Good Morning. It is a bright and early on a Monday and I had some quick thoughts I wanted to share. Yesterday while my wife was at the library working on her paper for school I had a some time to kill while I was waiting on the laundry to be done. What I decided to do might be a shock to some of you...I decided to go for a run. Yes..a nice long run. I had set a goal of 3 miles. Mind you I have not taken one jogging stride in over 8 months. I'll say that one more time. I have NOT run more than one step in over 8 months. I only know that because the last time I ran was before my wedding in early September.
This is more of a project for me. It is my hands on research that I like to do. So my research I decided to do was to see how long I could go before I decided I wanted to do a long steady state endurance workout. Well, I went 8 months. I'll say 8 months to be on the safe side, but it was easily beyond 8 months since I performed this activity. Again, my goal was to complete 3 miles in or around 30 minutes. I completed my goal of 3 miles right at the 30 minute mark according to my watch.(Which is average of 10 minute mile...which is about average..nothing special) Another reason why I decided to do this activity was because I have already completed my 3 resistance training sessions this week and I had some extra time to kill to add some other activities in. I did not do this because I am trying to get into shape. I only did it because I was that bored and it was for my own research.
While on my jog I started thinking to myself around the half way point of this run...I was thinking that this is rather easy. Now running is not an easy task if you have never done it before...but the reason I am thinking it is easy because I know for the past 8 months I have demanded so much more from body during my training sessions. I started comparing my mindset during my run and my mindset during a set of Turkish Get Ups. Mindset during running...I am thinking about the blog that I am writing right now. I was thinking how bad the Cubs are getting blown out by the Cardinals.. I was thinking what I might want for dinner.. I was thinking how awesome Fitchburg is..I was thinking about my golf round next weekend. My mindset during a Turkish Get Up....Laying on my back w/ 35lb kettle bell....Crunch and punch...Drive Hips to the ceiling and squeeze my glutes..Feet switch to get my hips underneath me..Drive through my heels and punch to the ceiling again to a standing position. Then I have to repeat those exact same steps in the opposite direction to get back to the starting position just for one rep. Each rep could take anywhere from 30-60 secs. One rep leaving me gassed. I usually do 3-5 reps per side to complete one set.
Here's what people don't understand. Take a look at the 2 mindsets that I have just given you. Tell me which one is more intense??? What people do not take into consideration is what your mind has to be doing during your workout. If you are not engaged in what you are doing...I am convinced that it really might not be doing you any good.My running session felt good to break a bit of a sweat, but I know it wasn't stimulating enough for me to get a true training session out of it. Whether it be strength gain, fat loss, trying to gain some size...you have to stimulate the nervous system. If you are able to finger through you play list, flip channels on the tv, or worry whether or not the Cubs scored a run your chances of improving yourself are minimal. I say that because I just ran 3 miles in 30 minutes without even thinking about it. Again..I am not bragging about how good of a runner I am because 3 miles is not really a whole lot. The problem lies that people consider a 3 mile run a good training session and they're thinking that it is enough to make them lose weight,get healthier, run faster, or get stronger.
One last thought I had during my run...I am able to run 3 miles and I could have easily gone a bit more (I had to get back to the laundry) without even attempting this in over 8 months..Does this really improve someone health who does it everyday? It is demanding enough on the body to make it stronger? It is demanding enough to make you healthier? Is what people have been doing all these years really necessary? Well, my conclusion that your conventional aerobics is not good enough. Your conventional weight training is not good enough. If it was....shit...we would not be the most obese nation ever...people would not be going to therapy..people would not be going to the doctor...people would not be getting hurt at work...runners would not be getting hurt every 100 miles. These are things that I think should be researched more. If your doctor tells you to exercise more. If you hear on TV you need to start exercising. If you need to lose 20lbs..ask yourself..What does that mean? What do I do? What is actually going to benefit me? Is doing exercise good enough? Things we need to consider because the stuff you have been hearing about really isn't working!
Just some things I was thinking about during my run...
Happy Monday!
JP
Seriously John, you are not going to believe this. I did a 3 mile run on Friday after work. My last run was on Thanksgiving Day.....the Turkey Day Run in Kenosha. So I didn't run for almost 5 months. I agree with you....because of my strenuous indoor training during the week...it prepared me to complete my 3 mile run almost effortlessly. My mind did wonder back to my indoor workouts and other things...and the run went pretty fast in my mind. I did forget to time the run so I have no clue how long it took me.
ReplyDeleteI intermittently ran until I was 30...thereafter I felt running was just pounding my hips/ankles/knees for no apparent good..but back then running shoe technology was in its infancy. The varied aerobics that my YMCA instructor now provides works better.
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