Sick of running but....

Question
QUESTION: Hi
I have been running now for 10 years but have just in the past 2 years started sprinting in my runs. I run 3 times per week for 40 minutes at high intensity. I get so puffed at during the run, but l am worried that if l lower my intensity l will gain weight. If l new l could just walk on my treadmill on an incline for 40 minutes instead or go for a slow jog and not gain weight l would do it. I hate beating myself up like this each week and don't enjoy suffering like this each week. I don't feel better afterwards usually l just feel more tired.  My weight is at the normal range, and l am 38 years old.

I want to break this torture on myself and find a more comfortable enjoyable way of exercising but like l said, l am afraid my body will change shape and l will gain weight.

Thanks
Sue


ANSWER: What kind of high intensity are you referring to...the reason I ask is that most high intensity workouts are much shorter in duration than 40 minutes, most are only 15-20 minutes long if a high intensity interval plan is done right.  If by high intensity you are referring to a race-pace level of running over 40 minutes, well, yes, that's some torture to put on your body at even 3x a week: its like having 3 races a week that way.  

If weight gain is your main concern, I would recommend doing much shorter workouts with intervals.  I have a few articles/guides on this over at my athlete site, http://asapworkouts.com. The Peak Minutes Plan & Tabata Turbo Training are two guides worth the read.  I also would mention or ask about your current strength training: are you doing any, because if you are going by running alone for weight management, you're going to risk burning up a lot of muscle and losing bone mass, too.  Strength training is just as important for bone health as it is for keeping lean muscle & strength.  Focusing on a total body routine for strength training will help in this regard.  My athlete training guide, The ASAP Way, can help you get some insight on it.  It is geared towards youth athletes but the principles can remain similar for the general fitness enthusiast. Push, Pull, Squat, & Bend: by focusing on actions instead of seperate muscle groups, you will help in training the whole body to become stronger with those actions. Lunging & Twisting can also be incorporated later on.  My "Mini-Max Method" guide, also found on the ASAPWorkouts.com site, gives you some insight into why I recommend such a workout structure.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Coach Rick Karboviak

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi
I do sprints of roughly about 40 seconds with 3 minutes of easier running, but the sprints of 40 seconds are uphill and usually l am completely puffed out.

In your website you mention jumping rope, why do you advice this as apposed to running? Could l do this with running? What time frame would l do it for?

Also, yes l do strength training for about 10 minutes on the days that l run before l go out for a run. In that l use dumbels and do floor crunches and also, lunges. The weights l use l think they are 3 kg weights. Total time is usually about 10-15 minutes.

Having said all that, do you believe l need to cut down on my running time? I just want to maintain my weight and l don't really need to lose any at all.

What l find really strange though, and l must say this now. Is that l have a couple of friends who used to work out each and every day, quiet seriously as well, and what l found really quiet interesting is that, when they stopped exercising altogether they didn't gain weight at all, if anything they lost more weight and in my opinion looked healthier and slimmer. They even said themselve, many times, why did they push themselves so hard all these years. One lady used to compete in triathalons, and in my opinion has a much nicer body now and she seems happier. She used to get so run down and tired all the time.


Regards
Sue

ANSWER: Sue,
Your sprints & easy running routine looks good on paper, but in reality, the sprints + incline is too much: you are perhaps better off focusing on 15-30s bursts done on a flat stretch.  I assume you're doing this on a treadmill?  Just guessing there.  

I advise the jump rope as a break-away from the traditional methods for the short term.  It can be used as a substitute & supplement to running, no problem.  The time frames I suggest are in my Mini-Max Method guide as a framework to start with.  

Your strength training routine doesn't appear to be well-rounded in terms of actions that the body goes through.  If you are mainly just doing crunches & lunges, you are missing out on some key exercise actions for the rest of your body.  If you train the whole body in action-based movements (pushing, pulling, squatting, bending, lunging, twisting), you will target pretty much every major muscle group of the whole body.  

As for your friends, their results after ceasing exercise are typical for some people, because after a series of long duration activities, the body finally has a chance to rest & recover from such stress.  The comments about 'why did I push myself so hard' speak to the patterns that many fall into, of doing more, & more, & more workouts & workout durations through the course of time, ending up working out every day because of that mindset of 'more is better'.  They actually found out that less is probably even better for you, because you don't have to wear yourself out through such long training bouts, day in & day out.  

I hope my responses helped answer some concerns for you.  If you need further clarification, let me know.

Coach Rick

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Rick
Actually l am running outside, because for some reason l find it harder. Am l right in saying that running outside takes more energy than running on a treadmill on a flat surface?

Getting back to what you were saying about over training. Are you saying that my friends were overtraining and therefore not losing weight? Because its when they actually stopped exercising that there size actually shrunk. I find this quiet strange. I have noticed this in other mothers who l know, None of them exercise and they all look terrific. I once read this book and l have forgotten what it was called, and l just can't seem to get my hands on it. But there was these 2 men who used to run marathons, and then one day they decided to stop completely, and just implement being more active around the house or work during the day. There weight didn't change and maybe even  lost a small amount of weight and were saying in the book that you don't need to exercise that much to keep fit and at a healthy weight. They also didn't miss running at all, and said they never felt healthier. Of course they watched there diets and ate very well.

What do you make of this? I don't know if any studies have been done on what happens when people stop training so hard and eat relative to there nutritional and energy needs?

Thanks
Sue

Answer
Running outside is harder than on the treadmill, mainly because you are working against all forces of nature, versus just trying to keep up to a certain speed with no wind resistance.  

As for your friends: overtraining can cause weight loss or cause it to be at a standstill as well.  As related to the marathon/long distance training methods, most people who will run those distances will do it for the enjoyment of it, moreso than for the supposed weight loss that 'should happen', and sometimes doesn't.  There might be an initial weight loss, but then the body gets used to the same old paces & distances, and doesn't change much overall throughout the course of time.  I don't know of any major studies on it, and really though, how could a study be done unless it was started from the beginning of one person starting a marathon training plan, and then tracking them for 5-10 years and then telling them they have to quit...probably not a realistic study to try & do.  

There is a large misconception that once you begin running, you have to keep building up to a marathon distance it seems, or otherwise you're 'not a real runner'.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  People can be in great shape and have less injuries/issues if they didn't seem to be caught in that trap of continually running longer & longer.  I have been writing about this on my blog over at http://1MileNation.com, look for the post on 'why I don't like long distance running'.  I just about fell into the trap of trying to run longer & longer all the time and my body just wasn't agreeing with me or liking the longer distances to run.  I felt much fitter & it was easier to recover from once I started running shorter distances & overall mileages in a week.  I really don't keep track of mileages any more, I just keep track of the types of high intensity workouts I do.

I suggest reading some things on my blog at 1MileNation.com to get some more insight.  It is also free to subscribe to the feeds, just use the subscribing tool on the sidebar & enter your email.  

Take care,
Coach Rick