Aloha!
One of the things I love most about sprinting is that there is ALWAYS something you can improve- I work on different things weekly. I've been sprinting since I was young, competed at the Division I level, took years away from the track, and then returned to competition in my 40s. And I can tell you that the way I approach training today is much more intentional than it was when I was younger. These days, I want every training session to have a purpose because my goal isn't just to run fast this season. I want to keep sprinting, competing, and enjoying an athletic life for decades to come. One of the things I've learned is that getting faster isn't necessarily about doing MORE sprinting. It's about developing the different qualities that actually make you fast. So today I want to share three things I believe every sprinter should be working on, whether you're running the 60m, 100m, 200m, or 400m.

1. Neural Firing. This is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of sprint training, especially as we get older. Your nervous system is responsible for communicating with your muscles and recruiting the fast-twitch muscle fibers that allow you to produce explosive movements. If you aren't regularly challenging your body to move FAST, you gradually lose some of that ability. This is why I love incorporating neural firing exercises into my training. Things like quick ground contacts, explosive jumps, fast-feet drills, and short accelerations are all ways to stimulate the nervous system. And here's the important part: these exercises aren't supposed to leave you exhausted! We're training the body to respond quickly and efficiently, not just trying to burn calories or work up a sweat. I often tell people that sprinting is as much about training your nervous system as it is about training your muscles. You can have all the strength in the world, but if you can't recruit that strength quickly, it isn't going to translate into maximum speed. I have a neural firing guide with a list of exercises if you need it to get going.

2. Strength. I don't think it's any secret that I LOVE strength training, and there is a very good reason for that. Sprinting requires an incredible amount of force production, and every time your foot contacts the ground, you have a very short window to apply that force and propel yourself forward. Developing strength gives you the foundation to produce more force, but it's also important to understand that being strong doesn't automatically make you fast. You have to teach your body to use that strength explosively. This is why I like pairing heavier strength exercises with faster, more explosive movements. It's a training approach I've used for years, and it allows me to work on both force production and the ability to express that force quickly. For those of us over 40, strength training becomes even more important because we're also fighting the age-related loss of muscle mass, strength, and power. I don't just want strong legs for sprinting. I want strong legs for riding my horses, working around the ranch, hiking, and doing all the things that make life FUN!

3. Endurance. Yes, even if you're a short sprinter! I think sometimes when people hear the word endurance, they immediately think about long-distance running, but that's not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about SPEED endurance, which is the ability to maintain a high percentage of your maximum speed as fatigue begins to set in. Think about the 100m. You can have an incredible start and acceleration, but what happens over those final 30 or 40 meters? If you haven't developed the ability to maintain your speed and mechanics, you're going to start slowing down more than necessary. Even the very best sprinters experience some deceleration toward the end of a 100m race. The goal is to minimize it! And of course, as we move into the 200m and especially the 400m, speed endurance becomes an even bigger part of the equation. This doesn't mean I want you going out and running endless slow miles. In fact, that's not how I approach sprint endurance training at all. I want quality efforts that teach the body to sustain speed, with distances and recovery periods appropriate for the event you're training for. Remember, the goal is to run FAST for longer, not simply to run longer.
What I really want you to take away from today's newsletter is that these three things work together. Neural firing helps you activate your muscles quickly, strength gives you the ability to produce force, and speed endurance helps you sustain your performance as fatigue sets in. If you're constantly working on one but neglecting the others, you're leaving some of your potential on the table. And that applies whether you're 25 or 75! I think one of the biggest misconceptions about aging is that getting slower is inevitable and there's nothing we can do about it. While our physiology certainly changes with age, there is SO much we can do to maintain and improve our athletic abilities through intentional training. I see it in masters athletes all the time, and it's one of the reasons I'm so passionate about helping people discover what their bodies are still capable of doing.

So this week, take a look at your own training. Are you doing something to stimulate your nervous system? Are you building strength and power? Are you developing the speed endurance you need for your event? You don't have to do everything in every workout, but all three should have a place in your overall training plan. And if you're not sure where to start, that's exactly why I created my Fast Over 40 sprint training programs. I want to help you train with purpose, get faster, and most importantly, stay athletic enough to keep doing the things you love for years to come.

Keep playing, keep challenging yourself, and remember that age doesn't have to determine what you're capable of.
I'm cheering for you!

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