Coach K's Speed Blog

Icy Ritual Works Like Magic

Dear Friend,


Focus straight ahead. Spit on the track. Dig toe in 3 times.

What do these three things have in common?

I'll give you 10 seconds to guess...

Got it?

No?

C'mon. If you have turned into an Olympic junkie like me, you would have seen this 3 times on Saturday night.

Still didn't get it? All right. Here's the scoop.

February 25th was the night of the 500 meter final in short track speed skating. And, our favorite American short tracker - OK, maybe the only short tracker that I know, Apollo Ono was again in the finals... and won the gold.

The tricky part here was that there were two, count 'em, two, false starts at the beginning of the race. Unnerving to say the least. Especially when the start is so important to a short race like this one - much like the 40 yard dash.

So, how did Ono stay calm and collected to get the hole shot from his start? Because he used the same ritual to get ready for the start.

First start: Apollo focused on the ice ahead, spit on the track and dug the toe of his skate blade into the ice.

Second start: Apollo focused on the ice ahead, spit on the track and dug the toe of his skate blade into the ice.

Third and final start: Apollo focused on the ice ahead, spit on the track and dug the toe of his skate blade into the ice.

And sprinted to a gold medal.

Getting the picture? Like I've said before, having a ritual keeps you in your ideal performance state - not too keyed up and not too low key. It also helps you get through unexpected obstacles to your performance - like false starts.

If you want to perform at your best, be sure to have routines and rituals built in to your workouts and competition. You can put your body on autopilot and perform at your peak. You'll be competing and not overthinking.

Run Fast Not Hard

Coach K

PS Remember - if you want to find out what kinds of things to build into your pre - sprint ritual, get your copy of Ultimate Insider Speed Training Secrets manual - or DVD - without delay. In fact, why don't you speed on over there right now?

PPS Rituals are just one of the topics covered in more detail in my all new upcoming product on concentration and mental toughness. Watch these emails - or blog - closely for the coming release...

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

Why Cheerleading Is The Most Violent Sport

Dear Friend,

I'm sitting in front of my computer tonight with my left leg propped up on the desk - covered in a soft cast that goes almost to my knee.

In all my years of football, track and field, soccer, weight training, plyometrics, speed training and coaching, I have never seriously injured myself.

That all changed on Sunday night at 5:50 pm.

So, how did it happen? What terribly violent activity tore up my ankle - forcing me to emergency room and to hobble around on crutches until my orthopedic appointment...

Cheerleading.

Yes. Cheerleading.

My 12 year old daughter is on a competitive cheer team - they won a big competition Sunday morning. Next weekend, there is another competition with a "just for fun" parents competition at the end.

Sunday night we had parents practice. We were down on the spring floor at the gymnastics gym and at the end of the routine I did a handstand into a forward roll and then an in-place jump to finish it off. I had done it a hundred times...

But this time was different. I got off a good powerful jump, landed - then turned to talk to some of the other parents - and felt my ankle buckle and heard a loud snap!

I knew right away that something was wrong. So, to make a long story short, I limped to the side, elevated my leg and put ice on it right away. Looking at it made me quite queasy - baseball sized lumps on both sides of my ankle - and I decided to head to the ER.

So, why this time? Why did I get hurt doing a simple jump that I had performed many times before?

I chalk it up to a lack of focus.

To tell you the truth, my head wasn't really into the practice that night. I was watching the clock, thinking about how hungry I was and counting the time to when we would be done. Big mistake.

My lack of concentration for a split second caused me the most serious injury I have ever had.

Just goes to show you how important the power of concentration is. Focus and mental toughness can make all the difference in the world to your perfomance.

RFNH
(Although I won't be doing either for a couple of weeks...)

Coach K

PS Just a few more days until my Power of Concentration for Champions product is released. Watch for more details coming later this week at www.makesyoufast.com.

