Monday, March 3, 2008

How Fast Can You Run?

How fast can you run? No, seriously, how fast can you run? Top speed? All out? For how long? What if you could run faster than that?

The New York Times Play magazine from over the weekend has an article about the Bluestreak training program over at Chelsea Piers, which includes a treadmill with maximum speed of 28 mph and an incline of 40 percent (to put in perspective, I think my gym's treadmills top out at 10 mph and an incline of 15 percent).

The writer discusses bursts of speed training, similar to being pulled along by a truck, to enable your body to run faster than it could on its own. And according to the Chelsea Piers Web site, the program can lead to a 0.2 second reduction in your 40-yard sprint. That probably won't help me in marathon training, but for the shorter races, needing a better kick ...

Probably not for everyone, especially at the steep price ($1200 for 20 sessions). But it's fun to think about the possibilities.

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