Getting into shape

[lukethedrifter]

Sports med is a scam as well. People don't want to pay their internist or obgyn anything but they'll pay a sports ortho whatever their asking. It's the new plastic surgery.


Try to find an orthodontist to tell you know don't need braces.

[Freed Roger]

Well about all of our health care system is a scam when it comes down to it.

If you really want to experience being scammed, try one of those independent urgent cares -like they have in strip malls. My elder kid takes herself there for feeling sick and they misdiagnose, do X-rays prescribe a bunch of antibiotics and meds whether needed or not. When she gets to a real doc they switch that all up. Then try to figure out their billing, with insurance.

Some of this issue is the public at large. PT urgent care are geared towards hypochondriacs and lazy people that want a magic pill.,than a person that wants to be actively involved and informed in their own situation.

Was talking to an ER doc who is fairly new at it. He was telling me he gets rated by patients, and if he doesn't dole out drugs, his ratings go down.

[jim]

I think Chiropractory is a complete scam. I don't believe for one second that stuff works. I know many many say it does, and I don't doubt it provides temporary relief, but if I want temp relief I'm getting a massage.

Here is another - get a "free" 2 minute massage at an outdoor art fair or whatever and then find that place to tell you you don't have some misallignment or whatever that a series of appointments won't snap back into perfect place. Scam scam scam.

[jim]

Tempo runs suck ass. Wednesday is my tempo run day, my son told me about this training tool and I read about it and I have incorporated it in. I don't do it even close to what he does, I can't imagine these 5 mile tempo runs he does. Since I'm training for a 1 mile run and I'm shooting for sub-7, I'm doing a 1.5 mile tempo run with a 7:20 pace. He tells me I should be doing at least 2 miles, but oh well that ain't happening.

You want to take your last bit at "race pace", so for me that would :52 1/8ths. I was able to do the last lap in :52, and mostly did the first 11 1/8ths in :55. The first one I was :54, and I had a couple where I slipped to :56, but otherwise right at :55. 10:58 was my 1.5 mile time. I really should try to be shooting for "race pace the last 1/4 mile, but that's a b-..

Anyway just a little training tidbit I learned recently. Not fun but I see the effectiveness.

[Freed Roger]

It is good to mix it up, run distances and effort levels - they develop different energy systems and efficiencies.

does he also having you doing distances shorter than the mile, at slightly faster rate than your mile goal? That really helps dial-in.

Ten to twelve by 200M (or 1/8ths) at ~50s each (better than 7min pace). Your break between these intervals should be about equal time ~50s -mostly recovered but not all the way. If you need a longer break to hit the split goal time -in this case take it -since the goal is developing familiarity with speed and the coordination to run that fast. focus on staying smooth relaxed and in control while going fast.

I try to do the local running store's weekly track workout series each summer - 6 lanes of pain. a bunch of intervals and times trials. gets me going, and understanding some of the method to the madness. That first couple of fast intervals, I'm a bit panicked that I can't sustain this for however many more intervals are on the agenda. But then I settle in.

The group thing helps -usually being humbled by cute gals. The old fast guy that breaths like he is in labor is annoying and motivates me to lose him.

I'm doing a speedwork program on my own now and its a [expletive] to get out the door. I keep tabs on the splits on my watch -the whole deal. Even though the races I'm shooting for are much longer/slower - developing some relative speed keeps that energy system awake. Week 2 of the program (last night 6 X 800M at slightly better than my 10k race pace)

There's a reason runners (myself included) try to avoid some of the shorter distances (mile, 5k). It's because it's a painful [expletive]. But you come out of it feeling more like an athlete.

[jim]

Yes to the shorter intervals. Again - I am NOT a runner. NOT AT ALL. Never have, never will be, and I don't like it. He keeps giving me plans that are unreasonable, and I take from them the idea and then come up with something on my own. Monday is my short interval day, which is 4 x 1/4 mile intervals that I try to do in 1:40. I jog easy for 1/4 mile between each. Friday is 1 mile time trial, and Saturday is a 3.5-4 mile run with my wife at a 9:00 pace. Tue/Thurs I do an indoor bike routine, and Friday in addition to the time trial I do a spin class with my wife.

So 4 days running, 3 days on a bike. That's my cardio. Never run more than 4 miles, and most of my days are 2 miles or less of high intensity.

The interval training is no doubt helping. I'm actually shocked at the time I'll taking off of my mile.

[Freed Roger]

sounds about right - and smart to take what you can from PaintItRed's advice (that intuitive approach). You simply can't do it all.

I doubt anybody can do all the things you are supposed to do for running:
speed work, long runs, tempo runs, hills, cross training-strength,-form running exercises, 8 hours sleep, eat right, core work and stabilizing, etc etc etc

All the while maintaining balance in your life - staying relaxed and happy! meh -something has to give. Which is why it's best (for me at least) to not completely follow someone else's deal

With the neck thing, I miss not doing much with weights. I'm kind of a plodder and not a natural at running - so Strength is probably my strength as a runner. Seems like late in a race, as long as my lungs are there -can power thru at the end better than the typical old runner.

[jim]

6:54 mile. I'm amazing myself. At my age I didn't think I could improve anything ever, and here I am taking :10 seconds a week off of my mile time. I have a feeling I'm going to hit that plateau very soon. My track is 1/8 mile, so I tend to break my times up in that interval. First 1/8 I flew - :41 or something like that and that included almost hitting a little old lady who lost her balance and unexpectedly started to fall - and yes I mean fall - into my lane. I had to jump in the air and lean out to avoid her, and then also had to give a peek back to make sure she didn't completely fall down. I was worried that was too fast and kind of throttled back, but ended up with a :48 second lap. So I'm way ahead of pace, I settled into some slower laps, and then had a 1/4 of a mile left and picked it up again.

Originally I had no goal, then I had a sub-7 goal, then I had a 6:55 goal. Now I have no goals, I'll just see how far I can go with it.

I weighed in at 197.5. My pullups are at 0, and will remain at 0. I'm just now feeling like there is some real healing going on in my neck and I'm not going to mess with that.

[Freed Roger]

That's hauling. Especially without other peeps running with you.

[cardinalkarp]

Jesus H. Christ, if you want to get a barometer of how out of shape you might be try to play a game of full court basketball (and it wasn't even regulation size, although we were playing 3 on 3). I was huffing and puffing after a few times back and forth down the court.

We switched it to 1/2 court after the first game and while it helped, I was still gassed after playing for a few minutes straight since we didn't have any subs.

Nothing like jumping right into the fire.