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

Pro Coach Throws Exercise Machines Out The Window

Dear Friend,

Today I got to work the Admissions table at my 10 year old daughter's basketball tournament. After the initial rush of people paying the big $2 to get in - and you wouldn't believe how many people complained about paying to see their kids play - there was quite a lull.

A perfect chance to look over the Saturday paper. Catch some prep scores, Olympic outcomes, state wrestling news... and then a tiny story, buried deep on page D5 caught my undivided attention.

New Packer Head Coach Changes Weightroom

As many of you know, Mike McCarthy was recently named as the Green Bay Packers head coach. Over the last weeks he has been appointing his staff and now made a sweeping change...

Seems Mr. McCarthy knows the truth. Knows what really works. Which is why he got rid of 18 weight 'machines' in the Packers weightroom and brought back the good ol' free weights. Ground based free weight exercises transfer better to the playing field... You wouldn't even recognize the weightroom as the same place...

Hallelujah. Nice to see some intelligence come back to TitleTown.

Now, I don't know for sure but think about the kinds of problems the Packers have run into in the past couple of years... injuries, injuries and more injuries. Knees and ankles and torn muscles oh my!

Wonder if they had started spending too much time sitting on those fancy looking machines and not enough time pumping iron and throwing serious weight around... my bet is 'yes'.

Watch and see the effects starting next season.

You too can be like Mike. Toss those weight machines out the window and get back to basics. Get the most bang for your buck from your workouts by finding the free weights - your own body weight - and having at it.

RFNH

Coach K

PS I'm putting the finishing touches on my new product so be sure to watch for its release in the coming weeks at www.makesyoufast.com If you want to become a champion, don't miss this boat.

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

Why Bode Was Such A Loser

Dear Friend,

"I can't believe he screwed it up again." I flipped off the TV, more than a little bit disgusted with what I had just seen. Bode Miller, great hope for the US ski team at the Olympics had just blown another chance for a medal.

What the heck was the real reason behind this big disappointment?

Now, I had seen all the pictures, read all the stories about Bode's late night partying and slacker attitude. But, this was no different than when he won the World Championship a few years back.

So, what was the real reason?

It kept bothering me until early this afternoon. I was reading about mental toughness in a book by James Loehr and right there on page 60 and 61, I think I found the answer.

I think Bode is trapped in "trying not to..."

Think about it. When have you run into trouble trying to perform at a high level - when you are trying not to do something or focusing on actually doing it?

For example:

Is it better to think about trying not to eat junk food or trying to eat healthier.

If you think about not spilling your drink, what is usually the first thing that happens?

Think: don't screw up, don't screw up, don't screw up and guess what you'll do...

Ever been on a team that plays not to lose, instead of to win?

Try not to get mad, try not to be intimidated, try not to be scared, try not to be nervous, try not to look bad, try not to make mistakes... and what usually happens?

You got it. If you concentrate on not doing something, your focus on the negative will make it so.

Why has Bode sucked it up on the slopes? I think he is thinking about not falling. I think he is focused on not losing. I think he is worried about not disappointing the people around him and not living up to his billing.

And it has made him cautious with a lack of intensity that has killed his hopes of winning.

Run Fast Not Hard

Coach K

PS Been thinking about not running slow? Learn to run fast instead. Take action to make yourself better - to be your best. Or, get up tomorrow and be no closer to being the athlete you can be.

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

He Fell Down Five Times

Dear Friend,

I have to make another admission. I'm hooked. I'm addicted. I can't tear myself away from this year's Winter Olympics.

It happens every 4 years or so. Suddenly, it becomes necessary that I find out who wins medals in sports that I have little or no interest in.

What types of burning questions keep me awake, glued to my television set - late at night?

Crucial outcomes like:

Who will win the gold medal in curling?

Team ski jumping... can't miss it.

Biathalon - can't look away for a moment.

Snowboardcross, ice dancing, skeleton, luge. Bobsledding, women's hockey, short track speed skating. All become more important to me than sleep during the Olympics.

