running question.

[gally]

would anyone say it would be a bad thing to do road work early morning and late evening, occasionally im tryna improve vo2 max for a month before i start sprints ready for next season. I dont mean doing this every day just a couple a times a week, any thoughts?

[Scrap]

Gally do it when it suites a good base for improving your base V02 is Fhartleck running you can do it to gauge your fitness levels with a heartrate monitor, and its fun.

[gally]

cool cheers scrap i really enjoy running and it seems to destress me and i only run about 4 miles ata time so not gonna loose to much fast twitch, Scrap when starting sprints what sorta distance splits would you reccomend? and any other info on them wou;ld be quality cheers

[Scrap]

gally if you know the system of fhartleck forgot how to spell the thing its walk jog sprint. If youre doing it on the road do the lamp posts walk a lamp jog the next and sprint the last. The recovery is the walk the fitter you become the faster you walk done properly its a great way to get fit. then try just to jog then sprint alternatly using the lamp posts.

[gally]

nice 1 scrap cc theres alot of good hills and cross country near me so gonna throw a bit of that in the mix aswell.

[Sharla]

I know what you mean about the destressing thing - I love running but overdid it and am temporarily out with a knee injury. Sounds like you'll be fine though with the kms you run and on varying terrain. I overdid the kms on hard roads - silly!

Scraps right but can also do the fartleck as a jog, run or a slow run, fast run. Don't have to walk. You can taylor it to suit your current fitness levels and goals.

Distance runners wouldn't walk at all but it all depends on what you're aiming to get out of it. If you do walk don't do it so long you get cold or you'll hurt yourself/pull something starting the hard part with a sprint.

If you're doing hills I'd recommend warming up on flatish ground first aswell.

If you have some hills with only very gradual descent (not steep enough to need to use any muscles to resist foreward motion) you can do your fast parts down them. It is good overspeed training and will help make your legs faster.

[Sharla]

Ok This is one of my fav topics so have to give you a few more ideas

If you're doing 2 runs in one day the second is often better so save the second for the fast stuff and do 1st at moderate or easy pace. Might vary a bit with individuals but wouldn't do 2 had sessions in one day if you want to hold your speed.

One workout the Kenyans loved was simple warm up (bloody long for them but their pretty phenomenal) then when stretch and warm do the follwing for as long as you can do it well. I loved watching the guys run this one together because it's a war. Only the fittest make it through to the end.

Simple - 1 min hard, 1 min easy, then 2 mins at the same pace as the 1 min hard, 1 min easy and repeat however many times. The ideas was to push yourself hard for the first hard minute, then learn to push that hard for longer. You try to trick yourself into it basically. Then warm down and stretch.

Improving VO2 max normally involves some sprinting around a track too. Could do almost anything as long as you warm up properly 1st. One I like is 200 m repeats. Not too long or too short. do as many as you can well with set rest time in between - something like 1 or 2 mins but DON"T get cold before the next one!

Have fun!!! I'm jealous!

[Von Milash]

do all-out sprints as well. They increase endurance more than just long jogs alone.

[Scrap]

Dont run fast downhill

[hydroman19]

Hey Sharla, what kind of exercises have you been able to do with knee injuries? I really overdid it running last week and havent done any roadwork since.... havent even been skipping rope to keep off it. Doc called it iliotibial band syndrome. Ive been doing some light weight leg extensions to strengthen my knee aside from the heavybag at the gym, but do you have any other ideas?

[gally]

cc sharla nice 1 ill take all of this in, i did 2 runs the yesterday and woke up with a sore knee so 2 hard runs isnt a good idea.

[Scrap]

A good idea is to learn to run correctly and why youre doing it, the more you run the more maintainance you need. I work with a 16 yrar old 800 metre runner he runs 3 times a week he keeps doing pb every other week for fun his dad listens to what we are trying to acheive and understands, but keeps paying out on results to his son its costing him a small fortune. the kid never gets injured. I can see him beating the 1/30 barrier by 19 its all down to preperation of the body and not forgetting good technique.

[Von Milash]

cc sharla nice 1 ill take all of this in, i did 2 runs the yesterday and woke up with a sore knee so 2 hard runs isnt a good idea.

That sounds very serious. Have you considered getting a leg transplant? Or at least an amputation?

[gally]

ye von im booked ion already im gna try get a distance runners leg so it doesnt happen again, u funny fwocker.

[Sharla]

Yeah Gally I would pay attention to it if you feel any knee niggles. Maybe try to keep on grass and soft ground as much as possible too. Don't run until you're so tired you feel your feet slapping the ground without their ususal form - I made that mistake.

I ignored achy knees for a long time because they seemed to heal like the rest of me until one day one didn't!

Hydroman do you have access to a pool? Anything in water is good. In water is the only time I didn't feel disabled when my knee was freshly injured. If I tried to run or skip too I would just make it worse for myself. You are doing the right thing not skipping with it.

If it's ITB I'm sure your physio has told you to stretch your ITB a lot aswell. Cycling with LOW resistance, NOT pushing through heavy gears works well. In the boxing gym I do strange looking arm exercises and extra footwork to warm up since I can't skip. It takes longer though and for about 2 months after first hurting my knee even normal boxing footwork wasn't good.