Day 51
One of the reasons why some people give up and some people keep with their exercise programmes is down to flexibility and variety. I’m not talking about stretching or anything such thing, I’m talking about being flexible with your workouts, and if you can’t do your scheduled workout, then do a variation of what you were aiming to do in the first instance.
For example, if you were planning to run for 30-40 minutes, and somehow you only had 10-15 minutes, and were still focused on great progress, I would rush over to the nearest most vicious looking hill, and hammer 6 sprints forwards, and 6 sprints backwards, each for a total of 30 yards of so. If you go flat out, you WILL get a great workout in!
Jean asked about interval training, should she do it? I think Jean already knows the answer, of course you should jean and show everyone what you can do! I always say that most people are only limited by their imagination when it comes to training variety.
Jean is talking about interval training, which could be described easily as jogging between one lamppost, then sprint the next post, then jog the next, then sprint the next one and so on. Now THIS is a workout that you will struggle to last more than 5 minutes each time, it is that intense!
Now we are starting to use our minds for our workouts, please don’t end up like some mindless zombie doing boring treadmill runs all the time, PLEASE, PLEASE vary it, not only because it brings great results doing different workouts, but freshens up your mind too!
One word of caution before doing ANY type of sprint work. In my experience, it is always advisable to do some kind of warm up before you sprint flat out, the always present threat of pulling a hamstring or groin never goes away, and the more weight you carry, the bigger danger there is. I’m not being prejudiced there, I’m just saying that I’ve done a million sprint sessions, and although you will get massive benefits from the session, the goal should also be not to get injured, in which case you probably wouldn’t run for a month at least!
The different ways of training are literally endless, and although you must still have a good structure in place, any type of workout is good as long as it’s safe and you’re capable of doing it. The more experienced you are, the more options you should have and as you should realise by now, it’s not simply a case of training for longer the fitter you are, that’s simply not true. It’s about doing “higher quality” training sessions in the time to suit you, and as long as you are improving physically, that’s a great sign surely you are doing all the right things.
Always stick to your fitness standards and we all have our benchmarks on how we are doing. Most people training with me may have a very tough hill as a benchmark, if they can do that consistently, they know they are in great shape. If you can do 40 press ups in one go, and your new limit is just 25, you know you have been slipping and you need to re-examine what you’re doing.
Being in shape physically and mentally can be easier than you think, as long as you know what your good standard in life is, and you try your best to stay there, even through the highs and lows that life often brings.
KERI, HI, if I run from the bridge to the beginning of the LINKS DIRT TRACK, is that enough of a warm up? or should I go to the benches by the PIER and do some stretches b4 I start the INTERVAL TRAINING?
i would warm up at least 10 mins before, and aim for 80% sprints and not 100%, you are doing so well you dont need any injuries, you are doing tremendously well, be careful and try and stay at this excellent level!
Ok, cheers Ke, will do. Let you know how I get on 2mo
TG for 40 mins at level 5 but highest level 6 for my leg work out and 25 done instead of 8/12.Legs were bloody wobbly for ages after 🙂 🙂 🙂
breakfast ReadyBrek and sliced banana/strawberries OJ to drink
snack some nuts
lunch chicken in a brown Bag water to drink
snack banana
dinner 5 veg and cod /parsely sauce water to drink……
i’ve had problems with the sprint stuff.I dont do running 1 cos of my achilles and 2 my back dont like it that much been yrs since i run anyway 🙂 but not a big fan on the bike either i try it coming back for say couple of hundred yards or so,but i think you answered this in posts gone by.I stay in 8th gear all the way now cos i’m used to it.So could i get the same effect of sprinting if i cycled for long in an even higher gear????? or is tit the sprint bit that does make the difference so you only get the desired affect by doing that only, not what i want to do?the higher gear part?????
really been on a downer this week dude. been hurting this week everyday i’ve worked out.To the point where i hurt my back really bad.I suffer anyway with my back but think in temper on Monday pushed to far and hurt the poxy thing.
Even attacked the biscuits yesterday well i had about 4/5 and felt guilty about it to!!!!!!!!! not bear/crisps pizza or anything major just what i had and had a bad guts after to.This mist i have from time to time just comes out of the blue and there’s no stopping it when it does just have to roll with it.
Your right about the tighting up but it aint nice if you eat to much though.Had poached egg on toast with some beans(cant rember the last time i had stuff like that) and my gutts didnt like it ant it was uncomfortable cos of the belly feeling tight.
Could’nt tell you when i last felt a tight belly?????
just have to grim and bear it for now.Thing is i’ve only got little changes has such but i dont want to lose what i got i want a hell of a lot more.Thats why i’ve upped my workouts.
Hi Cyril, u r in the wars mate. Sorry to hear ur having a bad time of it, you never complain, so you must b feeling really down. Been there, done that last week, but you know what, it doesn’t matter we all have bad days and the sun still comes up in the morning, and we still do what we know is right else we feel worse. But you should rest your back Cyril, or at least cut back on what you are doin, I have back probs too, the stepper does it for me. You should’nt be upping your workouts, no wonder you are having a miserable time of it, Keri always used to tell me LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, and I did this morning Ke, did a 10min warmup and started interval training, you were sooooo right about 5mins being enough and only 80%, I am so pleased you gave me that guideline, I did 5 sprints each one 30secs, then I slowed down for 30secs and so on 5 times, then I carried on to the country park, and yes I did get there faster, only when I started running back I could feel my right hamstring tightening up and painful so after 18mins I stopped and walked the rest of the way home. Have done the ICE thing and it seems ok now.
So my run lasted 39mins and the walk 10.30mins.
cyril can get straight back up, if you pardon the pun, and really get to a new level if he channels his energy 100% the right way!
you have done really well cyril, but your basck needs frozen peas on it each night, followed by a hot bath, repeat until better.
Your stomach cant take all the bad food anymore, and is not used to all the junk, it cant handle it!
You are probably craving good food now so keep it up and your chin up!
cyril
great to see the snacks going in more regularly
you are doing amazingly well jean, though it doesnt surprise me, once you got your mind focused and believing in yourself again, i knew you were on to a winner. Watch those tight hamstrings, can throw you out of training for 6 weeks easy!
Thanks for giving so much support for cyril too!
I took the dog 4 a walk teatime and my hanstring is still painful, like it is bruised, could feel it when I was trying to keep up with the dog. 2mo is cycling and hill work, do you think that will be ok, the hill work I mean, dont want to make it worse.
10.30 Breakfast after training, same old
2.30 shopping in Trostre made the mistake of having a pummet of grapes, 500gms, 300 cals what a waste, wont do that again, only consolation BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE
3.30 chicken salad sandwich 240cals
6.05 wholegrain rice, chicken with a huge salad
1,150 so far, will have something later if I get hungry, did you know that half a pint of skimmed milk with 2 scoops of protien and a banana, turns into one and a half pints, could’nt drink it all so gave it to the dog.
Cyril is our LITTLE MAN and deserves our support, he is trying really hard. And thank you Ke, seeing flashes of the old me, what can I do for the hamstring I know ice and heat, its not that bad yet and I dont want it to get any worse, I did take it easy like you told me to, I had done the hard work, it was on the way back when I was just jogging that I felt it. Feels like I’ve been kicked