⚡️SSL #004 How To Win More Races & Games

Aug 27, 2022

In today’s issue, I want to share 2 tips on how to maintain your speed in order to win more races and games.

On Youtube, I shared a study in which the World Athletics analyzed some of the fastest 100m performances in the world.

One of the most valuable findings was that the fastest sprinters were able to reach their top speed within 60m and maintain it better than everyone else.

That’s why today we’re going to discuss how to finish stronger towards the end of a race or match.

These are 2 methods that we cover extensively inside of the “Sprint Cheat Codes” course.

#01 Intensive Tempo

What it is:

These are faster tempo runs with longer rest periods. Typically they are used early in the season to prepare athletes to handle more intense training loads without exposing them to max velocity running too soon.

Why it matters:

The idea is to train your body to use oxygen, and your muscle fibers more efficiently. As a result your body would then fatigue slower and maintain more top speed. More is not always better so these should be trained over short and fast distances, just not as fast as a max effort sprint.

How to do it:

They are performed at 80 - 90% of your heart rate or max effort. The recommended work to rest ratios are 1:4. This means for example if you run for 15s, then you take 60s off to recover and repeat. Depending on your fitness level and sport, your sprints and rest times will vary. Generally, these can be done 1x per week.

#02 Extensive Tempo

What it is:

These are lower-intensity tempo runs with shorter rest periods. Typically they are used to help football, soccer, and rugby players sprint frequently during a match without losing significant max speed. It is also used as a recovery tool for sprinters within a training week.

Why it matters:

The idea is to train your body to deal with higher levels of lactic acid because rest periods don’t allow full recovery. For a sprinter, this helps flush out lactic acid that has built up during the week and work on technique during these slower runs.

How to do it:

They are performed at 60 - 80% of your heart rate or max effort. The recommended work-to-rest ratios are 1:2. This means for example if you run for 15s, then you take 30s off to recover and repeat. Depending on your fitness level and sport, your sprints and rest times will vary. Generally, these can be done 1-2x per week.

TL;DR

Intensive and Extensive tempo runs are two powerful methods to improve your ability to maintain max speed.
Intensive Tempo - 80 - 90% max effort
Extensive Tempo - 60 - 80% max effort
Using a combination of both is ideal. Preferably towards the end of your training week.

P.S. This is the last Sprint Letter you’ll see before the release of the Sprint Cheat Codes on Sept 1. 2022.

Stay Fast,

Cesar

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