A Running Commentary of Thoughts...
My Running this week has taken a wild turn as of late. Tuesday was fine, but Thursday's morning run got postponed and then cancelled out. Basically, I was too busy with work, then with coaching, and my body was just telling me to flat-out rest from a crazy week. I'm come to certain points with my job where if I am really over-worked during the day, my workouts at night are not effective or fulfilling. So, I've taken some quality rest and plan for a good weekend run. Even my weekend plans of a 5K have been cancelled. Long story short: my little dog Spike accidentally bit someone on Tuesday night at a football game, so now he has to stay home and be quarantined as a precautionary measure for a few days. So, that keeps me home for a while now, and cancelled out my trip. My plans are to do either a 1600m or 800m time trial, or do a hefty 400m workout for the weekend. I also may choose to do the local 5K route for our race we had this summer in town, if the arrows are still painted on our roads and I remember the route again...
Anyways, its Friday night, I need a good night to relax for a bit, so after working on a kettlebell routine for my new volleyball team I'm now coaching, I wanted to do something called a 'Running Commentary of Thoughts'...just some ramblings about fitness/sports stuff from yours truly.
1. Why is it that I keep seeing articles of workouts that tout the effect of "This one is going to hurt and possibly make you toss your lunch in the end..."???? Please, SOMEONE, just SHOW ME THE PROOF that one needs to VOMIT in order to improve. Can anyone show me a scientifically proven study or text that specifically states that vomit-inducing workouts are a must if performance is meant to be improved? I am sick of battling this stereotype in fitness/sports training: the notion that one must work out so damn hard that they will end up puking in the end to 'approve' of its effectiveness or not. One of my college professors at Southwest Minnesota State University, Dr. Brent Jeffers (quite possibly the most influential leader/instructor I had in my education of exercise science, in a tie with Dr. Martin Johnson of Mayville State University), he brought up this issue one time in a class we had. He also stated the obvious: that there are no scientific facts or proof that one must vomit from a workout for it to be deemed effective. Most vomiting that occurs, he believes, is caused by the body's fight-or-flight response to stress. That makes more sense to me, than the notion of 'vomiting = effectiveness'. I myself have yet to throw up from a workout, yet I see improvements in my training. I also want to bring up the logical points of championship performances or world-record-breaking performances in athletics: Do you see hoards of teams or winners of races, tossing their cookies at the end of their event? Is the winner of the Super Bowl every year throwing up in the end zone? Did Usain Bolt, when he recently smashed the 100m world record with a blazin' 9.59 seconds, was he throwing up after recording the FASTEST TIME EVER that a human has ran in the world? I rest my case.
2. I got the latest issue of Runners World a couple weeks ago. There's an article in there on a phenom miler for our country, who's currently at Oregon. I wish the best for this young athlete, but I really dislike the comparisons to Steve Prefontaine, who was perhaps the most glorified runner to ever come from the U of Oregon, and perhaps from our own country. You see, the problem I have with comparing people to others and making them feel that they have to achieve more in order to be their own person 'above' the god-like status of another athlete is that it leaves out one major factor. Every individual is unique, precious, and unrepeatable, as the late, great Pope John Paul II often said on the dignity & value of human life. Being a Catholic, this resonates within me with how I look at each athlete I have coached or trained. I struggled with this as a young athlete, always wanting to be 'the next' someone. Now I realize the only one I have to be is THE Rick Karboviak, not anyone else. I'm a 32 year old, 5:32 miler who wishes he had the speed to do a 4:30 mile, but perhaps has to settle for a quest of obtaining 4:59 instead. And please, don't give me that 'anyone can do anything' crap, because that can only go so far. If 'anyone can do anything', than you're telling me a 300 pound couch potato with no exercising in his life, could beat Lance Armstrong on equal bikes on an equal race course. Each person has their own unique gifts, and they can do anything they want with those gifts, but those gifts are not equal amongst us all. Don't tell me that anyone can do anything as an end-all, be-all statement of fact. ----Anyways, back to topic----- So, I hope this young man at Oregon realizes that he must be his own person, his own uniqueness, and establish his own legacy, not trying to copy another's in hopes of attaining another's high status. "Pre" was a gift to the sport of running, and I hope this young, 20-year-old runner can realize that he is a unique gift to the sport of running on his own. So, if there is a chance that this young man featured in Runners World is reading this, here's what I say to you: Good luck, and be your own, using the gifts you have been given, in the best way you can. Learn from your coaches and other leaders in your life. Use their knowledge & wisdom to help you grow into the best runner, and most importantly, best person, you can be.