I even watch the commercials. Many featuring former Olympic greats.

One such commercial came on late Monday night. Speed skater Dan Jansen acting as a spokesman for a delivery company. What was the connection here?

I guess that Jansen delivered - even though it took him three Olympics to do it.

In 1994, Dan finally won a gold medal in speed skating. He had dominated the sport for over a decade - but an Olympic medal eluded him.

In 1988, he fell twice - shattering his medal hopes.

In 1992 he stumbled again - no medal.

In 1994 Jansen staggered again in his first race and didn't make it onto the podium. In his final race - truly his last chance to medal - he slipped and almost fell, but recovered to win the gold medal.

Dan Jansen had fallen five times - but he got up six.

Talk about mental toughness. Imagine the concentration it took to come back - year after year - to perform at an elite level. How many of us would have given up after the first or second fall? How about the 3rd or 4th failure? Would you have continued on when the fifth slip happend?

This is the key, isn't it. No matter how many times you fail, if you keep trying, you will eventually succeed. This Olympic hero never quit - and he realized his dreams because of it.

Run Fast Not Hard

Coach K

PS The ol' spam filters are at it again. Remember, if you ever miss a daily email, you can read them by zipping over to www.makesyoufast.com/speedblog.html or simply go to www.makesyoufast.com and click the Email Archives link. Don't chance missing out on any great information...

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

The Worst Place Ever

Dear Friend,

Earlier tonight I heard the dumbest thing ever said at the Olympics.

My wife has suddenly turned into a big ice dancing fan and forced me to watch the event with her... really, she made me watch it. I really didn't like it and I still have no idea what a twizzle is...

So, I'm watching the finals and see the Russians win the gold, the US win the silver and the Ukranians - I think - take the bronze.

Then I heard it. The dumbest thing ever uttered at the Olympic games.

The ice dancing announcer - color commentator, I guess - spoke - and put his foot in his big fat mouth.

Here is what he said: 'The French pair scored a personal best but it wasn't quite enough. They ended up in the worst place ever - fourth.'

Are you kidding me? Can you believe it? What kind of idiotic statement was that?

The French were on top of their game. Skated better than they had ever skated before. Ended up fourth - in the world,mind you - and this numbskull has the nerve to basicly call them losers.

I say they were champions. And you can be too if you give your best effort and know that you left everything out on the field, the court - or the ice.

You could do a lot worse than coming that close to a very lofty goal.

RFNH

Coach K

PS Winning - or even competing - at such a high level takes loads of mental toughness and powerful concentration. Watch for more on developing these skills coming soon...

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

How The Sun God Won Bronze

Hi Friend,

This past weekend I visited my parents Up North in Wisconsin... great weekend to go north... 37 below with the wind chill.

Anyway, you can probably bet that I didn't partake in many outdoor activities - no reason to get frostbitten.

So, I spent most of the weekend indoors and watching the Olympics.

Great stories and performances abounded - Austrian ski jumpers, American speed skaters, Finnish hocky (Sisu!)... but one sport really started to peak my interest... short track speed skating.

Now, most of you know that anything speed-related will catch my attention - and this was no exception.

I started watching the quarterfinals and seeing the Americans - Apollo Ono included - qualify to the semis. Then, two Americans getting through the semi-finals to race for medals in the finals.

Unfortunately for the U.S., two South Koreans also made it to the finals and won the silver and the gold.

But, Apollo did win the bronze - and remember, that's the way I think of it winning the bronze, not losing the gold or silver... and demonstrated his power, speed and balance in doing so.

I began to wonder how, besides actually work on the ice, Ono trained for these skills. And lo and behold - during a break in the action, an interview with the Greek Sun God's namesake revealed his secrets.

