Comments on: Track Workouts and Running Form

By: Jesse

Jesse — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:44:56 +0000

I usually use the off-season an pre-season to work on technique as well. We do running, jumping etc with my team and we usually start off slowly, with longer runs.

We also spent a lot of time on throwing technique during the winter. If you want to be a good cutter, you have to be a good thrower. This way, you’ll be dangerous to the disc, as well as away from the disc.

By: James

James — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:25:45 +0000

http://journal.crossfit.com/2010/03/a-violent-agreement1.tpl

I certainly don’t pretend to have the knowledge base (beyond anecdotal experience) to argue about how to best build speed, but I thought this video was worth watching.

By: AUTV

AUTV — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:14:07 +0000

What a lot of people neglect to consider is the effect of increased arm-movement speed on your leg speed/stride turnover.
Being able to move your arms faster will result in your legs moving faster. “You sprint with your arms” is not as ridiculous as it sounds once you try it.

By: Pete Gadomski

Pete Gadomski — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:44:32 +0000

You’ve come so far!

I agree that you need speed work in order to fine-tune and get the extra oomph. Your speed work will be that much more meaningful when you have a strong base. Especially when you’re playing a sport that is much more like soccer or a middle-distance race than a 100m sprint (sure you do short sprints, but you’re doing them over and over and over again for two days).

I think running 20 miles a week (5 miles 4 times a week) in the off season will not hurt anyone, and will help prevent injuries, increase productivity in speed workouts, and cure cancer. So why not?

But I agree there are many ways to skin the speed cat and I also know many successful folks that are fast without base. Do what makes you happy first…if you’re making yourself miserable running LSD (long slow distance), then stop. Have fun first, get good later.

Flyin’ home today. Woot!

By: Mackey

Mackey — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:25:44 +0000

I know you do :-p

To be fair, me giving distance work that much credit now is progress from what I’d have said a year or two ago.

If that’s your thing, then hey, sure, go for it*. I’m not going to advocate it for everybody though.

*Phrased differently: perhaps it’s the guy who is most given to building a base is already the fastest guy. You know? Plenty of folks put in plenty of miles and still get roasted, and plenty of folk don’t and do the roasting (and vice-versa as well, though I see fewer cases of people doing it short and hard and getting left behind. One way or another I think you have to get the speed work in).

Come home soon.

By: Pete Gadomski

Pete Gadomski — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:03:32 +0000

> It all depends on where you are athletically right now.
> It’s pretty early in pre-season right now, so I’d
> encourage you to focus on form at a brisk pace and short
> distance–”tempo runs” if you’ve heard the term–rather
> than doing either long slow distance (though that can
> have a similar place in getting ready to sprint, and if
> that’s your thing, that’s fine) or especially full-on
> sprints at this point if your body isn’t ready for it.

Disagree, but that’s a philosophical difference I’ve had with folks for a while. I think a good base is SUPER important to late-season speed. I believe that the guy that’s fastest at noon on Sunday in September) is either the guy who put in the most miles in March or the guy that wasn’t running Saturday.

Run all weekend. Log the miles now.

-notanutlimateplayer