Decathlon training suggestions for masters M35

Get the USA track and field coaches manual-lots of info, plans.

Work on your speed-all except 1,500 need speed.

Check out anything by frank zaranowski

For javelin go to javelin discussion forum for ideas

YouTube for technical videos.

If you do too much aerobic/endurance work you won't score as well as if you work on speed, explosiveness, power, strength, technique work first before endurance.

No expert but...

Yeah - I'm definitely planning on a "short to long" style sprint training plan. Running mileage just makes me slower, and gets me injured.

0 point event = fail

You cant straight-pole over a really low bar? I think you are looking to do a nonathlon.

I've never pole vaulted, and I will have zero access to any facilities to attempt to learn.

While I would like to learn, and thus not zero point the event, it just isn't an at all realistic possibility.

...and unless I was able to pull of close to 3m, it ain't worth much. Taking 20 seconds off the 1500m is worth more. Increasing LJ by 1m is worth more. Etc.

The sprint/jump events have a lot of commonality and what helps one often helps the other - technical aspects of pole vaulting on the other hand are only going to help your pole vaulting.

Heck - Looking at the last 4 years, 2.5m-3m is all the better the national champion in my age group has been vaulting.

Olympic lifts--clean and jerks, snatch would be good for explosiveness.

Lots of crossover application.

Second the recommendation on Zarnowski's stuff. But I can start you with a basic bit of strategy for planning your training:

It is easier to lose points than to gain them. In other words, work to reach a really decent level in *all* the events, before thinking about giving any extra attention to your potentially higher-scoring events.

Work on technique at the beginning of your practices (well, after a warmup). All the day's work that's primarily for conditioning should be done after your technique work.

* * *

Sorry, started to get bogged down here. I probably have an hour's worth of "hints," but not an hour to write them now. Anyway, the above should get you started.

Good luck. Get lots of sleep, at regular hours.

Effortlessthrow.com for throws info, ideas, training.

Ntca for other throws ideas.

It is still a challenge, but getting zero in an event is like getting a DNF in a running event. I don't think your score counts if that happens.

For non Masters runners - it's definitely true that if you don't attempt an event, you get disqualified. I'm not sure if that is true for Masters though.

John Berardi has some good nutritional ideas.

I'm in the same boat as you now! 35yrs old and competing in the nationals in 3 weeks with 2 months training.

You are allowed a non attempt in the master according to IAAF rules. But again, the points will have to be made up else were.

The straight bar attempt for the pole-vault will give you the confidence to try go higher, I did that when I was competing 15years ago and started at 2m, ended uo jumping 4m eventully! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Best of luck in your training and also competition.

Don't forget, you still need to work on the long endurance run, as you need the stamina to last the full two days :-)