Fraser Young

[Fraser Young]

Comp – Week 5

31 January

Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 111,21312,111 in 16.2, 34.1, 52.6 secs.
Pull Ups, Rope Climb, Handstand – 2 sets
Abs – 3 mins

I ended up going too hard in these runs, I felt really fresh so it was hard to gauge my natural pace. The final 100m was 14.6! I knew I was pushing it in the 300m run but the others were just naturally quicker.

1 February

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Blocks – 10,20,30,40,50m in ?, 3.22, 4.42, 5.57, 6.75 secs Freelap
70,80,90m in 9.07, 10.15, 11.25 secs (30/40/60m in 4.40, 5.55, 7.85 secs)
Hex DL – 2 x 3 x 145kg
Bench Press – 2 x 3 x 50kg
DB Rows – 2 x 6 x 42.5kg
Standing Plate Twist – 2 x 20 x 15kg

Damp track, 8 degrees, -2 m/s wind. More unpleasant conditions, wore my waterproofs for the blocks then stripped down for the longer runs. I used the cue to go aggressively down and back with the arms at top speed and that helped with my 20m splits, moving them from ~2.36 to ~2.28 secs. I’ve been reflecting on a conversation with an older masters athlete who said three speed sessions a week is too much. I figured I could train myself into a condition where my body can handle the volume but realistically I will probably benefit from backing off in the summer.

2 February

Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 2 x 6 x 100m in 17.7 secs, 17.2 secs
Pull Ups, Rope Climb, Handstand – 2 sets
Abs – 3 mins

Yesterday evening I pulled my reaction time data that I’ve been collecting every morning and it shows a trend of CNS fatigue throughout January, which backs up how I’ve been feeling. I’ve basically overdone it with the intensity and volume so I need to back off more in each session, starting with this one. I was more leisurely in my tempo runs, though once my legs were fully warmed up I naturally ran the second set of six reps faster.

I don’t want to make too many modifications to my training plan as in some ways I want to see what the result is if I didn’t change course. Unless I run some spectacular times I will probably keep more of an eye on total training load and dial it back 15-20% next winter, as well as considering volume for the outdoor season.

3 February

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Accels – 3 x 30m in 4.42 secs Freelap
4 x 80m (95%) in ~10.75
Hex DL – 2 x 3 x 130kg
Bench Press – 2 x 3 x 50kg
Abs – 3 mins

Wet track, 4 degrees, no wind. I was scheduled to run 5 reps but reviewing my program and fatigue levels I dropped a rep here. I also moved the deadlifts down to 85% 3RM in a bid to freshen up my legs. I was really pleased with the execution of the 80m runs, I was aiming to run as relaxed as possible while fast and it happened to be consistently around 10.75 secs.

4 February

Rest

I had a sore throat for the second half of yesterday and that carried through to today. Will either skip tomorrow’s workout or do a bike session instead.

5 February

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
Pogo Jumps – 2 x 20
Bike Accels – 3 x 12 secs (lvl 15) @ 640W
Bike Speed – 20 secs (lvl 12) @ 470W

Nice to do something, though I really didn’t feel like it. Jumps were great and I held the intensity in all the bike work. The pogo jumps weren’t full intensity, I only wanted to introduce some ankle stiffness work given the lack of impact from the bike.

6 February

Rest

My cold worsened and I had a sauna session and a short afternoon walk but otherwise stayed in my room trying to recover.

I don’t mind this illness at all, it’s come at a good time as I was easing up the intensity anyway. Still planning to run one or two timed 60 metre sprints from blocks on the 12th.

[Fraser Young]

Comp – Week 4

24 January

Abs – 3 mins
Pull Ups, Rope Climb, Handstand – 2 sets
Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 111,21312,111 in 16.6, 35.6, 54.4 secs.

I had to stay home for a bit so I switched the order. I’m still breathing hard, particularly in the 300m runs, so there’s still a challenge to the session.

25 January

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Blocks – 10,20,30,40,50m in ?, 3.15, 4.34, 5.46, 6.61 secs Freelap
70,80,90m in 8.98, 10.04, 11.20 secs (30/40/60m in 4.34, 5.48, 7.78 secs)
Hex DL – 2 x 3 x 145kg
Bench Press – 2 x 3 x 50kg
DB Rows – 2 x 6 x 42.5kg
Standing Plate Twist – 2 x 20 x 15kg

Damp track, 8 degrees, -2 m/s wind. Really nice session, a little bit faster than previous weeks and still with a sense that I have some tapering to go. It took me a few block starts to find my rhythm but once I did I was really pleased with the execution.

