First attempt at short to long

Expert Discussion Advanced Sprint Training
1

I recently came off an indoor season where I had very marginal results from my previous training reaching a time of 6.97s over 60m. With my last years pb being 7.02. In between these two indoor seasons I reached a pb of 10.79s in the 100m and 22.14s in the 200m.

At the end of the indoor season after running 6.97s I used the following program:

Cycle 1
Mon-speed endurance (300,250,200,200) 40s pace
Tues-sled pulls (10% bw, varying) 2x30m normal, 4x30m sleds, 2x30m normal
Wed-off
Thurs-2x200m
Fri-hills 6x80m

Cycle 2
Mon-technical speed and starts 10mx10
Tue-sled pulls 1x30m normal, 2x30m sled, 2x60m sleds, 2x60m normal
Wed-off
Thurs-speed endurance 150mx4
Fri- Plyo day

Cycle 3
Mon-off
Tue-Speed (6x flying 30m) Plyometrics
Wed-off
Thursday- specific speed endurance (100m from blocks, 200m from blocks)
Fri- plyometrics

With weights being lifted on Tues, Thursdays and Saturdays. The training leading up to both of these seasons was a mash of random sprint workouts from an old coach. As a result, my season opener for my outdoor season was 11.23s, with each subsequent race my 100m time is dropping slowly. After a month I’ve come back down to a closer time of 10.9s. To me this signified bad preparation and training methods, since I lost speed with my preparation period and only begun to build it again during competition period. What a waste of time!

I’ve decided to make some changes and follow a short to long approach, which I’ve instinctively always felt was the best approach. Here is my take on the approach:
GPP-Month 1

Sunday
4x4x20m starts
4x40m easy

Monday
8x200m Tempo
Upper body

Tuesday
4x20m fast starts
3x4x40m sprints

Wednesday
8x200m tempo
Core work

Thursday
4x4x20m
4x40m easy

Friday
8x200m tempo
Core work

GPP-Month 2

Sunday
3x4x30m
4x60m fast

Tuesday
4x30m fast starts
3x3x60m sprints

Thursday
3x4x30m
4x60m

Same tempo as before
SPP-Month 3,4

Sunday
4x30m starts easy
3x3x60m sprints (Ends when form deteriorates) progresses to 4x2x70m

Tuesday
3x4x30m blocks
4x60m

Thursday
4x30m- easy
3x3x60m progresses to 4x2x70m
1x220m (decreasing SE distance progression)

Same tempo as before

My weights are now on Sunday, Thursday and Tuesdays

My whole periodization is to emphasize 20-40m, and then 30-60m with an emphasis on 30m, then 30-60 with an emphasis on 60m, then 30-70m with an emphasis on 70m. I’ve added the lone speed endurance session because I am a 4x200m relay member but I wasn’t sure how to add this in.

Any comments?

2

Take what I say with a grain of salt, because I’m not the most knowledgeable about training programs. I think your volume of speed work is too high on several days, unless some of it as reduced speed and you’re leaving that info out. I think that if you run this program, and finish your workouts, you might find yourself getting injured.

Maybe some of the better coaches on here can comment and disagree with me if I’m wrong, which if is the case, my apologies for confusing you. I’ve included the days I think are questionable. My comments are in [brackets].

GPP-1:

Tuesday
4x20m fast starts
3x4x40m sprints
[Can you really do 560m of almost pure acceleration?]

GPP-2:

Sunday
3x4x30m
4x60m fast
[Why are you doing 12 reps of 30m, then 4 sets of 60m? By the time you get to the 4x60m, you won’t be able to do it ‘fast’ as in your plan.]

Tuesday
4x30m fast starts
3x3x60m sprints
[3x3x60m is going to be a killer, especially after your starts. I think that 3x3x60m at speed is too much on its own.]

Thursday
3x4x30m
4x60m
[Same comment as Sunday’s workout.]

SPP:

Sunday
4x30m starts easy
3x3x60m sprints (Ends when form deteriorates) progresses to 4x2x70m
[You’ll probably be ending this well before you get to the 9th rep of 60m.]

Tuesday
3x4x30m blocks
4x60m
[Same comment as above for the same workout.]

Thursday
4x30m- easy
3x3x60m progresses to 4x2x70m
1x220m (decreasing SE distance progression)
[Similar to above from Sunday’s workout, except now you have a 220m. Will you still run the 220m after you’ve run 9x60m, or 8x70m, and are feeling very tired? Will you still run the 220m if you’ve ended the 60m or 70m runs before the prescribed number? I don’t know the right answer to my questions.]

3

you could handle the volume here - “if” your acceleration zone is limited. You need some volume in place to get the required Speed endurance volume in.

Set a cone out to say 10m, acc out to that, then maintain for remainder. Keep recovery’s at start fairly short and slowly increase speed (via placing marker further out slowly) as the weeks progress and your form and ability improve.

Doing too little volume and you’ll neglect the final aspects of your racing (60-100m section)

I would be looking for 1x wk earlier on doing some longer reps (perhaps 300’s and working down over the months) unless your doing so indoors and hence the split runs? Then keep to the splits. Esp if running 200’s

4

Thanks, I was completely unsure how to set up the volume and how to prescribe speed and accels. So if I were to cut down some of the accel volume in my GPP and remove the 4x60m that occurs afterwards, maybe if it looked more like this:

GPP-Month 1
Sunday
4x4x20m starts

Monday
8x200m Tempo
Upper body

Tuesday
4x20m fast starts
2x4x40m sprints

Wednesday
8x200m tempo
Core work

Thursday
4x4x20m

Friday
8x200m tempo
Core work

GPP-Month 2
Sunday
3x4x30m

Tuesday
4x30m fast starts
3x3x60m sprints Accelerate to 10m

Sunday
3x4x30m

SPP-Month 3,4
Sunday
4x30m starts
3x3x60m sprints (20m cone, progress to 30m in month 4)

Tuesday
3x4x30m
4x60m

Thursday
4x30m
3x3x60m (20m cone progressing to 30m meter cone)
1x220m (decreasing SE distance)

Should split runs be used mainly as a speed endurance approach? so say something like, 3x4x30m? With a walkback or low recovery? or is it used to work on quality accelerations, with long recovery?

And a speed session like 3x3x60m, with a 10m cone in place to accelerate to, should this be used with long breaks in between in order to focus on the speed?

I guess I am mostly confused on how intense to go and how soon.

5

I would strongly recommend you get CF gpp and van downloads!

Sample templates:

GPP 7 weeks
Mon/Fri: hills acc >>> flat ground final weeks
Tue: tempo 10x100
Wed: Int tempo 300-250-2x200
Thur: MB circuit
Sat: 5x300

SPP 12 weeks
Mon: Speed
Tue: tempo 5x200
Thur: SE 4x4x60 etc
Fri: tempo 5x300

I understand CF dont recommend int tempo longer then 3-4 weeks but I think you will be ok if you decide to go with 7 weeks.