I am adding sprints in for speed and vertical development. I am curious if they should be done on track or grass in terms of injury potential and the type of shoes that would benefit the most.
Speaking of injury potential as I was searching for is grass or turf better for running I stumbled on a fact how most joggers have bad knees from years of impact on their knees, given that they run on concrete more often then sprinters, but the longer the amount of years you do marathons/jogging the worst it is.
But I have never heard about a similar issue with sprinters, not talking about people who just include sprints and jumps once in a while. I mean people that compete in sprinting up to their 30s. Am I just unaware of this, or is my hypothesis that sprinting is superior form of exercise not only for muscular development but also in reducing injuries. People like Art Devany still sprint apparently without trouble. Just curious on peoples experience/opinions on this.
I love sprints as a great HIIT training protocol or for speed development and for vertical leap development. I’ve been using Nike Free for virtually everything from sprinting to squatting to deadlifting and I love them. Best all-around shoes I’ve ever worn for these activities.
I think it would be best to start on grass if you can find a quality surface. No pot holes, marshes, dog bombs, etc. Then move to a track after you’ve put in 3 to 4 weeks on the grass.
For shoes I say whatever works for you. I can’t sprint in my Nike Frees. I use them for lifting and walking around, but for sprinting, I need something supportive. If I could sprint in my Frees I would. Not all the time, maybe once a week for foot strength.
For injuries, I think you might be a little better off running sprints v distance. But, you might just be swapping one potential set of injuries for another. As you stated, distance runners will be more prone to knee issues where a sprinter is more likely to pull a hammy. Most distance runners have brutal running form and I think that accounts for the majority of their injuries.
Asics and saucony are the elite in the shoe bis. Very supportive and light.
For doing straight ahead speed work sprinting on a track should be no problem and I would start there. If you encounter problems like shin splints move to grass. In general, speed training should be done on a track and agility work should be done on turf/grass. This is the protocol my speed coach follows.
Where you run depends on your goals. grass is going to be easier on the body in almost every way, but the track will allow you a shorter contact time on the ground (giving it more of a plyometric effect). See how you body responds to each and make your own decision, if you pound a lot when you run (i.e. bad sprinting technique) then you will probably want to start the grass for sure. Background: I run sprints for a D1A university and we do most of our offseason stuff on the grass and then move to the track in season.
Im terms of shoes, find ones that fit properly to your foot and strike pattern (dont worry about brand)
I suspect that running on concrete (unnatural surface w/practically zero rebound) is worse for you than running on grass.
Speaking as someone who used to do a lot of running, though (and who still goes on trail-runs), I think most runners w/knee problems get them from a)sloppy running and b)not doing anything else for training. Poor-fitting or worn-out shoes can also contribute.
You can run long, slow distance with good form. You can also run long, slow distance with really, really bad form. It’s not efficient, but it’s the path of least resistance, and it’s what a lot of people fall into.
When you’re sprinting, you’re forced into using comparatively good form. That’s not to say that you’ll automatically gain the grace and economy of a Carl Lewis or a Michael Johnson, but you just can’t go very fast with shitty form. It’s like driving with an off-balance tire. You won’t notice it at 20 mph, but going 80 on the freeway it’s going to shake you to hell. A certain degree of correction/cleaning up your form will happen of necessity.
One more thing: “sprinters” connotes someone competitive who’s going to have their shit together. “Joggers” can be anyone with sweatpants and shoes. No serious – or even semi-serious – runner, at any distance, calls themselves a jogger.
Anyway, if you’re looking for speed and vert development, sprints will be your thing and distance running not even relevant.
Thanks for all the responses guys gave me some good ideas on shoes and where to run. Getfast24 I did notice that I tend to pound a bit when I run, do you have any tips on correcting this? I do make a concsious effort to try and land on the balls of my feet, but still it seems like I am pounding more then I should.