Wind Sprints / Sprint Training

Sprint training is a great exercise for overall fitness and can be an alternative to weight training for legs when one is travelling and does not have easy access to a gym.  Most high school and college tracks are normally not open to the public so the likely substitue would be a soccer or softball field or any open space at a local park.  If you live near the beach or a lake, a morning wind sprint routine just off the shoreline could work as well.  While high school football players often train for a 40 yard dash, sprint traning should be a minimum of 60 meters and up to 100 meters depending on one's conditioning.  In the winter months an indoor track at a local gym or basketball court might be the only alternative (running in 30 degree weather is no fun!) though sprint distances would be much shorter.  It is likely that after the first few sprints, fatigue will set in so I will normally shorten the distance about 10 to 15 meters mid-routine.  Perform eight to twelve sprints depending on conditioning and the distance being run (after a proper warmup).  If you are training for conditioning as well, the rest period between sprints could be shortened somewhat.  Just keep in mind that if the rest period is too short, that the subsequent run won't be a true sprint but more of a fast jog.  The intense training benefit of wind sprints should not be compromised.  I often finish with a reverse sprint though this needs to be done with extreme caution and only with an open area and no obstacles which could result in injury.  Also take care to observe the running surface before beginning as holes, rocks and slippery surfaces can result in injury.  Note that sprint athletes will often use kinetic bands as part of their workout routine (note video below).