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Sprint Events 1

2. Introduction Sprinting depends on:
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Introduction
Sprinting depends on:
The coordination of both nerves and muscles.
The ability of the central nervous system to eliminate as many braking and friction movements as possible.
Mechanically speaking, sprinting seems a rather simple skill.
Reality-it is a difficult blending of efficiently applied forces through the human lever system.
The application of forces yields maximum performance only when the particular strengths of the sprinter are properly balanced to coordinate the actions of the entire body. 2

3. Sprint Performance Characteristics
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Qualities and Characteristics in Sprinting
1. Coordination
2. Speed
3. Strength/power
4. Flexibility
5. Endurance
6. Psychological
7. Reaction Time
Coordination-The skill of sprinting at very high rates of movement requires great coordination. Though often overlooked, this ingredient may be the most crucial one.
Speed-Tied in closely with coordination, this quality is obviously a must. The athlete must have abilities to move his or her limbs at a high rate and express power through those movements to propel the body down the track at high speeds. Distances of 20 to 60 meters; Very high intensity (90 to 95 %); Recovery (3 to 6 minutes)
Strength/Power-As sprinters are required to overcome inertia (air, gravity) in as short a time as possible, superior strength of the primary muscles involved in sprinting is key.
Weight Room Strength (Circuit training, weight training using % of maximum); Elastic Strength (Resistance using harnesses, high-knee routines, bounding, hopping, hurdle hopping, hills)
Endurance-(General)-To develop aerobic or work capacity. Examples: Continuous running; fartlek or dynamic runs; games requiring continuous movement of long duration; tempo runs of low intensity w/short recoveries; circuit training. (Specific)-to develop the types of endurance most consistent with the competitive demands.
Flexibility-Good sprinters possess a high degree of flexibility in the hip flexors and extensors, Achilles & gastrocnemius, hamstrings, shoulders and trunk. Increased flexibility allows for decreased muscle resistance and easier movement through the range of motion (dynamic flexibility).
Static; Dynamic
Psychological-Common psychological traits in sprinters include:
High self-image; Aggressive/high arousal state; Confident in competition; Relaxed in competitive and pressure-intensive situations.
Reaction Time-Sprinters possess shorter reaction times than many other athletes. This, of course, is of importance in the starting skill of a sprinter. Response Time (impulse from brain to muscle); Movement Time (muscle to react to brain stimulus) 3

4. Talent in Sprinting and Control Tests
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Talent in Sprinting and Control Tests
In the USA, mass identification of sprinting talent comes as a result of spotting “raw” talent through observing athletes performance in team games, community activities, and PE classes.
Athletes should be exposed to training in a disciplined program before any real conclusions can be drawn regarding their true sprint potential.
Once established in a well-balanced program, control tests can be used to evaluate and monitor both training progress and potential talent. 11

5. Commonly used tests for identifying talent for the sprint events:
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Commonly used tests for identifying talent for the sprint events:
30m flying start
30m crouch start
60m crouch start
150m standing start
300m standing start
600m standing start
Standing triple jump
Standing long jump
30m flying start-Maximum Velocity
30m crouch start-Acceleration
60m crouch start-Speed Endurance
150m standing start-Speed Endurance
300m standing start-Long Speed Endurance
600m standing start-Lactate Tolerance
Standing triple jump-Coordination/Lower body power
Standing long jump-Lower body power 12

6. 06/22/00
Developing Coaching Objectives for the Sprints Developing concise coaching objectives is prerequisite to your coaching effectiveness. In order to develop practical and concrete objectives, one must first closely examine the key ingredients involved in improving sprint performance. To that end, use the following chart:
Technique
SPRINT PERFORMANCE
Stride Length
Strength
Coordination
and Speed
Stride Frequency
Flexibility
Specific Endurance
All these factors must be addressed to improve sprinting ability. 13

7. Sprint Posture Hips Tall Butt tucked under Up on balls of the feet.
Pelvis up
Butt tucked under
Up on balls of the feet.
Head Level
Shoulders down, not hunched
Relaxation in face & shoulders

8. Sprint Striding Phase
A foot that is moving backward under the body upon landing (sometimes referred to as active foot plant or negative foot speed).
High heel recovery as the drive foot leaves the ground.

9.   Sprint Striding Phase
A support foot landing that touches down as close as possible to a point under the center of mass.
The ankle of the forward swinging leg should cross the support leg above the knee.

10.   Sprint Striding Phase
A very tall posture with a slight forward lean from the ground, not from the waist (lean will be directly proportional to acceleration; the greater the acceleration the greater the lean, so once top speed is achieved forward lean should not be very noticeable.)

