Guns, Grass, & Glutes

It’s Monday.  My quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles are still screaming from a workout I did 3 days ago.  Was it P90x?  No.  Was it “Insanity?”  No.  Was it one of those Cross Fit Ranger SEAL Delta Operator workouts?  No, it wasn’t.

It was my 5-year old son and I playing in the yard for an hour. 

Let’s rewind a bit.  My boy LOVES running; he finds any excuse to run – racing our 12-year old dog across the yard (dog still wins), frightening wild turkeys, or tucking a NERF football and taking off.

Junior has already participated in a couple 5K runs/races with me.  He is especially fond of those events where you get pelted with pastel pouches of color bombs.  By the time you finish the race, it looks like you were trampled by a herd of My Little Ponies.

Recently I told him about a “Christmas Race” where you run at night through a course of Christmas lights.  He thought this was a smashing idea, so I signed us up for the event in November.  I then inform him that we need to do special “run training” to get ready for the race.  I snag a poster board and a marker and work up a training calendar.  Basically we try to get in 2 or 3 runs per week consisting of short races across the yard or jogging a couple miles through the neighborhood.

Let’s come back to the Friday that has hit me with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).  Junior arrives home from school and it’s a nice Southern Fall day.  I suggested “run training” and he shrugs it off.  Then I say, “Let’s run with the football!”  What do I hear?  “YEAH DADDY!”  I grab a pencil, notepad, tape measure, and some cones.  I mark off 40 yards for our football field and we did fifteen 40-yard dashes.  We recorded our times for each heat.

I’m 38 years old – a “young” 38, but 38 nonetheless.  My average 40-yard dash was about 6.5 seconds (hey, it’s deceptive speed); Junior averaged 10.1 seconds, BUT his 15^th and final run was his quickest.  Ah, youth – how do I miss thee?  Let me count the ways…

After the sprints, we re-hydrated and pulled out a popgun and “Buzz Blaster” to play “soldiers.”  Here we are running around corners giving hand signals to each other, like “hold” or “move in.”  I’m sure anyone driving by and seeing this spectacle thought, “Oh, looks like the big one got a weekend pass again.”  Sometimes Junior pretends he's wounded, so I whip out the pretend-first aid kit, patch him up, and carry him back to “base” while he covers me with the Buzz Blaster.  Mission Accomplished!

Back to Monday...  I’m sitting here thinking about how much fun we had running across the grass with the football and working together on the “battlefield.”  I had a moment of genius by disguising exercise as playtime; more importantly, I was able to spend some much-needed time with my son.  

Our “training” that Friday helped me realize I can still push my physical envelope. It also helped Junior sprint from 2^nd base and score the game-winning run in his Fall baseball game the next day. 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

P.S.  Here are some additional links in relation to this blog post.

Reading this article made me feel a little bit better after averaging 6.5 seconds:

"You can't run a sub-5 second 40."

I found the hardest part of the dash is the first 5 yards; practice, positioning, and coordination can give you a better starting kick.

Active.Com's Tips On Running A Faster Forty.

AURAL STIMULATION

What moves you?
What motivates you to run longer, lift heavier, or paddle/row faster?

Other than the obvious rewards of regular exercise (fitting in your favorite jeans, race performance, strong heart, sound mind, lifting a VW, etc.), what gets you going on those days when you just don't want to hit the gym/trail/pool?

For me, it's MUSIC. Music is a performance enhancing "drug." Yes, I've been using this performance-enhancer for over 20 years. It is perfectly legal and has zero negative side-effects (unless you play it too loud or never clean your headphones).

For many of us, just getting into a regular fitness routine is a challenge. Those first couple of gym visits after a long layoff requires some intestinal fortitude. It's really no different than getting back into church, regular dental check-ups, or for some, bathing.

So when you finally set foot back in the gym, make it a little less painless with some music you enjoy. After re-establishing your fitness baseline in a few days/weeks (this number varies on YOUR abilities), it is then time to switch up that play list and do some performance-enhancing. (NOTE: If you are the type of person that goes into the gym and does the same thing 3 days a week and doesn't want to improve on what you have, then save your time and move on to another blog.) If you want to read about this topic with a more scientific viewpoint, check out this American Council on Exercise article.

I will explain what works well for me; what works for you will no doubt be a little different. The point of this post is to get you thinking about it. MAKE yourself a play list. If you already have one, think about changing it up.

