It’s an open in Birmingham… that is a PB over 100, however, I rarely compete over 100m. I ran 6.94 electronic and 6.8x hand-time (both are competition times) two winters ago so 10.78 was within my capabilities… but not in my current state after no real training since xmas. I reckon the conrast training pushed it forward.
0.55s according to my calculation. Well done! How did wind and weather compare to the 11.33 race?
I wouldn’t compete on Wednesday unless it’s an important competition. You’ve just come back from a major injury and wouldn’t want to hurt yourself now that you are finally back in shape.
That’s my CNS fatigue talking! (I’ll edit that)
11.33 was a wet track, no wind reading but i guess maybe a -2. It was cold today, around 10 degrees. The wind readings were +1, however, it’s a half stadium and the wind swirls. It was definately a headwind during drive phase, but caught my back midway.
How did you perform your overspeed sprints? Hill? Pulley? Wind-Assisted?
What is the recommended decline (degrees) for overspeed ?
Sorry if it’s written here somwhere.
Is it wise to perform 9 days out of a big meet ?
Is it wise to perform 2-2.5 months after a G2 tear, in perfect shape and condition though ? I now the “safe” answer is no, but I have run 100’s races since the tear…
Hmmm cheater you compete today at the midland champs? Wednesday rowheath? Lol I maybe down to do a 4 been injured since April with Achilles lol but may knock out an easy run
Here is some relevant research. Please note that the first two studies only assess differences in speed and not safety or training efficacy of running on different slopes.
The optimal downhill slope for acute overspeed running.Ebben WP.
Dept of Physical Therapy, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA.
PURPOSE: This study evaluated a variety of downhill slopes in an effort to determine the optimal slope for overspeed running. METHODS: Thirteen NCAA Division III college athletes who participated in soccer, track, and football ran 40-yd (36.6-m) sprints, on downhill slopes of 2.1 degrees , 3.3 degrees , 4.7 degrees , 5.8 degrees , and 6.9 degrees in random order. All sprints were timed using the Brower Timing System Speedtrap II. Data were analyzed with SSPS 15.0. A 1-way repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significant main effects for the test slopes (P = .000). Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons determined that there were a number of differences between the hill slopes. RESULTS: Analysis reveals that 40-yd sprints performed on hill slopes of approximately 5.8 degrees were optimal compared with flatland running and the other slopes assessed (P < .05). Sprinting on a 5.8 degrees slope increased the subjects’ maximal speed by an average of 0.35 s, resulting in a 6.5% +/- 4.0% decrease in 40-yd sprint time compared with flatland running. Compared with the 4.7 degrees slope, the 5.8 degrees slope yielded a 0.10-s faster 40-yd sprint time, resulting in a 1.9% increase in speed. CONCLUSIONS: Those who train athletes for speed should use or develop overspeed hills with slopes of approximately 5.8 degrees to maximize acute sprinting speed. The results of this study bring into question previous recommendations to use hills of 3 degrees downhill slope for this form of overspeed training.
The same study, but with more participants:
1: J Strength Cond Res. 2008 May;22(3):898-902.Links
Effect of the degree of hill slope on acute downhill running velocity and acceleration.Ebben WP, Davies JA, Clewien RW.
Department of Physical Therapy, Program in Exercise Science, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. webben70@hotmail.com
This study analyzes the effects of hill slope on acute overspeed running. This study considers both acceleration and supramaximal velocity. Forty-four athletes ran 40-yard sprints, on 5 different hill slopes, ranging from 2.1 degrees to 6.9 degrees . Forty-yard sprint times and 10-yard split times were recorded using the Brower Timing System Speedtrap II. Analysis reveals that 40-yard and 10-yard sprints performed on hill slopes of approximately 5.8 degrees were optimal compared to flatland running and the other slopes assessed. Sprinting on a 5.8 degrees slope increased the subjects’ maximal speed by 7.09% +/- 3.66% and increased the subjects’ acceleration by 6.54% +/- 1.56%. Strength and conditioning professionals who train athletes for speed should develop and use overspeed hills or platforms with slopes of approximately 5.8 degrees in order to maximize acute sprinting velocity and acceleration.
Something on resisted sprints:
J Strength Cond Res. 2008 May;22(3):890-7.Links
Effects of three types of resisted sprint training devices on the kinematics of sprinting at maximum velocity.Alcaraz PE, Palao JM, Elvira JL, Linthorne NP.
