As a Lifetime Athlete with a need for speed, there are three major types of training progressions you should consider. They are short to long, long to short, and undulating.
Short to long is a classic process. It's been popular for a very long time and was probably made famous by the late and great coach Charlie Francis. Basically, this approach works on getting fast over short distances and then extending that speed out to goal or race distances. Terms like speed endurance and special endurance have been used to describe the extension of high velocity over increasing distance. This approach works especially well with concentric, force-dependent athletes.
Long to short is another methodology. In this training model, submax or tempo running over longer distances (relative to the athlete) is gradually quickened while the rep lengths are diminished. This is highly effective with eccentric, rhythm-oriented athletes.
Undulating progression is exactly as it sounds. It touches on both the previously mentioned styles in mixed fashion. It's like touching on all paces and distances during the same time period. Keep in mind we are not talking about distance running, just long and short sprinting. Many athletes will respond to this type of programming, particularly elastic athletes, who thrive on varied stimuli.
There is no one road to Rome. And there are many ways to get fast. Good coaching, experimentation, and learning are critical. We use all these progressions in T2 so if you are on the team, we've got you covered.