British Athletics Head of Endurance & Sport Sciences. Integration of sport science for optimal training adaptation and competition in track and field.

1. Barry Fudge Head of Endurance and Sport Sciences
Integration of sport science for optimal training adaptation and competition performance in track and field

2. Overview
1.SSM strategy
2.Integration of science within the endurance program
3.Questions

3. My Vision

4. Vision
Mission Statement
Key Values & Behaviours
Roles & Structure
Communication Strategy
Resoureces
Prioritisation & Performance Solutions
Goals, Measures & Responsibilities
SSM Vision aligned with BA objectives 2013- 2017

5. BA Strategic Objectives 2013-2017
•Based on the number and quality of athletes now within our WCP pipeline, and given the resources to fully implement our vision, we believe that our team can win 8 to 10 medals in Rio 2016 and 8 to 10 medals at the London World Championship in 2017.
•As milestones towards these targets we would expect to win 6 to 8 medals at the 2013 Moscow World Championships, 12 to 17 medals at the European Championships (although the proximity of this event to the Commonwealth Games makes prediction less easy) and 7 to 9 medals at the 2015 Beijing World Championships.
•At every stage in the plan our underlying philosophy remains that the key to success in athletics is great athletes working with world class coaches in great facilities with quality integrated support services. Over the London cycle we have learnt that world class coaches and quality service providers are role models in their professionalism, hunger to learn and their objective, no compromise approach to improving athletes’ performance. In the new cycle we aim to implement each aspect of this philosophy through consistent clear leadership and increasingly focused delivery to athletes.

6. SSM Vision
•To be recognised as the best track & field science and medicine team in the world, supporting athletes capable of winning medals at major championships.

7. SSM Mission Statement
To understand and optimise training and performance of track & field athletes by:
•Respecting and understanding different training philosophies
•Developing trusting, accountable and supportive working relationships with athletes and coaches
•Identifying and prioritising athletes through specific event profiling intelligence to inform support processes
•Delivering flexible, bespoke and innovative science and medicine solutions to performance questions
•Delivering novel and creative science and medicine initiatives to manage injury and illness risk
•Working together as a team, in the relentless pursuit of excellence
•Focussing on medals whilst driving down costs
•Providing quality assured science and medicine practices

8. SSM Key Values & Behaviours
•Athlete owned: understand and agree the individualised rules of engagement within each athlete & coaching partnership
•Understand, recognise and be comfortable with your own role and responsibility within the team
•Discuss; decide; support
•Strive for excellence
•Collaboration
•Open-minded
•Consistency through familiarity and stability

9. SSM Prioritisation & Performance Solutions
Applied support broadly fits in to the following categories:
•Profiling is key to monitoring progression and to mapping an athlete’s strengths and weaknesses relative to their event demands.
•Screening on a regular basis provides information on factors that may affect performance and/or health and wellbeing of an athlete.
•Training specific support is a fundamental element of the support process and aims to ensure athletes are adapting optimally to their training load relative to their event demands.

10. SSM Prioritisation & Performance Solutions
•Competition specific support aims to help athletes attain peak performance when it matters most.
•Coach education support provides appropriate information delivered in a relevant manner for coaches and athletes on a range of topics, usually in collaboration with other service providers.

12. Too many things….

14. Science Team
–Physiology: Kate Spilsbury & Gareth Turner
–Psychology: Simon Drane, Mike Stoker & Jen Savage (Steve Peters)
–Nutrition: Joe Agu & Kevin Currell
–S&C science: Michael Johnston & Mphil student
–Biomechanics: Paul Brice, Ross Tugwood & sports science technician
–Performance Lifestyle: Julie Smith

15. You need to have a very good understanding…and you need to lead/manage or…
You’ll wake up one day and a physio/S&C coach/physiologist/etc. will be running your program.

