Periodisation in Sports - My Experience Lecturing part-time in Republic Polytechnic.
July/Aug the best time to peak for middle and long distance in Singapore.
Picture 1 - Jeevanesh, running against time, supported by Brendan Lee during the National Schools' Cross-Country Race 2011. Finally, Jeevanesh achieved 14min 57.05sec for the 4.6km route running in very hot sun which he was prepared for.
I believe that Chamkaur Singh, National Record Holder 3000m and 1500m, and Paul Thompson will agree that for Singaporeans the best time to peak is July, August in most of the countries. The earliest to peak is June. Else, it is no point training and to dream on big things. I don't think this will happen in long distance in terms of breaking records. We are just merely going against a very strong current.
I remember running with Paul Thompson, last December, who felt more could be done to make the students improve the timing of middle and long distance runners. As he is an accomplished runner, I asked his permission to mention on his comments in my blog on periodisation. He gladly allowed. I thanked him. I knew that truth will stand the test to time.
Picture 2 - One example of a success model for long distance. Are we able to follow?
In the past, M. Maran and Saravanan were able to do a 14min 13sec and 14min 26sec for the 4.567km route at Mac Ritchie Reservoir for the National Schools' Cross-Country Race. The route of National School's Cross Country 2011 is 4.6km, approximately.
By the time these two run to their peak performance in the Nationals Track and Field Championships, they usually peak in July, Saravanan was able to hit 3min 59sec and below for the 1500m. Later on, Saravanan was able to do 3min 53sec, with M. Maran also attaining it. The National Schools competition was well spread. In the past, the races were all fortunately held in July. M. Maran also came with credible times and was able to get bronze in the SEA Games and Asian Youth Games for the 3000m steeplechase events. All these were attributed to the periodisation in sports being used where early part of the season, one does conditioning for stamina training with some light workouts, and go to a period where workouts becomes a bit more intensive and then the final 6 weeks to 2months, one will do specific training and zoom in to peak.
This benefit of the past is now no more for people like Jeevanesh and the present groups of runners like Zachary, Galen Ruben, Aldrich, Jared, Benjamin, Amaldas, Eugene Rodrigo etc, This is my perception as a person who has done research in 1500m and hear-rate in Loughborough University. When we compete in National School's Track and Field Championships, it at least takes about 2 months for these students to gather more speed to even break records. As such, people like S. Jeevanesh who has the same ability as N. Ganesan (Current National Record Holder , 5000m - 14min 57sec) may not be able to reap the benefits of season training for speed sessions with 3 weeks left where the race will be taking place soon. In fact, if we look, Jeeva has 2 weeks training to improve and a week of recovery to sharpen for the 1500m and 5000m race. All long distance runners are going to face this problem of not being able to leverage on periodisation, developed by Tudor Bompa, the father of periodisation, for the success of any sports.
Hence, Jeevanesh has to look for a time of 15min 50sec to 16min flat for the 5000m, instead to doing 15min 40sec and below. May be a stiff competition may make this wish possible.
I remember vividly when N, Ganesan was having a personal best time of 16min 46sec, I was able to bring his time to 15min 41sec in a span of 3months. In S. Jeevanesh's case, I believe that he should be able to do a 15min 20 to 15min 38sec in 2-3 months, if only I am given the benefit of more time in hand. I feel sometimes having worked with N. Ganesan, helping achieve a personal best time, that Jeevanesh is much more faster than N. Ganesan.
Certain speed sessions I have given to N. Ganesan and S. Jeevanesh, I find that Jeevanesh has already achieved quick times that N. Ganesan was not able to obtain when he was training under me. I believe given the time, Jeevanesh will be able to go below a sub 15min, maybe even a sub 14 min in the long term for the 5000m race. His capacity is huge. He still has more room for improvement.
With my own speed as a marathon runner, I could do a 15min 31sec beating N. Ganesan in the 5000m race in the Singapore Open two decades ago.
Right now, the 2 weeks of time given is just not going to give much weight to break Darshanath 'A' Division Record for the National Schools 5000m, which Darshanath had the privilege because in the past the race fell around July.
I remember my friend Gordon Reid, from Scotland doing 14min 47sec for 5000m. whom I lost about 70 metres in the 10km cross-country race. I feel that the June/July race in England was able to make Gordon Reid to achieve the target.
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