There are many benefits to running. Weight loss, increased stamina, stress relief, building bone strength, and boosting confidence are all reasons to start running today. Different types of running can help you reach any fitness goal; but like any exercise, good technique is key to being a great runner.
It is essential to always focus on technique whether sprinting or running long distance. With every stride you take over the duration of your workout or competition, focus on perfecting your knee drive, arm movement, posture, and ankle dorsiflexion (meaning backward flexion or bending of the foot). With this mentality you will increase your awareness of your mechanics and improve your performance when running. That being said, don’t let your heightened awareness take over your mindset. It is vital to relax when you run. Being too tense can result in injury or poor performance.
Depending on their goals, runners require different types of training to meet their strength, speed and endurance needs; but someone looking to incorporate running into their exercise routine can benefit from both types of training. Aerobic and anaerobic training are both extremely important along with good technique. Aerobic training includes exercises that are sustained for 15 minutes or more at about 60-80% of your maximum heart rate or exertion level. These exercises allow for consistent oxygen consumption while performing the exercise. On the other hand, anaerobic training involves exercises that occur in short bursts that require maximum effort. Less oxygen is taken in during the exercise, so the rest and recovery time between intervals is important.
Sprinters need strength, explosive power, speed, and speed-endurance, which comes from anaerobic training. Weight training, speed, agility, interval training, and plyometric drills (like jumps in place and bounds) are all key anaerobic exercises for sprinters because they promote strength, speed and power. A good example of jumps in place would be doing a squat jump repeatedly, landing in the same spot. No rest is allowed between jumps. Skips, bounds, alternate-leg bounds, and lateral bounds are other plyometric drills that are exaggerated, almost gazelle like leaping movements that focus on building speed and power.
My recommendation to all sprinters would be to incorporate some level of hill workouts into your program because they help build all the essential elements of sprinting at the same time. My favorite hill workouts are sprints ranging from 40-200 yards, sprinting up the hill and walking back down to my starting point. The walk back serves as an active recovery rest period when I’m still moving, but I get a chance to catch my breath before sprinting again.
Doing broad jumps up a hill will help build explosive power as well. To do that, you’ll start at the bottom of the hill with both feet hip distance apart. Swing both arms back to propel yourself, and then jump forward, landing on both feet at the same time. You want to keep your hips and feet parallel as you do this. Do as many jumps as you need to until you reach the top of the hill. As you progress in your fitness level, try to decrease the number of jumps it takes to reach the top.
Uphill lunge walks are another great exercise to build strength and muscle endurance. When doing your lunge, you want to take an exaggerated step directly forward with one leg. Keep your torso upright throughout the whole exercise. Your trailing foot should remain in the starting position, but your knee should slightly flex until it 1 to 2 inches from the ground in a simultaneous motion while the lead hip and knee flex. Alternate legs as you go up the hill.
There are certain pieces of equipment that can help facilitate your training. One thing to consider investing in would be an active cords set. These sets feature different elastic cords used for resistance while running. Most sets come with at least 3 cords with different resistance levels and a non-slip hip belt to attach the cords. Some sets may also include an ankle strap for attaching cords and two handles, which can be used for arm and shoulder strengthening movements. Depending on the set, a strap to attach to a door or post may also be included. An active cords set will allow you to do different strength and explosive exercises at your leisure. No gym is required, and it’s easy to travel with, too.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, long-distance running requires muscular endurance, aerobic endurance, and of course good technique. Aerobic endurance allows for sustained oxygen flow throughout your body for the duration of the exercise. With this consistent flow of oxygen, you should be able to workout without wearing down so quickly. Although aerobic endurance training is not my forte, I’ve learned that repetition training is a great way to build the endurance required for distance running. Repetition training includes work intervals typically lasting between 30 and 90 seconds. Running 400 meters (one lap around a track) 4 times would be a good practice for repetition training. Since you will be expending more energy during this type of training, your work to rest ratio should be at about a 1:3, which means you rest for 3 times as long as it takes you to complete each lap. So if it takes 1:30 to run a lap, then you would rest for 4:30 before doing the next lap. With repetition training, you’re also working out at intensity greater than your maximal oxygen uptake, which means you’re training your body to better to take in and use oxygen. This type of training will help you improve your performance in the home stretch of your run and also improve overall running speed.
If you’re new to running, try starting with jogging for a minute then resting for 3 minutes and gradually increase the time you run, while decreasing your rest time as you feel more comfortable. If you’re interested in becoming a sprinter, simply start with practicing 40 100-yard sprints. Do 8-20 reps with adequate rest time to help you focus on your technique before working to improve your speed.