16. Endurance Initiative – Working in partnership
Creating Winning Environments

17. Endurance Initiative – Creating Winning Environments
Endurance Initiative 2014-17
Altitude exposure
Science support
Medicine support
Coach support/education
Identified athletes capable of: -Medals -Finals -Representing GB At the Global and European level -Junior to senior
-Bespoke
-Flexible
-Aligned to objective targets
-Accountable
-Supported by leading experts
-Long term investment in athletes
Communication

18. VLM strategy and Targets
•Based on calculations of what it will take to win medals in endurance events across various objective indicators of the pathway and how specific event groups are performing now, the overarching targets are to:
–Identify and support 4 of the top 8 athletes in each event (based on selection criteria);
–With 75% of identified athletes progressing year on year towards an identified performance goal (agreed in advance).
•Identified athlete/coach pairs will undergo a review and planning process and be supported appropriately (e.g. science, medicine, coach education, training camps) based on their current level and potential future running ability.

20. Strategy
•

21. Endurance Initiative – People
Advisor/Mentor
Head of
Endurance
Event Lead Special Advisor Expert Technical
Advisor
Accelerated
Coach
Development
Athlete Based
Support
Associated
Coaches
NCDP+ Coaches NCDP Coaches Logistics Support Admin Support
Barry Fudge Martin Rush Paula Radcliffe Alberto Salazar Jon Bigg Craig Winrow WCPP coaches James Brewer Lisa Richardson
Mike Johnston Steve Cram Others Rob Denmark Bud Baldaro Futures coaches
Darrell Maynard Others Others Personal coaches
Support and
guide WCPP
athletes and
their coaches
Support home
nations
identified
coaches/athletes
Mentor and
advise identified
coaches/athletes
Coach athletes
to a high level
Coach WCPP &
pathway athletes
Coach WCPP &
pathway athletes
to finalist level
at global champs
Coach WCPP &
pathway athletes
Coach Coach To lead and
manage the
organisation of
identified
training camps
Support Head of
Endurance
Lead the
accelerated
coach
development
program
Lead home
nations coach
education
programes
Provide program
support - teams,
training camps
Provide expert
advice and
opportunities for
the accelerated
coach
development
program
To quickly
advance their
knowledge to a
high level and
apply it to the
their coaching
practice
Provide program
support - teams,
training camps,
selections
To advance their
knowledge and
apply it to the
their coaching
practice
To advance their
knowledge and
apply it to the
their coaching
practice
To manage the
endurance house
Lead BA program
strategy - BA
budgets, lead BA
endurance
meetings
Lead home
nations program
strategy - home
nations budgets,
lead home
nations
endurance
meetings
Provide expert
advice to the
Head of
Endurance
To drive the
ethos of British
coaches working
together (co-ordination
of
formal/informal
education,
training days)
Provide program
support - teams,
training camps,
selections
Provide program
support - teams,
selections
Program support -
teams, training
camps,
selections
Focus areas
Who
Logistics & Admin Support
British Athletics - Endurance Initiative
Title / Role /
Purpose
10-15 identified
coaches
40-50 identified
coaches
Leadership Coaching
Institute Coach Physiotherapist Physiologist

22. Kenya: November 2014
•Out: 29 October/12 November;
•Return: 26 November/10 December;
•12-15 athletes over the whole camp (majority out on 29 October back on the 26 November);
•For development and WCPP athletes;
•Research focus pre/post/on the camp.

23. Project Pinnacle
Optimise Training | Maximise Performance
•Innovative research partnership between the EIS & British Athletics
•Performance focused research: 2014-15, 3 research projects
•Immediate, meaningful data
•Support evidence based decision making
•Optimise preparations for Rio and beyond
Optimising Tapering
Altitude Training
Running Economy

24. 1: Running Economy: Optimising training strategies
Identify whether both tempo running on flat and downhill can enhance running economy in well trained distance runners
Inform structure of training programmes
Optimise training to maximise competition performance .

25. 2: Optimising altitude and hypoxic training
Identify if there is an optimal time to compete after altitude exposure
Validate pre-screening tool to predict athlete response to altitude
Objective data to coaches to use when deciding on intensity of training at start of camp.

26. 3: Tapering: Maximising Race Day Performance
Identify if training intensity in final days of taper, after large volume reduction, has ‘priming’ effect on performance
Assess 1500m performance after two 7-day tapers: one currently used and new lower volume/high intensity
Inform current practice to optimise race-day performance
Research provides low-risk environment to taper and identify optimal individual strategies

27. Creating Winning Environments – Own the start line

28. Questions and thanks for inviting me

29. For further information please contact: British Athletics, Athletics House, Alexander Stadium, Walsall Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 2BE www.britishathletics.org.uk