Running Mechanics and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics
- Derek M. Hansen –
With the 2010 Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver, Canada, we are exposed to a wide array of different sports that rely heavily on unique skill-sets that are not required for conventional summer sports. Events involving flips, twists, jumps and edge-control, all while wearing either skin-tight or baggy style-conscious outfits, dominate the landscape. Additionally, almost every sport in the winter Olympics is heavily dependent on the effective design and use of equipment – whether it is skates, skiis, sled runners, aerodynamic designs or application of wax. While running is the dominant activity in the summer Olympics, we only catch a glimpse of it in sports such as bobsleigh and skeleton where it is required for starts. So does running play even a minor role in the preparation of Winter Olympics athletes?
General Conditioning
It can safely be assumed that almost every athlete in the Winter Olympic Games has used running, in some form or another, as a means of general conditioning during the dry-land preparation. Whether or not running is absolutely required for their training is debatable. In fact, it seems that cycling is a staple of off-season winter games training, particularly for the longer skating and skiing events. Running tends to work more elastic responses in the lower legs and feet, while skating and cross-country skiing events rely on a longer push and greater ground contact time. However, running uphill for longer durations can simulate the longer extension phase required for skating or skiing.
From a purely exercise physiology point-of-view, running is a good way to build the cardiovascular system, with a fairly good transfer effect to other activities. If a winter endurance athlete wanted to mix up their dry-land training and is ‘tired’ of riding the bike, running workouts over varied terrain may be a good means of achieving a similar end. Running tends to be a higher impact activity than cycling or in-line skating, so caution has to be exercised when prescribing volumes of work and choosing a training surface.
Winter endurance athletes should consider using running in their off-season training. Often, the fight to be as specific as possible can lead to over-use injuries, plateauing and general mental monotony that can wear on the athlete both physically and psychologically. The switch to running can also prove advantageous by strengthening areas that are not necessarily targeted in the same manner by more specific activities.
Speed Related Events
In Winter Olympic events that require fast running, sprint training is a no brainer. These events include bobsleigh and skeleton, where a fast sprint of anywhere from 25 to 50 meters can provide a distinct advantage at the beginning of a sliding effort. Many of the top athletes in these sports started in sports such as Track and Field, rugby or American football, where sprinting speed is a valued quality. However, other winter sports may not directly benefit from dry-land sprint training to the extent of the sliding sports.
I had an opportunity this year to work with a good portion of the Canadian Long Track Speed Skating team in preparation for the 2010 Olympics. One of my main tasks was to work on dry-land sprinting with them to improve their starts. The initial phase of acceleration in speed skating tends to be very similar to actual running on dry-land. Dynamic hip extension is required for good acceleration off the start line, with a strong front-to-back arm swing to counter-balance the forces of their powerful legs. As they progress further into the acceleration phase, the athletes begin to lower their bodies and push more to the side. On average, the transition to the lateral push occurs at 25 to 30 meters into the race. Thus, our dry-land acceleration training including sprints over 10, 20 and 30 meters, gradually lengthening out their acceleration range.
We were careful not to sprint beyond the 30 meter distance. Not only are the limb mechanics much different to speed skating at this distance, but the athletes can also be exposed to greater risk of straining a hamstring. Thus, the decision not to run further than 30 meters was made on practical grounds, with the costs of running longer far outweighing the benefits.
Accordingly, dry-land sprinting can be used to benefit both short-track speed skaters and ice hockey players during the off-season. Less enlightened coaches may argue that running is not specific enough for ice skating. However, when you analyze the limb movements, posture and joint velocities, you have very specific qualities being developed by dry-land sprinting. These qualities transfer very readily to one ice acceleration. Additionally, dry-land sprinting during the off-season does not create the same wear-and-tear on the groin and lower abdominals that can accompany high-speed skating repetitions.
Other Events
I would love to be able to claim that running and sprinting could help earn Olympic medals in snowboarding, figure skating, ski jumping, moguls and curling. Unfortunately, sprint training may only help Shaun White escape the adoring fans and paparazzi. Most of these sports require countless of hours of specific skill training and practice, with many of these athletes beginning their sports at the age of four or five years of age. As mentioned previously, they may do some jogging in their warm-up or as a means of shedding some excess weight in the off-season. For the most part, they are hoping for poor weather and slippery conditions. Thankfully, the Summer Olympics are only two years away.
Product Review: GoPro HD Point of View Camera
- Derek M. Hansen –
As a ‘gadget geek’ who works with athletes, I’m always looking for new ways to capture performances that will either give me a better look at the way an athlete moves or provide a point-of-view that gets the athlete excited about the performance. The Casio Exilim high speed cameras provide these benefits with super-slow-motion review, but I have also recently stumbled on a product that gives me a new look on athletic performances: The GoPro line of wearable digital cameras.
I recently purchased the GoPro HD Helmet Hero model. This is a small, high-definition video camera that comes housed in a protective, water-proof housing. When you first look at the camera, it doesn’t look like much. It’s a small, modest, boxy-looking device with a lens, a few buttons and some ports for USB and HD connections. You won’t find a large LCD screen on this device or anything that could crack or snap off.
