Track and Field Training???

Question

ok....... im training for track and field, and today i ran with a bunch of friends up and down big hills for two hours, but i was ALWAYS the last person up the hill. im trying to improve my endurance and muscles. any suggestions on how to run up hills faster, how to sprint properly, and how to become fit (im not fit at all) so i will be ready for track is greatly appreciated! track starts in Feb. Thanks!

Answer 1

What event do you do?
You can't just jump into hill runs, you have to build your endyurance up, most people who are doing hill runs right ow already did cross country or have 1st phase periodization completed.

1st things. Hill running
aim for a "bouncy" style, good knee lift and maximum range of movement in the ankle.drive hard, pushing upwards with the toes, flexing the ankle as much as possible, landing on the front part of the foot and then letting the heel come down below the level of the toes as the weight is taken. This stretches the calf muscles upwards and downwards as much as possible and applies resistance which overtime will improve your power and elasticity. look straight ahead as you run (not at their feet) and ensure your neck, shoulders and arms are free of tension. Hill work results in the calf muscles learning to contract more quickly and thereby generating work at a higher rate, they become more powerful. The calf muscle achieves this by using more muscle fibres, around two or three times as if running on the flat. The "bouncy" action also improves the power of the quads as they provide the high knee lift that is required.when competing in your sport/event, it can mean higher running speeds and shorter footstrike times.

Hill workouts
Short hill is one which takes no more that 30 seconds to run up and has an inclination between 5 and 15 degrees gradient. The energy source on short hills is entirely anaerobic. You should focus on a running technique which has vigorous arm drive and high knee lift, with the hips kept high, so you are 'running tall', not leaning forwards. 8 to 10 repetitions over 50 metres (sprinters and hurdlers)

Medium hill is one which takes between 30 to 90 seconds to run up. This is the length of hill is a good distance for the middle-distance runner, because it combines the benefits of the short hills with the stresses on local muscular endurance and tolerance of lactic acid.

Long hill is one which takes from 90 seconds to three minutes plus. most of the energy comes from aerobic sources, but if parts of the hill are steep and you are running them hard, there will still be an accumulation of blood lactate. There will be local muscular fatigue in the leg muscles, and possibly in the abdominal muscles too.

Strength development
Session 1
Need a hill with a slope of approx 10% and a length of 200 metres to 400 metres
Run up at approx 5km pace with rapid stride rate and good knee lift
Recovery. jog back down
Start with 2 sets of 4 repetitions and gradually increase over time

Session 2
Need a hill with a slope of approx 5% and a length of 1km
Run up at approx 10km pace with rapid stride rate and good knee lift
Recovery. jog back down
Start with 3 or 4 repetitions and gradually increase over time

2nd thing.
Sprinting, again depending on event I could give you specific workouts but I'm only guessing here.

Flexibility and a correct warm up will affect stride length and frequency (strike rate).
100 metres 10 × 30 metres at race pace from blocks with full recovery
3 to 4 × 80 metres at race pace with full recovery

400 metres 5 × 200 metres at goal race pace with 10 seconds recovery
4 × 400 metres at 2 to 3 seconds faster than current race pace with 2 minutes recovery

Hope this helps if you need more or can give me more specific info email me.

Answer 2

I would say start your pre-season training now if you aren't already. Get some hard work in now, while you don't have to worry about meets, etc. And to not get so tired half-way through, I'd say make sure you add a few distance runs in your training as well as speed training. My distance team put together a team for a 4x400 race (I was on that team) and well, the distance runners beat the usual 4x400 teams. :) My coach tells me to run the first half with my heels touching the ground and the second half not. The two different ways use different muscles in your legs. But maybe you should ask your coach about that? He could probably tell you what would work best for you based on the way that you run.

Answer 3

Moglie has some excellent advice. If she is truly an Olympic sprinter, she is much more qualified to answer your question than I am. It would help if we knew specifically what event you were training for. The fact that you want to build your muscles and increase endurance confuses me more. If you want to compete in sprinting events you will want to work on exercises such as Moglie suggested. If you are interested in improving endurance and/or running the mile or two mile I would suggest beginning a running program. I suspect, because you want to learn to sprint properly, you are gearing up toward the faster running events. In addition to the previous advice I would talk to your coach and tell him/her your concerns and ask what you could do over the winter to help you with your performance.

Speaking from experience ( I am more of a long distance runner ) your running form will improve as you run more. Your endurance will improve as you become a more experienced runner.

Here is a website that caters to runners. There is a whole slew of info if you click on the Training tab and then click on the New Runners tab.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/index.shtml

Good luck to you whichever event it is that you compete in!!

Answer 4

Your diet is very important. I should have a lot of vegetables and protien in it. In addition drink a lot water (A LOT). As training goes, it's always good to warm up with a slow run. Then I prefer intervals (run 100 yards, then sprint 100 yards, then run 200, sprint 200, etc.) After getting to 1000 yards (ya its tough), take a walk, and drink some more water. Finish up with a long, slow paced run.

Answer 5

1st do long distance runs, try 3-6 mile runs
2nd do sprints such as 400 and 800 meters, even 1 mile runs.
3rd stretch alot. Lenghtnen your stride by stretching alot.
4th WEight room work on your calves. Practice running up hills and run up incline on the tredmill
Try to run on the tredmill as little as possible beucase you dont run on one when your in your season
proper form is
legs go forward
slightly lean forward
arms go from 10 o clock to 2 o clock and they go from o your cheek bone to your hips
this will thrust your hips forward giving you momentum
Also keep your head straight and on your goal