripped Bahrain’s Rashid Ramzi of his 2008 Olympic goldmedal in the 1500. Ramzi was one of five athletes sanc-tioned after retroactive testing from the Beijing Games wasconducted in April. Ramzi, a native of Morocco, was pos-itive for CERA, an advanced form of the blood-boostingdrug EPO. He won his gold medal by winning the 1500,one of the most prestigious events in the sport. Ramzi, whocan appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration forSport, also faces a two-year ban, but could be eligible forthe 2012 Games. Subject to Ramzi’s CAS appeal, the offi-cial order of finish in the 1500 is now: 1, Asbel KiprutoKiprop, Kenya (upgraded from silver to gold); 2, NicholasWillis, New Zealand (from bronze to silver); 3, MehdiBaala, France (fourth place to bronze medalist).

“We’re entering the era where athletes can be confi-dent that those that are considering taking alternate routes— like performance-enhancing drugs — they’re going tobe looking over their shoulders,” said Nick Willis, an ex-University of Michigan athlete who still trains in AnnArbor, Michigan. “They might not get caught today, butdown the line... This has maybe brought some aches andpains, but it’s an important part to shake some of thosecobwebs free so we can enter the new era of the sport.”

Bell Lap

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t r a c k c o n s t r u c t i o n

Track Maintenence on a Budget

You’re working on your annualbudget, and you keep comingback to the line items for the

maintenance and repair of your trackand field facility.

“Hmmm,” you’re thinking.“Those numbers might be able tocome down a bit. I wonder how muchof this we can do ourselves …”

Sound familiar? It should. It’swhat athletic directors, coaches andfacility managers are all thinking rightnow. Everyone is cognizant of the bot-tom line and of what they can do tohelp keep a lid on spiraling costs. Sowhat can you do—and what can’t youdo?

Do It YourselfThe good news is there are manythings managers can do to make trackslast longer and therefore delay theneed for professional maintenance. Beproactive about regular maintenance,say track builders. Keeping the “to do”list checked off on a regular basis can

really help the track surface last.Keeping the surface of the track

clean, for example, is enormouslyhelpful. Litter and trash should, ofcourse, be taken off the track immedi-ately, but so should naturally occur-ring dirt and debris.

“Trees are beautiful; however,they should not be located where theleaves and needles and other debrisfrom them can fall on the track,” saidCarl Aiken of Aiken Engineering inEast Greenbush, New York. “I haveseen new facilities wrecked because ofdecaying leaves on the track. Thedebris not only stains the surface but italso retains moisture.”

Make sure the entrances of thetrack are set up in such a way that dirtis not walked onto the surface of thefacility, said Sam Fisher of FisherTracks in Boone, Iowa.

“Grit is what cuts the binder andrubber in a track just like it cuts thefiber in a carpet. Not only does itcause excessive wear, but it becomes

unsightly at these areas of ingress.”In addition, Fisher recommends

installing sand pit covers to preventsand from being thrown onto thetrack while the track isn’t in use andthen ground into the surface by thosewho run on it later. The culprits hereare generally children whose parentsallow them to play in the pit and useit as a sand box while they themselvesare going for a morning or afternoonrun.

Mowers and other maintenancemachinery should be used with care,according to John Wettstein ofAthletic Marking Company, Inc. inPalmetto, Georgia—but they’re farfrom the only things that will driveacross the track in the course of a nor-mal school year. Tracks are meant forrunners, after all, and not for tires.

“Vehicle traffic should be kept toa minimum,” he notes. “We seeschools using their tracks as an organ-ization area for homecoming floats,bus turnarounds and, of course, a


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t r a c k c o n s t r u c t i o n

speedway for golf carts and Gatorsduring football games and practices.Tracks, especially those with rubber-ized surfacing, are not designed towithstand vehicle traffic of any kind.”

Mats and boards are used bymany track owners to protect the sur-faces of tracks at crossing points, andto allow for access to the field whennecessary—but should never be con-sidered a substitute for enforcing therules about proper track use. (“Justthis one time” is a phrase that allows alot of damage to take place.)

Additionally, said Carl Aiken,those mats, boards, etc., should neverbe allowed to sit in place for more thana short time.

