1. Do not fear to try
As I mentioned above, a lot of runners skip sprinting. But sprinting is not only good for you as a runner, but also necessary.
Start by trying some faster strides either at the end of your easy run or as a separate workout. Although it may not feel super natural or comfortable in the beginning, it gets much easier after you practice it.
2. Sprinting fast takes time
Many runners decide to give up sprinting workouts because they feel somewhat slow or not speedy enough when they doing it.
However, it takes time for your body to adapt to the higher sprint. Especially if you haven’t done any sprinting, your legs may take some time to move quicker. I promise you, you can improve so much, it will just take a little while. Practice makes perfect.
3. Make sure you are warming up enough
Do NOT try sprinting if you haven’t warmed up. Your muscles won’t be ready and you can easily end up injured.
Before trying sprinting, do some easy kilometers/ miles, stretch well, add some drills and include some easier strides before you start sprinting.
4. Do exercises that are going to improve your sprinting form
5. Include gym workouts
It’s not a secret that sprinters spend a lot of their time in the gym. This is true because your muscle power is essential for sprinting.
Having stronger and powerful muscles will help your body to move really fast. Moreover, including gym workouts will help your bone health and prevent you from injuries.
6. Do not focus only on your legs
7. Sprinting workouts for speed? Try hill workouts!
Yes, hill workouts are a great tool when you want to improve your sprint speed. You can begin by doing some short strides uphill for 10-15 seconds.
Although running uphill is challenging, it will come to your advantage. You can even try some downhill sprints but the gradient should not be very steep. Downhill running will help you move quicker and simulates overspeed. However, it is best to do these on a soft surface to avoid injuries caused by improper formm so choose wisely.
8. When YouTube comes in handy
This may sound like funny advice but it is worth trying! Try to find videos of your favorite professional sprinters. Observe them and the way they move while performing sprinting.
Moreover, you can even find videos where professional sprinters provide you with their tricks on how to become faster when sprinting. This is the time when social platforms can be really useful if you know how to use them wisely.
You can check out this video, created by the Olympic Channel series where Michael Johnson explains techniques and strategies for sprinting. As one of the best-known sprinters worldwide, he will surely give you some valuable information.
Is worth trying to improve your sprinting speed. In my personal experience, running faster over 100m or 200m, always had led me to better results and PRs in distances like 5k and 10k when my speed endurance and overall endurance are developed as well. The faster your legs can move, the easier the slower speed feels. Thus, being able to run fast over short distances, make me feel much more relaxed and comfortable when the speed slows down. Not improving your sprinting speed may be the component that keeps you from getting faster overall, so if you feel on a plateau give it a go.
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