Let Kids Be Kids

From RunnersWorld.com's Racing News, June 5, 2008:

Washington State’s 3200-Meter Champion Is Reinstated
The case of Nicole Cochran, who is bound for Harvard, attracted national attention. She easily took first place in the 3200-meter run at the Washington State Class 4A Championships but was disqualified after an official ruled she'd stepped twice on an inside lane line. Andrea Nelson, who'd finished second but was given the winner's medal, went over and gave that medal to Cochran. The girl who'd come in third but was given a second-place medal gave that to Nelson...and so on, through the top eight. Now, videotape has shown that it was a teammate of Cochran's, not Cochran, who committed the lane line violation.

I’m supposed to answer questions received by athletes and coaches in this blog, but sometimes you just need to “break loose.”

I ran in high school, college, and as an open athlete.  I have also worked as a volunteer, official, and coach. Too many times I've seen “officials” interfere with one of the simplest sports in the world.

The gun sounds, the athletes run, the order they cross the finish line is the order of finish. No scores on spins, tucks, pikes, pointed toes, or steps. Yet, we have situations like the one mentioned above. I also received another complaint about a seeding time that may have been slower than that which an athlete actually ran. In this case, the athlete’s coach claims his athlete was placed in a starting position that gave him “false hope”—thus he was put at a disadvantage “because he thought he was supposed to finish ahead of the other athlete.”

I just don’t get it.

Let the kids (athletes) sort things out. Track and field athletes are some pretty special people. The athletes in the 3200 in Washington proved this point.

Am I saying that we don’t need judges and officials? No. But the focus needs to remain on the athletes, not “earning your stripes.”

Let them run—and sort things out themselves.

-Coach Budd

Have a question for Budd? E-mail him at askbudd@rodale.com

Championship Run: Stating the Obvious

Coach Budd,
I wasn’t sure I could make it, but I did. I’ve been working hard since I was a freshman to qualify for our high school state championships and I finally did it. I want to make sure I’m totally ready to run my best. Can you give me a special workout to make sure that happens?—One Beaming Senior

Well, congratulations. What we sometimes forget is that 99 percent of high school track-and-field athletes don’t get a chance to experience state championships. So, first off, give yourself a big pat on the back and be proud.

Now for the race. There are no “magic workouts” that will make you any better than you already are. The fact is, you survived the season, you progressed to districts, and you qualified for your state meet. That means you’ve been doing something right. I’m sure there are people around you that have plenty of advice. The fact is, you and your coach got you to states. Your coach may not be perfect (who is?), but she/he let you follow a plan that led to success. Go with it.

If anything at all, take these tips with you:
1) When in doubt, DON’T. This means, if you’re within days of a big meet and you’re not sure you should run quite so hard, don’t. A rested runner will run better than an exhausted or injured runner.

2) Celebrate Before, During, and After. You have earned this race; enjoy it. When your name or high school is announced, smile, feel the goose bumps, listen to the applause, BE HAPPY. You are the one percent.

3) During the race, just be yourself. Don’t try to be a superhero. Run the type of race that you’ve run all year.

Lastly, I asked a friend, Frances Koons (Pennsylvania State Champion and All-American at Villanova University), what she remembered most about high school running. Her answer? “The really fun yellow bus rides with all my friends—and quarters at mile pace.”

You see? Competing, even at the highest level, is a lot simpler than many people want to make it. So have fun at States.

Have a question for Budd? E-mail him at askbudd@rodale.com

The Run/Lift Balance Formula

Coach Budd: I've been working out pretty consistently with dumbbells, bench presses, and assorted lifting devices for about four years. Lately, I've noticed I can't seem to put any more muscle on, and the weights I used to do are much harder to lift. Is it from the cross-country and track training? Thanks for any advice.—Sean.

Sean, years ago, when I was an undergrad at Springfield College, my Physiology of Exercise Professor, Dr. AJ Mahurin, talked about the “Energy Bucket Theory.” Basically, it relates to using your body’s energy and allowing time for the body to restore that energy.

Picture a bucket filled with water (energy) and a small hole in the bottom. At rest, very little energy runs through the hole. During exercise, more and more energy runs through the hole. Above the bucket is a faucet that allows water (energy) to fill the bucket. This replacement of energy is related to nutrition and rest.

Nutrition and rest need to meet or exceed the use of energy (or lost water) in the bucket.

Where the heck am I going with all this?

Well, distance running produces thin muscles that can repeat an exercise for long periods of time. Lifting “for strength” produces larger muscles that can lift heavy weights for a short time. You’re asking your body to expend a lot of energy on two activities that produce different effects in the physiology of your body. You are draining the bucket faster than it is being filled. The end result is poor performance in the weight room as well as in your running.

So, the answer is yes: The energy you are using in your running is going to affect your lifting workouts in a negative way.

Talk to your running coach and lifting coach about “periodization.” This training theory creates phases of training throughout the year that will change your focus and goal. Done correctly, the phases will compliment each other as you progress from one to the next and allow you to reach levels higher than ever before.

Have a question for Budd? E-mail him at askbudd@rodale.com