Kinesiology and Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia, Guadalupe, Murcia, Spain. palcaraz@pdi.ucam.edu
Resisted sprint running is a common training method for improving sprint-specific strength. For maximum specificity of training, the athlete’s movement patterns during the training exercise should closely resemble those used when performing the sport. The purpose of this study was to compare the kinematics of sprinting at maximum velocity to the kinematics of sprinting when using three of types of resisted sprint training devices (sled, parachute, and weight belt). Eleven men and 7 women participated in the study. Flying sprints greater than 30 m were recorded by video and digitized with the use of biomechanical analysis software. The test conditions were compared using a 2-way analysis of variance with a post-hoc Tukey test of honestly significant differences. We found that the 3 types of resisted sprint training devices are appropriate devices for training the maximum velocity phase in sprinting. These devices exerted a substantial overload on the athlete, as indicated by reductions in stride length and running velocity, but induced only minor changes in the athlete’s running technique. When training with resisted sprint training devices, the coach should use a high resistance so that the athlete experiences a large training stimulus, but not so high that the device induces substantial changes in sprinting technique. We recommend using a video overlay system to visually compare the movement patterns of the athlete in unloaded sprinting to sprinting with the training device. In particular, the coach should look for changes in the athlete’s forward lean and changes in the angles of the support leg during the ground
A study arguing for contrast training:
J Strength Cond Res. 2006 Nov;20(4):767-77.Links
The effects of sprint running training on sloping surfaces.Paradisis GP, Cooke CB.
Track and Field Unit, Department of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. gparadi@phed.uoa.gr
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of sprint running training on sloping surfaces (3 degrees ) on selected kinematic and physiological variables. Thirty-five sport and physical education students were randomized into 4 training groups (uphill-downhill, downhill, uphill, and horizontal) and a control group, with 7 participants in each group. Pre- and posttraining tests were performed to examine the effects of 6 weeks of training on the maximum running speed at 35 m, step rate, step length, step time, contact time, eccentric and concentric phase of contact time, flight time, selected posture characteristics of the step cycle, and peak anaerobic power performance. Maximum running speed and step rate were increased significantly (p < 0.05) in a 35-m running test after training by 0.29 m.s(-1) (3.5%) and 0.14 Hz (3.4%) for the combined uphill-downhill group and by 0.09 m.s(-1) (1.1%) and 0.03 Hz (2.4%) for the downhill group, whereas flight time shortened only for the combined uphill-downhill training group by 6 milliseconds (4.3%). There were no significant changes in the horizontal and control groups. Overall, the posture characteristics and the peak anaerobic power performance did not change with training. It can be suggested that the novel combined uphill-downhill training method is significantly more effective in improving the maximum running velocity at 35 m and the associated horizontal kinematic characteristics of sprint running than the other training methods are.
A study arguing against the exclusive use of resisted sprints or overspeed:
J Strength Cond Res. 2006 Nov;20(4):833-7.Links
Velocity specificity in early-phase sprint training.Kristensen GO, van den Tillaar R, Ettema GJ.
Human Movement Sciences Programme, SVT, NTNU, Norway.
A comparison of resistance running, normal sprint running, and supramaximal running was performed. Nineteen young, generally well-trained subjects were divided into 3 training groups: resistance, normal, and supramaximal groups. Resistance and supramaximal training was done using a towing device, providing extra resistance or propulsion forces, resulting in running speed differences of about 3.3% (supramaximal) and 8.5% (resistance), compared to normal sprinting. The training period was 6 weeks, with 3 training sessions per week (5 sprint-runs over 22 m). Running times were measured using photocells, and average step length and cadence were recorded by digital video. A small (0.5%) but significant (p < 0.05) overall pre-post difference was found in running velocity, but the 3 groups changed differently over the running conditions. All individual subjects improved sprinting velocity most on the trained form, at 1-2% (p < 0.001), and thus, the principle of velocity specificity in sprint training was supported. This indicates that to obtain short-distance sprinting improvement in a short period of time, one may prefer normal sprinting over other training forms.
Great material ! All saved, thank you very much !
hey cheater sorry to stalk ya lol congrats on your silver on pb 
joel is thelad i coach lol won the 1 and 2, tbh with ya we do this session about once a month, we did last sat a session of 2-30m harness resistance followed by 2-60m light tow, followed by to flying 30m with 40 build ups then he had the week off with some strides on thursday, wasnt happy with his starts at the weekend in all his races but the times were pb’s so cant complain too much, he now got the u23 this weekend so did some starts tonight and only ligt warmup and strides on thursday
Looks good. Make sure you have your recovery therapy in place …ice bath after those HI days and a good massage the next day. My hamstrings started shouting “dont even try those work outs it you old fool”
Good luck and keep us posted.
Well, I’ve been through three of these now, with no injury or other problems, except for the first one when I did too much squat stuff 2 days earlier. And I’m seeing that the workout still works after at least 3 times (and I still feel a little “unstable” on the fast downhills, which tells me that my CNS is still adjusting and I can still go faster).
I’m also seeing that this workout is not as far out of sync with Charlie’s SPP as originally believed. I doubt that everybody is the same, but it looks like I can do something like this for multiple weeks:
Mon 2X20 blocks + 2X40 uphill + 2X30 overspeed + 100 flat
Wed weights (plus tempo?)