At any given time, I have 3-5 play lists depending on my type/mode of workout. Play list 1 is for strength training. Play list 2 is for short runs of 4 miles or less and Play list 3 is for longer runs. I like to change at least one play list per month. Keep the music fresh. You probably have some songs that fire you up no matter what mode/intensity of exercise you're engaging in. By all means, include them! But be sure to change them out occasionally; don't wear out a good thing. Below are some tunes that are often scattered in ALL of my lists:

Theme From Superman by John Williams
Cinderella Man by Eminem
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
The Touch by Stan Bush
Going the Distance by Bill Conti
Mindfields by The Prodigy
How Ya Like Me Now? by Kool Moe Dee
This Means War by Nickelback
The Outsiders by Eric Church
'Till I Collapse by Eminem
Hot Blooded by Foreigner
Rusty Cage by Johnny Cash
Right Place by Petra
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

Soundtrack music, in particular, has a special place in my heart. How many of us have pounded the heavy bag to the "Rocky" or "Bloodsport" soundtracks? In addition to creating a link between the music and your physical performance, you also have the mental imagery of the training scenes in those movies. Use them to your advantage!

I recently experimented with something a little different. Instead of listening strictly to music, I put together some motivating speeches from various movies. I found this to be a fresh change from music. While running, I envisioned myself IN that locker room or ON that battlefield listening to the words. Almost instinctively, I corrected my form (I was running) and picked up the pace a little. Most of the time (and by "most," I mean 99% of the time), I exercise without a workout buddy. As corny as it may sound, having King Leonidas or Coach Carter yelling in my ear DID help me shave a minute off my 5k run time AND get a couple extra reps on the bench press.

After all, who wouldn't want King Leonidas as your workout partner? I might ask him to wear regular shorts, though; I don't think the YMCA would let him in the door dressed like this.

The Dreaded Tempo Workout

For my FIRST blog post, I will review TEMPO workouts.  Let me say this: I DETEST Tempo runs because (if done properly) they ALWAYS push me out of my comfort zone.  Second, they are extremely important if you want to run (or bike/swim/row, etc.) faster and be competitive.  Many of my posts will no doubt include running.  I know what you're thinking: "Running is boring" "Isn't walking just as good?" "I prefer hiking/biking/tae-bo" "I've never been a fast runner," and my personal favorite: "I do 12 ounce curls."  Running is one of the least expensive, yet most productive cardiovascular exercises you can do!  Very few activities burn more calories than running (we'll save those for another post).  Our bipedal bodies are designed to run.  If you're really fast, you could make some money or win some medals.  Running can also save your life.  Have you ever heard of that show, "The Running Dead?"  Me neither!  So without further ado, let's get on with some knowledge.

"Tempo" workouts generally apply to cardiovascular forms of exercise such as running, walking, swimming, cycling, skating, etc.  This form of workout is of moderate length (30-60 minutes) and is one of THE most important workouts you can engage in while training for an event like a triathlon or running event (5k, 10k, Half-Marathon, you get the point).

NOTE: If you just exercise for health benefits or to fit into those skinny jeans, then don't bother reading any further.  However, if you are competitive with others or against your own stopwatch, by all means, READ ON!

Try to employ your Tempo workout at least twice a month.  Other workouts you'll want to include would be moderate distance runs, cross training/strength training, long runs, hills, intervals and yes, rest or "active rest" days (I will cover other types of workouts later).  For starters, you may want to try Tempo intervals if you are training for your very first 5K race.  The Tempo portion of your workout should be an effort (or speed) that you can maintain for several consecutive minutes (depending on individual ability).  As you near the end of the tempo session, those last 2-3 minutes should be challenging and you should be breathing hard.

Here is an example of a Tempo workout I completed on the treadmill (1% grade) last night:

  I. Warm-up: 5 minutes, 3.5 - 6 mph.
 II. Tempo #1: 15 minutes, 6.5 mph.
III. Recovery: 5 minutes, 4 - 5 mph.
IV. Tempo #2: 15 minutes, 6.5 mph.
 V. Cool-down: 5 minutes, 3.5 - 4.5 mph.

My end result was 4.19 miles in 45 minutes.  If you are a more advanced, then you may be able to hold a higher speed or just have one 30-minute interval of 6-7 mph.  If you are just starting out, then perhaps you break-up the intervals into 5 minutes each and try to hold a speed of 5-6 mph.  Set reasonable (but not "easy") goals for each workout; this will keep your routine fresh and minimize the boredom.

By practicing the Tempo runs, you are training your body (and mind) to hold a challenging and sustained effort over an extended period of time.

I sincerely hope this post brought you some value.  Tune in next time and I will highlight another "Adventure in Fitnessing."  Remember to drink water, drive on, and stay frosty.