Peter Ventre

Introduction

You will achieve better performances by sprinting often under competitive conditions and by developing power through heavy resistance work, than can be gained by focusing attention on running style. Apart from the starting technique, rate of striding and length of striding are key features. Most athletes learn to be efficient by running frequently at top speed. Do not spend most of your time learning to run out of blocks.

Developing the techniques

Developing speed off a rolling start, sprint over a measured distance of 70 meters and record the time, holding your own stop watch. This is the most accurate measure of performance under training conditions and provides the competitive stimulus essential for the sprinter. If you can work with a squad of sprinters, you can dispense with the stop watch, but insist on a handicapping system during the rolling start which compensates the slower runner, so that full effort is needed by all athletes in 'blanket finish'. Basically, done many times, this is your training.

Mark 70 meters of track. Off a 15 meter rolling start, sprint the length of the marked area. Examine the footprints and you will find that stride length increases and then becomes consistent.
Tape (masking Tape) target lines across the track add 50 cm to each stride length until you reach the consistent stride pattern and then add three inches to each subsequent stride. Remember that if you add two inches to the first stride you must add four inches to the second and so on. Attempt to increase your stride by driving off these target lines at full speed.

Stride length and leg speed are inter related factors and are decided largely by length of leg, mobility around the hips, and power.

If you increase hip mobility and power through training and persist * in line running, you can expect to increase your stride length by a small but significant amount.

You should know that providing the foot is underneath the line of body weight early enough for the propulsive phase of running to be continued, this will ensure mechanical efficiency. Clearly it is possible to over stride and this is seen when the runner stretches the leading foot too far forward.

During line running try to focus attention on how you place your feet on the ground. As you return to your rolling start you can check this. It is often a good idea to mark your stride length marks across a lane line and run down the line. Do not expect to place each foot on the lane line but rather to one side or the other. Expect the inside of the footprint to be close to the lane line and parallel to it. Over the whole race vital inches can be lost by a 'splayed' running action. Also, keeping the toes forward facing will ensure that the leg drive which follows can be efficient arm action. Arm action in sprinting is important to absorb the reaction of the body in action. A vigorous forward movement with the arm flexed at about 90 degrees and the line of movement slightly across the body, is usual for sprinters.

It may help to keep the chin down slightly but faulty alignment of the body can always be traced to such factors as stride length, leg speed, and power.

Starting

The drive off the front foot is the key to an efficient start. The placing of the blocks will be dependent on the length of your legs and arms and, to some extent, your strength. Set your blocks so that the front one is about 18 ins. behind the line and the back one about 36 ins. from the line. Now experiment with these distances until you find the best ratio for your body build and strength. In the set position (Fig. 2), the body rocks forward so that more weight is taken on the arms, and the hips are above the shoulders. Note that the angle of the front knee is about 90 Degrees In this position the best angle for the front block face is 60 Degrees and the back block face should be nearly vertical. Keep the shoulders as high as possible; gain extra arm length by making a high strong arch with each hand.

Training

Sprinting fitness is achieved largely by learning to use the power you have in full speed running on the track. You can set a daily schedule like the following example. Off a rolling start 6 x 70 meters, with rest intervals, followed by 1 x 180 meters. As you become used to this work repeat the schedule after a 5 minutes rest. When you are really fit repeat it three times. After that you can increase the work load by decreasing the rest intervals gradually.
Sprint start training is most valuable when you work in a squad with a competent starter using a pistol. Some useful work might be done using clappers but every sprinter should be determined to train his starting under the best possible conditions. Set this kind of standard for your training.

Do not be satisfied with less

Heavy resistance training for the whole body but especially the arms, shoulders and legs, is essential for the sprinter. At least two 40 minutes sessions a week are necessary.