For Track and XC runners
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference?FinishingKick wrote:I love how you know all these organizations like that.ProtestTheZero wrote:CIAC regulations
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act is something we should all be familiar withFinishingKick wrote:COPPA
I think the mile is more speed than endurance.RawBeginner wrote:running a 5 minute mile has very little to do with raw speed...
Ya, the speed is for fun and because I want to get a little rangier. I don't expect it to help me in anything longer than 400m. But last year I ran about a dozen races shorter than 800m ANYWAY, so if I can actually get some good sprint speed, I can be on some of the sprint relays (we already have 2 sub 25 200m runners, If I can get a decent 400m down, we can have a relatively solid SMR)RawBeginner wrote:running a 5 minute mile has very little to do with raw speed...
FinishingKick wrote:I don't have to worry about it because we rock.
If I start to feel that the sprints are hurting me, I'll stop them, but 1 day a week just seems to me like there is no way it is actually going to hinder the quality of my distance work. I can understand how it might shift my peak, but TBQH, if doing max recovery sprints once a week means you can't run a 5:00 mile, I have seriously misunderstood everything I know about training, because that just doesn't make sense.BagoXC25 wrote:I ran a 54 400 off of base training and no speed work, but just a LOT of miles. You don't need speed work that is that specific to help you run faster. It will help, but it will also hinder recovery for your important distance workouts. If you want to be the sprinter with a 5:10 mile but a 50 sec 400, be my guest. But if you want to be good at distance, you are going to have to decide which one is more important.
BagoXC25 wrote: But if you want to be good at distance, you are going to have to decide which one is more important.
BagoXC25 wrote:I ran a 54 400 off of base training and no speed work, but just a LOT of miles. You don't need speed work that is that specific to help you run faster. It will help, but it will also hinder recovery for your important distance workouts. If you want to be the sprinter with a 5:10 mile but a 50 sec 400, be my guest. But if you want to be good at distance, you are going to have to decide which one is more important.
"Improving basic speed is fairly simple. The scenario I've seen many times is this. Let me introduce you to runner "Joe."
Joe is 27 years old, was decent but no better in H.S., tried to make
the cross-country/track team at the local university but was
unsuccessful. Joe ran 10:00 in the 3200 in H.S., and now runs local
road races with an average 5k of 17:30. Joe runs about 40 miles a week
and does intervals in the form of 800m and mile repeats in fartlek form
with the local club.
Joe can no longer come close to a 10:00 3200. He can't do this because
5:00 for the mile is all he can muster. An 800m in 2:20 is a race for
him.
Joe has 2 big problems that are equally important to address 1)Lack of
mileage, 2)No speed. Joe, however has decided he wants some more
success and is willing to work for it.
I look at his recent mileage and plot out a course for raising it. We
go to the track and warm-up etc. and I put him through a small true
speed workout. I have him run what I call an "accela 200." He starts
out at mile race pace and builds speed over 200 meters until the last
20-30 are full out. This is always the final component of the warm-up
and the beginning of the workout on a true speed day.
Because he has not done any true speed work since high school he will
run 1 or 2 200s. I give him 5 minutes recovery and explain that he will
run this next 200 as fast as possible while staying relaxed. He jogs
into into it with a raised hand which is dropped when the 200 start is
reached. As the hand drops I click my watch and observe. The effort to
relax is apparent but he is not relaxed and isn't generating a lot of
power. The time is 29.3. He walks a bit, jogs a 600 back to the start
where I meet him and ask how he is feeling etc (rest was about 8 min).
We decide to do another one. Same procedure, 29.7.
I let him know that he will be sore etc. but that his speed will
improve. This workout is repeated once a week with the number of 200s
increased to 5 after the accela 200. The recovery is whatever is
necessary (within reason) to be ready to go again. Usually starts at
about 8 minutes and drops to 5 minutes after a couple months. It is
never reduced to less then 5.
Joe's progression.
Week 1: 29.3, 29.7
Week 2: 28.8, 28.5, 29.1
Week 3: 28.5, 28.4, 28.6, 28.8
Week 4: 28.1, 28.0, 28.3, 28.3, 29.2
Week 5: 28.2, 28.5, 28.4, 28.5, 28.4
Week 6: 27.7, 27.6, 28.0, 28.1, 27.3
(Finally gets around to buying a pair of spikes to use instead of road
flats. The last 200 of week 6 was run in spikes. Joe put them on for
strides 2 times during the week. He has not be sore so the last 3 will
be run in spikes on week 7. Week 8 will be completely in spikes.)
Week 7: 27.5, 27.6, 27.0, 26.8, 26.6
Week 8: 26.9, 26.5, 26.4, 26.7, 26.2
Week 9: 26.3, 26.1, 26.0, 26.6, 25.9
Week 10:25.9, 26.3, 26.1, 25.9, 25.8
(During this time mileage was raised from 40-70)
This Joe levels off about here, two Joes I have coached progressed to
the mid 24's, another is currently at about week 6. All joes increased
there mileage and threshold running and dropped up there 5k times
substantially--and didn't get outkicked at the end. In less than a year
Joe is now running 15:30 for 5k and 4:28 for a mile.
FOR MOST SPEED IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
If muscle imbalances are present drills are introduced to correct them.
Usually the speed will fix them if it is run relaxed. Drills and plyos
can be helpful but usually distract from the speed and a loss of
specificity is incurred. Ability for 400 meter usually starts at 61-62
and drops to 53-55.
Don't over complicate things. Don't excessively worry about drills and
form. Just do it and do it relaxed. Devote 1 workout a week to speed
until you start to level off. After you level off finish 1 to 2
workouts per week with 1-2 fast 200s. For most people that is enough to
maintain speed and some see continued improvement.
I like 200s because that are short enough to sprint but long enough to focus on relaxation.
Some may do it different, however this works so I stick with it.
My favorite athlete to work with is one who was a B class runner in HS,
showing some talent, but never developed for one reason or another. For
example I am working with an 800m runner who ran 2:00 flat in HS, 2:00
as a freshman in college and then quit. This guy will never make a U.S.
national team but just wants to see improvement. Two weeks ago he raced
for the 1st time in 5 years, the first time ever indoors, at 4500 feet,
and 1 week after the highest mileage week of his life, and without a
prepratory time trial, no hard 600's etc. He PRd with 1:59 FAT. He will
peak for outdoors and run much faster. The two MAJOR factors? More
mileage. More speed."
BagoXC25 wrote:I was training, and we were doing repeat 200's in track when I ran the 58. The winter before track this year I did strides twice a week and no speed work, not even tempos. I saw my biggest improvements when I just increased my miles.
You weren't training before you went out for track like you did the next year.BagoXC25 wrote:I was training, and we were doing repeat 200's in track when I ran the 58. The winter before track this year I did strides twice a week and no speed work, not even tempos. I saw my biggest improvements when I just increased my miles.
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