Focus on these three components prior to starting speed work
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You don't build top speed by doing speed work. You build speed by trading in your clunker of a body for a new and improved, fleet-footed version.
That's not to say that speed work isn't important–just that sprints and intervals won't, by themselves, adequately modify the engine that's beneath your hood. At best, you'll get a tuneup. If you really want to transform your clunky four-cylinder into a wickedly fast V-8, you'll need to rebuild that engine, and you'll need to do it before you start speed work.
It's a mistake to think you're stuck with the body you're born with. You're not. While an elite distance runner like Galen Rupp is never going to emerge with Usain Bolt's body, there's no question that Rupp can add sprinter characteristics to his build. That's why Alberto Salazar, who coaches Rupp and his training partner, double Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah, said of his athletes in a recent interview with The Oregonian: "They are more than just a pair of lungs on legs." They are muscles, nerves, connective tissue and more. And their program stresses workouts that improve strength and stride mechanics–the forerunners to speed.
Your program should do the same. Before you run your first sprint or interval, before you attempt to lengthen your stride or increase your turnover rate, you need to rebuild your engine. You can start by focusing on three engine components.
After four to eight weeks of engine upgrade, you'll be ready to take your new body for a spin on the track. And you'll discover that speed work with a V-8 beats a four-cylinder every time.
MUSCLE FIBERS
While there's an ongoing debate over our ability to convert one type of muscle fiber into another (e.g., fast-twitch to intermediate), there's no doubt that fibers can be trained to behave like other fibers. Resistance training will cause a majority of your fast-twitch (type IIx) fibers to mimic intermediate fast-twitch (type IIa) fibers, important for developing sustained speed, and will add power to your stride for all race paces. Preseason resistance training should include:
Whole-Body Exercises
Squats, lunges, side lunges, heel raises, planks and leg lifts. Start with body-weight exercises, then add weight and more repetitions as your fitness allows.
Squats, lunges, side lunges, heel raises, planks and leg lifts. Start with body-weight exercises, then add weight and more repetitions as your fitness allows.
NERVOUS SYSTEM
An untrained nervous system doesn't know what to do. And speed requires efficient nervous system recruitment of all muscle fiber types. Some workouts that build the types of neural pathways needed for tackling hard speed sessions include:
Uphill and Downhill Sprints
Short uphill sprints (4–8 × 6–10 seconds, 95 percent max effort) on an 8 to 10 percent incline recruit the maximum amount of available muscle fibers of all three fiber types. Your body learns to recruit fibers in the correct order and to coordinate opposing muscle contraction and relaxation. Downhill sprints (4–8 × 6–12 seconds) use eccentric contractions to increase quadriceps strength, triggering muscle spindle adaptations that lead to increased stride length and protect against quad soreness.
Short uphill sprints (4–8 × 6–10 seconds, 95 percent max effort) on an 8 to 10 percent incline recruit the maximum amount of available muscle fibers of all three fiber types. Your body learns to recruit fibers in the correct order and to coordinate opposing muscle contraction and relaxation. Downhill sprints (4–8 × 6–12 seconds) use eccentric contractions to increase quadriceps strength, triggering muscle spindle adaptations that lead to increased stride length and protect against quad soreness.
Plyometrics
Plyometric exercises improve explosive recruitment of fibers, elastic recoil and running economy. Beginners should start with a single set of box jumps, toe taps and double-leg hops, then add sets and exercises as fitness improves. See this article for descriptions.
Plyometric exercises improve explosive recruitment of fibers, elastic recoil and running economy. Beginners should start with a single set of box jumps, toe taps and double-leg hops, then add sets and exercises as fitness improves. See this article for descriptions.
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
Speed work involves greater impact forces and an increased range of motion for your stride. To manage that, you'll need to strengthen your connective tissue. Start with a routine incorporating the elements below.
Standing straight, heels hip-width apart, begin performing lunges "around the clock." Start with a forward lunge, then forward and to the side, then to the side, then backward and to the side, etc., until you've lunged at every hour on the clock.
Active Isolated Stretching (AIS)
Active isolated stretching increases your range of motion while avoiding the stretch reflex, thereby providing a safer stretch for the muscle-tendon area, where most muscle strains occur during speed work. But you'll need at least three to four weeks to start seeing the benefits. For instruction on AIS, see this article.
A wobble board routine (forward and backward rocks, side-to-side rocks and 360-degree rocks) works your entire kinetic chain, immunizing you against injuries like shin splints, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinosis, IT band syndrome and various knee injuries.
Pete Magill is the oldest American to break 15 minutes for 5K, with a 14:45 at age 49, and co-author of the newly released book Build Your Running Body.
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