January
2008
Tips for Sprint Training
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Though I don’t believe that the road to health is paved with incessant high endurance exercise, it doesn’t mean that I “can” cardio entirely either. Just as humans didn’t evolve to eat frosted wheat squares for breakfast, I don’t think three hours on the treadmill (or the hill over yonder) would’ve made much sense to your forefathers and mothers of a different era.
* Fast paced sports: Go for a pickup game of basketball, or join a soccer or hockey league to get in your sprints for the week. Another family favorite of mine: ultimate Frisbee.
* Rope jumping: I know, you can’t get “Eye of the Tiger” out of your head even thinking about a rope. Download it already and just go with it.
* Speed laps around the rink: For those of you who are landlocked and snowbound these days, hit the ice and fly. Same goes for inline skating on the boardwalk. Just watch out for the rest of us while you’re at it.
* Dancing: I’m not much for T.V., but have you seen the workout those Dancing With the Stars folks get? Surprise your partner with Latin dancing lessons, or just pop in a CD and declare “dance party!” with the kids. (Trust me, they’ll outlast you.)
* Power cycling: Pretend you’re giving Lance a run for his money. I know, but we can dream, can’t we?
* Water sprints: Do some race-worthy laps around the pool, or race your golden retriever to a tennis ball. (You have no chance.)
* Mountain hiking: Nothing gets the blood moving like the challenge of a peak. And the view? I think it even beats my beach. (Did I say that?)
* Everyday sprints for mundane purposes: If you’re up for the run but short on time, try multi-tasking. Run your mail to the nearest drop box, or race to the cleaners for those shirts. It’s fun to keep the neighbors guessing.
paulaloe Flickr Photo (CC)
Further Reading:
10 Workouts That Don’t Feel Like Workouts
The Real Reason We Don’t Exercise
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Technorati Tags: sprint, cycling, hiking, jump rope
Sprinting worked really well for during my initial weight loss. I did the Tabata protocol for about a 2 weeks (a total of 4 sessions perhaps) and I lost at least 3 notches of my belt during that time. I had been doing 30 min elliptical sessions 6 months prior to this and had only lost about 20ish pounds. I’m not sure if it was the placebo affect though.
I hardly do any form of cardio (other than team sports) any more, but sprints are still a lot of fun every once in a while
I do the Tabata-style workout on an indoor bike which is a great way to get in a good workout in a short time window. I do, however, want to try some running sprints although I will have to start slowly. Every once in a while, one of my grandkids will challenge me with a race to the car or to a doorway, and I feel VERY stiff and old trying to do this. I was never fast (6 minute mile, 40 minute 10K)but at least I felt fluid in my slowness!!
Dave,
Watch our for those short no-warmup sprints to the car. Better that you ease into them by warming up a little first, then gradually accelerating until you hit full all-out stride. I know the grand-kids won’t cut you slack there, but the chance of a nagging injury (calf, achilles, plantar fascia, etc)increases when we older folks go from zero to 60 too fast.
Thanks, Mark. Luckily my grandson is pretty slow so I don’t have to work too hard,
But your point is well taken. One of the things I miss from my running days (besides the post race consumption)is the speedwork I used to do on the track. Even though I needed one of those “slow moving vehicle” triangles attached to my rear end, I enjoyed doing the structured workouts. So I’m going to head to the track and do some–but only after a good warm up!
“Keep the neighbors guessing”!!! LOL! That’s my kind of workout:) Seriously - I love sprints. My new fave way to incorporate them is CrossFit style (or Monkey Bar Gym style). They’re fun and you get to look like an action hero without a movie;)
POSTSCRIPT: Fuggetaboudit! I went to the track yesterday, did a good warm-up, and then did my impression of a big-rig truck trying to start in fifth gear. Sheeesh. I’ll stick to my trusty Lemond Revmaster for interval work–my running days are history.
[...] running sprints are one option, but we presented several others last month for your perusal. Put your all into it for 20-40 seconds and then rest for two minutes [...]