http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2011-09/15/gq-sport-usain-bolt-running-tips-interview/introUsain Bolt's running tips!By Jason Henderson (GQ Magazine)
Usain Bolt is the fastest man in history. This month saw him win the 200m title at the athletics World Championships where, in 2009, he set the existing world record for the 100m.
In honour of that mark, these are his ten tips on how to run like the wind...
1. Start like I say, not as I do"It's very important to get out of the blocks quickly, although I'm usually left in the blocks a bit," says Bolt, who, at 6'5", is tall for a sprinter and admits the first part of a 100-metre or 200-metre race is not his strongest element. "So I work a lot on starting well and then, after that, when I get into my stride, I just let everything flow."
2. Don't rush to 'run tall'To get to your top speed, the Jamaican sprinter suggests leaning forward out of the blocks and holding your drive phase for 30 metres before coming up gradually. "If you pop up and try to start running too soon, you really have to work to get to top speed," he says. This is because all the forward energy that has been gained from pushing out of the blocks will go upwards as opposed to the direction you want it to go in - towards the finish line.
3. You need power for the glory"My favourite exercise in the weights room is the clean," says Bolt, who sees weight training as a necessary evil. From a standing position, with legs shoulder-width apart, he lifts the barbell in a continuous movement from feet to chest. "I'm not really that good at lifting weights," Bolt admits. "A lot of people can bench-press 250kg, for example, whereas I probably bench 140kg. I just go heavy enough to develop the muscles. What really matters is what you do out on the track."
4. A strong core helps you score"I work on this a lot - it's vitally important," he says. "I do a few exercises on my core in training, but in addition three times per week at home I do one hour strictly on abs and back work - a variety of lots of exercises." His goal is not necessarily to help his sprinting, either...
"I do it mainly because it makes my six-pack look pretty good! I can't really complain about it."
5. It's a sprint, not a marathonBolt reveals he rarely runs farther than one lap of the track. "I don't really do any cardio in training," he says, preferring to focus on quality over quantity. "It's hot anyway in Jamaica, so we burn a lot of calories when training. Even just warming up I would be sweating hard." Even so, his longest run is surprisingly short.
"This season, probably 350 metres. A couple of times I have run 600 metres in the past, but that's as far as I've ever been."
6. You need nature, as well as nurtureIn the same way that East Africans dominate distance running, athletes from the Caribbean and West Africa tend to be good sprinters. Jamaica has a population of just 2.7 million, but dominates sprinting. Scientists believe this is partly because the "speed protein", Actinen A, is more prominent in Jamaicans' fast-twitch muscles. Bolt has his own theory. "I think what makes Jamaica different is [a legacy of] slavery... the genes are really strong."
7. Eat like a championDespite famously eating chicken nuggets before one of his races at the Beijing Olympics, Bolt's junk-food diet is a bit of a myth. He explains: "When I'm travelling overseas, if the food is not so good I might end up in Burger King or McDonald's occasionally. But I have a chef now who gives me everything I need." Bolt consumes lots of chicken, pork, fish and yams - a good source of carbohydrates and a Jamaican staple. "Every now and again I go for fast food, but 90 per cent of my diet is good."
8. Enlist a coach with the mostGlen Mills has coached Bolt since after the 2004 Olympics. "Having a good coach is important and I owe much of my success to him," says the athlete. Something of a father figure to the 24-year-old Bolt, Mills' background includes more than 20 years as head coach of the Jamaican Olympic athletics squad.
"He is a guiding light in my career and has shown me the way to improve myself both as a person and as an athlete," says Bolt.
9. Don't worry, be happyBolt says it is in his nature to remain cool before races, but he also makes a point of creating lots of downtime. "It's just my personality to be so relaxed," he says. "The majority of the time I'm chillin'. I'm always with friends and laughing - that's just me. If I'm not doing that then I'm playing video games and still relaxing." Bolt stays loose during his races, too. "The more relaxed you are, the smoother and faster you'll run. Your muscles get tight when you tense up."
10. Believe, and you can achieve...Bolt's world records astounded athletics experts, but the Jamaican believes he can run even faster. After that he wants to play football for Manchester United, telling GQ he could have made a difference in this year's Champions League final.
"I was shouting to Alex Ferguson to bring me on as a substitute," he says. "But he didn't hear me."
