Fat Girl's First Attempt at Sprints page 3

[SonyaJane]

Thank you very much for all your hints and tips, I have lots of things to try now and am actually looking forward to sprinting again. I really love the high exercise gives me and I have way more energy recently (I went primal 6 weeks ago).

The minimalist footwear link is fab, thanks CoyoteVick. It made me realize that I don't *have* to wear Vibrams to achieve the barefoot experience, and that I already own some suitable footwear! I dug out my water shoes and have been wearing them the last couple of days. I realize that Hilary is quite right, in that it is the running that is done on the front part of the foot - I tried walking on the front part but it just wasn't natural and I couldn't do it for long without my muscles hurting. I'm not sure how long the water shoes will last with me walking a lot on the pavement (I try to walk on the grass or a natural ground as much as possible), so I think I need to consider some of the alternative shoes discussed on the 'selecting-footwear' web page. I may have to try making the Huarache sandals!

@Hilary - I had a lovely cross trainer that was also very useful for hanging things on… I have sold it now though and bought a clothes airer and a dehydrator instead. I'm glad to hear that I inspired you to try sprinting again - how did you feel during and after? I'm curious to know if anyone else comes over all emotional or deliriously happy.

@Alex - unfortunately I am clinically obese at 218lbs and 5 ft 6, and was severly insulin resistant before I went primal. I'm becoming more sensitive now though.

Blackcatbone's report on VFFs makes me want to try them now, especially given that I fear my water shoes may give out soon. They don't seem very durable.

@JKC - 10 seconds sounds pretty good going to me! I only managed 6 sec, max. I'm not sure I can wait another week though! I really enjoyed it and I can feel my body wanting to run when I walk, especially since wearing the barefoot water shoes. Ankle feels fine now, so obviously nothing too serious.

[Hilary]

@Hilary - I had a lovely cross trainer that was also very useful for hanging things on… I have sold it now though and bought a clothes airer and a dehydrator instead. I'm glad to hear that I inspired you to try sprinting again - how did you feel during and after? I'm curious to know if anyone else comes over all emotional or deliriously happy.

Erm... during - out of breath. After - nauseous. Following day, cycling into town into a powerful head wind, noticed yes, I have pulled something in my thigh.

Can't actually write this without laughing. I don't think I'll be exercising for the sheer bliss of it any time soon. What I do notice is that getting outside in the morning and using muscles for something more than walking to the kitchen and back means I have better energy and focus all the rest of the day. 20 minutes of press-ups, squats and planks does the trick.

[Lex26]

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd just add on to it:

I'm also pretty heavy at about 195 right now and would like to know how long of a break I should be taking in between sprints? Does it matter as long as I do at least 6 sprints all-out for about 10 seconds? That's what I've been doing and I actually like it. It hasn't been painful to me yet. I like waiting for an intense song to come on my iPod, then punching the gas until I pass a certain light-pole up ahead. I've just been taking about 3-5 minutes to fully catch my breath again before I do the next sprint. I wonder, at what point do I start being more strict about the time in between each sprint?

[Forever Young]

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd just add on to it:

I'm also pretty heavy at about 195 right now and would like to know how long of a break I should be taking in between sprints? Does it matter as long as I do at least 6 sprints all-out for about 10 seconds? That's what I've been doing and I actually like it. It hasn't been painful to me yet. I like waiting for an intense song to come on my iPod, then punching the gas until I pass a certain light-pole up ahead. I've just been taking about 3-5 minutes to fully catch my breath again before I do the next sprint. I wonder, at what point do I start being more strict about the time in between each sprint?

You want to pretty much catch your breath again. Then it's time to go again. As your conditioning improves with regular sessions and it will quite rapidly, you will find the time in between getting shorter. So there is no need really to monitor this. Simply wait until you can breathe relatively normal again. As for the 10 seconds thing, I don't know. The real goal is to sprint all out until you simply can't maintain it any longer without stopping. This would likely exceed 10 seconds for most. You've gotta dig deep. Like never before. The harder you make each interval, the more effective. As some have suggested, hill sprints greatly reduce the risk of injury and nagging aches etc. You simply can't run as fast up a hill as you are fighting gravity. The workout is every bit as effective though and then some!! 6 All out sprints is a good number. Do this only once every 7-10 days consistently and it will change you in ways you simply won't believe! Hell, if you did it 2 or 3 times a month but absolutely did this each and every month, the results would seem miraculous.

