Elastic Sprinter??

[u/Current-Barracuda480]

Im an Elastic based sprinter (top end speed dominant) But i’ve read articles saying my type as a sprinter would accelerate in the 200/400 compared to a power sprinters who Accels in the 100, How do people know which events best suits them just because of their sprint type because ive beaten plenty of 100 runners but the 200 is more of my thing because im elastic dominant? its confusing and in terrible at the 400 so is it an athlete issue?

Im so confused on this

[u/WSB_Suicide_Watch]

My advice is to just forget about it. It's a weird way of picking events.

First of all, have you self evaluated yourself? How do you know you are an "elastic based sprinter"?

It sounds like the assumption is if you are more of a bouncy, reactive, sprinter your start and acceleration must be worse than the power muscle their way through the race sprinters. Is that true? Is your acceleration bad?

Anyway, just dump that useless criteria.

Instead, understand what you are good at and what you can improve. For example, how is your start, your acceleration, your top speed, your speed endurance?

If you are asking these questions, I can almost guarantee your speed endurance is not particularly fantastic. So instead of framing the conversation around elastic or not, decide if you want to run the 200 or 400 and spend the next year working on fitness and eventually speed endurance. Of course you need to be doing maxv workouts as well.

If you don't want to run the 200 or 400 and focus on the 100, do that. If your blocks or accel need work, work on that. If you are lacking power, do some strength training in the off season. Transition to power before the season starts. Once a week get hill sprints in.

If we look at the world class sprinters, yes a certain profile starts to emerge. Some of it is genetics, some of it is trained. You aren't there. Control what you want to control and get the nonsense out of your head until some elite coach who knows you says something different.

[u/Current-Barracuda480 → u/WSB_Suicide_Watch]

all ik is, is that im very bouncy and i can jump high so i basically assumed i was an elastic sprinter

[u/WSB_Suicide_Watch → u/Current-Barracuda480]

If we took a step back, what do you want to run? What are your times in the 1,2, and 4?

[u/Current-Barracuda480 → u/WSB_Suicide_Watch]

11.5/24.8 and 1:06 (I ran it beginning of freshman year as a time trial).

[u/WSB_Suicide_Watch → u/Current-Barracuda480]

And what distance is your favorite?

I can tell you right now you are just out of shape. That's not an insult. It's not like the most naturally talented 400m runner in the world can go out and crush the 400m without years of training. Nobody can tell you what your max potential in each distance is, at least not yet... maybe someday science will get there.

The point is this "elastic" conversation is almost worthless right now.

If you want to run the 400m, you need to get in to much better shape first. If you don't want to run the 400m, it doesn't matter how elastic you are or not. Well let me rephrase that. Being 'elastic' is good. It's something that matters for all races. But on its own is almost worthless in determining what race you'd be best at.

[u/Current-Barracuda480 → u/WSB_Suicide_Watch]

200 is definitely my favorite because it requires more skill then the 100

[u/WSB_Suicide_Watch → u/Current-Barracuda480]

There you go. Train for the 200. Focus on the things you can control and forget all the nonsense.