Well, one of them at least. During the short piece on his training, Apollo is shown doing squat jumps across the grass. This is a great exercise to develop power in your lower body. Here's how he does it:

Squat into a full squat position, thighs parallel to the ground. Place both hands behind your back. Now jump forward with both feet and land back in the squat position. As you get better, you can do the jumps continuously. Keeping your hands behind your back brings an added challenge of balance to the exercise.

So, their you go... develop the powerfull, iron-like thighs of a speed skater by adding this to your training.

Run Fast Not Hard

Coach K

PS Ultimate Insider Speed Training Secrets contains ten more jump exercises to build power and explosiveness in your legs. You can click here - ultimateinsiderspeed - to start getting stronger and faster today...

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

Skeleton In Italy Reveals Key To Speed

Dear Friend,

Tonight I watched as a 5 foot 3 figure sped headfirst down an icy track at almost 70 miles per hour and thought "How can skeleton sleds get up to that kind of speed?

Then, I saw the start of the next slider. Looked familiar as all get out...

Why? Cuz the push at the top of the course is almost exactly the same as a sprint start.

So, here are the similarities that I saw:

First, the slider pushes forward off a raised lip at the top of the course - much like the old-time sprinters like Archie Hahn who actually dug holes in the track for their back foot to push against - How To Sprint

Second, violent arm action. Even though one arm has to hold the sled, the free arm is pumped like mad to get the slider up to speed.

Finally, I heard the announcers say something interesting... Katie Uhlaender - the American slider - loved to work out in the gym to build strength and power. Needless to say, she is thought of as one of the best pushers - starters - in the world.

Of course that led me to do a little more research and I found that skeleton athletes train much like sprinters - because the start is so important. A lot of sprint and weight training is done to build power in their legs and upper body - all key to get that explosive push.

The big difference between skeleton and sprinting comes after the push - in skeleton, gravity takes control...

And you know what else? Skeleton looks a lot scarier to me. Inches off the ice, face-first and moving at freeway speed, hanging on for dear life - I'll stick to flatter, less icy tracks.

Run Fast Not Hard

Coach K

PS Starts are covered in detail in one of the FREE special reports included with Ultimate Insider Speed Training Secrets. Click this link to find out more.

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

How To Get In Trouble With Your Boss

Dear Friend,


Picture this. Your boss gets wind of something terrible that you have done. He gets jealous, then angry... then has a grudge against you that just won't quit...

What could you possibly have done to make your boss so mad?

According to one study, it has everything to do with how strong you are.

In other words - if you bench press more than your boss... look out.

Seems that - an article on the study stated - if your boss finds out that you can bench more than him (or her, I guess - but this seems more like a "guy" thing...) a genuine, bona fide pissing match will ensue...

You boss will feel threatened. He may fear inferior. He will not feel that he is "top dog." He is sure to take it out on you, try to "one up" you and possibly look for ways to can your sorry, benching pressing buht.

What is the solution you ask? Here are your choices:

1. Don't bench press.

2. Don't bench press a lot. Remain weak and humble to keep your job.

3. Don't tell your boss how much you bench.

4. Lie to your boss about how much you bench. Sure to make him feel good and superior over you.

I would personally go with number 3... but, hey, I'm the one who just quit my job...

RFNH

Coach K

PS No mention whatsoever was made in this article about having a faster 40 time than your boss... so, it is safe to run faster - learn how in Ultimate Insider Speed Training Secrets at www.makesyoufast.com/ultimateinsiderspeed.html Don't endanger your career, check it out today.

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

Speed Coach Sells Out

I'll admit it Friend,


I did it yesterday... the unspeakable... the unthinkable... the unimaginable... the unheard of...

Now, before I go into details, let me defend myself a little bit...

It's cold in Wisconsin in February - even this year - and on Friday, it was snowing. Not great weather for any sort of speed training outside. (By the way: how cold is too cold to speed train? Watch for the answer in an upcoming email...)

All right. So, I'm ready to come clean. Here goes...

During my work out on Friday afternoon - I hopped on the elliptical machine.

