Workout of the Day

HPW ELITE Miler Daniel Herrera in full sprint.

4 x 250m  

Splits: 32.2 / 31.5 / 32.2 / 32.6

Recovery: Full. 4' - 5' walk/jog as desired

Daniel Herrera — May 11th, 2016

Context & Details

I am running a mini-series on the daily blog called Speed Week currently, so I thought I'd share a sprint session specific for the miler. 

This is a simple, effective session which primes the neuromuscular system as well as increases the anaerobic tolerance capacity of the athlete. In the mile, the degree which this ability is built up is the difference maker in the final 300m of an honest paced race. Often you see a miler "run out of gas," or drastically decelerate, in the final 100m of a hot race. One way to interpret it is their anaerobic tolerance threshold, as well as neuromuscular coordination, was not adequately prepped for the demands of that racing reality. This session address those elements. 

I like it because it is short. Simple. Potent. And wildly effective. Make no mistake, sprinting at max speeds for 1,000m of the volume is tough, even for the seasoned athlete like Daniel. This session is about quality at the fastest speed possible with each step. So full recovery is a must. For Daniel, he felt ready to go after about 4 to 5 minutes of walking and jogging. For younger athletes this may be 6 - 8 minutes. 

I typically employ this workout about once every 5 to 7 track sessions in the second half of the racing season. I've found this type of effort keeps the metabolic tolerance and neuromuscular coordination primed while not overly exhausting the well conditioned athlete whose main focus is on racing effectively. 

Also, I like 250m because it is an off distance rarely ran in practice, so the athlete doesn't have any preconceived hang ups about what a "good" time is for the rep distance. They can simply sprint. And that is really what the final 300m of racing is all about anyways, giving it all you've got without any regrets.  

Any questions? I'm happy to answer. You can send me a Direct Message on Twitter or email me at jmarcus.hpw@gmail.com
Thx //  jm