Songs and Motivation

As an athlete, what do you do to keep motivated? You may be familiar with the phrase ‘mental strength’? But how exactly do you maintain it in order to perform better in your competitions?

Well, you may participate in a motivation seminar, motivation camp, spirit-building camp, team-building camp, and all other types of camps. Are they helpful for you, i.e. do they boost your spirit? Yes and no.

However, I might have a different thought from the typical view, and I guess these programs may not be that necessary for spirit and motivation.

My motivation and drive come from dedication and hard work during training, the sacrifices that I've made, and also the curiosity for knowledge and understanding offered in sports sciences (that leads me to keep learning and understanding things "by doing").

Nevertheless, when you're competing, what do you do to stay motivated and electrified? I usually utilize my favorite songs to keep me going all the time.

Here is a list of my favorite songs that I feel can inspire and motivate me in different situations:

A) Pre-race songs (the night before a race or a few hours before)

>> Unchained Melody by Ritcheous Brother ... (to relax the mind)
>> How Can I Tell her by Lobo ... (to relax and empty the mind)
>> A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum ... (to relax and calm down)
>> Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton ... (to relax and feel independent)
>> He Ain’t Heavy He is My Brother by The Hollies ... (to relax and remind of duty)
>> The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel ... (to relax the mind)
>> My Way by Elvis Presley ... (to stimulate)
>> Have You Ever Seen the Rain by CCR ... (to awaken, and stimulate)
>> Simply the Best by Tina Turner ... (to stimulate and excite more)
>> The Final Countdown by Europe ... (to stimulate and excite more)
>> We are the Champion by Queen ... (to feel the victory)
>> Sailing by Rod Stewart ... (to enjoy the victory)

Some of these are even "more effective" when I play them along with my selected "sprint race videos" (e.g. 1998 Commonwealth, Olympic Games, and World records and World championships

B) Post-race songs

>> If not repeating the second part of the above, most of the others are from my collection of favorite Rock 'N' Roll songs like those from Elvis Presley
>> Also some from my slow and hard rock collections.

C) Onboard or travel for a competition’s songs

>> A few stunning country songs
>> Plenty from my Golden Oldies repertoire like from Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Rod Steward, and Paul Anka. Also the Hollies, Celine Dion, Bee Gees etc.

Different people have different preferences. It’s about finding what works for you and knowing when you need these songs. The most important thing is that they help keep you going!

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Ben Johnson's Former Coach, Charlie Francis Dies of Cancer

Ben Johnson's former coach Charlie Francis died of cancer on May 12, 2010 at Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto. Francis had been battling the disease for five years. He was 61 years old.

Charlie Francis brought innovative coaching strategies to Canadian sprinting that are still used today. And off the track he was well-known for his generosity.

Charlie helping to mould Johnson into the world's fastest man over 100m. However, Johnson’s career became mired in controversy when he stripped of his gold medal of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul along with the world record of 9.79sec after testing positive for the stanozolol, a type of steroid. Johnson was suspended from athletics while Francis was banned from coaching after admitting to Canada's Dubin Inquiry that he had introduced his sprinter to performance enhancing drugs

About Charlie Francis

Ben Johnson and his coach Charlie Francis

Charlie Francis was born on October 13, 1948 in Toronto, Ontario Canada. He was a sprint coach most remarkably for being the coach of sprinter, Ben Johnson. He was one of the best sprinters in the world back in 1971.

Charlie’ relationship to sprinting has been long one. In 1966, he recorded an Ontario Juvenile record of 9.6s for the 100 yard sprint.

In 1968, Charlie accepted an athletics scholarship to Stanford University in Northern California, where he studied political science and history and received a bachelor’s degree in 1971.

In 1971, Charlie was being coached by Payton Jordan at Stanford at the time he clocked 10.1s for 100m in Vancouver which subsequently placed him number 5 in the world based on this performances.

He was also the Canadian champion for 100m from 1970-1973 and competed for Canada at the 1972 Olympics in Munich where he reached the second round with times of 10.51s and 10.68s. In 1973, at only 23 years old, Charlie retired from sprinting.

His coaching career began in 1976, when he works with a group of junior sprinters under the Scarborough Optimists track and field club at York University. In 1981, he became the first coach in Canada to be hired as a training centre coach.

