How to develop a kick

Improve your aerobic capacity.

Mihaly Igloi taught his runners to develop two swings: their natural swing (stride length/cadence) and their unnatural swing (a different stride/cadence). His premise was that at the end of the race, the systems used in the unnatural swing would not be as fatigued, so the runner could switch to them and run faster. At one time, his runners held every world record from 1500 to 10,000 meters so it's not a theory to be rejected offhand.

According to Igloi, each athlete is unique in what works in changing from natural swing to unnatural. Some runners would use a much faster cadence; others would use a slightly faster cadence and a longer stride. You have to figure out what works for you. Igloi would have runners consciously change their swings during interval workouts to develop the lesser used swing for the final kick. You can see the Kenyans doing this at the end of most track events from 1500m and up.

If I'm getting Igloi's philosophy wrong, hopefully someone can explain it better. I'd like to know myself how he taught runners to do this. Can anyone explain it?

Forward wrote:

I'm a sophomore who runs 4:32 in the 1600 and 9:45 in the 3200.

When I ran these times I felt comfortable for the entire race. When I get to the final lap I can't kick and I usually run my slowest 400 of the entire race.

I have run 52 in the 400 so I know it isn't foot speed.

Maybe I don't know how to push myself the last lap.

I want to be able to run 63-64 the last lap. How would I do this?

There three options--

Improve your endurance

Improve your speed

Improve both your endurance and speed

+lose weight, improve strength, improve efficiency.

With a 52 (legit open 400?) you are likely running like a typical HS numbskull, i.e., 31/62 the first lap, then dying the rest of the way. Try going out in 34/68 and a whole new world will open up to you. Yes, you will have to learn to pass efficiently, but that's not hard as long as all the other Morning Glories don't throw elbows too much on the last lap.

Paddy O'Giantinni wrote:

With a 52 (legit open 400?) you are likely running like a typical HS numbskull, i.e., 31/62 the first lap, then dying the rest of the way. Try going out in 34/68 and a whole new world will open up to you. Yes, you will have to learn to pass efficiently, but that's not hard as long as all the other Morning Glories don't throw elbows too much on the last lap.

My splits were 67, 67, 68, 70

I was relaxed trough 1200. When I tried opening up at 300 left but couldn't reach the next gear.

kpack wrote:

+lose weight, improve strength, improve efficiency.

Sure, but those are only of value in so far as they contribute to greater endurance, speed, or both.

Forward wrote:

My splits were 67, 67, 68, 70

I was relaxed trough 1200. When I tried opening up at 300 left but couldn't reach the next gear.

If the 52 is legit, your first move should be to concentrate on the 800, where sub 2:00 should come quickly and a "kick" is not so critical.

Your endurance appears to be lacking, give it a few years. What is your current mileage?

Try to stay as relaxed as possible until you make your move.

Here are some ideas:

http://fullstriderunning.com/2012/01/kick-it-in-how-to-improve-your-finishing-sprint/

the average male runner wrote:

Improve your aerobic capacity.

agree

more hill work in order to get the proper mechanics for a kick. Good knee lift and strong arm swing.

the average male runner wrote:

Improve your aerobic capacity.

Wrong, he most likely has as much aerobic capacity as he will ever have. He just needs more confidence and experience.

I have always had a good kick (similar PRs) and what I can really say is the biggest factor has always been just willing it. I dunno. No specific workouts.

However here are some suggestions:

--4 or so Flying 60s at the end of a workout to work on giving an all-out sprint when tired

--hills...long or short. I think they all have there place and work great (maybe try 60-80m steep hills at the end of an easy run)

--I read a Kenenisa Bekele workout where he worked on his kick. He would do 800s where he would run the first lap in about 62 or so and the second lap in 53 or so. I did this workout recently and it was tough, but really had to focus on pushing while tired. Really good.

Maybe you are not rested for races? I have split under 50 in the 4x400 yes could NEVER run sub 59 last lap in an 800.

Strides during your runs are crucial. During the last mile of your run do 20 seconds on then 40 seconds off for however many strides that you want to do. Did this all summer and no one out kicked me during cross.

You could improve your kick by watching Galen Rupp's races. He has the fast acceleration and sustain of high speed at the end of a slow or fast pace.

If you watch his videos in slow motion, you could mimic his style.

When you're going for a run, stop every so often. Not long enough to let your heart rate drop and mess up the workout, I mean less than 5 seconds. A kick requires acceleration, and running at an even pace does not.

Pulling the following from previous threads. I urge you to use the search function (and/or Google for this site)--this topic has been much discussed.

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Okay, OP, I'll try to give some specific guidance, though there are others more qualified than I. (I guess runningart2004 is long gone, huh? Too bad.)

First, if you're going to work on speed, which is primarily neuromuscular, you need to do it at the *beginning* of your training session (after an adequate warmup, of course: maybe a few minutes' aerobic work to break a sweat, then building through a few accelerations). This is true even though your interest is in sprinting at the end of a race: you cannot build true SPEED at the end of a practice.

