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200m training tips

How to run the 200m

October 13, 2019 by Editor Leave a Comment

The 200m is a sprint that also has an endurance element. To be successful in this race, you must have great acceleration, you must be able to maintain your top speed, and you must minimize your rate of deceleration.

You will see that the the best 200m sprinters in history all incorporated some form of 400m training to help with their conditioning in the 200m.

Speed will get you ahead, but conditioning and speed endurance will keep you at the front of the pack.

How should you run the 200m?

Start your blocks so that you run in a straight line that allows you to hit the curve.

This is important since you need to drive and power straight before your body starts to turn on the bend. You should hit the first bend in 6-8 strides. Do your best to make sure those strides are in a straight line.

Focus on your pace and cadence around the bend.

Run the bend as if you are running a series of straight lines.

This will usually be 4-8 strides where you will run around the bend.

Accelerate out of the bend and onto the straight.

As you approach the end of the bend, focus on accelerating out of the bend into the finishing part of the race.

Increase your cadence and focus on being explosive with each stride.

You must maintain your form and minimize the chances of your body fatiguing. Focus on your technique, cadence, and being explosive so that you accelerate off each stride.

What are some things that you should consider when preparing to run the 200m sprint?

You should do cadence and speed endurance training. This should see you run distances between 300-600m at 80-90% of your maximum speed. This will allow you to get used to the cadence and build your speed endurance, so that you will be able to run more relaxed and you will be stronger when finishing your race.

Below are a few races that you should watch.

Wayde Van Niekerk

Usain Bolt

Michael Johnson

Sprint starts

September 6, 2019 by Editor

Getting a great start in a race will put you at an advantage. Once you are in front at the start, the rest of the field has to play catch-up with your pace, speed, and deceleration.

If you have done the right speed-endurance conditioning training, your competitors will find it difficult to catch you if you have got off to a blistering start.

There are a few things you can focus on to improve your start when sprinting so you can gain the advantage needed to excel in the race.

You need to be able to explode from the start position.

In the sprints, you will be in a crouching starting position. But you won’t be able to get the full advantage if you aren’t able to explode using the power in your hips, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and ankle flexion to get out and into your acceleration mode.

Rather than focusing on the starts solely, work on the explosive exercises that will allow you to get your body in the right position so you can power out of the blocks successfully.

What exercises will you need to do to help you improve your start?

Reverse lunges.

Do these to train your muscles how to explode from a low single-leg position. The emphasis will fall on your glutes as you power up.

Squats

Aim to do this with good technique and ideally in barefeet. Aim to do full squats to get your muscles used to exerting power from a low position.

Deadlifts

You want to get your body exerting power through the complete hip hingement. Progressively overload the muscles using this exercise and explode so that you will be able to generate more power on the track.

Weighted hip thrusts.

These will help you build strength and power, which will see you improve your horizontal acceleration, speed, and stride length.

Bounding from a static start for speed and distance.

You want to get your body used to exerting power. So you will need to do bounding from a static starting position (ideally in a low position to simulate the starting position, such as a 3-point start) and then power through for maximum power and turnover.

What starting drills should you focus on?

You want to focus on the first 20-30m of the race, which is the power phase, which will transfer into the acceleration phase.

You will be taking the power development that you have been doing at the gym and with plyometrics and put it into a real-life racing scenario.

You will also train yourself to improve your reaction time. However, it is more important for you to drive out of the starting position comfortably and with quick turnover.

Your quick turnover won’t be any good if you don’t have the power to lengthen your stride. So make sure you continue to develop your power and stride length as it will be important in the latter stages of the race.

Starting drills – 20m starts.

Have someone start a timer and record your 20m speed times. If you have access to an electronic timer, that would be ideal as you will be able to record more accurate data and eliminate the human error with the timings.

Conduct each start (at least 10) and aim for 95% intensity since you want to focus on developing your technique, power, turnover, and control.

