How to build up basic speed?

[p_finxc]

does anyone have any techniques that help build a strong race kick? do strides actually do stuff (if you do a good amount everyday)? im feeling really sluggish at the end of races, esp. the mile

[run_nyc]

strides do a lot, maybe on your aerobic runs you could pick it up a little on last mile?

[watchout]

strides and weight lifting will help you out more than anything else. Maybe just focus on your form when you're coming down the homestretch, making sure you're lifting your knees and pumping your arms

[izzm]

Once a week before your run (and after your warmup, of course) do 5 x 200m sprints. Go as fast as possible while staying relaxed. Take time to recover fully in between each one (ie., 5 or so minutes).

[izzm]

I'm sorry, I just read your title and not your post. Basic speed and a strong race kick are not the same thing, but are related. If you want to build basic speed, that is raw speed, do what I posted just now. If you are looking to build a strong kick, then you want to train a tad differently.

First off, if you don't have much basic speed, then a fast kick will be impossible. If you do have some good speed, but your kick is just lacking, then your training will be focused more at the end of your run (not the beginning as I just posted).

What you want to do, is at the end of your run (say 4-600 meters out) start your kick. Remember a kick is not you running slightly harder where it hurts a little. This will hurt a lot. You want to focus on being relaxed, but really let your legs move. When you come into 200m left, you want to be moving as fast as possible while staying relaxed. The problem with most people's kick is that they mistake their "fast as possible" speed for a more "sort of fast but tolerable" speed. You want to be sprinting.

After the race, you can work on sprints by jogging 300m slowly, and then busting it the last 100m. You can also run some solo 200m at as fast as possible speed but relaxed.

[Beanfontaine]

sprinter ladders

100 - 200 - 300 - 400 - 500 - 400 - 300 - 200 - 100

thats one my coach had me do that helped build up strength and power in my upper leg muscles and of course the more strength and power in your legs the better chance you have of building up speed.

[dc449]

None of what has been discussed is improving your basic speed. If you want to work on your true basic speed, which is probably not the best way to improve your kick, you have a few options - plyos, weights, and very short fast sprints with long recovery (like 6x30 meters). To improve basic speed, you are trying to improve your neuromuscular system, anything much longer than a few seconds, around 10, and you working on other energy systems. If you want to improve your kick, first work on your aerobic system (everything from VO2 max through easy running) - the guy who is the least tired at the end of the race will be able to kick the hardest. Once a week, do some sprinting and you should improve a lot.

[DCtrack]

I agree 100%.

[p_finxc]

thanks guys.....at the end of a race, almost anyone can outkick me......even kids who are much slower, so i think my problem is my kick....im gonna try some sprint repeats to see if that helps me out.

[merun4fun]

what my coach has us do is this

say we're doing 8x800. on the last one, he'll tell us to do the 800 at what we have normally been doing and then do an extra 200m at 30 seconds after it, making it a 1000. it teaches you that no matter how tired you are you can still fly on the last 200 meters

we do the same thing with mile repeats, only its with a 400 at the end, making it a 2k.

[El G 2487]

i'd say that kicking in a race is 70% will and 30% training. that's just my opinion and i've learned this throughout my few years of running. but as far as trying to IMPROVE your kick for the mile...i read an article in a high school track magazine about craig miller and how he trains himself to get into a kicking midset at the end of a mile race. he does 800 repeats in which he runs the first 400 at like 70 pace and then doing the second 400 in 64. you just have to adjust the numbers according to your ability obviously. also, at the end of a training run, focus on pushing the last mile or 3/4 mile and the more often you do this, when you race you'll be so used to picking up the pace towards the end that it'll be somewhat second nature to do this.

[luv2run]

Light weightlifting and a lot of core work has helped me a lot. So far I've always had something left coming down the stretch, and my form doesn't fall apart as easily.

So I advise some lifting, but mostly stuff like situps.