Second, you'll need a combination of strength work, hills, sprint form work, and sprints on the flat (or *slight* downhills).

*I'm sorry--I said I'd give specific guidance, but I'm not feeling so hot now. I'll try to get back to this thread later and will finish now with some general thoughts.*

Strength: heavy squats are best, BUT get good coaching and spotting throughout. If those are not available, do leg press; in either case, start light to make sure you're using proper form, then steadily build.

Hills: start with 4-6 x 6sec reps up a steep hill. Progress slowly and gradually to ~10 x 8-10sec reps. Complete recoveries between reps. Do these on 2-4 nonconsecutive days every *two* weeks.

Form: look on YouTube for form videos. Make sure your knee folds up well (short lever) so that your foot passes *above the opposite knee* when you're sprinting--"step over the knee."

Flat sprints: similar in number and duration to the hill sprints. If you combine hill and flat in one session, make the total reps for the session equally (roughly) what they'd be for hill OR flat; and do the hill reps before the flat. (Again, nonconsecutive days for either/both kinds of sprints.) Do flat sprints with the wind at your back, or down a *very* slight slope (like the slope from the center of a football field to the sidelines).

Finally: once you have developed the *skill* of sprinting and want to move it to your racing, you need to understand that it (mostly) uses a *separate energy source* from what you use for the bulk of a distance race. That is, you can be completely maxed aerobically and *still* sprint at the end of the race! You'll also be using some different, relatively fresh motor units when you move to sprint form.

Many guys, when starting the sprint, find it helpful to switch their brains to their arms and focus on the backward swing of relaxed elbows.

Sorry, all for now. I've had it.

--lease

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Watch someone fast run in slow motion. What actions do you see? What muscles are responsible for these actions? That gives you a hint at where to start. Calf raises are not the starting point. The action of the calf during a running stride is more aptly described as a reaction more like releasing a compressed coil.

Squats, split squats, step ups...

Squat Jumps, Box Jumps, Split Jumps...

Example:

Split Jumps: One foot on a 20-24in box. One foot on ground. Jump up switching legs in the air so that you land on the opposite foot. 1-2 sets. 5-10 jumps. Focusing on the height of the jump.

Squat: 3-5 sets of 4-6 reps with 90-120s rest max. Increasing in weight each set. The last set should be near maximum effort.

Split Squat OR Step Ups: 2-3 sets of 4-6 reps each leg focusing on the drive upward. Doesn't have to be heavy...15-20lbs, maybe 30lbs. Focus on a powerful upward movement. Doing so correctly you will almost feel a "pop" with each step as your body wants to fly off the ground.

Pullups/Dips: Just some accessory upper body work. Do what you see fit, just don't overdo it. 2-3 sets, 5-10 reps.

Alan

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Though Alan doesn't mention it specifically, some abdominal work is useful: it keeps the pelvis level (rather than tipped forward) when you go to sprint, which makes it easier to get your knees up. [The tipped pelvis, typically accompanied by an arched lower back, means that you lose some power--in particular, it tends to de-"activate the glutes"!] However, I think spending two hours a week on core, as some do, is too much--it is possible do get overuse injuries from core work!--and 30mins or so, distributed over a week, will do for most.

Practically speaking, here are a few tips that will let you show your kick (however much you may have) to best effect:

1. Switch your brain to your arms--or more specifically, to your elbows. (I've already ranted, on other threads, about keeping the elbows relaxed--plug "relaxed" and "elbow" into the search function and you should find those comments.) A mental emphasis on the *backward* swing of the elbow will mean a complementary backward push of the leg.

2. Most people kick better by going for an increase in turnover--move those elbows quickly!--then letting the stride lengthen naturally. By contrast, an emphasis on lengthening the stride first, then quickening it, usually means a much slower acceleration and can mean overstriding--a braking force, right when you're trying to get faster!

3. Understand that your finishing kick draws (primarily) from an energy source that's different from the one you've been using for most of the race. You can be absolutely *maxed* aerobically, and still come up with an effective kick. I found this out at the national marathon championship. I was completely heavy-legged *cooked*, just barely getting one leg in front of the other in the last three miles--and was still able to sprint like a madman for the last 250m or so, once inside the stadium. Which introduces the final point for now:

4. Start sprinting before you "think" you can. This is especially important on courses where the final straightaway is less than 200m--and on tracks, as well. Everybody starts sprinting, once he can actually see the finish directly ahead; you need to have the confidence that the finish is there (what, is somebody going to move it?), and start the kick a little *before* you see it. In the last 30-50m before the final turn, "jump" the guys you're running with; then, when you make the turn and *everybody* starts sprinting, you'll be ahead. I realize this sounds pretty simple, but it works amazingly often.

I hope this helps somebody.

--lease