LIFETIME BESTS SHATTERED AGAIN!

Trackspeed1-UK sprinters enjoyed a spectacular opening to their competitive 2017 summer season with several lifetime best marks shattered in a meeting in Clermont, Florida.

Brandon Murray(right) is all smiles as he reflects
on his fastest ever 100m at Clermont, Florida

Nearly all the performances at the meet, held at their training base at the National Triathlon Training Centre, were assisted by a strong breeze but, even ignoring that, several times were well within previous personal bests.

Arguably the leading performance of the day was 19-year-old Brandon Murray.  Having joined the squad 2 years ago with a lifetime's fastest 100 metres of 11.37, he lowered that in 2016 to 11.16, but at Clermont sent that into oblivion with a 10.71 second sprint aided by one of the only legal tail winds of the day measured at 2.0m/s.

It was of course mixed with an element of luck that the wind gauge stopped on the absolute limit for legal times, but it was a performance that easily outshone any other in the 19-year-old South London Harrier's 4-year track career.

It was a close call for the top squad performer of the day though, with Niclas Baker tearing up the home straight to record a sensational 20.89s 200m run, albeit assisted by a mini-gale recorded at 5.9m/s.  It still easily outshone his previous 21.61 best, and was assessed by coach John Powell as potentially faster:

Niclas  Baker on his way to a sensational sub-21-second 200m,
annihilating his previous lifetime best for the distance!

"Nic didn't really get hold of the bend, and only switched on the after-burners in the straight.  It was a very classy run despite the wind, especially as he had run a 48.81 400 meters 3 hours or so earlier," he explained.

It's real!  Confirmation of Nic's super 200m run!

Another Trackspeed1-UK athlete in the form of his life was Cameron Starr, who clocked 10.71s for the 100m aided by a 3.6m/s tail wind - the second fastest time of his life behind his best 10.70, but in the 200m he timed 21.69s to win his heat despite nearly falling 10 strides into the race.  His heat winning time destroyed his previous best of 22.08s, and was another run that was easily inside his best with or without the wind.

Rhys Francis, 18, from Cambridge Harriers, began the day with a 11.14s personal best, but was blown to 10.98s at Clermont with a 4.1m/s tail wind.  In the 200m his form was even better with a 22.92s run, dispelling his previous best 23.59s with a 4.2m/s tail wind.  His 200m was surrounded in controversy though as he finished 2 metres ahead of second place in his race, yet was recorded at the same time as second place.  With the backside clock stopping at 22.8 it is likely his mark was in reality yet faster!

Rhys Francis on his way to a lifetime best 200m

Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier Jerome Lule was knocked for six when news reached him of the tragic passing of his grandmother after arriving in the US, making all the more creditable his focus in training, and eventual personal best 200m at Clermont.

Jerome timed 22.96 with a 3.7m/s tail wind, having started the day with a 23.17s best mark.  John Powell commented:

"Jerome didn't take the news well, but has knuckled down in training to produce some excellent sessions.  Wind or no wind he is clearly in the form of his life, and will doubtless do his Grand Mother proud this summer.

Jerome Lule set a wind-assisted best ever 200m

"Overall I was delighted with everyone's showing at Clermont though.  It was a pity the wind confused results a little, but there is always a bit of pressure around an athlete's opening race.  It has been another long winter and everyone is always anxious to see where they are at on day one."

Trackspeed1-UK return to the same track this week to continue their training programme, with the next competition scheduled for Friday 28th April in Gainesville for the elite Tim Jones Memorial meet.  At least five athletes will compete on a traditionally fast track, with another week of training to follow before the group return to the UK.

Cameron Starr (red shirt) was in the form of his life at Clermont 

TRACKSPEED1-UK OFF TO A FLYER STATESIDE

The annual pre-season training camp in Florida, USA, has seen Trackspeed1-UK athletes flying out of the blocks in their first couple of sessions, while back in the UK there has already been a personal best set on the opening day on the season!

