Sample Early Season Training for Your Sprint-Jump-Hurdle Groups

At the beginning of a season, teach a basic warm up and stretch routine for a running workout. I like walking and limbering with some varied arm movements, which will ease into a jog at some point. Add lateral and backward movements, along with various dynamic warm up movements, before doing dynamic stretches.

Movement activities during warm up is not only preparing for the workout but is also a movement screen, ie; dynamic postures, pelvic positions, where on the foot does the athlete land, and how stiff is the system. I may make mental notes, but more information is needed before addressing what I see. 

I like dynamic stretching but those that feel that various dynamic warm up exercises and/or even static stretching do the job, if mature enough, I let them do what they feel is best for now. I suggest doing your due diligence to learn about the different aspects of dynamic and static stretching and when each is best used.

The best source that I've found for stretching is the Stretch To Win book. They also have a website and a lot of videos out there.

After Stretching

Maybe do some limited reps of squatting and lunging exercises with only body weight to assess the ability to bend and hinge with stable knees.

Next are Warm up runs/Striders (appropriately "get out"(start) and accelerate from a soft start (rolling or otherwise moving into the start), and reach what they feel is an appropriate max velocity, maintain it a bit, then decelerate safely). Initially I suggest discouraging competition during striders, but further into the training period, the athletes competing when doing striders can be a good indication when they are ready for more intense workout runs.

Drills and exercises mixed in, ie; range of motion, running posture, A/B Skips. Once again, these activities are also movement screens (noting how the athlete moves) along with prompting the need to stretch more.

The Meat of the Workout

The objective is to ease into conditioning while teaching various fundamental aspects.

6-10 x 200 - 400 meters with a running gait (approximately 50-60% intensity) The focus is on getting to a pace that will allow 1 - 2-minute rest between each. If doing 8-10 reps the last two can be considered cool down runs.

Before 1st rep say: 

Good starting position for a soft start. "Get out" (start) in a relaxed fashion and easily accelerate into the pace.

Before 2nd run say:

Big enough shapes (ranges of motion arms and legs) but not too big because this is a running gait not a sprinting gait. Err on the side of going too easy

Before 3rd run say: 

Err on the side of being too easy. Got more runs to complete.

Before 4th run say:

Appropriate arms - demonstrating arm movement that is appropriate for the pace

Before 5th run say: 

Movement down the track. Glutes/hips in good position. Check out my other blogs for descriptions of the athlete appropriately projecting and rising while moving up the track. See this Tellez video for the body position you want to encourage and show the video to the athletes at some point. Note economy of movement. You may find yourself with a pretty quick cadence (like a distance runner) to be effective at this pace  

Before runs 6-8 say what you feel needs to be said. Probably most importantly is commenting on their economy of movement. Athletes are tired now and probably will seek movement economy as a matter of survival (a good thing).

Runs 9 and 10 a slower pace but above a jog.

Finish by jogging 2 laps then static stretches

Other Workout Items During This Training Period

Low level jumping and landing provided that you know how to assess athletes for knee stability. Consult this blog.

Low intensity Offensive and defensive changes of direction as would occur in basketball, football, soccer, and lacrosse

Strengthening Functional movements

The vast majority of the starts during all runs will be soft starts, but calling attention to certain starting details and occasional requests to make more of an effort to start in accordance with the rules can help develop the coordination, body positioning and various abilities necessary for development of starting and acceleration fundamentals. I also value Drop in and "Skip In" starts, especially for striders.

Big Picture

Over time I want the athletes to be able to identify with the various movement gaits. I believe that this helps their understanding that there is a technical aspect to moving up the track. This even includes running and walking for a good distance to learn the importance of economy of movement to be able to endure while moving at a good speed. There is also the gait used by a 400-meter runner where there is a more gradual build to the max velocity for that run, and of course, there is the technique for "short sprints". Care must be taken to not focus too much attention too soon on sprinting fast in the absence of sufficient conditioning to help prevent injuries.