Sprinting start running angle.

You will be powering out on a 45-60 degree angle until you reach the end of your acceleration phase. You must train your body to power horizontally whilst your body is at that angle.

Speed endurance and technique

August 31, 2019 by Editor

Have you considered how much your speed endurance and running technique impact your running performance? Especially with sprinters that seem to accelerate towards the end of a race, they are actually slowing down at a rapid pace due to their muscles fatiguing.

The only way to overcome this is to build your speed endurance.

If you look at some of the best sprinters or runners in general, you will see that when they were at their peak performance, they had a phenomenal amount of speed endurance.

For example.

Usain Bolt in the years leading up to the Beijing Olympics where he broke the 100 and 200m world record was actually training as a 400m sprinter and clocked 45 seconds for the race around the track.

He said it in the video below.

Michael Johnson trained mainly as a 400m sprinter and broke both the 200m and 400m world records.

Wade Van Niekerk trains as a 400m athlete and holds the world record for the event, but has run sub-20 seconds for the 200m.

Speed endurance with the right technical training works.

It allows the athlete to hold their form and to execute more horizontal force at a higher intensity during the race.

What’s needed for athletes to execute this?

Athletes need to factor in speed endurance training into their program and they must excel in the speed endurance events so their muscles can execute more power for longer during the race.

What kind of training is required?

Realistically, you are looking at speed endurance over 200m, 300m, 400m and 600m to maintain speed.

Doing the training at no more than 95% of the maximum speed is key to building the strength endurance. This means the athlete needs to know what split time to run in order to maintain their technique over the distance.

For example, if you run 10 seconds for the 100m, you would aim to do speedwork at 10.5s for 95% intensity.

If you run 25 seconds for the 200m, you would aim to do speedwork at 26.25s for 95% intensity.

Get your best time and multiply it by the following. (You can use this calculator)

Intensity	Time multiplier
95%	Multiply your best time by 105%
90%	Multiply your best time by 110%
80%	Multiply your best time by 120%
70%	Multiply your best time by 130%

You can also use this calculator to get the speed metric that you need to maintain based on your personal best time.

100m time	Intensity time
10 seconds	10.5s
11 seconds	11.55s
12 seconds	12.6s
13 seconds	13.65s
14 seconds	14.7s
15 seconds	15.75
200m time
21 seconds	22.05s
24 seconds	25.20s
27 seconds	28.35
30 seconds	31.5s
400m
50 seconds	52.5s
60 seconds	63s

Resources

David Rudisha training discussion

Kenyan running training program

David Rudisha training discussion

Michael Johnson’s training discussion

Clyde Hart – Coach to Michael Johnson

Best 200m spikes

March 30, 2019 by Editor

The 200m is a unique speed event as it requires the athlete to run on a curve and then on a straight as quickly as they can. Many athletes can have mixed feelings as to whether they should invest in spikes specifically for the 200m or if they can use the same spikes that they use for the straight sprints.

In this post, we will share some recommendations and some things to consider before buying spikes for the 200m sprint event.

What are some things that athletes should consider before purchasing 200m spikes?

The spike’s design should accommodate the athlete’s speed around the bend.

The design of the spike should focus on power and grip on the ball of the athlete’s foot.
The design of the spike should be lightweight and comfortable for the athlete to sprint in.

The athlete should also keep in mind that the spikes will make a small difference to the athletic performance. The biggest impact to the athlete’s performance will come from conditioning. However, having the athlete sprint in comfortable spikes that will aid their biomechanics should provide an advantage to the athlete’s preparation.

What are the best spikes for the 200m sprint?

Puma Bolt EvoSpeed

These spikes are named after the 200m world record holder Usain Bolt. And rightly so. The tall Jamaican sprinter needs to wear spikes that will allow him to control his speed and acceleration on the curve.

There are a few designs in different colours and that offer different prices.

