No longer can some military personnel rely solely on running at a moderate pace. Sprinting and agility are regularly tested as part of the ever-evolving fitness tests in the military. Many fitness tests include speed and agility in addition to endurance runs. You need a good workout to take to the track to develop speed and strategies for these shorter-but-faster events. Here is the track workout we did this week:
Make Sure You Warm Up
Whenever you plan to run fast, be diligent with your warmup. This may take 15 to 20 minutes of slow and steady cardio, dynamic stretches and a progressive process to build up to running faster.
Warmup jog, 1 mile (or 10 minutes on a bike or elliptical). This is to get your heart pumping and increase your body temperature. If you’re just waking up or have been sitting or standing still all day, you need to prepare yourself for what is to follow.
Toe touch and squat pyramid with 100-meter jogs in between. This is a way to progressively add reps and speed to your warmup. Do: one squat followed by one toe touch, then jog 100 meters. Do two squats/two toe touches, jog 100 meters. Continue up to 10 of each and start to increase speed from a jog to a faster run as you start to feel warmer. Some of the 100-meter jog can be 10 meters to 15 meters of dynamic stretches, such as butt-kickers, Frankenstein walk, bounding, leg swings or side-steps. Now, you should be warmed up.
Try the 100-100 Workout
In the 100-100 workout, you run fast for 100 meters then jog 100 meters back to the start. These can also be progressively faster in each set.
Repeat five to 10 times:
- Run 100 meters fast (drop every 20 meters and do a pushup)
- Jog 100 meters easy
Army Sprint-Drag-Carry
If you have the equipment, try adding kettlebell carries and a sled pull. If not, just do the runs back and forth for the following sets:
Repeat three times:
- 2 x 25 meters, fast
- 2 x 25 meters, kettlebell runs
- 2 x 25 meters, sled pull
- 2 x 25 meters, fast
Or Try the Beep Test
Run 20 meters back and forth to the sound of the beep. Search for “beep test” or “multistage fitness test” in your app store to find options for both Android and iOS.
30-Second Sprint Repeats
A tough 10-minute sprint workout is the 30-second-sprint, 1:30-walk protocol for five sets. Try 30 seconds of fast-as-you-can running followed by 1:30 of walking. Repeat that five times for a speed-building workout that will also help you on the final kick of any timed endurance run event.
Stair Runs
Top off the track day by running bleachers or a flight of stairs for 10 minutes. Run up fast, walk down normally.
Wait, You’re Not Done Yet
The cooldown is important. The same care of warming up should be part of cooling down. After a hard run or speedwork on the track, a cooldown typically begins with 10 to 15 minutes of easy jogging or brisk walking, allowing your heart rate and breathing to return to normal safely. This light activity helps prevent the pooling of blood in your lower extremities and aids in flushing out metabolic waste products such as lactic acid, which can contribute to muscle soreness. Following the aerobic portion, runners often incorporate mobility/flexibility exercises that target major muscle groups used during running, such as the hamstrings, quadriceps, calves and hip flexors.
Gentle movements such as leg swings, walking lunges and ankle circles help restore flexibility, maintain range of motion and further decrease stiffness. Overall, a well structured cooldown routine not only promotes physical recovery but also supports long-term injury prevention and improved running performance.
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