Track Starts

Track Start Improvements

As I have improved my track start through out these blog post I have been given some very powerful tips to get my track start to where it is now. I will have to be able to all of this new gained knowledge into the next up coming track season.

Tips

Exploding from a set of blocks is a violent, unnatural thing to do. It takes great overall strength, coordination, and agility to have an effective start. I'm not saying go out and become a bodybuilding ballerina, but having a good strength-to-weight ratio with a sense of your body and what it's doing will make your life a lot easier.

Finishing Guide

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As you near the finish line, maintain your stride while keeping your knee action high. Get your feet quickly off the ground and pump your arms faster than in the early stage of the sprint. When you near the finish line, lunge forward to break the tape. Focus on lunging with your chest, as your torso and not your head or limbs are what is considered to cross the finish line. Lower your head and pull your arms back to push your torso forward in a falling motion.

Questions

What is the best way to finish a race?

How do you keep a continuous stride?

Cited

Pictures cited: Track & Field By Gabrielle Vanderhoof

Track Starts

Track Start Improvements

As I have taken more tips throughout my blogs I have seen suggestions to raise my hips higher into the air. This helps the feeling of the falling affect so I am able to get out of the blocks faster and be able to start my stride down the track faster.

Tips

Hamstrings are the most important muscle for a fast sprint.

Quadriceps are the second most important muscle for a fast sprint.

You are going to need strong calves for pushing off with your toes.

Your shoulders, chest, and back need to be strong for pumping your arms.

The core needs to be strong to keep your body straight and aligned properly.

Make sure to always stretch your muscles before an event to make sure you do not pull any important muscles before or after the event.

Proper Start Guide Lines

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In the “set” position, it is generally understood that the hips should rise above the line of the head. However, this is where things can go wrong, following the misguided concept that they must also lean forward, bringing the shoulders ahead of the hands and putting pressure on them. This can easily be checked in practice and made visible to the athlete by using a stick or weighted string to drop down from the shoulders.

Questions

If you have ran sprints in the past what was your best time for the 100, 200, or 400?

If you're an athlete what was the worst injury that you have had?

Cited

Pictures cited: Track & Field By Gabrielle Vanderhoof

Track Starts

Track Start improvements

My improvement through out my track starts from the blocks has improved drastically. Some tips I found to help my momentum moving forward was to bridge my hands and have my legs bent to where they are comfortable and to be able to have the most power off of your push off.

Tips

Have fingers make a bridge

When running run off the balls of your feet not your heels

In stride have next foot ready to hit ground after your toe hits

When you are finishing do not stop right away this can cause shin splints

Advanced Running

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As seen in this picture Michael Johnson an Olympic sprinter is running off of the balls of his feet in his strides. To keep this going one must lift their knees to a angle where they can quickly get their next foot to the ground.

Questions

Do you guys have any other advice for me for when I come out of the blocks to keep my stride and speed continuously growing?

How can I keep my stamina?

Cited

 Pictures cited: Track & Field By Gabrielle Vanderhoof

Track Starts

Track Start Improvements

As I worked on my track start and started taking tips from the book I noticed that my form wasn't correct to the way it should be. instead of having both feet behind me I moved my dominant foot forward so I could have the most momentum when coming out of the blocks.

Tips

Have knees inside elbows but not to close

Have lean forward as if you were going to fall on your face

Stride out of the blocks with your head down

Don’t stand straight up when coming out of the blocks

Have a slow incline with your body as you push out of the blocks

Proper Form and Guide Lines

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In this picture you can see this man exploding from the blocks putting all of his momentum forward to get a push off from his dominant leg and propelling his body in an rising action. The back leg is driven forward at the sound of the gun as the front leg extends, pushing off the block pedal. The arms are aggressively extended, forward and back. If the rear leg is the right leg, the left arm is driven forward as the right arm is driven back. You keep this going throughout the race with the opposite leg hitting the ground and the opposite arm slicing through the air. The head stays neutral on the start, looking down the track slightly.

Questions

Do you have a different way to come out of the blocks?

How do you have your feet set up when you are pushing out of the blocks?

Cited

Pictures cited: Track & Field By Gabrielle Vanderhoof