These spikes are really designed for performance. If you are already fast or plan on getting faster with your power and acceleration, these are a great option for 200m sprinters at any level.

Prices start from $55.

Click here to buy it on Amazon.

Saucony Spitfire 4

The Saucony Spitfire 4’s offer one of the best value for money 200m spike options on the market. Saucony is still pretty new when it comes to supplying spikes. However, their design, comfort, and inexpensive price have made them a favourite with entry-level athletes.

If you need a cheap 200m spike option, then these spikes should give you exactly what you need.

Prices start from $30.

Click here to buy them on Amazon.

Nike Men’s Zoom Celar 5

This one is another favourite among 200m sprinters, however it does not have as many spikes in the ball of the foot. They are however lightweight and comfortable.

Prices start from $90.

Click here to buy them on Amazon.

Nike Zoom JA Fly 2

These are another great set of spikes, however they are more on the expensive side. Lightweight and snug, which is great for sprinters. There are also 7 spikes in the shoe as well.

The shoe is also quite grippy, which is good for running the bend and sprinting in wet or damp conditions.

Prices start from $115.

Click here to buy them on Amazon.

New Balance Men’s SD200V1 Track Spike Shoe

These are more of an all-round sprinting spike, but they do the job and they are inexpensive. Lightweight and fit like a glove. They are quite grippy and comfortable, especially for those athletes that don’t regularly run in spikes.

Prices start from $63.

Click here to buy them on Amazon.

Stop twisting your upper body when you’re running!

September 2, 2018 by Editor

Has someone told you that you twist your body while you are running? If so, making changes to your running technique can easily make you run faster within a few weeks. The main reason people twist while they are running is because of the arm and leg running technique that they are using. By fixing this, the person can run faster with less effort and more intensity.

Here’s how.

Take your elbows completely backwards when you run.

Focus on driving your elbows as far back as they can go. This will force your arms to go backwards in a straight line.

Have your arms drive by your ear.

Dive your arms straight up by your ear. This will force your arm movement to pump in a straight line.

Bring your knee up when running.

Focus on stepping over your knee when you are running to bring your knees up.

Focus on powering your heel behind you.

Your heel should be powering behind you when you run. If you try to maximise this with each stride, you will naturally be running in a straight line and your body’s mechanics will move in a straight line as well.

Focus on a single point and run towards it.

Pick a spot or object in the distance and run towards it in a straight line.

How to sprint more relaxed.

September 2, 2018 by Editor

Beleive it or not, one of the things that can help you improve your speed significantly is running relaxed. Something that we tend to do is tighten up if we feel as if we are under pressure whilst running. It might be that we are losing in a race or that we feel that we need to run faster to beat our personal record time.

You will never reach your full speed potential if you run with a tense body. So you must train yourself to run relaxed and in a way where you can maximise your horizontal force output so that you can run as quickly as possible.

Here are a few things that you can do to help you stay relaxed.

Focus on a single point in front of you.

You want to focus on reaching the end point. Choose a point such as a pole or a marker and focus only on reaching that point.

Focus on bringing your elbows backwards.

Many athletes pump their arms and keep their fists clenched. Instead, focus on driving your elbows backwards as far as possible in a relaxed manner.

Focus on keeping your body fluid.

No part of your body should be tense. Just stay as relaxed as possible when you are running.

Run your own race.

You need to focus on executing your own race in order to win the race. Focus on executing the different phases of your running so that you will drive, accelerate and maintain your speed for the duration of the race.

Focus on executing your technique.

This is the most important thing that you can do. You must focus on executing your technique so that you will run as relaxed as possible. Your technique will be what you have practiced with the A and B steps, as well as other running drills that you have practiced.

The conditioning training that you’ve been doing should allow you to run faster simply by executing more power and having more speed endurance.

Focus on your breathing.

Concentrate on the way you inhale and exhale as you run.

Develop your conditioning to allow yourself to run more relaxed.

