Coach's Diary 
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Goodbye 2008 “good riddance?” |
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by Toni Minichiello
Jessica's Coach
Just days to go to the end of 2008 and looking back it has been a mixed year but certainly a year of “could’ve, should’ve, would’ve”.
It is quite easy to look back on 2008 and say “good riddance” to a bad year, but there have been some good performances in notably Shot Putt, Javelin but also in Long Jump. Some excellent progress was made in running training and on technique development. What was really missing was the real competition opportunity to put them together in a Heptathlon.
From an athlete’s perspective it looks as if it’s all been wasted, from a coach’s perspective, I don’t think so.
The truth is that it is difficult to say, my unscientific gut feeling is, that if you have achieved levels of fitness, technique and strength once, then your body has been there and can easily return there.
And that’s exactly the aim in 2009. So far Jessica has made steady progress with little loss to strength in the weights room. The running work is coming along, although slowly and carefully and changes have been made to hopefully avoid a repeat of 2008.
As for when Jessica will next compete, indoors or out and where her first Heptathlon will be, at this stage we’ve made no decision.
Keep your fingers crossed for a Happy New Year.
Toni
Send in your questions or messages of support?
If you'd like some expert advice on coaching, send your questions to Toni by clicking here and marking the subject as 'Toni'.
Or, if you want to send Jessica and Toni a good luck message! We'll pass them on too.
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Back on the Road |
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by Toni Minichiello
Jessica's Coach
Jessica has been back training 3 weeks and all is going well, if not a little slowly. Following an injury like Jessica’s, it is important that the build up to full training is slow and careful so that there are no reoccurrences.
My coaching role is too plan the training and keep a tight reign. Building back up to full strength and fitness, while still trying to find a little extra. With that in mind, we’ve spent a lot of time working closely with the EIS medical team in the Yorkshire Region, to identify the causes of Jessica’s injury. Between us we have put together a plan of close monitoring and changes that will hopefully prevent it happening again.
Jessica’s target is simple the World Championships in August 2009. However like everything in life, things move on. The qualifying standard for the World Championships has risen by 100 points to 6100. Out of 47 women entered for the Olympics only 28 had achieved this score, and a score that would have finished 16th in the Games themselves.
So we are back on the road, and this one leads to Berlin, lets just hope we get there this time.
Send in your questions or messages of support?
If you'd like some expert advice on coaching, send your questions to Toni by clicking here and marking the subject as 'Toni'.
Or, if you want to send Jessica and Toni a good luck message! We'll pass them on too.
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Desperately sad blow |
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by Toni Minichiello
Jessica's Coach
It has been a very hectic and difficult few days since Gotzis having been planning and counting down the days to the Olympics it will now come to nought.
It is of course Jessica who has to come to terms with this reality but the relationship between coach and athlete is that of a partnership and although I don’t feel her physical pain the emotional pain and frustration is a shared one.
What positives can be drawn from all of this? Jessica posted 2 very good personal bests from the short season she had in her weakest events shot putt and Javelin. The most important improvement from a coach’s perspective is that Jessica now understands the movement patterns and concepts of how to throw much better than before. Without this it is very difficult to make changes and progress.
She also made excellent progress in her overall training, improving on her running, lifting and jumping tests. These improvements are unlikely to be lost completely but there will be some reduction due to a lack of activity. My personal feeling is that if you have done them once then there is no reason why you can’t do them again.
Out of peoples good wishes a common theme has been expressed
“what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”
and on this occasion nobody died.
Send in your questions or messages of support?
If you'd like some expert advice on coaching, send your questions to Toni by clicking here and marking the subject as 'Toni'.
Or, if you want to send Jessica and Toni a good luck message for the Olympics, please do! We'll pass them on.
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Coach warns of speculation |
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by Toni Minichiello
Jessica's Coach
Loughborough marked the last of Jessica’s 3 preparation competitions and the highest standard of competition so far.
Javelin has been the obvious focus in these lead up competitions to her first Heptathlon and we’ve seen her improve her Personal best each time. In total her personal best has improved 5m from 38.07m last year to 43.08m, representing an increase of 96pts to her potential score.
The reality is that a throw of 41.50m in heptathlon has to be the consistent mark; this is due to the fatigue of a 2 day competition, which gains 66pts.
Gotzis represents an opportunity to gain the Olympic ‘A’ standard of 6000 pts and prove fitness required to gain selection. This is the objective first and foremost. This heptathlon is the most complete test event in the preparation plan, but that is all it is.
People will read a lot into the results, but it will be nothing more than speculation. They won’t be handing out the Olympic medals in Austria and a place in the top 3 here won’t guarantee an Olympic podium spot.
After Gotzis there remains 75 days to the start of the Olympic Heptathlon, little time to build or change, but a lot of time to sharpen, polish and contemplate.
Send in your questions or messages of support?
If you'd like some expert advice on coaching, send your questions to Toni by clicking here and marking the subject as 'Toni'.
Or, if you want to send Jessica and Toni a good luck message for the Olympics, please do! We'll pass them on.
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Promising Start to the Season Start |
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by Toni Minichiello
Jessica's Coach
Jessica opened her season in fine style on a very cold day in Sheffield. The opening event of the season was a low key open meeting, where Jessica got the chance to test out all the work she has put into her weakest event, the Javelin.
With her very first throw of the competition Jessica threw a new personal best of 40.06m, significant for 2 reasons, firstly it is a personal best, and secondly it breaks the “magic” 40m barrier.
Why 40m? This is where respectable Heptathlon javelin throwing really starts, anything that doesn’t pass this mark is considered poor.
The pleasing thing from a coach’s perspective is that she backed this throw up with another over 39m, showing it wasn’t a “fluke”.
The points tables for Javelin gives 19 pts a metre, so this improvement of 2m only gives an extra 38pts to Jessica’s total score, but this is the type of consistent improvement that will push Jessica’s score over 6500.
Jessica’s competition programme will see her competing in the Javelin on 2 further occasions, before she competes in a Heptathlon on the 31st May. This will hopefully produce the consistent improvement we’re looking for.
Send in your questions or messages of support?
If you'd like some expert advice on coaching, send your questions to Toni by clicking here and marking the subject as 'Toni'.
Or, if you want to send Jessica and Toni a good luck message for the Olympics, please do! We'll pass them on.
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