The fastest, hardest one mile you'll ever run

Today's workout was all about intervals. My friends at CrossFit suggested the following workout. It turned out to be the fastest, hardest one mile I've ever run.

After a full warmup (see below)
Sprint for 20 seconds
Then rest for 40 seconds
Repeat for a total of 15 sprints. Total workout takes 15 minutes.

Do this workout at a track and start each new sprint precisely where the last one left off. I carried a stopwatch in one hand and a playing card in the other. When the stop watch hit 20 seconds I dropped the playing card and then walked back to it during my recovery period so I knew where to start the next one.

That is a total of 5 minutes of running and 10 minutes of resting.

The challenge is to go all out during the sprints and then recover hard during the rest time.

Based on the results I saw posted online I set my goal for 1 mile total over the 15 sprints. I reached 1 mile and 20 yards.

Benefits of this workout
1) Intervals are a great way to optimize your cardio workouts. It improves your bodies ability to work at a high or even anaerobic heart rate and improves your ability to recover faster from intense efforts.
2) For distance runners, running at a faster pace rather than a steady slower pace will teach your body the mechanics needed to run faster and help you improve your distance times.
3) This workout can easily be used as a benchmark workout to see how your fitness has improved over time.

Remember, all fitness levels can do this workout. If you can't sprint then run, can't run then jog, can't jog then power walk, can't power walk then walk. Just go as intensely as you can within your fitness level.

Suggested Warmup
2 sets of:
15 body weight squats
25 jumping jacks
15 supermen
15 pushups
15 walking lunges
30 second plank

A must-read for parents of young athletes

This is a re-post of a Mike Boyle article. Mike Boyle is one of the world's leaders in developing workout programs for athletes including several NHL, MLB and Olympic athletes.

He received a question from someone about how to structure an off-season workout for a 9-year old hockey player. This is the response.

"Step 1- play another sport. Lacrosse is highly recommended as it has similar skills to hockey although baseball is fine. This does not mean another sport in addition to hockey. Summer is the off season.

Step 2- Cancel all hockey camp registrations except 1 week. Pick your favorite that has the largest number of your friends attending and go to that one. Ideally look for a camp that only has you on the ice once a day. No need to get blisters. You won’t get better in a week anyway.

Step 3- Cancel any summer hockey leagues you are scheduled for. The best players in the world never play summer hockey and, they never have.
The only conceivable exception would be a weekly skill session lasting one hour. Another exception would be "play". If ice is available and the kids can play, let them. Please remember play means NO COACHES or COACHING.

Step 4- Reread steps 1-3. Acknowledge that the key problem in youth sports is applying adult values to children’s activities.

Step 5- Go to the nearest bike shop. Get nice bikes for everyone in the family

Step 6- Ride the bikes, not in a race. For fun. Maybe put a few hockey cards in the spokes to make noise.

Step 7- Head to Walmart and buy fishing rods.

Step 8- Take the fishing rods to the nearest lake and fish.
Now That is an off-season plan for any nine year old.

Step 9- repeat steps 5-8 while continually rereading steps 1-3"

My comment......Finally a reasonable message to parents who are over training their kids at a young age. Children need true off-seasons and variety so that they physically develop into their bodies. Regular exercise including supervised weight lifting is encouraged but that is all part of a well rounded active lifestyle including bike riding and, gasp, fishing. Thank you Mike.

Be well,

Paul

Paul Dziewisz
Active Personal Fitness
www.ActivePersonalFitness.com
267.626.7478
"You give us the effort...we'll get you the results."