July 19 - Lower core
July 20 - Rest (Aerobic run)
I have gotten back on schedule, completing my fifth four day cycle of my strength program (including rest days) in accordance with my original timetable. Will soon step it up as I enter Week 4.
On Sunday I was a bit tired following my afternoon run the day before so I was initially hesitant to do anything but a cut back set of core exercises (ie. leave the leg muscles alone by forgoing squats and lunges), but in the end still managed over thirty minutes of an almost full circuit concluding with a full routine of squats and lunges.
I also started increasing my caloric intake, boosting carbohydrates in greater proportion than fats or proteins, keeping as healthy as is practical in food choices. Afterall, I'm using more energy just through the exercise regime and so will have to eat more just to remain the same weight (I'm enough of a relative lightweight for my height and build as it is). If I want to actually increase my mass (which I do) I'll have to continue this dietary trend over the coming weeks.
Be that as it may, I was feeling pretty confident after my workout yesterday. I have decided to change the mode of my upper body/arms strength training to one of increasing muscle mass (though not too much, or I'll get unbalanced!), and thought I might be able to make the three day exercise cycle a five day cycle, using Wednesday and the commencement of Vikings inline training as a 'rest day' as far as strength training goes.
As today wore on, however, my enthusiasm for this bright idea faded as I became aware of the general tiredness throughout my body. We have rest days for a reason! By the time I left work I had given up the idea of doing anything but an aerobically oriented run upon getting home. Which is what I did.
I repeated my route from the other day, but listened to my body for when to run and when to walk, so it wasn't quite the same journey. I set out as evening was drawing close and the temperature dipped under 10'C. A crescent moon was high above Venus, herself brightly looking down on a setting Jupiter in the West. Beautiful clear night drawing down.
I found that I was running a lot more than I had the other day, and was less spent at the end of each such period than I had been by much shorter ones on Saturday. I spent a bit longer doing my stretches, but still got home about five minutes quicker than Saturday (27 minutes for the 3.5 km journey, including stretching break in the middle).
Although this time I worked up a fair sweat by the time I returned I again consciously didn't fatigue myself despite the effort involved. When I felt the onset of fatigue in my legs while running I'd change it down to a recovery-mode walk and concentrate on breath and lungs until I was ready to run again. The whole point was not so much to exercise the legs as to increase my oxygenation capability.
For me, it is a new way to look at running, as being exercise for the breath and blood as opposed to for the legs, but makes sense when you think of what I'm doing to my legs two days of every four (when they are being pushed to their limits in terms of strength, in order to grow more strong), the role of running in my general conditioning program and the role of my aerobic capacity in my development as an effective hockey player.
Best thing about it (besides the surprisingly large increase in my aerobic facility) is the fact that I feel that I can comfortably build this exercise into my weekly routine, that I'll continue to improve my ability to recover from extreme exertion, and that it isn't an impractical idea to build a high intensity anaerobic component into the run (at the school oval) when I reach that part of my program.
Tomorrow, commence the sixth four day meta-circuit of my strength training, perhaps commencing some serious muscle building for my upper body (the time is ticking away for when this is still practical).
No comments:
Post a Comment