Getting in Shape

Sprints

FI says sprints are an amazing work out.  I started doing them and I like it because it makes me push myslf which usually I have a hard time doing.  Just wondering if anyone else does sprints and what has been your results with them.  Any info is appreciated :)

Re: Sprints

  • GiaspoGiaspo member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment Combo Breaker
    edited July 2012
    I started doing speed workouts when I trained for my last marathon.  It honestly made me faster and I cut over 30 minutes from my finish time. 

    I just started up again this week by doing 4 sets of 800 meters with a 400 jog in between.  I'll eventually work up to 3-4 sets of a mile distance with an 800 jog in between.  I do speed workouts once a week. I think they help for whatever distance you run.  

    There are a lot of great runners on this board and I'm sure they will have good advice.  GL! 
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  • Sprint workouts are amazing! When I was in high school (which feels like ages ago!) my basketball team did this thing called indian sprints (or indian line). A group of about 20 players would line up and jog around a field or court, and the last person at the back of the line would have to sprint to the front. After about 20 minutes, it got pretty tiring, considering how long the line was! But definitely pushes you to run faster when you're tired.
  • edited July 2012
    What exactly do you mean by "sprints"? And what do you mean by "amazing work out"? What are your goals? Are you a runner looking to get faster? Are you trying to lose weight?

    I've done a lot of speed work in my time, everything from 100 meter sprints to 6 mile tempo runs. If you mean true sprinting (running as fast as you possibly can with good form) there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

    One, sprinting is anaerobic. Your body can only maintain anaerobic activity for 30-60 seconds at a time. After that, you switch over to your aerobic system. There is no point in running at a full out sprint for much more than 30 seconds.

    Two, sprinting can help your aerobic system, even if it's an anaerobic activity. A sports medicine doctor I've seen had me start doing sprints after she diagnosed an "aerobic power deficit" based on my tendency to crash at the ends of long races. I couldn't believe how much it helped.

    Three, to be effective, you have to let yourself recover fully between each sprint. For me, that means 100 meters of sprinting is followed by 300 meters of almost painfully slow jogging. By the time you start your next sprint, your heart rate should be back down in the "easy" zone.

    Four, it's not a workout you should do every day. I wouldn't even recommend more than once per week; variety is good. Do one "short, hard, fast" workout (like sprints) and then some longer workouts (tempo runs, mile repeats, whatever) that work a different system.

    This got a little long, sorry!
  • shaina925shaina925 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited July 2012
    I am not a runner, I am doing sprints as part of my work out.  I do kettlebells 3-5 times per week and on a day where I do not do kettlebells I will do a lite jog/walk and then sprints.  I don't go too crazy with it, I usually do ten of them and I am not sure of the distance but it is nothing too crazy.  I very lightly jog back to the beginning after each sprint.
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