Strength, core, sleep, diet, peds, yoga etc. What's important to you?

IvoryTower

So I'm procrastinating heavily about cleaning up my pretty shocking diet and I was just wondering what other Boardies felt was important to their training other than running 6000 miles a week

So other than hard work in training, what's important to you? As much chocolate as possible? Paleo? 12 hours sleep? You get my drift

Dubgal72

Hey Ivory Tower, in an ideal world, I would train hard, sleep 8+ hours a night and eat 90% healthy, unprocessed food with wine and dark chocolate taking up the other 10% I'd love to add in a structured/organised general strength, mobility and 'other stuff' routine once a week so it's done and dusted. I am failing miserably at making that part of my daily routine. That's it really, if i tick all those boxes, my 'running life' is complete.

Doesn't leave much room for 'real life' but them's the breaks

average_runner

I have started reformer pilates, not sure how long it will last but i started:D

IvoryTower

sounds like you're doing alright dubgal id say i eat 2% clean

I googled reformer pilates and it looks like something I could do with in this ideal world, I can just about touch my shins never mind my toes!

Myles Splitz

As with others an ideal world is what we strive for but in terms of supplementary training I think that extra S & C sessions can be worth alot more than an extra hour training a week. If time was no object I would aim to incorporate the following

1 x Hurdle Mobility session
1 x Plyometric Session
2 x Strength and conditioning sessions
1 x Hip Strengthening session
1 x General Strengthening session

In terms of diet I often find the better it is the better I feel in training and the more motivated. Not a saint mind you but aim to eat relatively clean.

IvoryTower

Are you managing to fit any of that in the real world?

Myles Splitz

IvoryTower wrote: »

Are you managing to fit any of that in the real world?

Hip and General Strength with the odd plyometric work. Hurdle drills will come in come January, at the moment I am getting away with it as Cross Country is helping with hip mobility and strength

Hoping to get back to S&C over the coming weeks as I haven't been able to use a barbell due to a shoulder injury back in July.

Ososlo

I'm pretty good in general about 'supplementary' stuff (stretch, strengthen) and clean diet. I'd see these things as an essential part of training and not as extras really (for me anyway). I can't do the sleep thing though. No matter how hard I try, I just can't do it and I do feel it holds me back:(

Oh to sleep perchance to dream...

Firedance

When you're injured you realise how important the supplementary stuff is, for me its been S&C 3-4 times a week but that has dropped to one session a week now that injury is improved, I will endeavour to bring it back to 3 times a week from now on though! As the others have said, 'in an ideal world' there are just not enough hours in the day. Also swimming I find fantastic and have recently re-incorporated yoga into my week too. I try to eat clean mon-fri and then do 80/20 at the weekends, diet & sleep definitely affect how I feel when I'm training.

_Tombstone_

Ososlo wrote: »

I can't do the sleep thing though. No matter how hard I try, I just can't do it and I do feel it holds me back:(

Oh to sleep perchance to dream...

Like most things from the experts nowadays, it's all bollix.

You don’t really need 8 hours of sleep

Myles Splitz

_Tombstone_ wrote: »

Like most things from the experts nowadays, it's all bollix.

You don’t really need 8 hours of sleep

I would probably disagree with that. Yes you may be able to function on less but that does not mean that sleep does not have an impact on recovery in athletes (a sub group which often has poor sleep quality relative to the general populous due to demands exerted on the body)

http://www.aspetar.com/journal/upload/PDF/201532391424.pdf

IvoryTower

I certainly feel better if I've had 7-8 hours, particularly before racing, probably different for everyone

pconn062

For me, outside of training hours every week I like to prioritise:

Sleep- I try to get 8-9 hours a night. That sounds like a lot but I'm a good sleeper and it helps me recover. If it means heading to bed at 11 during the week then so be it.

S+C- I do at least 1 and sometimes 2 gym sessions a week, mainly focused on lower leg stuff. I feel this has helped somewhat with some of my injury problems

Hip mobility- like Myles I try to do hip mobility/strengthening stuff a couple of times a week. So many problems stem from weak hips so it's a good area to focus on

Diet- My diet is OK but not great. I have a shocking sweet tooth and sometimes over indulge and I like a few beers on a Sunday night. I am also vegetarian so getting protein in isn't always easy. Definitely room for improvement.

So, there's more to my training that running miles!

Dubgal72

^^^ love the 'beers on a Sunday night'. Runners' drinking night

rainbow kirby

Strength work and plenty of cross-training (swimming and cycling) have been great for me in terms of avoiding injury. I probably don't get enough sleep in general, a lot of the time I only sleep around 6 hours a night but have actually been getting 8 lately. Diet is middling, could be better but could be worse.

Itziger

pconn062 wrote: »

For me, outside of training hours every week I like to prioritise:

Sleep- I try to get 8-9 hours a night. That sounds like a lot but I'm a good sleeper and it helps me recover. If it means heading to bed at 11 during the week then so be it.

S+C- I do at least 1 and sometimes 2 gym sessions a week, mainly focused on lower leg stuff. I feel this has helped somewhat with some of my injury problems

Hip mobility- like Myles I try to do hip mobility/strengthening stuff a couple of times a week. So many problems stem from weak hips so it's a good area to focus on

Diet- My diet is OK but not great. I have a shocking sweet tooth and sometimes over indulge and I like a few beers on a Sunday night. I am also vegetarian so getting protein in isn't always easy. Definitely room for improvement.

So, there's more to my training that running miles!

11!! Jaysus, I'm usually in bed before 10 during the week. In fact I'm off to bed now, 9.55 approx. And it's SATURDAY! I don't even have the excuse of a long run tomorrow as I'm in taper mode.

Ceepo

_Tombstone_ wrote: »

Like most things from the experts nowadays, it's all bollix.

You don’t really need 8 hours of sleep

Interesting podcast on the subject,
www.marathontalk.com/podcast/episode_299_kirk_parsley_part_one.php


website here, www.docparsley.com/#!myapproach/cl11