A Boxer Tries Running

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  • wanderingarcher
    wanderingarcher Posts: 694 Member
    edited January 2019
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    Silent_Soliloquy wrote: »
    I appreciate the feedback ... I didn't consider 8 mph to be in the realm of speed work... more just, varying pace to keep other muscles activated, fight off monotony, etc.

    An hour is a really long time. Even half an hour is a huge mental test for me. The mental monotony is far more challenging than the muscular aspect as of now.

    We'll see when we get up to 5 or 6 miles in a few weeks ... I'll probably be whining like a baby.

    Yeah. This is why I go outside. It makes all the difference. And while I brave the low temps and ford icy streams barefoot, those conditions you mentioned would certainly force me to the treadmill. Wow.
  • robborunr
    robborunr Posts: 1 Member
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    Welcome to running sir! I started running about 5 years ago when I became a lump after stopping playing rugby. I would suggest go on time not pace or distance. The advice about singing is spot on. As you get fitter you will get faster. And think about signing up to a race, perhaps a 10k in a few months time, as I would imagine with your background in boxing having something to aim for will be a motivator.
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    @robborunr ...

    What started all of this is my friend asked me to do the hot chocolate 15k in indy on march 30th... so that's my goal.

    My "goal" is just to finish, but I think aiming for 100 minutes seems reasonable if my training goes well.

    Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned!
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    Silent_Soliloquy wrote: »
    Thank you, this is the kind of advice I need.

    I keep thinking if I'm not gasping I'm not making progress... but this is a totally different event ... and deserves a totally different training style

    Exactly. If you are huffing and puffing, that indicates that you are likely training above your lactate threshold. By definition, you will not be able to hold this pace for an hour. Lactic acid will build up in your muscles and you will hit a wall. This is not the type of training best suited for endurance racing. Running intervals like this is considered speed work and is usually only done one session per week. In fact, for most novice runners, this type of training is not even recommended. You are going to get the most bang for your buck by building your aerobic running base. As @TavistockToad said, slow and easy is the way to go. You are training your muscles to go through the motions of running while consuming as little oxygen as possible. Speed comes naturally as a result.

    I understand the boredom factor on the treadmill. I usually try to reserve the treadmill only for a speed workout like you were doing. You can do other things to help relieve the monotony, though. Try a short ladder workout where you up the pace by 0.1mph every 30 seconds over the range of 0.5mph and then back down. Or if you are watching TV go up for 0.5mph during the commercials and then back down. This way, you still get to alleviate the monotony of a constant pace, but without pushing yourself into that lactate threshold zone.

    Good luck with your training and your race!
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 693 Member
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    You have had lots of great advice already, I would definitely stick to the advised walk breaks. It is designed to gradually increase to avoid injury. I'm sure you're boxing fitness is great, but remember this is a different type of movement, so you need to build the stamina.

    I find the best thing for the boredom is podcasts or audio books. It helps distract me from the cold and makes the time go quicker.
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    That really helps to think ... I am not training myself for power output ... I'm training efficiency and low energy consumption.

    That helps me a lot to think of it this way... eye opening really

    So I can, in a way, be proud that "I didnt even get tired" on a nice even paced jog.
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    Plodded out another 5k on the treadmill today. Did 2 miles at 7 mph, walked a short stretch, then jogged 6.5 mph to finish 3 miles. Then walked the remainder for an even 500 calorie burn (3.3 mile).

    I practiced matching my cadence to the music... some songs were perfect, others were super awkward. I can definitely see the benefit to having the right playlist. Two songs were...like a ticking clock. It actually felt easier and encouraged me to lengthen my stride.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Silent_Soliloquy wrote: »
    Plodded out another 5k on the treadmill today. Did 2 miles at 7 mph, walked a short stretch, then jogged 6.5 mph to finish 3 miles. Then walked the remainder for an even 500 calorie burn (3.3 mile).

    I practiced matching my cadence to the music... some songs were perfect, others were super awkward. I can definitely see the benefit to having the right playlist. Two songs were...like a ticking clock. It actually felt easier and encouraged me to lengthen my stride.

    How often are you running? Is you plan 4 or 5 x a week?
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    I am following the Hal Hidgons 10 weeks to 10 miles plan (or 15K)...

    the general trend is:
    Monday: run
    Tuesday: cross train
    Wednesday: stretch and strength
    Thursday: run
    Friday: cross train
    Saturday: run + weights
    Sunday: rest.

    As of now i'm just doing 1 mile more than the plan calls for for all the runs. i seem to be in a a little bit better shape than he assumes for a "novice", but i know the program will get more difficult very soon.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Silent_Soliloquy wrote: »
    I am following the Hal Hidgons 10 weeks to 10 miles plan (or 15K)...

    the general trend is:
    Monday: run
    Tuesday: cross train
    Wednesday: stretch and strength
    Thursday: run
    Friday: cross train
    Saturday: run + weights
    Sunday: rest.

    As of now i'm just doing 1 mile more than the plan calls for for all the runs. i seem to be in a a little bit better shape than he assumes for a "novice", but i know the program will get more difficult very soon.

    if you think you know better than Hal, than go for it! personally my advice would be to stick to the plan.
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
    edited January 2019
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    It's not that I know better than him... it's that I'm not coming off the couch... even just a 5k is a huge step down from my normal workout routine.

