Running - Sprinting :.

Recommended Frequency and Duration :.

Frequency: 3 or more times every two to three days (frequency may be lowered if also performing endurance running on other days; should not be done on the same day or the day after a longer endurance run)
Duration: when beginning, 15 - 30 minute sessions are a good start with 10 - 15 minute breaks after a couple of sprints; can be increased as desired or as needed

Overview :.

Running has been split into two subtypes due to the difference in how the body must perform to excel at each type. The purpose of running - sprinting is, as the name suggests, to increase a Water Warriors ability to run faster at a moment's notice. This would ultimately allow a Water Warrior to attain a burst of speed if needed during the heat of combat.

For sprinting, it is best to run being watched by a friend along a clear, familiar, pre-determined course. If you are a beginner, you can start with running for 30 to 50 meters in a straight line (90 to 150 feet or about half an American football field or the full length of a soccer/football field). An alternative is to go to a common battle ground and pick two respectably distant points to run between. For sprinting exercises, one wants to push oneself to traverse one's selected route in as little time as possible. Optimally, one should have one's friend time how long it initially takes to run the chosen course, then strive to beat that time with each successive run. Sprinting, of course, should not be overdone, particularly if one has a known heart-condition or may suffer from the effects of asthma.

The Next Level :.

After one can run one's selected straight line course without needing to slow down, revisit the initial chosen running route, but this time, carry one's fully loaded water blaster along for the run. The added weight and change in one's center of gravity will up the difficulty of this exercise. It will also have one become more comfortable holding and moving with a water blaster under more strenuous conditions.

To further challenge oneself, one can then add in some hills and turns into one's route, perhaps extending it two-to-three fold. As this is not for endurance training, rather for sprinting, the overall course should not get too long. Longer than 300 meters (900 feet) is on the excessive side. However, by including hills, turns, and varying terrain, one can find a large number of ways to increase a course's level of difficulty such that simpler sprints will be much more manageable should the situation call for it.