I've been doing base training before I kick off the official marathon training. Base training has consisted of some running, a bunch of rest days, and recently, some HIIT workouts - which some people may know as "High Intensity Interval Training", but should actually be called "Horrifically Insufficient Inhalation Trials."
For those of you who are not familiar, HIIT workouts are usually cardio-based - you spend a few minutes (an interval of time) firing your heart rate up, then take a tiny bit of rest, then repeat the procedure. The goal here is to keep the heart rate up, even when in active recovery - this helps build your lungs, blah blah blah VO2 Max yadda yadda... basically you torture your lungs for a few minutes, then rest in the fetal position while gasping for breath, and then go back to feeling like your heart is gonna expel itself out your ribcage.
HIIT workouts differ from "circuit training" (which traditionally incorporates more resistance-based exercises - like lifting weights), but it is not solely an "interval training" scheme, as it straddles the two genres; some workouts can have only aerobic exercises incorporated, while others may add in simple resistance exercises like lunges, push ups, or burpees. Boot camp workouts are good examples of HIIT workouts - a series of high-intensity exercises with bits of active recovery in between.
A HIIT workout could look something like this:
400 meter sprint x 100 meter recover x 4 cycles
Or it could look something like this:
30 push-ups + 20 box jumps
30 sec sprint
10 burpees
30 sec rest
Repeat 3 times
(And note, HIIT workouts are not relegated to land - swimmers use them, too!)
Last weekend I participated in back-to-back HIIT workouts, sponsored by 2 different workout groups. When I initially signed up, I was uncertain whether completing 2 of these workouts within 24 hours was a good idea, but decided to test myself. The Saturday group was a "Spartan Race Training Run" - which is as aggressive and as intense as it sounds. The Sunday group was sponsored by a friendly, neighborhood based boot camp workout group, helmed by a local yokel.
The Saturday Epic workout (as I'll call it) was a training "run" for something called the Spartan Race - much like a mud run, or obstacle-based foot race, the Spartan Race takes its cues from pretending that everyone involved is a Grecian Warrior, and will enjoy not only throwing spears and climbing walls without assistance, but also crawling in the mud underneath barbed wire while being hosed down by a maniacal retired drill sergeant. (Yes, I already completed a Spartan race, and no, I did not enjoy those walls.) While I'm fairly certain Spartans never encountered barbed wire, much less a high-pressure garden hose full of freezing water, let's ignore the blatant disregard for historical accuracy and concentrate on how one prepares for said Spartan Race:
First of all, the Epic group consisted of three young women training for their first Spartan race, four older seasoned-Spartan warrior men, and me, the one in the 5K tee and no water bottle. We did the whole workout outside at a local park, which was great and also awful, since every jogger in Manhattan had time to gawk at us. And by us, I mean me.
We got partnered up by the coach (a 5' 1" former gymnast with biceps the size of my head), and were split into A and B designations. Partners A would start cycling through box jumps followed by push-ups (box jumps = impossible), until Partners B got back from their 400m hill sprint, complete with burpees at the end.
Luckily for me, I got paired with the slowest runner in the group, and enjoyed attempted box jumps until I defaulted into crippling box step-ups. (As every male chauvinist expects in physical test of strength, the women in the group were lagging a bit behind the men, but, in our defense, we were competing against deranged warriors with no sense of historical reality.)
Shortly thereafter (i.e. without a rest interval), we were issued more hill sprints, in increasing distances - meaning we ran up 10 meters, jogged down, repeated that 3 times, ran up 20 meters, jogged down, repeated that a few times, sprinted up the whole frickin' hill and puked on the way back down, begged for mercy in between, and had the former gymnast lie to our sweaty faces that it would be over soon. (Lies, blatant lies she admitted to midway through the third-to-last cycle. Meanwhile, the Hulk-men were chomping at the bit for another cycle.) At that point, I believed I was the only sane person there, but that's what happens when you're the only one who believes that it's 2014, and not 441 B.C.
This torture continued as she then tricked us into doing wall sits for 2 minutes, after which we ran even longer hill sprints, complete with burpees and squats at the top of the hill. Let me reiterate: HIIT workouts usually include a rest period, but this gymnast was perhaps operating under the assumption that, in ancient Greek, "rest" stems from the root for "more sprints." I was also quite certain, by this point, that the Spartan men were each packing an extra set of lungs.
Thankfully, after an hour, it was all over and we could walk back to the gym. I was thankful that I could even walk, seeing as how my quads were giving out on me during the last cycle of "sprint rests."
I realized two things, on my walk back: 1) that I had rightfully earned a bagel, and 2) that I would be facing five more Saturday sessions with this crowd....this crowd that seemed to do dead lifts in their sleep, and eat hill sprints like candy.
Waking up Sunday morning, I wasn't sure what I was in for with the local boot camp in Prospect Park, but I was certain it could not be worse than the suffering I had endured nearly 24 hours previously. In fact, I assured myself, this was great mental training for the marathon, since I really didn't want to complete another intense session of not breathing, but that's what happens at mile 21, so I got out of bed and headed over to the park. Luckily, this group consisted of sleepy-eyed locals who were half-heartedly completing knee push-ups: we had actual rest intervals that more closely aligned with the traditional Latin root for "requiem", for which I was eternally grateful.
While we did some light stretch-band exercises and ran to a tree, I was so much at ease that I could challenge myself more than I expected. The whole workout felt more like active recovery from the Epic run, rather than another grueling workout. I actually did break a sweat and feel some muscles screaming from PTSD, but I ended the weekend without too much residual pain, and even signed up for two more boot camp sessions that week.
My workout mindset, I realized, depends on previous performance. If I complete a grueling workout and have to follow up with something that is not as demanding, I'm more inclined to not only enjoy the second one, but also commit to doing both workouts (rather than opt for sleeping in on my beloved weekends). Ok, that's not entirely true: I would rather sleep in, but holding myself accountable was not as insufferable as I expected. And that's what it really comes down to when you're training yourself - finding and clinging onto whatever will help keep you accountable. Whether you're motivated by money, personal gain (or loss), or just simply need an excuse to be outside and/or socialize, I believe that finding your accountability factors and keeping them in perspective can help you build a habit. While I have a few more sessions lined up with the local yokel boot camp, I'm actually looking forward to them in comparison to the Epic workouts I will endure over the next few weeks of base training (especially since I now know how awful my lungs can feel). And even then, while I acclimate to hill sprint recovery, I'm sure it will all be put in perspective when I ramp up my mileage for the old 26.2.
No comments:
Post a Comment