Quick Speed-Session question!!?

Question

K- I have really good endurance, but I'm terrible with speed, and its really really holding me back. The fastest quarter I've ever done is 66. That is so pathetic...I train on quarters and I run as hard as I can, but at a certain point if I run any faster than my 66 quarter, my legs turn to jelly and get so weak I fear I'll fall- I simply can't go any faster than my 66. I can do an 80x8 though, so I have endurance. How can I improve at speed? If I run my 66 quarter my legs are shaking like mad...what can I do? I need to do speed work.

I do do the mile- but to do a good mile you need to improve your quarter time.

Answer 1

some people are naturally born with better endurance as opposed to sprinting. one tip i have for you is to forget about running every quarter at 100 percent during practices. in the race, of course that is what you want to do. but when you are practicing you need to conserve the energy so that you can run close to a consistent time in the 400. running a quarter in 70 seconds, then 76 seconds, then 87 seconds will not help you. in addition, you need to do other distances, such as running one hundreds or two hundreds in sets. a great workout my coach used to do was a latter, which im sure you heard of. you start off doing a one hundred, then go to a two, then a four, then a 500(one lap around and then another 100 meters), and work your way back down to one hundred meters. that should help you. but it sounds like you are naturally an endurance runner, so maybe you should try running the 800 and the mile instead of focusing on sprinting events if this does not work out.

Answer 2

I'm gonna say it again. For anyone running a 400M you need Speed Endurance+ weights+ aerobic sessions= muscle endurance/quick times. Good quality sets with short recovery(high velocity for longer than 6 seconds,with minimal rest periods in between) , plus weights, your legs do not have the muscular strength it needs as you say they turn to jelly.
assisted and resisted speed training
overspeed training to improve stride frequency
Resisted speed training to improve speed-strength and stride length.
Examples of Speed Endurance Workouts. These are examples make up your own workouts
10 x 100m- 5‑10 minutes rest
6 x 150m 5‑10 minutes rest
5 x 200m 10 minutes rest
4 x 300m 10 minutes rest
3 x 350m 10 minutes rest
2 x 450m 10 minutes rest

Tempo Endurance helps to increase your oxygen uptake,
Examples of Tempo Endurance Workouts
8 x 200 2 minutes rest
6 x 300 2 minutes rest
50m‑100m‑150m‑200m‑300m‑350m
Walk same distance for rest.

Power Speed/ Event Running/Endurance/Speed/Strength
Examples of Power Speed
short hill runs of about 60 meters
10 x 30 meter harness runs
10 x 10 second fast rope jumps

Examples of Event Workouts
3 x 300 meters. First 50 meters all out. Next 150 meters, relaxed floating action. All out on last 100 meters, timed and recorded.
2 x 450 meters. The first 200 meters, 300 meters, 400 meters and final 50 meters, all timed and recorded.
1 x 350 meters. Quality run, with each segment run as if in a 400 race.

Example of Speed Drills
6 x 40 meter starts
6 x 60 meter flying starts

Examples of Strength Training
30 minute traditional weightlifting workout (1 set 13 reps)
Explosive jumps for the development of starting power and acceleration
3 sets of 10 hops each leg
fast 50 meter bounding runs with bar bell(no weights on bar).

Answer 3

The big difference between distance running and sprinting is muscles- distance is mostly anaerobic, that is, strength from your heart and lungs. You've got this covered. Sprinting is anaerobic. This means that you need to do weight training to bring your leg muscles to where they need to be.
Also- sprint workouts do wonders: Try sprinting each of these with a 400 cooldown between each:800, 400, 200, 400, 200, 200.
Go for!