Donovan Rebbechi wrote in message ...
Quoted message said:Tony said:Actually the volume on the bike might not help the
running muscles
exactly,
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:but it does allow one to spend more time building aerobic
endurance and
leg
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:strength that comes in handy for trail running. Also,
intervals done
hard
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:on the bike can crossover to running with alot less wear
and tear on the body - I've done this in years past and
amazed some of my orienteering friends.
Right, I'm sure it has some benefit, but not as much as
running. Given the choice between cycling and nothing,
cycling is a better choice, but given the choice between
running and cycling, running is better.
Especially with intervals, specificity makes a huge
difference. You might
want
Quoted message said:to consider doing strides -- these specifically address
running economy
(which
Quoted message said:is the main factor you're missing with the x-training)
True specificity is important.
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:I can train more than twice as much as with running
alone, as I know my body will break down if I try to do
the same volume with only running. The main thing is I
also love cycling.
You'll probably find that you can also get more volume in
if you use
shorter
Quoted message said:runs. It's much easier to do two runs of 40 minutes
duration than it is to
do
Quoted message said:a single 80 minute run.
A reasonable target would be 3-4x40minutes + 1x90 minutes,
that's a total
of
Quoted message said:210-250 minutes (adjust this depending on your milage
goals). Both of these numbers give you two days or more off
per week.
I'd agree that with this sort of volume, you'd still
benefit from
x-training.
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:I think the the extended warm-up and cool-down has helped
me to remain injury free. I have no proof of this. I've
read in a few books about
the
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:importance of warm-up, especially for older athletes -
I'm 41. The
For all this "I'm old and vulnerable" stuff, you're doing
ultras, and
you're
Quoted message said:only 41. You may be "older" than 25, but you're not even
close to old.
I don't consider myself old, but I'm built like a tank
(sprinter or wrestler type), and I'm always tight. While
warming up every time I run is probably not necessary,
there are some days when its very beneficial. You say you
also run the first mile of your runs somewhat slower as a
type of warm-up. Anyway each person knows what they need. I
gather from what you've said that you don't believe in warm-
ups or cool-downs. They're a pain sometimes, but I think
they help prevent injury and help both the running
metabolism and the recovery.
Another reason to warm up is that the body's metabolic
processes of course start to operate in a different way
once you start moving. it takes up to 10 mins for the fat-
burning aerobic system to fully activate when exercising.
Before that the glucose aerobic system becomes active after
about 2 mins of exercise. If you start running too fast
right away, the body won't settle into a healthy mix of
buring both fats and glucose for fuel; it will rely more on
glucose. While this might not interest middle-distance
runners, anyone training for a marathon and beyond wants to
enhance their body's fat buring ability. The kind of warm-
up you do (or lack thereof) can affect your metabolism
throughout your run.
With cool-down there is a similar metabolic transition, and
by slowing down at the end you allow your body to begin to
recover. It helps clear acidity out of the muscles and also
allows the body to transition slowly to a normal metabolism.
This aids in stretching, about which there is much debate;
but I've found it to be helpful for me to do several
different types of static stretches of a few minutes each.
- Tony
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:cool-down allows the body's metabolism to adjust its
state in a similar
way
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:to warm-up and helps to clear acidic build-up. I always
feel bettter
since
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:I've started doing this (3rd year).
Ultimately it's up to you -- find the balance that allows
you to get in workouts frequently, but also gives you a
positive experience.
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi pegasus.rutgers.edu~elflordOpen ↗