“Many times,” Aiken noted, “thefacility will have the mat or carpet orother device laid out on the track toprevent excessive wear at locationswhere teams access the field inside ofthe track. The idea is good, except themats or other device are often left inplace for weeks at a time. This willtypically cause either moisture or dirtto exist under the mat. When the matis finally removed, the track surface is,ironically enough, more deterioratedunder the mat than to the sides of themat. I guess one solution is to keep themats or other protector in place onlywhen needed.”

Make sure there is signage postedregarding proper use of the facility—the fact that spiked shoes aren’tallowed, that recreational wheeledvehicles (including bicycles, scootersand more) are prohibited, and soforth. Remember that formally advis-ing users of the rules beats just hopingthey don’t break them.

In addition, say the pros, facilitymanagers should do a regular walk-through of their facilities. Daily isgreat, and weekly should be theabsolute minimum. While on thewalk, managers should keep an eye outfor problems on the surface of thetrack, as well as in the curbing, fencingand field. Keep a log of any problemsidentified. Some can be fixed by themanager or his/her maintenance team.For example, gates dragging across the

surface of the track can be repaired sothey swing correctly. Fences withbulges or sags can be repaired.

Don’t Try This at HomeSometimes, though, the problem ismore complex. A small area wherematerial is missing from the track sur-face, or a slight bubble in the rubbermay be something simple—or it maybe the symptom of a deeper, or evenstructural, problem. And while thereare kits that can be purchased to helpmake various fixes, many track con-tractors advise owners to call in a pro-fessional to make a definitive diagnosisbefore taking action.

“On items best left to the profes-sionals, I put track refurbishing on thetop of my list,” said Norm Porter ofOmnova Solutions, Inc. in Chester,South Carolina. “I have had morethan one facility manager contact measking for sources of rubber granulesand latex so that they can do sometouch-up on problem areas of thetrack. I always direct them to contactthe builder who installed the track. Itlooks deceptively easy when a workcrew is laying down a track and spray-ing on binder. These workers havebeen doing this job for years and itlooks easy because they have learnedhow to do it correctly. Even a minormistake by an amateur can result in acostly repair job, one that might havebeen avoided completely.”

Another thing to cross off the do-it-yourself list, said John Wettstein, isstriping. It’s not as easy as it looks, andcorrecting an improperly done “fix”can more than negate any savings.

“A measurable portion of ourincome is gained from the repair ofpoor quality or inaccurate track strip-ing done by inexperienced paintersand even track coaches themselves,” henoted. “Even repainting existing linesand markings is a process with nomargin for error.”

Remember that the stripingaround the track indicates not onlylane lines, but the distances runnerswill travel. Without clear and accuratestriping, the track will look terrible,

and even worse, records set on a trackmay not hold up.

Saving money is good, said SamFisher, but doing it at the expense ofthe facility isn’t going to help any-thing.

“We have had five tracks dam-aged this year due to burrowingunderneath for new electrical and/orwater inside the field,” he noted.

“In nearly every case, the ownerthought he could do it himself ratherthan hire a professional. He was tooclose to the underside of the surfaceand heaved the track. The cost to fixcan be nearly tenfold the expense ofhaving a professional direct borer han-dle such a task. In addition, moretracks have been damaged by inexperi-enced contractors adjusting lightsand/or working on scoreboards. Theytend to use the track as a constructionplatform. They plunge their outriggersfor their boom truck, and the result isoftentimes a huge depression. Peoplethat specialize in athletic scoreboards,as well as field lighting, know whatthey can or cannot do on or aroundtrack surfaces.”

Being conscientious about a facil-ity’s bottom line is part of being agood manager. So is being proactiveabout maintenance. And using creativ-ity to solve problems, and to figure outwhat can be done to lower overall costsis admirable. Just don’t ignore the needfor a professional. It’s a high price topay for a few dollars in savings.

Note: The American Sports BuildersAssociation (ASBA) is a nonprofit asso-ciation helping designers, builders, own-ers, operators and users understandquality sports facility construction. TheASBA sponsors informative meetingsand publishes newsletters, books andtechnical construction guidelines for ath-letic facilities, including running tracks.Available at no charge is a listing of allpublications offered by the Association,as well as the ASBA’s MembershipDirectory. Info: 866-501-ASBA (2722)or www.sportsbuilders.org.


