County Championships

[Guest]

Carl - Haven't you spent quite a bit of time out with injury in the last few years? Don't see you race much anyway.
Somebody who came to the sport late - so not pushed as a youngster - yet still you can breakdown!

Pete - how do you know what other clubs are up to with their athletes?

Chill out though guys - Preston had a good County XC Champs as did BW&F and BBH - no surprise really with the three biggest and most organised clubs in Lancs.

[Stephen Bennett]

Carl... Calm down mate... No ones having a go...

I think this years time will speak louder than words... Give it 7 months and we'll see what middle distance do..

I can't actually believe this is a topic of discussion... There's middle distance runners faster than sprinters....

[Jane Dickinson]

"Carl - Haven't you spent quite a bit of time out with injury in the last few years? Don't see you race much anyway.
Somebody who came to the sport late - so not pushed as a youngster - yet still you can breakdown!"


Yes unfortunately Carl has been missing for a while. Not down to an injury as such. Nothing he could have avoided but a medical problem (possibly there from birth) that was undiagnosed until the end of 2006. Something that he probably would never known he had if he hadn’t started training. Hopefully with twice daily stretching/medical pilates, regular massage and physio when necessary the effects of this problem can now be controlled. This problem was certainly not down to training of any kind.

[Kate]

I don't usually comment on the messageboard but it's difficult not to notice arguments within the club.

Aside from obvious bias as a MD athlete, I think the stick that the middle distance people is gettin is unjust at times. Injuries arise for various reasons and I am commenting as part of the middle distance group having suffered a stress fracture therefore being classed as one of a group of promising youngsters who have 'failed' to progress. Having been diagnosed with another stress fracture in my left leg this evening it puts some of these comments into perspective.

At Preston, each set of coaches are working their hardest to bring the most out of their own atheletes looking for current success as well as long term athlete development. Injuries are part of the course of being an athlete and it is possible that middle distance athletes are more prone to certain injuries but these aren't excuses for results. Success is every athletes aim in the short AND long term and as an athlete it's difficult to aim for races without wanting to win, even as a young and developing athlete because we have the competetiveness and desire to win. This is a good thing to see in youngsters but without a doubt the primary aim for young athletes regardless of events is to enjoy the sport and provide a base to build on for a potential future in the sport.

Every athlete who competed at the county champs deserves praise for turning out in freezing conditions and running well including those achieving county vests or medals for the first time. No one on this discussion is debating whether they deserve a well done and overall this thread was started to congratulate those for competing.

[Carl]

Ok right first things first, Kate I am very sorry to hear about your injury, I hope you make a thorough recovery and we all see you back running one day. Don't look at is as though you have failed in anyway.

Kate, you are totally right as well about praising athletes, I have tried to stress twice I think now I am not taking anything away from whoever competed (yourself included I believe). Unfortunately though, like you say, because of these arguements, unnecessary comments have to be made as part of who's best and one upmanship game.

Right matters in hand. Whoever thinks I stressed about this or not calm in anyway, are very wrong, I am passionate about it and have done lot of work/research into injury prevention, like someone pointed out you have not seen me around a lot (racing that is) as I have spent god knows how long trying to prevent injury.

Erm, right, Stephen, your a good lad, I have time for you, but let me stress this is not totally directed at MD coaches/athletes, like I said to a point I actually do not care who does what. The major point I am stressing is basically a nationwide problem and it could be construed that in areas of our a club there is an issue, people have definately raised the issue. And finally, I do not care, mate there are middle distance runners slower than me for 800 metres, but that brings nothing to this discussion, so forget about it.

[Stephen Bennett]

Nah you are right in some areas an I know what your saying mate... I think the comment about the sprinters/middle distancers was unnecassary by me... So I appologise...

This rift just needs to be sorted... I won't say anything else on this I've said enough...

[David]

Right, I'm not even in Preston most of the time and I never stop hearing about this rift in the club at the moment. Can we all just please leave it at a few simple conclusions:

1.) Well done to everyone who competed at the counties last week, brilliant effort by all.
2.) Carl has made some really prudent suggestions and he is totally right, but at the end of the day, the coaches for their independant groups know what is best for their athletes- a model is a theory, that's all; it doesn't mean it works foolproof every time!!
3.) I think its fair to say all coaches are most knowledgable about their own particular events. Fair enough, coaches from other areas can make 'constructive' comments and suggestions, but at the end of the day they are the coaches for their specific areas, so can everyone else just leave them to get on with what they are good at please!!!!! (I know for a fact that if MD coaches made unpleasant comments about other coaches methods they would get a very negative response, so what do you expect!).
4.) Stephen and Carl, you're not making the situation any better by stirring up antagonisms with other areas of the club; so what if MD athletes are faster than some of the sprinters and vice versa, not everyone is in the club to be superstars, some just want to have fun and will never be particularly brilliant but as long as they enjoy themselves and look to better their own performances, nothing else matters! I always like to remember the phrase: coach the process not the outcome- it doesn't matter who is better than who, as long as the individual improves.
5.) I don't know where all this rubbish about burnout and injury is coming from. Firstly burnout of young MD athletes. I've seen it in many other athletes my age from other clubs, but not this one! Taking a longitudinal approach, ie. looking at athletes who have been training well since 11 years old or younger and who are still in the club- can anyone actually think of any notably absentees or am I right in thinking we are all still here? Secondly injuries; an inevitable part of high level sport, but has it occurred to anyone moaning that we are trained too hard at a young age that very few get injured when they are young. For most, the injuries have only come since stepping up training at a much older age, so that completely throws that argument out of the window. (Sorry to hear about the new injury though Kate!) Also, in T + F league matches, there are countless occasions I can think of when MD athletes have had to fill in for athletes in other areas of the club who always seem to be injured, so maybe its not just us who have issues to ponder over.
6.) Can everyone please only make further comments on this issue if they are going to be worthwhile; arguing gets it nowhere!!! Cheers.

[Carl]

Ahhhhh finally someone.....


1) Couldn't agree more

2) I thank you for your observation of my points and take on board your points about how a model works and how coaches can quite frankly do what they please. However I would raise a question about the validity of this statement: -

'the coaches for their independent groups know what is best for their athletes'

I cannot agree with this statement on so many levels. To me it's simple, just because you coach an independent group it does not mean you know what is best for each individual athlete, unless you have worked with them for years, not just two either. That leads me onto the next point, with children how can a coach possibly know how to get the best out of them? They have to show you what gets the best out of them, not vice versa, and that's why varying training methods are crucial, not just running monotonously. That's where coaching models have to be used. There is no right or wrong way to coaching I don't think but there are certainly better ways of going round things. It takes years to work out what's best for an athlete and when you think you know they tend to get injured anyway so your back to square one!

3) Agree to a point, I think there has to be communication between coaches and respect for other peoples constructive views, while there is not this sort of thread starts.

4) The more I read this the more I think you have not read the full thread or are choosing to ignore certain bits. The first two people on here were MD coaches dropping antagonistic comments. Couldn't agree more about the process goal statement.

5) We will never agree on that, I appreciate what you're saying however. I wouldn't throw that arguement out the window, once again too much of that happens and that's why I am sat here writing this. Finally if you have read it, you will have noticed that I stressed my issues to the whole of the club not MD athletes/coaches, and raised the point that everyone should maybe take note and think,

[aidan]

Guys, Can we knock this on the head? Some valid points have been made but I would prefer you to discuss these face to face or via your own personal email and not in a forum which is open to the public.
I have only seen this thread very late having just come out of hospital but quite frankly I think the whole thing has developed into a petty and childish bickering session.
This thread started as a way of congratulating the team for their performance at the county championships - it is not a thread that should have developed as it has. If you want to carry out a discussion on relative merits of coaching / training for different events, then exchange each others email addresses at the track and carry it out offline!
Aidan.
PS: well done to all those athletes who won medals at the X-county championships - it was a splendid achievement.

[aidan]

Just a quick postscript to my previous note. I realise there haven't been any postings since 20/01/09 so effectively you have already stopped arguing. In future on the messageboard can we confine postings to the subject they were intended and not hijack them. If you want to discuss anything not directly connected with the posting start a new thread somewhere else.
If you want to discuss this posting speak to the girls at the track and they will give you my phone number and we can talk!
Thanks, Aidan.

[RTBBH]

Just to inform you all, we expect that the race will go ahead on Saturday.
There will be a precautionary inspection on Thursday lunchtime.

Watch this space and I will advise further.

Richard

[David Bugler]

Thanks Richard!

We will keep looking.

Regards

[RTBBH]

After a course inspection today, the races will go ahead.

This will be subject to a final inspection on Saturday, but things look Ok at the moment.

www.lancsaa.co.uk/ will have info up later.

Richard

[Stuart]

Will the juniors be running the saucer? It seemed pretty dangerous when we were up there last week.