We converse to the European silver medallist and aeronautical engineering graduate who’s excelling at his 400m crash course
There’s positively room for enchancment,” displays European Championships 400m silver medallist Charlie Dobson. It’s not a criticism of his latest 44.38 lifetime finest efficiency – he says he ran ‘an excellent race’ in Rome – however a refined acknowledgement that there’s potential to go faster.
“I believe the most important factor for me remains to be studying run the 400m. Wanting again on the splits [11.13, 21.52, 32.38, 44.38 in Rome] there’s positively nonetheless numerous room for enchancment in the way in which we method the race and the way in which we set it up, however that’s one thing I’ll determine.”
Like so many nice tales, the intrigue is within the unknown.
Dobson, ranked fifth on the UK all-time checklist, remains to be comparatively new to this sport. A 200m silver medallist on the 2018 World U20 Championships, the Colchester athlete was persuaded to tackle the 400m by his former coach (Benke Blomkvist) and fellow athletes and made his debut on the 2020 Loughborough August Invitational with 45.84.
His present CV is spectacular: 4x400m gold and fourth within the 200m on the 2022 European Athletics Championships; 4x400m bronze on the 2023 World Athletics Championships; and 400m silver on the 2024 Europeans in solely his eighth race over the gap. He missed the delayed Tokyo Olympic Video games in 2021 as a result of a stress fracture in his shin, however making his Olympic debut in Paris is certainly a silver lining.
Charlie Dobson (Getty)
Now in his first yr as a full-time athlete – he graduated with a first-class diploma in aeronautical engineering final summer season – and simply 9 months after linking up with coach Leon Baptiste, Dobson’s potential has nonetheless not been totally realised.
“When it comes to coaching, that is the primary yr I’ve centered extra on the 400m than the 200m,” says the 24-year-old. “We’re definitely additional forward than I assumed I’d be initially of the season, however there are clearly issues to work on within the race to enhance additional, like pushing out tougher.
“We practice extra like a 200m/400m sprinter. That’s the method Leon needed to take and it’s clearly paid off up to now, having the ability to retain my pace but additionally engaged on the power endurance a part of it. I by no means actually did an excessive amount of of that beforehand in order that’s had an enormous influence.
“Having the time to relaxation and recuperate and never having exams to do, particularly right now of yr, has additionally made an enormous distinction.”
Expertise is all the things and Dobson has benefited from a crash course in 400m operating in 2024. His 44.46 in Savona (Italy) in Might – a private finest on the time by half a second – taught him quite a bit about his bodily and psychological capabilities as he made his closing preparations for the European Championships and appears forward to the remainder of the summer season.
Charlie Dobson (Chiara Montesano)
“I believe I’ve found out alternative ways to method every race mentally,” he says. “I used to be going into the unknown in Savona because it was my first race of the season. I wasn’t sceptical, however I used to be unaware of what I may run. I discovered quite a bit from that day and it actually boosted my confidence going into Rome. I assumed: ‘I do know I can do that now as a result of I’ve performed it beforehand’.
“I believe getting used to racing and getting extra assured racing is a big factor. The primary time you do something you’re pretty tentative with it, particularly for large races and large competitions, however now I’ve proved to myself that I can run these instances – and going into the British Champs and hopefully Paris – I believe that’s going to be of big profit to me.”
Coaching takes place within the morning and is adopted by prehab workout routines for power and damage prevention.
“With Leon we’re very adaptable, so the classes can change relying on how the physique is feeling,” says Dobson, who can also be a eager golfer and photographer.
Charlie Dobson (Mark Shearman)
Monday: quick pace/acceleration work (for instance, blocks to twenty/30/40m x 2 every) adopted by longer runs on the curved (self-powered) treadmill (for instance, 30sec efforts) or on grass in early winter (for instance, 250m/300m reps); health club session
Tuesday: lively restoration with deal with mobility, hurdle mobility work, core power and drugs ball throws
Wednesday: tempo session resembling longer runs of as much as round 80 per cent effort (in middle-distance spikes or trainers) on observe, grass or curved treadmill “relying on how everyone seems to be feeling”. For instance, 250m plus 4x100m with stroll again restoration between reps. Give attention to type.
Thursday: relaxation day
Friday: deal with technical work. For instance, operating over wickets and dealing on stride patterns and frequency. “It’s not about growing stride size for me, however engaged on decreasing my stride size and placing my foot down earlier,” says Dobson. “We recognized a difficulty the place my foot would get away from me and I’d land very early which was placing an enormous quantity of stress via my hamstrings. We do numerous work on decreasing how a lot my foot kicks out on entrance of me, so I’ve discovered wickets actually helpful for that.” Wickets adopted by quicker runs as much as 300m/350m in spikes (at round 90-95 per cent effort), then health club session.
Saturday: lively restoration (as Tuesday)
Sunday: relaxation day
READ MORE: AW’s how they practice articles
Favorite session: “Something with aggressive blocks in it. After I see that on the programme I believe: ‘Yeah, it’s going to be a very good day!’ They’re solely ever 30-40m most, but it surely’s one of many few probabilities in coaching that you just get to correctly hit a run and also you get an additional hit of adrenaline, particularly once you’re doing it alongside a few of your coaching companions. It’s simply good enjoyable.”
Least favorite session: “We did a barely longer tempo session and we completed with a 500m (after a typical speed-endurance session). We began on the 100m mark and I received to 400m pondering: ‘We’ve nonetheless received a complete lap to do!’ That one damage.”
» This function first appeared within the July challenge of AW journal. Subscribe right here
