danieldwilliam (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
danieldwilliam) wrote2021-08-26 11:01 am
danieldwilliam) wrote2021-08-26 11:01 am
On Running on Empty / On Beer
My current focus with my trainer is on running.
More accurately on improving my cardio capacity so that I can keep up with the rugby kids when coaching or reffing a game. I am not a great runner, in both senses of the phrase. My body is the wrong size and shape to be either very fast or very long endurance. Nor do I particularly love the activity of running. I find running fast for short distances makes my head bobble around and if I were to be running slowly for long distances I'd rather take a bike. In comparison I seemed to have some genuine natural aptitude for weight-lifting and actively enjoyed the activity. But I'm doing it for a good reason and I enjoy the process of training. I don't hate running and I enjoy getting better at things.
Which is what appears to be happening.
Each weekly session I do a set of laps around the Commonwealth Pool carpark (approx 300m). It takes me roughly 60 seconds and change to get round. We tend to do either a set of 8 laps, a minute on, a minute off, or a 2 sets of 3 escalating laps, slow, medium, fast.
Last week I managed a personal best of 46 second for a lap. This week, a personal best of 45 seconds, in the second fast lap, followed by a bonus third set of reps and second personal best of the day at 42 seconds. None of the measured laps were over 60 seconds. So that is some pretty decent and heartening progress.
Not sure what to put it down to. I do recall from the weight-lifting that you get sudden bursts of improvement from a plateau as a combination of technique, primary physical improvements (e.g. leg muscles) and secondary physical improvement (e.g. ankle muscle improvements helping stability) all come together with a bit of self-confidence.
A factor might be that I've introduced a soft ban on beer. It's not that I'm not drinking, or even that I'm not drinking beer but until Christmas I'm not going to keep beer in the house. I've been doing that since my second vaccination. To be strictly honest, I have stopped buying stocks of beer since my second vaccination. I still had plenty in the house. That may be helping. Or not, I was out with some folks from work for some drinks last night, but I note the evidence in favour of the hypothesis that reducing the amount of beer I drink is contributing to improved running performance. I am resolved to run my soft ban on beer until Christmas and see how I feel about it at New Year.
But so far pretty pleased with how the running is going after the summer holidays. I think my medium term goal would be to aim for 3 laps under 40 seconds in one session.
More accurately on improving my cardio capacity so that I can keep up with the rugby kids when coaching or reffing a game. I am not a great runner, in both senses of the phrase. My body is the wrong size and shape to be either very fast or very long endurance. Nor do I particularly love the activity of running. I find running fast for short distances makes my head bobble around and if I were to be running slowly for long distances I'd rather take a bike. In comparison I seemed to have some genuine natural aptitude for weight-lifting and actively enjoyed the activity. But I'm doing it for a good reason and I enjoy the process of training. I don't hate running and I enjoy getting better at things.
Which is what appears to be happening.
Each weekly session I do a set of laps around the Commonwealth Pool carpark (approx 300m). It takes me roughly 60 seconds and change to get round. We tend to do either a set of 8 laps, a minute on, a minute off, or a 2 sets of 3 escalating laps, slow, medium, fast.
Last week I managed a personal best of 46 second for a lap. This week, a personal best of 45 seconds, in the second fast lap, followed by a bonus third set of reps and second personal best of the day at 42 seconds. None of the measured laps were over 60 seconds. So that is some pretty decent and heartening progress.
Not sure what to put it down to. I do recall from the weight-lifting that you get sudden bursts of improvement from a plateau as a combination of technique, primary physical improvements (e.g. leg muscles) and secondary physical improvement (e.g. ankle muscle improvements helping stability) all come together with a bit of self-confidence.
A factor might be that I've introduced a soft ban on beer. It's not that I'm not drinking, or even that I'm not drinking beer but until Christmas I'm not going to keep beer in the house. I've been doing that since my second vaccination. To be strictly honest, I have stopped buying stocks of beer since my second vaccination. I still had plenty in the house. That may be helping. Or not, I was out with some folks from work for some drinks last night, but I note the evidence in favour of the hypothesis that reducing the amount of beer I drink is contributing to improved running performance. I am resolved to run my soft ban on beer until Christmas and see how I feel about it at New Year.
But so far pretty pleased with how the running is going after the summer holidays. I think my medium term goal would be to aim for 3 laps under 40 seconds in one session.