Why Timing Your Sprints Makes You FASTER (And How To Do It Using Your Phone)
If you’re not timing your sprints, I can almost guarantee that you’re leaving hundredths, if not tenths of a second, on the table.
Whether you’re a competitive athlete, or enjoy sprinting recreationally, timing your runs may just be the secret sauce you’re looking for to help you move to your next level of performance or fitness.
Case in point: during the 2024 indoor athletics season, I was able to shave 2 tenths off my 60-metre time, in just two weeks (running a time I hadn’t been able to hit for 6 years!), simply by leaning into the power of fully automated timing in training (I share more in this video).
Hand timing can be beneficial, of course, but if you really want to get down to the nitty-gritty, when it comes to sprinting, you need an automated timing system. Not only does this allow you to run hands-free (as a self-coached athlete it’s almost impossible to truly time yourself accurately by hand, especially when tired), but an automated timing system is also so much more accurate.
In sprinting, every hundredth of a second counts, and when you make any technical changes, unless you can accurately account for fractions of a second, you’ll never really be able to tell if what you’re doing is making a difference or not. When I ran 2 tenths quicker in 2 weeks, it was the data I received from my timing system, in training, that let me know the technical changes I made actually worked. If I didn’t have an electronic timing system, I wouldn’t have been able to gather this information and make the necessary changes going forward. Simply put, the data you get from timing your sprints with a fully automated timing system is invaluable.
Now, before you start thinking it has to cost you an arm and a leg, I’m excited to tell you that there are some crazy affordable options out there; one of those being the PHOTO FINISH APP.
For only $8.99 per month (or $89.99 per year), Photo Finish lets you turn your smartphone into a fully automated, highly accurate, timing system. It also has a lot of additional features that I've not seen other timing systems do before (such as the ability to program whole sessions and set you off in multiple different ways). In addition to this, if you use MY LINK, you’ll get 20% off your monthly plan for 5 MONTHS!
Knowing EXACTLY how fast I'm running in training has been CRUCIAL to my sprinting (especially as a self-coached, competitive athlete). It not only gives me an idea about where I am at any given time in the season, or any time in a training session (rep by rep), but it also provides me with the data I need to help me identify whether the technical changes I make truly make the difference.
If you've only been using hand timing up until now, I really encourage you to try the PHOTO FINISH APP.
(And be sure to use MY LINK to get your additional 20% off).
#HappySprinting
About The Author: Torema Thompson is an athleTuber, qualified personal trainer and speed coach. She is passionate about helping athletes and fitness enthusiasts go from newbies to masters in their sprinting & fitness.
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