Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

Originally posted by QUIKAZHELL
Are you sure Smith———-cyclic?
Where have You heard this?

I wasn’t the one who mentioned it, and I don’t know if it’s true or not but I’m pretty certain I saw it once in a presentation by Facioni.

has anyone else been suprised by some of the starts and starting positions some of the runners are in  at the World Champs?

I can hardly tell, everytime I watch them set they are not in a close up on the webcast.  Not to mention the quick gun of the starter, I can't remember this many starts being called back because he fired the gun without everyone being set.

ktolbert - 13 August 2005 11:08 PM

has anyone else been suprised by some of the starts and starting positions some of the runners are in at the World Champs?

I noticed lots of low hips…is this what you're referring to?

danimal9 - 14 August 2005 02:02 AM

....I can't remember this many starts being called back because he fired the gun without everyone being set.

I think this is mainly because you're accustomed to seeing the 1 hour highlight film that has all of that stuff edited out.

yeah… a lot of low hips and hands that are way too wide.

It might help with maintaing the "drive phase." In all seriousness though, that's the only good reason I can think someone would want to try such a starting position: it beneficially changes race distribution. What are your thoughts?

you're actually right in the sense of you'll have to "drive" longer because they stumble around for the first 2-4 steps and then have to drive really hard to develop any kind of momentum… Gatlin really blew the start today… very side to side.. makes me think he must be pretty dinged up from 8 rounds in Helsinki….

interesting race by Campbell… really nice stuff from 20-85m

Since this is a sprint start mechanics thread, i  got a question.  On the sound of the gun what should the first step out of the blocks be?  Where im from people debate about that i dont know what to believe.
I was told to drive the knee upwards, then i was told the first step shouldnt be a high knee action but a low dragged type drive out of the blocks where your first step puts you in position to get power in the drive.  (foot behind you position).  I want to know your opinions on this and your techniques for first step out of the blocks.

FLASH X - 25 August 2005 08:08 PM

Since this is a sprint start mechanics thread, i got a question. On the sound of the gun what should the first step out of the blocks be? Where im from people debate about that i dont know what to believe.
I was told to drive the knee upwards, then i was told the first step shouldnt be a high knee action but a low dragged type drive out of the blocks where your first step puts you in position to get power in the drive. (foot behind you position). I want to know your opinions on this and your techniques for first step out of the blocks.

I think that the foot should be carried low to the ground on the first couple steps. As the athlete accelerates the foot will begin to carry higher during the swing phase until it eventually is stepping over the opposite leg knee.

Hey Guys,
Im having a problem with my starts. One is that they are real inconsistent…I did electronic timed 10 meters without blocks with a track stance, and I went 1.65,1.81,and 1.85. I cant seem to get my first 5 steps correct.The first three steps are wide,I tend to be off balance and I feel like Im not getting any drive. What suggestions do you guys have.

               Thanx

PureBreeze - 02 August 2006 07:04 PM

Hey Guys,
Im having a problem with my starts. One is that they are real inconsistent…I did electronic timed 10 meters without blocks with a track stance, and I went 1.65,1.81,and 1.85. I cant seem to get my first 5 steps correct.The first three steps are wide,I tend to be off balance and I feel like Im not getting any drive. What suggestions do you guys have.

               Thanx

i know some may disagree but the first 10m can be taken care in the weight room, if you are strong as hell ur chances of having a good start is much better.

You're right ut, I do disagree. 

I'm not saying that solid work in the weight room won't be a great asset to your sprint start, but nothing can replace the work on the track.  Working out in the weight room will not teach you proper body position or coordination needed for a good block start.  Nothing can replace track work and specific strength developed from effective block work.

utfootball4 - 02 August 2006 07:25 PM

i know some may disagree but the first 10m can be taken care in the weight room, if you are strong as hell ur chances of having a good start is much better.

I wholeheartedly agree…this is why throwers and weightlifters are often faster than sprinters for the first 10-15m. This is one of the reasons I work squats with my short sprinters so hard. Having said that, winning the race to 10m/yd doesn't necessarily correlate with winning the race to 40m/yd (and certainly not to 100m). If an athlete has poor mechanics, brute strength in the first couple strides can more than make up for it but after that point I don't think that brute strength will help you get out of the bad positions you might have put yourself in to.

RE: Weight room work for the first 10m….I tend to agree with UT. If I was in the absurd scenario of having to train someone to run 10m as fast as possible and had to choose between the weight room or track work I think I'd choose the weight room. The further out that distance goes the more things begin to switch. I don't think weight room work will fix mechanics but I think sheer brute force can get you through the first 10m better than mechanics. This is why throwers and Olympic weightlifters can often beat great sprinters over very short distances despite not doing any speed work on the track.

Wanted to add that brute force without mechanics quickly catches up with an athlete (by about 15-25m) but if we were JUST taking the first 10m out of the context of the rest of the race I think brute force is more important. If we place that first 10m in the context of a 60m or 100m then mechanics becomes MUCH more important.