About two months ago I started working out again. I started to run a 3 mile course with a friend. After a few runs we upped it to five miles. I did it but the third time out I strained my knee and had to rest for several weeks. I hate getting old - turned 31 in Jan.
After my knee healed I started running again about a month ago. This time I decided to workout from home and run a single mile. Keep in mind this mile has two massive hills to climb - the last of which is a 1/4 mile - its a royal pain in the ass.
When I ran it the first time it took me nearly 10 minutes. A few days later I ran it again much harder and did 8:59. Afterwards I felt like I was going to die. No s***, it took me 25 minutes to recover. The following day I spoke to my boss (an avid runner) and he said 9 minutes was extremely slow - hill or no hill. I argued that I was still out of shape but could easily break 8 minutes on a track. He didnt think it was possible. A few days later we put my prediction to the test and I ran a 7:42 - I dogged it the last quarter because I knew I had 8 minute mark in the bag.
Over the last 3 weeks I have improved my time and aerobic capacity. Thursday I ran the hilly mile again and tried to break 8 minutes. Sure enough I was able to do it in exactly 8 minutes. I had to push myself incredibly hard that last 1/4. Ive never felt pain like that in all my life - it was complete hell. It took 30 minutes to recovery. During recovery I noticed an unusual sensation - I could clearly hear my pulse in my ear. It was odd. I felt like I was ready to have a stroke. Should I back off? Should I see a doctor? Im fairly healthy person but it was a bit scary. My family has a long history of heart disease but I keep thinking that Im only 31 and should be fine. Then again I wonder if Im pushing myself too hard and should take a more measured approach.
No pain no gain or ease up?
Workout question...
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"My family has a long history of heart disease but I keep thinking that Im only 31 and should be fine. Then again I wonder if Im pushing myself too hard and should take a more measured approach.
No pain no gain or ease up?"
I think you are pushing yourself to hard. I suffer from high blood pressure, and have had the pulse in the ear sensation. Due to your family history and age I would strongly suggest you see a Doctor. It may or may not indicate a serious problem, but you need to find out.
As far as cardio exercise I push myself while realizing I am no longer training for atheletics, but for health benefits. My advice would be to exercise in a way that allows you to be consistant, because pushing too hard leads to burn out. I really am a strong believer that the best exercise regimine to follow is one you can do without dreading it.
No pain no gain or ease up?"
I think you are pushing yourself to hard. I suffer from high blood pressure, and have had the pulse in the ear sensation. Due to your family history and age I would strongly suggest you see a Doctor. It may or may not indicate a serious problem, but you need to find out.
As far as cardio exercise I push myself while realizing I am no longer training for atheletics, but for health benefits. My advice would be to exercise in a way that allows you to be consistant, because pushing too hard leads to burn out. I really am a strong believer that the best exercise regimine to follow is one you can do without dreading it.
This isn't to put a scare in you, but I think you should definitely see a doctor JUST because of the fact that you're getting into an exercise routine again. Besides, at 31 it's probably not bad to get a physical anyway.
Now, I used to get that all the time when I ran for speed. In my Marine Corps days I was a sub 18 minute 3 miler and after running my physical fitness tests I'd get that same sensation you're talking about. It would sound like my heart was beating through my ear drums.
Personally I think it's from nothing more than the fact that you're really pushing yourself. I'm no expert though and could be completely wrong.
I run about 40 miles a week now and don't get that anymore. However, I'm running at a much slower pace so even though it's longer runs it's not nearly as high intensive.
Now, I used to get that all the time when I ran for speed. In my Marine Corps days I was a sub 18 minute 3 miler and after running my physical fitness tests I'd get that same sensation you're talking about. It would sound like my heart was beating through my ear drums.
Personally I think it's from nothing more than the fact that you're really pushing yourself. I'm no expert though and could be completely wrong.
I run about 40 miles a week now and don't get that anymore. However, I'm running at a much slower pace so even though it's longer runs it's not nearly as high intensive.
