Training for sprinters

KeithReilly

Hi,

Sorry if this post comes across as stupid but I'm just wondering about sprinting training.

I imagine long distance runners have alot of volume in their training.

But how do sprinters train?
Is it anything like weights where you go in and do say 3 sets of 50m, 3 sets of 75m and then 3 sets of 100m and thats you finished.

I apologise if I'm sounding vey stupid.

gerard65

Its more than running up and down a track. Sprint training involves alot of gym work - weights, agility, circuits etc. Google sprint training and you'll get an idea.

TrackFan123

I am a sprint coach so I will inform you haha.

Well basically you have to start by coaching the athlete how to run correctly and efficiently. Sprints are a lot more technical than the long distances.

During winter I will have my athletes building up an endurance base. Some aerobic work will be done early doors, followed by lots of tempo and hills. Tempo sessions will typically be three sets of four 200s with a 2 minute recovery, sometimes it'll be longer like 300s and 400s, sometimes shorter with a very short recovery, e.g eight 100s with a 30 sec recovery. Those are typical winter sessions for a 100/200 runner, 400m runners workouts are longer and more painful as they have to be able to deal with lactic

Then there will be speed endurance sessions such as 150m's with a 5 minute plus recovery, blocks session for acceleration (20s, 30s) fly's for top speed; 20m quick, 20m flat out).

Lots of different factors that need to be targeted, and thats only on the track! My more experienced athletes do weights for strength, power, injury prevention and to improve rate of force development (olympic lights!), plyometrics to improve leg strength and leg stiffness, also reduces ground contact time and basically channel what you do in the weight room into actual power on the track. Circuits to improve core strength and stability.

Think thats all

KeithReilly

TrackFan123 wrote: »

I am a sprint coach so I will inform you haha.

Well basically you have to start by coaching the athlete how to run correctly and efficiently. Sprints are a lot more technical than the long distances.

During winter I will have my athletes building up an endurance base. Some aerobic work will be done early doors, followed by lots of tempo and hills. Tempo sessions will typically be three sets of four 200s with a 2 minute recovery, sometimes it'll be longer like 300s and 400s, sometimes shorter with a very short recovery, e.g eight 100s with a 30 sec recovery. Those are typical winter sessions for a 100/200 runner, 400m runners workouts are longer and more painful as they have to be able to deal with lactic

Then there will be speed endurance sessions such as 150m's with a 5 minute plus recovery, blocks session for acceleration (20s, 30s) fly's for top speed; 20m quick, 20m flat out).

Lots of differnet factors that need to be targeted, and thats onyl on the track. My more experienced athletes do weights for strength, power, injury prevention and to improve rate of force development (olympic lights!), plyometrics to improve leg strength and leg stiffness, also reduces ground contact time and basically channel what you do in the weight room into actual power on the track. Circuits to improve core strength and stability.

Think thats all

Thanks Trackfan123,

Thats the sort of reply I was looking for. You can google all you want but when you know little or nothing about the subject your looking up its hard to tell good information from bad.

You say you do three sets of 4 200m with a two minute break in between. Does that mean you run 200m walk back or jog back and go again straight away. You do this four times then rest two minutes?

How do you implement hill running is it much the same way in that you break it into distances?

A fella told me once that hill running was bad for you because you lengten the hamstrings and shorten the quads on the way up and vice versa on the way down. But I can't see anyone else saying anything else like that. What do you think of hill running?

Do you aim for a certain volume for each session. Say 1000 metres total?

TrackFan123

KeithReilly wrote: »

Thanks Trackfan123,

Thats the sort of reply I was looking for. You can google all you want but when you know little or nothing about the subject your looking up its hard to tell good information from bad.

You say you do three sets of 4 200m with a two minute break in between. Does that mean you run 200m walk back or jog back and go again straight away. You do this four times then rest two minutes?

How do you implement hill running is it much the same way in that you break it into distances?

A fella told me once that hill running was bad for you because you lengten the hamstrings and shorten the quads on the way up and vice versa on the way down. But I can't see anyone else saying anything else like that. What do you think of hill running?

Do you aim for a certain volume for each session. Say 1000 metres total?

In the session I wrote down as an example, the athlete would run 200m at about 70 to at a push 80% of their best (sometimes i'll blow a whistle at 13s or 14s for each 100 so they're on target, same with 300s, 400s etc), then they would have 2 minutes recovery (which would be a walk/jog back) then go again. After 4 reps they would have about 4-6 mins recovery depending on my mood! Then they'd go again. Thats a typical winter session. I would aim to have at least 1000m of volume in these sessions, normally a bit more like in that session.

In the spring and summer we'd focus more on quality, same in january and february if we have any athletes doing indoors. This means less reps, with more recovery and also running a hell of a lot faster. So an accelaration session would be 6x30m from blocks with 6 minutes recovery at 100%. Speed endurace session would be 6x150 with 6 minutres recovery at 90-95%. When I really want a top quality session it could be 3x120m with 8-10 minutes recovery at 100%!

The hill running sessions would be strctured in the same way as temp sessions, typical session would be 8x180m hill at 70-75% with slow jog back recovery (approx 3 mins). We aren't constantly on the hills and none of my athletes have ever suffered from what you described. Its best not to do too much hills though, once a week at most during winter as it can mess up sprint mechanics

DangerMouse27

Hi TrackFan..quick question..
My schedule seems very similar to what your doing.I use my mechanics to run as effeciently as possible but would doing weights before hand hinder me?
I only ask as thats what alot of a local sprint group are doing but alot of them seem to get injured frequently too.They lift heavy and then maybe do a 200m session with 2 min recoveries.
God im prob melting ur brain now..but would it be a bad thing to do a mile race tmrw if im doing 400m training?

baza1976

Sprinters ehhhh. I haven't heard that term used around here in long long time:cool: Whats a sprinter doin around these parts???? Do ye not have a forum of yer own!!!!;)

--amadeus--

TrackFan123 wrote: »

Well basically you have to start by coaching the athlete how to run correctly and efficiently. Sprints are a lot more technical than the long distances.

