Beginning sprinting.

Jono, just because you would be jumping less than 6 metres while others jump nearly 7m should not stop you from joining, you'll catch up within a year or two and you'll be grinding with them side by side to break PB's. When I began sprinting (non competitively at the age of 14 I ran probably 12 seconds dead, 3 years later I'm running things like 12.8 or even 13 flat over the 100m after a long break. A year later and a bit later BOOM I'm grinding next to everyone who was already running 11's now attempting to be consistent with sub 11.5's.

If anything, it is much better to be with people who are better than you, it will always make you push hard... mainly because you feel shit and wish you were them, but in the end it creates incredible motivation and friendships.  You're excuse is like someone saying, 'I won't do gymnastics because there will be people performing maltese's and Victorians on rings while I'm struggling to land a handstand' - Everyone has to start from SOMEWHERE. Once you see something amazing in real life, you can aspire to it, trust me, youtube videos are not nearly as inspiring

Also, need not worry about your mile training interfering with your power output, ever heard of a decathlete? Ashton Eaton is someone you should (read: NEED) check out on youtube, absolute insane beast.

Either way, work hard, and the results will come regardless

Good points 

I've seen Ashton Eaton before lol, very impressive. 8m+ long jump and 1500m in about 4:15 (= ~4:35 mile). But if I trained like a decathlete (power and endurance) I would need to reach a very high level just to run a sub-5 mile, relative to my long jump and all my other disciplines. Whereas if I mostly trained for the mile and things that have better compatibility I would get to sub-5 a lot quicker.

Just like if I was a 5km runner, I would need to read a very high level just to get a good 400m time or final 400m last lap (like Mo Farah 52s from running start). The average 5km runner will not have a good 400m time because they're not at the elite end of the discipline, much like most would have a bad mile time if they were an average decathlete (unless they came in with a good mile time to begin with, or are endurance specialists).

I guess I just meant to say that my interest in long jump has almost vanished over the last few years, so no longer want to get back into it anyway. But if I really wanted to, it could be done.

I just wanted to chime in and say what a great thread.

I used to do a lot of running, which included 200m and 400m efforts quite regularly. Because of work, I was restricted in my ability to run for over half a year and took up rowing (on the C2) quite seriously and never looked back. This is inspiring me to take up running again for my alternate/cardiovascular training to supplement Foundation & Handstand.

Please keep up the interesting discussion!

Oh, and are you all familiar with Maximum Aerobic Speed (MAS) training as an option for building your aerobic base in preparation for interval work?

- Callum

Long time no talk! Been very busy at uni, barely have time to fit in all my training and relax too.

Nah that's cool Jono, running is one the major human movements that is often neglected so hitting impressive results there would be awesome, but still include some sort of jump training, it helps you to feel light on your feet when running (you wouldn't slam your feet down for plyometrics but lightly rebound).

Hey Callum, it would be awesome if you could get back into running. Providing you do plyometrics in the foundation programs and explosive movements you will become very strong when it comes to lower body dominate skills.

I'm not actually aware of the Max Aerobic Speed method and I don't really have time to comb through the article (sadly ) but it sounds like something similar we've been discussing but feel free to ADD more info to the thread as it's always great to learn new things.

Hi all! Would it be possible to derive positive benefits from sprinting only doing them once a week? I enjoy sprinting and would prefer to run 400m and sub-400m

Better than not doing them at all.

Once a week would be undertraining, you would either see no improvement or if you're already at an intermediate level your performance would progressively get worse. If you're just doing it once a week for learning correct biomechanics and re educating your sprinting technique then it would be ok, although it would take awhile to get it right due to the low frequency.

It's mostly technique and conditioning since my main training would be GST (F1 + H1)

Sprinting once a week could be beneficial, but again it depends on your goals, your background, your strengths / weaknesses, etc. Generally speaking, training anything once a week would most likely keep that skill in "maintenance mode," compared to making more progress via more repeated exposure.

That said, I know Coach has cited examples of athletes making progress on elements they only trained once per week, so see how it balances with the rest of your schedule and go from there! If you feel rested, recovered, eager to train, and are making progress with your sprinting (and GST), then have at it!

