Posts

Showing posts from 2009

Super Bodies!

Image
I have been extremely busy in the last few weeks, coaching is a 24/7 job and my coaching plan didn’t reflect the progress I was expecting. Sickness has been around too and many of them had to recover from it. I traveled for 24h in the last 48h between car, plane and train. I had the time to do some interesting thinking about my new article. Our readers are always looking for the extra tip which will make them quicker. I was trying to look at the way the athlete’s footsteps can be improved; we know for the last 50 years that the foot optimize itself by automating the motion along with body posture. The human body is made to run, but even if most people think that there are not many skills or postural development to be made, we all heard about injuries, and new techniques developed such as the Chi-running which has been proved been beneficial. But generally, the body is capable to learn itself how to save energy naturally. Why do we let our head change this natural ability?

Running Technique

Image
Is there a real Technique to follow or more a guideline !        Pictures : Forest marathon 2017 S.Locteau Athletes always ask me what is the best running technique. I don't believe in a universal running technique, but more in adapting the run to each individual. I always follow some basic guideline: Technique Many people do not know what they should do with their arms and hands when running. Your arms and shoulders will be tight from the swim and bike ride by the time you reach the running portion of the race. Try to focus on swinging your arms forward, but keep movement in your lower arms to keep your muscles loose. Your elbows should be bent about 90 to 110 degrees and keep your hands loosely cupped. Don’t clinch your thumb in your hand, but rather place it on top of your index finger. Your arm movement should be rhythmic and easy. Your hands should stop at the midline of your torso. When running, you want to focus your eyes on

Swimming in open water!

Image
My athletes know me as a hard task master, but I never lie to them. I tell them what is going to happen straight away so they are ready to focus instead of them discovering bit by bit and get afraid and can’t concentrate on their skills. So let’s be honest and put it this way with you: It is going to be scary! Now that you expect the worst the following should be easier to swallow. Swimming in open water is a great experience, from beginners to experienced athletes, the main difference from a pool aside from the depth is the f Fly Shannon Thomond Swim 2017  (Picture Limerick Masters Swimming Club) ear of the unknown, the darkness of the water or when there is a good visibility the fish, jelly fish and other aquatic “monsters”. Technically you only scared by what you don’t know or have a bad experience of, or been taught it was scary or dangerous. It is like having your first driving lesson and you don’t know how to drive and you know you can hurt yourself or someone el

Capability ladder!

Image
I remember asking two decades ago in an international sport conference, if coaches should train women differently than men? I was laughed at, now I am laughing as recent research proved it. Portumna Forest Marathon 2017 (Credit S.Locteau) I do believe in a difference of coaching them, and do think it is highly neglected and you can see it as an example in gear made for women or sports equipment. I left the coaching of Track after the 2004 Games, simply because I felt that my skills were not good enough at the level I was coaching at. Along the way it seems that I succeed better in sports I felt I was not predisposed to coach than the one I really wanted to excel. My interest in track, running was first an enjoyment and a way to help other athletes and became a recurring job taking over my nursing career. Track training is very similar to swimming training in a pool. Of course the biomechanics and techniques are different but the core and hips motions is a very important