Go FAST!  Just don’t make it hard please. Doesn’t that sound like a paradox? It actually isn’t, but let me aim to highlight how speed doesn’t need to mean tendon-tearing pain and breathless grimaces. 

The easiest path to highlight the concept is via a case study of a Purple Patch session. Let’s take a recent workout that we wrote for Squaddies:

Run at the Track.  Speed Technique Run

12 x 200 fast.

200 easy jogging or walking between.

Focus:  Please go into this with the correct mindset. FAST does not always mean HARD. So while you are executing Fast 200's, the approach here is that you are only allowed to run and continue if you feel your form maintaining and running exactly how you should be running. If you are losing form at any point you need to take a break and reset. This is a session for the track if available, or at minimum soft surface.

The natural and understandable reaction for most athletes would be either salivation or trepidation for the big meaty track session, but the workout is not designed in that manner. The mission behind running fast, in this session, is to translate really good form with an overlay of higher speed. So we amplify speed but don’t come close to fighting or forcing the effort. Why? The goal is this session is:

• Leg speed and form: speed tends to improve biomechanics and minimizes ground contact time. It is a form-finder in itself.
• Neural recruitment: The over-speed leg turnover will stimulate muscle recruitment and - by proxy - improved running economy
• Control over proper form and connection.

We are not looming to barge through barn doors, and we shouldn’t need to put a bucket by the side of the track to capture unmentionables that might bubble up from soul destroying effort.  In fact, it even mentioned that the best course of action would be to take a break, if fatigue builds up!

If I were coaching this session from the side of the track, I would be looking for athletes losing form, over-working or fighting themselves. If they were losing flow and connection, it is important to reset with some easy jogging.  You might see Johnny go:

4 x 200 - run easy 5 min

4 x 200 - run easy 5 min

3 x 200 - run easy 5 min

1 x 200

But Sue might feel great all day and be equally successful with 12 x 200.

Success would be if each athlete completed the 12 total 200s with great connection, flow and form while under control.  Every step would be ‘brochure ready’, and they should end the run activated, but not in the depths of fatigue.

This becomes a really safe way to execute speed work, with much less injury risk.

The same concept could be applied to the bike, and somewhat to the swim, and can be all wrapped up with a simple Purple Patch saying:

Form under force.

Outside of a very few occasions, you never put force in front of form.

I hope that helps in execution and habit building.

Cheers

M