Sprinting for the Everyday Runner

Fitness Runners Getting the Afterburners On

The nuts and bolts of effective sprinting

The two previous posts, here outlined the relevance of running and sprinting to the fitness runner and this examined running as an ecosystem. The third and final post takes a deeper dive into sprinting for the fitness runner.

While there are noted genetic inputs to producing high speeds during running (speed gene ACTN3, muscle fibre types, body structure), sprinting is scalable and amiable to learning (training environmental triggers – learning and practicing sprint drills, learning to integrate sprint drills into normal running activities).

Genetics loads the "speed gun," but the training environment pulls the trigger.

Sprinting is a skill that any runner can learn. Improving sprinting skills makes running (recreational, training, competitive) more enjoyable and economical. Sprinting is a complex neuro-musculoskeletal system skill; neuro - involving the nervous system; musculoskeletal - involving muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Anyone can learn the skills of sprint running.

Mastering sprinting skills takes diligence, deliberation, and integrating the practice of technical drills. Integrating high-speed runs of 10m – 80m in tandem with the technical exercises is fundamental to improving competency.

The process of learning sprint skills fluctuates between four levels of skill acquisition. Patience and time are essential to achieving conscious competence as a default sprinting skill norm.

1.  Unconscious Incompetence

The runner has a basic understanding of the technical features of sprinting. There needs to be a higher execution level when performing sprinting training drills and activities. Limit the use of isolated sprinting drills and activities to a dynamic warm-up. Practice the sprinting action as a whole to achieve greater integration into running. In this stage of learning, progress is slow and takes time. The runner's limited knowledge of performance (K.P) requires varying cues, such as a video review of self-performing the drills, activities, and whole runs, plus timely verbal inputs to assist with the achievement of better outcomes.

2.  Unconscious Competence

The runner's performance of the technical features of sprinting is improving. There needs to be more understanding of how to connect theory and practical application. Be patient with inconsistencies in execution from one set of sprinting activities to the next. While isolated sprinting drills and activities are done mainly during the dynamic warm-up, adding a dowel, jump rope, and varying arm positions increases their difficulty. Continue practicing the entire sprinting action to achieve greater integration into running. In this stage of learning, progress is faster. The runner has an improving knowledge of performance (K.P) and requires varying cues, such as a video review of self-performing the drills, activities, and whole runs, plus timely verbal inputs at select intervals to achieve more consistent outcomes.

3.  Conscious Incompetence

The runner has a good understanding of the technical features of sprinting. The runner is improving and has moderate execution of the accompanying drills and activities. Perform isolated sprinting drills and activities during the dynamic warm-up segment of the running session. Adding a dowel, jump rope, and varying arm positions increases their difficulty. During this learning stage, including these isolatory activities in a weekly training session is less frequent. Continue practicing the entire sprinting action to achieve greater integration into running. Increase the challenge of this stage by adding a dowel and using varying arm positions. The runner has a solid practical knowledge of performance (K.P) and requires a fair amount but infrequent amount of visual cues to assist with knowledge of results (K.R).

4.  Conscious Competence

The runner has an excellent understanding of the technical features of sprinting. There are outstanding and consistent levels of execution of the accompanying drills. Integration of technical drills and activities into the running action is stable, consistent, and excellent. During this stage of learning, isolated drills and activities are mainly warm-up or cool-down activities. Increase the sprinting challenge during this learning stage by adding mini hurdles at increasing or constant spacings for 20 – 40 metres. Full practical knowledge of performance (K.P) requires minimal and infrequent visual cues to assist with knowledge of results (K.R).

The P.A.L Method to Tweak Sprinting Skills

Excellent, average, or poor sprinting skills impact each step of a speed event or an attempt to run faster. The P.A.L method is a system to define, understand, teach, correct, and facilitate the actualization of sprinting skills into high-speed running. The P.A.L method stands for P –  Posture, A – Arms, and L – Legs.

Below is a handy infographic of the most important events that make up the P.A.L method:

Infographic - Upskill Sprinting Skills With the P.A.L Method

P – Posture

Invaluable to running fast. Discount the head, neck, arms, and legs, and what remains is a cylindrical trunk segment. This segment is the dynamic foundation via and through which the peripheral arms and legs create, generate, and apply forces for over-the-ground running and sprinting.

