How to "Kick" faster in slow races
Most track races in championships are usually slow and very tactical. It comes down to a sprint finish picking up the pace anywhere from 800m to go to 300m to go! In the end whoever as the fastest finish wins despite not necessarily having the same fitness as people further back. So how can you train yourself so you can kick to victory?
Endurance!
First of all, coming up to a middle/long distance race you should not neglect your endurance in the event of a fast pace from gun to finish. Continue doing tempo/threshold runs as your race quickly approaches to maintain endurance.
Also if you find the tactical pace too fast then you can forget about "kicking" and just start worrying about maintaining your pace! The race should feel very easy as you approach to kick, and that comes from endurance and stamina!
Sprinting!
A forgotten recipe in many athletes training is all out sprinting for 8-10 seconds to develop that raw speed! Strides help maintain speed but they don't make you any faster. When base training begins I would recommend doing them up a fairly steep hill. This creates plenty of power and helps with running form while of course is improving your speed! You should be aiming to do 5-6 of these after an easy run and 3-4 times a week!
Once your raw speed has gotten faster over the many months of base training you can begin to develop that crucial speed endurance, to extend the pace you can run for 100m into 200m and even 250m. You should also be doing the 8-10 second sprints but now on a flat surface to really get the legs moving! You could be doing sessions like 8 X 150m @ 95-98% with 6-8 minutes recovery!
You shouldn't really have much of these full recovery workouts and they should only really be once every 10-14 days. Other harder workouts can also develop this speed endurance like 8 X 300m @ 800m race pace or 10 X 400m @ 1500m race pace. By combining these types of sessions (while also doing the occasional 8-10 sprint workout) you can really become a faster sprinter for the kick!
Gym work!
Hitting the gym can really give you the essential strength and power you need to sprint fast! Base training and Race preparation training also requires different gym workouts. In base training the emphasis is to build strength and power in the legs. This can be done doing exercises like squats, deadlits and many more to build strength! Don't worry about building muscle as a runner! If you are running anything over 40 miles a week it's very hard to gain a substantial amount of muscle, however you still get all the strength benefits!
Come track season the focus in the gym should change to more explosive plyometrics and power exercises. This training coverts the incredible strength you had in your legs into explosive power that will help you spring further off the ground as you run and sprint. It trains your body to be quick off the ground as you run and makes each stride much more longer! Excerisces include box jumps, broad jumps and many more!
For a free full training plan of the exercises that you should be doing in base and track season email us @ runfastcompay@gmail.com. The plan includes videos of each exercises, exact reps, sets and amount per week and a progression on the workouts so you are always improving!
Drills!
Also often overlooked by many athletes in distance running. Drills will help form as well as making you a more efficient sprinter. The emphasis is on high knees, correct foot strike and driving your foot forward upon landing! Sprinters spend a lot of time on drills to perfect their form and give them the best advantage when it comes to sprinting! There are too many exercises to go over in a single blog so if you want a free layout of all the drills with videos beside them just ask us @ runfastcompany@gmail.com
Race experience!
You may have the endurance, the speed, the power and the perfect form but if you can't execute it in a race whats the point? During track season I'd say you would want to run about ten proper races before the big one. These races allow the runner to experiment with different race tactics and "kicks". You will need to learn who to perfectly execute a long drive for home or a sudden change in pace with 400-300m to go!
You will need to be able to react and go with other runners kicks as well as learning how to not get boxed in! This all comes with experience and after ten or so races you should be able to execute your perfect kick!
Overview!
Getting a faster Kick isn't just an instant fix! You need to spend all season working on your raw speed as well as your stamina and endurance. Dedication is required but if you stick to your guns and trust yourself on race day you are sure to have a great finish!!!