Flotrack has posted a fascinating video of Nick Willis running a time trial as the New Zealand 1500m record holder and Michigan star prepares for the World Championships in Osaka later this month.
Nick Willis 800m Time Trial
What interests me is not that the physical demands of this workout are anything special, but what it suggests about psychological preparation. After all, being physically ready to run fast is only half the battle. The mind must also be prepared. This means being able to run totally relaxed while keeping a fast pace, and then be ready to produce a killing burst of speed in the final 100 meters, a necessary weapon in the in heats and semi-finals.
in the video, it's obvious that Willis is nervous. Perhaps as a result, he runs his first 200m more than a second faster than the plan.
Another thing that interests me is the choice of workout. Presumably, all the really hard, long workouts are already in the books. Now is the time for sharpening, and how better to sharpen than to run very fast with little volume. Coach Warhurst wryly remarks that "...if it was good enough for Peter Snell to run time trials, it will be good enough for Nick Willis..." Of course, Snell was New Zealand's greatest Olympic champion, winning three gold medals over two Olympiads.
Peaking is a harrowing process. By documenting a tiny slice of this process, Flotrack continues to do impressive work.
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