Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Sidewalk Sprints and 8 Technical Tips for Sprinting

mrC passed his recurrent check ride yesterday (he studies very hard, so this is no surprise to me). Yay! While he was taking his test, I was enjoying my last day of fitness in Delaware.

I found a great place to run (yes, run!) my sprints. Loads of sunshine and blue sky pulled me outside and I do not regret leaving the elliptical behind at all. The sidewalk is on the other side of a large parking lot next to the hotel and I knew it would work for sprints.


The workout: Sidewalk Sprints

I walked about 5 minutes for my warmup. I probably should have walked more and maybe even run a bit, but I was feeling crunched for time (we were leaving Delaware early). Since I haven't run my sprints in awhile I set my interval app for 10 sets @ 20 seconds sprint, 40 seconds recover. This is a starting point for sprints workouts in the carb cycling program.

After the first sprint, I paced around waiting out the 40 seconds recover. It felt like a waste of time, especially since I hadn't run for my warm-up. So, for sprints 3-10, I slowly ran the recovery back to the start. This felt good and I'm happy that I thought to do it. In a perfect world, I would have walked for 30 minutes or run a mile for a cool-down, but I had to get ready for our departure.


It was cold, but luckily I grabbed an old Nike pullover out of my fitness gear bin when we stopped at the storage unit last week. I love thumb holes on my long sleeves, but this top also has the built in mitten fold-over. I think this top at Macy's is the current version.

When I first started sprinting, I had no idea what I was doing (doing it for sports as a kid seems soooo long ago, ha!). In connection with today's Wednesday Word link up with Deb, I thought I'd share some technical tips for anyone interested in getting started.

1. Spend 5-10 minutes for warm-up: brisk walk, dynamic stretching
2. Pick your sprint measurement: time or distance
3. Start out around 50% your max speed to get a feel for it
4. Increase your speed after each sprint
5. Pay attention to your form (great tips here)
6. Allow enough rest time to catch your breath
7. Aim to complete 6-10 sprints your first time
8. Cool down by walking or jogging for a few minutes

Whether you are sprinting for an interval training workout or to increase your overall running pace, these techniques should help get you started.


I’m also linking up with Susie and Rachel and Debbie and Lora for the Running Coaches' Corner 



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15 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great workout!!! Are you going back to HK? Safe travels.

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    1. Thank you, not yet! More family time in MA and then off to see the middle child graduate from college (oh my!) in CO.

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  2. Sidewalk sprints sound like such an awesome workout!

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    1. Short and sweet - easy to fit in when your crunched for time. And can easily be thrown into the middle of a longer run!

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  3. A fun way to sneak in some sprint training for someone who hates sprint training :)

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    1. Exactly! Never was a fan of speed workouts at the track, but these I can manage. And for stronger runners, all you have to do is sprint longer (25, 30, 60!!) or do more sprints.

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  4. I love adding sprints into my workouts! We do them at my group fitness class at the beginning of some workouts and I feel like a beast!

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    1. Yes! Even when I'm gasping for air, I feel empowered by those short speed bursts. And I always love the feeling of being done, ha!

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  5. I haven't tried running sprints in a really long time, I'm glad you found some space to get in a great workout!

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    1. I like being outside, but not having the "everyone is watching what I'm doing" feeling. It really was perfect for that!

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  6. Those are great tips! Hope you're enjoying your time in the states!

    Thanks for linking up!

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  7. Great job thinking of a workout for your situation!
    I like doing sprints...they make me feel strong. I do them up and down my street.(I'm sure my neighbors think I'm crazy)

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    1. Haha! I've had that thought about myself ;) But I guess we're all a little crazy right?

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  8. These are really great tips! Especially starting out at 50% effort. Which isn't always easy!

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