Keeping The Fun In Your Run…James Villepigue CSCS
The basic components of survival are running, swimming, and self-defense. In fact, there was a reference made in the movie Zombieland marking cardio as the #1 rule of survival tips, as the protagonist is running for his life to flee from the dangers on the scene.
The Essential Exercise
Truth be told, I have never been a fan of cardio training…in fact I hate it! I’d be lying if I said I liked it. But, for obvious reasons, I do it consistently. You may have answered the “obvious” with fat loss, but that’s the second reason I do it – I do it primarily for heart health. After seeing my good friend who is only 38, suffer a heart attack recently, my 40-year-old ass has no excuse but to keep it up and you should too!
Running is the essential exercise, dating back to the times of the Neanderthals. It doesn’t require over complicated technique to learn how to run properly. All you need to do is touch heel then toe and do your best to run on either a rubber track, a treadmill or my favorite, uphill.
Running is one of the basic components of surviving, due to the fact that back in the day, humans often had to jump to their feet and explode forward in order to get away from predators.
Aside from being a simple exercise, running is also a cheap way to stay fit. Aside from heart health, running is one of the best ways to stay lean and lose weight. The more you develop your cardio through running, the more calories you burn. As you run more intensely or perhaps longer distances (not my forte), your waistline will naturally become smaller.
With the influx of fun runs like “The Survival race” and marathons held either as a corporate event or as a charitable affair, more and more people have are getting into running.
The challenge with running is to track your pace, distance, and speed. Inexperienced runners may feel nausea during uncharted distances.
This could lead to dangerous consequences, and this article will give you tips on how to improve your cardio as you expand your distance coverage.
Giants take baby steps
No advice is better than getting it based on first hand experiences. If you’re a big dude like me, you will likely tire easily. Many experts think that the bigger your body is, the more your heart exerts, therefore forcing your cardiovascular system to work harder and this is why you may find yourself gassing out while Morty-140 wisps right past you.
I will be sharing a few tips to improve your running, and continuous dedication will get your butt off the couch and will have you running like Forrest Gump.
Life tends to be more like a marathon, and not as much a sprint
Let’s take it one step at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day so don’t expect to run 10 miles just after jogging a few laps. Before you develop your explosiveness to run fast, developing your cardio is more important and safer.
Conditioning, in any sport, is one of the most important keys for sporting excellence. Talent can only get you so far — superior conditioning will help put you on an elite level.
Start your training by grabbing a pen and paper, and keep a journal of your daily running scheme. A pedometer is also a good idea – Use it to track your running distance.
Monitor your numbers
As I mentioned above, running with a pedometer is a good way to keep tabs on your training. On your first day, track your distance and time and pay attention to how many times you walked, jogged, ran and sprinted. Writing this information down is a great way to watch your progress or lack of. If you’ve been doing the same sequence and following the same numbers for too long, your body will adapt. Change things up consistently and your results will soar.
If you haven’t done any exercise in a long time, start out easy. Remember, you’re in this for you, not to compete or show off. If you end up sore, take a bath with some Epsom salts, get a massage and get over it. Too many people give up over ridiculous reasons.
Interval Running For Max Fat Loss
My favorite running style is a progressive interval style run, where I will run at a slower pace for one minute, walk at a fast pace for one minute and then run/sprint for one minute and then repeat.
This style of essential exercise allows me to take care of my heart, keep my body fat low and doesn’t require that I do something that I really hate. By constantly switching my speed and incline grade, it takes my mind off the pain and forces me to pay attention to the details.
Only a year ago, a constant minute run would have made me gasp for a breath of air, whereas now I can sprint a 15-grade incline at 9mph.
If you don’t think that this is strengthening your heart and helping to burn calories, you’re dead wrong.
Now that you have an idea on how to build up your conditioning and endurance, the next step is to improve your pace, and the cardio that comes with these various paces. VO2 Max, or the maximum volume of oxygen that your lungs can handle, measures how much air you can take and breathe while running.
As you run longer, your lungs get tired, and you eventually gas out. Deprivation of oxygen will lead to nausea due to a shortage of oxygen supply to your brain. Gassing out will cause the body to succumb to additional activity, and will force you to stop from going further.
Interval running is changing paces while you run. It involves a casual jog, an intermediate pace of running, and a quick sprint. Switching from one pace to another is an effective way to make your lungs adjust from a stagnant phase to a frenetic pace, and back. Interval running for 15 minutes is as good as jogging for an hour, with the same amount of calories burnt on a short amount of time, proving the efficiency of interval training. This is precisely how I maintain or achieve top fat loss!
Here’s a common interval training protocol:
- Jog for 60 seconds, then sprint for 30 seconds. Repeat this routine three times to complete one set, and rest for 45 seconds in between sets by walking at a doable pace. Do 3 sets for a total of 15 minutes of interval running.
For The Love Of The Run
If you are a “runner”, do what you love. You have established the distance that you’re capable of, and the amount of air you can handle. Finally, every competitive athlete’s goal is to win. You have built your foundation, and now it’s time to pick up the pace. Develop a faster pace by running with a quicker time for the same distance. Just like developing your distance as a beginner, you should use a journal to track your numbers to improve your pace.
Set various distances, like running one mile at a time with a specific record time. And like the training for beginners, set a benchmark on how long you ran for a mile. Now that you have your own personal record, try to beat your own record for every successive run. And so on.
Take a fun run
“My latest endeavor, The Survival race”, is the official 5K Family-Style Mud Run. You’re running through the woods, climbing barriers, jumping over fire, crawling under barbed wire, slushing through the water and yes, diving in the mud. But here’s the catch, you’re not gasping for air or feeling the pain – Why? Because you can’t think about that stuff…you’re having too much fun going from obstacle to obstacle. This is a genuine fun run and it’s something you must experience to fully appreciate.
Okay, so hopefully you have the beginnings of your blueprint to develop your running ability. Don’t wait! It’s time to shut down the computer, get up out of that chair, pop on your sneakers and get out of the house. Every journey starts with one step – step up and step out and remember to keep the fun in fitness!
Your Coach,
James Villepigue