In 1982, after only one year in the sprint training centre, his sprinters produced 89 personal bests, 2 Canadian records and 3 Commonwealth records. Charlie’s well-known female sprinter, Angela (Taylor) Issajenko was ranked 4th in the world for the 100m. Sprinter Desai William held the Canadian record at 10.17s for 100 and had won a silver medal at World Student Games in 1983. Tony Sharpe ranked number 3 in the world in 1982 by clocking 20.22s. Ben Johnson also had a 10.19s personal best in the 100m. At the 1982 Commonwealth Games, Charlie’s athletes assembled a total of 13 medals.

At 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, athletes coached by Charlie won 8 of 14 medals acquired by Canada’s track team. Charlie Francis forged one of the world’s leading sprint teams whose runners set 250 Canadian records, 32 world records and won 9 Olympic medals.

Charlie-coached athletes’ best performances in the sprints are as follows:

50y >> 5.15s Ben Johnson ... 5.74s Angela Issajenko
50m >> 5.55s Ben Johnson ... 6.06s Angela Issajenko
60y >> 6.01s Ben Johnson ...
60m >> 6.41s Ben Johnson ... 7.08s Angela Issajenko
100m >> 9.79s Ben Johnson ... 10.97s Angela Issajenko
200m >> 20.22s Tony Sharpe ... 22.25s Angela Issajenko
400m >> 45.91s Desai William ... 50.5s Angela Issajenko

References:

Charlie Francis. Training for Speed. Canberra, ACT: Union Offset Co Pty Ltd, 1997.

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Creatine and Athletes Performances

Generally, main benefits to take creatine are as follows:

1)To increase muscle recovery
2)To increase endurance
3)Muscle growth


With the increasing of scientific finding in the sports supplement, the more products available in different type of fitness-related needs. Creatine is one of them. Creatine has become one of the most popular sports supplements among ‘power endurance-related’ athletes such sprinters, weightlifters, boxers, swimmers, wrestler etc. This writing may helps athletes to understand how the creatine works for the body during the high-intensity workouts.

When an athlete take part in exercise, a compound in the cells called ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is used to create energy. It releases one of its phosphate molecules to form ADP (Adenosine Diphospate). And in every releases of phosphate, energy is released for use.

To re-produce the energy, ADP has to be converted back to ATP. Its means that it needs phosphate. But the problem is that the phosphate that is stored in our body is limited. So, you need the "phosphate"  to re-form ATP, it's mean you need creatine.

How's it work? Creatine is converted to creatine phosphate in the body. Creatine speeds up the process of producing energy by giving its phosphate to ADP to reform ATP. Now the ATP is ready to create the energy again.

Indeed, creatine supplementation make difference. However you'll need to understand how and when to consume them in order to maximise the benefit from it.

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Starting Block Technique

The Important of a Good Start:
1) The start affects the smooth execution of the whole race
2) The faster you accelerate at the start, the easier it is to get to your top-end speed.
3) If you get a good start, you will get a good lead!

On the Keys of a Good Starter:
1) Positioning on the block
2) How you react the gun NOT listen the gun
3) How explosive you are

On Your Mark Position
1) Get nice and comfortable at the block, so be able to apply the force
2) Shoulder should slightly forward to the start line

Set Position
1) Head should be in line with the back or spine
2) Eyes focused 5-6 feet ahead on the track
3) Knee angle of front and rear legs approximately 90-100 and 120-130 degree respectively
4) Hips should be slightly higher than the shoulder.
5) Feet firmly closed to the pedal
6) Your feet ready be in position to apply forces to the blocks
7) Inhale and hold your breath
8) Now only thinking about the gun and the lead hand

Out Off the Block

1) React the gun by flicking your lead arm*
2) Applying force against the pedal*
3) Exhaling at the time your reacting the gun*
4) Rear arm should be around 100-160 degree of angle (depend on style)
5) Fully extended position, straight line through the head, spine and rear leg
6) Body approximately 45 degree angle to the ground
7) Avoid overstriding, as on the acceleration phase you are trying to push NOT
pulling
*done simultaneously

Fully extended position

First 10 Metres (Drive Phase)
1) Pump your arm as quick and smooth forward backward, do not across body
2) Apply the momentum from your start while turning your legs over
3) Keep low with eyes focused to the track to allow your build up speed
4) Overstriding will slow you down, as your hits the ground then have got to pull
5) Short strides isn’t practical in the acceleration phase
6) Drive your leg forward with a high knee action
7) Fully extended rear leg pushing off the track with the toes
8) Stride length shall more or less SEVEN
9) Guys 1.70m and below might need a maximum less than 8 strides

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Friendship Triangular Track & Field Competition, Manila, Philippines, 7 June 2007

Note: Pre-2010 track meeting (published when results became available)

The 1st Friendship Triangular Track & Field Competition was successfully held on 7th June 2007 at Manila, Philippines

The track meeting was between De La Salle University, Far Eastern University both top track & field teams in Manila and Sabah Athletics Team comprising of athletes from TSUBASA KINABALU ATHLETICS CLUB and NORTH BORNEO SPORTS CLUB. 