Last edited by Boom on Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
First off, for the first 3-4 months of running, don't worry about pushing it. Your body takes a beating from running and you should slowly increase the distance and pace. For comparison, I cycle 10,000+ miles a year and have an incredible aerobic engine. I had to give up running due to a foot injury in the spring, but I'll be starting it back up in a few months. Starting from a mile and slowly building up from there. It takes time for the muscle, ligaments, etc to get used to running. I can handle the running aerobically but the physical side needs help.
By focusing on just distance and not speed at this point, you'll build up your aerobic engine. There's absolutely no reason it should take you 30 minutes to recover from a mile long sprint. That tells me you're out of shape still. You'll notice a gradual increase in your speed just from increasing the distance.
One way of getting a feel on your fitness is how quickly your heart rate drops. If you were to sprint and get your heart rate way high (you have to be supra threshold - breathing hard like a mutha), you have to stop on a dime and see how many beats you slow down in 1 and 2 minutes. If you only drop 0-20 beats in the first minute, you haven't built the heart up. FWIW, I can drop 50-60 beats after a hard cycling/running effort in the first minute. I can drop 5-15 beats just going around a turn (no pedaling for 2-5 seconds).
My problem is the opposite of yours. My heart rate, while naturally low (mother's is in the mid to upper 40s and doesn't exercise at all) is even lower with exercise. It's a real pain trying to fall asleep at times with my heart thump, thump, thumping away in the mid to upper 30s. I can see my chest move with each beat because of the high stroke volume. I also have to be careful not to get up from a chair too quickly. Who needs alcohol when I can get a buzz by standing up?
By focusing on just distance and not speed at this point, you'll build up your aerobic engine. There's absolutely no reason it should take you 30 minutes to recover from a mile long sprint. That tells me you're out of shape still. You'll notice a gradual increase in your speed just from increasing the distance.
One way of getting a feel on your fitness is how quickly your heart rate drops. If you were to sprint and get your heart rate way high (you have to be supra threshold - breathing hard like a mutha), you have to stop on a dime and see how many beats you slow down in 1 and 2 minutes. If you only drop 0-20 beats in the first minute, you haven't built the heart up. FWIW, I can drop 50-60 beats after a hard cycling/running effort in the first minute. I can drop 5-15 beats just going around a turn (no pedaling for 2-5 seconds).
My problem is the opposite of yours. My heart rate, while naturally low (mother's is in the mid to upper 40s and doesn't exercise at all) is even lower with exercise. It's a real pain trying to fall asleep at times with my heart thump, thump, thumping away in the mid to upper 30s. I can see my chest move with each beat because of the high stroke volume. I also have to be careful not to get up from a chair too quickly. Who needs alcohol when I can get a buzz by standing up?
You guys are probably right, I should see a doctor and probably back off a little. Still, its such a pain to make the time. Come to think of it I dont even have a doctor.
For what its worth I ran a mile at the local HS track and broke 7 minutes - a full minute better than the hill I run. Afterwards it took less than 5 minutes to recover. I figured the mile w/hills would be more difficult but I didnt think it would be that bad.
For what its worth I ran a mile at the local HS track and broke 7 minutes - a full minute better than the hill I run. Afterwards it took less than 5 minutes to recover. I figured the mile w/hills would be more difficult but I didnt think it would be that bad.
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pk500
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Eman:
You should see a doctor for a basic physical.
You also should change the focus of your workout regimen. Trying to run a mile at a faster clip every time is not going to get you fit. It's going to get you hurt.
I was a competitive distance runner in high school and college, and back then there was a popular form of training that we did, especially during the summer and on the days after races: LSD.
No, not that LSD! (L)ong (S)low (D)istance. You need to run longer, not faster, to build your aerobic base. You're obviously going anaerobic when you're pushing yourself on your mile run, entering oxygen debt and building significant lactic acid in your legs. That's causing the burn when you finish.
That's not wise at this point in your fitness routine. It's like building a large house on a foundation of sand or mud.
A base of aerobic capacity must be the first goal of any fitness regimen. Start slowly and GRADUALLY increase your distance and pace. You'll become much more fit going 4 or 5 miles at nine minutes per mile than 1 mile in seven minutes.
Once you build that aerobic base, then you can mix in workouts of hills or faster runs to build your anaerobic capacity. But you can't go fast until you can go slow and long as a distance runner. You need that base.