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WE KNOW

BECAUSE WE RUN

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C A M E R A A T H L E T I C A : T Y S O N G A Y

JESSE OWENS AWARD, TOP U.S. MALE ATHLETE

Photo: Takashi Ito, www.photorun.NET



C A M E R A A T H L E T I C A : C H R I S T I A N C A N T W E L L


If there’s one basic rule that appliesto all sports (and certainly tothrowing) it’s this: balance is

everything.Without balance, an athlete (1)

can’t create power, (2) can’t harnesspower effectively and (3) risks injury.

The first place a thrower wants toestablish proper balance is in the backof the ring — at the start of the throw.For rotational shot putters (and discusthrowers, as well), lack of balance atthe start of the throw cascades into terrible consequences at the release.

Luckily for throwers there’s a sim-ple drill that can have a dramatic effecton balance: which I call the 360 drill.It’s easy enough for a beginner to learnand perform, and yet it’s used by evenelite throwers throughout their careersto check and correct balance issues atthe start of the throw. The drill, asdescribed here, assumes the thrower isa right-handed discus thrower or rota-tional shot putter. Adjust accordinglyfor left-handed throwers.

To address balance issues and givean athlete the strong, stable positionneeded to be able to drive from theback of the ring and create power, weperform a series of drills rotating overthe left leg.

We begin with a 90 degree turn,then graduate to a 180, a 360 andfinally, a 540 degree turn. Obviously

360 degrees or 540 degrees is muchfarther than a thrower ever turns onthe left leg in an actual throw. The ideais that if you can establish balancegood enough to turn that extraamount on the left leg, you’ll be able tobalance during the entry of the throw.

To perform the 360 drill, holdyour shot or disc as you would in thethrow. Begin with the feet wider thanshoulder width and with a good deepbend in the legs. The chest is up, andthe upper body is erect and tall. Pushoff with the right foot and pivot onthe left foot. The goal is to turn 360degrees and return to the same posi-tion you started in. During this drill,the three keys that we work on at theWorld Throws Center are:

Key 1. Push off of the ground with the rightside to start the rotation. Don’t pullwith the left side.

Key 2. Keep the right leg the same width (aswide as possible) and height off theground throughout the drill.

Key 3. Keep the same depth on the left leg.Don’t let the body rise and fallthroughout the 180, 360, or 540.

The first key, pushing rather thanpulling, is actually the most unnaturalone. Every thrower wants to pull withhis or her left side to get the bodyturning. We tell our athletes to thinkof having their left foot on a skate-board and having to push with theirright foot to get moving. This pushesthe right hip around, makes it easier tobalance and establishes a much widersweep with the right leg.

The second key, a wide right leg,

gives a wide radius for creating powerlater in the throw, but it also helps bal-ance the body. Much like a tightropewalker wants his arms to be extended tohelp his balance, the thrower can usethe right leg and a long left arm tomaintain balance through a 360 or 540.

The final key, staying low anddeep on the left, is probably the easiestconceptually, but is the hardest physi-cally. We want the legs to be in a deepbend with the hips low, and thethrower needs to maintain the samedepth throughout the movement.Make no mistake — this requiressome strength. Almost every athletewill have a tendency to rise throughthe 360 or 540. We need the leg tostay bent so that when we graduate toa real throw, we will have some depthfor the thrower to use to jump anddrive from the back of the ring.

Begin with a 90 for a few reps.Next do the 180 for a few reps. Thendo twenty 360’s.

Every thrower should be comfort-able with this kind of volume.

Not only will the 360 drillincrease balance, it will also strengthenthe legs for the events.

Keep in mind that this drill isnever outgrown. Throwers of all agesperform the 360 drill to keep theirbalance and awareness at the back ofthe ring. From high school to theOlympics, the 360 is king of the bal-ance drills!

John Godina is a three-time world champi-on and two-time Olympic medalist in theshot put, and the best shot-discus combina-tion thrower in history. He founded andoperates the John Godina World ThrowsCenter at Athletes' Performance inPhoenix, Arizona. He can be reached viawww.worldthrowscenter.com or www.ath-letesperformance.com or (480) 449-9000.