In Principle all three parties have agreed to sign a MOU in order to sustain the competition for the next ten years. Three such meets will be held in a year, the first one being held on 7th June 2007 in Manila and the next one will be held in Kota Kinabalu in September followed by the last one in Manila in December. 

Top Pilipino sprinter Ralph Waldy Soguilon who only ran 10.45 for the 100m in the USA last month welcomed the competition and said they need more meets like this one. Waldy anchored the the De La Salle 4x100m relay team to a stunning 40.4s victory, which comprised of his National team mates of Alex Gabito, Arnold Villaruebe and Albert Salcedo. 

The full results are:

100m

1. Fahrul Nazree (SABAH)  10.9

2. Jad Adrian Greene (SABAH) 10.9

3. Helmi Agustinus (SABAH) 10.9s

4. Bruce Lee (SABAH)        11.2

5. Jeffrey Lozande (FEU)    11.2

6. Soriano (De La Salle)      11.2

7. Romnick Herida (FEU)  11.3

8. Jonathan Lim (De La Salle) 11.4

200m

1. Helmi Agustinus (Sabah) 22.4

2. Jeffrey Lozande (FEU)  22.6

3. Romnick Herida (FEU) 22.7

800

1. Nelbert Ducusin (FEU) 1:55.3

2. Barcase (FEU) 1:59.2

3. Juan Akimi (Sabah) 2:02.6

4x100m Relay

1. De La Salle/Phillippine National Team - 40.4

2. Far Eastern University 42.9

3. Sabah Athletics Team 43.3

End.

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88th Australian Open Championship in Athletics / Commonwealth Games Selection, PERTH WA 2010

Perth, Australia - At his previous competition he had become World indoor champion, but Fabrice Lapierre had to produce something extraordinary just to win his national title in Perth on Sunday.

The 2005 champion, Chris Noffke, rocked Lapierre and set an appreciative crowd buzzing, with a fifth-round 8.33m (+1.2) to move out of a tie with Lapierre and into the lead.

“He put the pressure on me,” Lapierre said later, “and I didn’t want to lose.”

All very well, but what Lapierre needed to satisfy that want was a jump close to his legal best of 8.35m in 2009, or maybe his wind-assisted 8.57m in Madrid the same year.

What he produced was better than both, a monster 8.78m jump that looked big from run-up to landing. The white flag went up from the take-off board, the distance went up, the only glitch was a wind-reading of +3.1, well in excess of the maximum allowable 2.0.

Lapierre didn’t know what he might have jumped with a legal wind, nor did he much mind. Noffke could only respond with a half-aborted 7.27m in the final round and the World indoor champion was again, for the third time, Australian national champion.

Having done the distance in wind-aided conditions, Lapierre is confident he can produce something similar in legal conditions - something such as Jai Taurima’s Australian record 8.49m, for example.“It could have been 10 metres per second. That jump was incredible,” said Lapierre, “I don’t care what the wind was.”

Noffke got the consolation prize of clinching an automatic spot in Australia’s team for the Commonwealth Games later this year in Delhi. He also leapt past some great Australian long jump names in David Culbert, Tim Parravicini, Shane Hair, 1984 Olympic silver medallist Gary Honey, and Peter Burge from ninth to third on the national all-time list.



Hooker and Samuels also produce

Australia’s other two current World champions - Steve Hooker and Dani Samuels - were also in action on the final day of the championships at Perth’s new competition venue.

There had been talk of Hooker attacking Sergey Bubka’s world record 6.14m in the pre-meet publicity, but the Commonwealth, World indoor, World outdoor and Olympic champion had played his chances down a little.

“None of the world record talk came from me,” he emphasised after winning with a ‘modest’ 5.80m.

Hooker opened at 5.55m, then cleared 5.80m before failing twice at 5.95m and once at 6.01m to go out of the competition an easy winner (the next best height was 5.05m).

He nonetheless thought that the warm, sunny conditions of the final day and the consistent tailwind had offered the possibility of something more.

“They were good conditions to jump in,’ Hooker said, “and I’m a little disappointed I didn’t jump as well as I’d have liked.”