David Bolarinwa and Cameron Starr open up their track training
programme in the Florida sunshine

Working out at their usual training base, the National Triathlon Training Center, in Clermont, Central Florida, early indications are that there could be some impressive performances this year.

The majority of the squad are crossing the Atlantic this year to put the finishing touches to their  summer season preparations, although some are not due to fly until a little later this month.

One of those still in the UK elected to begin his season early this year, and competed in the Herne Hill Open meeting in Tooting, promptly annihilating his personal best over 200m with a fine 22.25s blast with a zero wind reading.  Ishmael Smith-John was all smiles after his run, and was soon receiving many plaudits from across the Atlantic.

"It's ever so early right now," said Trackspeed1-UK Head Coach John Powell, "but if you put down a PB in any of your opening meets, that is always a great morale booster.  Our programme will never peak athletes for April, so hopefully there will be a lot more to come, with Ishmael surely cracking the 22-second barrier this year."

Keep an eye on this blog for further updates from the US, where Trackspeed1-UK will be competing too, in two track meetings later this month.

WINTER SLOG TO PAY OFF?

L-R: Brandon Murray, Chaka Maillett and Cameron Starr
training in the bleak mid winter at Crystal Palace.

It's the unseen side of  athletics - the grind and toil of track sprinters in the UK training in the freezing cold and dark at a local track - in this case, Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

Winters can be long and hard, and the athletes in the Trackspeed1-UK training stable know only too well what they have to face during the winter months, but also how vital it is if they are to fulfil their potential in the summer.

Currently the group are focussing on a training window of speed that includes some indoor competition during January, but their next hurdle will be the snow forecast for the next few days.

"It's always a challenge when the white stuff comes down," confesses Head Coach John Powell.   "You can't train on the outdoor track, and the indoor facility becomes chaotic with so many users. You just have to make the best of it, and we try to get a few of the quicker guys training early before the clubs and other squads descend upon us toward evening time."

There's hope on the horizon for most of the group, however, with at least 14 of them headed for pre-season training in Florida toward the end of March for a near 6-week stint.  Meanwhile, open meetings are currently being run at Crystal Palace on their indoor track, and next Wednesday (18th January) it is highly likely that several of the squad will be in action.

Trackspeed1-UK's 400m hope for 2017, Niclas Baker,
braves the cold at Crystal Palace during a recent workout.

BRANDON OFF TO A FLYER

Brandon Murray is the latest in a long line of Trackspeed1-UK athletes to fire off an explosive start to the new year with some scintillating form on the indoor circuit.

Brandon Murray set a lifetime's fastest 60m at Crystal Palace.

The 19-year-old South London Harrier joined the group 16 months ago with a 60m sprint best of 7.25 seconds, but he lowered that to 7.07s last year, and now already in 2017 he has clocked a speedy 6.90s.

His new lifetime best mark was set during the first indoor open meeting held this season at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Wednesday (4th January).  He wasn't the only Trackspeed1-UK athlete in top form either.

Cameron Starr only joined the group at the beginning of the Autumn, but he came out firing on all cylinders setting a personal best 60m also of 6.90s.

Coach John Powell was delighted for his charges, given the circumstances, let alone at this stage of the year:

"The indoor track at Crystal Palace is nothing like most indoor facilities," he explained.  "It is very cold there and not great for sprints, and of course this was the first outing for anyone in the group, so any kind of half decent performance so early is very pleasing."

Trackspeed1-UK athletes will be in action throughout January and early February, but will then return to  a winter training schedule before the vast majority of them depart for their annual pre-season training camp in Florida, USA, in late March.

ASTONISHING LATE SEASON FORM FOR TS1-UK

It was bound to happen.  A blog published here highlighting a late season personal best, and then within 24 hours came four more spectacular sprints from a Trackspeed1-UK squad who have quite literally been on fire this year.

Headlining the performances at Lee Valley Athletics Centre on Wednesday evening was again Niclas Baker, who shattered his previous lifetime best over 200m with a 21.33s run.