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Shot Put 101:

Balance is everything



A n appropriate program ofresistance training canimprove athletic performance

in every track and field event, and atevery level from beginner to Olympicchampion. Of course, such training ismost beneficial when it’s not onlybased on the requirements of eachevent, but also on the needs and capa-bilities of each specific athlete.

This article is intended to helpyou as a coach plan the optimal resist-ance training program for each of themany athletes you train.

Requirements of the eventEach track and field event requires adifferent combination of physicalskills.

The coach can learn theserequirements either by reading, study-ing photo sequences, filmed or tapedinstructionals, contact with othercoaches, attending seminars and thelike, as well as by a close observationof athletes in the flesh. Whatever themeans, it’s a worthwhile investment ofyour time — the knowledge gainedwill be useful throughout your coach-ing career.

Your objective should be to ana-lyze the movements involved in per-forming each event, and break themdown into components that can beworked on in the training program. To

put it another way, an effectivestrength training program mimics asclosely as possible the movementsinvolved in the event itself — so thatthe athlete will be able to transfer thenew strength gains into improved per-formance.

There are the three major consid-erations in analyzing each event:1. Break down the body-movement

patterns by muscle involvement andlimb actions.

2. Assess the physiological requirementsof the event, such as muscularendurance, flexibility, strength,power, and/or hypertrophy.

3. Injury prevention: Know the injuriescommon to each event and knowhow to prevent them through prop-er training.

Planning for the individual athleteThe key elements to be considered arethe athlete’s fitness level, work capaci-ty, recovery rate, and technical experi-ence in the event. No two athletes willbe similar in all of these areas. Let’slook at a couple of extreme examples.

One is a 16-year-old male whojust recently joined the track team andwants to be a high jumper. After basicfitness tests, he appears healthy; how-ever, he is 5’10’’ and weighs 195pounds, at least 15 pounds overweightfor his age and musculature. He sayshe enjoys sports, but currently doesnot perform any other physical activi-ty outside of track practice.

In coaching him, you’ll want tostart him on exercises to improve hisgeneral fitness level. Followingdynamic warm-up, have him performvery basic plyometric drills, boundingexercises and body weight–reactivejump exercises to improve his ownbody weight explosiveness. His weighttraining should be comprised of basicmovements to strengthen the legs,lower back and abdominals 1–2 timesa week. Additionally, while not sport-

specific, 15–20 minutes of cardio 2–3times per week may be needed to pro-mote extra fat loss. The rest of thetime should be spent on basic highjumping principles that include theproper approach, takeoff, flight pat-tern, leg clearing and landing.

Two is an 18-year-old senior whohas been high jumping for six years,starting in middle school. He’s fit, andhas excellent high-jump technique. Tojump higher, he needs a program thatwill help him produce more power.

His workouts should be a combi-nation of event-specific weight train-ing and plyometric drills. Weighttraining can be performed 3–4 times aweek, made up of powerful move-ments that strengthen the legs andcore. Example exercises for this athleteshould be power cleans, squats, jumphalf squats, deadlifts, knee lifts,abdominal variations and explosiveplyometric drills. No additional cardiowould be needed, and in fact it wouldonly be a hindrance to his speed andexplosiveness.

Thus, even though both athletesare performing at the same event, andpossibly even at the same track meets,their training regimens should be dif-ferent and specific to their individualneeds. And for them to get the mostout of their training, you shouldexplain each exercise and how andwhy it will help them reach their goals.

Physiological requirements of thevarious eventsMuscular Endurance Events. For athletes who perform repetitive move-ments for a prolonged time, i.e., distance runners, the focus should beon muscular endurance. The weighttraining prescription needs to be light-weight loads of less than 67% of theathlete’s one repetition maximum(1RM). You should have them per-form 2–3 sets of each exercise for aminimum of 12 repetitions. Rest peri-

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Basics of Resistance Training


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ods should be short, and no longerthan 30 seconds.

Events that Require Strength. Foryour athletes in the shot put, discusand javelin throw, a prime require-ment for success is strength. Whentraining for strength, they should useweight equivalent to 85% or more oftheir 1RM. Each exercise should beperformed for 2–6 sets with 1–6 repe-titions. You can allow them longer restperiods of 2–5 minutes so that theycan continue to use heavy-weightloads throughout the duration of theworkout.

