In terms of running speed, acceleration can be defined as the rate of change in velocity where an athlete attempts to achieve maximum velocity in minimal time. Typically, the highest rate of acceleration is achieved within the first 8-10 strides an athlete takes with maximal running speed generally reached within 4-6 seconds; this is referred to as the “acceleration zone”.
Acceleration occurs when an athlete increases his or her stride rate (the number of steps or strides taken in a given amount of time) and stride length (the amount of distance covered with each step or stride). In the beginning of a sprint the steps taken are typically short and increase in length as the athlete accelerates. Similarly, the athlete starts out with a low angle of trunk flexion which increases as the athlete accelerates so that the torso is nearly upright once the athlete has achieved maximal or near maximal speed.
One of the most effective drills for teaching acceleration striding and torso lean is falling sprint starts.
Performance:
1. Stand with the feet together, arms at the sides and rise up on your toes.
2. Lean forward until your balance is lost and accelerate as quickly as possible in order to “catch” yourself.
3. Accelerate for 10 meters focusing on pushing hard down and back against the ground emphasizing triple extension at the hips, knees and ankles and aggressive arm action.
Points:
1. Acceleration work requires maximal explosiveness. Make sure complete or near complete recovery is achieved between sprints.
Acceleration work should be performed when the athlete is fresh, not in a fatigued state. Therefore, perform your acceleration work near the beginning of your training session once you have warmed up and performed your dynamic stretches. Shoot for 6-10 of these falling sprint starts twice per week on non-consecutive days keeping in mind that the initial few seconds of a sprint are crucial in building up to maximal speed.
Next time we will move on to the second progression in our linear acceleration series where we will introduce a more competitive element to our sprint starts.
