why sprint train if you’re a runner?
It’s a totally fair question right? I mean the two couldn’t be any further apart in intensity. Why wouldn’t you spend more time training in the ‘zone’ you would compete at, rather than training to get faster? I mean, the only obvious similarity between the two is that they’re both locomotive in nature!
Well, hold on to your Hoka’s and let me (hopefully) give you the reasoning behind why I have my middle/long distance runners train to get faster (and why you should too).
(Anaerobic) Speed Reserve: The difference between an athlete’s maximum speed and their maximum aerobic speed.
You may well be thinking that this is now as clear as mud, so let me give you an example of why increasing your speed reserve through sprint training is a game changer.
Lets say we have two long distance athletes. Athlete A has a top sprint speed of 15 mph. Athlete B has a top sprint speed of 13mph.
Lets also say both athletes are running side by side during a long distance race, maintaining a 10:00 minute mile pace (6mph).
Athlete A is running at 40% of their maximum sprint speed
Athlete B is running at 46% of their maximum sprint speed
Which athlete is working harder? If you said Athlete B is working harder to maintain this pace then athlete A, give yourself a high five. This lower work load (intensity) means that (theoretically) athlete A has room to kick the pace up and leave athlete B in their dust.
The short of all this? Get faster. Train speed. Increasing your maximum velocity (top speed) will increase your sub-maximal qualities, and you can sit back and gloat as your times drop!