Events that Require Power. Power isa main component of many track andfield events, including the high jump,long jump, triple jump and sprints.Speed is an important component ofpower; for that reason, it’s importantthat you don’t have your athlete usemaximal weight when performing lift-ing exercises. The weight should rangebetween 75–90% of 1RM, and beperformed explosively for 1–5 repeti-tions. Rest periods should be 2–5minutes so that each set can be per-formed explosively.

Events that Require MuscleHypertrophy. Throwers can alsobenefit from muscle hypertrophy.Their training should rely onvolumesof 65-85% of 1RM for 6–12 repeti-tions. Generally rest periods should bebetween 30 seconds to one and a halfminutes.

Exercise Order. Exercise order isanother key component of a successfulresistance training program. In mostcases, you’ll want your athletes tobegin with power and multi-jointmovement exercises first, proceed toother core movements, and finish withthe remaining single-joint move-ments. Another simple approach todesigning a program is arranging exer-cises from larger to smaller musclegroups.

Training Frequency and Duration.The number of sessions you have eachathlete perform each week is veryimportant. While it’s common that at

least 48 hours be provided betweentraining the same muscle group, thereare many other factors you shouldnote when designing your trainingprogram. Elements to considerinclude the athlete’s level of fitness, thetype of exercises performed, if the ath-lete is currently in or out of theirsports season and if the athlete isinvolved with any other training activ-ities. In general, you should designstrength training sessions to take nolonger than 60 minutes to complete.Longer sessions may become ineffec-tual due to the reduction of athletemental attentiveness, exercise formand intensity.

Recovery. For sufficient recoverytime, beginner athletes may requirefewer training sessions per week whencompared to advanced athletes.Likewise, if advanced athletes are per-forming several other modes of train-ing simultaneously, they too will needto reduce their strength training toensure proper recovery. It’s imperativethat you ensure each athlete under-stands proper sleep patterns, nutri-tion, and stretching to enhance recov-ery quality.

ConclusionWhile the basics of resistance trainingmay seem somewhat elementary, it’simperative that program design beginwith fundamental training principlesfor each event. Likewise, each athletemust be individually assessed for his orher individual needs. By doing so,proper development and optimal per-formance will be created. Future arti-cles will focus on proper strengthtraining for the high school athlete,strength training for sprinters, as wellas proper pre-season strength trainingprotocols.

Chase Kough (pronounced “Coe”), asumma cum laude graduate of OralRoberts University in health and exercisescience, is an NSCA Certified PersonalTrainer and has been Tyson Gay’sstrength coach for the past three years.


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Team Apparel 2010

Here’s our annual snapshot of apparel options for your cross country and track & field teams.There are technical fabrics available at a variety of price levels, and the options for personalizingthe gear range from custom screenprinted graphics to the nearly infinite possibilities available withsublimation. In addition to the options for uniforms, we’ve looked at a few warmups. You’ll findeven more possibilities by browsing the websites of the manufacturers.

adidas The adidas team apparel lineup includes sin-

glets, shorts, shimmels, briefs, boy shorts, andspeedsuits, as well as warmup jackets and

pants. It also offers in-line technical apparel for training, and style options

for the coaches.

Team Clima Singlet $28 adiBody Compression Short $30The adidas women’s range is com-

pleted with the addition of thiscompression-style short, adidas’take on the boy short silhouette.

The technical polyester/Lycrafabric is great for moisture

management, fit, and support. The singlet continues the

team look with the expected performance of moisture-wicking polyester. Each available in 9 team

color combinations.

www.adidas.com

BoathouseThe Boathouse team offeringsinclude singlets, shorts, shim-mels, briefs, boy shorts, and

speedsuits, as well aswarmups. It has options for

workout apparel and there’s a linefor coaches, as well. Customized

sublimated uniforms are avail-able on the Boathouse website.

Genesis Full-Zip Jacket $70Arena Pant $55

Originally known for its warmupsuits before broadening its

line, Boathouse providesquality and styling in all itsgarments. The Genesis Full-

Zip Jacket is made of a heavy-weight knit with zippered side pockets and

a sharp team look. The Arena Pant has a com-fortable stretch thanks to the same knit fabric, a 12"ankle zipper for quick changes between events, and

side seam pockets.

www.boathouse.com

Blue Star SportswearThe Blue Star team apparel line features singletsand shorts in several grades of quality and fab-ric types, along with the option of semi-custom

sublimation and traditional screenprinting ofyour team graphics.