Having been discussing training for the coming winter with coach John Powell online only hours earlier, and his need to improve basic speed for running 400m next year, he clearly decided to start early!  He had two 21.41s runs wind aided to his name before that, but otherwise had run only 21.99 legally.

Chaka Maillett - sub-11 at long last! 

It was an inspirational performance which followed three other super sprints over 100m by Tracksped1-UK training partners.  Chaka Maillett had been tantalizingly close to cracking the 11-second barrier at Bromley some weeks earlier when he clocked 11.00s, but at Lee Valley he broke through at last with a fastest ever 10.92s.

Also, running the shorter sprint was Nima Jam, whose form this year has seen a modest club level sprinter convert to a potentially classy act, and he produced the second fastest time of his life with 11.36s

Meanwhile, back in the 200m, former European Junior Champion David Bolarinwa cracked 21 seconds for the first time in 3 years, clocking an impressive 20.97s.

“I nearly fell over when I was messaged these times,” said coach John Powell who was away for this meeting.  “We have had some great results this year – no championship medals, but it is a squad rebuilding now, and poised to compete with the best again.

“I’ve been again taking ideas from literally international sources, and the programme I am already putting together for this winter’s training phase is very exciting indeed, and elaborates on what we have been doing this past 11 months.  Everyone should be resting up now for most of August, and then getting back into the groove with renewed vigor after this season in September.

“We have a terrific group of athletes in Trackspeed1-UK again now, and there are many who are poised to turn heads in 2017, assuming the vultures stay away!”

GREAT-ISH' AND A WINDUP TO COME!

With the domestic season all but done, Trackspeed1-UK athletes cannot stop improving their lifetime best performances, as demonstrated recently by Blackheath and Bromley Harrier, Ishmael Smith-John.

The 21-year-old has consistently sliced fractions off his personal best over 100m this year, and signed off from his 2016 campaign with another improvement at Hendon last weekend.

Ishmael Smith-John put his pre-season training in the US
(above) to good use this summer with PB's in abundance!

Competing in the London Inter-Club Challenge meeting, he also improved his 200m best, with both performances wind-aided, but with the 100m legally so, and the 200m only just over the limit at 2.2m/s.

“It’s been a great season in terms of improving times,” commented Ishmael afterwards, “although I have to say my targets were a little faster, but it’s always good to aim high, and I just have to stay patient - I know it will come in the very near future.  Meanwhile, it’s time to rest up and be ready to go again for 2017.”

Coach John Powell, abroad for the meeting, sent a message of congratulation to his protégée, commenting:

“It’s been a truly fantastic year in many ways.  Ishmael’s late PB is in many ways the icing on the cake, but it’s not just that – the squad have gelled so well as a group.  The focus is there, the work ethic is there, and the humour is there too.

“We aren’t allowed to say too much right now, but people need to keep a look out on Channel 4 this autumn – and when we know it’s being broadcast we will advertise on this blog.  It’s a tongue-in-cheek programme that provided me the opportunity for the wind-up of a lifetime for 6 of our athletes earlier this summer.  I’ve barely stopped laughing now!”

SQUAD GATHERS TO MAP OUT A GOLDEN FUTURE!

The biggest ever one-off gathering of Trackspeed1-UK athletes - all its 25 male athletes - got together at coach John Powell's home last week to debate a future that surely promises much after huge personal progression in 2016.

Every fit athlete has chalked up at least one lifetime best performance this summer, many more than that, with some pretty impressive slices being taken off previous record marks.  To top off all of that was also a prestigious club award from Crawley AC won by Jason Hussain as their "Athletes Athlete of the Year 2015"

Jason Hussain proudly displays his Crawley trophy

The forum, hosted by John, the group's home physio', Grace Newton, Strength and Conditioning consultant Mark Stanton, and longest ever serving athlete Jason Hussain, proved a tremendously upbeat environment in which a season review and new ideas for the next training cycle were debated.

Whilst things can always change late season or during the rest period in August/September, a survey of all the athletes suggested that 2016 could be the first year that sees zero departures from the group to pastures new- a statistic that buoyed coach John Powell's enthusiasm for the 2016-17 cycle.

