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Morris County Track Club 2014-2015 Indoor & Outdoor Program
“PURE SPEED”
The Track & Field Program For Non-Track Athletes
The MCTC Track & Field program is one of the best track & field programs in Morris County, NJ. Our 2013-2014 Athletes have gained State, Regional and District Meet Records, Championships and National Junior Olympic (Indoor) Meet Records, National Junior Olympic (Outdoor) Gold Medals and National All American honors.
It is easy to assume that distance workouts will improve a player’s speed and endurance, since one is running longer distances and for longer periods of time, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Running at a moderate pace, as long distance runners do during their workouts, will not be beneficial for soccer, field hockey, tennis, basketball and lacrosse players seeking to increase their endurance AND their speed. Long distance running does not stimulate the kind of muscle fiber that is needed to develop the ability to produce quick bursts of speed on demand and sustain a required rate of speed for any significant period of time.
To develop speed (and sustain it) athletes need a track & field workout.
PURE SPEED was designed for Soccer, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, Basketball, Tennis and Football Positions that require Speed AND Endurance
Try-Outs Required.
WHAT IS MCTC “PURE SPEED”
The MCTC Pure Speed Program combines the warm up/cool down, conditioning, plyometrics, flexibility, speed training, endurance training, running economy and injury prevention required to help non-track athletes increase their speed and endurance. Try-Outs Required.
Speed Training:Speed is an integral part of virtually every sport. The MCTC track & field program will help your athlete develop the speed AND endurance that is so important in soccer, field hockey, tennis, basketball, lacrosse, football and other sports.
Running Economy:At MCTC we provide training on “how” to run so that each movement is most effective. This is Running Economy and running economy fosters speed. We teach concepts such as how to increase “strike rate” which is the most effective way to increase the power in the leg muscles which in turn produces speed.
Endurance Training:There are actually four types of endurance. They are aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, speed endurance and strength endurance. Most non-track & field workout covers one, possibly two types of endurance training. The MCTC track & field workout will help your athlete develop all four types of endurance which will enable an athlete to run faster for longer periods of time.
Warm Up & Cool Down:A proper warm up and cool down session will improve an individual's level of performance and accelerate the recovery process needed before and after training or competition. Muscle stiffness is thought to be directly related to muscle injury and therefore the warm up should be aimed at reducing muscle stiffness. Dynamic stretches are more appropriate to the warm up as they help reduce muscle stiffness. Static stretching exercises do not reduce muscle stiffness. Unlike the MCTC track & field workout, most team sports to do not train athletes on how to properly warm up AND cool down.
Conditioning:One of the misconceptions in the sports world is that athletes stay in shape by just playing or taking part in his/her chosen sport. However, if you want the utmost efficiency, consistent improvement, and balanced abilities, athletes must participate in year-round conditioning programs. The MCTC track & field workout is one of the best workouts to develop AND sustain physical conditioning.
Flexibility:Flexibility, mobility and suppleness all mean the range of limb movement around joints. Flexibility plays an important part in the preparation of athletes by developing a range of movement to allow technical development and assisting in the prevention of injury. Flex conditioning is an integral part of the MCTC track & field workout.
Tempo Workouts:Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditioning is an important aspect of overall training for many sports such as soccer, field hockey, rugby, middle distance and distance runners. Therefore, training must both increase aerobic capacity and buffer lactate accumulation to allow anaerobic glycolysis to continue. You wouldn’t have a 100-meter runner go for a 25-minute tempo run, but a soccer player would. A field hockey player would benefit from several 600-meter repeats at intensive tempo pace, but an American football player has no use for such workouts.
Three types of Tempo Running:
CONTINUOUS TEMPO is used for general endurance, helps improve recovery and the athlete’s fatiguing mechanisms.
EXTENSIVE TEMPO: Extensive tempo consists of runs of 100m – 600m at 70-80% intensity (HR 140-160). Remember, it is the ability to buffer lactic acid that allows athletes to stay competitive late into games and competitions when they are constantly in oxygen debt, but must maintain the ability to accelerate, quickly change directions and hold near maximal efforts.
INTENSIVE TEMPO: Intensive tempo consists of controlled runs of 80-90% (HR 160-180) intensity that allow athletes to run in a smooth, relaxed manner without undue stress. This means that, we must gradually increase the body’s ability to improve circulation and buffer lactic acid buildup by evolving workout intensity with continuous tempo, then extensive tempo, then intensive tempo.
With track athletes especially, we would be ultimately preparing them for race simulations in the form of speed endurance and Special Endurance runs.
Injury Prevention:An athlete’s level of conditioning plays a key role in determining her/his injury risk. Studies have shown that the best direct injury predictor may be the amount of conditioning an athlete completed in the thirty days prior to competition. Fatigued muscles do a poor job of protecting their associated connective tissues, increasing the risk of damage to bone, cartilage, tendons and ligaments. The MCTC track & field workout is an ideal way to maintain physical conditioning and help prevent injuries typical in other sports.
Plyometrics:Speed and strength are integral components of virtually all athletic movements. The combination of speed and strength is power. In recent years, this distinct method of developing the ability to produce bursts of speed on demand is called PLYOMETRICS – a key component of the MCTC track & field workout.
Competition:MCTC competes January 2015 to August 2015.
For more information on visit www.mctrackclub.org
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