11. Sprint Striding Phase
Arms that swing backward as if reaching for the hip pocket.
 Arms bent at the elbows. (bent less than 90 degrees on the upswing but greater than 90 degrees on the downswing.)

12.   Sprint Striding Phase
 Relaxed hands (some coaches advocate extended fingers to create a longer lever of the moving forearm. This longer lever creates a larger moment of inertia of the moving forearm that helps to put more force into the ground as the athlete drives off. Be sure not to create tension, however.)
Arms that swing forward to the chin high position into the midline of the torso but do not cross the midline.
Relaxed shoulders, neck, jaw, and face.

13. Sprint Striding Phase
A dorsally flexed ankle joint (toe up) just prior to the foot landing.
Head is erect and eyes are focused on the finish line.
Sprinter runs in a straight line throughout the race with very small amount of lateral movement

14. Sprint Drills-Ankling
Used for ankle strength and reactivity/elasticity.
Also good for posture. Keeping the hips up.l

15. Sprint Drills-A’Skip
A-Series-Enforce proper posture & range of motion w/both legs & arms. Marching/skipping & running modes. Cue: Toes up. Heel up. Knee up. Hips tall. Ankle step over the knee.

16. Sprint Drills-B-Skip
B-Series-Especially good for ground preparation and reaction.
Gives the athlete the concept of tearing the track back beneath you. Active foot plant-negative foot speed.

17. Sprint Drills-Butt Kicks
Butt-Kicks-Used to teach sensation of good, active heel recovery.
Additionally, proper hamstring conditioning & speed movement can be learned through it’s use. Cue: Hips tall. Toe up. Heel up. Do not scuff foot into the track.

18. Sprint Drills-Fast Leg
Fast-Leg Series-Demands good coordination & timing.
Isolates the proper motion of the sprint stride into its respective left & right-side movements
in order to teach the proper mechanics of the leg through the recovery cycle.
Speed of movement is the ultimate objective, but most athletes will need to learn this exercise at slower speeds and then progress to faster ones.
Cue: Hips tall. Active toe up. Heel up. Knee up. Try to place the support foot under or behind the center of mass. Ankle stop over the knee.

19. Sprint Drills-St. Leg Bounds
Straight-Leg Bounds-Designed to isolate and emphasize the forward displacement of the hips through force application via the gluteals & hamstrings.
Tries to teach the athlete how to effectively prepare for ground contact by applying the necessary force during that phase.
Cue: Hips tall, toe up. Pop hips forward on each foot contact.

20. Sprint Drills Main Sprint Drills: Start at 5m and work to 30m.
Start small.
Athletes can’t maintain good technique over long distances.

21. Curve Running
Place your chin two lane lines inside. This will allow the upper body to turn just enough to allow free arm swing.

22. Starts
Straight-Away
Curve

23. Starts-Straight-Away
Straight-Away-Teach this skill. Emphasize focus on exploding into starting movement, NOT on reacting to the sound of the gun. Motor response over sensory response, big knee split.

24. Starts-Curve
Curve-blocks angled to fall on a line tangent to the curve at its most distant point from the starting line. This placement will demand that the sprinter place their left hand a short distance behind the starting line.

25. Start Learning Progression
1.      Jump off of both feet
2.      Jump out from both feet
3.      Jump out from both feet &
switch feet
4.      Jump out from both feet &
switch feet & landing on
one foot
5.      Jumping out, switching feet,
landing on 1 foot & take 4
bounds

26. Start Learning Progression (cont.)
6.   add sprinting to step 5 (take 8
bounds then sprint remainder of
30m)
7.   Repeat with 7 bounds & sprinting
remainder of 30m
8.   Repeat with 6 bounds & sprint
9.   Repeat until bounds are
eliminated (may go )
10.  Repeat step 6 with 3 point stance
(repeat the sequence)
11.  Repeat step 6 from blocks &
follow the sequence.

27. Acceleration Phase
Acceleration is achieved by driving or pushing with the drive leg. This requires a good forward lean—from the ground up, not the waist.
Remember that the amount of lean an athlete exhibits will be directly proportional to acceleration.
Also remember that acceleration does not mean speed but the rate of increasing speed. If a line is drawn from the foot of the drive leg through the center of mass, that line also should extend through the shoulder joint and head (figure 3.2a). That line should be at approximately a 45-degree angle from the ground.

28. Acceleration Phase
The free leg will drive low and fast to place the foot down under the body and may even fall behind the center of mass depending on how quickly the athlete accelerates. Without proper acceleration the athletes will stumble since they are leaning so far forward.
Feet are like pistons driving behind the body.

29. Acceleration Phase
The heel recovery of the drive leg will be very low coming out of the blocks in order to get the foot down fast in order to drive again and overcome inertia.

