RuggleS’peedSled fun for start practice, but bulky for solo trainers

Joe Ruggles Jr., my Southern California Striders teammate, pronounces his name RUG-less. I pronounce his latest invention pretty neat. I used it for the first time Sunday at Cuyamaca College, where you can park within feet of the track. That’s helpful in the case of Joe’s product — the RuggleS’peedsled. Even if disassembled and packed in a big bag, it’s a load to carry. It’s light but bulky. And throw in blocks, a weight for the sled and your other gear, including spike shoes, and you have a lot to tote. But once set up, it’s a great resistance exercise for block starts. I took about 10 at Cuyamaca. Each time, I’d back into the blocks and feel slack in the straps and harness that attach me to the weighted sled — which travels over standard-issue blocks. Joe is an aerospace engineer who developed products for his own auto racing hobby. His sled retails for $199.95, about the price of a good pair of blocks. Older ones are far cheaper. But if you’re serious about starts, and building those muscles, it’s worth the expense.

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April 19, 2015

5 Responses

  1. tb - April 20, 2015

    Seems like that harness could be the beginnings of a way to carry the rig from the parking lot into the stadium on your back.

  2. Tom Phillips - April 20, 2015

    Just wondering how you’d use this thing out of the blocks you’re also carrying, Ken? Think about it….

  3. Joe Ruggless - April 20, 2015

    Thanks Ken for the great review. Pros and Cons makes it an honest assessment. There are two ways to determine the amount of weight you should carry. One (less accurate) add 10% of your weight to the sled. But because surfaces are different, and friction will vary, the best way to determine load is to have someone time your 30 meter without the sled and then with the sled, loading it until you have increased your 30 meter time by 10%. I.e. if you run a block start 30 meter run in 4.5 seconds, then you would load the sled up until your time was 5.0.

  4. Jeff Davison - April 20, 2015

    Late Congrads to Joe and his co-relay team mates for their Masters Relay Meet Record (10-year age bracket relay)
    last summer at the meet in Pasadena, Calif.
    West Region Championship meet.
    A meet with over 30 years of history.

    Striders breaking a prior Striders record that included Stan W.

    Masters Meet Records can be found on the SCA USATF website. scausatf.

  5. Stephen Gould - April 26, 2015

    I bought one of Joe’s speed sleds – not because he’s a buddy, but because I needed one. Yes, it’s a little bulky, but compared to the non-collapsible versions it’s a dream – doesn’t take up too much space in the trunk, doesn’t bash into your shins, etc. I strongly recommend it. I’m now waiting for the Ruggless speed blox. 🙂

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