However, once you fire up this little device, you are surprised to see the great results on your computer. The HD Helmet Hero records 1080p, 960p or 720p resolutions at 30 and 60 frames per second. It shoots a 170º ultra wide angle in WVGA, 720p, or 960p mode or a 127º wide angle in 1080p mode, allowing for a wide image capture that can be useful for catching the action in most sports.
The HD Helmet Hero can also record automatic 5MP photos at 2/5/10/30 and 60 second intervals during your activity. All you have to do is press the shutter button once at the start of your activity and record up to 2.5 hours of high quality photos without having to hold a camera.
The HD Helmet Hero package that I bought includes mounts for attaching the camera to three helmets and two pieces of gear or vehicles, as well as a head strap allowing you to wear the camera like a headlamp. In addition, I also purchased a body harness that allows you to mount the camera on your chest.
If you happen to be participating in water sports or splashing around in the rain, you’ll be happy to know that the HD Helmet Hero is waterproof to 60m (180 feet) and protected from impacts by its removable polycarbonate housing.
Applications
The HD Helmet Hero is heavily marketed to adventure enthusiasts and extreme sports participants such as rock climbers, surfers, base jumpers, motocross riders and any snowboarders. Since I don’t participate in any of those activities or coach any lunatics, I thought of some other applications for the helmet camera.
1. Point-of-View Perspective
I first tried the camera for point-of-view recording for a football quarterback and some basketball athletes. Mounting the camera on their heads, I was able to see them perform throwing, catching and shooting from their point-of-view. I also had another athlete use the head-mounted camera for some sprint work. All of these examples yielded interesting results. As a coach, I don’t know if I was able to get anything out of the footage from a biomechanics point of view, other than seeing which direction their head was facing during the activity. Since I’m not a basketball coach or quarterback coach, I couldn’t pick out any specific attributes of their performance that could be of use to the athlete. However, the video was captured for the athlete to review at a later date, perhaps with a specific coach that could help with skill related information.
Additionally, the GoPro HD Helmet Hero provides a great “Wow” factor for young athletes. Not only does it look interesting when mounted on an athlete’s head or torso, but it also provides a reviewable perspective that they don’t often see outside of playing the game. In some ways, it provides the same perspective as offered by many of the video games the athletes play in their spare time. I’m a big fan of anything that helps to get athletes excited about their training, while gaining a greater understanding of their sporting performances.
Sports Demo – GoPro HD Helmet Hero from Running Mechanics on Vimeo.
2. Coach Perspective
For years, I have typically had a video camera in hand while coaching my athletes. I rarely saw a performance in real-time because I was always looking through the eyepiece or viewfinder of the camera to record the athlete. While it was useful in that I was capturing video that I could review later, it was also an irritant because I never got to see the performances with my naked eye.
The GoPro HD Helmet Hero allows me to capture athletic performances while coaching without having to hold a camera and film the action. I can mount the Helmet Hero on my head via the provided head-mount straps, or I can mount it on my chest using a harness that I bought separate from the Helmet Hero. In both cases, I am able to capture HD quality video and clear audio of my coaching session without having to hold a camera. Because the Helmet Hero captures in a wide-angle format, I am able to record a good deal of activity during our training sessions without constantly panning from side-to-side.
At the end of the day, I can dump the recorded data to my computer and it provides an archive of what was done during the workout. This is an important point because the training session rarely goes as planned on paper. I always plan my sessions with a good degree of detail. However, I am a proponent of being flexible to the needs of the athletes during the working, making adjustments to the exercises, volumes, intensities and recovery durations throughout. We may add more repetitions because the athletes are responding well to the work I am providing. In another case, I may shorten the amount of repetitions because the type of work may not be compatible with the physiological state of the athletes at that given time. The Helmet Hero camera will allow me to capture the actual session with all of the changes for me to review later.
The camera also captures my instructions and comments during the workout. Sometimes you provide the athletes with a cue that works very well. However, after the workout, you may have forgotten the pearls of wisdom that you passed on to the athletes. Recording your sessions with a video camera can provide you with an account of your comments and cues, as well as the resultant athlete performances.
Concluding Remarks
For an affordable price, the GoPro HD Helmet Hero camera provides some impressive results and a flexible approach to recording athletic performances. Athletes can see their performances in a point-of-view format that may help with their visualization of a performance. Coaches can use the GoPro camera to archive the coaching process in a non-invasive fashion. They can review the performances of their athletes, as well as their own coaching methodology and dialogue. The GoPro line of cameras may not replace a conventional video camera, but they can provide a novel way to capture athletic performances in high definition.
