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25-08.-2008, 10:02 AM
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#1 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 7
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Cannot improve sprint
A few years ago I was a pretty good sprinter (or at least much better than now), but since then I've had two pretty big crashes (both involving cars and quite a few broken bones). I have completely lost my ability to sprint and cannot seem to get it back. Doctors believe that there are no injuries from the crashes that could be causing this. I've decided to change my training to only work on sprints, but I'm seeing almost no change whatsoever. The last three weeks I've been doing a training race on Thursday (1:00 - 1:10 long with 10 sprints), 20 20-second sprints on Saturday and 10 1-minute L6 intervals on Sunday. The other days are all 1 hour recovery rides. So far my 5-second power has "improved" from 975 to 980 watts. My 1-minute power has remained the same. I haven't done a maximum 1-min test since it's tough to put in 9 more after that, but my average power outputs for the 10 1:00 efforts are pretty much unchanged after the three weeks. One thing I'll say - recovery takes a lot longer with these efforts than any L4 or L5 training I've done! I'm going to start taking Tuesdays completely off the bike instead of a recovery ride since my legs are usually still quite sore then. Is it possible that 4 recovery days a week are still not enough? I know that weight training is generally not seen as necessary for cyclists, but is that maybe the direction I should go? I'm hoping that there's a glaringly obvious problem with my training that I am just not seeing!
Dave |
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25-08.-2008, 11:10 AM
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#2 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 96
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
Quote:
Well it could be, I figure that if 500 watts is suposed to be equal to leg pressing 60 pounds per leg (aka 120 pounds), then the 1k to 2k watts of a good to world class sprint works out to something like leg pressing 240-480 pounds. Personally those figures wouldn't require any weight training (my max leg press being something like 600 pounds), however, I've been getting the impression that I'm more "gifted" towards the anareobic end of the spectrum. It is certainly possible that weight training could benifit you, as there certainly are people who can't generate the 240 pounds of force per leg to genererate a 2k watt sprint. Of course, that is just "what I figure". I would get on google to look into this further, or wait for somone who has more of a clue than me to drop you a line. I definitely wouldn't start hitting the weights based on just what I said. |
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25-08.-2008, 02:02 PM
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#3 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 1,736
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
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With sprinting, you gotta get fast first, then work on going longer. Otherwise you just end up with a long slow sprint. Some of this progression involves maximal efforts of 6-10 seconds. |
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25-08.-2008, 04:34 PM
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#4 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,286
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
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That was my thought too... long rests too. |
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25-08.-2008, 08:14 PM
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#5 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,172
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
This sounds new to me my impression before was training in L7 was just to sharpen sprinting before a race how trainable is sprinting? I mean if SST got me to 1200w how much more can I get by training L7? Am I the only one or does training L7 blow out your knees?
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25-08.-2008, 09:17 PM
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#6 | ||
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 1,736
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
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 NMP responds well to freshness. It most definitely is trainable. Ask Chris Hoy. But like most of our physiological makeup, there is a strong genetic element. And depending on how far you want to take it, it may also require sacrifices in other elements of (aerobic) performance. Quote:
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26-08.-2008, 02:16 AM
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#7 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 123
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
I can relate to you, Dave. I used to have a really good sprint too (for a local amateur), but when I got back to racing a few years ago I had totally lost it. Very frustrating to be outsprinted by skinny climber dudes, let me tell you! My PM now confirms my current mediocre sprinting power (but above average 1m power).
At first, I thought it might come back more or less on its own the more I rode, but no dice. Then I tried emphasizing the sprint workouts for a time, but without seeing much improvement. But maybe I was doing it wrong? I can hold my mediocre sprint for a long time (20-30 seconds). Maybe Alex's recommendation will help. Or perhaps these old legs just won't sprint anymore -- nah, that can't be it! It sure would be nice to have a sprint again! |
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26-08.-2008, 07:56 AM
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#8 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Draper, Utah
Posts: 515
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
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26-08.-2008, 08:04 AM
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#9 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Draper, Utah
Posts: 515
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
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I couldn't make the winning break, because the initial accelleration was just too much. Let's not forget that sprint training = core strength training and I think my small upper body did me in. 
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26-08.-2008, 09:11 AM
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#10 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 7
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
I guess I've really been trying to address two issues at the same time - lack of L7 power and lack of L6 power. The 20-second efforts were all flat-out, but we all know that the power drops dramatically after about 8 seconds and shifts to L6. I just would have thought that a few months of this type of training would have gotten me more than a 5-watt increase in my 5-second power. Don't get me wrong - I'll GLADY give up those torturous workouts! I think what Alex said makes sense in that you have to develop the maximal L7 power before it can be applied to L6 power. It still seems that doing 20-second maximal sprints should increase my maximal power output, but recovering from 8-second sprints is much, much easier than 20-second sprints, so it would allow me to do maximal efforts more than just 2x a week. And I'm convinced that 1-minute efforts are the most evil workouts known to man, so I won't exactly miss those!
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26-08.-2008, 12:00 PM
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#11 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 123
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
Pay attention to your form too. It's possible you developed bad habits after your crashes. Not using your arms properly can cost you 100W or more. I sometimes inexplicably push on the bars instead of pull. Keep at it!
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26-08.-2008, 02:56 PM
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#12 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,822
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
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Classic1- Don't get me started on triathletes. Sluggo wearing, mechanically inept, dirty, dribbling, elbow steering spawn of Satan. Anyone who sticks food to their bike is a disgrace IMHO. |
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26-08.-2008, 04:48 PM
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#13 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 43
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
Many slow guys are fast at the end of road race and vice versa meaning you can't win one you can't stay with
 20 sec efforts are quite bad as they produce lactate so that they disturb neuromuscular process already, but do not give good stimulus to lactate removal, that is important even in organised sprints. I would keep NMP efforts shorter than 10 sec and work with lactate removal with 1-2K (all out) efforts. 10 seconds at 60 km/h is about 160 metres when you do your final move in 1 to 1 sprint. That's all you need. Good placing and team tactical movements mean so much. 5 sec @ 980 watts sounds so low if it's made by adult person? |
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27-08.-2008, 01:56 AM
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#14 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Draper, Utah
Posts: 515
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
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27-08.-2008, 02:11 AM
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#15 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 444
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Re: Cannot improve sprint
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Little harsh, huh... 
__________________
-Meek "Some people train to look pretty. I just train so I can be the strongest man there is. And then again, I'm already pretty." -Magnus Samuelsson |
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