The better your fitness and conditioning, the easier you will find it is to run relaxed. Strengthen your muscles (especially your core) and your strength endurance so that you can run with more intensity for longer.

Are there some other ways or methods that you use to relax whilst you run? Let us know in the comments below.

Increase your speed by improving your ankle flexion!

August 30, 2018 by Editor

This is an incredible hack for developing speed. However, many people either don’t know about it or choose not to do it as a way to improve their speed and power. Quite often, we hear about coaches saying that athletes need to improve their flexibility. But alot of the time, they are unclear in explaining the benefits from improving an athletes flexibility.

When it comes to improving your ankle flexion, there are clear benefits that you will notice.

Improved range of motion
Increase in stability and strength
INCREASE IN SPEED

The third point is the one that you really want!

So in this post, we will share some of the things that you can do to improve your speed as a result of improving your ankle flexion.

Test the range of motion in your ankle.

See how many centimetres is in your ankle’s range of motion. If it is less than 10cm, you will need to do stretching exercises to improve the range of motion. You want to get to 15cm or more.

Knee-to-wall exercises

Stand with your front foot next to the wall. Stand with your other foot behind you and bend your body towards the wall so that your knee touches the wall. This should get your body used to the movement of having your knees in front of your ankles and also improving your range of motion.

Lower calf stretch

Put your leg behind you and keep your foot on the floor. Bend your back knee and lower into the floor. Maximise the stretch and hold it for up to 30 seconds to lengthen the muscle. Repeat this stretch 3 times on each leg.

Upper calf stretch

Have one foot in front of the other and bend forward whilst keeping your back foot on the ground. This will stretch your upper calf.

Deep squats.

Deep squats are ideal once you have increased your ankle range. You will be able to develop additional strength and explosive power through your ankle.

To protect your back, do these initially as front squats. If you don’t have the ankle range initially, you can use weightlifting shoes or conduct the exercise on a weight plate that will give your ankles an angle, compensating for the loss in the range of motion and allowing you to keep your knees forward.

Single leg squats

To really develop the strength in your ankle, conduct deep single leg squats (or at least go as low as you can). Make sure you maintain the proper technique. This will help you develop the strength in your flexible muscle tissue.

Calf raises (gym equipment)

You can use the calf raise equipment at the gym to help lengthen your ankle’s range of motion. Simply add weight and go down into the movement. Hold it at the bottom for 15-30 seconds. Ideally, do this as a single leg exercise.

Dedicate at least 3 sessions a week for developing your ankle’s range of motion.

Until you get the range of motion that you desire, dedicate 3 sessions a week so that you improve the range of motion.

Let us know about your improvements in the comments below.

Improve your running technique to run faster with less effort.

August 28, 2018 by Editor

The two don’t sound like they go hand-in-hand, but it is true. If you learn how to run with good technique, you end up conserving more energy, which will allow you to run longer and faster. There are a couple of factors that you need to keep in mind when it comes to the benefits from the running technique. This is because the running technique alone won’t make you run faster. It needs to be combined with the conditioning of the body.

If you condition your body in the right way and learn to run with the right running technique, you will run faster.

What do you need to do with your running technique?

You need to keep your hips high by running tall.

You can do this by focusing on running tall, however you must focus on running horizontally. Do not project your force vertically. Project it horizontally so you can increase your horizontal speed.

Focus on accelerating off each stride.

This is something that you must focus on during each phase of the sprinting process. From the drive phase where you are building your initial acceleration, to the transition phase and improving your leg turnover.

Aim for your heel to come over your knee while you are running.

You want to improve your stride length while you are running. You can do this by bringing your knees up. However, it is easier to focus on bringing your heels over your knees. This will also help you improve your leg speed turnover.

Stay relaxed.

You must not be tense when you are running. You must remain as relaxed as possible. Yet focus on having the muscles execute the horizontal force to make you run faster.