30. Acceleration Phase
With each succeeding drive step, the athletes’ speed grows until they reach their top speed. As speed increases acceleration decreases, so you should observe a continuous lessening of body lean. Upon reaching top speed, posture should be very erect.

31. Acceleration Phase
Along with the stride-by-stride decrease in acceleration, you should observe the athletes’ heels rise higher as they get into their normal sprint stride.

32. Acceleration Phase
The arm action during the acceleration phase is similar to the sprint striding phase. However, in the early phases of the start the hands will be driven very high and forward relative to the athlete’s torso.
As the athlete moves from the acceleration phase into the normal stride, you will want to focus upon the technical model for the sprint striding phase discussed earlier.
The arms play a very important role in maintaining balance, rhythm, and relaxation, so you should have the athlete consciously work them vigorously.

33. Training for the Sprint Events
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Training for the Sprint Events
NO one component can be trained in isolation
BALANCE the volume and intensity of the work to meet individual needs and circumstances
NO one component can be trained in isolation-Train holistically.
BALANCE the volume and intensity of the work to meet individual needs and circumstances-We are all different and have different needs. Be as individualistic as is possible under your circumstances. 14

34. Training for the Sprint Events
Maximum speed requires maximum recovery.
Speed training should be maintained throughout all phases of the annual plan.
External restoration means should be applied a minimum of twice a week though out all phases of the annual plan.
Maximum speed requires maximum recovery.-Short recovery forces body into glycolysis. Maximum contractions are not possible, thus wrong energy system is in use.
Speed training should be maintained throughout all phases of the annual plan.-Use it or lose it. Do you get better at throwing free throws if you take 6 months off?
External restoration means should be applied a minimum of twice a week though out all phases of the annual plan. –Massage; contrast showers; sauna; whirlpool; ice bath will aid/hasten recovery.

35. Training for the Sprint Events
Speed sessions should be followed by weight work on the same day, not before.
Competitions act as specific training.
The volume of training should decrease as the intensity is increased during the competitive phases of the year.
Speed sessions should be followed by weight work on the same day, not before.-Unless separated by at least 6 hours. ISU lifts at 6:15 am and then runs at 3:30 pm.
Competitions act as specific training.-Running a 200m in competition is a great speed endurance workout.
The volume of training should decrease as the intensity is increased during the competitive phases of the year.-Something has to give. If the volume is high, the intensity is low and vise versa. System can’t handle the stress of competition + high volume+ high intensity at the same time. (Quality is the name of the game during the competitive season.)

36. Training for the Sprint Events
As the sprinter progresses from the pre-competition phase, the distance of accelerations should increase.
Heavy weight training should be maintained though out the pre-competition & competition phases ending days from the seminal competition.
As the sprinter progresses from the pre-competition phase, the distance of accelerations should increase.-Progress only as fast as the athlete can handle. Get them to first be able to accelerate properly for 20m. Then increase from there.
Heavy weight training should be maintained though out the pre-competition & competition phases ending days from the seminal competition.-Emphasis on strength of the stabilizer muscles (abdominals, hip flexors, lower back & gluteals)

37. Training for the Sprint Events
Execute specific speed drills throughout the year
Stretching should be part of a sound program.
Execute specific speed drills throughout the year-This is to maintain technique & form.
Stretching should be part of a sound program-but not necessarily before a workout. (Golgi tendon organ)

38. Training Distances
50m-The best choice for start work because it combines the starting acceleration & the element of transition to normal sprinting.
Develops the capacity to cover the second half of the distance faster than the first.

39. Training Distances
Stimulates the development of stride frequency.
Develops stride length.
100m & working down as the distance increases
250m and shrinking as the distance increases

40. Weekly Workouts
Sprint training during all phases has to be mixed and not employed sequentially.
Sprint training during all phases has to be mixed and not employed sequentially. –Variety is the spice of life.

41. Weekly Workouts
Workouts are one directional, but weekly cycles are mixed.
Don’t conduct more than 2 consecutive workouts that use sprint training.
Don’t conduct 2 consecutive workouts aimed at the development of the same component of sprinting (accel./blocks, etc.)

42. Weekly Workouts
The weekly volume changes from stage to stage (up or down) but may stay the same within the same stage, especially in later stages.

43. Intensities Sprinting speed should increase from run to run.
Sprinting speed must be higher in the second set of repetitions.
The highest sprinting speed should occur in the last run.
In runs up to 200m, the second 1/2 should be covered faster than the first half.
Sprinting speed should increase from run to run. Don’t just jump into it
Sprinting speed must be higher in the second set of repetitions-After warmed up.
The highest sprinting speed should occur in the last run-Ensures proper warm-up
In runs up to 200m, the second 1/2 should be covered faster than the first half-Rolling start on second half of run allows for this.

