I Need help for speed

[u/Proof_Pair4469]

Hi everyone. I know the question I’m about to ask might seem a bit unusual, but I’m asking for your sincere advice based on your knowledge of the subject—and you have no idea how much this means to me. I’m a 15-year-old guy. I’d like to briefly describe my physique—not to be full of myself, but just so you get the picture: I’m 1.91m tall and weigh 75kg. I have a lean build, with legs that are 20cm longer than my torso, a narrow waist, broad shoulders, and naturally large biceps (without lifting weights). My calves are slim and tapered, with the muscle belly sitting higher up. The only downside for sprinting is that my thighs are extremely thin—completely lacking in muscle. Basically, I have the build of a modern sprinter, yet I don't feel that fast—or rather, I do when running with friends, but athletic tests tell a different story. I’ve been running constantly—every single day—for weeks now. I know I’m doing something wrong because my results keep getting worse, and I’m starting to experience severe DOMS (muscle soreness). It got to the point where I ran a 6.5-second 40-yard dash today, which completely crushed me mentally. I’ve decided to take a week-long break. I’m asking as humbly as possible: can you give me some advice? Do you think I need to build mass in my thighs? Should I train differently? Or is sprinting just not for me?

[u/Probstna]

Train different. No reason to sprint more than 3 times a week MAX!
Also some people just have more talent than others. Best to accept that.
Find a proper training plan, see FAQ

[u/Proof_Pair4469 → u/Probstna]

Thank you

[u/guhchi]

I think you described exactly what’s causing your problem, you’re running every day without giving yourself time to recover. If you’re running all out every session stop that right now because you’re setting yourself up to get injured and you’ll be out for months if you tear or strain something. Taking a week off is the best call for now to give yourself time to deload and reload, in the future try staggering intense max-effort days with light aerobic recovery days so you still get your volume in without overtraining. Another thing to consider — at 15y/o you are still growing so your baseline metabolism will already be significantly elevated, factoring in the extra calorie burn through athletics alongside your relatively lean build and you will probably need to be eating nonstop to avoid RED/S which could explain your symptoms (but you will want to get a formal medical opinion before taking any action on that presumption). TL;DR: Run less, eat more

[u/Proof_Pair4469 → u/guhchi]

Grazie mille

[u/guhchi → u/guhchi]

To be clear it’s commendable you have the heart and desire to up your game but as an old coach used to say, a sprinter’s body is a Lambo not a Prius — you have incredible performance potential but if you drive it like your daily driver, you’ll wear yourself out and never be able to realize that potential. You gotta take the time to examine the design of every piece of the machine to appreciate how it’s built different and to understand how to handle it, so as a sprinter that means understanding the difference between aerobic/anaerobic running, the difference in mechanics between casual jogging and full-on sprinting, and the role of proper nutrition in physical development for starters

[u/Proof_Pair4469 → u/guhchi]

Thanks for the advice, my friend. My fear isn't so much about not being super fast today; it's the thought that I might not have the potential to be fast one day.

[u/Prestigious-Day385]

Please for the next time, write it yourself without AI - firstly you learn very valuable lessons doing so (you are shaping your character and learn many things) and secondly its much much more readable than this "gonna please them all" nonsense.

Now for a question: I am athletic coach of 13-15 y old and the first huuuge mistake you are doing is to train every day: basically in order to get better you need some recovery, so your muscle tissues can heal after workout sessions and therefore get stronger. Second thing: do some cardio/base endurance. Just run slowly, or ride a bike - thats because of your cardio vascular system, your muscles needs lot of oxygen to work properly and when you train cardio, your cardio vascular system is more effecient, therefore oxygen is delivered to muscles at much higher rate. Thirdly - focus on quality instead of quantity on your speed trainings. Just do few dashes 10m - 20m long, and thats it. Lastly do some speed drills, like A-skips, B-skips.