Dash Singlet $15Charger Short $12

A new and dynamic design in the BlueStar line, the Dash singlet features the

proven Hy-Dry polyester fabric that’s inall its top-end singlets. The Charger

shorts are also Hy-Dry, V-notched,and unlined. They’re available in2”, 4”, or 6” inseams to cater to

athletes in all events. Both singlets andshorts are available in 10 team colors with custom

printing available.

www.bluestarsportswear.com

ASICS The ASICS team apparel line includes singlets,

shorts, shimmels, briefs, and boy shorts, in techni-cal polyester meshes and nylon fabrications. It

also offers several styles of warmup jacketsand pants, as well as team accessories,

including bags. ASICS offers a full line ofinnovative in-line training apparel.

Intensity Singlet $38Intensity Short $20

The Intensity Singlet is constructedof a knit microfiber mesh fabric

that’s lightweight, wicks moisture well, and dries quick-

ly. The Intensity Short features a smooth, thin microfiber

fabric that reduces friction, is lightweight,and wicks/dries efficiently. Both are available in 8 team

colors accented with white inserts, as well as solid white.

www.asicsamerica.com



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GTMThe GTM team apparel line is composed of sin-

glets, shorts, shimmels, briefs, boy shorts, andspeedsuits, as well as warmup jackets and

pants. They also offer value-priced team train-ing apparel and a line for coaches.

Performance Singlet $28Performance Short $14

Catering to the budget-conscious, theGTM Performance singlet and short pro-

vide value without sacrificing fea-tures. Both are constructed ofsmooth-finished polyester that

wicks moisture well. Shorts have4" inseams and the women’ssinglet features an additional

front layer for modesty. Both areavailable in 8 team colors.

www.gtmtrack.com

NikeIn addition to warmup jackets and pants, the

Nike team apparel line is composed of sin-glets, shorts, shimmels, briefs, and boy shorts. Customization is available on niketeam.com.

Also available is its well-known, innovativein-line training apparel.

Track & Field Muscle Tank $40Harrier Short $35

The Track & Field Muscle Tank adds a newsilhouette to Nike’s sublimation customiza-

tion package. The Harrier Short isone of three styles available inmoisture-wicking polyester for

performance equal to your athletes’ best efforts.

www.niketeam.com

InSport New Balance purchased InSport and

folded the New Balance track teamapparel business into InSport’s busi-

ness. The InSport team lineincludes singlets, shorts, briefs,

shimmels, boy shorts, tights, and workout apparel.

Vault Singlet $22Interval Short $19

InSport continues to offer eachof its team styles in wears-like-

iron tricot nylon fabric. TheVault Singlet and the Interval

Short have adorned state champi-onship teams for more than 20 years

and still offer continuity without busting the budget.

www.insport.com

BrooksThe Brooks team apparel line comprises singlets,shorts, shimmels, briefs, and boy shorts, as well

as warmup jackets and pants, and value-priced team training apparel. In-line apparel

is also available for training.

Mach IX Shimmel $36Podium Boy Short $28

One of two Brooks team shimmels,the Mach IX Shimmel handlesmoisture and is as durable a

technical top as any on themarket. Available in 6 colors,most teams should find what

they’re looking for. The Podium BoyShort is Lycra and polyester, and is as

functional as it is popular. Moisture management isexcellent, with good looks to boot.

www.brookssports.com

HindThe Hind team apparel line consists of singlets, shorts, shimmels, briefs, boy shorts,and speedsuits, as well as warmup jackets, pants, and tights.

3200 Meter Singlet $50Event Short $50The 3200 Meter Singlet/Short duo is new to the Hind line. The waffle-textured poly-ester knit allows customization with sublimated graphics in addition to the moisture-

managing properties of the fiber—both significant improvements in uniform tech-nology for the line. The styling and construction are first-rate, providing a top-

level team look that performs.

www.hindteamsports.com


27 El Paso:Layout 1 12/29/09 2:02 PM Page 1

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PumaPuma’s team lineup consists of singlets,

shorts, shimmels, briefs, and boyshorts, as well as warmups. It

also offers innovative in-linetraining apparel.

