In the world of Track and Field there are few things more important than having a good start out of the blocks. First, you will need to realize that in order to get the best start you must find the thin line between being comfortable and coiled like a west Texas rattle snake, so with that said everything read in this blog can and should be adjusted specifically to each person. Now to clarify starting blocks, (developed in the late 1920’s over the alternative of digging holes into the ground.)1 Ever since then people have been using them to try and gain an edge over their competition by practicing in them, but it is of no use if practicing improperly.
To ensure that no one is practicing improperly here are a few tips to help you make the most of your time:
- Be sure to warm up thoroughly; as if you were about to compete.
- Do several test runs with no blocks concentrating on driving the knee and swinging the arms through the start.
- Grab a set of blocks that look sturdy, and make sure there is no slipping on the foot pads.
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Now that you are warm and have a set of blocks picked out it is time to adjust them in order to get the best push off of the start as possible. The blocks should roughly be the length of your hand away from the starting line, and perfectly lined up down the center of your lane. Next from the front of the blocks your front foot pad should be about one to one and a half feet away, and the back foot pad should be about two and half to three feet from the front. Once you have them set start out in front of the starting blocks looking down your lane, and then slowly back your self into the blocks to test for comfortability. Your hands should be placed just before the starting line, and “thumbs under the shoulders ready to support the runner’s bodyweight.”2 Your arms should be locked in place, and feet planted firmly in the foot pads; at this point it is a good idea to practice the set position. The set position is the position right before go, and it is characterized by the weight being transferred from the hips to the shoulders. This is the stage where finding the thin line of comfortability and explosiveness is the most crucial. The feeling you should have when in the set position should feel like you are about to fall on your face, but at the same time your feet are firmly planted in the foot pads for stability. In terms of the foot pad height it needs to be high enough for the whole foot to make constant contact minus the front two spikes which are firmly planted in the surface of the track, this helps to eliminate a false step. False steps are where the heel of the foot has come off of the starting block forcing the runner to step back on the block when starting costing precious seconds. Now that you are comfortable with your blocks take a few strides to warm up again before testing out the blocks, and on the first few runs keep your flats on just to get the hang of the feeling before strapping on the spikes. If you are curious about what spikes to use please reference one of my previous blogs about track spikes in relation to events.
Before the start is completely taken care of; we need to focus on when the gun goes off. When you uncoil from the blocks your lead foot should power off the front footpad as hard as it can, and while the front leg is exploding forward off of the block the back leg should have minimal push while mainly concentrating on driving the knee to the chest with the foot dorsiflexed to allow for maximum spike to track contact. At the same time your lower body is firing out of the blocks your upper body must maintain a straight alignment while simultaneously swinging the arms down the track in accordance to which foot you started out with (ex: left foot would be paired with right hand). The head must maintain an aggressive and low position in order to prevent from prematurely rising, because the first ten to thirty meters, or the drive stage of the race where the athlete produces the most power.
By properly setting up the blocks in accordance to comfortability and explosiveness, and by combining a proper warm up with correct body movement you will be on your way to practicing smart and proper starts out of the blocks that will leave your competition at the starting line.
1 http://speedendurance.com/2008/12/29/track-and-field-starting-blocks-evolution/
2 http://digitaltrackandfield.com/starting-blocks-for-sprinters/
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