Running Question

RA89 · 07-18-2009, 08:50 PM

Right now I have a number of goals and I'm not sure which type of running to do.

I want to improve stamina for grappling AND become much more leaner AND faster

I got S & P and grappling-specific endurance covered but with regards to my running I'm not sure how to divide between slow long distance running and HIIT. Would it be advisable to leave slow paced running out entirely?

Also, what is the maximum days a week one should look to do HIIT?

JCninja · 07-20-2009, 09:19 AM

It really all depends . . . do you run now? If not start - go for time (don't worry about distance)- run every other day (so tendons, ligaments etc can adapt). Once your body says, "Okay I can do this!" then you can worry about a training program.
I find variety to be the best thing. I run (5k,10k, 1/2marathons) and I train in BJJ - so it's tough to balance weights+yoga+mat time+runs.
Variety will keep you from getting injured and get you the results you want.
HIIT is awesome, but to be a balanced athlete I wouldn't do it every day.
Runners avoid burn out and injury by making each run have a different goal. (IMHO that applies to every kind of athletic training.)
If you can only get in three runs a week, do a distance, a HIIT and a steady effort, well paced, mid-distance run. If you can run four days a week, then do HIIT twice.
There are benefits to training in HIIT and distance. In order to do the things you want to do I would do both. (For VO2 max, lower resting heart rate, greater recovery time between max efforts, muscle endurance, weight loss etc)
I would also run at least every other day. In order to be a well rounded runner with great cardio I do at least a long distance run (right now I do 10-15miles), HIIT twice or (HIIT and a hill workout) and a middle distance run where I work on my pace (10k).
We all read about how this fighter or that fighter does HIIT twice a day or all they train is HIIT. They are also elite athletes and I guarantee that they were doing LSD to develop better cardio at one point in their training.
When I look at the guys I roll with, most of them have horrible cardio. Some of them run -but most of them do not run hard enough or long enough.
Another way to improve your cardio on the mat is simply to take less breaks during open mat. A lot of guys get outside their comfort zone and take a break.
There's a lot of guys who are better grapplers than me, but their cardio is so terrible that they frequently go into panic mode and stop thinking on the mat, get scared and then take a break. It makes me sad when I see guys "give up" during open mat because their cardio sucks.
Or their egos get in the way and impede their own growth by NOT making their mat time about their development -working outside their comfort zones - getting tapped frequently and learning to roll while completely gassed so that their tank gets bigger and can hold more.
It's sooo cliche but so true -the more you tap, the more you learn - it applies to just about everything with grappling.
Here's another little tidbit I like, "No matter how hard you think you are working - work 10% harder."

RA89 · 07-20-2009, 09:53 AM

Cool man, thanks for the response, will be using this advice.

OrangePJsII** · 07-20-2009, 10:03 AM

I used to compete on the European circuit as well as go down to the States for x-country and track competitions as a distance runner, if you do forty minutes a day of running, not the stop and go stuff that comes with traffic lights then you will find that your cardio will skyrocket, if you do not do much when it comes to anaerobic training. However, if you already have good conditioning the additional run is not going to do much.

pliftkl · 07-20-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RA89

I got S & P and grappling-specific endurance covered but with regards to my running I'm not sure how to divide between slow long distance running and HIIT. Would it be advisable to leave slow paced running out entirely?

What's your current resting heart rate? If it's much over 60, I'd focus mostly on the distance running, until you get it down. If you are already in the 50's, you are probably fine focusing purely on HIIT.

JRT6 · 07-20-2009, 08:21 PM

The assertion that most people who fail at running because they don't do it hard or long enough I believe is the exact opposite of the truth. I think most guys who really want to run, run too much and run too fast. Especially the too fast part, I can see the not often part, but almost every runner deals with pacing too fast.

Ifight4Beer · 07-21-2009, 01:26 AM

If you are doing a sport like any form of wrestling or BJJ, running would be the #1 thing I would do, and not just one style, sprints, hill sprints, 5k as fast as you can run it, and the occasianal 6 or 7 mile run. mix that with a couple hours on the mat every day and the pushups, workouts and conditioning you do there and you'll be in the best sape you can be in for a (not world class grapiler). oh and I find that hiit is easiest run on the tradmill so the days you can't hit the road or field thats when you run HARD hiit runs for about 30 minutes.