TRAINING
Training is very subjective. What are you trying to achieve? Are you after fitness and mental health, or are you out to run races? Do you want to run in circles at a track because the roads are too congested or are you running in parks to drink in its beauty too? Running is a positive addiction and therefore needs to be thought of as a balance of health and fitness as well as a measuring stick for others who need to know just how fast they are, or how fit they are, by racing.
Training in our senior years should have fun elements in each run. Running and singing or running and waving your arms or anything that is fun on a personal basis. For some, a hard run brings the fun or best described as pleasure especially when your run is over and you feel the accomplishment. Think back at your family history and know how lucky you are. Or look back at the tainted times and realize just how lucky we were to have survived it.So training is a reflection time as well.
I love to train early mornings when the whole world is asleep and not a human is stirring, only a street cat hiding or fleeing something. But training should have some kind of goal. So let’s see if we can outline this simplicity.
1) Do you do training to race?
2) Do you do training for weight control?
3) Do you do training to alleviate stress and attain some mental health stability?
4) Do you have weekly goals or do you just want to maintain a basic training schedule?
We are sure some of you will answer all of the above or relate to most of them as part of the reasons you train. Many of us have no weight problems but still run, so we can eat what we want.
If you run to race, there is plenty of advice all over the net, books and magazines, from surges several days a week to the weekly long runs. The information is out there in abundance for you to pick your pre-racing training schedule.
But if you choose to train purely as a lifestyle, then ask yourself a few important things. Do you want to get super fit? Because if so, there is a price one must pay and it requires some basic planning. Okay so here is my advise to getting you super fit.
Run 30 to 45 minutes, 3 days a week, at a comfortable pace, but not a putzy pace. Feel your breathing during these runs.Try not to run less then 30 minutes and if you can run for more than 45 minutes, no problem but do remember you can pay a price in your next training day.
At least 2 days a week, put some pace in your runs and even some surges which is run hard from point A to point B and then back to your regular pace, then repeat the surges throughout your run. But for 2 days a week, put more of an effort when it comes to pacing, whether you decide to make it a speed workout or not. For the brave, go to a track and do intervals. Maybe 4 quarter miles of hard trots with an equal quarter after each speedy quarter to recover. You have to assess your fitness level for this type of training.
I suggest one day a week for a longer fun run.Try an hour or more and run with a group if possible. There needs to be a day to judge your endurance or let’s say improve it.
Take a day off if you can. I can not. We will talk about cross training in another article and how that can be the solution for folks who hate the day-off.
Lastly, are dumbbells at home and if you are are like many runners who are solo creatures, this is a good alternative to the gym. This is a great site http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/dumbbellexercises.html
Find a routine that’s good for you. It really helps our aging bones.
So find that training routine that’s right for you and don’t laugh, only you know whats right for you. But have fun with whatever you choose.
