The Origins and Nature of Sprinting Speed

If anyone is interested in watching some good sprint races, try atoboldon.com. Assefa Powell's WR is there, as well as Michael Johnson's 200m WR. He is another stylistic anomaly, much like Bekele, without the classical sprinter's knee lift but with a stride rate close to 300 at peak velocity.

According to articles written by Brooks Johnson, sprinting is a "series of falls" and the process of catching yourself. White people have had their mommas to catch them every time they've fallen since birth. As a result the blacks have become better sprinters.

Absolutely true. Appeared in several major publications in the 80's.

you can run 150m in 21secs, and you think you've got the same stride rate as an elite athlete, your having a laugh and by the way that is a terrible time for 150m, 14yr old girls could run that no problem at all, and lots of them. I personally think sprinting speed comes from three things, stride length (gatlin), muscle fibres (mo greene) and the third is the achillies, if your quite springy you will go a hell of alot quicker and i think its proven that west africans have a longer achillies than the rest of people.

mikewats wrote:

you can run 150m in 21secs, and you think you've got the same stride rate as an elite athlete, your having a laugh and by the way that is a terrible time for 150m, 14yr old girls could run that no problem at all, and lots of them. I personally think sprinting speed comes from three things, stride length (gatlin), muscle fibres (mo greene) and the third is the achillies, if your quite springy you will go a hell of alot quicker and i think its proven that west africans have a longer achillies than the rest of people.

Hence the name "Wish I was faster."

And not a lot of 14 year old girls can run that. I'm fairly confident there's at least one 19 year old girl--Tirunesh Dibaba--who could destroy you at any distance. But I'm not a classless moron who would go around slamming you for it. Thanks for adding nothing to the thread.

In addition, yes, I do have the same stride rate as an elite.

It's a very simple test. Gatlin, in a recent 10.14 100 win, took 42 strides. (60/10.14) * 42= 248.5 strides per minute.

I do tests over 15 seconds moving the legs as fast as possible while maintaining functional stride length. In 15 seconds, at my fastest, I took 70 strides (right and left foot contacts). The length was short but it amounts to 280 per minute. But Gatlin destroys me because his stride eats up so much ground.

They took a poll on here recently and there are many posters who cannot break 60. I imagine you'll have some inventive fiction about how you're a 48 second quarter miler because it makes your tactic of bashing people seem more legitimate.

Get a life.

yeh im pretty damm sure i cud beat her ova 100,200 and 400. cus im sprinter and shes a long distance runner, even though i havent trained in 2years, id still beat her easy and 21 secs for 150m, i cud probably run tht bckwards.

mikewats wrote:

21 secs for 150m, i cud probably run tht bckwards.

No, you couldn't, arrogant piece of trash.

I always improve my speed over the short distances when I am at my fittest. I practice short sprints all year round, but my improvement in speed is basically an improvement in fitness.

OK some basics. First, to give you an idea of where you stand, I'm a coach and I also compete in sprints. I'm not at Gatlin's level, but I ran under 10.5 four times this year, with a best of 10.39(PR). 10 days before my last race, I ran a special endurance workout of 200/150/150 in 23.0/16.4/16/7 hand-timed with 15 min rest; This was at 90-95% speed, which is the kind of thing a real sprinter can be expected to do. 21.0 for 150 is equivalent to 14.0 FAT for 100m, and, yes, there are 14-year-old girls (with talent) who have done this; Last December, at the Junior College where I train, 17-18 year-old girls were doing 21-21.5 for 150 early in their General Prep (base training).

If you read Peter Weyand's research (can be found at elitetrack.com) you will see that both stride length and stride rate both have a rather minor effect on sprint speed, for both average runners and people like Michael Johnson (who took part in the research). What does matter is the amount of power applied into the track. This is the key point: Speed, or sprinting, is about POWER. There are people who have been sucessful with a high stride rate (Tim Montgomery), with a lower stride rate, but an explosive stride (Gatlin), running erect (Michael Johnson, Francis Obikwelu), and running leaning forward (Lauryn Williams), but ALL of them have trained to maintain a high power level for the length of their sprint. BTW, from Dartfish analysis, Asafa Powell, in his recent WR 100, had a stride rate of 4.85 steps/sec; Tim Montgomery, the previous WR holder, had a stride rate of 5.24 steps/sec, with the normal range for a top level 100 guy being in the range of 4.75-5.0.

To gain sprint speed, you have to train to gain power in the proper energy window. Your absolute top speed (this is a neuromuscular function) can only be maintained for 1-4 seconds. Your ATP stored in muscles is good for 0.5 second. Your alactic system (CP stored in muscle, converted to ATP without oxygen) can maintain maximum power for 7 seconds, after which you need oxygen (glycolytic, or lactic, system) and you need mitochondria in your FT fibers to produce energy. Your sprint becomes progressively more lactic after 7 seconds, and this system shuts down after 40 seconds. A maximum effort sprint begins to use aerobic energy after 12 seconds. In order to train to improve peak speed, you have to train to produce energy fast enough.

