Workout Wednesday with Long Sprint Guru Sean Burris




Fall is by far my favorite time of the year. It is the time of the year

when the air is crisp, the sky is clear and blue, and the trees reveal their lush and vibrant colors. For coaches, it is also the time of year where the bulk of planning and training occurs for their teams and athletes. Putting together an annual training plan is one of the most important things coaches can do for their athletes. Ironically, it is also
one of the least talked about aspects of training. Ben Franklin's old adage, "Failure to plan is planning to fail," certainly rings true regarding seasonal training plans. That being said most successful coaches employ some type of system of quantifiable and labeled blocks of time, each with it's own specific training objective. Here is a basic  periodization outline of how I have typically structured my seasons for short through long sprinters:

3 periods, (a) Preparation, (b) Competition, (c) Transition.

 Within each period I generally have 6 to 7 phases:

   1. General Preparation Phase
   2. Specific Preparation Phase
   3. Transition to Competition Phase
   4. First Competition Phase
   5. Evaluation/Adjust/Break Phase
   6. Championship or Peak Competition Phase
   7. Transition/Regeneration/Rest

Each phase has very specific objectives that should be met before moving to the next phase or that last a predetermined amount of time. Concerning sprinters, it seems the most prevalent train of thought is to take a slow to fast approach to training, i.e., more aerobic and tempo running during the first 3 phases and little if any speed work, development, and speed endurance during these phases. The argument for the slow to fast approach stems from fear of injuring the athlete or that the athlete will peak too soon. I have long been an advocate for the employment of speed work/development/endurance throughout the entire macro cycle. I have yet to lose an athlete due to a season-ending muscle pull (knock on wood!), and most of the school/club records and personal best performances of the athletes have been achieved at the state championships or national championships. I believe that sprinters should never lose familiarity with speed and being slow is never advantageous no matter where you are in the year. I would even argue that by not "staying fast" year round, a sprinter is more prone to sustaining an early season soft tissue injury. That being said, speed oriented training should not occupy the bulk of the preliminary phases of the season. Here is a sample of some of the sessions we include
during Preparation Period of the overall macro cycle:

Speed Endurance 1 (anaerobic lactic system)
3x(80m, 120m, 150m) @ 95% of 200/400 date pace.  4mins (R) between reps,
10-12 mins (R) between sets

Speed (alactic energy system)
3x(30m, 50m, 60m) @ 95% from 3pt stance. 3mins (R) between reps, 8-10
between sets

Speed Endurance 2 (anaerobic lactic system)
1x(300m, 4mins (R), 4x50 45 sec (R) +6min (R), 180m)

These sessions should be preceded by a day of active recovery. I include
one speed session in each 7-10 day micro cycle during the Preparation

Period. Happy training!

If you would like to participate/contribute in WOW or any other content please contact me at rbanta@parkwayschools.net.