Building endurance through running

[mrbaggins]

Story: I play hockey as a half and wing, so I consistently jog up and down the field 40~ yards. Every few minutes, I'll need to burst into 5-30 yard sprints. After a 35 minute half, I struggle to get there, and occasionally after a full game, I'm unable to hold a sprint or jog for very long at all. So I want to build some endurance.

Timeframe: I want to have a large improvement by April.

Exercise I'm used to: When the season was in full swing, we'd do 1-2 hours of endurance and strength training Thursday nights. Then we'd have a game on the Saturday. I'd occasionally knock the training down to 1 hour and do strength on my own Monday or Tuesday to even out the week.

Until February, I have nothing organised. All fitness is down to me. So, I'm thinking of doing some runs to build up that level of endurance. I still do my own strength stuff, but in a lot smaller sessions spread out.

How do you organise a running schedule? Do you do small jogs everyday? Do you (As I think I want to) set out to do longer ones once every few days? What are the pitfalls with running (Never done it as an exercise)?

What I think I'd like (And want critique/suggestions on) is to do a couple of run sessions and a strength session each week. Run Tuesday, Strength Thursday, Run Saturday. Then, come February when social hockey stars again, Ditching the run and making sure I make up for it on the field. Then, in April when Training kicks off, ditching the strength for the 2 hour training (Strength, endurance and skills training). Then, when the season starts, ditching the social hockey for a run on Monday/Tuesday, and ditching the Saturday run for the actual game.

So it would be something like:

Code: Select all

January---------------
Tue: Run
Thu: Strength
Sat: Run

February and March:--------
Tue: Social hockey
Thu: Strength
Sat: Run

April---------------
Tue: Run
Thu: Hockey training (Strength, endurance and skills)
Sat: Run

May through August----------------
Tue: Run
Thu: Hockey training
Sat: Hockey game.


Suggestions/Comments/Sites?

Any input is much appreciated.

[Victoria Maddison]

Running doesn't mimic your sport very well, I'd recommend some form of high intensity metcon.

[mrbaggins]

Any links to material/routines for that?

[Zohar]

If you're trying to get better at once specific thing, why not practice that one specific thing? Start jogging, or walk fast, sprint 30 meters, rest a minute (by walking/running normally), repeat. I'm not a healthy or fitness expert but it seems to me it should do the trick. Maybe I'm wrong.

[jtw]

Sounds like you'd be better off with HIIT (high-intensity interval training). It's essentially metabolic conditioning by mixing sprint-type work with slower-paced work.

[jtw]

Also, what are you doing for strength? I hope you've got squats in your routine, since you really need strong legs. Deadlifts and bench press would also be necessities.

[mrbaggins]

I was considering interval training but wasn't sure if it would be helpful or not.

Strength is a bunch of no-weight/self-weight exercises. Pullups, pushups, crunches, squats, lunges, planks and varieties of the same. I don't have weights nor easy access to them.

[mcclee]

I play a running heavy sport (women's lacrosse). Its a spring sport, so December is our training month. What we are doing now is I guess "intervals" though I've never heard that term. When doing laps on the track we'll either jog the curves and sprint the straights or jog a whole lap and then sprint a half. We do a mile 3 times a week but we also follow it up with agility work each time which means more sprints and some relay races and shuttles and shuffles and whatnot.

I don't think that plain running straight for miles will help you much. I know I can keep a steady jog up for about 5-7 miles, but in games when we do alot of sprinting back and forth (sometimes I play middie) I get pretty wiped durring the second half so I totally know where you're coming from.

The big thing is sticking with it. I hate running on my own, I don't have enough will power to push myself that's why I like our team practices. Is there a teammate that would enjoy running too? I don't know if its your thing, but having a partner forces me to keep a schedule, stick to it and push myself when I actually get out there.

[mrbaggins]

Yeah, I have no doubt that if I tried to con a mate into it, he'd be up for doing it together. He's already at a far higher fitness level than me though, but has let himself go over the spring/summer. And he wants to start doing the same sort of thing so it would work well.

But I'm also a very persistent and patient person, so I'm able to at least start on my own.

[aliceone]

Yeah, you may as well focus on sport-specific training that will build you up for play as well as give you the endurance you want. Build your own program around what you know you already need in a game, then extend the sessions once per week, perform similar exercises under a weight load (with a weight vest or carrying spare gear). A long, slow distance run can help you build a different type of fitness than focus on all sprints, intervals or speed play, but each seems to have a good place. Pick from the group, mix it up to keep your program interesting and don't forget that rest days are as important as working out.

[Victoria Maddison]

Any links to material/routines for that?

See the "Benchmark Girls" in the CrossFit FAQ, I like Fran/Cindy, short, hard and useful. Interval rowing or sprinting is another option. As is sled work.

[Patman]

I grapple and run mid-long distance. I started grappling first and started running for fitness (for my grappling). Loving them both equally now, and I think they help each other enormously. So I would totally recommend running to complement your hockey. I also know a very competitive hockey player who is a very motivated runner.

Of course there may be better sports/activities than running, but are they:
as accessible as running?
as enjoyable?
offering that much more?

I don't really know.