Daily Archives: November 16, 2012

Session 3: Hall: Bleep Test: 20th Nov

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This time of year the athletes are required to perform a bleep test to see how they have improved since the last time. This will be used as a starting point to produce a full needs analysis and scheme of work.

What is a Bleep Test?

The multi-stage fitness test, also known as the bleep test, pacer test, Leger-test or 20-m shuttle run test

The Stages involved

(Léger et al.,1988).

Rules

The test involves running continuously between two points that are 20 m apart from side to side. These runs are synchronized with a pre-recorded audio tape, CD or laptop software, which plays beeps at set intervals. As the test proceeds, the interval between each successive beep reduces, forcing the athlete to increase their speed over the course of the test, until it is impossible to keep in sync with the recording (or, in rare occasions, if the athlete completes the test). Many people who test people using the Multi-stage fitness test allow one level to beep before the person makes the line, but if the person being tested does not make the next interval then the most recent level they completed is their final score. The recording is typically structured into 21 ‘levels’, each of which lasts around 62 seconds. Usually, the interval of beeps is calculated as requiring a speed at the start of 8.5 km/h, increasing by 0.5 km/h with each level thereafter. The progression from one level to the next is signaled by 3 quick beeps. The highest level attained before failing to keep up is recorded as the score for that test.

 

Reference

Léger, L.A.; Mercier, D.; Gadoury, C.; Lambert, J. (1988). “The multistage 20 metre shuttle run test for aerobic fitness”. J Sports Sci 6 (2): 93–101

session 2: Road Run: Fartlek-Reflection

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15th Novenber session was a road run orientated fartlek session.

This comprised of a 10 min warm up game and a 45-50 min session.

The warm was changed from the usual one. I decided to use a games aprroach to warm up the athletes and “rise their motivation levels” in this cold time.

The game comprised of tig, however the athlete who got tug must perform a dynamic stretch then can rejoin the game. the tigger remains the tigger for 2min then the last person they tig becomes the new tigger.

After 6min I noticed that they were all having fun, however not all were doing the dynamic stretches. Thus I ended the game and explained that we needed to do more dynamic stretches with probing questions. This provided useful as they were aware of why we did them and they now all now what a dynamic stretch is.

For the last 2min of the warmup they performed dynamic stretches focusing on their legs and shoulders, ready for the run.

A brief drink break was introduced while giving information on  the upcoming cross country event and LWAC nominations.

Main session:

The athletes were asked if they wanted to road run or stay on the track. The athletes that stayed on the track did pyramids 50×3-70×2-90-120-90-70×2-50×3, with Linda Ellis Head Coach.

The athletes that went one road run, with Mark Thornton Level 3 Coach and myself, did Jog and walk efforts. This is an intorductory aerobic Fartlek session. This involved jogging for 10 min and walking for a min or 2 depending on how the athletes felt with the pace.

The route involved going down hills to work on their deceleration control and uphill to focus on thier power and stregth development.

I was aware that some athletes are more areobically tuned than others and the pace had to be adjusted to adapt for all athletes. The athletes that were not challenged on the road were asked byself how they were pyhsically feeling and if they were fine, which they were, they were asked to join me for one lap around the cycle track of 1000m.

This insured them that they were gaining more from the session and that if they stay at this level they will be moved up to the more advanced runners in the spring/summer time, Dave Humberstones Middle distance Group

Future Coaching Points:

During Warm ups ensure more praise is given and more encouragement to positive behaviour

When bad behaviour is shown, have more understanding on how to solve the problem.

This will be shown with further research in the management section