Training for pure speed

I have been using USRPT (ultra short race pace training) for a year and have had great success. I however, have been training for the 400/500. My opinion is that using USRPT for the 50 is not as good. The reason is you really can only do 25s at the most, which is OK, and when you do 12 1/2s you can't get an accurate time. You may want to try 25s at 50 race pace. Do not start at your target time per 25. Add a second or second and a half. The reason for that is so you can get some success and get used to the way these are done. These sets are tough and if you start by using your "real" target time, you might get discouraged and quit. The other thing you might check out is HIT - high intensity training. There is section on the USMS forum for workouts. There is one for HIT, however, the workouts that are currently being posted, in my opinion, are not HIT. If you can find the workouts that Leslie Livingston posted to the Forum last year, I think you would be better off. Her workouts were designed for the 50 sprinter and she herself held (or still holds) I think three of the 50m/y national records in her age group. Good luck. Glenn Gruber Schaefer, Glenn is right. USRPT has nothing to do with 50s. 50s are all out efforts, whereas USRPT is about sustaining X race pace over short distances. As a sprinter, the only USRPT type set that I periodically do is sets of 25s at 100 pace. It seems like a non-horrible way to train for 100s. I don't agree with Rushall's disdain for kicking or drylands either; I think both are important for sprinters. If you are solely concentrated on 50s, you can, as Glenn mentioned, refer to the two years of my HIT workouts from 2012-13. They were written for 50/100 sprinters, and I have used those workouts for years. I do still have six NRs in the 50 sprints, though I had a close call with one this summer. Ande also has a blog where he did speed workouts for years. And, yes, you must work on your start, turn and underwaters. Executing these elements properly is most of the race.

I have been using USRPT (ultra short race pace training) for a year and have had great success. I however, have been training for the 400/500. My opinion is that using USRPT for the 50 is not as good. The reason is you really can only do 25s at the most, which is OK, and when you do 12 1/2s you can't get an accurate time. You may want to try 25s at 50 race pace. Do not start at your target time per 25. Add a second or second and a half. The reason for that is so you can get some success and get used to the way these are done. These sets are tough and if you start by using your "real" target time, you might get discouraged and quit. The other thing you might check out is HIT - high intensity training. There is section on the USMS forum for workouts. There is one for HIT, however, the workouts that are currently being posted, in my opinion, are not HIT. If you can find the workouts that Leslie Livingston posted to the Forum last year, I think you would be better off. Her workouts were designed for the 50 sprinter and she herself held (or still holds) I think three of the 50m/y national records in her age group. Good luck. Glenn Gruber Schaefer, Glenn is right. USRPT has nothing to do with 50s. 50s are all out efforts, whereas USRPT is about sustaining X race pace over short distances. As a sprinter, the only USRPT type set that I periodically do is sets of 25s at 100 pace. It seems like a non-horrible way to train for 100s. I don't agree with Rushall's disdain for kicking or drylands either; I think both are important for sprinters. If you are solely concentrated on 50s, you can, as Glenn mentioned, refer to the two years of my HIT workouts from 2012-13. They were written for 50/100 sprinters, and I have used those workouts for years. I do still have six NRs in the 50 sprints, though I had a close call with one this summer. Ande also has a blog where he did speed workouts for years. And, yes, you must work on your start, turn and underwaters. Executing these elements properly is most of the race.