3. I still think kettlebell training can be a 'secret weapon' in a runner's training regimen. They do not have to be a 'mutant' type to gain such benefits. Look at the kettlebell training methods as akin to running hill sprints. You have something to gain from hill sprints, just as you have strength & power to gain from kettlebell training movements. Don't wait until other runners start doing it and making it 'mainstream'. Believe me, I feel it will never really get to 'mainstream' amongst runners because too many of them follow old training rules and principles that are stuck in past decades. So, start doing some kettlebell stuff and your body will start thanking you for it. I just don't credit my state champion 1600m, 800m, and 400m racing wins this year to my running workouts alone: my kettlebells had a helping hand in a LOT of that. I'm running faster now at 32 than I was at 23-24. Kettlebells & new high intensity interval training methods I've learned have been the biggest difference for me, from then to now. http://KettleBolics.com is a good place to start. GPS speed training & Kettlebells are something you're not going to find paired together, anywhere else, on any other running product site. Even my http://RocketSpeedTraining.com package has a simple Kettlebell 'Power & Control' workout to mesh with a 7-minute mile training program, plus a lot more. Bottom line: kettlebells are for more than just football players or fitness freaks. They are for runners, too. Grab a hold of one, & go....now!
4. It's been over a week now since I started up an assistant coaching job for my high school's volleyball squad. It feels GREAT to be back at your old high school, coaching a sport. I had so many great, great memories as a high school athlete & from the sidelines & benches as a student athletic trainer. Not to mention the tremendous insight of my school's coaches. Now, I hope I can pass some of that along to the next generation of athletes I work with. This is why I love sports: the circle of experiences continues from generation to generation like that...coaches teaching athletes, athletes becoming coaches, and continuing the cycle.
5. I'm highly thinking of training for a triathlon for next May. Yes, it is that far out, but it would be for the one I first did back in 2004, up in Thief River Falls, MN. A triathlon I trained for within 2 months' time of finding out it was even happening. The first one was a thrill, the 2nd one was a ton better because of a more concise strategy I took for it. My internet-training-buddy, trainer Sarah Rippel of http://fitprosarah.com fame, has a triathlon coming up in a matter of days, and has been doing a lot of quality training for it. The buzz she has been expressing about this event, well, it has me buzzing about doing a 3rd sprint triathlon for next year. I have a few months to fully decide on this, because it would mean I'd have to get a quality indoor bike for some serious training during the winter. Either that or get an indoor cycle trainer for my bike. I have no pool nearby me other than one that's 25 miles away, and the logisitics of that wouldn't pan out quite well financially or time-wise either. This is where my KB workouts would fit in as my replacement for the swimming portion. My thoughts on a sprint triathlon is that the bike & the run are the break-points. A great swim time is wonderful to have, but from the times I've seen in the swim sections, most were done in as little as 5 minutes and for me, up to 10 minutes, for a 500m swim. A 5 minute difference there could be made up with 3-4 minutes better on the bike, and 1-2 minutes with a quality run portion. So, to me, the swim is a warm-up for the rest of the race. I'm sure the longer you swim for in longer tri's, the more it becomes an important factor for your time. In the sprint distances however, I don't think its a great, major, do-or-die break point. That's just me. So, I have to do some serious thinking on my winter training plans and where I'm headed with it for my 2010 goals. I do have some state titles to 'defend' in my age bracket at the state amateur meet....
5. Brett Favre is still a Viking. Being from North Dakota and having been raised a Vikings fan here, I am not going to get really excited about this until the REAL season begins. Much like in running seasons in high school, the preseason indoor meets will show you how everyone looks with the rust still on them. The region & state meets will show you who's ended up looking shiny & spectacular after being grinded by the rigors of the regular season. I still believe in the Herschel Walker Curse that's been put on the Vikings, so if Favre can break that curse, more power to him.