The cylindrical trunk segment in sprinting demands:

• Minimal or no excessive bending backwards and forwards,

• Minimal or no excessive sideways bending/rocking to the left and right,

• Minimal rotation movements during high-speed running.

A – Arms

The two following quotes from the research of Brooks et al. (1) put into context assessing arm action during high-speed running. The first quote is from their abstract, and the second is from their conclusions. Both are informative about why examining the arm action as a component of P.A.L is necessary.

"Synchronized arm and leg motion are characteristic of human running. Leg motion is an obvious gait requirement, but arm motion is not, and its functional contribution to running performance is not known. Because arm-leg coupling serves to reduce rotation about the body's vertical axis, arm motion may be necessary to achieve the body positions that optimize ground force application and performance."

"Our findings suggest that when arm motion is restricted, compensatory upper body motions can provide the rotational forces needed to offset the lower body angular momentum generated by the swinging legs. We conclude that restricting arm motion compromised short sprint running performance, but only marginally."

Based on the researcher's findings, the last sentence suggests that less than optimal use of the arm stroke only marginally affects performance. However, in high-speed running at the Olympic Games and World Athletic Championships, the title of the fastest man and woman comes down to hundreds or even thousands of a second.

Mann and Murphy (2)  states:

"It is the legs, not the arms, that primarily dictate success in sprinting."

Mann and Murphy (2) also give benefits to the arms in running fast:

• Critical in maintaining balance.

• Affording the elite sprinter a slight vertical lift during each running stride.

• Assist in the flow of the legs to and fro during frontside and backside mechanics.

L – Legs

The lower limbs (the legs) express maximum forces into and out of the ground on contact during each high-speed running step. It is crucial to understand that the fast speeds seen in elite athletes are due to the abilities of the legs to generate and tolerate large forces on ground contact. Assessing how the legs coordinate their efforts around the joints of hips, knees, ankles, and feet, with each running step moving from a backside to a frontside position, produces valuable insights to assist with gains in speed.

Application of the P.A.L Method 

1. Record 3 – 5 strides from a side-on position with a cellphone or tablet at 240 fps

2. Record the maximal running effort from 5 – 10 metres away and perpendicular to the running direction.

3. Keep the camera still during the running effort. No panning of the camera

4. Ensure that the hip, knee, and ankle are visible.

5. Review the video for insights, examine posture first, then the arm actions, then the leg actions, and finally, examine the entire running effort. If, as a runner, you do not have the confidence or are not comfortable performing this analysis, reach out to a competent coach for assistance.

Speed

A few of the features of speed expression are:

1. Nature vs Nurture

2. Motors and Electricity

3. Scalars and Vectors
   

1.  Nature vs Nurture

Winning the 100 metres at the World Athletic Championships and the Olympics requires much genetic input. However, the environment plays a significant role in providing opportunities for the genetic capacities of these great athletes to shine.

Since the environment has a role in shaping athletic development, the fitness/recreational runner should be confident in striving to improve running speed. Proper planning and implementing a concurrent protocol that includes the appropriate resistance exercises will reap benefits in improving running speed.

The following resource briefly looks into the topic of this section. Read this also.

Talent vs Training

2.  Motors and Electricity

The major motors that make sprinting effective are the muscles with a large muscle mass (glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps). These motors contain fast-twitch muscle fibres for faster contraction speeds. An electrical network consisting of high concentrations of nerve bundles called motor units in these motors facilitates these speeds. These large motor units target Type 2B and Type 2A muscle fibre types. The synergy of motor (muscles) and electricity (motor units) allows the practising sprinter to generate large amounts of force at higher speeds for application at ground contact in a short time.

Underappreciated and often overlooked are the triceps surae muscles. Otherwise known as the calf muscle group, the gastrocnemius and soleus lie on the back end of the leg. The gastrocnemius gives shape to the back of the leg. The soleus lies beneath its more visible co-worker and covers the inside portion of the leg.

Strengthening the gastrocnemius improves its ability to generate force. Strength exercises such as weighted calf raises, eccentric heel drops on a raised surface, and plyometrics are excellent. Greater force output from the gastrocnemius equals the potential for faster running speeds. Strengthening the soleus using weighted seated calf raises and standing calf raises with bent knees improves the function of the soleus as a stabilizing muscle. Research shows that increasing soleus strength protects the Achilles tendon, especially in runners and athletes prone to mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy.

