SPEED TRAINING

The art of high-speed running

Volker Herrmann, April 2020

SPEED
Ability to move as fast as possible from point A to point B

Speed = distance [d] / time [t]

Can include a small detour (due to opponents)

Especially in teamsports: non-linear sprints, change of direction (COD)

Can include implements

E.g. in throwing events
ACCELERATION

Maximum velocity (speed) depends on the ability to accelerate, meaning the rate of change of
velocity per unit of time

!"#$ &!' "#$ )"#$

Acceleration = =
( (

Newton’s 2nd law: The rate of change of momentum of a body is directly proportional to the force
applied

*
Acceleration =
+
ACCELERATION

Equation of Acceleration

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= -> ) hor =
( + +

Generate as much force as possible within as little time as possible and apply it in an optimal direction:

• Force (strength)
• Time (frequency / ground contact times)
• Direction of force application (horizontal impulse, technique)
6 FOCI of SPRINT MECHANICS

1. Body position
2. Arm Action

3. Ground Preparation
4. Ground Contact
5. Recovery
6. Transition

Volker Herrmann
1. Start

2. Initial acceleration

3. Transition

4. Maximum velocity

5. Speed maintenance
 % 60-100m /
Name DOB Competition Wind 60m time 100m time 60-100m time
100m
Shelly-Ann Fraser 27/12/86 WC Berlin 2009 F 0.1 6.88 10.73 3.85 35.88%

Kerron Stewart 16/04/84 WC Berlin 2009 F 0.1 6.96 10.75 3.79 35.26%

Shelly-Ann Fraser 27/12/86 WC Berlin 2009 SF -0.1 6.94 10.79 3.85 35.68%

Marion Jones 12/10/75 WC Final 1997 0 6.97 10.83 3.86 35.64%

International

Carmelita Jeter 24/11/79 WC Berlin 2009 SF -0.1 7 10.83 3.83 35.36%

Kerron Stewart 16/04/84 WC Berlin 2009 SF -0.1 6.94 10.84 3.9 35.98%

Zhanna Pintussevich 06/07/72 WC Final 1997 0 6.96 10.85 3.89 35.85%

Torie Bowie 27/08/90 WC Final 2017 0.1 7.04 10.85 3.81 35.12%

Marie-Josée Ta Lou 18/11/88 WC Final 2017 0.1 7.01 10.86 3.85 35.45%

Carmelita Jeter 24/11/79 WC Berlin 2009 F 0.1 7.01 10.9 3.89 35.69%

Archana Suseendran 09/06/94 IS19 F 0.4 7.36 11.5 4.14 36.00%

Chandra Lekha Anandhan 28/03/97 ON19 F 1 7.35 11.58 4.23 36.53%

Diandra Valladares 13/01/98 IS19 SF1 -1.3 7.48 12.01 4.53 37.72%
India

Dutee Chand 03/02/96 IS19 F 0.4 7.23 11.38 4.15 36.47%

Himashree Roy 15/03/95 IS19 F 0.4 7.45 11.63 4.18 35.94%

Priyanka Kalagi 31/10/92 IS19 F 0.4 7.42 11.64 4.22 36.25%

Sneha PJ 05/06/92 IS19 F 0.4 7.44 11.73 4.29 36.57%

100m RACE ANALYSIS

% 60-100m /
Name 60m time 100m time 60-100m time
100m
International 6.97 10.82 3.85 35.59%

India 7.39 11.64 4.25 36.50%

% (International / India) 94.33% 92.99% 90.67% 97.52%

• Indian athletes show a lack of speed (across all events)

• And an even greater lack of speed endurance
→ Idea of speed training has to be adjusted!
PHYSIOLOGY

To affect ’pure’ speed, athletes have to avoid producing lactic acid

ATP + CP are covering the first 6s of energy production

→ Keep your speed work shorter than 6-7s

→ Plan you training according to duration rather then distance

SPEED TRAINING

Intensity Duration Rest Length / rep. Volume

Acceleration >98% 1-4/5s 1-2min / s load 10-40m 100-250m

Speed >98% 1-6/7s 90s - 2min / s load 50-70m 100-300m

Acceleration
3 x 20m, r. 2’, 2 x 30m, r. 4’, 1 x 40m (4-6’ in between sets)

Speed
4 x 30m flying, r. 12’ (30m full approach, with tailwind)
SPEED DEVELOPMENT

100m Development Women

12,1
12
11,9
11,8
11,7
100m time [s]

11,6
11,5
11,4
11,3
11,2
11,1
11
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Age [years]

Top 30 Asia Top 30 World

SPEED DEVELOPMENT

100m Development Men

11
10,9
10,8
10,7
100m time [s]

10,6
10,5
10,4
10,3
10,2
10,1
10
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Age [years]

Top 30 Asia Top 30 World

SPEED DEVELOPMENT

”Taken all findings together, sprinters who perform at a high junior level without excessive
specialization are at the optimal point of departure for senior success.

