Competitive running management

Abstract

A management system for managing a group of athletes from a remote location using, for example, the internet. A website is accessible to a manager such as a coach and the athletes. Data may be entered as to performance times of the athletes. An algorithm of the system uses performance times to generate suggested workouts, such as a five paced workout with two paces slower than a performed time and two paces faster than the performed time. Several events may be practiced at five paces. Entered times are automatically converted to graph form to accentuate areas of weakness and potential improvement. The system generates calendar scheduling of workouts and can display both practice and competitive results.

1 . A method for improving a runner's best performance time in at least one specific running event, the method comprising the steps of:
 establishing an initial time actually accomplished by the runner at a specific initial distance;   generating a range of potential workouts encompassing a plurality of running distances and paces based on said initial time at said specific initial distance;   performing at least some of the generated potential workouts;   entering completion times into a data registry for each of the performed workouts;   generating at least one graphic representation of the completion times for the performed workouts; and   analyzing the graphic representations to determine potential areas of improvement for the runner.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the range of potential workouts includes at least a first workout having a targeted completion pace slower than that of the initial time, and at least a second workout having a targeted completion pace faster than that of the initial time. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the range of workouts includes at least two workouts having targeted completion paces slower than the initial time, and at least two workouts having targeted completion paces faster than the initial time. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the range of potential workouts includes at least a first workout having a targeted completion pace four percent slower than that of the initial time, at least a second workout having a targeted completion pace two percent slower than that of the initial time, at least a third workout having a targeted completion pace two percent faster than that of the initial time, and at least a fourth workout having a targeted completion pace four percent faster than that of the initial time. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data registry is implemented as a remotely distributable management system including a website having a capability of receiving entered data, a capability of displaying entered data, and has data processing capabilities enabling implementation of the step of generating at least one table, wherein the table is populated with a potential set of times for a plurality of distances relative to said initial time at said specific initial distance. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said potential set of times populated in said table includes a plurality of expected times for each of the plurality of distances relative to said initial time at said specific initial distance. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the table includes
 a plurality of second times which are slower than the plurality of expected times for each plurality of distances by a predetermined time interval, and   a plurality of third times which are faster than the plurality of expected times for each plurality of distances by a predetermined time interval.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the table includes,
 a plurality of fourth times which are slower than the plurality of second times for each plurality of distances by a predetermined time interval; and   a plurality of fifth times which are faster than the plurality of expected times for each plurality of distances by a predetermined time interval.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the data processing capabilities of the data registry further comprises generating said range of potential workouts encompassing a plurality of running distances and paces based on said initial time at said specific initial distance. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the potential workouts include workouts specific for each time and distance combination populated in said table. 
   
   
       11 . A remotely distributable management system for managing a plurality of participating athletes and distributing data pertaining to an athletic endeavor related to the athletes to a service area, and which is controllable by a manager, comprising:
 an administrative utility having at least one database disposed to receive entered identity data pertaining to the participating athletes and entered performance data pertaining to athletic events conducted by the participating athletes, and to display the entered identity data and the entered performance data for display throughout the service area;   a scheduling utility disposed to generate suggested workouts wherein each one of the workouts includes at least one workout event, for any selected one of the participating athletes; and   an analytic utility comprising an algorithm which is disposed to generate at least one workout event based on the entered performance data for each selected one of the participating athletes, and to display characteristics of each suggested workout throughout the service area.   
   
   
       12 . The management system of  claim 11 , wherein the scheduling utility includes, for each participating athlete, scheduling capability for scheduling workouts wherein a suggested workout is mapped to a specific future date. 
   
   
       13 . The management system of  claim 12 , wherein the administrative utility includes, for each participating athlete, a dropdown menu which displays future calendar information, which can receive data identifying at least one particular type of athletic event mapped to a specific calendar date, and which can display throughout the service area data mapped to a specific calendar date upon command. 
   
