Maximum Velocity can be one of the hardest things to teach an athlete. When training for speed, it’s more than just working on your acceleration and trying to run as fast as you possibly can. It’s really about how to run relaxed while maintaining your top speed. Much much easier said, than done. But not impossible…it takes time, practice and patience.
So to be clear, max velocity is sprinting at top speed. It’s the point where you are running your fastest at full speed. This top speed depends on a lot of factors though, like strength levels, experience and even your running mechanics. Part 1 was about acceleration, and there are some differences with the mechanics, angles and effort that we can discuss.
The top sprinters in the world can only maintain top speed for around 2-3 seconds before they start decelerating or basically start slowing down. And in a race, the person who wins, is the athlete who slows down the least. So max velocity work is needed in your training to maintain that top speed for longer distances and slow down that rate of deceleration.
Understanding Maximum Velocity
Now what makes this one of the hardest things to understand and teach is because when you are running at full speed, you no longer need to try or keep pressing as you did during acceleration. You’re already there! This is a common mistake than many inexperienced athletes make. This stage now is all about relaxation and keeping upright (not leaning back or too far forward). Your body will not be at that angle it was during acceleration. What some don’t understand is that by continuing to try to run faster and keep pushing, you’re more than likely slowing down and falling apart in your mechanics. Why? Because you start to fatigue from trying to push that top speed further than your body can coordinate.
Relaxation
So as I mentioned this stage is about relaxation, maintaing, or ‘floating’ (as some coaches call it) that maximum velocity. What that means is bringing down that intensity and effort from accelerating, but without slowing down and losing your speed. That’s where becomes complicated, because that concept sounds contradictory. But like any new skill you try to learn, it takes a lot of perfect practice to get where you need to be. You have that huge urge to keep pushing and trying to go faster, but it’s important to hold on to that energy. All you need to do is keep driving those arms down and back, keeping that same speed at less intensity. Step over your opposite knee and continue driving the knee upward, pushing the ground behind you. With practice you will develop that ability to make these adjustments, and that will be all the difference in running a fast time, chasing an opponent down on the field or leaving them in your dust.
A Sample Speed Workout
Sprint/Maintain/Sprint
Remember we’re still working on a short to long progression, build up your strength, work on your mechanics and then start opening it up to longer distances. Here the goal is for you to relax once you reach top speed, but without slowing down.
Place a cone at 20m, 40m & 60m
0 – 20m: Accelerate hard to the first cone
- maintain a hard sprint (focus on maintaining that speed and intensity during acceleration)
20m – 40m: Maintain that top speed
- ease back in intensity without losing speeed, don’t try to go any faster
40m – 60m: Accelerate hard once again
- go back to a hard sprint, running at full intensity and trying to increase your speed
- important to still continue being relaxed, don’t tense up or fight it
That is just one workout you can use to help your max velocity and not tense up during competition. Next part of this series on Speed Development is Speed Endurance…
(original image by kipsnaps)
