Basically i want to regain my top speed.iv had major &minor injuries over the last 3 seasons.my acceleration is still there.I havent been able to to put 12weeks together without missing 4-5 weeks on a few occasions over last 3 seasons.my prs are v respectable.how i can i get back and improve my previous speed of 11m/sec at least top speed.im lighter and stronger now than my pr season.my training principles are v similar to Charlies.im currently training well but my top speed is taking for ever to come… 30m 3.6s mid 1st move 30m flys nothing near whats required to cut it.
based on injury history and the fact that top speed is reliant on good ROM, how much therapy have you been able to get? What type?
Have these injuries been extension injuries above or below an original injury site?
Right now im healthy and ROM is very good,especially on quads through to hip flexor- thanks to a lot of rehab work.if anything its the hamstrings and lower back that would be the least flexible but still pretty good most days.some days i may find it harder to open up stride but thats its not uncomfortable.
my injuries have been adductor injuries numerous tears /which led to osteitis pubis which is cured now.i had some probs with my si joint/left hip mechanics…causing my left foot to come across me when running if you get me-not helping fast turnover!..
Im healthy right now. my mechanics are good-feel good anyway.wouldn get regular massage . i use epsom salts baths,foam rollers etc.
iv just come off max weights.only done 6weeks speed +spec endurance,im doin 3 week speed end runs.my season kicks off in jan with some indoor meets.
Basically i feel like im movin well -nothing diff to my pr season- it just my top speed is down a fair bit and im waiting for it-i aint forcin it.
Osteitis Pubis is a tough injury and takes a looooong time. Now that you’re back and ROM is good, i think the speed portion is just the last piece to come together. How is your ground response after being away from top speed for so long? Perhaps some two foot low hops just before trying flying 20s might help. Keep the top speed work to flying 20s as that gives you the most opportunities for improvement. After seeing improvement there you can build the speed back into the rest of your training. Be sure to keep the volumes moderate while coming back.
It took a v long time to heal.rehab work has left me strong in that area…blessing in disguise maybe.
My ground response has been poor, Most of my plyos have been two foot upwards on to a box, until the second cycle of max strength phase, where I have started to do a few low volume plyos after weights, one leg hops, stride jumps & my response and power off the ground is not great. I plan on adding some hops over hurdles after weights durning the next 3 weeks. sometimes my hip height can drop while sprinting, due to poor response off ground???
Also after coming off max strength, i expect to feel fresher and hopefully see a greater improvement on the track. In the next 3 weeks, I will be dropping the special endurance on the wed for tempo and keeping the speed endurance ( 80s ) and speed work ( blocks 30m ,fly ins, 2x60m) on mon and fri, vol less than 350m. might add a low key race in during this period, before i compete proper end Jan,Feb.
What kind of 2 foot hops before the speed work? over hurdles or ankle pops? Would flying 30s be better than 20s, i can hold my speed pretty well right through to 80m goin of 60m 70m training times.
how long does it take to see a response from the gains i have made in the gym (max strength) and on the track( speed work,special endurance wise)?
Iv been training with no probs sinc Nov 1st wk.
weights room since Oct 1st wk.
I’d stay with 2 foot ankle type pops. Anything with one leg will cause you to flatten out initially. Just go as high as you can get a good ground reaction from. Usually in sets of 10 hops with breaks to be sure not to build up any fatigue before the sprints. There is usually a response after 2 or 3 sets but keep going up to 5 sets if you keep getting a higher response and stop as soon as the response levels off. Leave the hurdle hops till later on.
It’s hard to predict when the carry-over from the weights will kick in. In fact, the response may already be waiting to happen and only needs the foot reaction/ground response to fall into place to take effect.
I have always preferred flying 20s because that’s the longest most people can ever hold a true max speed and I want to stay out of a fatigue state for as many quality reps as possible. I always wondered why flying 30s were so popular.
My advice is just take it slowly because when you do that the gains creep up on you. When you rush things to fit a tight schedule it is problems that creep up on you - often when you need them least!
3.6 for flying 30 is quite a way from 11m/s but as the co-ordination comes back I’m sure that will drop steadily.
Topcat, think Lane4 means 3.6 for 30m not flying 30m.
Yes, i have found that flying 30s do fatigue me more than flying 20s.
Just thinking, when doing hurdles hops, would it be best to keep the hurdles low and look for fast reaction off the ground. almost ankle popping over the hurdles, if you know what i mean? These may help develop top speed more due to hip & knee angles & ground response, where hopping higher hurdles requires longer ground contact times and deeper hip/knee angles to gain the power to get over the hurdle, this may help acceleration more than top speed??.
I know lance brauman used to get his Arkansas athletes to jump hurdles, land in a half squat positions, pause then jump the next hurdle, for 5 hurdles,then into normal hurdle jumps for 5 hurdles.
Charlie, what kind of hurdle height, hip & knee angle would you be looking for?
Thoughts everyone?
Thanks Makes perfect sense … we will bring these in and see how things pan out…
On the topic of pure speed & flys .some days during a work out of flys and you have a chance to work on things i take the " turn over approach "of really trying to turn over or vice versa the “kinda open up the stride” approach it feels slightly different in their own way to me, but to the naked eye both techniques are similar to observe.both are not forced…
ive run some decent times in races with these two mindsets being used individually in different races… but im trying and want to find the balance between the two and to get a consistent feeling which i can bring into my race pattern.
eg tim monty :awesome turn over.
francis obi : “opens it up a bit more”
the two mentioned above in my opinion are the complete opposite of each other.
in between those extremes.
MO Greene (98-01)seasons
Dwain C (02)season.only
Basically to sum it up, which the best approach??
IV has similar results with both but all i know “OPEN UP APPROACH” saves on the fuel!!
these 2 approaches are similar to the observer…its the feeling im talking about…
I like the idea of increasing arm rate (turnover approach) at the start of the speed zone and then holding that new rate, allowing increased stride length to kick in automatically without trying for any additional length. I find trying for length leads to a loss of coordination and rhythm.