Sprint!

-
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 not one of them. I suffer to run distance and it wreaks havoc on my back and neck.

Sprinting is a time efficient workout.....no need to spend hours on the run....30 minutes running sprints with some core work and box/rock/bench jumps and you are golden.


Bench jump



 
It will kick your backside, crank the metabolism and compliment your other sporting activities. If new to sprinting check out online tutorials on You Tube offering advice on warm-up and technique. Start modestly and focus upon good form.


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2009 Halifax Criterium - Race Update

-
Image
Awake at 4:30AM I was at the venue real early so it gave me the chance to check out the course. The city had patched and paved the rough sections so it was in excellent shape. The weather had finally cooperated with a warm sunny day as well. It was shaping up to be a great racing day! I was adamant I would not volunteer this year but focus solely on the race. At the last hour,heeding the call,I said I would help sweep the course prior to the first race at 9AM. Somehow I ended up doing the whole loop myself and, thankfully, it was relatively debris free for the most part. I got back to registration around 9AM and placed my race numbers on my jersey. On the way to put the race number on my bike DM,in full racing kit, asked why I was not ready. Seems the Master B/C race started at 9:30AM.I was under the assumption it began at 10AM. Holy Hanna! KT got my bike number on the top tube while I geared up at a record pace. Not the way to prepare for a 40 minute plus two lap criteriu
Read more

Celesta - The Archer's Helmet

-
Image
Finally got around to purchasing an archer specific helmet to add to my medieval kit. I prefer the bascinet which better fits the historical time frame of my gear but opted to purchase the celesta simply due to availability and price. Known as the archer's helmet it was a simpler variant of the sallet that was preva!ent in the15th century and used through out Europe. Archer's were typically the poor cousins of the medieval battlefield in terms of pay and armor but their lot had improved by the 1400's. By the 15th century veteran archers and crossbowmen often had basic armor usually a mix of gambesons, mailes, coats of plate, jacks, brigadines, helmets and some plate. It could be a mixed bag of protection either inherited, scrounged from the battlefield, purchased or granted by the Lord's armouries. It was always a matter of balance between protection and mobility. Archers and crossbowmen were expected to join in melees during a battle but also needed to be
Read more

Scythian Bow - Flagella Dei

-
Image
After several years of interest I finally decided to purchase a Scythian style of horse bow from Flagella Dei Archery based in Hungary.    Opted for a yew laminated bow #42@28 so it was a custom build but worth the wait. Feather light and simply beautiful. Build quality is great and pictures just do not give justice to the eye candy quality of the lamination, tip reinforcements and quality leather handle wrap. Shipping was fast from Europe and bow was professionally boxed with bubble wrap and a nice bow sack. Included was a certificate of authentication complete with the bowyer's signature and warranty information. Needless to say I was anxious to get it outside and loose some arrows. The rain held off on Saturday so it was a perfect opportunity to get out under the green. I just love this bow. Not only is it lightweight with precious little hand shock but is amazingly silent as well. I was using bamboo and wooden arrows but the bamboo arrows definitely suited the bow better over t
Read more