Burak Ilter wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
>
>>"Burak Ilter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>
>>>What I wonder is if there is any efficient way to work the cardio
>>>system
>>>with some cross training and decrease the running load.
>>
>>Of course, if your goal is to have good cardio any activity that gets
>>you heart pumping for some 30+ minutes will do the trick.
>>
>>
>>> Maybe 3-4 runs
>>>weekly would be enough for most distances (shorter than marathons or
>>>longer possibly) if some training with bike, rowing, etc. is done.
>>
>>3-4 runs per week will satisfy the running basics(unless you doing 10-15
>>miles per week) but if you want to do your "best," this will not be
>>enough. If you want to run well you need to run, if you want to bike
>>well you need to bike.....specificity
>>
>>-DougF
>>
>>
>
> Lets assume a goal of pure running time goal (although my goal is
> somewhat different). Given that how much and to what extent is it
> possible to use cross training? Maybe if I put into other words, how
> much of running depends solely on cardio?
Some, but not all, as I think TrailRunner pointed out about trails. With
road running, I'm thinking a lot is cardio and some biomechanical
efficiency. Training the neural system to run has a lot to do with
efficiency and total performance.
>Granted one will lose some of
> his/her "capacity" to run faster, but just how much? (am I just raving?)
different for different folks probably
>
> I cannot even make educated guesses about these questions. I do not
> think we can take pros as a sample group here because they have to push
> themselves to their limit whereas we can stop a little short of that.
>
Warning: Dot-type post to follow
Look away now if not interested.
Let me build on Doug's comment about specificity and use trail races as
an example, which may or may not be what you're asking about. Someone
like Yessis considers hill training to be cross training since hills use
a different stride than for a track or flat road race. In the same
manner, one could say that track training is xt for trail running.
Summer races are usually on dirt trails. In many parts of the country,
trails are snow covered from October to April (Aug to July in other
parts). Dirt trails have rocks, roots, loose gravel, etc that aren't
usually an issue with snow cover. Footing is different. Running on snow
(with / without snowshoes) is different from regular running, but it's
the best approximation to dirt trail running we have right now. (I
actually was on dirt for a little bit last week before the recent snow.)
Now dealing with obstacles like rocks, root, etc requires more agility
than road running and snowshoe running on groomed trails, usually. In my
cross-training class, we do plyometrics and agility drills to work on
quickly moving feet. I contend that some of that in conjunction with
regular running prepares *me* better for a trail race with roots and
rocks than pure running when we're in winter wonderland mode. YMMV.
One of my races that I'm considering has about 3500 ft up in 4.5 miles.
I can't do that realistically on a treadmill or my regular trail (75 ft
max hill). I need to hit the mountains - now, preferably a few weeks ago
- to start getting legs built up for that. Mtns are still very snow
covered - with a fresh blanket. I finally got trekking poles to use with
my snowshoes and hiked a little bit (about 40 min up) on one of the
local big hills (about 1200 ft in 1 mi or less; very spooky on snowshoes
in the steep parts). No, because of the snow, I couldn't get the power
hike in that I'd intended, but I was able to work my quads and hams in a
way they hadn't been worked in a while - and something I need more
specifically for race.
BTW, at an "easy" effort walking, I had my hr up within 2 min and had to
be careful not to get in LT zone. On an attempted run the day before on
a flat area with lousy footing, I don't think I had my hr up for more
than a few minutes. In this case, snowshoe hiking was better for both
cardio and specificity. (Actually, that race is early enough, there's a
good chance of having some snow in the pass still although I won't have
snowshoes.)
What I'm contending is that there are portions of a race that you may be
better off cross-training for than to just run the same ol' way all the
time. That's why I try to find out what the course is like, then break
it down into components, and train the best I can for each of those. The
biomechanics has to be trained besides the cardio and strength
endurance. My goals aren't speed, but these same principles apply.
Dot
spring usually follows the March windstorms (a week ago) and March snow
dump (started yesterday, continued today, maybe a little more during the
week)
--
"Do or do not. There is no try." -Yoda