There's an old rule of thumb for those attempting their first marathon: If you can't complete a 20-mile run at your target pace for a marathon (26.2 miles) about three weeks before the marathon without being absolutely shattered, then you're not ready for the marathon, even if you can run a 10-miler at a pace faster than your target marathon pace.
One other tip: DO NOT SCRIMP ON SHOES. Buy good running shoes if you're serious about this. Don't run in basketball shoes. Don't run in cross-trainers. Don't run in $40 sporting-goods store specials. Do some research and get good shoes.
Spending 100-125 bones on a pair of running shoes is the only price you'll pay in running. It's not an expensive sport. But good shoes also can help prevent injury.
Good luck.
Take care,
PK
You should see a doctor for a basic physical.
You also should change the focus of your workout regimen. Trying to run a mile at a faster clip every time is not going to get you fit. It's going to get you hurt.
I was a competitive distance runner in high school and college, and back then there was a popular form of training that we did, especially during the summer and on the days after races: LSD.
No, not that LSD! (L)ong (S)low (D)istance. You need to run longer, not faster, to build your aerobic base. You're obviously going anaerobic when you're pushing yourself on your mile run, entering oxygen debt and building significant lactic acid in your legs. That's causing the burn when you finish.
That's not wise at this point in your fitness routine. It's like building a large house on a foundation of sand or mud.
A base of aerobic capacity must be the first goal of any fitness regimen. Start slowly and GRADUALLY increase your distance and pace. You'll become much more fit going 4 or 5 miles at nine minutes per mile than 1 mile in seven minutes.
Once you build that aerobic base, then you can mix in workouts of hills or faster runs to build your anaerobic capacity. But you can't go fast until you can go slow and long as a distance runner. You need that base.
There's an old rule of thumb for those attempting their first marathon: If you can't complete a 20-mile run at your target pace for a marathon (26.2 miles) about three weeks before the marathon without being absolutely shattered, then you're not ready for the marathon, even if you can run a 10-miler at a pace faster than your target marathon pace.
One other tip: DO NOT SCRIMP ON SHOES. Buy good running shoes if you're serious about this. Don't run in basketball shoes. Don't run in cross-trainers. Don't run in $40 sporting-goods store specials. Do some research and get good shoes.
Spending 100-125 bones on a pair of running shoes is the only price you'll pay in running. It's not an expensive sport. But good shoes also can help prevent injury.
Good luck.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
pk, I plan on doing more distance runs... back to the 3 and 5 mile stuff soon. Of course it seems logical (to me) that doing both short/fast + long/slow runs will yield the best results. Agree?
I just love this hill though - although it hurts it feels incredible when I finish. I would imagine that Im building muscle mass climbing these hills?
I just love this hill though - although it hurts it feels incredible when I finish. I would imagine that Im building muscle mass climbing these hills?
Eman- You should still try to take the hills a bit slower if you can. I trail run a lot and try to keep my heart rate within normal range.
Like PK said, the lactic acid buildup is detremental. I don't think muscle will build as strongly (in the long run) if it's not done gradually.
You are right though about mixing it up a bit (short, long, etc...)...Will make for a nice workout.
Like PK said, the lactic acid buildup is detremental. I don't think muscle will build as strongly (in the long run) if it's not done gradually.
You are right though about mixing it up a bit (short, long, etc...)...Will make for a nice workout.
Depends on what you call "building muscle mass". The hill climbs are still an aerobic challenge, so it's not building a lot of muscle mass. Notice those marathoners? Not much muscle, is there? The reason they are fast is not muscles, but an incredible oxygen transport system and efficiency. Same goes for cyclists - the sprinters are nowhere to be found on the longer hills.eman wrote:pk, I plan on doing more distance runs... back to the 3 and 5 mile stuff soon. Of course it seems logical (to me) that doing both short/fast + long/slow runs will yield the best results. Agree?
I just love this hill though - although it hurts it feels incredible when I finish. I would imagine that Im building muscle mass climbing these hills?
By the way, LSD is not long SLOW distance, but long STEADY distance. A subtle difference, but the goal is not to run slow.
