How far should I run for sprint intervals?

Sprint intervals can certainly be customized to fit your overall goal and distance that that you are training for. I recommend setting an intensity, time and distance goal for your intervals and overall workout for the day. For example, If you have a track and your goal is to run a total of 3 miles you can sprint the straights (+/-100M) and recover on the turns. This would allow you to fit in 24 sprint intervals of equal distance. The intensity and speed is up to you. This is a great way to improve your overall pace.

Good luck with your training!

It's important to think about the energy system you are utilizing during the sprint and ask yourself, how long does it take to recover so that my body has sufficient ATP to power me effectively through the next sprint.

Too, ask yourself, is it an all out short sprint utilizing all of my power? Or is it a sprint utilizing 90% of all my power.

It is difficult to determine how far you will run during the sprint, that is dependent upon the energy system being utilized, how efficient the energy system you are utilizing is and how fast you can sprint.

Hope this is helpful.

Hi Jared. Like other types of exercise, your sprint training should be used to mirror the purpose for which you are doing this type of training. I'm going to assume that you're doing this type of workout to prepare for a certain sport or physical activity, so taking a look at your typical 'work-to-rest ratio' for your sport will help you to answer your own question. Unless your sport incorporates fairly consistent sprints of a certain distance (say 40 yards), then I would conduct my sprint intervals for TIME instead of distance. By doing that, this would allow you to calibrate the duration of your work (i.e. sprint) and then the duration of your rest before running your next sprint. To my mind, this would be a more effective way to do your sprint or anaerobic training if your intention is to prepare for competition.

I hope that this helps.

LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
larue.cook@lecfitness.com

Entirely dependent upon your goals. You probably shouldn't be able to maintain the kick for longer than 1 minute though. And 1 full minute is a LONG time to uphold a true sprint, like, expert level skill.

/Agree for above posts, but you can do intervals for much longer. Its all on what you have trained your body to withstand.

In training for marathons or triathlons, may people simply go for distance and neglect strength/speed training. A favorite of mine is ladder runs. Jog for 2 min, sprint for 2, 3 jog, 3 sprint, up to as much as you can withstand (usually 5-8) then ladder back down.

You get the speed and constitution. Its about getting your body used to the fatigued state.

Jared, it really is about what you are trying to attain. You have to think about the time of the run and the effect it is having on your body/energy systems. If you do a 10-15sec sprint at top speed you are using your body's powerful energy molecule in Creatine and you will be developing your TYPE 2 muscle fibers. These are explosive and larger than TYPE 1 slow twitch fibers. You are even developing muscle with this short of a sprint. I would typically go with a work to rest ratio of 1:3 or 4. So, 15sec sprint/45 sec walking. This is also the best way to burn high amounts of calories. Your body really can not be at full speed in a sprint for more than about 10-15 secs. After that period you are burning carbs and are going for more endurance.

Chris Baietto, CSCS, ACE