The weather is changing (believe it IS getting better!). Swimsuit season is right around corner and it’s time to kick up our workouts a notch! Running is a great way to jumpstart your metabolism and shed a little body fat.
It’s key to ease into your running to avoid overuse injuries and enable consistency. My favorite way to get back into “running” shape is to begin with one sprint workout and one tempo run per week. Anymore than 2 days per week and you will find yourself on the sidelines with shin splints, fascia problems, or some other sort of injury. So play it smart and begin with two running days per week.
If you run every year consistently like I do then you can begin with 3 miles for a tempo run once per week and 10- 40-60 second sprints on the track (prob a 200 – 300 meter distance depending on how fast you are) OR if the weather stinks you can hit up a treadmill for the sprints. If you have not been running over the summer and fall last year; then I would being with a 1 mile tempo run and increase you distance .25 miles each week. Begin with 8-400 meter sprints for your track workouts to work on conditioning a bit more than speed as a beginner. I encourage you to run outside. You will burn more calories and train your muscles a little differently outside then you do on the treadmill. You are creating your own movement outside so therefore you incorporate the added resistance of the pavement or track instead of a belt moving for you. The posterior chain is more engaged outside. Running outdoors also has much better crossover for running performance in 5Ks and WODS.
Stretch immediately after running to avoid overuse injury and to progress running intensity and volume. Discipline yourself to stretch 15 minutes after EVERY run
My base running program (follow for 3 weeks and then advance to the next level). ***
These workouts would ideally be done 3 days apart: Wednesday and Saturday or Monday and Thursday.
TEMPO RUN: warm up 50% intensity for first 5 minutes
5-20 minutes- ramp up to 75% intensity
25-30 minutes- finish at 80-85% intensity
STRETCH 15 minutes afterward
Base Track Workout:
warm up 800 meter jog
Sprint 10-200 meter sprints (walk 200 meters; rest 2 minutes total between sprints)
STRETCH 15 minutes
