Speed Training. Everybody says it. We all know what it means.
Wait...do we really know what it means, though?
I think we all have a general idea of what speed training is. Just talk to anyone after their first race of the track season, and they’ll probably something along the lines of “I ran pretty well off of no speed training!”
Ya, they’re probably right. But what the heck is speed training? Short sprints, long sprints, hill sprints, short intense repetitions, short intense intervals, etc. etc. etc. We could lump all this into speed training, but that's still pretty general. I think we need to answer another question first - what is speed, and are we really defining speed correctly? Let's step back for a second and attempt to redefine speed training as it pertains to distance training (clears throat for a full minute):
What does the word "speed" really means in its formal definition? Open up a Physics textbook and you'll see speed defined as a scalar quantity that describes how fast an objective is moving (i.e. distance divided by time). Speed, then, is a relative quality that we all have. We possess varying levels of that quality - on a continuum of minimum speed to maximum speed - and based on our present fitness level, we are able to train every speed on that continuum, including maximum speed.
I know what you're thinking, Wait a second - have you been living under a rock? Haven't you seen Speed with Keanu Reeves? Didn't you watch Top Gun? Doesn't speed also refer to "rapid movement?
Yes, in its informal definition, speed is a noun and a verb used to describe the rapidity of movement. But...I don't think the formal definition of speed is specific enough when we discuss training. And you know how we runners are - we're all about the specifics.
We use the non-scientific definition of speed in track and field for convenience to refer to the quality someone has when moving fast relative to the situation (i.e. Galen Rupp 10k fast and Tyson Gay 100 fast). Someone might say that Galen and Tyson "have a lot of speed" – and of course, we would know what they meant (i.e. both are fast relative to their competitors). But when someone says "I need more speed" or "I'm lacking speed", we think of it as a quality that they don't already possess - something that they need to acquire. But, if we look at the formal definition of speed - our Physics definition - we realize that they already have it.
So, if they already have it, then why can't they utilize it in a race?
Because we know that we possess all values of our inherent speed as determined by our genetics (from the very slowest turtle speed to our fastest top-end speed), we know intuitively that we don't simply acquire high speed. Rather, we train our highest potential speed. It's not something we can lose or obtain - we already possess the potential to run at the highest speed we are capable of, as determined by our genetics (you can certainly improve your top-end speed, but only inasmuch as your unique anatomy and physiology allows). So, a more accurate and specific statement might be something like, "I need to train my top-end speed."
That leads into another question that we addressed briefly at the beginning of the post: what does speed training actually encompass? Short, fast repetitions aimed at improving our top-end speed? Longer repetitions aimed at improving our ability to buffer the acidic environment caused by lactate accumulation (lactate tolerance)? Or, if we look at the formal definition of speed (quite simply, distance/time), isn't everything we do in running – from the slowest recovery run to the shortest, fastest sprints - essentially "speed training"?
To get a better idea of what I mean, take a look at the speed definitions Reanto Canova (coach of some of the top Kenyan-born runners in the world) gives below (from letsrun.com message board, 11/12/2003):
For a 1:44 (13.0 every 100m) 800m runner:
Pure speed: faster than 11.7 seconds
Specific speed: 11.7 sec <>14.3 sec
Special speed: 14.3<>16.3
Regeneration: slower than 26.0
So, given our new definition of speed, “Speed Training” is, essentially, everything we do.
You’re probably thinking, Who cares? Actually, at this point, I’m thinking the exact same thing. But like I said previously, runners are all about the specifics. And personally, I’m obsessed with the specifics of training and I can’t help but dissect anything that seems to general - which, I’ll admit, is probably a fault (just ask my coaches how much I overanalyze).
And honestly, I'll probably never stop saying "speed training", and I'm assuming you won't either. But I’ll bet the next time someone tells you that they haven't done any "speed training" yet, you’re going to be tempted to ask them to be more specific.
Sources: Letsrun.com (Renato Canova posts)
P.S. There's also an old claim that you can "lose" pure, inherent top-end speed because of endurance training. Although some physiological set-points are altered after prolonged aerobic training that may affect our true pure speed (for example, alterations in muscle fiber type ratios), we only lose pure speed, or any type of speed for that matter, when we don't train it (Canova's words, not mine).