   
       14 . The management system of  claim 11 , wherein the administrative utility has
 the capability of assigning group identities to selected ones of the participating athletes; and   the capability of populating at least one of the dropdown menus with the identities of all of the participating athletes within a selected group by a single command action.   
   
   
       15 . The management system of  claim 11 , wherein the analytics utility is functional to display entered data pertaining to athletic results in the form of a graph. 
   
   
       16 . The management system of  claim 11 , wherein suggested workouts include duration of a workout event and a pace of a workout event. 
   
   
       17 . The management system of  claim 11 , further comprising a message utility which is accessible to participating athletes and functional to receive and display text messages. 
   
   
       18 . The management system of  claim 11 , further comprising an email utility which is restricted as to access to the manager, wherein the email utility has a hot link for connecting the manager to email. 
   
   
       19 . The management system of  claim 11 , further comprising a multi-media archiving utility which is functional to record selected digitized audio and video data, and to display the selected digitized audio and video data throughout the service area upon command. 
   
   
       20 . The management system of  claim 11 , wherein the scheduling utility is functional to develop a method for improving a runner's best performance time in at least one specific running event, the method comprising the steps of:
 establishing an initial time actually accomplished by the runner at a specific initial distance;   generating a range of potential workouts encompassing a plurality of running distances and paces based on said initial time at said specific initial distance;   performing at least some of the generated potential workouts;   entering completion times into a data registry for each of the performed workouts;   generating at least one graphic representation of the completion times for the performed workouts; and   analyzing the graphic representations to determine potential areas of improvement for the runner.   
   
   
       21 . A remotely distributable management system for managing a plurality of participating athletes and distributing data pertaining to an athletic endeavor related to the athletes to a service area, and which is controllable by a manager, comprising:
 an administrative utility having
 at least one database disposed to receive entered identity data pertaining to the participating athletes and entered performance data pertaining to athletic events conducted by the participating athletes, and to display the entered identity data and the entered performance data for display throughout the service area, 
 for each participating athlete, a menu which displays future calendar information, which can receive data pertaining to a suggested workouts mapped to a specific calendar date, and which can display throughout the service area data pertaining to plural suggested workouts mapped to plural specific calendar dates on a single screen upon command; and 
   a scheduling utility disposed to generate suggested workouts wherein each one of the workouts includes at least one workout event, for any selected one of the participating athletes, wherein the analytic utility comprises an algorithm which is disposed to generate plural workout events based on the entered performance data for each selected one of the participating athletes, and to display characteristics of each suggested workout throughout the service area, and wherein the scheduling utility is functional to develop a method for improving a runner's best performance time in at least one specific running event, the method comprising the steps of
 establishing an initial pace defined by an initial time actually accomplished by the runner at a specific initial distance, 
 generating a range of potential workouts encompassing a plurality of running distances and paces based on said initial time at said specific initial distance; 
 performing at least some of the generated potential workouts; and, 
 entering completion times into the database for each of the performed workouts, wherein 
   the menu which displays future calendar information also displays a calendar schedule of the generated potential workouts, wherein each generated potential workout is mapped to a specific calendar day.   
   
   
       18 . The management system of  claim 17 , wherein the range of potential workouts includes at least a first workout having a targeted completion pace slower than that of the initial time, at least a second workout having a targeted completion pace faster than that of the first workout but slower than that of the initial time, at least a third workout having a targeted completion pace faster than that of the initial time, and at least a fourth workout having a targeted completion pace faster than that of the third workout 
   
   
       22 . The management system of  claim 21 , wherein the pace of the first workout is two percent slower than that of the second workout, the pace of the second workout is two percent slower than that of the initial pace, the pace of the third workout is two percent faster than that of the initial pace, and the pace of the fourth workout is two percent faster than that of the third workout. 
   
   
       23 . The management system of  claim 21 , further comprising an analytics utility wherein the analytics utility is functional to display performed results of said workouts.