Summer Running Bingo

Have you been running during the quarantine? In March, when all the gyms and studios closed in NYC, people flocked to the parks for a daily run, walk, or bike ride…

In Prospect Park in Brooklyn, the number of people going to the park to exercise each day increased by the thousands overnight. It was amazing to see the difference and it made total sense — parks were one of the only areas still open where people could workout.

If you’re anything like me, you’re craving lightness and flexibility (and even moments of play) in your running and exercise routines now more than ever. Also, with races canceled and group runs feeling risky, I’m looking for other ways to keep up with running.

With that in mind, here’s a light-hearted summer running bingo sheet that I adapted from a project I worked on last summer. Feel free to print it off and make adjustments wherever you want to. For example, do a time-based ladder run in place of any run that doesn’t apply to you, like a stroller run, treadmill run, or a run with a four-legged friend.

Time-Based Ladder Workout

1. Warm-up with 10 – 15 minutes of easy jogging or alternating jogging and walking, followed by stretching and a set of strides to get your legs used to moving at a faster pace.
2. Run 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 minute repetitions at your 5K race pace (or a moderate to hard-effort pace), jogging for half the time of the preceding repetition for recovery between intervals. I.e., After the 1-minute interval, jog for 30 seconds, and after the 2-minute interval, jog for a minute, and so on, until you’re done with each repetition. Feel free to walk between repeats, if needed.
3. Cool down with 10 minutes of easy jogging or walking.

Have fun! xx

PS. Here’s a PDF of the running bingo sheet and how to start a running routine.