The joy of running is seldom achieved through long hours on a treadmill tucked away in the back of a gym. Outdoor wind sprinting is a much better alternative. A short, intense workout consisting almost entirely of wind sprints can improve endurance, strength, and muscle tone in less than half the time typically devoted to a run on the dreaded treadmill. Following is a detailed explanation of where to sprint, what you'll need, how to warm up, and how to get a full workout through sprinting.
Where to Sprint
The ideal location for sprinting is the beach. Sand provides enough give to reduce the stress on the knees caused from typical "pavement pounding." But sand also provides enough friction for a challenging run. For landlocked runners, a grassy field is a good option. If pavement is the only option, tarred asphalt is better than concrete, and for the stalwarts who insist on keeping sprinting at the local track, rubberized track is the best option. Most modern tracks are rubberized, however beach or grass are still preferable!
The Gear
This is the easy part. Sprinting requires no dumb bells, yoga mats, weight machines, or gym memberships. In other words the overhead is low. Believe it or not, the ideal sprint would be performed barefoot allowing for a wider range of the foot and leg muscles. However, running barefoot on city pavement may not be the safest idea. To remedy this, I suggest sprinting on grass or a beach if possible. And to protect your feet, try Vibram FiveFingers, a contour fitting soul which provides foot protection without movement restraint.
The Indigenous People Warm Up
This is a simple, full body warm up. Inspired by the primal man, this one stretch can be used to entirely stretch the body for sprint. Stand with legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Crouch into a squat position. Keep elbows and shoulders tucked inside the knees. Staying in the crouch position, bounce and rock the entire body, stretching the full range of leg muscles. Roughly one minute of this stretch should be enough to warm up for the sprints!
The Wind Sprint
The sprint requires roughly 150 meters of running space; if you're at the beach, make sure there aren't any children or sand castles in your way! Begin at a brisk jog. After about 10 strides, accelerate to a run. After 10 more strides of running, accelerate to a full speed sprint for a final 80-100 meters. Give yourself enough space at the end to slow back down to a jog, and then to a walk. Repeat the process six to eight times and the workout is finished! For a better illustrated example of sprinting and proper stretch technique, watch this wind sprint video.