44. Training Energy Systems Speed Endurance
Distances-vary from m.
Volume-figured by multiplying the race distance two & a half times
Recovery is usually around 10 minutes.
Examples to help the lactic acid energy system:
10x100m Rest=5-10 minutes
6x150 Rest=5-10 minutes
5x200 Rest=10 minutes
4x300 Rest=10 minutes
3x350 Rest=10 minutes
2x450 Rest=10 minutes

45. Training Energy Systems Tempo Endurance
Distances-vary from m
Recovery-usually around 2-3 minutes.
Examples to help increase oxygen uptake (to shorten recovery time), allow athlete to do more work, develop rhythm, and help to train the body to increase production of phosphate, which is a prime energy source.
8x200 Rest=2 minutes
6x300 Rest=5-10 minutes
Rest=Walk the same distance

46. Training Energy Systems Strength Endurance
Activities last longer than 10 seconds.
Intensity-high
Volume-similar to speed endurance.
Examples
6x150m uphill
6x60 stadium steps
6x15 sec. rope-resistance runs

47. Training Energy Systems Endurance Training
Aerobic Running. Continuous runs of 15-45’ at a steady-state speed. More appropriate for m runners
Fartlek
15’ at steady-state speed
30’ fartlek run
6x800m on cross-country course w/3 min recovery

48. Training Energy Systems Special Endurance
The runner runs different distances at a predetermined race strategy in order to learn to work on different aspects of running the race. Can also be called segment running.
Examples for 400m runner
3x300m Run first 50m all out. Next 150m, run w/a relaxed, floating action.
2x450m The 1st 200, 300, 400 & final 50m all timed
1x350m Quality run, w/each segment run as if in 400m
90%-100%. Volume about 2.5x race distance for max, down to 2x for a minimum.

49. Training Energy Systems Speed
Vary in distance from 30m to 80m. Work at full-speed. Rest is long and full.
Total volume not to exceed 500m.
Examples
6x40m starts
6x60m flying starts
6x60m sprint-relay handoffs
90%-100%. Volume 500m for max.

50. Training Energy Systems Power Speed
These workouts emphasize speed of muscle contraction. Usually less than 10”/rep.
Examples
Short-hill runs of about 60m
10x30m harness runs
10x10 sec. fast rope jumps
90%-100%. Volume 500m for max.

51. Training Energy Systems Strength
Both general and specific
Examples
General-weight lifting, Specific-plyometrics
30’ traditional lifting session
Explosive jumps for development of starting power & acceleration
3 sets of 10 hops, each leg
Fast 50m bounding runs w/barbell

52. 200m Potential
Take the athlete’s best 100m and double the time & add.4 to that time to determine the athlete’s potential.

53. 400m Potential
Take the athlete’s best open 200m & double the time & add seconds to that time to determine the athlete’s potential.

54. 400m Race Pattern 1st 50m near top speed.
Next 150m relax upper body actions & maintain speed.
Increase the actions of the arms & start to drive the knees through the second turn. This is a controlled pick-up.
The final 100m learn to stay relaxed & concentrate on good technique.
Clyde Hart refers to this as the 4 p’s-Power/Pace/Position/Pray

55. Constraints Perspective To Training Sprinters
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Constraints Perspective To Training Sprinters
Psychological
Physiological
Mechanical
Environmental 15

56. Feedback and Communication
Psychological
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Arousal
Confidence
Feedback and Communication 16

57. Physiological Coordination Speed Strength Flexibility Endurance
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Physiological
Coordination
Speed
Strength
Flexibility
Endurance 17

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Mechanical
Posture
Technique
Movement Patterns
Cues 18

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Environmental
Weather
Topical Forces
Competition Setting 19

60. Conclusion

61. Starting Drills Driving Sprint Accelerations
Cadence Sprint Accelerations
Stick Drill Accelerations
Harness Accelerations
Sled Accelerations
Driving Sprint Accelerations-From a low, standing start w/hands hanging freely in front & approx. block settings. Athlete uses a driving action to accelerate out over a distance of 15-20m.
Cadence Sprint Accelerations-Similar to above, but emphasis on quick cadence action, rather than long driving action.
Stick Drill Accelerations-Teaches a pattern of smooth acceleration. Athlete accelerates over a pattern of sticks laid on the track, stepping just in front of each successive stick. The sticks are laid out at increasingly greater intervals. You may start out w/sticks increasing at 4” intervals (example: 16”, 20”, 24”, 28”, 32”, 36”, 40”, 44” or you may find that a 6” or 8” increase is more appropriate.
Harness Accelerations-Teaches proper posture and force application in acceleration phase. No more than 10% resistance.
Sled Accelerations-Athletes pulls a weight, tire, etc. Same goal as w/harness accelerations.