Thats an interesting quote. I can see the technical aspect of the start, the blocks and so on but is the actual running that much more technical?

TrackFan123

DangerMouse27 wrote: »

Hi TrackFan..quick question..
My schedule seems very similar to what your doing.I use my mechanics to run as effeciently as possible but would doing weights before hand hinder me?
I only ask as thats what alot of a local sprint group are doing but alot of them seem to get injured frequently too.They lift heavy and then maybe do a 200m session with 2 min recoveries.
God im prob melting ur brain now..but would it be a bad thing to do a mile race tmrw if im doing 400m training?

The only athletes I have doing double session are the ones who've been training for 5 years plus, and they do track first and weights 6 hours or so later. You can do weights before track but need at least 6 hours, I'd always advise track first though.

Nothing wrong with a mile race if you're not racing 400 till summer, good for strength that. I wouldnt do it in april or beyond though

KeithReilly

TrackFan123 wrote: »

In the session I wrote down as an example, the athlete would run 200m at about 70 to at a push 80% of their best (sometimes i'll blow a whistle at 13s or 14s for each 100 so they're on target, same with 300s, 400s etc), then they would have 2 minutes recovery (which would be a walk/jog back) then go again. After 4 reps they would have about 4-6 mins recovery depending on my mood! Then they'd go again. Thats a typical winter session. I would aim to have at least 1000m of volume in these sessions, normally a bit more like in that session.

In the spring and summer we'd focus more on quality, same in january and february if we have any athletes doing indoors. This means less reps, with more recovery and also running a hell of a lot faster. So an accelaration session would be 6x30m from blocks with 6 minutes recovery at 100%. Speed endurace session would be 6x150 with 6 minutres recovery at 90-95%. When I really want a top quality session it could be 3x120m with 8-10 minutes recovery at 100%!

The hill running sessions would be strctured in the same way as temp sessions, typical session would be 8x180m hill at 70-75% with slow jog back recovery (approx 3 mins). We aren't constantly on the hills and none of my athletes have ever suffered from what you described. Its best not to do too much hills though, once a week at most during winter as it can mess up sprint mechanics

Thanks again TrackFan 123,

I've another question

How do your athletes keep warm in between sets particulry when you've a 8-10 minute recovery?

TrackFan123

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Thats an interesting quote. I can see the technical aspect of the start, the blocks and so on but is the actual running that much more technical?

The ignorance of the distance runner! Im only kidding, the sprint is very technical, watch Usain Bolt, Powell, Lewis etc run and then compare it to a club runner. And I dont just mean speed wise!

Its all biomechanics and physics, the force has got to be applied ot the groun correctly or else lots of energy is just going to be wasted and the sprinter wont run as fast. Lots of talk on here about foot strike, well a sprinter MUST strike the ground with either their midfoot or balls of feet; when in flight they msut get a good knee light ( but not too high)then the leg must extend, foot must be dorsi flexed but still land at midfoor/forefoot and then must claw' at the ground and cycle back to the glute to start the cycle again. Too many sprinters with a heel strike which causes a braking effect, and too many who do strike midfoot but do not claw back when striking which puts immense pressure and hamstrings and quads.

Also too many kids with wayward arms and leaning backwards, or too far forwards, when in flight (top speed, after the drive phase) they should be striaght with a slight lean. Dont want to go into much detail but the sprint is very technical. I have my athletes doign these sorts of drills to make sure they are technically sound. Practice makes permanent!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH4HVrUPY8s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad0ToqBV3fo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASQamQ3WV-0

TrackFan123

KeithReilly wrote: »

Thanks again TrackFan 123,

I've another question

How do your athletes keep warm in between sets particulry when you've a 8-10 minute recovery?

I'd only do a 8-10 minute session on a nice, sunny day in summer. In winter the longest rest would be six minutes. Due to the ****e facilities in ireland they have to either keep moving or run into the club house :mad:

thirtyfoot

DangerMouse27 wrote: »

doing weights before hand hinder me?

This is very difficult to do in the same session. If you are caught for time you can run then lift. If you can do double sessions I would lift in the AM and run the in the PM as I think you preform better in the evening and if you want to perform better in your running then it makes sense. Problem is all bar a very select few in Ireland will have a job/college/school/family and double sessions will be difficult. Easier for a distance runner as they'll just leave the house and slog for 30-40mins but getting to a gym/track in the AM will be time consuming. So, for a sprinter if you want to get the necessary rest I feel you need to combine running and weights in the same session if you want to get your 4-5 running sessions and 2-3 weights sessions. Thats 6-8 sessions for a club runner standard. There are 7 days in a week. You need at least 1 rest day as a sprinter as you can't train everyday like a distance runner due to the intensity you work at. At the moment I run on 4 days, do standalone weights on 2 days and then add in weights into the back of one of the running days. There is 1 rest day. That changes throughout the season.

thirtyfoot

speedcoach wrote: »

go to snip


They hold running and sprinting workshop every 3 weeks.

Great value for money at €20 per session with 10 - 20 other runners.

I'm sorry but that is not great value. €20 a session, are you having a laugh. Go to an athletics club, pay your €60-100 for the year and get all your sprinting sessions free.

TrackFan123

Whos charging 20 euro a session?