Getting into shape

[lukethedrifter]

I don't like donuts.

[Fat_Bulldog]

I wrecked my back at the Y Friday night playing pickleball.

It happened on the first play and as everyone was almost 20 years older than me, I regretfully finished the game. I can hardly move, breathe or walk. It has gotten a little better since Friday night. I have no idea how I'm going to make it through the work day today or this week.

[jim]

Ouch. Back injuries pretty much mean you can't do anything. Pull a hammy, you can do some upper body stuff. Pull a schneck muscle like I'm dealing with, you can do cardio and what I found today bicep/tricep work and also some chest work. Most injuries you can do something and work around it. Throw your back out, and that's pretty much game over.

Hope you are back on your feet soon. Pickle ball is a blast, they are starting that up at our gym. Used to play that alot in college.

[cardsfansince82]

What is pickleball? There's a bar opening by me that's based around it.

[jim]

A tennis/ping pong/badmitton hybrid type game.

[Fat_Bulldog]

baseball : wiffleball

tennis : pickleball

[Freed Roger]

the cold weather sure doesn't help with this injury stuff.

[Freed Roger]

I need to jack up my core workouts. Any good ideas there?

This might jack up your core workouts. Heyy-o0o0!

[Jocephus]

did i walk into the porno thread?!?

[Freed Roger]

Hey freed - you must be a runner if you are doing 7 miles. How can a guy that runs 1-2 x per week (3-4miles) improve his mile time. I'm thinking I should continue to do the 1-2 runs at 3-4 miles, but maybe add a couple of interval training sessions. I don't run consecutive days very often because of old age, but I'm thinking M/W/F doing some intervals and a Saturday 4 mile run?

Any ideas on the types of intervals to do?

Admittedly, I've never really trained for a mile race, and it shows (I can barely crack a 6min mile -and could not do one today) The Macklind Mile here always falls at a bad time for me.

though every summer I try to participate in the local running store's group track interval workout program - which helps at all distances -but is geared at getting a 5k PR. I like it and feel like an athlete when I'm on that program. this is one part of running where the group aspect and someone knowledgeable around helps - keep you honest on your break times and pacing. If you do spinning, you know what I mean about the group aspect for this.

Sounds like you have the right idea. A weekend long run to develop distance energy efficiencies. for these, instead of running a specific distance, just shoot for length of time to run - like 50 minutes or so.

Probably can keep interval workout to twice per week though, though people that run 5 times a week, may just do one as speed workout. The things you are developing here are coordination with turnover of the feet, and efficiencies of form. I dare say it is more about conditioning your brain (muscle memory) to accept moving faster than you feel comfortable, than physically changing your body.

Definitely do a 15-20 minute warmup jog prior to interval work. Paintitred can give you some form drills to use as part of warm up - like high knees, butt-kicks, grapevines, powerskips. And strides - a set of 4 - 80 yard sprints - with focusing on good form the entirety. Drills are not supposed be about speed - just form.

As far as the intervals themselves - link I have above would work even though 5K with maybe an emphasis on the shorter. You could probably find a good one online. So, maybe workout #1 8 x 400M with a 400m recovery - run your fast intervals at 5k race pace to start out (until you get hang of it, this is why the group thing helps - what the hell is my 5K race pace over 400M?) The key to these interval workouts is to maintain that same pace for speed 400M interval #1 as interval #8.

Week 2, do something different. Like a ladder - run 1200M at 5K race pace, then 800m at 5K pace, then 400M at a mile pace, then 200M balls to the wall. the break between is at most a jog of the same distance you went fast at - this depends on workout goal, but you typically want to start the next hard rep with almost, but not quite normal heart rate.

And definitely do a mile time trial - just to get past it mentally. A coach I read points out how a newbie will do a race and tank it. Then 2 weeks later do it again - will improve dramatically. Nothing dramatically happens physically in two weeks to make that change. it is mostly in the head.

A word on running form. There's a lot of lit and talk out there on this -heel strike etc. I think this for the pros mostly to stress out over, not us. Mainly, just stay balanced relaxed and in control. You'll just find your form eventually. If I focus on anything, it's on not overstriding - don't waste energy flailing arms. and at any distance start slow until you feel the smooth.

I preach, but don't practice the above nearly enough. making time to do it. in gearing up for a trail-something I do in May, I'll hopefully do a weekly track workout program. If I hope to ever be competitive - improving my top-end speed will raise my ceiling. Running on an outside track on winter nights is a [expletive] too.