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Crash
07-03-2003, 07:35 AM
is there such a thing?

I mean, you can overdo it and have a heart attack, but as long as you survive, it should be ok.

I know that I am completely wrong in saying this, but I don't know how wrong.

I ask because I hit the track this morning. I haven't trained seriously for MA in 2 years, and I haven't trained at all since last October. I went to the track to do a little jogging. I basically did 1/4 mile jog, 1/4 walk for a bit, then 1/8 mile jog, 1/8 mile walk, then by the end it was more like 1/8 mile jog, 1/4 mile walk. I did this for around 3 miles. I know I'm most likely seriously out of shape. Anywhos, that was this morning and this afternoon I was thinking of doing some laps in the pool for a while. Would I be overdoing it? And does it matter for someone who is just starting to train again? I figure, I didn't really even do that much on the track that it should be ok, but I did feel that jog in my quads so I'm also figuring that I did do -something-. Thanks.

fa_jing
07-03-2003, 07:55 AM
"feeling the jog in your quads" right, after a layoff usually your body tells you somehow when it needs rest. And usually it's muscular endurance that's a limiting factor at first, not cardio. Yesterday I jumped rope for 20 minutes, afterwards I felt sleepy, and last night I slept soundly. That was enough cardio for me for one day, but I had to push myself to reach that point. If you don't feel like you're pushing yourself really really hard, then it's not too much cardio. However do listen to your muscles and joints.

Crash
07-03-2003, 08:25 AM
I did start to feel a bit dizzy near the end of the run, but that could be because it was pretty warm and I was sweating like crazy and therefore a little dehydrated. I'm really not sure if it's my muscles or my heart that's worn out first. My quads did feel a bit weak after the run, but the reason why I stopped was because I was dizzy and because my heart was really racing more than it should have (which could even be from my athsma medication, but I doubt that).

fa_jing
07-03-2003, 08:45 AM
Sounds like enough cardio for today. Save it for tomorrow.

monkey mind
07-03-2003, 09:52 AM
fa_jing gives good advice. Listen to your body & get back up to speed slowly. If your heart was racing, for whatever reason, it's best to give yourself some rest. Also, there's a more psychological reason to go slow. I'm sure like me you've seen people begin training (MA or whatever) & start out with this hard core gung ho attitude. They work real hard for a while but inevitably they burn themselves out & lose interest. The best, most sustaianable way to resume a long term commitment to training is to pick things up slowly & gradually. Pace yourself & you'll stay hungry. Go nuts & you'll likely lose the motivation. Good luck.

Crash
07-03-2003, 02:03 PM
I'm sure like me you've seen people begin training (MA or whatever) & start out with this hard core gung ho attitude.


For the record, this isn't the case. I'm not worried about "newbie burnout". I've been doing this since before high school and the only reason I stopped was because I was in grad school the past 2 years and was working 14-16 hours a day. For me, hitting the track in the morning and then the pool in the afternoon isn't gung ho, but more like what I'd do normally during my summers off in college. When I started training (for other sports) back in high school, I didn't have these problems, and I've been consistent up until grad school. I know I'm not getting too old (I'm only 24), but I'm suprised I got dizzy. I must have been dehydrated. I did sweat a lot, and I never seem to drink enough water.

I'm hoping I can do without my athsma med soon. My Dr. says most likely once I get back in the swing of things. Without that I won't have any confusion over what's making my heart race.

With the 5-6 hours between the track and the pool, my main concern is if my body would have recovered enough, and if adding the pool would have much benefit for a person who hasn't trained in a while.

monkey mind
07-03-2003, 04:26 PM
I understand Crash, & I certainly didn't mean to offend. On the other hand, if you haven't been training for a while & you want to jump right back to what was normal to you before, when you had been training consistently for years, well that sounds kind of gung ho to me. But you know your body best. If there's no dizziness or racing heart problems, then I say hit the pool. Just make sure you're staying well hydrated & replenishing your muscle glycogen stores (i.e. eating/drinking carbs well before the second work out).

BTW, have you ever looked into Chinese herbs for your asthma instead of pharmaceuticals?

Crash
07-03-2003, 07:20 PM
First, no offense taken. I just wanted to be clear about my situation in case it would affect advice. :)

Ok, new question. How does restarting cardio go with the atkins diet? I'm guessing not good, though the Atkins book says not bad.

Also, I would rather take a TCM or generally more natural approach to treating my asthma, especially for such a mild case, but I know nothing about TCM and there are no resources locally to really help me out. I figure it isn't too bad considering it's short term, but I'm still not pleased with having to use pharmaceuticals.

Crash
07-04-2003, 04:44 AM
And usually it's muscular endurance that's a limiting factor at first, not cardio


Another question then. Should I treat high impact (or all) cardio like strength training and only do it every other day so my muscles rebuild, or does it not matter?

fa_jing
07-07-2003, 10:16 AM
Sometimes the soreness is such that you want to take a day or more to rest. For instance, often I'll do a leg strength training workout, then the next day jump rope. I'm definitely going to be to too sore the following day to work my legs in any way.