After reading this interesting blog; http://peakperformance.runnersworld.com/2012/03/a-key-training-question-when-to-add-more-miles-when-more-speed/ I decided I may give this HIIT business a go. High Intensity Interval Training is basically some very short but VERY hard intervals interspersed with some very easy recovery – in this instance I followed Amby’s suggestion of six x 30sec all-out sprints with about three and a half minutes of walking/jogging in between. I rarely have need to sprint anywhere so am a little out of practice and felt a bit silly sprinting round the park like a mad man, but sprint I did. Immediately niggling my right hamstring. I am also really slow. As I was running I thought to myself ‘really? is THIS how fast you can run?’. I guess this training will also increase my sprinting ability, not that that is what it is for or what I am interested in, but you never know when you’ll need to scarper out the way of an avalanche or some marauding chavs.
The niggle didn’t get any worse so I managed the six sprints, getting a bit slower each time. It hurts. Though that’s no surprise, trying to squash a whole workout into three minutes of effort will do that. Now, if the gains are as good as people report but the resultant fatigue less, this could be an important component in my training. As soon as I get back to commuting on foot three times a week, I could do HIIT on the other two days.
I also realised the old trainers I keep at work are well past their best, squidging all over the place (the ‘cell’ cushioning has all cracked in the heel, stupid design anyway) – although as sprinting is much more on the forefoot, it makes little difference so they’ll do for this HIIT for a while longer in these austere times.
After the worst climbing session in years last night, flailing around on 6as and running out of power almost immediately, I could really do with discovering a HIIT equivalent for climbing...
No comments:
Post a Comment