Phaser Warmup Jacket $45Phaser Warmup Pant $40

This warmup suit features polyestermicrofiber that’s easy-care, feels

comfortable, and offers water- andwind-resistance. The jacket is fullylined in mesh, and the pants arelined to the knee and feature the

convenience of 19" ankle zippersfor quick changes. Handy zip-

pered side seam pockets in boththe pants and jacket are another

practical feature. The jacket is available inblack or 4 team colors with contrasting white trim. The pant is

available in black, navy, or royal blue.

www.puma.com

VS Athletics The VS team line consists of several levels

of quality and fabric types in singlets,shorts, shimmels, briefs, and

boy shorts, as well aswarmup jackets and

pants.

Velocity Warmup Top $55Velocity Pant $55

The Velocity Top is a textured poly-ester pullover with a half-zip. Theheavyweight fabric keeps muscles

warm with a stylish look and a zip-pered right-side seam pocket. The

Velocity Pant features the sameheavyweight textured fabric, along

with 9" ankle zippers for easyon/off over shoes, and side seam

pockets for convenience.

www.vsathletics.com

SugoiSugoi’s team line consists of singlets, shorts, shim-

mels, and fitness shorts, as well as warmup jacketsand pants. The customization of sublimated

graphics makes intricate designs possible andis available on its team website. It offers

excellent in-line apparel for training, as well.

Mesh Singlet $4042K Short $40

Sugoi’s reputation for quality tech-nical apparel is available to

teams and events through its cus-tomization program, made more

accessible by permitting quantity ordersof 24. The Mesh Singlet is lightweight and

quick-drying/moisture-wicking polyester and features the finedetail of sublimated graphics. The 42K Short is the most com-

petition-oriented short in Sugoi’s line, with cool polyestermicrofiber for softness and excellent freedom of movement.

www.sugoi.com/custom

CREGG WEINMANN is the Running Network LLC’s footwear and apparel reviewer. He has been an observer of the footwear and apparel business for over 30 years. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

Copyright © 2009 by Running Network LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be stored, copied, or reprinted without prior written permission of Running Network LLC. Reprinted here with permission.

PCSThe PCS team apparel line consists of singlets,

shorts, shimmels, briefs, and boy shorts. Its focusis consistency of product, ready availability in a

wide array of sizing for the entire team, and30+ years of on-time delivery.

Reliance Spandex Top $40Mantra Spandex Short $32

The tricot nylon/Lycra combination pro-vides compression and durability, as

well as ready availability in colorsand styles to make reordering simple.

Two inseam lengths make the shortsa versatile choice that suits bothtrack and field athletes. In addi-

tion, its broad size range fitsevery athlete on the team.

www.pcsportswear.com

SportHillSportHill team apparel runs the gamut from singlets, shorts, shimmels, briefs, and boy shortsto warmup jackets and pants to value-priced team workout gear. Its quality in-line apparel isalso available for training.

Speedplay Singlet $15Gemini II Short $20

The Speedplay Singlet is a knit microfiber polyester top that provides a basic teamlook coupled with the performance inherent in the fabric. The fully lined Gemini IIShort is constructed of microfiber polyester so it offers low friction and moisture-wicking, as well as unimpeded freedom, thanks to the half-split design. Both are

available in 5 team colors.

www.sporthill.com


When you hear the name USADA, drug testing isprobably one of the first things that comes tomind. And while it’s true that USADA (U.S.

Anti-Doping Agency) is responsible for the drug testing inthe U.S. of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, our reachextends far beyond just testing. This includes critical edu-cation efforts to combat, at a young and developmental age,the antecedents to doping. Our education efforts have a sig-nificant focus on elite-level athletes, helping them navigatethe rules and regulations of the anti-doping program, butthey also bring values-driven messages to these athletes aswell as to younger audiences, instilling positive attitudesand behaviors before the point when the decision to dopemight arise. Ethical decision-making skills, positive bodyimage, informed consumerism about potentially risky sup-plements, and healthy nutrition for maximum performanceare some of the themes that our education focuses on.

