Gallimaufry

1. So lack of facilities is not our problem alone. I see that the Julie Rose Track at Ashford in Kent was about to be closed. The track was used for many international matches and national championships over the last twenty + years. Because they could not raise enough money to keep it going, the trust that organised it was on the verge of closing it when the local authority made an offer to take it over and that's what happened on the night that was to be the track's last night. When will local authorities and other relevant bodies realise that athletics is the best and - for them - the cheapest way of dealing with the sport of athletics plus the growing health problems in every part of the counry. It is also the basis of every other sport - apart from general fitness training, it has specialists in speed training (Scottish sprints coach Stuart Hogg has worked with Aberdeen FC, followed by Dunde United, then Rangers FC and is currently back at Aberdeen while Derek Ibbotson has worked with a range of English clubs). Throwing is throwing whether it is from the shot circle or in a lineout in rugby and jumping is useful in most other sports. So tell West Dunbartonshire.
2. The summer is nearly on us. The young athletes who competed last year must be looking for a slight increase of work done. If we look at the progression of training in terms of sessions done, then we get something like this - Under 13/Under 15: two or three days a week; Second year Under 15/Under 17: three or four days a week; second year Under 15/Under 17: four or five days a week; second year Under 17/Under 20: six days a week. There must be progression.
3. One training session need not be only one session, if you see what I mean. If you do a jog, then some mobility work, then some strides, then the session itself, followed by a couple of miles on the road or grass, you could be doing three things. A training schedule often speaks of so many mobility sesions, so many strength sessions, so many speed sessions, etc. The session above includes the session with its own purpose, the mobility/stretchng work which is another element in the training and if you are a sprinter the final couple of miles jog is strength training. One sesion can have sveral training elements in it. Don't skip any of them!
4. Have you seen 'Athletics Weekly' recently? Last week's and this week's are both pretty good. They used to have a section on Athletics Basics which told you how to get started in athletics, how to learn about field events and so on. They now have a section called Performance Basics which do the same thing but for athletes with some experience and who want to develop their road running or high jumping or whatever. It's worth a look.
5. A word for road runners - if you do more than five or at most six 10K's in a year, you are probably doing too many and need to get in some races under and over distance instead. Have a look at races outwith the central belt as well - there is a limit to what you learn from racing the same guys every time.