Rolf Devinci

On a sunny Victoria Day holiday I decided to commence the 2015 sprinting season. Since I did not bike commute this winter and spent most of the ball hockey season in nets the legs feel atrophied and weak. Upper body remained strong as did my core due to weight training this winter so it is time to get the legs up to speed.....pardon the pun. I prefer barefoot sprinting as it feels natural, forces me to run on the forefoot and just feels so good on the soft cool grass. Until the fields get groomed and manicured wearing sprinting cleats is a great alternative. Extremely light they are hardly noticable. Why do I sprint? Not only is all about intensity/recovery but sprinting builds strength and muscle. It is an intense full body workout. Google a marathon runner's image then google a track sprinter. Enough said. Sprinting is also far easier on my body...I tried the running thing....plodding along in heel striking misery. Some people are gazelles and run well- I am n...

Is here! We finally got through a miserably wet and cold Spring and were awarded a hot sunny June weekend. Perfect time to begin my barefoot sprinting. Not only does it feel natural but it offers a kick ass workout in a short period of time. I find it so much easier on my body as well in comparison to going for those long slogging  runs. Its all about intensity over distance in my books! The freshly cut grass felt amazing on the feet.My apologies for the fish belly white legs although there is some colour from yesterdays bike ride. Started out with some track drills after pacing off about 50 yards and doing a sweep for obstacles like rocks or dog poop. Ran six 50 yard dashes then a set of  Tabata style sprints(20 second sprints/10 second recovery X 8). Finished up with some core work and stretching. Felt real good to be back on the grass(wink).

It has been a real cornicopia of activities this July weekend. The weather has been hot and sunny - ideal weather for getting out and being active. It is all about moving the body. It began with some barefoot sprinting after work on Friday to usher in two days of leisure. Saturday morning I participated in the BPCC club ride. Headed out to Fall River in a moderately paced group but then jumped into a faster squad out to Laurie Park and back to Bedford. Legs responded well considering I was feeling the Friday night sprints in the quads. Good solid pacelining in both groups made for a fun morning on the bike. I was hoping to get back on the bike for a Sunday morning cycle but both club associated rides were of a longer distance(100+km) with one also being at a faster tempo. Since I had a ECBHL playoff game at 8PM I figured it was wise to conserve a little for ball hockey. The summer season had been a tight knit affair but we were facing the ...

After hundreds of bike conmutes home pass a junior high school soccer field it occurred to me this past week that I was missing out on an opportunity to incorporate some barefoot sprints into my day. Not only was I warmed up from the bike ride up the hills of Fairview but the field offered the perfect venue during the summer months. It was rarely used now that the kids were off on summer break but was still maintained by the municipality over the summer. With little use but frequent mowing it was perfect for barefoot running. After some basic track drills to prepare the legs I do six - 30 yard sprints followed by six 60 yard sprints. If the legs are feeling good I'll mix in a couple 100 yard sprints just for the challenge or a set of Tabata sprints. Back on the bike and home within minutes with the rest of the evening to myself........priceless! Why sprint? This is why..... http://rolfdevinci.blogspot.ca/2012/07/why-sprint.html Why run baref...

Definite benefits by adding some sprints to your workout. It is about the easiest exercise to accomplish; quick, effective and cheap. All you really need is a pair of shoes and a flat surface. If you opt to run on grass or sand you don`t even need footware. The ultimate minimalist workout. Why do it though? For what end?       Reduce Fat and Build Muscle - The HGH Connection "Sprinting naturally increases human growth hormone. Human growth hormone increases muscle mass, thickens and adds flexibility to the skin,enhances the immune system, promotes weight loss through fat redistribution and loss, and increases stamina" http://health-fitness-solutions.blogspot.ca/2007/05/dont-just-run-sprint.html       Bang For Your Aerobic Buck - Work Harder Not Longer "Evidence shows that short, high intensity sprint workouts improve aerobic capacity and endurance in about half the time of traditional endurance exercise." ...

Last season I had bought a pair of mid distance sprinting cleats to facilitate my focus upon sprinting as opposed to distance running. Extremely light and very minimalist in design I actually adjusted to them quite well.It resulted in me becoming a mid foot striker as opposed to my usual plodding heel striking self while wearing "modern" runners. http://rolfdevinci.blogspot.com/2011/08/barefoot-sprinting.html Since I have been contemplating the return to duathlons for the 2012 season the issue of minimalist running has resurfaced of late. I have been doing some research and basically narrowed down my potential buy list to the Nike Free and Saucony Kinvara 2. In the process of evaluating these performance trainers as A - a bridge to true minimalist shoes and B - whether they would be capable duathlon shoes* it occurred to me that I should also evaluate my footware choices for ball hockey. (*Note - I went for a run this morning in my traditional runners an...

 If you have been following my blog you know that I have embraced sprinting over distance running as it gives me a time efficient yet challenging workout to supplement my cycling fitness while having less(repetitive) impact upon my body. Been doing some reading about sprint drills and proper technique when I stumbled upon the current schism within the running world; shod versus barefoot. Insert somewhere within that spectrum the latest thing - minimalist shoes that mimic barefoot but offer some protection and coverage. I have been somewhat familiar with the concept of barefoot running due to the fact it has become popular within the paleo/primal/ancestral nutrition camps but being a cyclist I never really paid much attention. That changed somewhat since adopting sprinting as a crosstraining tool. Being a heel striker I found it interesting that the vast majority of runners are as well and the (resulting) debate over whether modern shoes(geared to prevent ...