On the GPP DVD - In Week 7 - Speed Work -Friday’s workout calls for 4X (20m finish drills) from 20m build up - then a 30 m build up - then a 40m build up. My question is waht is a 20m finish drills. Is it practicing your dip/lunge at the tape/finish line? Or something else?
Also when entering SSP what kind of Speed Endurance work should you progress to? What do you start to eliminate or cutdown volume of??
I’ll try this one…
Finish drills are what you’d call “flyings”; use the build-ups for proper technique (e.g., running on the line) and when you reach the right point and with you being in the right position start pumping your arms trying to stay “tall”. No dip/lunge when you finish. It’s a top speed drill, not an actual “finish” drill; at least this is how I understand it.
Speed endurance could progress to longer hills with good rests between (e.g., 60s to 70s to 80s, volume depends on you). It doesn’t have to be maintained for too long, depending on your racing schedule, of course. The rest of the sessions on the track can continue as acceleration/top speed work at proportions you feel most comfortable with depending on the empahsis of the phase you are in.
Later on, Speed Endurance can be transferred to the track -usually between the other two track session, so as to spread >95% intensity- and you could start with split 60s.
Hope these help!
So when the Friday workout on Graph 3 of Week 7 Speed Work says "4 x (20m finish drills) from 20m to build up" - Accel hard or fast start for 20m then 20m full out sprint. "4 x (20m finish drills) from 30m to build ups" - Accel hard or fast start for 30m then 20m full out sprint. I see the last one listed is worded as " 4x20m finish drill from 40m build up" Just want to make certain the 20m is the constant part (full out sprint) and the 20m / 30m / 40m buildup is the hard accel or the run-in / flying start part that increases. I think this is correct. The wording on the graph was confusing at first. The more I think about it your max-v work is usually only 20m (after a flying start). It looks like you should use longer build ups for some reason. Does anyone know the reasoning behind this??? I assume as you use longer build ups you are actually hitting a higher speed when hit the full out part.
A couple of points,
you got the picture, but the build ups don’t have to be “hard accelerations”. In fact, they should not be; their main purpose is to get you into some good rhythm and form/technique, so you execute the 20 m finish drill in the best possible way.
Don’t worry too much about times or what speeds you are achieving; this will take time to improve anyway and of course, it’s difficult to judge it objectively, as the speeds achieved in the build ups can vary.
With regards to your concern over the distance of the build up, yes, you are right to suspect that a longer build up will generate a higher top speed -it’s only natural- but this is exactly the reason why a short build up is initially used, i.e., to prevent from achieving speeds that you are not prepared for. Progressively and as you get more used to this drill (e.g., staying relaxed when speed changes within a drill), you can increase the distance of your build ups to the extend that this works best for you.
Hope this clarifies a few things.
Why exactly does the GPP DVD say to be doing fly-ins? I thought the point of GPP was to build a good base so you could start speedwork in spp and precomp
And how would you build this good base for later on?
Why starting even top-speed drills during SPP and COMP and not earlier on?
The GPP DVD is talking about building a general foundation of specific elements, not simply a general in nature training. Flyings are part of this, as preparation for top speed work, which can be the focus of the following phase.
Also, these flyings, along with the easy/hard/easy drills and the similar, are with short build-ups, so by definition the magnitude of speed is such that minimises the risk of injury.
Hope it helps!
Well actually, aren’t Flyings considered “top speed” work, rather than just being preperation for top speed work? In GPP, I would think “specific” elements of traning can consist of hills not at full speed but at most 90%.
I get your point.
“If you are an elite sprinter it takes you 40-50m accelerating as hard as you can to reach top speed. Therefore, if you are relaxed for 40m coming into the 20m of “top speed” how can this top speed ever be close to what you can really achieve?” (paraphrasing)
You are correct. I think you just arn’t looking at the problem in terms of of what you are trying to achieve in GPP.
I think the point of the GPP area is to work on qualities you need later on in the season without actually doing the full 100m race. You achieve this through approximations of these skills performed in isolation. The skills are worked on in isolation simply because at this stage in the season you arn’t ready to do them together (this would be actual racing which happens later).
For example:
Staying low out of the blocks and achieving tripple extension: Hills
Initial acceleration: acceleration sprints to 20-30m from positions similar to coming out of blocks (press up position, falling starts).
Sprinting at higher velocities: flying 20s from greater and greater build up
Back to the Flying 20s. If you are not ready to accellerate further than 20-30m how do you practice running at higher velocities without risking injury? By accelerating submaximally (20,30,40m run up) and then going for it! So the flying 20s during GPP arn’t so much “top speed work” as “a method of practicing running at velocities higher than can be achieved when you want to restrict your acceleration to 30m”.
As the season progresses and you are capable of accelerating faster and keep it up for longer you will achieve higher top speeds.
Then the ability to hold this top speed is practiced via Speed Endurance in SPP1. You’ll need the Van 2004 DVD to find out about ways to achieve this!
Just to add to the previous post.
Flyings are considered top speed work, but they are not during GPP, as you can’t reach top speed. The % of top speed achieved is determined by the magnitude of the acceleration, or build-up here.
In that sense, GPP flyings are, as you said, preparation for top speed work, in terms mainly of proper technique carried out from the build-up itself.
Hope it helps, but it’s difficult to pass this on as effectively as the GPP DVD would do… :o
Not sure how you can’t reach top speed when doing fly ins? Given just a 20m build up, I believe you could hit top speed if you went immediately explode after the the buildup for the next 20m thereafter, thus, not being suitable in gpp phase.
Im thinking its not the buildup amount, but just pushing the body as fast as you can…no matter on time, just on going 100%, I dont think would be good during the gpp season.
Your thoughts are respected, but in the flying you are describing you CAN’T reach top speed! It’s not as easy, as you think.
You are describing a 40 m drill with 20 m build-up and 20 m flying; even 40 m at 100% don’t allow sprinters of average level to reach top speeds, let alone top level athletes.
If the duration of the build-up, or the distance of the acceleration is not important in the level of top speed attained, you might as well “push you body as fast as you can” “just on going 100%” by running on the spot…
Run 2 60s with 10 m flat out and 50 m maintain for the 1st 60 m and 30 m flat out and 30 m maintain in the 2nd one and compare the times.
I suppose there is no other way of making my self clearer; it’s up to you how deep you want to go and search for it…
The info provided in this site (i.e., forum and products) will help you a lot though!
Take care! 
Yeh…Ive been on this site for years, know my way around.
I personally wouldn’t go 100% on the track during GPP. These flyins require 100%, so I wouldnt go near them now.
This was 90% of my success as a coach - when I have learned from Charlie that speed MUST be developed in the GPP. It is SO logic - I cannot tell why I did not think about it myself!! Short to long, speed in GPP and speed endurance on a later stage … when I have changed my programmes in this order, I have become a VERY IMPORTANT and SUCCESSFUL coach. Thanks to Charlie!!
Try this - you will be amazed at the results!