Our mission is clear about how seriously we take this.Along with preserving the integrity of competition, andprotecting the rights of U.S. athletes to compete healthyand clean, we aim to inspire a commitment to the coreprinciples and critical life lessons of sport which can makesuch a great difference not only on the field of play but alsoin the classroom, business, and community.

To further this clean sport message, we have severalexciting endeavors underway at USADA. For student-ath-

letes, we have just launched the exciting programs That’sDope (for ages 14-20) and 100% Me (for ages 10-14).Fully interactive, with complementing curriculums andwebsites available for free to coaches, schools, athletic direc-tors, teachers, and youth program facilitators, these pro-grams explore relevant themes such as facts about perform-ance-enhancing drugs, dietary supplements and energy(stimulant) drinks, and the importance of safe training,sleep/recovery, nutrition, and healthy body image.

We have also just launched the USADA True SportAwards program, in partnership with Discovery Education.This dynamic program empowers and challenges educatorsand facilitators to creatively reinforce the clean sport mes-sage in schools and community organizations, and honorstheir efforts with project funding and professional support.Interested? Feel free to check it out at www.discoveryeduca-tion.com/USADATrueSport. Anyone educating or facilitat-ing youth can apply.

USADA’s website remains another key tool in the fightfor true sport, sport that is played clean and fair, and free ofperformance-enhancing drugs. Featuring the latest anti-doping news, an online library of helpful publications andmaterials, and updates on USADA’s clean sport campaigns,www.usada.org is a tremendous resource.

A n t i - D o p i n g

A MESSAGE FROM USADA

Your daily updates on the latest in track & field, cross country, road racing, and marathon running. Sign up at www.runblogrun.com and get your athletics fix at least 350 days a year. (Hey, we need a break once in a while, too!)


As noted in this space two years ago, the veryadmirable idea of Title IX has been twisted over thepast 30-odd years into a form that threatens the

future of the United States’ performance in the OlympicGames.

Since Title IX was enacted in 1972, and the bureaucrat-ic promulgation of “guidelines” which have gradually hard-ened into fiat law, university after university has droppedparticipation in a number of men’s varsity sports, citing TitleIX as the reason.

The worst hits have been taken by men’s wrestling andgymnastics. More than 400 collegiate wrestling teams havebeen discontinued, and according to the NCAA only 17Division One men’s gymnastics programs are still compet-ing. Seventeen!

Track and field and swimming have also been hard hit.Among the men’s swimming programs dropped are UCLAand Miami, which between them have produced 27Olympic medals. The scores of major discontinued men’strack programs include Southern Methodist, BowlingGreen, West Virginia, Western Michigan, Oregon State,Ohio University and James Madison.

From 1896 through 2008, according to the latest num-bers I cold find, America’s athletes have won a total of 2,197Olympic medals. 1,,132 of them (51.5%) been won by maleathletes in just four sports -- men’s track and field (619medals), men’s gymnastics (58), men’s swimming and div-ing (341), and wrestling (119) -- the very sports that havesuffered the most from the restructuring of collegiate sportsbrought about by the current Title IX “rules.”

If that isn’t a crisis for the USOC and USATF, what is?Where is the USOC going to be if the four sports that havewon 51.5% of all U.S. Olympic medals go out of business?Where are our great track and field athletes going to devel-op their skills if colleges continue to drop the sport?

Equity in Athletics (EIA), a non-profit organization, hassued to change the Title IX “rules” which universities say isthe reason why so many men’s programs have been chopped.I believe USOC and USATF should support EIA finan-cially, organizationally, and with amicus curiae briefs, andso should the leaders of every NGB involved with anOlympic sport.

If they don’t recognize that this is a crisis and start think-ing about ways to solve the problem, U.S. medal counts willgo down and not up. This has already happened in men’sgymnastics and wrestling, which brought home only threemedals from Beijing. It may not happen in 2012 (DougLogan may get his 30 medals), but it will happen in Rioand beyond.

The American development system for most Olympicsports is our high schools and universities. This has provedto be an excellent way to develop Olympic medalists.

Title IX is being used — misused — to destroy this system.

If USOC and the NGBs don’t do something about TitleIX, it sure as hell will do something about them. And it willhappen in the next 10 years.

— James Dunaway

USATF and USOC are mortgaging their future by ignoring the

Title IX Crisis




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