26 January

Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 2 x 6 x 100m in 16.7 secs
Pull Ups, Rope Climb, Handstand – 2 sets
Abs – 3 mins

Very easy session, good thing too as I had zero motivation. Despite feeling like I was running on wooden legs I still managed to clock some decent times. I’ve done something to my left index finger, it’s half purple, but I’ve no idea what and it doesn’t hurt much so isn’t hampering my training.

27 January

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Blocks – 3 x 30m in 4.42 secs Freelap
2 x 70m, 2 x 80m in ~9.20 secs, 10.45 secs Freelap (30/40/60m in 4.42/5.67/8.00 secs)
Hex DL – 2 x 3 x 140kg
Bench Press – 2 x 3 x 50kg
DB Rows – 2 x 6 x 42.5kg
Abs – 3 mins

Damp track, 10 degrees, -2 m/s wind. I don’t know why I feel so heavy legged when this is meant to be a semi-taper. I could tell it was going to be a slow one from the first rep where I struggled with my block clearance and felt sluggish to 5 metres. There was no real zip at top speed either and it felt quite laboured. I ate bigger portions at lunch and dinner as my weight is slowly creeping down and could be a sign I need more calories.

28 January

Rest

29 January

Warm Up 1
Trek (skip height, skip distance, SL scissor, bent leg scissor, alt bound) – 3 x 20m
Blocks – 30, 40, 50m in 4.40, 5.55, 6.70 secs
60, 70, 80, 90m in 7.92, 9.00, 10.22, 11.33 secs (30/40/60m in 4.42, 5.60, 7.90 secs)
Hex DL – 2 x 3 x 140kg
Bench Press – 2 x 3 x 50kg
DB Rows – 2 x 6 x 42.5kg
Abs – 3 mins

Damp track, 4 degrees, -4 m/s wind. I had some ankle trouble warming up but otherwise felt quite springy given it was only 9.30am. The wind was variable but I seemed to be hitting similar times to previous weeks. I still get a sense of cumulative fatigue so there is definitely more to come, it’s just a case of being patient.

30 January

Rest

A so-so week, I’m patient but there’s only 2 more weeks until my next time trial and having run a wind-adjusted 7.90 secs (8.10 when you add reaction time) I would like to see me get under 7.70 secs on the 12th if I’m to consider doing an indoor meet in March.

[Fraser Young]

Comp – Week 3

17 January

Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 111,21312,111 in 16.7 secs, 35.8 secs, 56.0 secs
Pull Ups, Rope Climb, Handstand – 2 sets
Abs – 3 mins

I wondered why I felt so great warming up then I remembered I’d only run 60m on Thursday. The circuits were only taking 4 minutes but being able to drop them entirely was a relief.

18 January

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 4 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 4 reps
Blocks – 10,20,30,40,50m in 3.22/4.42/5.55/6.68 secs Freelap
70,80,90m in 8.97,10.07, 11.29 secs (30/40/60m in 4.32/5.50/7.82 secs)
Hex DL – 3 x 3 x 145kg
Bench Press – SKIPPED
DB Rows – SKIPPED
Plate Twist – SKIPPED

Damp track, 11 degrees, -3 m/s wind. I felt superb in the warm up, my jumps were really springy and I was excited to see what times I could run. Despite feeling great in the sprints the times were underwhelming, especially the lack of top speed. I may have to wait another week or two to see my times drop but it’s frustrating to not see results yet in Comp Week 3.

I inadvertently skipped the upper body weights, the intention was to do them in the evening and then I forgot until it was too late.

19 January

Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 2 x 7 x 100m in 17.1 secs
Pull Ups, Rope Climb, Handstand – 2 sets
Abs – 3 mins

Easy session

20 January

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 4 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 4 reps
Accels – 2 x 20m, 2 x 30m in 3.30, 4.50 secs Freelap
5 x 80m (95%) in ~10.85 secs Freelap (30/60m in 4.55/8.27 secs)
Hex DL – 3 x 3 x 140kg
Bench Press – 3 x 3 x 50kg
DB Rows – 3 x 6 x 42.5kg
Abs – 3 mins

Damp track, 8 degrees, -4 m/s wind. A relatively early session to fit around work so I was warming up at 9am. Still quite underwhelmed by my times, I remember running 3.10 secs for 20m and being in the 4.25-4.30 range for 30m in recent seasons. Nice to drop the intensity again in deadlifts, 140kg is still an effort but I should start to taper now. I did find a lot of soreness from Tuesday, which I think was the volume of sprinting I did rather than the heavy triples.

I’ve had a general lethargy for the last 7-10 days so the reduction in training can only help me. I could possibly do with eating more as I’ve backed off the calories a little and now my weight is coming down.