Fri 3X100 or 80+100+120
It looks to me like LSU is only doing the one really hard workout because they’re also doing IT. But if you do more Charlie-style training, it’s really not that severe. As Charlie says, if you move something up, something else has to move down to compensate. And the thing that seems to have to be moved down is weight intensity (squats).
So now, I’m trying to train for a few weeks then peak like Charlie recommended, and in a cycle with a race every 2 weeks this summer, I’m planning something like this:
Sat Race
Mon weights
Wed 80-100-120
Fri weights
Sun 2X20 blocks + 2X40 uphill + 2X30 overspeed + 100 flat
Tue or Wed 3X30 + 80 95%
Sat Race
The last race of the summer will follow the 10 day taper.
Other stuff (tempo or 80m submax) added depending on recovery.
Hey! Joel’s starts weren’t too bad… I’ve been looking at the footage and he was out second after me (i’m a good starter). The big difference was his front side mechanics in the second half… he runs a bit like Asafa! My backside mechanics are too prominant and I can’t maintain very well… but then I’m a jumper and find the last 40 difficult.
I really didn’t expect that someone else in the race would have done contrast 7-10 days out… and we both got PB’s… which adds even more support to the power of this training method.
Good luck at the U23’s… my B’day is before Dec 31st so I can’t go:(
How many 10 day tapers are you following this competition season? Just the one? Isn’t this risky if the conditions aren’t perfect at this particular race?
Why 2 lifting sessions? Wont you get overloaded? Do you feel a tempo session wont help you (just to loosen up and get some blood flow to the thighs) on monday after the race?
One last question Instead of racing distances in training why not something like 60-80-120 on wednesday and on sunday 60-80 or one hard 120 after the contrast? Just asking b/c I hate to use racing distances training. Mentally I feel if I go into a meet not knowing my time exactly for my distances I feel less stress. If I go in saying I just ran 11.xx in practice so I know it should be 11.xx in a race then if I dont get the time I wanted I get bummed out. On the other hand if I go in knowing my training times have been improving over the distances I use in training I just go in feeling confident b/c my prep has been going well… I know it sounds the same or maybe even crazy but that’s just my feel on training distances…
There are also those though who really want to reguraly have drills of competitive distances in their training -it depends on the athlete’s personality, I guess, among other factors. There have been groups using those drills Only, for example.
yeah your start was good was ahead at 40, i noticed your front side was nt as good, but didnt realise it was you, looked to be your hip position though perhaps stronger core maybe? esp abs, thats where we have worked alot.
The vid on youtube?
Charlie said to just train normally and use the 10 day taper as the final hit, so I’m just training normally. The weights are maintenance at this point and I’ve removed squats with the contrast workout. I’ll kill the weights entirely the last 2 weeks or so.
Now, John Smith wouldn’t be “training” at all at this point–nothing more than 6X80 submax and starts/drills, somewhat like what Nikoluski mentioned above. But, when I started with the contrast workouts, I cut the volume way back to avoid injury and didn’t get in any training to consolidate gains and set up something to taper off of. With the high stress of the contrast workout, the training volume does have to be cut down, but now that I can do the workouts more or less normally, I’m getting in that training phase, and I’ll be cutting down the workload to more of a comp load after I’ve had around 3 weeks of “training” as Charlie said somewhere above.
Next year, of course, I’ll have this training in the last few weeks of SPP2 and my training during comp will be as John Smith has it.
One last question
There’s a section in one of Verkhoshansky’s papers where the prof mentions that after you’ve done your SPP-type work, you can still improve by doing the competition distance in training or doing competition-style training (in one of the papers he has short-long this way). Obviously, you can’t do the race distance in training if your competition distance is 10000 meters, but you can with 100 or 200, and Clyde Hart has this for 400 (actually 320 for Clyde). I start in the beginning of SPP2 with 2X3X80 (same parameters Charlie gave for Ben) and through the phase move this up to 100, then a single 120 effort–classical short to long, I think.
So in the 2nd half of a SPP I have competition distances in training. It might only be one rep in a speed workout (5X50+100 or 2X40+2X30OS+100) but it’s in there. Notice all the sessions of 3X60 or 4X60 that Charlie has in his short-long SPP1.
Where are the triple extensor muscles? I looked on a anatomy online website but I don’t see the muscle listed.
For sprinting and any sports that desire quickness, maximum speed and agility, the triple extensor muscles – gastrocnemius and soleus, quadriceps, and gluteus maximus – are determinant for ultimate performance.
Hmm I have not tried it in practice by my self but I think 1 session a week of a “practice meet” or a competive practice would not be a bad idea. Here in westchester county NY were I live they have mini meets every tuesday night. Maybe I will give your idea a try…
Thanks again. This has been a great thread.