Sprinting for Endurance Athletes

There are similarities between a sprinters gait and a marathon runners gait. Sometimes the endurance athlete would add a slight pronation on their stride co create a smoother impact against the hard concrete surface. A sprinters gait is much more gross motor for very obvious reasons. I feel that during a short period of cross training, an endurance athlete can very well benefit from sprint training.

The principle of overload suggests that by achieving a fitness level which exceeds the desired task, the task in fact becomes more achievable. In this scenario, the increased stride will produce flexibility to create ease and prevent injury whilst running. The large movement will see us to more muscular activity and help us to improve lactate tolerance. 

Practice sprint intervals of 30 metres. 30 metres is a good distance to produce top end speed. Walk back to the beginning. Repeat this until you've completed 8 sprints. Then take a 2 minute rest and repeat the drill.