Training to improve sprint speed involves really three things:

(1) Acceleration over 20-60 meters from a standing or block start, so that you can reach top speed fast enough that you can train it while you can still produce energy at a high enough rate. About 200 meters of work for a single workout. Weight training (squats, possibly power cleans, few reps, heavy weight) and hill sprints also come into play here.

(2) Max speed (neuromuscular) training. This is 60 meter sprints (accelerate for 30, maintain for 30) or 20-30 meter flying sprints (from a 30-50 meter acceleration lead-in). Not much more than 300 meters in a single workout, i.e. 6X60m from a standing start or 4 X 20-30m from a flying start. The rest here is roughly 1 minute per 10 meters run.

(3) Training to improve ATP/mitochondria/glycolytic energy. This helps you to maintain power after 7 seconds, and is either short sprints of 60-100 meters all-out with short rest (~1 minute), or longer sprints 150-300 meters all-out with long rest 12-30 minutes. In both cases not more than 600-1200 meters of total work is done. Distance runners can get away with just stressing the 7-15 second time window, but sprinters will normally train both the 7-15 second time window (normally called speed endurance) and the 15-30 second time window (normally called Special Endurance). Examples would be 6X100m @ 100% effort with 90 second rest, 3 X 3-4 X 90m @ 100% effort with 45-60 sec rest/5min sets, 3 X 150-200m @ 90-95% speed with 15-20 min rest. Maximum effort sprints lasting 30 seconds and longer, even with long rest, sharply increase the lactate load and this is normally NOT the thing distance runners should be doing, which is the reason to not go all-out for longer than 150 meters or 15-20 seconds.

Distance runners can usually improve their sprinting/kicking speed significantly by doing a few (3-5) 60 meters all-out sprints (warm up carefully first) before an easy run 1-2 times per week.

hey speed, that's a good 100m PR..... can I ask how old you are?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Speed Kills wrote:

with a best of 10.39(PR).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That\'s extremely fast.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

21.0 for 150 is equivalent to 14.0 FAT for 100m

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I passed through some 100m section in under 14.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

and, yes, there are 14-year-old girls (with talent) who have done this; Last December, at the Junior College where I train, 17-18 year-old girls were doing 21-21.5 for 150 early in their General Prep (base training).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There\'s very little I can do about genetically endowed muscle fiber composition.

As I mentioned, the stride rate is as fast as I can feasibly get it. I used to do lots of short sprints and hill sprints and saw little return. I\'m a small guy and maybe not fully physically mature, so perhaps some time will come off with that.

And the jab about 14 year old girls was a jab, not a factually motivated statement. Certain 14 year old girls can do a lot of athletic things better than fully grown males. There are no doubt 14 year old female basketball players somewhere who would put good males to shame.

As good as your PR is, Flo-jo is just .10 second off. I don\'t see where people get off using the relative proximity or superiority of a female\'s performance level as some barb aimed at a sincere question. Paula Radcliffe ran faster than all but a handful of American males for the marathon in 2003. I don\'t feel it\'s necessary to slam people slower than 2:15.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you read Peter Weyand\'s research (can be found at elitetrack.com) you will see that both stride length and stride rate both have a rather minor effect on sprint speed, for both average runners and people like Michael Johnson (who took part in the research). What does matter is the amount of power applied into the track.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isn\'t power a direct factor in stride length? The simplified version of speed is always presented as rate and length. Power seems tied to length. More power applied, great length the runner is shot up the track with each stride.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim Montgomery, the previous WR holder, had a stride rate of 5.24 steps/sec,

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I\'m not sure using Tim Montgomery as an example of fine sprinting stride rate ability is appropriate given that he is under investigation for steroid use.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Training to improve sprint speed involves really three things:

(1) Acceleration over 20-60 meters from a standing or block start, so that you can reach top speed fast enough that you can train it while you can still produce energy at a high enough rate. About 200 meters of work for a single workout. Weight training (squats, possibly power cleans, few reps, heavy weight) and hill sprints also come into play here.

(2) Max speed (neuromuscular) training. This is 60 meter sprints (accelerate for 30, maintain for 30) or 20-30 meter flying sprints (from a 30-50 meter acceleration lead-in). Not much more than 300 meters in a single workout, i.e. 6X60m from a standing start or 4 X 20-30m from a flying start. The rest here is roughly 1 minute per 10 meters run.

