Sprint Training Beneficial?

No, confusedboy77. Sprint training is very important. You can not run a fast mile without a good 400 meter time, so one must also train to run a good 400 meters by doing short sprints in training occasionally.

As a miler, I do sprints every other day (at LEAST twice a week) and slightly vary the distance and terrain. Sometimes I do it on a hill, sometimes not. The recovery is either a walk-back or slow jog. I'll either wait a few hours after my run to do them or I'll do them right after a tempo so that I get used to kicking while tired.

Also get a toned upper body. That helps you get the fast twitches you need. I think you've said before that your 400 is a 57? That's good, but to be on the safe side I would try to get it down to 52 before thinking about the glorious 4:10 mile you talk of. Good luck.

Every time you post I realize that you know less and less than you think you do.

Sprinting gains are neuromuscular, unlike most endurance gains. Why do you think sprinters sprint every single day and manage to get faster?

So 4-6 100m sprints on a flat surface with full recovery after a distance run 2x a week would be ok?

I was thinking mental maybe. Sprinting you are running balls out. Thus, when you run a mile or whatever distance event you do, the pace will feel "slower" compared to that and thus more manageable. Or is this just me?

fastboy77 wrote:

Is sprint training (say 80-100m sprints with full recovery) beneficial to a mid distance runner? I feel like for the most part genetics determines basic speed so improvement can only be minimal. Rather, focus on other important factors like aerobic strength, speed endurance, and threshold endurance which can all be improved marginally. Thoughts?

Please review the following thread (5x60m w/ full recovery):

Just outline one of your typical weeks all I'll compare it to mine:

M: Aerobic run

T: Track workout

W: Aerobic run

T: Track workout (long) or tempo run

F: Aerobic run

S: Aerobic run

Sun: Long aerobic run

I suppose the only thing I'm missing is this sprint stuff. I have two workouts a week (tempos and intervals), and a long run.

This is a useful read. I piggy backed off of the initial discussion. For reference, I run the 800m as well, although I am considerably older than you are.

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=10119143&page=3#10169398

How do you balance the sprint workouts with the traditional workouts (tempos, intervals)? And are 100m sprints good enough to be an alactic workout?

Alactic can be trained in 6-7 seconds or less at whatever distance you cover for that.

Allow at least 3 minutes between for phosphocreatine to bounce back 80+ %

I dedicate one day to speed development (sprints). I would keep your other workouts as is.

For example:

M - Speed development

T - aerobic workout

W -Recovery or cross train

R -Recovery + strides

F - Speed endurance(track) /aerobic power (short hills)

S - recovery

Su - Long run

I assume by aerobic workout you mean a tempo and speed endurance on the track is things like 200s, 300s, 400s. correct?

fastboy77 wrote:

I assume by aerobic workout you mean a tempo and speed endurance on the track is things like 200s, 300s, 400s. correct?

Yes. This is but one prescription/arrangement, suitable for most athletes and works for both early season/pre-season training. You might want to modify this during the sharpening phase to something like:

M- Speed development

T- recovery

W- Speed endurance (up to 300m, 100-200-300 ladder etc)

R-recovery

F- recovery

S - Specific endurance (up to 600m or a key workout you like . ( Ex: 200-400-600 ladders etc)

Su - Semi-long run (ex: If you were running 12mi, cut it to 8-10mi)

The idea is to train yourself to run fast and hurt a bit. Of course it involves more than this cursory outline, but you get the idea.

BTW, Happy New Year 2021!

fastboy77 wrote:

I assume by aerobic workout you mean a tempo and speed endurance on the track is things like 200s, 300s, 400s. correct?

I’m sure you are a nice guy but you are all over the place with a new thread every three days or so. Maybe should use one thread for you that people can weigh in on or just do searches.

I am triggered by the term speed endurance because you are throwing that around now. Look up the thread from a few weeks ago. It’s a specific workout. It’s not just stuff like 200’s 400’s etc...

thatthing wrote:

fastboy77 wrote:

I assume by aerobic workout you mean a tempo and speed endurance on the track is things like 200s, 300s, 400s. correct?

I’m sure you are a nice guy but you are all over the place with a new thread every three days or so. Maybe should use one thread for you that people can weigh in on or just do searches.

I am triggered by the term speed endurance because you are throwing that around now. Look up the thread from a few weeks ago. It’s a specific workout. It’s not just stuff like 200’s 400’s etc...

I mixed up terminology as well. Still getting used to "sprinter speak", which is technically correct. OP, to clarify:

In your speed development sessions gradually begin to replace fly 60s with up to 120m. This is the speed endurance V (see the linked thread) is speaking of.

On Tu - Special endurance ( sessions of 3 x 300m, short 100-200-300 ladde setsr etc) and on Sat - Specific endurance at race pace (4 x 400m at race pace ).

I mess up the terminology quite often, a bad habit I'm trying to break!

As far as im concerned, distance runners must effectively train 3 energy systems in order to be good at their discipline:

Aerobic system (oxidative phosphorylation)

Anaerobic Lactate System

Anaerobic Alactate System

So please then, give me examples of how you would incorporate each of them since you are more experienced than me.

Aerobic system - easy mileage and tempos; intervals 800 and up

Anaerobic lactate - 200s, 300s, 400s with short recoveries

Anaerobic lactate -50m-100m reps with FULL recovery

I know for a fact that this is correct

Furthermore,

Anaerobic Lactate workouts:

12 x 400m w/ 1 min rest

16-20 x 200m w/ 30 sec rest

**Both these workouts have very short recoveries. Tough sessions with a lot of oxygen debt and lactate buildup. H+

Anaerobic alactate workouts:

10-12 x 100m sprints w/ 5-6 min recovery

**The extremely long recovery allow the 100s to be ran at very close to top speed on full recovery. Good for leg turnover and neuromuscular coordination.

Aerobic workouts:

Easy running (obviously)

Tempo Runs/Steady State Runs/Progression Runs

**Just be careful not to turn the latter three anaerobic by going TOO fast.

fastboy77 wrote:

As far as im concerned, distance runners must effectively train 3 energy systems in order to be good at their discipline:

Aerobic system (oxidative phosphorylation)

Anaerobic Lactate System

Anaerobic Alactate System

So please then, give me examples of how you would incorporate each of them since you are more experienced than me.

You know aerobic work. Tempos, long intervals and everyday mileage

Anaerobic lactate work would be repeats/intervals long enough to increase lactate production considerably, with little rest. These should be at least 1-2 minutes log. Think 400 reps to mile repeats.

The alactate system is short enough and has enough rest, where little lactate is being produced. The goal is just leg turnover/leg speed. Think strides, and 60-200m repeats with close to full or full recovery. I don't do these alactate workouts as stand-alone workouts until i'm peaking. I like to throw them in after a threshold workout, or the day before a race or workout, as strides.

A simpletrack training plan involving these could be something like

Sun: Long run+strides

Mon: 2m wu Lt intervals 1m cd

Tuesday: Easy day

Wednesday: Medium day+ strides

Thursday: 2m wu tempo run/fartlek.

Friday: 3m wu with progression to aerobic threshold for last.5m + 150-400m repeats with plenty of rest 1m cd

Saturday: easy day.

This is loose but you get a legit speed session, a long run and tempo/fartlek for aerobic development, and some moneymaker lt intervals.