Samuels, who became the youngest women’s World champion in the discus in Berlin last year, won her specialty with a distance of 63.31m. It was her sixth national title in a row, all achieved before her 22nd birthday!

“I had two 63m throws and one more in the high 62m,” Samuels said, nominating it as one of her best-ever series.

Class of 2005 returns

Samuels was one of a swag of teenagers who won senior Australian national titles in 2005. Chris Noffke was another, and he has clearly emerged from a mediocre couple of years since.
Two others to make it back to the top this year have been Ben Offereins and Katherine Katsenavakis. Offereins has been a re-emergent star right through the Australian season, dominating the 400m and reducing his personal best to 44.86.

The 400 was one of the best events of the titles, with defending Commonwealth champion John Steffensen, defending national champion Sean Wroe, Olympic year emerger Joel Milburn and Offereins all vying for three individual spots for Delhi.

In the end, Offereins was simply too good for his opposition, daring them to chase him as he led all the way to win in 45.17. His time could have been faster had the new facility possessed starter speakers as Offereins started from lane seven on the nine-lane track.

He caught Steffensen to his outside in the first 120 metres. Wroe, on his inside with Milburn, chased hard, perhaps too hard as he dropped from second to fourth in the straight. Steffensen thrust his chest ahead of Milburn on the line to take second, 45.72 to 45.75. Wroe was fourth in 45.98.

“It was good to have John to chase,” said the winner. “I knew the others would be chasing me from the inside, so I decided to just go as fast as I could.”

Katsenavakis came to the top only at the end of the season, capping a return from a series of injuries. After a slow first lap, she won a stirring duel with defending champion Madeleine Pape up the final straight to win, 2:04.58 to 2:04.82.

Sprints/hurdles...

The sprints had been expected to be hot in Perth, but cool and still conditions late on Saturday held Aaron Rouge-Serret (10.17 this year) and Melissa Breen (11.34) back to winning times of 10.32 and 11.50, respectively.

Patrick Johnson, 37, took out a popular win in the men’s 200 in 20.78 just ahead of Rouge-Serret. It was Johnson’s first national title since the 200 in 2006.

Jody Henry capped a fine year with a 200/400 title double, defeating visiting Irish runner Joanne Cuddihy in the 200, and finishing second behind her in the 400.

Tamsyn Lewis was fourth in the 400 and second in the 400 hurdles to Lauren Boden (winner in 55.86) making it the first year since 1997 that Lewis has returned home from the nationals without a gold medal.

Distances...

Ryan Gregson took his first senior title when he outsprinted Jeff Riseley, Jeremy Roff and Mitch Kealey to win the 1500 just eight days short of his 20th birthday.

Gregson showed great maturity along with his known talent to win in 3:44.99 from Riseley (3:45.15) and Roff (3:45.37).

Lachlan Renshaw won the 800, controlling the final 300 metres of the race, in 1:46.66 to clinch a place in the Delhi team.

Kaila McKnight picked the right moment to hit peak form, taking the women’s 1500 narrowly from Bridey Delaney.

Eloise Wellings produced a 2:50 final kilometre to take the women’s 5000 in 15:23.53, while Ben St Lawrence caught Collis Birmingham just short of the line to take the men’s 5000 in 13:40.54. Birmingham injected a savage surge at 3000 metres which produced a final 2k of 5:05.

Throws...

World indoor shot finalist Scott Martin took that event from Dale Stevenson, 19.83m to 19.67m, and finished second in the discus to Benn Harradine, throwing 60.25m to Harradine’s 62.26m. Olympic finalist Jarrod Bannister threw 83.17m to win the men’s javelin from New Zealand’s Stuart Farquhar, 81.01m.World championships representative Kimberley Mickle produced a best of 60.66m to take the women’s javelin.

Jumps...

Liz Parnov became the youngest member of the team for Delhi when she won the women’s Pole Vault on countback from 2008 Olympian Alana Boyd at 4.40m.

Parnov, daughter of legendary vault coach Alex, younger sister of Vicky, niece of Tatiana Grigorieva and training partner of Steve Hooker does not turn 16 until next month.

Source:
Article: IAAF Website (full copy)
Photos: Owned by AdrianSprints.com

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Brave Sabah's Sprinters

Jad Adrian 2nd from right with the Australian
cup champion, Matt Davies at his left

The men's 100m Ist round of the 88th Australian Open Athletics Championship ran last night (16th April 2010) was probably the best I've seen of our two Sabah boys who as underdogs ran bravely against a world class field of Australians, naturalised australian from Nigeria Anthony Alozie and a lone Japanese Sakuma Kato.

