why can I run 15.9 100m uphill, but only 14.7 on track?

The hill isn't as steep as you think it is. In fact, it's pretty much flat.

Or maybe you just didn't eat enough beans for jet propulsion when you went to the track.

lift more, take bigger strides, knee drive, push off effectively.

Is your skin pale?

First, you need more rest between max sprint efforts. 3-4 minutes isn't enough. Second, if you want to run fast on the track, then run fast on the track not on hills.

You should also being doing fast downhill running. That is where you gain the turnover, muscle memory, and flexibility.

First of all, you can't sprint because you're thinking that doing it like a distance runner is sprinting. Rest period for sprint training is 1 minute per 10m or 10 min per 100m...or longer (up to 20 minutes if your condition allows you to hold your warmup that long). And a proper warmup to sprint is a series of progressively faster stride-throughs, not a lot of jogging. There's a series on youtube entitled "Asafa Prepares for Sprinting."

Technique matters. Watch some of the slow motion videos on Bolt and see what "stepping over" means. This holds your form together when you come up after you're done driving/accelerating.

If you want to sprint, you have to sprint. This means really different distances from 50m to 150m (pure sprinters will go up to 300 for 100m guys and up to 600 for 200m guys for conditioning at 80-90%, or what is known as intensive tempo). You can gain strength through hills, sleds, and weights, but the conversion from strength to power comes from sprinting. You have to be able to produce ATP at a fast enough rate and that's a bit different from distance work. Also flying sprints of 30-60 meters with a ~30m leadin.

It is because you have a low basic/pure speed. But always look on the bright side of life - you have tremendous endurance, 15s 100m vs. 62s 400m.

bright side of life wrote:

It is because you have a low basic/pure speed. But always look on the bright side of life - you have tremendous endurance, 15s 100m vs. 62s 400m.

He should be running a world record with that sort of endurance

As far as I know, you can't measure 100m accurately on a Garmin, mapmyrun or Google Earth, as they are only accurate to within ten meters.

Borrow a measuring wheel.

.

You must be kidding about measuring 100m with a garmin????????????

THIS. Garmins are generally pretty accurate over a long distance, but assuming that it's within 1-2m for such a short distance is ridiculous.

Having a crappy 100 meter time and an average 400 meter time does not mean you have good endurance. It means you have poor acceleration.

I suspect the OP has decent leg strength but poor sprinting form. Uphill it's easy to get power into the ground and activate the muscles, so the uncoordinated yet fit aren't so disadvantaged. If you have this problem sprinting drills, and sprinting workouts (preferably on flat grass) will help.

As already mentioned, measuring 100m with a Garmin and Goggle Earth is pretty funny. Within 1-2m? Really, you say.

What I'm dying to know is how you determined the grade. A sign like this?

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/6-percent-grade-18889822.jpg

... or a process similar to your method of determining the distance?

Thanks for the helpful responses.I determined grade by the elevation gained divided by the distance. If it isn't 100m, then I'm even slower. The point is I'd improved by a good second on the same hill (be it 90 or 97.3522 or 100.87 or whatever) but it hasn't translated to any improvement whatsoever on the track.

15mph wrote:

I suspect the OP has decent leg strength but poor sprinting form. Uphill it's easy to get power into the ground and activate the muscles, so the uncoordinated yet fit aren't so disadvantaged. If you have this problem sprinting drills, and sprinting workouts (preferably on flat grass) will help.

I think the above is a really good explanation. On the hill I feel like I'm "exploding" up and out with each stride and am really driving the entire way.

On the track, though, I feel that after 40-50m I can't move any faster. I've tried focusing on cadence and arm swing and stuff but nothing moves faster. I feel a bit unstable, too.

Typing all that out, it really seems like I just need to actually do that more often because it feels pretty awkward.

I'll look more into sprinting drills and workouts. Thanks 15mpwh.

coach d wrote:

First of all, you can't sprint because you're thinking that doing it like a distance runner is sprinting.

Yeah, I guess.

But I don't want to be a sprinter. I just don't want to be such a slow distance runner.

Thanks for the ideas. I'll check out some videos, too.

I can't sprint. wrote:

On the track, though, I feel that after 40-50m I can't move any faster.

Maybe you're not clawing back, then. Relying too much on extension. Trying to jog really fast.

Claw back at the ground and your lead leg pulls you forward, which adds acceleration or counteracts the braking effect of the ground, leading to a higher top speed.

These ostriches demonstrate the principle. See how they kind of pull themselves forward.

Look at 7:05 of this video, see how Allyson Felix doesn't wait until her leg is behind her to push herself forward - she pulls herself forward first.

I don't mean overstride like Allyson Felix or an ostrich, but claw back.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Maybe you're not clawing back, then. Relying too much on extension. Trying to jog really fast.

Claw back at the ground and your lead leg pulls you forward, which adds acceleration or counteracts the braking effect of the ground, leading to a higher top speed.

These ostriches demonstrate the principle. See how they kind of pull themselves forward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r-b8uY7C9E

Look at 7:05 of this video, see how Allyson Felix doesn't wait until her leg is behind her to push herself forward - she pulls herself forward first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tvUQslnII0

I don't mean overstride like Allyson Felix or an ostrich, but claw back.

I'll have to look more into this. Seems like a lot to think about just to run fast (not even that fast). Can technique really hinder a person that much?

I mean, honestly, how hard should it be to sprint 100m in 15s?

Maybe I just suck. I dunno.

[quote]coach d wrote:

Rest period for sprint training is 1 minute per 10m or 10 min per 100m...or longer (up to 20 minutes if your condition allows you to hold your warmup that long).

What is happening during the rest period, especially the 20 minute variety?

i'd bet that the 100m hill isn't actually 100m. seems the most likely option. and there's no way you can run 62 off a 14.7. i don't buy that at all. unless the 400 was also a garmin measurement

if you want t measure out short distances accurately, get a wheel (attached to a bike) and count the number of revolutions, then go back and measure with tape what 1 rev gets you.