How to start sprinting

So, you want to start sprinting? Whether you come from a running background or not, sprinting isn’t something you can just jump right into. It’s an intense form of exercise, and while the impact on your fitness can be immensely beneficial, it can also put you at greater risk for injury than distance running.

Here’s where to start.

Hit the gym

In sprints, power and explosiveness are critical. Aim to increase your time spent in the gym to three sessions a week, focusing on heavier weights and fewer repetitions. Squats, deadlifts, lunges, hip thrusts, step-ups and medicine ball throws are fundamental moves in sprinter weight training.

Include plyometrics (box jumps, depth jumps, broad jumps, bounds) in these sessions to boost your acceleration, co-ordination and general strength.

Add drills

Drills are important for distance runners–and they may be even more so for sprinters. Because sprint races are so short, every millisecond matters, making good form critical to performance. Dribbles, high knees and fast feet are basic drills that can improve your form.

Shorten your intervals

Incorporate more intervals into your running–but don’t just go from 5-km runs on the road to all-out 100m repeats. Try out some hard one-minute repeats during your runs or workouts, and give yourself plenty of time (about two minutes) to recover between reps.

Gradually shorten these repetitions and increase the effort; as you do so, use a work-to-rest ratio of 1:3 to 1:8, depending on your effort, until you feel well rested. This is important for maintaining intensity.

Focus on form

As you sprint, emphasize form as much as speed. Think: fast, relaxed and controlled. Start each rep easier and accelerate smoothly throughout.

• Keep your chest tall and facing forward, not twisting from side to side.
• Drive your elbows back, keeping your arms swinging by your side (not crossing over your chest).
• Drive your knees forward and up, aiming to get your feet off the ground as quickly as possible with each step.
• Hold your hands relaxed, with the tip of your thumb touching your fingertips.
• Keep your chin down and face relaxed.

Start on the hills

Compared to running on flat surfaces, hill sprints are easier on your knees. Running up a hill can help build strength, power and speed without leading to overstriding or overexertion.

Your first workout

Begin with a 10- to 15-minute warmup jog. Complete 6-8 sprints (3-4 x 45 seconds and 3-4 x 30 seconds) up an incline–the steeper, the more difficult. Lightly jog or briskly walk down the hill, ensuring you rest for two to three minutes between reps. Cool down with a 10- to 15-minute jog.

The don’ts of sprinting

• Don’t sprint at 100 per cent effort as you begin; aim for 90 per cent.
• Don’t sprint on uneven surfaces or pavement; aim for an even, grassy surface or a rubber track.
• Don’t skip your warmup! Distance runners are notorious for slacking on warmups, thinking they’ll continue to loosen up into the sessions; but with sprinting being so short and fast, you need to be 100 per cent warmed up before the reps begin.
• Don’t do more than two sprint sessions a week.
• Don’t sprint right after leg day.

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