what are some cues to think about in the transition phase to get into full upright max velocity mechanics ? (100m)
I’m running well till the 30m mark and after i hit the mark my mechanics don’t seem to change, I still feel like im pushing.
The only time I feel myself running in MaxV mechanics is after the turn in a 200m race, that’s where I fly.
You might in too much of a hurry to get up to speed, and your tightness/straining could be preventing you from hitting top speed. Does this sound like it matches?
I’ve always had this problem. my coach said “you cant run like a car, where youd floor it the whole race. you need to lighten up on the gas as the race progresses and eventually just “float” totally relaxed when hitting maxv”
exiting the blocks would be maximum effort, and top speed minimal with the lessening effort helping to bring you from a forward lean driving position to an upright top speed position
To echo what tb said, I tell my athletes to “change gears” after their drive phase is done, like they are re-entering the fast portion of an EFEF drill. This might not be effective at all levels, but with my highschool athletes I can sometimes see them lose 6" then run people down after.
It does indeed rainy. With EFE or FEF runs my coach doesn’t really see any difference in speed, so I know something must be wrong with my technique.
I’ve just noticed that I drive my arms up and back, without ‘hammering’ the nail. Perhaps that’s why ?
Someone on here told me my arms go back too much and that might be the reason why I feel like pushing in maxV
To add on to what the others have stated. Think of a bowling ball rolling down the lane…You give it a big initial push then momentum does the rest of the work. Just let momentum help you as much as possible/keep the wheels rolling, but ease of of the gas.
According to world famous sprint coach Charlie Francis, sprinting is a primitive
hindbrain reflexive activity.
Let me give you an example that coach Francis uses to describe what I see
happening with a lot of people. Have you ever ridden a scooter? Imagine taking off on a
scooter. As you accelerate you reach ahead with your foot, bend the knee of your plant
leg, dig in, and pull. However, what happens if you try to do this once you get going at a
really good clip? Once you reach a certain speed you just slow yourself down by trying to
grab and “dig in”. Once you’re going at a decent clip on the scooter the only way to go
faster is by applying very short and quick strokes down and back into the pavement.
Sprinting is the same way. The faster you try to go, and the more you try to reach
and push, the worse your mechanics get.
From KB book…
I agree RB. The hammering is most effective in the drive phase but most advanced sprinters have learned to do this very efficiently. If you watch a 100m dash at normal video speed you wouldn’t notice the hammering. Slow mo reveals just how much force sprinters (Jeter, MoGreene, Powell, Gay, etc.) are exerting with the downward swing but it takes a conscious effort and training to lift the arms up and pull down mid race. I think many sprinters are trying to produce too much force either up or down with their arms and forgetting to 1. relax, 2. lift and pull down rather than hammering back (which influences longer back side recovery) mid race.
In short, Hammering forcefully downward is essential to the drive phase; lift and pull down (while stepping down, not back) is appropriate for the MaxV phase of race.
0-30 drive 30-45 begin getting tall. if you head is down lift it up. begin to get erect. Stick your chest out. 50-70open your eyes. I sometimes find my self with my eyes wide open like im surprised. continue pumping your arms. 70-100 re freaking lax you aint getting no faster.
You are running down a hill:
quote me
I feel that pushing down like I am trying to project my hips higher into the air has the best benefits for me during max velocity.