Calf Raise As a Second Order Lever

Strengthening the calf muscles potentiates the maximum muscular force outputs of the calf muscles during running. This muscular force transmits via the Achilles tendon that inserts into the back of the heel bone (calcaneus). The Achilles tendon is a long cord-like terminal extension of the calf muscles, converting the ankle joint into a second-order lever for walking, running, speed running, and jumping.

2.  Scalars and Vector

A third concept in understanding how to maximize speed is the application of the terms scalar versus vectors. Scalar is a physics term that says the thing it describes has only size/magnitude, e.g., a speed of 12 mph or 12 m/s. Vector is a physics term that says the thing it describes has size/magnitude and direction, e.g., velocity 12m/s2 (meters per second squared) in a horizontal direction.

Conceptualizing running speed in terms of velocity enables the runner to

• Use the ankle joint-Achilles tendon-foot complex as a gait propulsion lever.

• Determine what type of gait is more efficient for their running distance. Ground running for jogging or slow running. Moderate or fast running for middle and long distances. Sprint skills and sprinting for short distances and high-speed running.

Using the vector term velocity instead of the scalar term speed enhances and simplifies understanding the biomechanics of the high-speed running step and if or how sprinting skills affect each running step. With each running step, the runner/athlete:

• Appreciates the value of posture to running economy and speed.

• Understand the direction, magnitude, and time of force application at and during ground.

• Understand that each step combines counteracting gravitational and weight forces with force generation via joint, muscle, and tendon actions.

• Appreciates the path taken by each leg as it cycles backwards and forwards with each stride.

• Strategically select technical drills and activities to prime the athlete/runner's high-speed running biomechanics.

Utilizing vectors is critical at the ankle joint at all running speeds. The ankle joint consists of the articulation between the tibia and calcaneus (heel bone). The Achilles tendon is attached to the heel bone's posterior (backside). This configuration allows the ankle joint to function as a second-order lever. This leveraging action lifts the body mass vertically and horizontally against the downward directed gravitational and body weight forces. Vectorially, the runner achieves forward speed and vertical height to facilitate the swing and positioning of the non-support leg from a backside to a frontside position in preparation for the next step.

The foot plays a critical supporting role, with the ankle joint functioning as a second-order lever. The structures of the lower leg-ankle-foot complex enable these structures to act as a lever and facilitate an efficient gait, whether walking or running at varying speeds.

In brief, some of the functions of the foot:

1. Weight-bearing and support

2. A platform for dynamic balance

3. Acting as a shock absorber

4. Energy transducer

5. Tolerating maximal ground reaction forces during impact.

The known foot types of normal arch, high arch, and flat feet impact running at all speeds. These foot types potentially:

• Affects the ability of the foot to absorb and transfer forces at maximum speeds.

• Be a potential sink for power leaks during the running step – flat feet.

• Increase the likelihood of injury – flat feet, high arch feet.

• For the speed runner, the concept of "foot stiffness" and achieving a "high-gear gait" is essential.

Key Takeaways

 The benefits of Increasing Running Speed Are:

1. A great way to engage in high-intensity exercise to improve cardiorespiratory fitness.

2. Excellent high-intensity interval training (H.I.IT) activity to include in a weight loss/management program.

3. Enables effective high-speed and high-intensity running bouts in team sports competitions, e.g., soccer, American football, rugby, Australian rules football, and field hockey

4. Strategically, it enables runners to 1) periodically surge during an endurance race to wear down a fellow competitor or 2) out-sprint fellow runners near the end.

5. To achieve faster times in short distance sprint races 60m – 400m.

Research conducted by World Athletics (www.worldathletics.org) at its major competitive championships found that globally, many of the fastest men and women can hold their top speed for a maximum distance of 30m.

This physiological and biomechanical conundrum suggests that sprinting outside competitive 60m, 100m, 200m, and 400m races or periodically in team sport competition is only one of the practical tools for fitness runners. However, mastery of sprinting skills enables each runner to access a powerful tool to improve their running outcomes.

Outside of the specialist sprinter or high-speed runner in team sports, improving the ability to run faster as a jogger, middle and long-distance runner, or marathon runner is essential.

References

1. Brooks LC, Weyand PG, Clark KP. Does restricting arm motion compromise short sprint running performance? Gait Posture. 2022 May;94:114-118. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2022.03.001. Epub 2022 Mar 4. PMID: 35276457.

2. Mann R.V and Murphy M.S: The Mechanics of Sprinting and Hurdling 2015 ed.