6. The Vorsprung Element

"‘Break-it-down’! Too often we look at situations, tasks, jobs, races, training as one big event. But, if you break-it-down into its constituent parts (elements) everything becomes so much more manageable, doable and achievable." Vranek.

In Vorsprung’s running groups we teach athletes to look at the manageable chunks. Don’t see 6 x 600 metres as, 600 metres slog each set. 'Break it down'. See it as 3 x 200 metres. Run the first 200 metres, then, concentrate on the second and so on. It is much easier to manage the changes in speeds needed if you simply change the speed of the next 200 metres, rather than struggle at the very last 50 metres of the whole 600 metres. Psychologically, it is easier to manage too. There is a Buddhist element to this. We are thinking and focusing on the one task at hand. The smaller task. The immediate task.

In a Vorsprung speed session, athletes are taught not to see it as 300 metres, but, as two 150 metres. We think of it as 150 metres full-tilt: The second 150 metres is all about holding form. Hold form and you will lessen the depreciation of speed. Hit-it-hard and hang-on. Thinking only of that first 150 metres makes the second 150 metres, relatively, easier.

If you have the proper Vorsprung training behind you, you will be surprised how much more you have in your body to complete the first 300 metres at speed and even the following five 300 metres (of a 6 x 300 session).

Too often people are focusing on the end-goal. Obsessing about the bigger picture. A common mistake of club and leisure athletes is to ask 'what is the pace?'. Our coaches reply is '34-40 seconds per 200 metres.' 'But, what is the PACE!? Is it 5k pace? Race pace? 10k pace?' 'Break-it down! It is 34-40 seconds per 200 metres… PACE!' If you concentrate on the small steps, the here and now, the end-goal will take care of itself.

The brain will always fool you. It is like water. It will take you on the easiest route. Even if that means being lazy. It will dictate to you and influence you to be lazy and mis-judge what your body is really capable of.

So, at Vorsprung, we think of every activity, that, we perform as a collection of actions: not as one whole. Which can, initially, appear daunting, over-whelming, unmanageable and unachievable. At Vorsprung, we see every activity in its separate, varying, elements.

This practice applies to any task or activity, not just in sports: decorating a room, cooking, cleaning the house, gardening. It becomes very Zen. Thinking of the moment and not allowing the brain to hijack your activity into thinking of anything more, than that moment: that immediate task.