(3) Training to improve ATP/mitochondria/glycolytic energy. This helps you to maintain power after 7 seconds, and is either short sprints of 60-100 meters all-out with short rest (~1 minute), or longer sprints 150-300 meters all-out with long rest 12-30 minutes. In both cases not more than 600-1200 meters of total work is done. Distance runners can get away with just stressing the 7-15 second time window, but sprinters will normally train both the 7-15 second time window (normally called speed endurance) and the 15-30 second time window (normally called Special Endurance). Examples would be 6X100m @ 100% effort with 90 second rest, 3 X 3-4 X 90m @ 100% effort with 45-60 sec rest/5min sets, 3 X 150-200m @ 90-95% speed with 15-20 min rest. Maximum effort sprints lasting 30 seconds and longer, even with long rest, sharply increase the lactate load and this is normally NOT the thing distance runners should be doing, which is the reason to not go all-out for longer than 150 meters or 15-20 seconds.

Distance runners can usually improve their sprinting/kicking speed significantly by doing a few (3-5) 60 meters all-out sprints (warm up carefully first) before an easy run 1-2 times per week.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SpeedKills, fantastic info and thank you for replying.

In your experience, how much is possible for improving 200m time in a not-fully developed distance guy who has not used this type of speed work extensively? In absolute terms, what amount of time can be shaved off?

I want to make sure to do this correctly as I\'ve tried before and seen little improvement. Warm up with some jogging, a few slower paced strides, then 3-5 x 60m flat-out?

Is this done just once per week, and after how many weeks should a progression be noted? What can be done further if the runner stagnates?

Thanks again

Speed kills -

I do striders after most of my distance runs (ususally 80m x 5-6 w/ 2-3 minutes between) but feel I'm missing something. I've run 11.5 in the past and have good jumping ability and power, yet feel it's not coming through when I need to sprint. Would I benefit more by doing some squats, lunges and possibly jumping rope and/or doing some jumps and plyometrics? You talked about power being the critical factor and this made a light bulb go on over my head. How to I get more power into my stride?

You mentioned stride length as being a non-critical factor, but isn't that exactly what one would get by increasing power in their sride? A longer stride while mainting high turnover?

bump

Speed Kills wrote:

Distance runners can usually improve their sprinting/kicking speed significantly by doing a few (3-5) 60 meters all-out sprints (warm up carefully first) before an easy run 1-2 times per week.

Can you tell me your 10k time, or the times of any 10k runners you train.

Two words: Power Clean

Further explantion: Light Power Cleans. Basically adding an endurance component to a power exercise. Take a 45lb bar and power clean it 10 times. Also, jump squats w/no weight. Or if you can bear it, jump squats w/45lb bar. Working on regular squats and lunges are nice, but they won't necessarily make you more powerful. Once you're able to do that pretty well then you can get into some plyos, jumping alternating lunges for example. Hell, even your basic squat thrust is a decent power exercise for us runners who really don't do any sort of power training at all.

Alan

SpeedKills, what sort of improvement have you seen with your runners?

keep this discussion going

Tim Montgomery 5.24 strides/second? Yeah right. That's 314/minute. If you wore a harness and ran downhill it would be tough to do that, let alone on a track.

yeah right wrote:

Tim Montgomery 5.24 strides/second? Yeah right. That's 314/minute. If you wore a harness and ran downhill it would be tough to do that, let alone on a track.

Typical letsrun knew-it-all. If you actually knew anything about the subject, you would know that Montgomery was a weak, light sprinter (which is likely why he took the steroids) but with a VERY high turnover rate.

The analysis the number came from was done by Pierrejean on Charlie Francis' site, whom his a sprint expert with L' Equipe in Paris and personally performed the stride rate/length analysis.

Tim Montgomery ran 9.78 in 49 steps which is an AVERAGE of just over 5.0 steps per second for the entire sprint (including th start) and a somewhat high peak as I mentioned above. This is part of the analysis, which compares Mongomery's WR with Powell's:

Tim Montgomery vs Asafa Powell

Intermediate times

0.104 - 0.150

1.89 - 1.89

2.92 - 2.91

3.83 - 3.83

4.70 - 4.69

5.54 - 5.54

6.37 - 6.39

7.21 - 7.23

8.05 - 8.07

8.90 - 8.92

9.78 - 9.77

Total n° of steps

49.0 - 45.4

Speed Kills wrote:

Typical letsrun knew-it-all. If you actually knew anything about the subject, you would know that Montgomery was a weak, light sprinter (which is likely why he took the steroids) but with a VERY high turnover rate.

Actually I wanted to see the discussion continued, but 314/ minute sounds impossible, some 30-40 more than most sprinters each minute. You must admit there is room tobe skeptical for that figure.

Interesting to see that Powell only caught Montgomery in the last 10 meters. I watched the vide of the 9.78 and did not count 49 steps, but it's tough to see.

The interesting question is how one trains to stride that quickly. 300+ per minute; what did Montgomery do besides steroids?