Sprint

When I run, I like to think about a real world scenario when I might need to run for survival. I can only think of a few situations where I might need to run more than a mile. Maybe there is an accident and nobody's cell phone works so someone needs to run for help. Maybe the Persian army is coming and you need to warn Athens. Maybe I'm really hungry, my car won't start, my Uber app won't open and the nearest food is really far away.

We rarely need to run anywhere. Most of the running we do is for exercise and fun. A long run can be a scenic experience, especially if you are running a new route. But running miles on end at a steady pace is like cruising around town in second gear; low RPMs. 

Sprinting, on the other hand, puts your motor in the red. The high burst of energy required for a sprint boosts your metabolism (burns fat) and makes you faster.   

You don't need any equipment to get sprinting. Football fields, tracks, parks, alleyways, and quiet streets offer everything you need to get your sprint on.  

Here are a few ways to organize your sprint workouts for max effect.  You can mix and match any of these ideas to fit your needs. You can also add in other exercises to make a sprint circuit (e.g. sprints, situps and pushups).

-Flying starts. These are a good way to start a sprint workout.  First,  mark a starting line,  a halfway point and a finish line.  Start your drill at the starting line (duh) and run with the goal of hitting your top speed at the halfway mark, then sprint at top speed through the finish line.  This drill is meant to increase your top speed.  I do 4-6 reps.  

-Find a loop between 100 and 1000 yards.  Run that loop as fast as you can.  Rest between laps as necessary.  I aim for 3-6 laps,  depending on the distance. 

-On a 100 yard stretch (football field is perfect), sprint 10 yards and then walk back to the start.  Then sprint 20 yards and walk back.  Keep doing this (aka adding 10 yards, then walking back to the start) all the way to 100 yards.

-Pick a stretch of grass/pavement and mark off 40 yards. Sprint the 40 yards as fast as you can and record your time. Rest until you fully catch your breath, then repeat, trying to hit the same time each sprint. I do 8-10 sprints, depending on how I feel. 

Whenever you sprint,  listen to your body.  If you are dizzy or your hamstring feels weird,  don't keep sprinting.  Sit down,  stretch and take a drink.  I've backed out of sprint workouts during the warm up because my quads felt really tight from squats a few days prior. Live to sprint another day. 

Adding sprints to your workout tool box is a cheap, simple way to burn fat and get faster.  And, as a bonus, you can rest easier at night knowing you will most likely be able to outrun your friends in the zombie apocalypse.