The boys were never afraid and were enjoying every minute of their involvement in this championship knowing very well that they intend to run fast times against fast guys on the new Western Australia Athletics Stadium at Mount Claremont, a suburb outside Perth.

Although the times of Jad Adrian Washif (11.06s) and Eddie Edward Jr. (11.01s) season best, may not seem so attractive, thay are indeed run under very difficult conditions especially the weather which was 16 degrees celcius and rather cold. "I did not sweat during the warm up but I know this competition is very good for me" said Eddie and more like this is what I want he added.

According to Jad Adrian who ran 10.89s this year, "running against world class guys will help me to perform better when I compete in the Asian Universities Games later this year". We learn so much, we are still young and Australia is a place to compete".

Being brave enough to run against fast world class guys is not the only thing but they are also brave enough to come here with little funds, staying at Backpackers lodge in Northbridge, North Perth and eating protein bars to gain strength. One setback for our Asian athletes is the problem of poverty and lack of support from the authorities. But the "GO FOR GOLD" motto in this year's SUKMA is something that I want said Eddie.

This year's Australian athletics championship is also a selection trials for Australian athletes who wish to qualify for Delhi 2010, the Commonwealth Games in the Indian capital.

SABAH'S BORNEO POST

click here for full results

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New Sabah's Sprint Queen

7th April, 2010

KOTA KINABALU: Jarmella Washif is the new sprint queen of the Kota Kinabalu Division Schools Sports Council Track and Field Championship after upsetting favourite Cynthia Manghing in the Girls’ Under-18 100m finals yesterday.

The opening day of the meet saw the Ranau lass clock a personal best and which is also a record, 11.8s (hand time). Prior to this, her personal best was 12.3s at the State Championship last year. So for Cynthia who has been a dominant force in the blue ribbon event for the last two years now, has finally found a rival in the business, as Jarmella proved that she is now the one to beat.

Cynthia, representing Penampang, took the silver with a time of 12.1s followed by team-mate Jesyline Stephen, who claimed the bronze with 12.6s. Jarmella’s team-mate Emily Yukon finished in fourth (13.1s).

This was the first time that Jarmella has beaten Cynthia and she attributes her success to hard training.“I’ve been training very hard till I vomited,” she said.“And I have been training regularly … five times a week, except on Thursday and Sunday, which are my rest days. Jarmella is training under her personal coach Washif Jafri, who is her father!

Washif said that he was not really surprised to see her daughter go below the 12 seconds mark.“We have been working hard towards achieving this specific target. In fact I’m not too surprised. However, I didn’t expect her to do 11.8s because at most I’ve predicted is 11.9s.“And I expect her to do better as she has yet to peak. She is now at 90 to 95 per cent. We are hoping that she will hit her best form during the State Championship or the Sukma,” said Washif.

Meanwhile, Cynthia’s personal coach William Isidore was not too disappointed to see his sprinter finished as second best.“I think I’ll take her defeat in a positive manner. In fact this is a good lesson for her to learn from and help remind her that she is not unbeatable. I hope with this she will train even harder.

Besides the gold medal feat, Jarmella also won two silver medals. She claimed her first silver medal in the long jump event and she was quite happy with this as she only picked up the event barely a week ago. She leapt a distance of 4.98m to finish behind gold medal winner, Ranau’s Ana Lydia Tinngi who recorded 5.38m.

In the 4×100m relay, Jarmella and Co had to settle for second as the gold medal was won by Penampang, spearheaded by Cynthia. Jarmella can seal her sprint queen tag on the final day today as she will be running in the 200m event with both Cynthia and Jesyline as rivals.

In the boys’ category, Nicky Ah Hill from Tuaran emerged as the new sprint king of the Under-18 category. He clocked 10.7s to take the gold medal while the silver went to Sebastian Lee Azcona of Kota Kinabalu who was a fraction of second behind on 10.8s followed by team-mate Asif Farhan in third with 11s. Last year’s winner, Jesly Justin from Penampang claimed the fourth spot, also on 11 seconds.

Defending overall champion Ranau are on course to retain the title after bagging a total of 20 gold medals on the opening day. They also won 22 silver medals and another 12 bronze medals. Penampang is in second on 12 gold, five silver and 11 bronze medals while Kota Kinabalu was third with 9, 16 and 17 bronxe medals. Host Tuaran ended the day with 7 gold, 5 silver and 8 bronze medals. The meet ends today.

Report from sabah times

More reports;

1) Kosmo

2) Utusan

3) RTM

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