windwalker
I need an Adventure
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
- Messages
- 6,477
There are times as an adult athlete when you rise to another level as an athlete and become a stronger person. As you get better at your sport you also gain a better understanding of "You", and your body.
When I was a martial artist, I struggled with the kicks and the moves untill low and behold they suddenly became easier. The big breakthrough there was in the stretching. Once I started stretching beyound my comfort level I started to improve, for me, dramaticly. Although I would never be a champion I was at least a good competitor and started learning new moves more easily.
As a runner I paid my dues with gutting it out on the long slow plodding jogs. It got easier the more I did it but it still seemed as though I was missing a point somewhere. Then as I got more and more into it and my muscles developed with the hours of training, more and more I had those magic runs where you go fast but the effort required is much less. Then I could just go out and do it and let my body do what I had trained it to do. I felt like I could run forever some days. The breakthorugh there was just learning to relax and let the run flow.
Now as a race walker I'm at the point where I was at the other to sports, wondering when it will all come together and I can transend from being a good walker to a better walker.
My plan is to attack it from several angles:
Stretching regularly: I think that is important in any sport but if your like me that is a part that is often neglected. I stretch a few minutes after training but I'm talking about stretching as a workout of it's own, like taking a yoga class or following a pilaties tape.
Nutrition: Da, ya think? Primarily looking at getting back to not eating deep fried anything and less processed stuff. I don't do soft drinks, finally put those behind me years ago along with the ignorance of smoking.
Relaxing: walking like running is all about relaxing and letting your body move, the tighter you are the less efficient you are. Lots of good training will make me stronger but learning to relax I believe will make me faster.
Training: I train about 20 to 30 miles a week, which is ok, but the miles have to be quality and hit all the levels. As the saying goes "Running/walking lots of long slow miles prepares you to be great at long slow miles'. So I'm making sure I get in a long slow walk, a tempo walk, an interval workout and a time trial each week.
Thanks for reading and hope to see most of you on the course for the half and or the full at WDW this January. I'm ready for some magic.
Dave
When I was a martial artist, I struggled with the kicks and the moves untill low and behold they suddenly became easier. The big breakthrough there was in the stretching. Once I started stretching beyound my comfort level I started to improve, for me, dramaticly. Although I would never be a champion I was at least a good competitor and started learning new moves more easily.
As a runner I paid my dues with gutting it out on the long slow plodding jogs. It got easier the more I did it but it still seemed as though I was missing a point somewhere. Then as I got more and more into it and my muscles developed with the hours of training, more and more I had those magic runs where you go fast but the effort required is much less. Then I could just go out and do it and let my body do what I had trained it to do. I felt like I could run forever some days. The breakthorugh there was just learning to relax and let the run flow.
Now as a race walker I'm at the point where I was at the other to sports, wondering when it will all come together and I can transend from being a good walker to a better walker.
My plan is to attack it from several angles:
Stretching regularly: I think that is important in any sport but if your like me that is a part that is often neglected. I stretch a few minutes after training but I'm talking about stretching as a workout of it's own, like taking a yoga class or following a pilaties tape.
Nutrition: Da, ya think? Primarily looking at getting back to not eating deep fried anything and less processed stuff. I don't do soft drinks, finally put those behind me years ago along with the ignorance of smoking.
Relaxing: walking like running is all about relaxing and letting your body move, the tighter you are the less efficient you are. Lots of good training will make me stronger but learning to relax I believe will make me faster.
Training: I train about 20 to 30 miles a week, which is ok, but the miles have to be quality and hit all the levels. As the saying goes "Running/walking lots of long slow miles prepares you to be great at long slow miles'. So I'm making sure I get in a long slow walk, a tempo walk, an interval workout and a time trial each week.
Thanks for reading and hope to see most of you on the course for the half and or the full at WDW this January. I'm ready for some magic.
Dave
