Track & Field

How important are hill repeats for increasing run speed?

Power up your speed with hill repeats

Hey, James Thank you for asking the question about doing hills for increasing your speed. I believe hills are very important for speed, especially because hills give you power, and power gives you speed. So if you go to a hill, somewhere between 30 and 50 meters and have a more of a steeper hill, that would be really beneficial for your hill workout to increase power, which would give you the speed. You could also do longer hills, but that would be more for endurance. So if you wanted to do a hill workout which increases your power and power gives you the speed, then you do then between 30 to 50 meters. I hope that helps.

Hills are important for speed, especially if you do steeper hills between 30 and 50 meters. This will help increase power, which would give you the speed.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/g5yabjpqdqfmmmgv4yrv.vtt

Hills are crucial for increasing run speed because they provide power, which translates to speed. For an effective hill workout, find a hill that is around 30 to 50 meters long and has a steeper incline. This type of hill will help you develop power, which in turn enhances your speed. Longer hills can be beneficial for building endurance, but for specifically targeting speed, shorter and steeper hills are ideal. Incorporating hill repeats into your training routine can greatly contribute to improving your overall running speed.

What’s the best running tip you’ve ever received?

Master the 800m: Cut in with force, protect yourself

Thank you for asking the question about what is the best running tip I've ever received? I ran for over 30 years. So obviously, the lot of tips but I'm going to impart one of them with you that still resonates with me and it's regarding the break the cut in Iran, the 800 meters and we were staying lanes and break on the back straightaway and the tip was use the entire back straightaway diagonally to cut in. So, If I was in the outside Lanes, I wouldn't just make a quick left hand turn. I will use the whole back stretch, but I would come in with Force. I wouldn't come in as if I would just wanted to take my time. I would be direct and I would have Purpose with my diagonal cutting. So if anyone runs the 800 or an event where you have to cut in, use the whole back straightaway to cut in. But just don't lollygag make sure you have a point where you're trying to get to and Protect yourself with your elbows so you don't get cut off.

When running the 800 meters or an event with a cut in, use the whole back straightaway diagonally to cut in with force and protect yourself with your elbows so you don't get cut off.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/n32egppmwecro2zsgi8p.vtt

Thank you for asking about the best running tip I've ever received. Throughout my 30 years of running, I've received many tips, but one that still resonates with me is about cutting in during the 800 meters race.

The tip I received was to use the entire back straightaway diagonally to cut in. Instead of making a quick left-hand turn if I was in the outside lanes, I would utilize the entire back stretch but with purpose and force. I wouldn't take my time, but rather have a clear point in mind that I wanted to reach. It was important to protect myself with my elbows to avoid getting cut off.

This tip has stuck with me because it emphasizes the strategic use of the track to gain an advantage during the race. Whether you're running the 800 meters or any event that requires cutting in, utilizing the whole back straightaway while maintaining focus and purpose can make a significant difference.

What does 'engaging the core' or 'using the core' mean to you?

Unveiling the Power of Engaging Your Core: A Key to Better Posture and Stability

Wow, I like that question. What does engaging your core means? I just listened to my door to do an interview. And when she was running, they asked the question. She said after engage my core. So basically engaging your core means to squeeze the abdominal muscles, which will make you stand tall and not sink. A lot of times people try to engage their core, but if you've not done any core workouts, prior to the meat or competition, you can't engage anything. So In order for you to engage your core yet the first dual core workouts, not only set UPS UPS but other exercises that help to activate the abdominal muscles. That's my answer for that. That's a great question. So the next time you have to engage your core, make sure that you squeeze but in order to squeeze in activate, you have to do exercises, that will strengthen your core muscles. That will be able to stay and talk. Thanks for asking the question.

Engaging your core means squeezing the abdominal muscles which will help you stand tall and not sink. In order to engage your core, you need to do core workouts such as crunches and other exercises that activate the abdominal muscles.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/yworjjkinfsauwhiymrm.vtt

Engaging the core or using the core means squeezing the abdominal muscles to maintain a tall and stable posture. It is important to note that simply trying to engage the core without prior core workouts may not be effective. To effectively engage the core, it is necessary to perform exercises that activate and strengthen the abdominal muscles. These exercises can include not only sit-ups but also other workouts that target the core muscles. So, the next time you need to engage your core, remember to squeeze and activate the muscles by incorporating core-strengthening exercises. Thank you for asking such a great question!

What can I do if I want to get my 800M time from 2:20 to 1:50?

Closing the Gap: How to Slash Your 800M Time

What can you do if you want to get your time from 220 down to 150? That's a big gap and I don't know how old you are and what kind of training you're doing. Obviously you're a guy if you want to run a 150 for the 800 being that the world record is 153. I think that you have to be patient. That's a big drop and I don't know why and when you ran the 220. Did you run that when you were a freshman and now you are a senior? There's a lot that I don't know but what I can tell you is that you have to be able to run your 400's in 54-53 seconds and you have to be able to come through that fast for your first lap. So I can tell you that because if you run a 53 and a 60 that's a 153. So a 53 and under 60 that would be in the ballpark. So based upon the information that I have which is that you ran 220 and you wanted to run 150 there's not much I can give you except that your first lap has to be 52 seconds or so. So you have to do training that can get you to that point and that's about all I have for that question.