Pros:
- Compact, durable and waterproof
- Affordable price
- Wide field of view and great video quality
- A multitude of mounting options
Cons:
- No integrated view screen for quick review of videos
- Fixed focal length (i.e. no zoom)
What’s Included:
1 HD HERO Camera (5 megapixel)
1 Rechargeable 1100 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery
1 Waterproof Quick-Release Housing (180’/60 m)
1 Headlamp-Style Head Strap
1 Vented Helmet Strap
2 Curved, 3M™ Adhesive Mounts
2 Flat, 3M Adhesive Mounts
1 Three-Way Pivoting Side Arm Assembly
2 Quick-Release Buckles
1 USB Cable
1 Component Video (HDTV) Cable
1 Composite Video + Audio Out Cable
Warranty: One Year
Specifications:
Camera Optics
Lens Type: Fixed Focus (2ft/.6m – ?), glass
Aperture: f/2.8 (high performance in low-light situations)
Angle of View: 170º ultra wide angle in WVGA, 720p, or 960p mode
Angle of View: 127º wide angle in 1080p mode
Video
HD Video Resolution Modes: (subject to change, pending final firmware release)
1080p = 1920×1080 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
960p = 1280×960 pixels (4:3), 30 fps, 12 Mbit/s data rate
720p = 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
720p = 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate
WVGA = 848×480 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate
Sensor Type: 1/2.5″ HD CMOS, 2.2µm-sized pixels
Light Sensitivity: Super low-light sensitivity (>1.4 V/lux-sec)
Video Format: H.264 compression, saved as Windows- & Mac-compatible MPEG4 (.mp4) file
Exposure Control: Auto with user selectable center weighted average and spot metering settings
White Balance: Auto
Audio
Microphone: Built-in, mono with AGC (automatic gain control)
Audio Format: 48 kHz, AAC audio compression
Photo
Resolution: 5 megapixel
Capture Modes: Single shot, photo every 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 secs.; 3 photo burst; self-timer
Storage
Memory: SD card, up to 32GB capacity (SDHC)
Average recording times (using 32GB SD card):
1080p (30 fps): 4h 21m
960p (30 fps): 5h 26m
720p (60 fps): 4h 21
720p (30 fps): 8h 09m
WVGA (60 fps): 8h 09m
Camera Connectors & Cables
PC Connection: USB 2.0 (data connection and battery charging)
HDTV Out: HD NTSC & PAL (component cable incl.)
Audio Out: Combo 2.5mm jack with stereo audio and composite video out
PC Compatibility: Windows® XP (Service Pack 2 or later) or Vista; Mac OS® X 10.4.11 and later
Power & Battery
Battery Type: Rechargeable 1100 mAh lithium-ion
Battery Life: Approx. 2.5 hrs
Charging: via USB to computer or optional power adapter
Charge Time: 80% capacity after 1 hour with optional power adapter; or 2 hours with a computer’s USB port
Waterproof Camera Housing
Depth Rating: Up to 180 feet / 60 meters
Construction: Polycarbonate and stainless steel
Hardware: Stainless steel
Size & Weight
Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.6” x 2.4” x 1.2” (42mm x 60mm x 30mm)
Weight: 3.3oz (94g) incl. battery, 5.9oz (167g) incl. housing
Making the Most of Opportunities in 2010
Posted by Derek Hansen on February 28, 2010 · Leave a Comment
- Derek M. Hansen –
Mathieu formerly trained and competed as a short-track speed skater, but decided to switch to long-track one year ago after a number of ankle injuries sustained in training and competition. Mathieu is a hard worker and always maintained a great, jovial attitude toward training, regardless of the workload. Some of the training included doing lunges and jumps the length of a football field over numerous reps and sets. It was enough to make an average athlete quit after the first set. Mathieu always kept a great attitude and a strong will.
One day in June, Mathieu missed a training session, which had never happened before. We were all wondering what had happened. Later in the day, he attended a weight training session and we all asked him why he had missed the training session. He told us that he was at a local Richmond shopping mall picking up a few things when he noticed a Speed Skating Canada kiosk set up by a local sponsor. He went over to investigate and a mall employee standing by the kiosk asked him, “Do you want to know more about the Canadian Speed Skating team”? He laughed and told them that he was actually training with the Canadian team.
Much to my surprise, six months later and after lots of hard training, Mathieu had qualified for the 2010 Canadian Olympic team in both the 1,500 meters and the Team Pursuit. I thought, “That’s great for Mathieu. Making the Olympic team after switching from short-track is a great achievement that he can build on for the next Olympics.” Little did I know that he was going to make a bigger impact than anyone could have imagined in a very short amount of time.
Last week, Mathieu competed in the men’s 1,500m race and posted a strong performance. He finished in 14th place overall, and was the second best Canadian in the competition behind Denny Morrison. Once again I thought, “That’s great. He was the second best Canadian in one of the most competitive events in Long Track. Good job Mathieu!” He had an opportunity to be a contender four years from now. This was just the beginning.
Immediately, I thought back to that day when Mathieu saved the day for the shopping mall kiosk and spontaneously represented speed skating and his country. I don’t think any of us, including the mall shoppers, could have imagined that Mathieu would now be an Olympic champion. He never gave up on his goal, and ultimately earned the highest honor. It is a good story of commitment, persistence, perseverance and stepping up when the opportunity arises.
Filed under Commentary · Tagged with