Marking a Short Exercise Course on a Footpath.
The 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test is also excellent. Even if you can’t run. Mark out the course on a footpath near your home. Get the app called Tabata, or any interval timer should do, from Google Play, and put it on your phone.
Before you begin
You need a Test Pot of water based exterior paint, I suggest yellow.
A small paint brush 20mm wide would be enough, a single use $2.00 brush would be fine.
Two small screwdrivers, or 15mm lengths of stiff wire. A 20 meter length of string, with a loop at each end (To put the screwdriver blade through.)
A knot 3 meters from each loop. I also marked mine with a red cable tie.
Some chalk to make temporary marks.
Ideally, we are going to mark out 300 meters, but one section of 100 meters will be marked every 20 meters. This description assumes that is the middle section, but it need not be.
Choose a start point. Make a chalk mark. (The next mark is 100 meters away, 5 times the 20 meter string, or you may be able borrow a measuring wheel.) Make a 100 meter mark.
Now on the edge of the path insert the screwdriver through the loop, measure 20 meters inserting the second screwdriver. Mark 20 meters, put 3 dots at 17 meters, and at three meters. Remove the first screwdriver walk 40 meters insert the screwdriver through to loop. Mark 40 meters mark three dots where the knots are. Remove the screwdriver at 20 meters. Proceed in this way for 100 meters. You might choose to call these marks A, B, C, D, E, and F.
The next mark is 100 meters on, 300 meters from the beginning.
Get your paint pot and make permanent marks. Short lines of about 15 cm are enough, and the series of three dots 3 meters from each mark are placed in the section that's marked every 20 meters.
How to use the marked path
You can use Tabata to time a six minute walk, 6 times 1 minute. Ideally the full measured 300 meters and return. The number of meters you can walk in 6 minutes is a rough score of your fitness, that your doctor or personal trainer will understand.
You can use Tabata to time walking or running in the intensely marked section. Set it up to work for 30 seconds and rest for 15 seconds. Work, at 30 seconds stop, walk to the next mark, change direction, complete the 15 second rest, then go back for 30 seconds, walk to the next mark turn; after the 15 second rest, repeat until tired.
If you look-up 30-15 IFT on Google Play, you'll find an app, that includes a timer, that tells your how fast you are running. 8km a min.- 8.5km a min.- 9km a min.- 9.5km a min.- 10km a min. - 10.5km a min; faster and faster. If you can't get to the three dots before the mark, that's about your limit for today.
