Speedwork

I find that all too often distance coaches do not train speed "correctly." Correctly is a relative term as there are different ways to teach it but to train acceleration and maximum velocity, much recovery is needed between reps, and most distance coaches do not respect the amount of rest needed to properly train speed. To train speed, you should not be tired for the next rep, because if you are, you will not be able to accelerate as fast or reach maximum velocity with fatigued muscles. Training speed is not aerobic and even if you feel ready to go after the next rep, most likely you will still need to wait because speed training taxes the central nervous system and the neurosmuscular system. Therefore, full recoveries must be employed to get the most gains out of speed training.

A piece of literature I have found very helpful was written by Boo Schexnayder. His thoughts on acceleration development for the distance running state "Acceleration capabilities can be improved using acceleration development training. This training consists of short sprints in the 20-40 meter range. These should be run all-out, with recoveries long enough to guarantee that quality and intensity remain high throughout the session (1-2 minutes). Sessions should contain a total of 300-400 meters. Acceleration development training enables these athletes to shift gears in competition much more easily and economically. More importantly, acceleration development training is an important preparatory step for the speed development work that should follow it in the training calendar."

This means that acceleration development should come early in your season. A close relative to acceleration runs include resisted runs. Coach Schexnayder ideas on resisted runs: "While not a truly speed development, resisted sprints are close cousins in the speed development family. They are a good way to enhance acceleration and power capabilities. Dragging a sled or a tire, or uphill sprinting are typical ways to get this done. These are done full blast, and rests are sufficient to insure that intensity remains high throughout the workout (usually 1 ½ to 3 minutes). Distances used can range from 30-50 meters. Total session volumes should lie between 350 and 450 meters. These provide a nice contrasting effect to acceleration development sprinting."

A little later in the training session maximum velocity development should be incorporated. Mr. Schexnayder's ideas on maximum velocity development: "There is only one way to make athletes fast… allow them to run fast in training. The way to get an athlete faster is to allow them to reach and rehearse maximal velocity without using distances so long that fatigue produces deceleration as the end of the run approaches. For this reason, most speed development is done using top-speed sprints of 50-80 meters. Sprint-Float-Sprint or hollow sprint runs in the 80-90m meter range accomplish similar objectives. Once again, these efforts must be of maximal intensity, with recoveries long enough to insure intensity doesn’t fall during the session, usually 3-5 minutes. It’s about quality, not quantity, so total volumes should range from 400-550 meters."

Putting this all together in a progression, Coach Schexnayder states "Over the course of time, progress from acceleration development to speed development. Risk of injury in speed work is decreased with shorter efforts. For this reason, acceleration work is used to prepare the athlete’s body for speed development. Once new speed levels are developed, you can progress with other forms of training. In this speed training program, we will work from short to long."

He also touches upon many misconceptions about speed development that I touched upon at the beginning of this post. One misconception is that distance runners do not feel tired, so why wait so long before starting the next rep. His words include, "Well, after an acceleration or speed development session, distance athletes aren’t tired. At least not in the way we commonly understand “tired”. Speed development is about training the nervous system, and the nervous system responds only to high intensity. True, the combination of high intensities and long rest intervals means they won’t be anywhere close to vomiting after the workout. But the nervous system is extremely fatigued, which is what you are shooting for on these days. You can’t make someone faster while they are tired. Many coaches run sprints or strides after a workout to train “speed”. This does teach them something about finishing strong and kicking under conditions of fatigue, but it doesn’t increase their basic, fundamental speed capabilities. These speed levels can only be improved when athletes are fresh. To enable an athlete to sprint effectively when tired, they must first be taught to sprint effectively when not tired."

After acceleration development and maximum velocity development have been accomplished, the next progression is speed endurance work. Coach Schexnayder's words on speed endurance: "Speed endurance training is a natural extension of the previously discussed process of progressing form acceleration development to speed development. This type of work employs high intensity runs in the 100-150 meter range, usually 5-8 efforts per session. Recoveries must be long enough to insure the quality of work stays high throughout the session, usually 5-8 minutes. This type of work has a huge glycolytic component, so it’s not just about speed here."

After this development has taken place, it is now time for special endurance 1 and special endurance 2 workouts. This is a topic for another post and is getting away from speed, so that will have to be saved for another time.

I typically train athletes' speed by this short to long approach, one time per week. Another workout for the week will consist of training completely on the other side of the spectrum, with strength endurance work that consist of longer hill repeats, as well as marathon paced runs and lactate threshold runs-which I like to call tempo runs. I like to work both ends of the spectrum and slowly funnel the training toward specific race pace work. So during the general prep phase, athletes are developing these ends of the spectrum. During the specific prep phase, athletes are funneling their paces of workouts closer to race pace. And during the pre-competition phase, athletes are working specifically on race pace. And finally, during the main competition phase, the main theme is tapering and peaking, so it is all about feeling good at the end of the season.Training in this phase is really dropping volume and getting very specific with a lot of recovery to freshen up.

