Running Workout 5: Sprints

Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor or physical therapist before starting any new workout routine. Following this workout is always at your own risk. Listen to your body during exercise, and stop immediately if you experience any discomfort or pain.

The Running Training Plan consists of 8 different workouts rotating between "sprint runs" and "endurance runs." For more info on the running training plan please see info here.

This workout takes about 24 min.

Interval timer app: Warm-up: 3 min, High: 3 min, Low: 3 min, Set: 3. Cool down 3 min.

Info: Start with the warm-up exercise below. Set the Interval Timer and turn it on and the Runkeeper app (or Strava) when you're done with your warm-up. Today's workout starts with a 2-minute running warm-up where you will start walking and gradually jogging so that you are ready for the first sprint after 3 minutes. The first sprint lasts 3 minutes! So make it a faster run than usual and a sprint you can keep up with for 3 minutes. It follows 3 minutes of slow tempo after that, in the form of walking and jogging until you are ready for the next sprint after 3 minutes. You do this 3 times. Then the "cool down" starts, which is a run down and lasts for 3 minutes. Cool down can be in the form of walking, jogging, or running.

Remember to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth during the sprints so you don't get your heart rate up too much. Finish with stretches. Record the time the exercise took and the distance; you can do it, for example, here in the comments.

If you do this exercise on a treadmill, remember to have some elevation, e.g. 0.5-1.5.

If you are more advanced, add a few extra sprints or a longer cool down after the sprints.

Warm up

1 round:

1. 5/5x swing leg back and forth, R then L

2. 5/5x standing hip circles, R then L

3. 20-30 sec standing hip stretch, R then L

4. 20x heel kicks

5. 20x standing alt leg raise / high knees

Running Workout of the Day

1. 3 min walk and jog

2. 3x3 min "fast run"/sprint, 3 min walk or jog

3. 3 min cool down

Stretches

1. 4/4x inner thigh + spinal stretch or 30 sec stretch for inner thigh

2. 8x windshield wipers

3. 30/30 sec glutes

4. 30 sec happy baby pose

5. 4/4x lying spinal stretch

6. 2x child pose stretch forward 

7. 20/20 sec quads

8. 20/20 sec hamstrings

Add any stretches you feel the need to.

Let me know in the comments how this workout was for you! And please share it with others so it can serve a greater purpose.