21 January

Rest

My left adductor is feeling a bit tender, I need to keep an eye on it over the next week or so.

22 January

Warm Up 1
Trek (skip height, skip distance, SL scissor, bent leg scissor, alt bound) – 3 x 20m
Blocks – 30, 40, 50m in 4.35, 5.50, 6.67 secs
2 x 80m in 10.20 secs (30/40/60m in 4.35, 5.52, 7.87 secs)
300m in 43.2 secs (!)
Hex DL – 3 x 3 x 140kg
Bench Press – 3 x 3 x 50kg
DB Rows – 3 x 6 x 42.5kg
Abs – 3 mins

Damp track, 8 degrees, -4 m/s wind. Great session, didn’t feel spectacular but really pleased with the times I ran. I ran 10.20 and 10.16 for the 80m runs and I just went for it in the 300m without checking splits. Weights moved more easily as well, happy days.

23 January

Rest

[Fraser Young]

Comp – Week 2

10 January

Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 111,22,22,111 in 17.0 secs, 36.4 secs
GS Circuits 1 round of 3 x 3 exercises with 2 x 30m jog (20 secs)
A1 Hex DL – 8 x 120kg, 6 x 127.5kg
A2 Squat Jumps – 2 x 4
A3 Bench Press (fast) – 2 x 5 x 50kg
Abs – 3 mins

Nice to be back on the track. It was a short session followed by some weights, with the goal of having a practice 60m run on Thursday.

11 January

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 4 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 4 reps
Blocks – 20,30,40,50m in 4.50/5.70/6.90 secs Freelap
3 x 60m in 8.25 secs (30/40m in 4.52/5.75 secs)
A1 DB Rows – 2 x 6 x 42.5kg
A2 DB Hyperextension Rows – 2 x 12 x 10kg
C1 Weighted Dips – 2 x 6 x 15kg
C2 Standing Plate Twist – 2 x 20 x 15kg

Wet track, 6 degrees, -6 m/s wind. Miserable experience sprinting into the wind, which gusted up to -8 m/s. Once you correct for the wind my 60m times are 8.10 secs, then adding in reaction it’s 8.30 secs, whereas I’d expect to be closer to 8.00 secs. I know that one poor training session doesn’t mean my speed has gone, and I did some submaximal deadlifts yesterday so I’m hardly fresh.

12 January

Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 111,1221,111 (20/40 sec runs)
GS Circuits 1 round of 3 x 3 exercises with 2 x 30m jog (20 secs)
A1 Hex DL – 8 x 120kg, 6 x 127.5kg
A2 Squat Jumps – 2 x 4
A3 Bench Press (fast) – 2 x 5 x 50kg
Abs – 3 mins

I had to double check the original program PDF as I find it surprising that 90% effort deadlifts are placed 24 hours before speed sessions. We’ll see tomorrow if it severely hampers my sprint times or if there were other reasons I didn’t perform well on Sunday.

I’m otherwise really looking forward to doing a trial 60m run on Thursday, though aware that the weather and in particular the wind has the potential to thoroughly ruin the experience. The forecast for now is 9 degrees and light rain.

13 January

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 4 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 4 reps
Blocks – 2 x 20m, 2 x 30m in 3.28 secs, 4.48 secs
5 x 60m (95%) in 8.40-8.50 secs (20/30/40m in 3.30/4.60/5.85 secs)
A1 DB Rows – 2 x 6 x 42.5kg
A2 DB Hyperextension Rows – 2 x 15 x 10kg
B1 Weighted Dips – 2 x 6 x 15kg
B2 Standing Plate Twist – 2 x 20 x 15kg

Wet track, 10 degrees, -4 m/s wind. I wore waterproof trousers for the first time and they were superb, keeping me really cosy. I wasn’t sure how much they introduced wind resistance to my runs but I’m not trying to peak today so let’s just see what I do on Thursday.

14 January

Rest

15 January

Full Race Warm Up
60m – 7.99 secs Freelap (20/30/40m in 3.21/4.41/5.62)

Wet track, 8 degrees, -4 m/s wind. Conditions were not great, I chose the morning as the forecast was for heavier rain in the afternoon. I wore my waterproof clothing during the warm up and only took it off for the 60m run.

I didn’t feel incredibly fresh warming up but I was really pleased with the execution of the run and how powerful I felt. If you adjust for the wind it’s ~7.90 secs, which would be 8.10 secs with reaction time. Given I was still doing 90% deadlifts 72 hours ago and haven’t really tapered I don’t mind the time, but I was expecting to be a bit faster. I often see a drop in sprint times in the 3-5 days after a race so I’m hoping to see faster times in my Sunday session.

