Interval training - good news, bad news
Nov. 21st, 2011 03:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
johnpalmerSo, I recently found that, if I'm slow and careful, I can do 2 minute intervals with a minute and a half rest.
Yesterday, I decided to put that to the test.
I did 4 intervals without any problem.
On number 5, I did a minute and a half, and decided "okay, I can't do more, I'm running in the red."
Then... well. Then I got mildly stupid. I tried a one minute interval twice in a row, and then decided that I'd done 12.5 minutes - another minute and a half would make 14 minutes of jogging.
So, I did. And, at the very end, I realized I'd definitely overdone it.
So far, I haven't had any of the serious effects I've had when I've overworked myself, but I am tired today, and I know if I really wanted a big, nasty, pounding headache, I could give myself one by running for a minute or two.
Other than feeling tired, and knowing that I really don't want to put any heavy strain on my heart, I'm fine. For example, I can walk up 2-3 flights of stairs. (There's 0 risk of me *running* up those stairs... but I'm not afraid to walk 'em.)
I'm comforting myself that I'm now running very differently, with the potential to run much faster than I used to run, and I'm getting better... four months ago, maybe 17, 18 weeks ago, I was having a hard time with 6 minutes of jogging with walking breaks in between. Now, I'm jogging over twice as far per interval when I start. But it's still frustrating.
Still... all the cursing and screaming and stomping and wailing at the fates in the world won't change the facts.
My heart is (this) strong, no stronger. Even after nearly a year of recovery, my left hip is still not quite working right[1], and stiff, and hurts. And however much I deserve a gritty montage where I can see myself improve over the course of a quick, uplifting song, life doesn't work that way.
(Who wants to see a video short where Our Hero gets the stuffing kicked out of him, metaphorically speaking, after a gritty montage, ending with "Dude, you only worked out for a three minute montage shot; what did you *think* would happen?")
[1] And yes, that probably does mean it's time to figure out how I can get back to physical therapy. Things *are* getting better, but I'm on swing shift now - I actually have some time when PT offices are open!
Yesterday, I decided to put that to the test.
I did 4 intervals without any problem.
On number 5, I did a minute and a half, and decided "okay, I can't do more, I'm running in the red."
Then... well. Then I got mildly stupid. I tried a one minute interval twice in a row, and then decided that I'd done 12.5 minutes - another minute and a half would make 14 minutes of jogging.
So, I did. And, at the very end, I realized I'd definitely overdone it.
So far, I haven't had any of the serious effects I've had when I've overworked myself, but I am tired today, and I know if I really wanted a big, nasty, pounding headache, I could give myself one by running for a minute or two.
Other than feeling tired, and knowing that I really don't want to put any heavy strain on my heart, I'm fine. For example, I can walk up 2-3 flights of stairs. (There's 0 risk of me *running* up those stairs... but I'm not afraid to walk 'em.)
I'm comforting myself that I'm now running very differently, with the potential to run much faster than I used to run, and I'm getting better... four months ago, maybe 17, 18 weeks ago, I was having a hard time with 6 minutes of jogging with walking breaks in between. Now, I'm jogging over twice as far per interval when I start. But it's still frustrating.
Still... all the cursing and screaming and stomping and wailing at the fates in the world won't change the facts.
My heart is (this) strong, no stronger. Even after nearly a year of recovery, my left hip is still not quite working right[1], and stiff, and hurts. And however much I deserve a gritty montage where I can see myself improve over the course of a quick, uplifting song, life doesn't work that way.
(Who wants to see a video short where Our Hero gets the stuffing kicked out of him, metaphorically speaking, after a gritty montage, ending with "Dude, you only worked out for a three minute montage shot; what did you *think* would happen?")
[1] And yes, that probably does mean it's time to figure out how I can get back to physical therapy. Things *are* getting better, but I'm on swing shift now - I actually have some time when PT offices are open!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-11-21 11:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 12:05 am (UTC)But at the same time, being careful has left me fat, out of shape, and with a hip problem that I only just noticed about two years ago. I've got to find a new "careful", a better, stronger "regular"