Sprint work is central nervous system work. It is not conditioning, and it cannot be recovered from with the same 24 hours you give a tempo run. Athletes who treat those as equal spend a season running slightly slow.
The 48-hour rule
High-intensity speed work — anything above 95% — needs 48 hours before the next dose. Fill the gap with tempo, mobility and technical drills at conversational effort, not with a second hard day wearing softer clothes.
- Two true speed days per week, never back to back.
- Score readiness each morning 1 to 10 before you look at the plan.
- Two consecutive scores under 6 means the plan changes, not the athlete.
- Track ground contact volume, including practice. Feet keep a tally whether or not you do.
What the foot absorbs
Every foot strike is an impact you either return or absorb. A dead platform under the foot turns free elastic energy into soft-tissue work — which is fatigue you paid for and got nothing back from.
Put it beneath your feet
Springbak® Springsoles — 3/32nds of an inch, trim to fit, $29.95.
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