'Til next time....
Run Strong, Run Fast...
Run So As To Win!
Coach Rick Karboviak
http://1MileNation.com
http://ASAPWorkouts.com
Anyways, its Friday night, I need a good night to relax for a bit, so after working on a kettlebell routine for my new volleyball team I'm now coaching, I wanted to do something called a 'Running Commentary of Thoughts'...just some ramblings about fitness/sports stuff from yours truly.
1. Why is it that I keep seeing articles of workouts that tout the effect of "This one is going to hurt and possibly make you toss your lunch in the end..."???? Please, SOMEONE, just SHOW ME THE PROOF that one needs to VOMIT in order to improve. Can anyone show me a scientifically proven study or text that specifically states that vomit-inducing workouts are a must if performance is meant to be improved? I am sick of battling this stereotype in fitness/sports training: the notion that one must work out so damn hard that they will end up puking in the end to 'approve' of its effectiveness or not. One of my college professors at Southwest Minnesota State University, Dr. Brent Jeffers (quite possibly the most influential leader/instructor I had in my education of exercise science, in a tie with Dr. Martin Johnson of Mayville State University), he brought up this issue one time in a class we had. He also stated the obvious: that there are no scientific facts or proof that one must vomit from a workout for it to be deemed effective. Most vomiting that occurs, he believes, is caused by the body's fight-or-flight response to stress. That makes more sense to me, than the notion of 'vomiting = effectiveness'. I myself have yet to throw up from a workout, yet I see improvements in my training. I also want to bring up the logical points of championship performances or world-record-breaking performances in athletics: Do you see hoards of teams or winners of races, tossing their cookies at the end of their event? Is the winner of the Super Bowl every year throwing up in the end zone? Did Usain Bolt, when he recently smashed the 100m world record with a blazin' 9.59 seconds, was he throwing up after recording the FASTEST TIME EVER that a human has ran in the world? I rest my case.
2. I got the latest issue of Runners World a couple weeks ago. There's an article in there on a phenom miler for our country, who's currently at Oregon. I wish the best for this young athlete, but I really dislike the comparisons to Steve Prefontaine, who was perhaps the most glorified runner to ever come from the U of Oregon, and perhaps from our own country. You see, the problem I have with comparing people to others and making them feel that they have to achieve more in order to be their own person 'above' the god-like status of another athlete is that it leaves out one major factor. Every individual is unique, precious, and unrepeatable, as the late, great Pope John Paul II often said on the dignity & value of human life. Being a Catholic, this resonates within me with how I look at each athlete I have coached or trained. I struggled with this as a young athlete, always wanting to be 'the next' someone. Now I realize the only one I have to be is THE Rick Karboviak, not anyone else. I'm a 32 year old, 5:32 miler who wishes he had the speed to do a 4:30 mile, but perhaps has to settle for a quest of obtaining 4:59 instead. And please, don't give me that 'anyone can do anything' crap, because that can only go so far. If 'anyone can do anything', than you're telling me a 300 pound couch potato with no exercising in his life, could beat Lance Armstrong on equal bikes on an equal race course. Each person has their own unique gifts, and they can do anything they want with those gifts, but those gifts are not equal amongst us all. Don't tell me that anyone can do anything as an end-all, be-all statement of fact. ----Anyways, back to topic----- So, I hope this young man at Oregon realizes that he must be his own person, his own uniqueness, and establish his own legacy, not trying to copy another's in hopes of attaining another's high status. "Pre" was a gift to the sport of running, and I hope this young, 20-year-old runner can realize that he is a unique gift to the sport of running on his own. So, if there is a chance that this young man featured in Runners World is reading this, here's what I say to you: Good luck, and be your own, using the gifts you have been given, in the best way you can. Learn from your coaches and other leaders in your life. Use their knowledge & wisdom to help you grow into the best runner, and most importantly, best person, you can be.
