Training for Track Season

[blamb425]

any tips? i'm aiming to break the school 100m record, which is 10.8.

i want to avoid weights as much as possible

 

[GenHoth]

Originally posted by: blamb425
any tips? i'm aiming to break the school 100m record, which is 10.8.

i want to avoid weights as much as possible

lol, if you want to avoid weights, sprint up hills

 

[sash1]

avoiding weights won't help you break records, but instead: hill repeats, 100m repeats (10-12), 200m repeats (8-10). work on your block starts and focus on your form (watch videos of michael johnson).

 

[SVT Cobra]

Guess how much that average squat is for the team USA sprint (under 200m) team? 400lbs



Oh yeah, that's the women's team.



Want to break the record, running will help, along with downhill hills, but lifting weights also helps build the power and speed. Of course be sure to know what lifts you need to do...there are plenty of sprinting sites out there that can help you.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: blamb425
any tips? i'm aiming to break the school 100m record, which is 10.8.

i want to avoid weights as much as possible

What grade are you, for one? And for two (as a track team captain and a fellow 100, 200, and 400m runner), if you can hit the weights, it will benefit you. Things to work on are your starts. You can shed off a lot of time just with a good start. Why do you want to avoid lifting? 100m runners especially need to get those explosive muscles that create a great amount of power and acceleration.

Well, I'd say lift a hell of a lot, do a lot of uphill sprints, 100m sprints with ~2-3 minutes rest (we used to do around 10 of these for a light day), and really work on your form. Form is more important than you know, especially for the sprints.

I'm at a loss of what your past experience with track is and such. I need a feel of where you're coming from and such to give you the best guidance I can.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, what Cobra says about running downhill is only somewhat correct. You don't want to be doing sprints downhill because you can really damage your joints and such. You want to run, but not sprint. I used to go downhill a bit faster than my 400 pace. It's pretty much a control and foot response drill that gets your body used to moving your feet faster and such.

 

[Syringer]

Originally posted by: sash1
avoiding weights won't help you break records, but instead: hill repeats, 100m repeats (10-12), 200m repeats (8-10). work on your block starts and focus on your form (watch videos of michael johnson).

Michael Johnson actually has the most erratic and unconventional running form of all athletes. He takes very short quick strides while most others do big lunging strides when running. He was likely the major exception to the rule for using his stride, but it's hard to argue with the results he produced.

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: Syringer

Originally posted by: sash1
avoiding weights won't help you break records, but instead: hill repeats, 100m repeats (10-12), 200m repeats (8-10). work on your block starts and focus on your form (watch videos of michael johnson).

Michael Johnson actually has the most erratic and unconventional running form of all athletes. He takes very short quick strides while most others do big lunging strides when running. He was likely the major exception to the rule for using his stride, but it's hard to argue with the results he produced.

he was one of the first sprinters to realize that running upright is the most efficient running style. also, he kept his arms close and pumping forward, too many novice runners cross their arms while running or bend their elbows too much, which is simply wasted motion.

a lot of elite runners DO have poor form. i've trained with olympic athletes, one in particular who is going to Biejing next year and broke a 4:00 min mile as a freshman in college. i've known him since high school and he's had sh!tty form since HS, but no coach has ever bothered to correct it, because it works for him. quite frankly, if you looked at him, you'd never guess he's a runner.

of current runners, i would say Asafa Powell has quite impressive form. he keeps his arms close to his body and pumping forward.

when it comes to sprinting, it has all to do with fast-twitch muscle fibers and how quick you can keep those legs turning. you want to constantly be moving and pushing horizontally, not vertically. i've heard cases as to why both longer/shorter stride length is better. i say, use whatever is comfortable/natural and just work on turnover rate.