Finishing-Deceleration

[Flash]

@maris

Thank you for getting back to me Flash. I understand what you’re saying regarding the flying sprints. Whenever I do a flying sprint I do it off a gentle acceleration.

In terms of absolute performance, it’s a case of disciplining yourself to run at ‘90%’ or keeping relaxed to allow your best performance.

Would lower level sprinters decelerate to a greater extent though because they are taking longer to complete the race. i.e. they are performing maximally for an extra couple of seconds, therefore they would see greater fatigue leading to a greater drop off in intensity??

That’s a big part of it. There’s two factors at work. The first is the length of time over which the alactate energy system is dominant. Years of quality sprint training will expand the alactate energy envelop slightly, maybe by an extra second or so (which counts for a lot in a 100m race). The second factor is that as you get faster, the race gets shorter. So the time gap between the end of the alactate energy envelop and the end of the race shrinks.

[Flash]

@JohnG109

Is the “flick the wrist” advice about the start - ie throwing up the hand, or something else?

Yes. And Charlie emphasized to me the first time I met him that it’s really just a flick. Don’t try to muscle it, just like with the rest of the race. Keep it relaxed. Trying to feel powerful will actually reduce your power output.

[maris]

@Flash

Yes. And Charlie emphasized to me the first time I met him that it’s really just a flick. Don’t try to muscle it, just like with the rest of the race. Keep it relaxed. Trying to feel powerful will actually reduce your power output.

I imagine this to be a cue once all the correct mechanics are in place as opposed to a miracle cure for a poor start though!

[maris]

@Flash

That’s a big part of it. There’s two factors at work. The first is the length of time over which the alactate energy system is dominant. Years of quality sprint training will expand the alactate energy envelop slightly, maybe by an extra second or so (which counts for a lot in a 100m race). The second factor is that as you get faster, the race gets shorter. So the time gap between the end of the alactate energy envelop and the end of the race shrinks.

Yea, I get you. All makes sense. In theory then, the more elite sprinters can afford to expend more energy in less time then, giving them almost a two fold benefit.

[Flash]

Stated simply, the very top guys finish the race before they have time to start decelerating.

[maris]

@Flash

Stated simply, the very top guys finish the race before they have time to start decelerating.

Yeah, that was the phrase I was searching for! Elequantly put!