should I run with quick feet or power. I have heard some say drive and some say run like you’re running on hot coals?
just run naturally. if you forceably try to alter your stride pattern u will probably get negative results. u cant just choose to run with more power; power comes with getting stronger in the weight room and plyometrics…so just keep training and get stronger and the rest will take care of itself
You cant like said above choose one over another and favour it, you need to just RUN and run FAST, proper mechanics and power and etc. come into place by doing technique work, drills and lots of weights/plyos, and speed of course itself will come into place with the speed work that you do.
so I should just run as fast as I can? Are there any cues or things i should focus on in regards to proper technique high knees,run tall,relaxation etc.
Pretty much, if you cue yourself on a bigger stride or faster stride, you wont be going very fast…
Doing drills properly, continously getting stronger is the first step to better form.
As for cues during sub maximal speed work or tempo, arms come up and infront of the side of your face, not close though. Elbows at 90 degrees, shoulders low, when in max velocity phase, or when upright, do not lean back, if anything slightly forward. Keep your jaw/face relaxed! Shoulders relaxed, fingers/hands relaxed, like a potatoe chip is in your hand.
As for legs, step over opposite knee and drive down, this promotes a good knee lift, land beneath hips, NEVER infront.
Remember the above can be done well in sub maximal speed (90-95%), especially the relaxation part. But you need to build yourself up to it first, so developing the necessary strength and by spending time doing drills you’ll do just that. During slower tempo 75%< you can do it pretty well too, just remember mechanics are slightly different, so just dont force into it, progress into proper form.
step over drive down should be my main cue… what about an anterior tilt and excess back kick
Ya I said dont kick back.
how do i control an excessive kick back
Lots of time spent doing A’s/B’s, fast leg drill. Get stronger!
straight leg bound & skip for height work for some butt-kickers
Although strength is extremely important…teaching the athlete posture, position and awareness would go along way. Even some of the strong sprinters have a butt kick problem…I’ve gotten pretty far by having athletes do running A’s progressing into a sprint without any change or distortion in the upright/straight back posture while doing the running A’s.
my $0.02
I had a track meet on thursday and I was confused about how i should be running. Cadence- i would think of keeping my heel recovery low…Stride i would think of cycling my legs in a circular motion like a wheel which is correct?
Sounds like you’re thinking wayyyy too much. Like was said above, just run.
when racing run natural
when training run properly
Mo and Ato have had this conversation where they described the 100 meters as a choreographed dance. So…
(1) When you come out of the blocks, you concentrate on driving and pumping the arms;
(2) When accelerating, you concentrate on full extension;
(3) When you come up, you concentrate on relaxing and mainting your stride.
BUT, if you’re doing the Tango and you start thinking about every step, you’ll never be able to dance with your partner. Same thing with sprinting. You improve your skills through doing the proper drills. You learn how to put the steps together during various workouts…and you do this IN PRACTICE.
If you start thinking much during a race, you’ll never perform the steps to the beat (you’ll be too slow).
one of my teamates told me that I overstride and it’s slowing me down…I run a 10.8 and i want to qualify for state how can i fix this problem…oh yeah my friend runs a 10.4 and he trains with Antonio Mckay SR.
Quick feet/agility drills could maybe fix this?
Are you overflexible?
I would say go for stride the first 20m the go for cadence. After all it’s just about speed, however the start is much about strength and power.
I think when you start trying things like that on race day, you risk overthinking it. Like it has been posted, the movements should be subconscious. Perhaps in training think of long pushes for the first 6-8 strides, then find a more natural rhythm. I seem to remember Tom Tellez saying that you should think of each consecutive stride becoming quicker, and the stride length will take care of itself. However, I can’t remember how long he said to continue with this for, if he did mention it all. Obviously you can’t have a quicker cadence at 95m than you did at 60m!!!
i’ve tried the step over and down cue and it help my stride immediately…Stepping straight down helps me use more muscles which increased my stride length naturally