Day 9: Cardio Training Plan

                I hate running. I have always hated running. Speed? Sure. Distance? Not so much. I have never been a good runner, & have always found running boring, difficult, & time consuming. Unfortunately for me, the Spartan Race involves a LOT of running with 17 to 22 KM slated for my race, which means it’s time to hit the trails.

               

                That said, I’m taking a different approach to training for this race than simply going on long trail runs daily. As I move closer to race day, I will increase the number of longer distance trail runs that I complete, however in the short-term I am going to incorporate a lot high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to balance out a weekly trail runs.

 

                For each of the high-intensity interval training blocks on my schedule, I will be completing 5 minutes of warm-up, 20 minutes of high-intensity training, & 5 minutes of cool down. To begin, the training will include 1 minute of max-intensity, followed by 1-minute of very low intensity, repeated 10 times. As my cardio improves, I will look to increase the time spent at high-intensity, & reduce the time spent at low.

                I will be writing a post on the benefits of high-intensity interval training to come, however for simplicity I have listed the 4 primary reasons that I am opting for a balanced HIIT schedule as opposed to long-distance running when preparing for my race:

1. Time: with my plan to strength train 4 days per week, attend hot yoga 2 days per week, & fit in a 20-minute sauna session each time I’m at the gym, 1-hour trail runs would simply be too much of a time commitment. Perhaps the great aspect of HIIT is that you can get a fantastic workout completed in just 20 minutes.
    
2. Recovery: running can be very demanding on your body, especially your knees, back, & joints. When you add in being a person that has never followed any structured running routine, simply jumping into running 4-5 days per week would pose a very high risk of injury, & make it  difficult to recover & improve. Instead, I will balance high-impact running with lower impact exercises such as the elliptical, rows, & the endless rope machine.
   
3. Variety: the Spartan race is a long way from a marathon. It requires strength, endurance & cardiovascular abilities that go far beyond simply running. By varying my cardiovascular training between different types of high-intensity exercises, I will better prepare myself for the unique demands of the Spartan race.  
   
4. Race-Specific Training: although the Spartan Super race is 17 to 22 KM, at no point do you have to run more than a few kilometres at a time, so exclusively practicing running for 20 KM at a time is not, in my opinion, the most optimal way to train. The running will be primarily in shorter bursts of 1 to 2 KM at a time which lends itself well to HIIT.  

                 This is not to say that I will not be incorporating longer trail runs as part of my fitness routine, however I am going to look to implement a more balanced, time-effective approach to cardio, especially early in my training. As I continue to research & learn more about different approaches & strategies to improve cardiovascular performance, I will fine tune my routine & post my findings. In the interim, I would love to hear your feedback.

100 Day Spartan