Can someone explain the concept of speed reserve? I don’t truly understand this aspect of training.
Speed reserve simply means that faster athletes can expend less energy to run the same speed as slower athletes.
Example: Two athletes are running the 400. One has a PB of 22 in the 200, the other 23. They both go through 200 in 24 during the race. Obviously the 200 felt easier for the guy with the 22 PB, so if his fitness is good he should theoretically have more left for the final 200.
As I understand it:
If two athletes want to run the 400m, for example…
Fitness being equal, Athlete A who runs the 100m in 11 seconds will usually beat athlete B who runs the 100m in 12 seconds. Nobody can run all-out in the 400m, and if both athletes cruise through the first 200m tied, Athlete A has put out less effort to get there. Athlete A has ‘speed reserve’-gas left in the tank because he could run a fast first 200m without killing himself to do it. Athlete B has less ‘speed reserve’, he killed himself trying to stay with Athlete A through the first 200m, and will now die down the stretch.
Speed reserve is the best possible thing you can have in the longer sprints-it means you ran really fast splits but still kept something in reserve.
May be its not much on the subject but I Michael Johson had his speed measured at differnt intervals. 100m, 200m, 300, and fininsh. The best speed was the 100m and it kept declining till the finish. But it was very slow declination. I also heard John smith talking about this first 100m speed being the fastest.
Well is there a way you can train this, other than the obvious which would be speed work? Are there any other ways?
It’s been my experience that speed reserve improves as speed endurance/special endurance improves! I can’t remember a time when my speed reserve improved just off of speed work.
Hold on now! Speed reserve is ONE factor. Without Special Endurance, it won’t carry you through! Michael Johnson was faster than the other 400men but he was also a hell of a lot stronger in his Special Endurance as well.
Agreed! All bases MUST be covered! Unfortunately, there’s no short cuts!
This is what I figured Speed Reserve to be. But I as reading some of the other threads, and everytime someone mentions speed reserve, they make it seem like this is something that be directly affected through training. According to Charlie (and everyone else who has reponded to this thread) that is not the case. Speed reserve is INDIRECTLY affected by other methods of training. Thoughts?
heres my understanding of it, the difference between what you have to do to win, and what you’re capable of…
Charlie, does complete recovery early season for special endurance increase as the season progresses due to intensification/ greater outputs by the athlete in the same way that the pure speed work is? Example: 2 x 300 early on with 25 minutes rest might need to be 2 x 300 with 30 minutes rest later in the season. Is this example a possible scenario for achieving high level performances?
Yes, recovery must expand as performance rises in order to repeat the quality of the first rep
I don’t follow you. can you re-state your point.
Well if this is the case, how exactly do you know exactly WHEN to increase rest? What I am asking is, is there certain performance standards to reach that would tell you “maybe it’s time to increase recovery”? Or does this go off of how the athlete feels. And if you’re to go off of feel, what indicators do I look for?
I asked the thread was there a way you can train for speed reserve, other than the obvious which would be speed work? Are there any other ways?
scarface responded with. . . . “It’s been my experience that speed reserve improves as speed endurance/special endurance improves! I can’t remember a time when my speed reserve improved just off of speed work.”
That’s why I made the reply you just quoted Charlie. However, alot of the other threads I have read since I have been a member of cf.com suggests that speed reserve is DIRECTLY affected through training. It seems to me that in this thread, most of us disagree with that, and believe that speed reserve is INDIRECTLY affected through training. Does that make more sense?
DaGovernor, I know you presented this question to Charlie, but you have included my post…and I feel compelled to reply:
What I am saying is that ALONG with speed work, my speed reserve also required an improvement in speed and special endurance. Having said that I DO believe that speed reserve can be affected DIRECTLY through training.
That being said, I will acquiesce to Charlie’s expertise on the subject…
In my opinion, improving your maxV will directly affect your speed reserve. What I would like to know, is their such thing as a speed endurance reserve? ie. Two athletes have a maxV of 11 mps however Athlete A (who has superior speed endurance) can run 200 meters in 21 seconds, while Athlete B can only do it in 22. Now in a 400 race lets say athlete A and B both go through in 23. Does it feel easier for Athlete A or does it feel the same for both of them, because they’re both running at the same percentage of their MaxV? If the answer is the latter, then does SE1 (150-300) matter that much for 400 runners?
Well IMO, speed reserve is also race specific. Using your example:
The speed reserve for the 400m is based off of their 200m time more so than their relative maxV. So going through the 200m mark should be easier for athlete A.
Look at it this way: What if an athlete has an 11mps maxV, but zero endurance? Imagine how quick the drop off from top speed will be after 60m 100m, 150m, 200m, etc.
This is a DRASTIC example, but I think you get my point.
Fair enough, but just because an athlete has subpar SE1 does not neccesarily mean his fitness is poor, it may just mean he hasn’t done much specific work in that area, at that exact speed. Assume both athletes have great fitness, but one has just spent more time developing his specific SE for 200 meters. Does that change things?
Agreed! Notice I said nothing about fitness in regards to the example you mentioned That is because we are assuming that both athletes MUST be fit to hit a top speed of 11mps.
Yes, it does make a difference in developing Special Endurance qualities for 400m speed reserve (200m ability). And really,the difference between the both example you gave with athlete A and B are not their maxV (as they both run it at 11mps), it is their relative SE that is different.