THE SHORT
On making what now seems to be her regular, almost three-yearly rounds, I’ve been struck down by the injury fairy again. This time with a suspected meniscus tear and an expected 4-6 week layup.
Forced leave from jujitsu aside, the one thing I’ll really miss exercise-wise— and had only just got back to full programming after being sick in late January— is the best of the bunch.
Hill Sprints
Our not unfounded fears of power exercises generally are only more so when it comes to sprinting. However, that fear likely stems from availability bias. By comparison to other movements, running fast— or trying- is the most common and therefore most likely to injure us if we’re not suitably prepared, or approaching it in the right, graduated fashion.
You try to make your train. Or jump into a casual game of indoor football. Or—unlike throwing or jumping—any of a dozen everyday reasons you suddenly try to run fast. And not surprisingly, it goes sideways.
So, if the long list of reasons why you need to incorporate power training, including sprints, into your regular regime doesn’t cut it— and it should— then consider both that this is the one you’ll be calling on the most. And is also the first, and the most basic self-defence.
Run.
But just like everything else we’ve covered, apply common sense and smart progressions, and you’ll offset any unreasonable risk
All the same caveats apply, but I won’t belabour them here.
First, the hill is not to make things harder but to both reduce the impact of the foot strike and make it more difficult, although not impossible, to overstride, putting your hamstrings at risk.
Both pointers to good sprinting technique— run on the balls of your feet and with your feet underneath you, not reaching out in front with a heel strike. Correspondingly, when you’re trying to go faster, don’t lengthen your stride but increase your cadence instead. You can do that simply by pumping your arms faster— your feet will follow.
Remember, you only have to worry about trying to move fast, not necessarily being fast, but here, in either case, only put in about 80-90% effort. Not only to offer some insurance to really busting a gut, but, in fact, the best cue for speed where relaxation is key.
As far as technique goes, you want to put in a helluva lot (80-90%) effort while making it look effortless. Smooth and fluid. Like a cheetah. No flapping about—pure efficiency.
And definitely no pain face. You want your brain to think that everything is absolutely under control at all times, so never any pain-face.
And that’s a lot to think about. So forget all that and sprint quietly.
And what happens when you can’t do that?
Nothing happens then because you’ve stopped before that.
Right. So there are countless ways you might approach these to best elicit various combinations of power vs speed vs conditioning, and all the combinations thereof, but this is a good, safe way to get a bit of everything.
Find a hill that—like the exercises last week— is in the effort v speed sweet spot. Not too steep, you want to be able to sprint, but still, definitely, a hill.
Starting slow and building up the pace, run up it a couple of times, for 10-20 secs, walking back down.
Then rest until you’re good to go.
From a rolling start —meaning over the first 0-10m you walk—jog—run—sprint like you stole something for ‘as long as the getting is good’— as long as you’re moving powerfully.
So you are not sprinting for distance or time, but only for as long (or short) as you feel like you are sprinting well.
Again, you are looking to yourself, not time, distance or any other marker.
Walk back down to recover, rest as much as you need, and don’t go again until you feel ready.
For power training, if you still feel as if you have your best sprint of the day to come, go again. If you don’t, wrap it up.
Or, for conditioning, continue as above as long as you can ensure technique despite fatigue. Again, stop before things get ropey. If you don’t know what that means, err on the side of caution until you do.
Over time, as you get stronger, fitter, and more powerful, you’ll build up a bigger body of sprints.
e.g. from:
1,2,3,4; to
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Where bold means working up to best effort (nos. 3 and 6, respectively) and the remainder are still with good technique. Noting that both the number and sprint distance will increase.
Once a week is enough, and I wouldn’t bother doing more than 10, no matter how good I felt. If I could do more, it suggests I should have gone longer or quicker in the earlier ones.
But, if you’re you’re starting from scratch, you might stay at around 50% for a couple of weeks, let your body guide you. Get familiar.
Now, you could do these on a treadmill, I guess, but why would you?
When you know what you’re doing, and have built up gradually, sensibly, over time, and you can truly sprint for full effect, wait for a rainy day— with extra points for thunder and lightning. Put on some suitably motivating music — Faith No More and Tool have driven me up more hills than I can remember— and get up a hill. Fast. And do it again. And again.
And that will suck.
But it will also sell —because this is what your body was built to do
Excepting the music, these are all things that primal you—in the same model body you have now— would have recognised. And will recognise.
Simple. Effective.
You’re out in the elements and operating right on the edge of your potential. In our climate-controlled lives of drudgery, that is as rare as it is satisfying.
We have to make the most of inclement weather, certainly, but again, by comparison to alternatives like surfing, hiking or hunting, this is far more user-friendly. You can find a decent hill —ideally in a park— and knock out a set of hill sprints in 15 minutes.
So don’t sell yourself short. Sprinting can be done safely. And you can enjoy all the benefits —including feeling like a million bucks— even if you're not 'fast'. As well as getting you super fit, strong, and conditioned, it’s a mood-booster, stress-buster, slate-cleaner extraordinaire.
But with a busted meniscus, I must resort to mood-boosting methods of a different kind. And boy, do they have their work cut out for them. So luckily, it’s time for…
THE SWEET
Mum's Anzac Biscuits
Preheat oven to 180C.
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour(sifted)
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup shredded coconut.
125g butter,
2 Tablespoons treacle (or golden syrup)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda(sifted)
Mix all dry ingredients except soda in a large bowl.
Melt butter & treacle in small saucepan, stir in baking soda - it will foam up - and stir well to combine evenly.
Pour this into a well in the dry ingredients and blend with a spoon
Place desertspoonfulls about 5cm apart on baking paper-lined trays, at least 2 trays. The mixture will spread all on its own— no need to press or flatten.
Bake about 15 - 20 mins, swapping shelves if cooking unevenly.
(I let the edges burn ever so slightly, giving a charred, chewy goodness)
Cool 5 mins on trays, then on wire racks.
Store in airtight container.
Enjoy dipped in a cuppa or, my favourite, crumbled over ice cream.
____
Lest we forget.
- OLI