"It would be a first for sure," he said, "because the vultures usually swoop toward the end of the year, but there is no suggestion that may happen again this year, in fact I have already had a number enquiries from athletes seeing to join us!

Trackside physio' is a huge bonus from Trackspeed1-UK
athletes training at the Palace

"That of course is greatly flattering to all of us, but we must ensure numbers remain manageable so that standards of excellence continue to rise.  To that end I am setting up an Academy group again, and will be splitting mainstream sessions to daytime and evening to accommodate both athletes working or studying, and those who have time on their hands earlier on.

"It's really exciting times for us really, and with no athletes involved in the Rio Olympics it means we can wind up the season in good time in August so we can have a really good run at things for 2017 with effect from mid-September."

For those who decide they want to try out the Trackspeed1-UK experience at Crystal Palace next year, they will not be short of privileges, not least trackside physio' as illustrated above...

FASTER AND FASTER - PB CITY!!

Trackspeed1-UK are simply getting faster and faster, and they can't stop - as illustrated by yet another five lifetime best performances last week.

Nima Jam - phenomenal improvement
over 100m this summer, who set another
lifetime best at Lee Valley last week!

It now means that only Jason Hussain, who recently underwent surgery on a long term Achilles tendon injury, has not improved a lifetime best mark, with some having improved by up to 0.8s over 100m, and 2 seconds over 400m!

Highlight of a Lee Valley open meeting last Wednesday (22nd June) was another massive improvement by Nima Jam.  A personal trainer by trade, the 30-year-old's obsessive attention to detail on his technical ability has seen him slice almost half a second off his previous 100m best.

Then there was Piers Chen who had struggled to dip under his best ever mark this year, but he did that in style at Lee Valley with an improvement of just over half a tenth of a second.  With Nima also improving his 200m mark by just over a tenth, the chips were down for other squad members competing on a night where all following winds were within the legal limit.

Jerome Lule again improved his 100m time - now almost half a second better than 2015 - and then 18-year-old South London Harrier Brandon Murray saw his personal best 100m improve by a solid two tenths of a second.

"These are very significant improvements," said Trackspeed1-UK coach John Powell.  "There is no secret formula for these results this year either - they are as a result of a serious amount of hard graft by most, although I have to say that the current group generally have an excellent work ethic, and huge camaraderie, which is a huge asset, and feeds inspiration and motivation.

"We have already had enquiries about joining the group for the coming 2016-17 year, which is of course flattering, but candidates will have to persuade us they are coming to graft and work and not just take a ride!"

Former Trackjspeed1-UK sprinter James Ellington, who reached the London 2012 Olympic Games under the tutelege of John Powell, joined the elite group of sprinters to dip under 10 seconds on Saturday at the British Championships.  "It was a lump in the throat moment," admitted John - a huge achievement!  Ellington is now coached by Linford Christie.

Trackspeed1-UK's current representation at the Championships, in Birmingham, which were also the trials for the Olympic Games, was a modest one this year with all three competitors still coming back from either injury or outside commitments that had severely curtailed their preparation.

David Bolarinwa produced a highly respectable 10.47s 100m run in the heats, but failed to progress past the semi-final, while Oweka Wanogho didn't make the cut from his heat, nor did Niclas Baker after his 400m heat.

"It was frustrating to watch," said John, because had Nic not fallen down the stairs at home and twisted his ankle a few weeks ago, his form before that would have got him into the final.  But that's life!"

HUSSAIN'S MISSION '20-POINT' STARTS HERE!

Trackspeed1-UK sprinter Jason Hussain has written off the 2016 summer season and resorted to the operating table in a bid to achieve his ultimate target of running inside 21 seconds for the 200 metres ("Mission 20-point" as he likes to call it!).