Yes, I'll admit it, I used a cardio machine.

Gasp! Groan! Shock and awe... But Coach K, you've always said those machines were evil... You really did sell out.

Now, wait just a minute Friend, if you've read these emails closely in the past, you already know that I don't really have anything against these machines in general - just the way that people are told to use them.

Does this sound familiar? Get on the machine and do a slow, easy warm up for 15 minutes, then you need at least 20 to 60 minutes of work in your fat-burning target heartrate zone to do yourself even a lick of good...

Over an hour on a machine? Tedious? Boring? To say the least... drives me bonkers just thinking about it. So here's how you can really use those machines...

My workout consisted of less time and more intensity than the "normal" cardio workout. It went a little something like this:

5 minutes warmup - enough to break a sweat
15 minutes of interval training - alternating 2 minutes hard with 2 minutes easy. Hard meaning just about as fast as I could go and easy being a nice walk/jog. Great little speed endurance workout...

I was sweating and my lungs were working hard by the end. Great workout - only 20 minutes of my precious time.

And, just to make sure I had upped the intensity, I added some in place jumps to the end of the workout:

Jumped rope - fast
Ankle hopped
Butt kicker jumped
Tuck jumped

Great lower body and sprint endurance work. Give it a shot and see how much time you save and energy you burn...

Run Fast Not Hard

Coach K

PS For some great examples of speed endurance workouts, go to www.makesyoufast.com/ultimateinsiderspeed.html and get your own copy of Ultimate Insider Speed Training Secrets. Don't get left in the blocks...

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

When Are You Overtraining?

Dear Friend,

'How do I know when enough is enough', this two sport workout fanatic asked...

In more detail...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hey there, I just have a quick question. I am busy playing two sports....softball and hockey at the college level. My hockey season and softball off-season are running at the same time. I am having softball practice for about 5 hours everyday and then go and have hockey practice for an hour and a half, and am also an avid swimmer. How do I know when I am over doing it? Most of my team mates tell me that I am working myself too hard and that I need to be careful. I recently have had shin splints and a stress fracture in my left leg and a right sprained right ankle. I have always been this active my whole life...if not more. I feel comfortable being this busy and really enjoy every minute of practice. How do I know when enough is enough?
Katie

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You know, listening to you own body is the best bet in determining whether you are overtraining. If you feel good and not run down or burned out, you are probably OK.

But, the stress fracture is a huge concern. This IS a classic sign of overtraining. First of all - you must rest and let the stress fracture heal - if you don't, it will probably only get worse. Be sure to talk to a sports medicine doctor about the condition.

Once that is taken care of - and please treat it seriously - here are some suggestions to avoid overtraining - and to know when you are doing to much.

First of all, 6 plus hours of daily practice seems like an awful lot of volume. If possible, keep the intensity high but decrease the total amount of time you are working out. If you are fatigued during the end of your workouts, you are doing yourself more harm than good anyway... more chance of injury, poor technique, etc. Be sure to rest between bouts of high intensity exercise and to take days to rest and recover.

Next, be sure to check your resting heart rate. You will have to find you true resting HR when you are certain that you are not overtraining - for example, after a couple of weeks of downtime or low intensity workouts. Once you know your resting heartrate, overtraining is easy to spot. Just follow this simple plan:

Take your resting heart rate as soon as you wake up in the morning. If it is higher than normal, you probably need to back off on the training. Do active recovery and rest and recovery for a day or two until it reaches normal levels.

Now, unfortunately the 'more is better' camp is alive and well in the workout world. Remember that quality and intensity - and yes, proper rest and recovery -beats volume every time.

RFNH

Coach K

PS A great active recovery workout is an extended dynamic warmup like the one in Ultimate Insider Speed Training Secrets. If you want more details, be sure to check out www.makesyoufast.com/ulimateinsiderspeed.html

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

The Best Thing To Do In Your Offseason

Dear Friend,


I know that I promised some crazy, superstitious ritual in today's email... but that will have to wait until tomorrow... This one trumped it...