I hope this answers your question!

Here is my simple answer.

Speed work can be interval training where you are focusing on faster than goal pace for your primary event. The rest interval is usually long enough to feel recovered and able hit the required pace.

Here is where there will be a big debate. I don't think distance runners gain much benefit doing short less than 100m sprints.

Other interval sessions could be called pace work where you are trying to hit goal pace and rest intervals are as short as possible.

Running intervals will not cause you to peak early.

2 X Around wrote:

Here is my simple answer.

Speed work can be interval training where you are focusing on faster than goal pace for your primary event. The rest interval is usually long enough to feel recovered and able hit the required pace.

Here is where there will be a big debate. I don't think distance runners gain much benefit doing short less than 100m sprints.

Other interval sessions could be called pace work where you are trying to hit goal pace and rest intervals are as short as possible.

Running intervals will not cause you to peak early.

Wrong...

The first guys post was legit. Listen to him and to Boo. But it will take a lot of work. Speed takes time and you gotta know what your doing and why your doing it.

Agreed. The first reply is totally spot on. Even MD runners neglect acceleration, max velocity, and development of general athletic prowess. Doing shit-tons of 200m repeats will NOT help you run a faster 200m. It will help you run more of them at the same speed. Only maximising your raw speed will improve your sprint times. Combine this 'speed base' with the 'endurance base' and you are doing all you can to work the fundamentals from both ends to the middle. Get a proper sprint coach.

love2help wrote:

I find that all too often distance coaches do not train speed "correctly."

Great stuff, I had not heard about Coach Boo previously but will definitely be researching him. Now if I can only spell his last name.....

Long recoveries for distance runners? Middle distance runners yes, but distance runners don't need long recoveries, they aren't running fast enough and they never will.

No where in the original question was it asked how to improve your sprint times.

The question is most likely from a high school freshman. To improve the speed of a group of high school distance runners I would rather have them run 6 X 200 with 2 min rest than 5 x 40m sprints with full recovery.

Hill sprints also provide more bang for the buck than short sprints with full recovery.

For beginner runners with limited time you are going to have better results working on longer repeats.

You say distance runners "aren't running fast enough and never will." "Fast enough" is a complete relative term. It does not matter the actual speed for which one runs, but the intensity applied to turn on energy systems used to produce specific force output.

All out sprinting, whether a mid-distance runner running an 7.8 second 60m sprint or a distance runner with a 8.8 second 60 second sprint for example, does not matter. What matters is the alactic system is turned on with all out intensities relative to the individual and needs near full to full recovery to regenerate creatine phosphate, the fuel source used in sprinting. All out intensity for a distance runner, regardless of the actual time, is intense enough to send signals to the brain to use creatine phosphate as the fuel source to recruit fast twitch muscles to perform the desired task.

A distance runner will never be able to improve pure speed without full recoveries because without the necessary fuel source to tap into full speed, specific muscle recruitment for speed cannot and will not take place. Therefore, distance runners need the full recoveries to allow for proper recruitment of fast-twitch muscle fibers. This will take time and patience but distance runners can improve speed when proper protocols are in place. Distance runners, as you quoted "never will" run fast enough if they are not given full recoveries to allow the specific muscle recruitment of fast twitch fibers to take place.

loveuhelp wrote:

love2help wrote:

I find that all too often distance coaches do not train speed "correctly."

Great stuff, I had not heard about Coach Boo previously but will definitely be researching him. Now if I can only spell his last name.....

No need. Just Boo.

Underrated thread about speed

The first response is spot on.

The way I view when someone says "speedwork" is running faster than tempo pace. It's a catch all phrase just like using the word tempo too. True speed is more like top end running such as 200m repeats at mile or faster pace with full recovery. Then there's vo2max speed such as 800m, 1k or 1200m repeats at 5k pace with short recovery. It's all speedwork but it's taxing your body in different ways, most importantly you should always try to work at paces close to your abilities and not some pace thats so fast that you're failing halfway into your workout because you're defeating the purpose of the workout.

2 X Around wrote:

No where in the original question was it asked how to improve your sprint times.

The question is most likely from a high school freshman. To improve the speed of a group of high school distance runners I would rather have them run 6 X 200 with 2 min rest than 5 x 40m sprints with full recovery.

Hill sprints also provide more bang for the buck than short sprints with full recovery.

For beginner runners with limited time you are going to have better results working on longer repeats.

No need to choose one or the other. Pure speed should come first and should be used all year. 6x200 and other speed endurance and aerobic speed sessions, anaerobic capacity which are different have their places later on in the season .