Interview Collection '09

This interview has two parts, with the first focusing on Alain’s training as a decathlete and the second discussing Heike’s training. Trained by his father, Alain gives examples of the various types of technical and speed workouts that worked for him, and talks about how important the recovery to training ratio is for combined events athletes. He talks about the realization of quality versus quantity in training and how this led to better results later in his career. Alain then breaks down the training that led Heike to an Olympic gold in 2000. Stemming from his experiences as an athlete, he stresses the how significant high quality training versus the attainment of specified volumes was to Heike’s success. He also discusses the changes that they made in Heike’s mental approach to training and competitions, and how progress in this area led to better consistency.

In this fascinating interview, Coach Kane paints a picture of his program during all phases of the year. Specifically, he talks about the general work he does to begin the season, the role that speed development and strength fit into his program, his interesting mixture of the long to short and short to long methods, as well as his unique way of planning microcycles and how they fit into special preparation blocks. He also discusses his methods of tapering and how he tries to address the task of peaking for indoor and outdoor college competitions while being able to return to peak form for major international competitions later in the summer. For sprint coaches, this interview is both extremely practical and informative.

In this interview, Coach Gilbert first talks about his background in the various athletic endeavours he has undertaken. He then discusses his training under Dan Pfaff, including the principles that he has adopted from Dan for his own coaching, as well as those that he has modified. To this end, his training philosophy is discussed in detail, from his methods of planning to technical considerations. Glenroy continues on to list the important aspects of preparing a national relay team from the preparation phase through to the competitive cycle. In closing, he has some interesting comments addressing his concerns about the state of sprinting in Canada.

In this interview, Dwayne talks in detail about his general training principles, and how they are used in the training of Lashawn Merritt. He discusses the importance of the aerobic system to the training of a sprinter, as well as the role that strength plays in performance. In addition, he brings forth the progression that he has found to work with bringing a young, talented athlete along to a world class performer. Coach Miller’s traits of optimism and dedication are contagious throughout this excellent interview.

Frans has garnered a strong reputation in supporting his opinions on technique and training theory with scientific evidence. This is made evident in this, our second interview with Coach Bosch. A number of interesting topics are discussed, including the application of motor control theory to training, the “whip from the hip” concept of sprinting, common sprinting mistakes, training the front side of the body, his methods of periodization and the role of the penultimate step in the jumps. This fantastic interview offers some exceptional advice and some new outlooks on how to achieve better performances in the sprints and jumps.

In this interview Michael discusses what he refers to as “athleticism” and how he incorporates a range of preventative and general strength routines into his runners’ programs. Based on his extensive consultations with a number of sports therapists, doctors and other coaches, as well as a strong research-informed educational base, Michael has developed a system that he believes prevents injury and increases the work capacity of his athletes while also taking into consideration gender, environmental and maturational differences. He also discusses in this interview how he uses a range of tests to better understand his athletes’ individual strengths and weaknesses, all of which, he believes, gives him more information to be successful as a coach and help his athletes reach their potential.

In this interview, Michael goes into great detail on his coaching background and philosophy. He begins by talking about his development as a coach, and points to a few coaches that became mentors and great influences. As a big part of his expertise lays in the sprint relay, he carefully answers a number of questions on the important elements of this event, including how to manage the athletes, what to do to prepare a world class team, his preferred passing technique and the ordering of runners. Since Coach Khmel has also produced a number of world class sprinters, the suggestions he gives on how to structure a weekly plan in both the preparation and competition phases is invaluable information. Michael’s wide range of experience and years of study results in some exceptional advice given in this fantastic interview.