You posted a while back that Francois might get his run times more in line with what his VO2 max predicted if he added some plyo work.
I’m planning to be a single-sporter this fall, so might have the time and motivation to give that a whirl.
Will you or anyone else point me to any web resources explaining what/how to do it?
A dissenting voice here from the anti-plyo camp…
Here’s something my runner friends say: “A man that does drills, is a man that does drills well.” Notice there’s no mention about running faster.
Focus on a natual progression of strength (hills), endurance (tempo & LT work) and speed (VO2 Max stuff), seasoned with liberal doses of strides, and you’ll get faster.
Skipping and hopping is for school kids on the playground.
I strongly disagree. That’s like saying lifting weights won’t make you a stronger swimmer or cyclist. Plyometrics are a strength-training excercise, and when done right will make you faster and stronger. I would highly discourage using them leading up to a race, as your performance will get worse before it gets better… but when it does get better, you’ll have a spring in your step like you wouldn’t believe. Plyometrics helped me achieve a 38-inch vertical, although this was before I took up triathlon. I still use them to maintain leg strength and bounce.
Note - Start slowly with these, as your fast-twitch fibers will get you VERY sore. Start with 2 sets of 10 for each exercise and work up to 3 or 4 sets of 20 reps.
Some drills to do (only after a very thorough warmup!!)
High-Knees: Run on your toes with a super-fast cadence, but not moving forward very fast. Lift your knees up so your thigh gets parrallel with the ground. Focus on touching the ground for as little time as possible with each step.
Butt-Kicks: Same as above but instead of lifting your knees up in the front, kick your own butt with your heels. Quick feet off the ground~!
Skips: Skip like a little kid, but use a big arm-swing and “throw” your knees up into each skip. This is a very dynamic movement.
Quick-ups: Find a bench or stadium stairs at the track, should be 12-16 inches high. Stand six inches away, facing the step. Jump up onto the step, both feet at the same time. Touch the top, then immediately drop back down backwards to the ground. When you hit the ground, try to touch the ground as quickly as possible to srping back up to the top of the bench. Use the momentum down to “spring” yourself back up.
Walking Lunges: if you want to build awesome strength for the bike & the run, do walking lunges after a plyo session or track workout. Just walk around the grass, but lunging down fully with each step.
I strongly disagree. That’s like saying lifting weights won’t make you a stronger swimmer or cyclist. Plyometrics are a strength-training excercise, and when done right will make you faster and stronger. I would highly discourage using them leading up to a race, as your performance will get worse before it gets better… but when it does get better, you’ll have a spring in your step like you wouldn’t believe. Plyometrics helped me achieve a 38-inch vertical, although this was before I took up triathlon. I still use them to maintain leg strength and bounce.
Fair enough. But think back to all the posts arguing the benefits of weight lifting for triathlon, and the scientific evidence (from both sides), refuting or supporting the benefits.
I think with weights, plyos, etc. it comes down to personal preference. It works for some, doesn’t for other. I’m the latter. If I’ve got the time, it’s better spent doing the sport.
One point of (polite) contention: 90% of the time, triathlon running is about a quick, turnover shuffle, minimizing vertical motion. Plyos are dynamic exercises for dynamic and explosive movement. A six-minute mile is anything but (I’m talking IM racing here). You don’t need speed, in the true sense, to run a six-minute mile–at least not the kind of speed plyos are aimed at producing. Increasing your LT will.
For track athletes, I think they make sense–hell I used to do them when I ran track. For tri running and road racing (upward of 10K), I see minimal benefits.
I know for certain that a 38-inch vertical leap, won’t help me break 2:30 in the marathon…
Matt
But there IS research supporting the use of plyometrics for long distance running… 
Anyway, the 38-inch vertical leap made me laugh, of course they would help :-)))
I absolutely agree you shouldn’t compromise swimming biking & running in order to lift or train plyometrics, but as a supplement I think they are effective, and I’d bet the Pose runners here would agree. Plyos train your legs to act as springs, meaning the muscle has to do less work (because the tendon does it.) When you trained them for track, you certainly weren’t bobbing up & down more while running a 1500 than you do now running a 10k. I would say that running a six minute mile is much easier with stronger, more resilient calf muscles/tendons, and a high turnover is also much more easily achieved.
I also agree with you that different things work for different people. Peace!
And for the record my vertical right now is probably a pitiful 26 inches or so… but I can run 6’s off the bike so I’m cool with it 
Great, a reference from The Oracle… now I’ll NEVER be a professional coach
yeah, some of that pubmed stuff looked pretty interesting:
“The results indicate that anaerobic power is significantly related to distance running performance and may explain a meaningful percentage of variability in 10-km run time. Therefore, it may be beneficial for distance runners to supplement aerobic training with some power and speed development such as plyometrics and sprinting.”
Another:
“We conclude that 6 weeks of plyometric training improves running economy in regular but not highly trained distance runners; the mechanism must still be determined.”
The latter is very encouraging to me 'cause lord knows I am not highly trained.
Still looking for any input on HOW to do them though.
Wow, The Oracle is positive on something. I think I might need to readjust my whole view of the world.
Not that this really means anything but I know an olympic silver medalist (marathon) and a bronze medalist (also marathon) - both do plyometrics. They set up little ladders and do quick step things (kinda like you see football players doing) - and other “playground” drills. They are also full-time professional atheletes so its not a give or take. They also do a TON of core work - and I mean a TON. They also run a lot.
Dave
“They also run a lot.”
Yeah, but I’m inventing a coaching company focusing on plyo and abs and will claim that it’s the core and plyo work that were responsible for the medals
.
I know, I know, there are holes in my argument and obvious (excellent) exceptions.
I contend that core work is different from weight training. A stong core will benefit virtually ANY athlete–even porn stars.
They (professional athletes…esp. runners) have all the time in the world. If they spent it all running they’d melt down. Consequently, they’re got time for things like plyo, massage, SLEEP, etc.
Major props, to Deena & Meb, simply amazing and inspiring acheivements.