Track and Field Pictures

Track season is near! Here are some interesting track and field pictures of my grandfather 1914-1922, Chariots of fire style!

More on P90X....

diagram credit: Gray's Anatomy



Yesterday, I wrote some thoughts on the workout called P90X. I was writing those thoughts after watching the workout from the comfort of my recliner with a glass of wine. This morning, I was intrigued enough to give it a shot. Now, I have some more practical thoughts and I can speak from experience and not just from analyzing the exercises.

First of all, I still hold the same opinions from my last post on the workout even after going through it.

Second of all, can I be honest? This workout kicked my rear end! And every other part of my body for that matter! Getting through this workout is a slight overstatement because I got through the first 7 exercises and I was dead. I would consider myself to be in fairly good shape and have taken lots of core classes and pilates, but the intensity and duration of this workout is nothing like i've experienced (except for maybe a spin class or military training).

Third, let me say that before you start this workout or any other for that matter, watch each exercise and make sure you are using correct form and engaging the proper muscles before actually trying to go through the workout. I say this because once you start getting fatigued (in my case around the third exercise), you will think less about your form and more about how tired and how much work you're doing. This is true for any exercise or activity.

Fourth, unless you've been through it before, don't try to do the whole workout the first time. My goal the next time is get through first 10 exercises. This sounds crazy, but i looked up after 7 exercises and the clock still showed 38 minutes left in the workout!! Now, I understand that many reading this are in much better physical condition than I am, and this advice won't apply. I am speaking mainly to the crowd of people that are looking for a new workout or who are fairly new to the core/functional type exercises.

Lastly, let me again say that the exercises in this workout are outstanding for building core strength and most of all core endurance! These can be great for any type of athlete or for protecting the weekend warrior from sidelining injury. I use lower level variations of these exercises in a rehab setting, so I know they are effective. I would suggest taking the exercises that are the most challenging for you and practice them individually or ask a professional if there are modifications or lower level exercises that can be used to strengthen the muscles necessary to complete the exercises in the workout correctly. Also, the developers of the program do offer a free P90x "fit test" to complete before starting the workout. I would highly recommend doing this and being honest with yourself during and after the test. Don't risk an injury by trying to just get through the workout! Remember: Correct muscle engagement and form, form, form!! Have Fun....i'm going to be sore for the next week!!

Just a few words on....P90X

I recently acquired a copy of one session of the P90X workout series. This workout was titled, "Core Synergistics".

First of all, I want to say that this is a great core workout. The series of exercises are taken from a variety of disciplines and has a great foundation in functional strength and fitness. The workouts can be performed with minimal accessories and there is no need to join a gym to get a great 45-60 minute total body workout. From a fitness point of view this is cost-effective and most of all, functional!

My only warning is this: From a physical therapist's point of view, this workout should only be attempted by someone who has had some core strength/functional strength training. I have had several patients that have tried to perform the workouts and ended up with back/shoulder/hip injuries. Many of the exercises performed in this series are very advanced. Even the "modifications" that are demonstrated for beginners are somewhat advanced.

The instructor in the video is very explicit (and I agree with him totally) that if you can't perform the exercises with good form you should 1) decrease the weight 2) change the movement to an easier form 3)perform less repetitions or 4) stop!

My advice would be to consult a health care professional (doctor, physical therapist, athletic trainer) or a reputable fitness professional before beginning these workout programs. Many of these professionals will be able to assist with demonstrating lower level exercises that will eventually lead to successful performance of the more advanced exercises in P90X.

Again, I give a thumbs up to the P90X workouts. Just use common sense when trying to complete the workouts and remember that your form when doing these exercises is the most important thing. If the form is not good and you're not engaging the right muscles at the right time, you might be risking injury.

A Change of Pace/Half Marathon Training Part 2

For those of you who are planning to run a May or June half marathon, March is a good time to begin thinking about a change of pace. This is especially true if you want to do more than just finish. With two months in the books with a gradual increase in long runs and weekly mileage now is the time to add anaerobic threshold workouts such as tempo runs, cruise intervals and maybe even some aerobic capacity runs (vo2 max). To get the most out of speed training, it is important to understand what these terms mean and how do these types of workouts. Click on the underlined words for the McMillan running calculator for pace goals and for excellent definitions of these terms.

Two examples of anaerobic threshold training (AT)are tempo runs and cruise intervals. A heart rate monitor really helps keep my effort on these workouts in check. It keeps me from pushing too hard and from slacking off. The Runner's Web is a good place to find heart rate training zones.

My early season speed workouts are blind tempo runs of 20-60 minutes. For example, on my first tempo run of the season I ran for 20 minutes on an unknown course length. My goal pace was to keep my heart rate in my AT heart rate zone of 157-163 bpm. When I got home I measured the distance on USATF course calculator. I am not concerned about the distance until after the run. On the next tempo run I ran the same workout but on another unknown course. This time I was able to cover more distance was able to still keep my heart rate in my AT zone. Sometimes, I will do tempo runs in the last half of a longer run. I will usually alternate between these tempo runs or cruise intervals from week to week.

Cruise intervals are described in Jack Daniel's book, Peak Running Performance. These are another form of anaerobic threshold workouts. For example, I will do 3 to 6, 1 mile repeats within my AT heart rate zone or at 10k pace. After each 1 mile I will take a very short rest (for me approximately 1 minute). Each 1 mile repeat must be maintained at the goal pace with a variation of only 2-5 seconds. These miles should be hard but manageable.

I will sometimes add in an aerobic capacity workout. These are nearly all out speed workouts with a long recovery interval. I may run 3-4, 1 mile repeats but much harder/ within my AC heart rate zone. However instead of a short rest interval, I will take a full recovery approximately 3-5 minutes. For example, I may run 3 x's 1 at a pace near 5:30 or faster while keeping my heart rate between 163-177 bpm. Between each 1 mile, I will take a full rest (no jogging) until I am completely recovered.

Basically, these speed workouts will improve my ability to handle a faster pace for longer periods of time. I now am at the age where I can only do one speed workout and a long run a week. If I do more than that very often I don't recover well and run the risk of an injury. I still will deload every 2 weeks by lowering my quality miles as well as my weekly mileage by 25%. I also will alter these workouts around any tune up races. Remember rest is also a very important part of training. After a heavy load the body must have enough time to recover and rebuild. When in doubt, I will reschedule a hard run if I am having any symptoms or pain during my average day. Hopefully this post was helpful in explaining the need for speed and how to include it in half marathon training. In April, I will review tapering for the big race.

Note to readers:
Always consult a physician before starting any exercise program.