We’re reaching the final few weeks of the 2024 summer season, and what a long season it has been! Never had I had athletes racing their first outdoor meeting in March, and I’ve also never had athletes competing so late into September (the last local open meeting is next week). This schedule isn’t helped by the BUCS indoor competition being a major target, and the outdoor competition being so early in the summer. What it means is that there isn’t much time through the annual training program to do much General Preparation training, and there’s lots of dipping back into Specific Development and Specific Preparation training when there are gaps between competitions.

Today also marks my return to coaching the Exeter University short sprinters, hurdlers and horizontal jumpers. Over the summer, I brushed up on my horizontal jumps knowledge with a course through ALTIS with a view to integrating the long and triple jump training with that of the short sprinters and hurdlers. It seems to me to be a sensible thing to do, and only requires thorough planning and organisation to ensure that the jumpers have opportunities to branch off for more specific training but work with the sprinters on training that applies to all disciplines.

In addition to restarting with the University, it’s been great continuing to train a growing group of athletes at my Exeter Speed group sessions, and I’ve been enjoying personal training sessions in Exeter with sportspeople and the general public.