Your arms should be coming straight up and down.

It’s important that your arms do not swing from side to side otherwise it will force your body to go off-balance. Make sure your elbows drive backwards and your hand comes by your ear.

Your head should be straight and focused on a fixed point in front of you.

Focus on a point in front of you and run straight towards that point. Focus on your technique whilst running to that point.

Running drills that you can practice at home.

High knees

A skip

B skip

Combine the technique with your speed training conditioning.

As you improve your body’s conditioning to execute more horizontal force, you should notice that you will run faster simply because you are executing more power whilst maintaining your form. You will also notice that your rate of deceleration will slow down simply because you are conserving more energy whilst you are running.

Practice these and let us know your improvements in the comments below.

Get instant speed with straight leg running drills.

August 28, 2018 by Editor

This one is a quick, yet very effective post about straight leg running drills. This drill will help you activate the muscles in your hip so you can execute more power and explosiveness, thus allowing you to run faster.

Whether you plan to run faster in a sprint, middle or long distance running or in a sport, start incorporating these drills into your workouts so you can improve your horizontal speed quickly.

What are straight leg running drills?

You can see a demonstration of the drill below.

Why are they beneficial?

These drills work the hips, hip flexors, and hamstrings. Particularly, the muscle groups that contribute to greater horizontal speed. If you can execute the strength of those muscles with additional speed, you will run faster due to having a more explosive stride and also increasing your stride length.

It is common to see sprinters doing straight leg running drills as a part of their warm-up to activate the muscles around their hip area.

Variations that you can try.

Straight leg bounds

Similar to the running drill, however you bound for distance my maximising the power in each stride. You can do this for 30m (10 bounds for 3 repetitions).

Straight leg drills on a hill/incline

This will definitely work your hamstrings. Be careful with this on an incline as it does put more stress and tension on the muscles.

Straight leg drills with a weighted sled

You can take a weighted sled (with light weights) and do the straight leg running drill with added resistance.

Straight leg drills into running

You can do the straight leg drills so that you can feel your hips coming higher. When you are ready, transition into running with a similar movement and accelerate for 20-30m.

Try this and let us know what you have experienced in the comments below.

Get faster with weighted hip thrusts!

August 28, 2018 by Editor

One of the weighted exercises that seems to be underrated when it comes to developing lateral speed is the weighted hip thrust. It is a simple movement that will incorporate the use of the glutes, hamstrings and hip flexors that will allow you to use more strength and execute more power when running.

The more power your legs can execute, the longer your running stride will be and the faster you will run. You will also be able to run more efficiently because you will be using less energy and taking fewer strides.

In this post, I want to show you a couple of variations that you can incorporate into your speed and development training.

Body weight hip thrust

Start by doing the movement with just your bodyweight. You want to place your body on something sturdy like a bench. Let your back rest on the bench and have your feet flat on the floor. You will be pushing your pelvis up, but you will be pushing through your heels.

Push until your hips come forward. You should feel your muscles activate.

You can see a good video demonstration below.

Weighted hip thrust.

This is the same, however you will do the movement with a barbell. Add enough resistance weight for you to do the movement. To avoid the weight adding too much pressure on your hips, use a foam protector or yoga mat to protect your body against the force of the weight.

You can see a video demonstration below.

Single leg hip thrust

When you feel more confident, start incorporating the single leg hip thrust into your routine. Make sure you straighten out your leg and push through your glute.

You can see a video demonstration below.

Repetitions and sets.

You want to aim to do 8-10 repetitions and you want to do 3 sets for each exercise.

When you are doing the movement, you want to build your explosive strength, so make sure you power through your hips with the resistance weight.

When you feel like the intensity is becoming too easy, increase the resistance weight.

The improvements and gains should carry over to your other weightlifting exercises such as the power clean, deadlifts and squats.

You should also notice improvements in your plyometrics, sprinting and jumping ability.