    Hal's week 1 workouts are equivilent to my typical warmup routine. I'm sure in 3 or 4 weeks itll all balance out.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Silent_Soliloquy wrote: »
    It's not that I know better than him... it's that I'm not coming off the couch... even just a 5k is a huge step down from my normal workout routine.

    Hal's week 1 workouts are equivilent to my typical warmup routine. I'm sure in 3 or 4 weeks itll all balance out.

    so just start a week later?
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
    edited January 2019
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    ^^ right, I'm looking at the plan and realizing I'm just doing week 3 as week 1.

    I guess i was super intimidated at doing something new and different... I start literally every boxing session with 2 miles on the treadmill, so I was in a bit better shape than I gave myself initial credit for.

    I'm a still worried about maybe hurting a knee or something, but 5k doesn't seem to phase me; no soreness, easily repeatable.

    I'm leaning towards doing week 3 twice for my weeks 1 and 2, then just moving forward on the plan.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
    edited January 2019
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    Silent_Soliloquy wrote: »
    It's not that I know better than him... it's that I'm not coming off the couch... even just a 5k is a huge step down from my normal workout routine.

    Hal's week 1 workouts are equivilent to my typical warmup routine. I'm sure in 3 or 4 weeks itll all balance out.

    I think what you are failing to understand is that the plan is meant to be followed as it is written. The build up is designed to let your body adjust to the new stresses you are subjecting it to. Being in good shape is not the same as being an experienced runner. You use a completely different set of muscles boxing than you do running. Your cardio may be on point, but if you overtrain, you risk injury. Even runners who have done multiple races follow a structured, build-up training plan when preparing for a race.
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    @debrakgoogins I do see what you guys mean...

    ... I don't have ten weeks to train, (this whole challenge was a bit spur of the moment), so I was trying to accelerate the beginning a bit. I'll taper back to the planned amounts, which equates to repeating the week i just did and moving forward with the plan from there.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
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    Dude - as an athlete I'm sure that you already have a pretty good idea of your limits and if you're comfortable with your routine, stick with it. As long as you keep the concept of easy mileage (that is, slow and steady), and maintain a fairly reasonable build on your volume you'll be fine. You don't have to stick exactly to the plan as written.

    As a 40-something year old guy I've been playing sports and have kept relatively active my entire life. I jumped straight into running with 2 5Ks in my first week, three in the second week, and then kept adding distance from there. I experienced no ill effects from not taking walk breaks or increasing my mileage by more than 10% per week, etc. because I ran my mileage easy and was fine with backing off a few runs if I felt any nagging pains start to creep up. To be honest, I only started caring about my mileage adds once I hit 25 miles per week with the goal to build up to 40.

    The key for you will not be the absolute distance (as long as you keep your weekly builds relatively reasonable), it will be running slow enough that the distance you do run doesn't put a ton of stress on your body and that any stress you do feel builds gradually enough that you can easily back off your volume if needed.

    Basically, it's the normal stuff any athlete has to know...give yourself ample rest time, listen to your body for signs of cumulative stress, and don't force a workout through acute pain.
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    ^^ this very much reflects my feelings. But I dont want to be like "Oh, but I'm a former athlete, I wont get hurt!" And then be the laughing stock of the forum when I have to take a week off with crippling knee pain.

    And... I'm not 20 anymore by a long shot ... So I think this is a good place for due humbleness.

    And in these short runs, I have been focussing on forefoot strikes, and other good technique building drills...

    ... I just dont want to take it easy so far that i actually lose physical conditioning in the first month. So some level of balance is required.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    edited January 2019
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    You are right. Some level of balance is required. Finding that balance can be very tricky. I agree with @DX2JX2 that you do not have to stick to the plan as written. You need to push yourself to make gains, but only you truly know where that edge is. The key is figuring out where your limitations are before it's too late. It's a challenge that sometimes eludes even the most experienced athletes, so you definitely won't be a laughing stock. Just keep in mind that recovering from an injury is about as sucky as it gets, so if you are unsure if you are pushing to hard, it's better to error on the side of caution.

    ETA: I am a long time runner, but as I make my way into my upper forties, I am painfully more aware of my limitations than when I was younger. Recovery is tough. I am not currently dealing with an acute injury, but trying to figure out how to manage the nagging chronic aches and pains so that I can perform at my best, which, BTW, is not as good as it used to be. It is a constant battle and always still a guessing game to some extent.
  • FL_Hiker
    FL_Hiker Posts: 919 Member
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    Silent_Soliloquy wrote: »
    ^^ this very much reflects my feelings. But I dont want to be like "Oh, but I'm a former athlete, I wont get hurt!" And then be the laughing stock of the forum when I have to take a week off with crippling knee pain.

    And... I'm not 20 anymore by a long shot ... So I think this is a good place for due humbleness.

    And in these short runs, I have been focussing on forefoot strikes, and other good technique building drills...

    ... I just dont want to take it easy so far that i actually lose physical conditioning in the first month. So some level of balance is required.

    Uh huh that was me lol. I followed a Hal Higdons marathon plan, thought I was a hot shot because I was a competitive swimmer on an Olympic team for 12 years... pushed harder than I should have, sprinted runs I shouldn’t have, didn’t listen to good advice and ended up sidelined with a knee injury right before the race. Sounds like you’ve got more common sense than me though but just in case learn from my stupidity, stick with the plan and all will be good. Wait and run the hell out of the actual race 😉.

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