Run Faster

5 Strategies To Run Faster

By Mike Caza,
CSCS Director of Performance

1. Run Intense But Without Tension

In order to run faster, your body has to be free of tension so energy can transfer. You should be able to feel your arms swing free and your shoulders stay relaxed. Think about driving your car with the emergency brake on. The car will still perform but at a greater cost of energy due to the restrictions from the emergency brake. An athlete that is tense when they run cannot truly improve their running speed.

2. Strengthen the Hamstrings and Glutes

The 2 primary muscles groups that enable the legs to "push off" the ground are the hamstrings and glutes. These muscle groups need to be strong in order to overcome the athlete's body weight at fast speeds.

3. Do not run sprints on a treadmill

Too many people get lured into believing a high speed treadmill is a great training tool and it isn't. Does the ground move backwards like the belt on a treadmill? No. Athletes trick their neuromuscular system when they see they are running 15-20 miles per hour on a treadmill but in essence, the dynamics of running on the ground are far different than the dynamics of running on a treadmill. In addition, running on a treadmill can cause faulty running mechanics which does not translate well to the playing field.

4. More is not better.

There is a science to how many sprints are appropriate. I like to use the analogy of planting a flower. If you planted the flower, overwatered it, let it get too much sun and added too many chemicals to the soil, the flower would not survive. Now think about this from a speed training standpoint. I routinely see athletes doing 2500 yards of total speed work (i.e. ten 200 yard sprints and five 100 yard sprints) at 12-15 years of age and they have never been taught how to run first. This will just magnify poor running technique and cause restrictions and potential injury. We generally do 400-600 yards of total speed work broken down into numerous drills done at shorter distances to promote a high quality emphasis.

5. Strengthen the Oblique's

Your obliques are one of the main stabilizers of your hips. Strong oblique's can aid in keeping the hips "quiet" in fast sprinting while weaker oblique's can cause "too much" rotation in the hips and that is inefficient and can predispose the athlete to injury.

Mike Caza spent 3 years as a member of the Canadian National track team where his experiences allowed him to compete worldwide on 4 different continents and be mentored by some of the top coaches internationally. Mike's athletic experiences combined with the in depth knowledge gained over the years has enabled him and the PSC Staff to devise the most comprehensive athlete conditioning program in the area. For more information on PSC training, contact the training office at (330) 487-0810 or online at www.pscfit.com.

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