The best way to get your time from 220 down to 150 is to work on improving your 400m to a 53 second run and then build on that. Additionally, you must do training to get you to that point.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/kx058jap7crfcxusv4wl.vtt

To lower your 800m time from 2:20 to 1:50, there are several factors to consider, such as age and current training. Assuming you're a male, aiming for a time close to the world record of 1:53, patience is key. It's important to understand the context of your current time. Did you run that when you were a freshman and now you're a senior? Without this information, it's challenging to provide specific advice. However, generally speaking, you'll need to focus on running your 400m splits in 54-53 seconds and coming through the first lap at a fast pace. For example, if you run a 53-second first lap and maintain around 60 seconds for the second lap, that would put you in the ballpark of achieving a time around 1:53. Based on the limited information provided, the key recommendation is to ensure your first lap is around 52 seconds or faster. This will require training that targets improving your speed and endurance.

What separates podium winners from world champions?

The Art of Becoming a World Champion: Putting it All Together

Hey, James. That's a good question. What separates? The podium winner from a world champion? Well really, when you get to that level and you have the ability to make it in the top three, we all had the same type of disposition work ethic. I think that thing that separates the champion, the ultimate Champion is the person that can put everything together on that given day. Yes, we all are doing nutrition. We all are stretching. We all have our I meant to advise us we all like getting out with rest, but on the day of competition, who was the one that's able to put it all together to dig deeper to run faster to throw further to swim faster, who was that person? And that is the one that will be the ultimate Champion. So again, I think the one that is able to put everything together on that final day, that separates the podium champion from the other people. That takes second or third.

The one thing that separates the podium winner from a world champion is the ability to put everything together on the day of competition - the person who can dig deeper, run faster, throw further and swim faster.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/qpilauxkpxp8fp3oqeqh.vtt

The thing that separates a podium winner from a world champion is the ability to put everything together on that specific day of competition. At the top level, all athletes have a similar disposition and work ethic. They focus on nutrition, stretching, rest, and have advisors to guide them. However, the world champion is the one who can dig deeper, run faster, throw further, or swim faster when it matters most. They are the ones who can bring all the elements together and perform at their absolute best on the final day. This ability to excel under pressure is what sets them apart from those who finish second or third on the podium.

In your sport, would you consider yourself the superhero or the supervillain?

Superhero or Supervillain? Athlete's Perspective on Self-Perception

In my sport. What I consider myself a superhero or a supervillain. Well, that's the key question. The key word is, would I consider myself? I would consider myself as a superhero, always training hard, doing the best I could do and always showing up for the good of the sport. So that's a superhero people will probably consider me a super villain because they still have my tenacity. My work ethic my drive to win. So I think that if you're asking me how I viewed myself, I would say superhero because I trained hard I had made sacrifices, I always showed up to compete. I didn't skip racist because a competitor who's going to be there. And to me those are super heroic qualities showing up all the times doing your very best.

I would consider myself a superhero because I work hard, make sacrifices, and always show up to compete.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/cftscalmy5pvdzz9vuzj.vtt

In my sport, if I had to choose between being a superhero or a supervillain, I would consider myself a superhero. I always train hard, give my best effort, and show up consistently for the good of the sport. However, others may perceive me as a supervillain due to my tenacity, work ethic, and drive to win. Personally, I view myself as a superhero because I put in the hard work, make sacrifices, and always show up to compete. I don't skip races or events because I know there will always be a competitor ready to challenge me. To me, these qualities are super heroic - showing up and giving your best in every situation.

Swimming

Strength

Triathlon

Photography

Nutrition

Physical Therapy

Running

Pets

Cycling

Podcasting

HealthCare

Musculoskeletal

Hockey

First Responders

Integrative Medicine

Chiropractic

Cross Country Skiing

Adaptive Sports

Mental Health

Surfing

Climbing

Tennis

Military

Mind Body

Scholars

Criminal Justice

Liquor

Golf

CrossFit

Soccer

Pickleball

Hunting

Public Speaking

Career Journey

Self Reflection

Coach Advice

Competition

800 meter

Training

Joetta is an Olympic Track & Field athlete. She graduated from Columbia High School in 1980 and earned her B.A. from the University of Tennessee in 1984, where she won nine collegiate titles and was a 15-time All-American. At the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in 1980, she won a gold medal in the 800 meters. Between 1988-2000, she competed in four Olympic Games, ranking within the top 10 track athletes in the world. In 2000, she made Olympic history with her family comprising all three sports in the same event. After retiring, she established the Joetta Clark Diggs Sports Foundation, was president of Joetta Sports & Beyond LLC, and received numerous awards and recognitions such as the VISA Humanitarian Award, Sports Illustrated “Hometown Hero,” University of Tennessee Hall of Fame, Penn Relays Hall of Fame, U.S.A. Track & Field Hall of Fame, and New Jersey Hall of Fame.