3. I still think kettlebell training can be a 'secret weapon' in a runner's training regimen. They do not have to be a 'mutant' type to gain such benefits. Look at the kettlebell training methods as akin to running hill sprints. You have something to gain from hill sprints, just as you have strength & power to gain from kettlebell training movements. Don't wait until other runners start doing it and making it 'mainstream'. Believe me, I feel it will never really get to 'mainstream' amongst runners because too many of them follow old training rules and principles that are stuck in past decades. So, start doing some kettlebell stuff and your body will start thanking you for it. I just don't credit my state champion 1600m, 800m, and 400m racing wins this year to my running workouts alone: my kettlebells had a helping hand in a LOT of that. I'm running faster now at 32 than I was at 23-24. Kettlebells & new high intensity interval training methods I've learned have been the biggest difference for me, from then to now. http://KettleBolics.com is a good place to start. GPS speed training & Kettlebells are something you're not going to find paired together, anywhere else, on any other running product site. Even my http://RocketSpeedTraining.com package has a simple Kettlebell 'Power & Control' workout to mesh with a 7-minute mile training program, plus a lot more. Bottom line: kettlebells are for more than just football players or fitness freaks. They are for runners, too. Grab a hold of one, & go....now!
4. It's been over a week now since I started up an assistant coaching job for my high school's volleyball squad. It feels GREAT to be back at your old high school, coaching a sport. I had so many great, great memories as a high school athlete & from the sidelines & benches as a student athletic trainer. Not to mention the tremendous insight of my school's coaches. Now, I hope I can pass some of that along to the next generation of athletes I work with. This is why I love sports: the circle of experiences continues from generation to generation like that...coaches teaching athletes, athletes becoming coaches, and continuing the cycle.
5. I'm highly thinking of training for a triathlon for next May. Yes, it is that far out, but it would be for the one I first did back in 2004, up in Thief River Falls, MN. A triathlon I trained for within 2 months' time of finding out it was even happening. The first one was a thrill, the 2nd one was a ton better because of a more concise strategy I took for it. My internet-training-buddy, trainer Sarah Rippel of http://fitprosarah.com fame, has a triathlon coming up in a matter of days, and has been doing a lot of quality training for it. The buzz she has been expressing about this event, well, it has me buzzing about doing a 3rd sprint triathlon for next year. I have a few months to fully decide on this, because it would mean I'd have to get a quality indoor bike for some serious training during the winter. Either that or get an indoor cycle trainer for my bike. I have no pool nearby me other than one that's 25 miles away, and the logisitics of that wouldn't pan out quite well financially or time-wise either. This is where my KB workouts would fit in as my replacement for the swimming portion. My thoughts on a sprint triathlon is that the bike & the run are the break-points. A great swim time is wonderful to have, but from the times I've seen in the swim sections, most were done in as little as 5 minutes and for me, up to 10 minutes, for a 500m swim. A 5 minute difference there could be made up with 3-4 minutes better on the bike, and 1-2 minutes with a quality run portion. So, to me, the swim is a warm-up for the rest of the race. I'm sure the longer you swim for in longer tri's, the more it becomes an important factor for your time. In the sprint distances however, I don't think its a great, major, do-or-die break point. That's just me. So, I have to do some serious thinking on my winter training plans and where I'm headed with it for my 2010 goals. I do have some state titles to 'defend' in my age bracket at the state amateur meet....
5. Brett Favre is still a Viking. Being from North Dakota and having been raised a Vikings fan here, I am not going to get really excited about this until the REAL season begins. Much like in running seasons in high school, the preseason indoor meets will show you how everyone looks with the rust still on them. The region & state meets will show you who's ended up looking shiny & spectacular after being grinded by the rigors of the regular season. I still believe in the Herschel Walker Curse that's been put on the Vikings, so if Favre can break that curse, more power to him.
'Til next time....
Run Strong, Run Fast...
Run So As To Win!
Coach Rick Karboviak
http://1MileNation.com
http://ASAPWorkouts.com
Posted by 1 Mile Nation at 8/28/2009 6:45 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: kettlebells interval training
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: kettlebells interval training
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