How to Avoid Overtraining For Runners

Monday, December 28th, 2009

Author: Paul Scott

How to avoid overtraining for runners.

The hard/easy rule of training will take you a long way towards avoiding overtraining. It involves taking a rest or easy day after every hard workout in order to allow you body to regenerate. The easy day following your hard day of training is absolutely essential for the regeneration of your body: your muscles, bones and blood cells and connective tissue immediately begin to heal themselves following your hard run. Some people may even need two easy days between hard workouts in order to complete this process of regeneration.

Should You Buy a Heart Rate Monitor?

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

Author: Phillip Tucker

There are many different approaches to exercising. Some people just leap out of bed in the morning, inspired and motivated to his the open road, and race off down the street without a thought as to where they’re going, how far they wish to run, and how this run fits into their long term exercise plan. Other people have figured out their VO2max and designed a workout schedule that figures in progressive overloading of their system along with keeping an exact count of calories eaten and any other measurable statistic. Where should you be, and how does a heart rate monitor fit into this sliding scale between complete spontaneity and planned madness? I think you should, as with most things, place yourself somewhere in the middle, and for that very reason alone a heart rate monitor can be of excellent use.

90 Minute Long Run

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Sunday’s workout was a 90 minute long run at an easy pace. This was an enjoyable run that I really felt the last 20 minutes. I kept the pace to a point where my heart rate was between 65-85% of maximum heart rate. The average was around 71% for the entire duration.

This was the last big workout before the 5k race on Sunday. I have an easy 2 miler and another workout of 6×200 intervals to do this week before the race, but both of these are easy quick workouts.

3 Mile Easy Run

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Had a 3 mile easy run today. Warmed up into the run, built to a high moderate pace, around 85% max, then slowed back dwon to the easy range of 65-75% of maximum heart rate. After this I moved over to the elliptcial for 30 minutes at easy pace as well.

Tommorrow is 9×200 intervals, so think my claves will be filling it even more than they are now.

Treadmill Intervals

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Tuesday was interval day on the treadmill. I was intending to do 6×400, but just felt terrible after the first two. I ended up doing a 10 minute warmup, then 4×400 at my target race pace for 5k. I would jog until my heart rate made it back into the moderate range which is 75-85% of maximum heart rate. (based on my plan)

I finished up with a 10 minute cooldown. I then moved to the elliptical for 30 minutes at easy to moderate heart rate levels, then called it a day.