Jason Hussain gets an initial post-op' assessment
from top UK physio', Dr John Allen

The squad's longest-serving athlete who joined coach John Powell back in 2005, has always had a sporadic Achilles tendon problem, and it flared up again early this year.  Finally resorting to advice from the country's leading medic's, he underwent surgery 2 weeks ago to finally resolve the issue.

"I had the Planters tendon removed," he explained.  "It had apparently attached itself to the Achilles tendon, and there was a fair amount of scar tissue that was also taken away, so I'm really hoping this will finally sort things out and I will be able to train properly once it has healed."

Aged 29, Jason has plenty of time to recover and yet produce his best over either 100m or 200m, with his aspirations underlined by his coach as totally achievable.

"Jason has always had something that has prevented him from going that extra mile toward achieving his goals," said John Powell.  With luck, he's sorted a major problem out now, and that will allow him to train at full capacity.  He knows what he has to do now, so we will just have to  see how things go."

Hussain isn't the only Trackspeed1-UK star who has been frustrated by injury this year.  Niclas Baker opened his season with a phenomenal lifetime best mark of 47.41s over 400m, and then promptly fell down the stairs at home and injured an ankle that, five weeks down the line, is only just recovering!

Sam Imhogiemhe was another superb lifetime best performer when he won the Essex 100m County Championship, clocking 10.74s to rubbish his previous recorded best of 11.5!  A hamstring tendon injury, however, then kicked in, and he is only just returning to training!

"We all live on the edge in this sport" commented John Powell, "and to achieve our best we have to push our bodies to the limit.  The trouble is, neither coach nor athlete always know where that limit is, and if you exceed it, or try to something at the wrong time or in the wrong way, it can be curtains to such a lot of hard graft.

"It is incredibly frustrating, but we have a very mature group this year and they know where they are at.  If we can hold on to the majority for 2016-17 then I think could have a pretty impressive season next year.  That said, there are several weeks left in 2016, and I am sure there are impressive shows yet to come!"

LIFETIME MARKS CONTINUE TO FALL

With the exception of three long term injuries, and two other athletes yet to crack their best, and one of those not yet fully back from injury, the whole of Trackspeed1-UK have improved personal records already this season!

Ishmael Smith-John smashed two lifetime best sprints over 100m and 200m

 Two more records fell this weekend (5th June) with Blackheath and Bromley's Ishmael Smith-John improving over both 100m and 200m, and Shaftesbury Barnet's Jerome Lule slashing his previous 100m best mark by over three tenths of a second.

The performances came as the busy June schedule kicks in, with the South of England Championships next up this coming weekend 10/11th June.  Following that the England National under-20 and under-23 Championships take place in Bedford, and then the Olympic Trials and British Championships round off a chaotic month.

Some of the most notable performances this year have emerged early in the season, raising hopes that more may be to come in the championships and later season meetings.

These include Niclas Baker's phenomenal best 400m run which took three seconds off his fastest at this time last year, while David Bolarinwa's return to the group after a four-year absence, saw his fastest 100m time in 3 years recorded in April.  Even Chris Pope, out through injury for virtually two years, returned this weekend to the sub-11 second range over 100m in only his second outing of 2016!

Jerome Lule shattered his 100m best as Trackspeed1-UK athletes continue
to hit the form of their lives this year!

Another quite remarkable achievement was Sam Imhogiemhe's improvement from 11.5 to 10.74 over 100m this year, the only frustration there being that he has since suffered a hamstring niggle that has prevented surely inevitable consolidation on already spectacular improvement.

Niclas Baker has likewise had his progress suspended with a fall at home sidelining him with an ankle injury.  He hopes to be back in training this week after three weeks out - a break that cost him  selection for the England team competing at the Loughborough International last month.

Trackspeed1-UK coach John Powell was cautiously optimistic about his charges' prospects for the remainder of the season:

"It's been a great year so far," he said, "and with everyone setting PB's that is naturally very satisfying for a coach.  The injuries to Sam and Nic have been frustrating, and it's a real pity Jason Hussain has been taken out for the year with ankle surgery imminent, but it's clear the programme is working for most, so that has to be good!"