A bit of both. I think that there’s good transference between the long bounds and performance. The greater value is as a bridge to SE though, IMO.
This type of session can take on a number of different forms. The first work of this type that I prescribed were Loren Seagrave’s “triangle runs” which I still like and will throw in for variation. The next were Seagrave’s version of the drill/jump/run circuit which I don’t like mostly due to the extended length of the running and ensuing potential for bad foot strikes.
Here’s link to one more variation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcLFGwVIeW4
I like this because the exercises are simple to master. For those who stuck indoors it looks like a good session.
I would agree that according to Charlie that is likely the case. My statement was that the jump/run/drill circuit acts as a bridge to SE, which is, in a L-to-S program more removed from pure sprinting.
In general though, I view jumps work as sitting someplace between general strength (weights) and sprinting. I have gotten much better results when I have taken this approach. It is simply my opinion based not only on my experience and that of other coaches that I know and respect and not meant to argumentative.
The running high knees would be more of a focus on knee lift with the foot coming more or less in an up and down action, while the running As still have the same high knee but also have a heel recovery under the hips and more or a cycle action stepping down with the foot.
In simple terms the running A is more like running (cyclical action) while the high knees are a bit more like driving (piston action).
Because you don’t have the travel through the air of a running stride, I always kept the foot directly below the knee at all times and i didn’t have two different types.
OK I had a look thru the SPEED POWER video to review the technique and I have been looking at it as pretty much where you go into the B from the A. This really works the hammies done in this way so I guess it is a variation on a theme to possibly use in the combination sets.
charlie, what dictates how far the split runs should be? i mean if I want to break down the 2x300m session of spec end into say 2x5x60m with 90s/20 mins rec…but when should it be 2x3x100m with 90s/20 mins rec? does the length of the split run mainly depend on the age of the athlete and how fast they are? I mean the slower the athlete the shorter (down to 60m) should the split run be? I guess it also depends on how much room you have…
depends- S-to-L? L-to-S? Indoors for some of the SPP? Generally, the more you expect performance to shift (an honest assessment!!!), the shorter the splits might be and the higher the athlete’s level, the longer they’d start out- cause there’s less performance difference possible.
So, when there’s lots of room for improvement, you might start 300s as 2 x (5x60). Top athletes might start 2 x (150+150, or 200+100). In any event, by the end of the SPP, you obviously must be able to complete the whole run, so you need to figure what your progression will be to get there.
i am going to do the L-S for spp starting in late october. why are the first 4 weeks of the thursday workout hills? is it possible to do 600s or 700s as a replacement if hills were done in the gpp?
The GPP and SPP are not clearly demarkated, rather, they blend together smoothly to create the least physical disruption and training stiffness. The hills in this case blend from a GPP but there’s no reason you couldn’y go with 700s etc if you adjust the GPP backwards to match up (this will probably mean shortening the GPP)
blending is definatly what i’m doing. right now the thursday workout is 2x400+400 with 1 min rest btwn reps and 15 minutes btwn sets, or splits 800s, whatever you want to call them. i avoid running the straight 800 since i am more of a 2/4 guy. i did this last year and it worked out well with a smooth transition into the 2x600 (using your other L-S program).
Right now i am doing short hills on tuesday and long hills (KitKat’s workout from LT thread) on Saturday. i plan on going into 700s for the first week or two of spp and then going into the 600s. although last year i did the 2x600s for like 7 weeks in a row with improvemnet each week, went from 1:36 to 1:29, so i would not be hesistant in doing that again as well and not even doing 700s, 600 is the farthest i like to go.
At a higher level as this is (50.22 female at end of program) the GPP was a bit short- more because of a very late start to the program but normally it might be a 5wk GPP.
