Improvement Trends

Looking back at the meet at CU yesterday, I would say that is the most successful indoor meet we have had since the WTAFC started attending these things 4 years ago.  One of the great things about track is that if you go to the same meets year after year, as we do, you can look back and see how you compared against those times.  For example, Alex ran a 4:52 at this time in 2008, and a 4:49 this time in 2007.  In 2009, he ran a 4:37, for a 5.1% improvement!  Wow!  Here are just some of improvement trends I tried to calculate:

From last year,

Cam had a 5.4% improvement in the 1600,

Company had a 5.5% improvement in the 1600,

Mel had a 2.5% improvement in the 800,

Derek had a 2.3% improvement in the 1600,

Cabbage had a 2.9% improvement in the 1600, and

Tyler had an 11.4% improvement in the 800!  Holy smokes!

Last year at this time, we had four girls in the high 2:30's, not the low 2:30's in the 800.  We had two men under five in the mile, not four, we had no men under 2:10 in the 800, now we have one, most likely three.  Fantastic, I am so happy and impressed! 

Now, onto the analysis.  I know I could calculate everyone's percentage improvement, but I got get ready for my NASCAR party this afternoon.  Sorry. :)

What this shows me as a coach is a couple of things.  One, the older you are, the better you know how to race, so the faster you will be able to run.  Also, the older you are, the more miles you have accumulated under your proverbial belts, so you will be able to call upon those miles to get some more speed.  But, it really shows me that the long kilos we have been doing, the hill work we have been doing, the drills we have been doing; even without any true "speedwork" we are running faster than we ever have before at this point, and that is EXCITING!  As Coach Laster used to say, half of the plan is sticking to it, so we need to stick to our plan of working hard, doing all the little things right, and believing in ourselves, because I know we are going to get a LOT faster.

New practice schedule on the left, I hope everyone is out running a recovery run this afternoon, and I hope to see everyone tomorrow at Sierra MS at eleven.  We will be out back by the track, and be ready to run, as this will be the hardest workout of the year so far.   At the end of the week, I will be out of town, so the workouts will be on your own, or captain's practice.  Let's get ready to have a good week of training! 

SEP

P.S. 20 days to League Relays!