On Improving Speed

Phoenix · 2007-07-04T08:59:40-04:00

EVERYONE can improve top-end speed with training. The benefits of improving ones top-end clearly diminish with increasing race distances. Someone who's major focus is marathoning probably won't see a lot of benefit by devoting substantial time to sprint work. However doing some brisk, relaxed track work once a week will likely improve distance performance simply by improving economy and making muscle and tendons more tolerant of higher impact forces and therefore more resilient and injury resistant. A by-product of this type of training will often be a 1-2 (sometimes more) second drop in ones 200m time (for someone who has not been doing true speed work). Here is my approach to improving speed for anyone whether they run the 800m or marathon. In principle I start the same with everyone. I start by building a "speed base" and then adding on top of that. A long distance runner does not progress beyond the "speed base" because it is almost always unnecessary. A middle distance runner will progress beyond the base but in the ideal world goes through this phase. I really like 200m repeats because they are long enough to find a rhythm but short enough to run quick. They must be run relaxed and in control--especially for someone who has not done sprint work in a while. Stride cadence should be kept high. Don't lope. It should feel efficient without feeling like you are cutting your stride. Think quick not short. The goal is not to become sore. So start small without great expectations. Run 2 x 200 relaxed and in control as a starting point--this means SLOWER than you could run them--often a lot slower. This is absolutely critical to understand. You are running slower than you could—throughout the entire base phase. When starting off there is a big diference between top speed and top relaxed speed. As one becomes more skilled, the difference between the two decreases. So initially you might run something like 2 x 200 in 36-37 or slower (whether a relaxed brisk 200 is 45 or 25 doesn’t matter for you—the principle is the same). This is fine. One other day a week you should do some easy strides (for all weeks). The next week run 3 x 200 at the same relaxed effort again keeping the cadence high. Measure your time as an observation without using it as a goal. Your stride is quick, not chopped. For now your time does not matter. What does matter and you must pound this into your head and never forget it is that you must run relaxed, efficient, and quick. Fast running requires the coordination of many muscle groups. Almost anyone who has not been doing speed work (coach potato, distance runner, etc) lacks the muscular balance and coordination to sprint all-out with good form. By starting small you work the weak links in the chain and slower bring them up to speed with the your stronger links. Ususually the psoas/illiopsoas complexs and hamstrings are weak. You might not be sprinting all-out, but you are working your weak links very hard. You must allow them to develop without over-stressing them. The following week run 4 x 200 at the same old relaxed effort--quick and relaxed. Keep the recovery at a 200m walk as an absolute mininum--more if you need it. This is not a middle distance workout so don't turn it into one by cutting your recovery because you are in a hurry. Again clock yourself as an observation without trying to run certain times--this takes a great deal of discipline. You'll thwart your long-term progression if you force things and start running with bad mechanics. If you force the pace, your chance of injury will sky-rocket. Stay in control. There are two kinds of discipline here. The first is showing up to do the workout, the second is staying in control. The next week go up to 5 x 200 following the same rules. By this time most people will be feeling more coordinated. Often the times will drop a little by this stage. But remember that the effort is the same. For now the clock is an observational tool only--not a task-master. If your times haven't dropped, that is no reason to force them faster. Be patient and wait. You'll be better off in the in end. Next week go up to 6 x 200, the next week 7, and the next week 8. (Remember that one other day each week you are running some relaxed strides). The volume of this workout caps at 8 x 200. Congratulate yourself and reaching this point without forcing the pace. Run 8 x 200 at the same relaxed effort, with the same old quick cadence, for 2 more weeks. So your speed training might have looked like this: Week 1: 2 x 200 (+ strides on another day for all weeks) Week 2: 3 x 200 Week 3: 4 x 200 Week 4: 5 x 200 Week 5: 6 x 200 Week 6: 7 x 200 Week 7: 8 x 200 Week 8: 8 x 200 Week 9: 8 x 200 If you are a marathon specialist you probably won't benefit by going beyond this. Just make sure you do something like this once per week consistently. You now have a speed base that will protect you from injury and improve your times at all distance because of improved economy. The next phase is for middle distance runners and could be called a transition phase. This phase focuses on running faster. I will write about this phase next. (To be continued in bits and pieces. . .) Phoenix

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