Are You A Future Track Star? Creating A Running Workout For Speed

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
myTreadmillTrainer.com

Michael Johnson.  Jeremy Wariner. Usain Bolt.  What do these famous sprinters have in common?

All of them can outrun me.  In my car.

The sad truth is that you’ll likely never be as fast as them.  But don’t worry.  You can still improve your speed with the right running workout for speed.  You also don’t have to be a sprinter to benefit from running workouts based on speed. They can actually help you lose weight.

But before we get into that, let’s talk about speed and how we get it.

A Lightning Quick, Blazing Fast Rundown On Speed

Running fast is very much dependent on your body structure.  People have two different types of muscle fiber, for the most part: fast-twitch fibers, and slow-twitch fibers. Fast-twitch muscles make sprinters because they can contract much faster, propelling a person to faster short-distance speeds than a marathon runner, who has slow-twitch muscles.  You lose speed, but you gain endurance.

What type you have is determined mostly by genetics.  You can alter them to a degree by exercising in a particular way, but if you are born with predominantly fast-twitch muscles, you will likely never be a marathoner.

Speed is generated by taking those muscles and making them cycle through a particular motion as fast as possible.  Your muscles explode with energy with each step, instead of putting out a low but sustained output over long distances. Speed workouts focus on perfecting the technique for this motion and making your muscles stronger and more dynamic to cycle your feet faster.

So, basically, a running workout for speed involves knowing the right form and working the right muscles in the right way.

A Sample Speed Workout

Here is a pretty basic running workout you can use to get into speed training. First, though, I’ll give you a few pointers on your form. When you sprint, you should:

By far the best way to increase your speed is to sprint, constantly.  Try this sprinting pyramid:

Once you get to the top, run back down.  The lower sprints (100m and 200m) will work on your explosiveness while your 400m and 800m sprints will give you the base of endurance that you need.

Focus on form and hit those pyramids. Lifting weights is also a great idea. No matter what, though, just remember this simple piece advice for any sprinters:

If you run against Michael Johnson or Usain Bolt, bring your car. 

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