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Crosstrain for Speedwork (Read 1606 times)


Cool as a Cucumber

    I strained a tendon (flexor digitum longus) and have been told to take off 4 days. However, since this is XC season, and I was planning on doing some intervals and speedwork, what can I do to crosstrain for speedwork? I have a jump rope and was planning on doing some HIIT with that, though I'd like a little more guidance.

    The pavement fears me.

    xhristopher


      Four days off? That's nothin.
      xor


        When you were told to "take off 4 days" was that... from running... or was that rest that tendon for four days?

         


        Cool as a Cucumber

          When you were told to "take off 4 days" was that... from running... or was that rest that tendon for four days?

           

          I was told from running, but the idea is to rest the tendon.

          The pavement fears me.

            Id say the best cross training for you for 4 day would be to sit on the couch and put your feet up.......you'll feel great after 4 days and you'll probably be faster  because you took a rest break......4 days is nothing.....

            Champions are made when no one is watching


            Why is it sideways?

              Aqua running, if you have access to a pool. You can do intervals and everything. It's stupefying, but it works.

              AmoresPerros


              Options,Account, Forums

                I'd think you might want to avoid exercise that involves motions impacting that tendon. I'm no doctor, but doesn't that sound like giving jump rope a pass?

                It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.

                  Aqua running, if you have access to a pool. You can do intervals and everything. It's stupefying, but it works.

                   

                  +1  Lots of good stuff here: http://pfitzinger.com/labreports/water.shtml

                   

                  And it is insanely stupefying, but you only need to do it for 4 days, not 9 weeks. 

                  joescott


                    Aqua running, if you have access to a pool. You can do intervals and everything. It's stupefying, but it works.

                     

                    Tom, Jeff, really this works equivalently to running "intervals and everything"?  Elucidate.

                    - Joe

                    We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.

                      Tom, Jeff, really this works equivalently to running "intervals and everything"?  Elucidate.

                       

                      Joe,

                       

                      Is it equal... not exactly, but It's about the closest thing to actually running,w/out the pounding and stress on the joints,tendons and ligaments.  I'd say from a running fitness standpoint, it's superior to cycling, and the elliptical. The key though with aqua jogging, as is pointed out in the Pfitzinger article as well as by my coach, you just can't get in a pool and lolligag. You have to really work at it.   A couple winters ago I was following the Pfitzinger plan the best i could -- our city deep water area has limited hours -- and I did lots of long intervals in the water, as well as long steady "runs".   It was pretty exhausting. 

                       

                      A few differences I've noticed: it's nearly impossible to get your heart rate equivalent to land running, it's nearly impossible to get your cadence equivalent to land running, and you'll feel more tired in the upper body than you do with land running. 

                       

                      Tom

                       

                      From the Pfitzinger Site:

                       

                      Why deep water running?

                      Depending on your specific injury, you may be able to cycle, row, or use a cross country skiing simulator. If you can do these activities without interfering with your recovery, then by all means include them in your cross training program. Unfortunately, a number of running injuries are aggravated by these other types of exercise. Fortunately, with most running injuries, you can safely run in the water. Deep water running with a flotation vest provides an excellent training stimulus, and more closely simulates land running than most other cross training options. Running in the water is a total body exercise that works your legs, trunk, and arms, and positively stresses your cardiovascular system.

                       

                      Several studies have verified that deep water running can be used by runners to maintain fitness. Investigators from Florida State University coerced a group of trained male runners to run in the water while another group continued regular training. The runners were tested for VO2 max, lactate threshold, and running economy before and after 6 weeks of water running. The water running group fully maintained their aerobic fitness over the 6 weeks. Similarly, a study by Ed Eyestone (yes that Ed Eyestone) and colleagues at Brigham Young University found no change in 2 mile run time after runners trained in the water for 6 weeks. Additional support for the fitness benefits of water running is provided by a study from the exercise physiology lab at the University of Toledo, in which trained runners ran in the water 5 to 6 days per week for 4 weeks. These runners had no change in 5 km performance time, VO2 max, lactate threshold, or running economy after 4 weeks of water running. So, there is little question that water running is an effective method for runners to stay fit.

                       

                        I strained a tendon (flexor digitum longus) and have been told to take off 4 days. However, since this is XC season, and I was planning on doing some intervals and speedwork, what can I do to crosstrain for speedwork? I have a jump rope and was planning on doing some HIIT with that, though I'd like a little more guidance.

                        What did Jeff teach you?

                         

                        You have basically 2 things you need to accomplish:

                         

                        1) to heal your injury; meaning, you don't use that part of the foot.

                        2) to achieve training effect of what you classified as "speed work"

                         

                        I'd imagine what you meant is to get your body ready to race; meaning, you "train anaerobically" or, for those who get fussy about technically-incorrect terms, to train your body to withstand excess oxygen debt.  There are other things as well of coruse, but mainly, this is it.  So basically you do whatever the exercise that won't aggrevate your injury and do repeats of one hard--one easy.  If you do it in a form of aqua running, you run VERY hard--hard enough that you get breathlessness--, maybe for, say, 1:30 or 2-minutes; and then go easy to recover for either same duration or a little bit longer, say, for 3 minutes...and repeat.  If you do it in a form of stationary bike, you do just the same--you push peddaling for 1:30 or 2-minutes or 3-minutes or whatever; slow down and recover...and repeat.  You do this kind of workout in total (excluding warm-up and cool-down) for about a half an hour or 40 or 45 minutes. 

                         

                        Mary Decker had some injury problem in the spring of 1983.  She trained in pool in a form of aqua-running.  She got out of water and (if I remember it correctly) within 5 days or so, she ran the fastest 2000m in that year; went on and won 2 gold medals in Helsinki World Championships.