[Lex26]

Thank you! I don't actually measure how long I'm sprinting, I just estimate that's about the time I run all-out for. Next time out I'll try truly running my ass off until I can't maintain the same pace. Setting a certain crossline has helped so far though because it's hard to know when the real sprint ends - if I'm still going all-out but am obviously slowing down, is that still part of the sprint? I think psychologically the fixed point in the distance keeps me going as hard as I can for longer. Without it I think my brain would say a lot quicker, yeah I think that's it. I'll experiment more with hill sprinting too.

[Forever Young]

Thank you! I don't actually measure how long I'm sprinting, I just estimate that's about the time I run all-out for. Next time out I'll try truly running my ass off until I can't maintain the same pace. Setting a certain crossline has helped so far though because it's hard to know when the real sprint ends - if I'm still going all-out but am obviously slowing down, is that still part of the sprint? I think psychologically the fixed point in the distance keeps me going as hard as I can for longer. Without it I think my brain would say a lot quicker, yeah I think that's it. I'll experiment more with hill sprinting too.

Once you are slowing down despite your greatest effort, the interval is done. Having a landmark can be a good thing so long as its far enough that you aren't slowing down because you've reached it. Find a good hill and I think you'll find that you'll reach this point quicker and more decisively. Hill sprints kick your ass but man they work!!

[primal-dan]

Does it matter as long as I do at least 6 sprints all-out for about 10 seconds? That's what I've been doing and I actually like it. It hasn't been painful to me yet. I like waiting for an intense song to come on my iPod, then punching the gas until I pass a certain light-pole up ahead. I've just been taking about 3-5 minutes to fully catch my breath again before I do the next sprint. I wonder, at what point do I start being more strict about the time in between each sprint?

Ditch the watch completely, you don't need or want it for sprints. Sprint how you feel. If you're energized and smooth, push harder and go faster or longer. If you start feeling tight and uncoordinated slow down and finish the interval instead of trying to hold on for 3 more seconds then tearing something. Walk until you feel energized enough to do another all out sprint.

If you don't wait long enough between sprints you loose much of the benefit. You need to recharge, let your heart rate fall, and regain flexibility in your muscles. Sprinting is anaerobic, without oxygen. You toast your supply of ATP then reload it with an aerobic walk, using the oxygen you breath. Sprint too soon and you don't have enough ATP, your muscles fill with lactic acid, and you become slower, less flexible, less coordinated, and likely to suffer soft tissue damage.

Also, if you're just starting out, do not take big steps. Don't try to max your speed, instead try to max your cadence while leaning forward and running. It's about the effort, not how fast you go. Take lots of little steps as fast as you can while still keeping your feet under you, and you will naturally stay on your toes. Over time you'll learn how your body wants to go. Sprinting with bad form by taking big steps and coming down on your heel will wreck you.

Sprinting is the ultimate form of human movement. It's the fastest we can go. In a proper sprint you use every muscle you have to push yourself forward. This is what we were built for and it feels awesome.

[wolfman]

you can always do complexes until you come to a weight in which you can sprint more effectively

[Lex26]

Thanks, peeps! I think I'm good on the technique of staying on my toes - I don't know how else to run fast. And I've got no problem now with catching my breath, especially after that explanation, Primal Dan! I'll continue trying to kick it up a notch every week. My weight hasn't budged much in the last two weeks, but at least I've noticed that after sprinting every week for a month I can do my six sprints in a shorter time span.

[barefootbaby]

OH man! I'm so afraid to sprint all out. I tried to do it about a week and a half ago and managed to do one all out sprint. I thought I was dying! Literally. I thought that was it, I was going to drop dead on that hill.