I'm really liking the new gym. The weather was kind of chilly on Friday, but I got there. I'm still working on developing the routine, but I will do that, too. Here's the recap.
My roadwork varies a lot; that's how I keep interesting. I vary the duration of the roadwork sessions. I also vary the speed.
I don't really time the miles these days because I do the training somewhat unconventionally. For example, I will go fast for a while, then slow, then fast, then medium... Sometimes, I will stop and do some shadowboxing for a minute or two, and then continue on my way.
The idea is to keep myself from getting into a rut, a mindless routine. I get bored very easily, so I find the variety helps me a great deal.
In the past, I, too, tried to do regular long runs. While I still think longer roadwork has its place, I find that shorter and varied gives me better results than longer and same.
Like you, I have noticed the biggest difference in my endurance for sparring.
It's also important to remember the value of sport-specific training. Are you training to be a long-distance runner or a boxer? Perhaps you're training for both sports. For me, I used to be a distance runner, but I figured out that really long distances (say, longer than 8 miles) are not for me. Therefore, I remind myself that I'm a boxer, and the roadwork is part of the training, but not at the center of it.
Hey Steve,
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about your roadwork. How far do you run? Do you time the miles, and if so what do you shoot for?
Early on I tried 40 minute roadwork sessions, but I wasn't happy with my sparring endurance. Recently I've fallen into shorter more intense runs.
-Nerd of Steel
Hey Nerd of Steel,
ReplyDeleteMy roadwork varies a lot; that's how I keep interesting. I vary the duration of the roadwork sessions. I also vary the speed.
I don't really time the miles these days because I do the training somewhat unconventionally. For example, I will go fast for a while, then slow, then fast, then medium... Sometimes, I will stop and do some shadowboxing for a minute or two, and then continue on my way.
The idea is to keep myself from getting into a rut, a mindless routine. I get bored very easily, so I find the variety helps me a great deal.
In the past, I, too, tried to do regular long runs. While I still think longer roadwork has its place, I find that shorter and varied gives me better results than longer and same.
Like you, I have noticed the biggest difference in my endurance for sparring.
It's also important to remember the value of sport-specific training. Are you training to be a long-distance runner or a boxer? Perhaps you're training for both sports. For me, I used to be a distance runner, but I figured out that really long distances (say, longer than 8 miles) are not for me. Therefore, I remind myself that I'm a boxer, and the roadwork is part of the training, but not at the center of it.