Around 5 o'clock this afternoon I had some time to kill until I was going to meet my wife for dinner. I decided to surf the web a bit and ended up at the University of Wisconsin athletics site.

I had forgotten that the 2006 class of football signees had been announced.

I decided to check out the future of the Badgers.

You know, it's great when something new jumps out at you and reaffirms what you have been saying for years... something like, oh, I don't know... that specializing in one sport is not the way to go.

If you've read my emails for some time, you know that I believe that specialization at a young age is a bad thing - keeps kids from reaching their full athletic potential...

'But, I want my child to get a D1 athletic scholarship,' whine the psycho parents of the world...

Hey, not condoning the psychos out there but it seems that the way to be the best athlete you can be - and maybe get to play at a high level - is not specialization. Case in point...

Introducing the 2006 class of Division 1 scholarship athletes on the UW football team:

ISAAC ANDERSON, 5-11, 170, WR lettered in football, basketball and track
NILES BRINKLEY, 5-10, 175, WR lettered in football and track
JAKE BSCHERER, 6-7, 285, OL lettered in football, track and basketball
GABE CARIMI, 6-8, 280, OL lettered in football and track
KIRK DeCREMER, 6-5, 235, TE lettered in football, basketball and track
RICHARD GARNER, 6-5, 220, ATH lettered in football, basketball and track

Starting to see a pattern here yet?

XAVIER HARRIS, 5-11, 175, WR lettered in football, basketball and track
BRANDON HOEY, 6-5, 290, DL lettered in football and track
DIONDRAE JENKINS, 6-2, 192, ATH lettered in football, basketball and track
DAVEN JONES, 6-1, 190, WR lettered in football and track
LANCE KENDRICKS, 6-4, 210, WR lettered in football, basketball and track
JAMATHAN LYLE, 5-11, 165, DB lettered in football and track
JOHN MOFFITT, 6-4 1/2, 295, OL/DL lettered in football, track and weightlifting

Anyone out there getting the picture yet? Anyone at all...

MAURICE MOORE, 5-11, 165, QB lettered in football and track
BILL NAGY, 6-4, 305, OL lettered in football, baseball and basketball
JOSH NETTLES, 5-10, 170, ATH lettered in football, basketball and track
KIM ROYSTON, 5-11, 185, DB lettered in football, basketball and track
CULMER ST. JEAN, 6-1, 215, DB lettered in football, basketball and track

By the way, all you track and field coaches out there, no charge for this fine recruiting tool...

LANCE SMITH, 5-10, 197, RB lettered in football and basketball
BRAD THORSON, 6-4, 285, OL lettered in football, wrestling and track
SCOTT TOLZIEN, 6-3, 190, QB lettered in football, basketball, track and baseball
MICKEY TURNER, 6-4, 240, TE lettered in football, basketball and track
JAY VALAI, 5-9, 195, DB lettered in football, basketball and track

23 scholarships - not one single sport athlete in the bunch...

And, did you notice the number of recruits that were signed as athletes? Remember that becoming the best athlete out there means competing in multiple arenas of competition...

OK, so I think you get the picture. Play multiple sports - workout in a variety of ways - be the best that you can be.

Not looking for a college scholarship or a pro career? You can still push yourself to new heights by varying your activities throughout the year.

Run Fast Not Hard

Coach K

PS 21 of 23 ran track. Even the big 'ol lineman hogs. Hmmm. Think running, jumping and throwing won't help your other sports? Citius, altius, fortious your way to the top...

PPS Want the truth behind why sprinting and explosive workouts in track are so important? Dash your way over to www.makesyoufast.com to get the real inside story.

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

More Wins For Your Shins

Dear Friend,


I knew you were all smart... just not how smart.

Thanks to everyone for their additional tips on preventing and treating shin splints... here's a sample of what has come in so far...