The very best athletes generally display greater improvement in the years just preceding age of
peak performance compared with their lower performing counterparts.” (Haugen 2019)

Development of ‘pure’ speed becomes crucial at younger ages:

Age 7-10: non-linear (COD) speed training
Age 11-14: linear + non-linear (COD) speed training (max. 6-7s)
Age 15-16: linear speed training up to 6-7s
100m RACE ANALYSIS

avg V 0-
avg V 10- avg V 20- avg V 30- avg V 40- avg V 50- avg V 60- avg V 70- avg V 80- avg V 90-
10m
20m 30m 40m 50m 60m 70m 80m 90m 100m
(excl. RT)
avg female
5.35 8.66 9.70 10.47 10.54 10.63 10.51 10.32 10.17 9.98
finalists
avg male
5.60 9.75 10.99 11.11 11.36 11.58 11.51 11.41 11.37 11.19
finalists

difference 4.38% 11.15% 11.75% 5.78% 7.24% 8.25% 8.68% 9.55% 10.54% 10.85%

data based on IAAF research project WC London 2017

Women reach peak velocity (V99) at an earlier part of the race (but nearly at the same time)

Men show less deceleration

 STEP LENGTH vs FREQUENCY

avg step
step contact steps /
step length velocity flight time length
frequency time 100m
100m
WOMEN AVERAGE 2.17 4.79 10.41 0.093 0.116 2.00 49.96

MEN AVERAGE 2.42 4.80 11.60 0.093 0.115 2.20 45.65

DIFFERENCE 0.25 0.00 1.20 0.000 -0.001 0.19 -4.31

DIFF. [%] 0.12 0.00 0.11 0.000 -0.011 0.10 -0.09

data based on IAAF research project WC London 2017

Step length explains the difference in peak velocity

Relative step length is about the same for men and women (1.29 +/- 0.05 women / 1.33 +/- 0.03 men)

Volker Herrmann
STEP LENGTH vs FREQUENCY

PJ Vazel in IAAF research project WC London 2017

Frequency explains the improvement throughout sprinters career

Changes in power / step length might occur on a short term base
→ Focus on step rate development, esp. with young athletes
 FREQUENCY

Focus on step rate / frequency

• Reduce ground contact times and braking impulses
• Increase hip extension velocity
• Avoid amortisation
• Adjust (flight) phases

→ Faster sprinters show shorter ground contact times, faster hip extension, and lesser amortisation

Volker Herrmann
REDUCE BRAKING IMPULSE

Acceleration impulse

Braking impulse
 REDUCE BRAKING IMPULSE

Reduce touch-down distance by focussing on faster

hip extension

Coaching cues: ‚Grab back‘ / ‚pull back the track‘

Hip-extension velocity highly correlates with running

velocity (Bezodis et al., 2007)

Volker Herrmann
HIP EXTENSION / VERTICAL FORCES

Higher hip extension velocities cause higher

vertical ground reaction forces and result in greater
step length (Mann, 2010)

Sprinters produce the highest forces at time of

maximum hip extension velocity. High hip-extension
velocities and an active downward-backward
movement of the thighs therefore have a positive
impact on running velocity. (Hunter et al., 2004)

→ Focus on hip-extension and ’hammer your legs down’

AVOID AMORTISATION

foot trajectory
 AVOID AMORTISATION

Active or passive foot plant?

Plantarflexionmoment is higher in eccentric than in concentric phase, meaning the

plantarflexionmoment is based on internal reflexes rather than deliberately
controlled. (Mann, 1981; Ito et al., 2008)

The SSC at the ankle joint still supports the hip-flexion and a quick recovery of the
thigh during the swing phase. (Ae & Suzuki, 1992)

→ Keep your feet dorsiflexed and your ‘toes up’

Volker Herrmann
AVOID AMORTISATION
RECOVERY PHASE
Avoid back-side mechanics

Faster sprinters initiate the recovery phase earlier. The

knee of their free leg is already further in front during the
touch-down of the opposite leg (Bushnell & Hunter, 2007).

→ Reduce ‘inner-thigh’ angle

They avoid a full extension of the knee joint during the late
stance phase. Focus should be on a quick recovery,
utilizing the SSC of the hip flexors.

→ Focus on hip extension, but avoid knee-extension

QUALITY over QUANTITY

x =

coordination / speed /
strength technique power

Volker Herrmann, 2019