Sprinting workout for bad sprinter

S

subdude

0
I've always been a slow sprinter. My best quarter mile in high school was 68 seconds, and I haven't gotten faster since then. (At that same time, I could run a 6 minute mile, also not fast, but probably more respectable than the 68 second quarter.) Now, over a dozen years later, I hope to be a better sprinter than I've ever been before. It's now more important to me than my distance running ability. I guess that's partly because now I don't feel I have as much time for long, slow runs, but it's also because I feel like sprinting is something new and interesting in comparison to distance running. Kinda like Michael Jordan and baseball, I just feel the desire to try something different. Plus, being a faster sprinter will help when playing sports such as ultimate.

I just started adding sprints to my routine. Three times a week, and not on consecutive days, I do 12 sprints of about 40-50 yards. (I haven't measured the distance accurately but I'm pretty sure it's more than 40 yards and less than 50 yards.) So, it's a short distance that I can run at max speed. After each sprint, I allow myself to fully recover. I'm also doing various weights, including squats and bench.

Anyway, what would you all recommend as a sprinting routine? Like, how should my sprints themselves be (in terms of length of sprint, sprints per set, sets per day, and manner of doing sprints), what weight exercises should I be doing, and what else should I be doing?

Also, after I do sprints, my quads become extremely sore and tight. Not that I wouldn't expect my quads to feel like that, but my calves and hamstrings and gluts don't feel bad at all. Does it make sense for someone like me to find that it is mostly the quads that are being challenged by the sprints? Does this mean that my quads are not as developed as the muscles in the back of my legs? Does this say anything about how my form might be wrong?

Thanks.
 
You sound really athletic, so you probably don't need me to remind you to do a proper warm up and cool down
Try this though:
Stretch a LOT ... each leg muscle at least 3 times both during your warmup and cooldown (Something like walk 1/4 mile, stretch, walk another 1/4 mile)

Try this for a fun sprint workout:
Sprint Pyramid
Equipment: a standard 1/4 mile track (if your gym doesn't have one or you don't have a gym a local school may be open outside of school hours)
Total distance: 1.25 miles
run 1/16 mi ... sprint 1/16 mi
run 1/16 mi ... sprint 2/16 mi
run 1/16 mi ... sprint 3/16 mi
run 1/16 mi ... sprint 4/16 mi (one full lap ... here is the top of your pyramid)
run 1/16 mi ... sprint 3/16 mi
run 1/16 mi ... sprint 2/16 mi
run 1/16 mi ... sprint 1/16 mi

Let me know how it goes?

~Mrs. Hlove
 
I would tend to agree with what whitechoc said. You said you let youself fully recover between sets of sprints, which isn't nessecarily wrong, but if it was me I would do it around a track and not completely stop between sets of sprints, I would at least keep a slow jog between sets to catch you breath but still keep the blood moving and the muscles in action. It wasn't a long sprint, but in high school during soccer practice we did indian runs and that was basically sprinting and then jogging for a little while then sprinting again, never fully stopping.
 
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