Whether an athlete follows a long to short or short to long program depends on how they can handle CNS stress. Those with a stronger CNS should go S-L. You will be able to tell from the runs and possibly how they physically handle it what they are best suited to.
What do you mean exactly by that?
If you can handle a larger volume of 60m runs more easily than fast 300s- that’s where you should work- and vice versa.
HiJack:
CF what distance did you use for your sprint drills in warmup, I see many coaches going out to 40m? I feel 40m is too long for most and start to work on strength endurnace qualities in the warmup.
HiJack2 
I would say it depends on the session ahead and its components. E.g., switching from accel. to top speed drills may require a few reps of longer distance as a ‘warm up’, since you will soon be functioning at ‘full speed’ in an upright position now (vs. during accel. drills). Others?
I was thinking the opposite:
Speed/Explosive days: shorter reps - 20-30m
Tempo days: longer reps - 30-50m
Also some coaches perform dym flex type drills (backward run, shuffle) and I feel these drills can be done at longer distances.
I was talking within the same session.
Also, you coming from a football background perhaps, you are talking about much shorter distances. So, if on a ‘Speed/Explosive day’ all you do is up to 30 m, I think I agree with you and perhaps I would focus more on technical aspects, if needed.
No, speed/explosive day is your typical speed day (hi day) which for me right now is 30-60m.
A typical warmup for a speed session:
Jog-skip 400m
Static series
Dym flex
Sprint drills (butt kicks,a skips,b skips,fast leg, str leg bound) 1-2x20-30
Builds 3x40
A typical warmup for a tempo session:
Jog-shuffle 800m
static series
dym flex
Sprint drills (carioca,backward run, a skip, b skip,ankle contacts) 2-3x30-40
During gpp my mach drills were kept to 3x10m, many athletes cant even hold form past 15m.
Now I understand what you mean by ‘sprint drills’! My bad… I see no problems with what you are describing. Strength endurance could be worked on a seperate day and/or after a SE day. Shorter is better and repeat, if needed.
End of HiJack 
I see many coaches taking there sprint drills (a’s and b’s) out to 40-50m, I feel this is too long for a speed warmup and could be getting into strength endurance.
If you told most of your athletes to do the drills below for 2 sets of 40-50m with the rest of there warmup, what do you think would happen esp with the high school/college athlete.
A skip
B skip
High knee
Fast leg
Str leg bound
It always depends on how the drills are done. i’ve seen alot of people doing the drills with considerable forward speed- so really 40m has the number of foot contacts of another’s 20m drill. Hard to draw a hard and fast recommendation without knowing that.
And If I choose your short to long template and adjusting according to my capacity (i-e one day speed & one day SE / week) by practicing the repeated 60m, the SPE1 for the 300m would build Itself enough?
I know that greater speed on the short distances(0-60) create a bigger potential for better performance in 100-400 runs, but I just don’t want to HIT THE WALL too soon.
(regarding L to S) At the moment I don’t see myself doing 300’s with any speed at all…would look more like intensive tempo
6"0, 195 pounds, maybe 10% bodyfat, 2.2x bodyweight squat, 31"vert, 33" depth jumps,
7.60/60m(last winter in comp. injured hams pull) 1.80/10m just once(USUALLY MORE AROUND 1.90) 3.10/20m(this summer)
ALL ELECTRONIC TIME
Charlie, I’m not sure which category I fit into. When I do a large volume of 60’s it is my muscles which will be stiff and sore the next day but my CNS seems to go into overdrive for a day or 2, i.e my muscles rather than CNS let me down (if that makes sense!).
300’s are very managable soreness wise but give my CNS no “buzz”.
Which category do I fall into in your opinion?
Thanks
I think I am in the same situation…
When I do a large volume of 60’s it is my muscles which will be stiff and sore the next day but my CNS seems to go into overdrive for a day or 2, i.e my muscles rather than CNS let me down (if that makes sense!).
are you doing enough tempo to flush the muscles out?
consider doing some Foam rolling to release the muscles
Thanks boldwarrior.
That makes sense, at the moment my aerobic capacity is terrible so I guess it’s time to attack the tempo more often. Foam rolling definately helps whenever I get access to one.
i bought a foam roller for like $10…
I have always found,
Mon - speed
Tue - Off
Wed - speed
= too tight to run
v’s
Mon - speed
tue - tempo
wed - speed
= feeling pretty much fine
NOW THIS! is interresting idea, I can recall some other on the forum who had the same experience.
It would be nice to understand the logic behind this: more warm-up stretching effect? increasing body temperature effect? Better recovery?
What is your own explication?