I hate running on a track of just about any sort, it’s simply mind numbing going in circles. When any amount of distance over a mile is involved I’d rather be on a trail or running on a predetermined course where the scenery (and elevation) changes. However standard running tracks which can be found at most high schools do serve a valuable purpose when it comes to fitness. The track, the football field it encompasses and the bleachers next to it all can be used to a prepper’s advantage in order to achieve that level of strength and conditioning which we should all be striving to achieve.
Tracks, fields and bleachers all have one huge advantage over the running trail you frequent in that almost any exercise you choose to complete can be measured and adjusted according to your level of fitness. You can run full laps, half laps, just the straights. You can use the lines on the football field to measure various sprint (or other exercises) distances and aisles/steps on the bleachers can most definitely be used in a quantitative manner. What’s all that really mean? Instead of running a lazy 3 to 4 miles through your neighborhood on sidewalks you can complete a stadium workout which will be much more effective, and you’ll probably have the urge to hurl (blow chunks, puke, vomit etc) like I do each time…which in my case means I’m pushing just hard enough to get where I need to be.
As I previously mentioned I see no issue with running long distance occasionally but there is something to be said for interval training. Short bursts of energy completed over and over again, I sweat more and breathe harder doing these type of events versus jogging 10 miles. If I had to complete an obstacle course, or run/jump/crawl through the woods to evade capture I’d rather be the guy who did interval workouts versus the guy who runs marathons every other month.
Yesterday’s workout went something like this, bear in mind it was around lunchtime and the heat/humidity was simply oppressive.
– Eight 400’s on the track. That’s 8 laps (each lap is 400 meters), run 1 lap at a decent pace and sprint a lap, repeat.
– Five 240’s on the football field. Start at the back of the end zone and sprint down to the back of the other end zone, touch the line and sprint back (240 yards total).
– Run one more 400.
– Bleacher workout. Every other step heading up, every step going down.
At the end of my session I was completely soaked but felt great. I can’t stress enough that I continued to drink LOTS of water throughout the workout, it simply would have been dangerous otherwise. My only mistake was going home, getting out the lawnmower and spending an hour cutting grass, I started to feel pretty faint. One bowl of Raisin Bran does certainly did not provide enough calories for a hard days work!
Stadium workouts can be a great addition to your routine, I try to incorporate them a couple times a week and always mix things up based on what I feel like doing that day. Keep things fun but challenging, and trust me nobody should be out there trying to set any world records. If you can’t sprint a whole lap, try doing just the corners or straights or maybe even 20 yards at a time on the football field. Make sure to drink lots of water, stretch, and listen to your body. Good luck!
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