Even though the ultimate goal is to go fast, it’s important to start slow. Photo / Mimi d'Autremont, The New York Times
Even though the ultimate goal is to go fast, it’s important to start slow. Photo / Mimi d'Autremont, The New York Times
When was the last time you sprinted?
I mean a full-blown, all-out, redline sprint.
For many of us, it’s been a while. Possibly even as far back as high school. In nearly every town in the United States, you can find a 5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon torun. But it’s far less likely that you’ll find an organised track meet to run a 100-, 200- or 400-metre dash (though they do exist).
One reason many adults avoid sprinting is that the thought of past injuries (or possible future ones) can be frightening. Another, of course, is that sprinting is hard, often leaving us doubled over gasping for air.
But hard is the idea. Sprinting puts an enormous amount of stress on our physical systems, which — when done safely — makes us stronger, more resilient and more fit.
Put simply, sprinting is running at or near your top speed. “It is one of the movements that gives the biggest bang for buck,” said Matt Sanderson, a director at fitness brand SOFLETE.
Sprinting helps build and maintain fast-twitch muscle fibres. Maintaining these fibres can help prevent slips and falls, which are the leading cause of injury among older people.
Because sprinting engages so many muscles, “it’s going to do a better job of helping maintain your muscle mass and avoid muscle loss as you age”, said Christopher Lundstrom, a lecturer in kinesiology at the University of Minnesota who studies sports and exercise science.
Several small studies also suggest that sprinting is even better at maintaining and building bone density than endurance running.
However, running flat-out should be undertaken only after a thorough warmup, regardless of your fitness level, as it can cause muscle pulls and strains as well as major injuries, like Achilles tears. If you have any concerns about injuries or health issues, talk with your doctor first.
Running flat-out should be undertaken only after a thorough warmup, regardless of your fitness level, as it can cause muscle pulls and strains as well as major injuries. Photo / Mimi d'Autremont, The New York Times
If you have a larger body and are concerned about stress on your joints or bones, Sanderson recommended starting with lower-impact exercises such as sled pushes to build up strength and develop conditioning before trying to sprint.
“Spend some time preparing your tissues,” he said. “Jumping rope, even jumping or bouncing in a swimming pool.”
Lastly, remember that “top speed” is a relative term. If you ran a 12-second 100-metre dash several decades ago, adjust your expectations. Every athlete is different, but here are a few general tips for sprinting safely.
Start slow
Even though the ultimate goal is to go fast, it’s important to start slow. Running a 100-metre dash right away is probably a bad idea.
“If you haven’t sprinted recently, maybe go and run slightly faster than you’re used to,” Lundstrom said. Then “a little bit harder, gradually getting up to a full sprint”.
Roll up the intensity
Experts also suggested “rolling sprints” during a standard jog to work into running at top speed. As you jog, pick a point to begin increasing the intensity of your running every 10 metres or so until you reach an effort where speaking would be hard. From there, decrease every 10 metres until you’re back to your regular jogging pace.
If you are not a jogger, you can do rolling sprints as a stand-alone workout, repeating each sprint a handful of times.
Set a baseline
Once you start sprinting, the first thing you should do is set a benchmark time over a certain distance. This is less about bragging rights and more about having a tool to structure later workouts.
Start with a distance between 40 and 60 metres long. Simply work into a sprint and note your best time.
Use your threshold
Once you have a benchmark time, use it to plan your workouts. One easy routine, Sanderson said, is to run repeated sprints at your chosen distance, trying to keep your efforts within a certain range of your benchmark time. He calls that range a “percentage threshold”.
Thresholds vary for each athlete, but for someone with a high fitness level, 5 per cent is good. Others may aim for 10 per cent.
If it takes you seven seconds to sprint 40 yards (36 metres), a 10 per cent threshold is 7.4 seconds. So keep repeating that sprint (with a few minutes of easy walking in between) until you run slower than about eight seconds, then stop your workout.
At first, the number of sprints that you can run may be low. But as you gain strength and speed, you’ll find that your ability to maintain speed will grow.
Stay off the local high school track — at first
While you may be tempted to lace up your old track spikes and head to your local high school, Sanderson recommended against starting on a rubberised surface, as the bouncy track could increase the chance for injury.
“Your performance will probably go up,” he said of running on a track. “But it’s asking more of your Achilles and your calf.”
He recommends starting sprint work on turf or natural grass. From there, you can graduate to the footpath and, finally, the rubberised track you may remember from high school.