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The only two things I would add is stretching your shin muscle/ massaging it with "The stick" and getting the heck off of a tredmill and onto gravel trails or grass. That's tough to do in most winters but should be feasible this year.

Joe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

and...

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Oh yeah. Shin splints are due to tight and weak muscles in lower leg s trying to absorb the shock of running. (While highly unlikely, be sure it isn't a stress fracture. You’ll feel pain with weight bearing activities like walking up stairs.)



First, stop running and allow time to heal. A minimum of 5 days, but it could be several weeks depending on the severity. Use the elliptical, swim, or bike to maintain your fitness level.

Ice periodically throughout the day to keep swelling down

Be sure to wear comfortable shoes during the day to prevent any undue stress on the area.



Get a good pair of proper fitting running shoes. Shin splints can be caused by overpronation and old shoes lose shock absorbing ability. Consider going to a good running shoe store and get the appropriate type of shoe for your foot and stride. (If you’re running a lot of miles on the treadmill, which is absorbing some shock, and still getting shin splints, I’d definitely have someone check out your stride.)



Greg


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More great advice from all you subscribers. Thanks for sharing. Back tomorrow with some info on rituals...

Run Fast Not Hard

Coach K

PS If you are truly smart, make sure you get your speed training products from www.makesyoufast.com before the prices go up... midnite Feb 3rd is the deadline. Don't miss out...

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com

A Quick Question For You

Hello Friend,


Have you ever had this question? It keeps coming up over and over and over again...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coack K,

I'm training for my first marathon ever, and have been training for about a month. I'm doing great on getting my miles in each week, I'm up to about 7-8 miles on my longer run days. However just this week I started experiencing shin splints while running on the treadmill, the pain led me to stop after 10 mins and switch to using the elliptical machine. Any advice or remedies for training without injury, and reducing pain such as shin splints? I really want to be able to train injury free until the race day in May.

Thanks much,
Mandy

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Shin splints can really mean a lot of different things. I will address a few of the common problems but if the pain continues or gets extreme be sure to see a sports medicine doctor. Here goes:

Pain in your shins can be caused by weak anterior tibialis muscles ( the muscle on the front of your shin). Actually, the muscle might not be weak but might be out of proportion with how strong your calf muscle is. Strengthening your ant tib will help. Here are some ways to work this small but important muscle:

1. Foot flexes - flex your toes up towards your shin repeatedly - you can get even more exercises for this muscle in the 2006 version of the Ultimate Insider Speed Training Secrets DVD Package - www.makesyoufast.com/ultimateinsiderspeed.html

2. Towel Drags - lay a towel flat on the floor. Stand with only your toes over the front edge of the towel. Pull the towel towards you by gripping it with your toes and curling your foot. You should feel the front of your leg working. When your have pulled the towel completely into your foot, repeat with the other leg.

Shin splints can also be caused by swelling of the membranes around the tendon down the front of your shin. Ibuprofen or any anti-inflammatory and ice can help. If you are truly hard-core, try this one:

After running, fill up a 5 gallon bucket ( or your favorite stock pot) with ice water. Stand in it for 10 to 15 minutes. You may have to work up to this much time. It will be really uncomfortable in the water but afterwards your shins will feel great.

Keep those questions coming.

RFNH

Coach K

PS Watch my website www.makesyoufast.com soon for a piece of equipment that can make shin problems vanish completely...

PPS My special Back In Business Sale is almost over. Be sure to take advantage of these prices before they are gone forever... check out www.makesyoufast.com/order.html now.



Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2006

**This daily email does not take the place of professional medical advice.
Always consult a doctor before starting or changing any fitness
program.**


This email is protected by copyright, 2006,
Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Tim Kauppinen.


Tim Kauppinen

248 Merrick Terrace Dr
Marshall, WI 53559 USA
608 655 3800 Phone

tim.kauppinen@makesyoufast.com
www.makesyoufast.com