Pick yourself up a book by Jack Daniels. That will give you a lot of information. You'll have workouts based on pace that will stress different systems (aerobic, VO2, anaerobic), each of which contribute to making you a better and faster runner. And still, in these first few months, don't worry about short/fast runs. You'll get there eventually, and if you hold back a bit you'll be rewarded.
Once you do get the proper base in, blow the legs out with a plan. Don't worry about keeping the heart in a "normal range" just for the sake of keeping it in a normal range. Hell, what's normal? It depends on the goal of the workout. If you're doing LSD it's one HR, tempo is another, threshold yet another, and more intense VO2 or anerobic intervals yet one more range.
When you start to increase the pace a bit, what always worked for me was a fartlek style run. I'd run at a moderate pace and then for a period of time I'd pick up the tempo. Not quite VO2 but more threshold (VO2 will cause you to start panting within a few minutes and threshold is a hair below that). The first workout I'd do that for 50 paces and recover 50, repeat. Next time out I'd do 75 on, 75 off. I'd keep building from there an increase the work period and shorten the rest period. Eventually you're able to string together a longer run at a faster clip.
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pk500
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James:F308GTB wrote:By the way, LSD is not long SLOW distance, but long STEADY distance. A subtle difference, but the goal is not to run slow.
Not to get into a semantic slicing match, but when Joe Henderson created the concept of LSD in the 60s and 70s, it was long, slow distance. That's why we used it during recovery days and also during the summer to build base.
http://www.joehenderson.com/lsdbook/205.html
Maybe the term has changed since then, but to this 41-year-old geezer who ran during era that Henderson, Amby Burfoot, George Sheehan and Jim Fixx were major influences, the S in LSD was slow.
We supplemented LSD during the summer with interval workouts, fartlek, tempo distance, hill workouts and occasional road races.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
Yes you old fart. Times have changed. "Modern" thinking is that "long slow distance" does great at making you, well, slow. There's not much benefit to that. If you're going to do recovery, keep it light and short. If you want to build base, it's better to build it at tempo/threshold since those zones build the aerobic base more.pk500 wrote:Maybe the term has changed since then, but to this 41-year-old geezer who ran during era that Henderson, Amby Burfoot, George Sheehan and Jim Fixx were major influences, the S in LSD was slow.F308GTB wrote:By the way, LSD is not long SLOW distance, but long STEADY distance. A subtle difference, but the goal is not to run slow.
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pk500
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Interesting.
Granted, LSD when I ran was eight to 10 miles at 7:15 or so per mile instead of our usual training pace of 6:45 or so per mile. We weren't going out and doing 10 miles in 90 minutes!
Take care,
PK
Granted, LSD when I ran was eight to 10 miles at 7:15 or so per mile instead of our usual training pace of 6:45 or so per mile. We weren't going out and doing 10 miles in 90 minutes!
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
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TheMightyPuck
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For an interesting perspective on aerobics read the "What is Fitness" pdf on www.crossfit.com. http://www.crossfit.com/cf-download/CFJ-trial.pdf
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pk500
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I still say that in eman's case or in the case of anyone who is starting a fitness regimen, that longer, slower runs are more beneficial to building base and aerobic capacity than trying to run 1 mile at a faster pace every day. That's a ticket to injury.
Plus it's absolutely silly for us to mention terms like "aerobic," "anaerobic," "fartlek" and "VO2" to someone who is just starting a fitness regimen.
Instead, try this: Start at a comfortable distance and pace. Do that for a week, with a day or two off to allow recovery. The next week, increase the distance and pace slightly. Take only one day off if you're feeling good. Rinse, wash, repeat for the next few weeks. You'll find your fitness growing.
Take care,
PK
Plus it's absolutely silly for us to mention terms like "aerobic," "anaerobic," "fartlek" and "VO2" to someone who is just starting a fitness regimen.
Instead, try this: Start at a comfortable distance and pace. Do that for a week, with a day or two off to allow recovery. The next week, increase the distance and pace slightly. Take only one day off if you're feeling good. Rinse, wash, repeat for the next few weeks. You'll find your fitness growing.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425