Best,

Chris

Jake Lawrance said:

Long time no talk! Been very busy at uni, barely have time to fit in all my training and relax too.

 

Nah that's cool Jono, running is one the major human movements that is often neglected so hitting impressive results there would be awesome, but still include some sort of jump training, it helps you to feel light on your feet when running (you wouldn't slam your feet down for plyometrics but lightly rebound).

 

Hey Callum, it would be awesome if you could get back into running. Providing you do plyometrics in the foundation programs and explosive movements you will become very strong when it comes to lower body dominate skills.

 

I'm not actually aware of the Max Aerobic Speed method and I don't really have time to comb through the article (sadly ) but it sounds like something similar we've been discussing but feel free to ADD more info to the thread as it's always great to learn new things.

Cheers Jake.

Still at about 65s 400m. not really done any pure sprinting for the last month or so, so my top speed hasn't really increased. If anything I'm developing a middle distance runner's technique, have forgotten how to sprint properly! According to calculators, 65s 400m is equivalent to a 5:17 mile, assuming my endurance is as equally developed as my "speed". However. my 1 mile time is around 6:10 I think, so my endurance is quite bad! Not as bad as 51s 400m and 5:40 1 mile though. Just kidding.

Would personally like to get 5:XX before the end of the year. Would be good for some like me who has barely done any cardio until recently, someone who was "forced" to run 1500m on school sports day in year 7 (bad memories  - walked after 2 laps and finished last in 8:30 lol - meanwhile the best runners were already doing 5:XX).

Quite chuffed with ~6:10 though, as I'm barely doing any mileage at the moment. Less than 5 miles per week.  Apparently good milers run at least 30 per week   though I'm not really at that level or focus. I have other goals besides running.

Chris,

Although some of Coaches athletes may have developed well in some disciplines/skills/elements by only doing them once a week, you have to remember that there is crossover between skills/disciplines. In sprinting it is purely sprinting and very specific. Squats wouldn't improve your sprinting times. If you want to be a faster runner, you have to run. <-- My new coach had a huge rant about this. One girl complained that she was getting slower and didn't know why. She was in the gym 4 times a week and sprinting once a week. The coach made it very clear to her, 'we are runners, and so if we want to get better at it, then we will run'. Of course there are studies saying squats or Olympic lifts improved times over 30m blah blah. But did they actually do any sprint training in the first place? Studies like this are very much like the studies saying stretching improves strength in UNTRAINED individuals.

If the sprinting is purely for conditioning then the impact would be minimal but it would definitely help speed up weight loss providing your rests are short and the bursts are intense.

Jono, in an ideal world the middle distance technique would be very similar to a sprinters technique just that the only difference is knee drive at 'triple extension'. Example - David Rudisha (especially his 600m) Although this is the track and field norm. If you mean your arms are getting lazy or crossing over, definitely sort that out  That calculator must be assuming that you are an endurance beast, preferably a wolf (because they're cool). You'd definitely have to be very conditioned and have a veterans technique to run a 5:17 with a 65s 400m and be willing to have runners trots. Although it is definitely possible. You could do it, you're just going to have to work on a lot of middle distance repeats.

Yeah, would need a lot of endurance. Though from what I've seen, quite a lot of people agree with the predictions.

My friend only does 69s for 400m but can do 1 mile in 5:27 (=82s laps). He must have freaky endurance though, because he barely runs...

Chris Garay said:

Sprinting once a week could be beneficial, but again it depends on your goals, your background, your strengths / weaknesses, etc. Generally speaking, training anything once a week would most likely keep that skill in "maintenance mode," compared to making more progress via more repeated exposure.

 

That said, I know Coach has cited examples of athletes making progress on elements they only trained once per week, so see how it balances with the rest of your schedule and go from there! If you feel rested, recovered, eager to train, and are making progress with your sprinting (and GST), then have at it!

 

Best,

Chris

Another question to answer is: "What is your primary goal?"

If it is GST, then keep Sprinting / Running (read up on Coach's opinion on running and the Chinese Gymnastics Team) as your supporting work. If Sprinting is your primary focus, then do this and support it with GST - noting your GST progress will obviously not be as rapid as it could be.