16 January

Rest

[Fraser Young]

Comp – Week 1

3 January

Hurdle Mobility 3 – 2 sets
Bike Tempo – 111,212,212,111 (1 = 45 secs, 2 = 90 secs, 180W/170W)
GS Circuits 2 rounds of 3 x 3 exercises with 2 x 30m jog (25 secs)
Pull ups, Rope Climb, Handstands – 2 sets
Abs – 4 mins

This whole training week is potentially going to be disrupted as it snowed yesterday morning and the temperatures are low enough that it might not melt for 5-6 days. I don’t mind this session being in the gym, bike tempo was quite tough though. I measure my VO2 max with my Polar HR strap every week so it will be interesting to see how my fitness drops as the volume of tempo and conditioning comes down in this phase.

4 January

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 4 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 4 reps
Pogo Jumps – 2 x 20
Bike Accels – 2 x 8 secs, 2 x 10 secs, 12 secs (lvl 14-15)
Bike Speed – 3 x 18 secs (lvl 12)
A1 Hex DL – 8 x 135kg, 6 x 142.5kg, 4 x 150kg
A2 Squat Jumps – 3 x 5
A3 Bench Press (fast) – 3 x 5 x 50kg
B1 DB Rows – 3 x 6 x 42.5kg
B2 DB Hyperextension Rows – 3 x 14 x 8.5kg
C1 Weighted Dips – 3 x 5 x 15kg
C2 Standing Plate Twist – 3 x 20 x 15kg

There’s still snow on the ground so I did an exercise bike session here. I included some pogo jumps to retain ankle stiffness. I started on level 14 (out of 32) on my bike for the 8 second sprints and got up to 650W. I then did level 15 for 10 seconds and back to 14 for 12 seconds. In the future I think level 16 would be better for the shortest sprints, and average was about 630W here. The longer sprints involved a bit of pacing and power output was 520-540W throughout. It certainly felt like a sprint workout and I had the option of a 4th sprint but chose not to. Weights felt quite routine.

A little gutted that today was meant to be my first flat out 60m run but I’m fine to wait another few days. I only have one more maximum effort deadlift session in two days time, then I get to see what a fully fresh pair of legs can do.

5 January

Hurdle Mobility 3 – 2 sets
Bike Tempo – 111,212,212,111 (1 = 45 secs, 2 = 90 secs, 180W/170W)
GS Circuits 2 rounds of 3 x 3 exercises with 2 x 30m jog (20 secs)
Pull ups, Rope Climb, Handstands – 2 sets
Abs – 4 mins

Short and sweet, unfortunately the snow shows no signs of melting so far.

6 January

Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 4 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 4 reps
Pogo Jumps – 2 x 20
Bike Accels – 2 x 10 secs (lvl 15), 4 x 12 secs (lvl 14)
Bike Speed – 3 x 18 secs (lvl 12)
A1 Hex DL – 8 x 135kg, 6 x 142.5kg, 4 x 150kg
A2 Squat Jumps – 3 x 5
A3 Bench Press (fast) – 3 x 5 x 50kg
B1 DB Rows – 3 x 7 x 42.5kg
B2 DB Hyperextension Rows – 3 x 10 x 10kg
C1 Weighted Dips – 3 x 6 x 15kg
C2 Standing Plate Twist – 3 x 20 x 15kg

Yet another bike session. The intensity is definitely there, I feel close to being sick directly after the sprints, wattage was 630-650 for the shorter sprints then 450-470 for the longer ones. Deadlift was smooth, that’s the final really heavy session of the winter out the way. I’ve been feeling a little run-down and my food hasn’t been digesting well, possibly a mild winter illness so we’ll see how I am for next week.

7 January

Rest

8 January

Warm Up 1
Trek (skip height, skip distance, SL scissor, bent leg scissor, alt bound) – 2 x 20m
Accels – 2 x 20m, 2 x 30m in 1.97, 3.25, 4.45 secs
Falling runs – 2 x 30m
4 x 60m (35m IL) in 8.00-8.10 secs (30/40m in 4.45/5.60 secs)
300m, 200m, 150m in 47.9, 29.3 secs
Abs – SKIPPED

Wet track, 6 degrees, no wind. Back on the track!! So thrilled to have it rain this morning as it meant the snow disappeared. I was a little rusty in the sprints but I’m sure everything will be back to normal in the next session. My times were similar to previous weeks and once I ease back on the deadlifts I’m expecting to get closer to 4.30 secs for 30m and 1.10 secs for 10m flying runs. Forgot about abs and only realised in the evening.

9 January

Rest

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