Which guidelines are those to know when you have a sufficient base to start HIIT {High-Intensity Interval Training} workouts?
Sock Doc: You’re okay to start HIIT training such as intervals, hills, and other high-intensity activities once your aerobic fitness test no longer improves. Say you’re able to run two miles in 16 minutes at a 145 HR (give or take a beat or two), and after some weeks of training you’re able to run the same two miles at the same HR now in 15:30 – that’s an improvement. If, a few weeks later it continues to improve, then you continue to stick with the aerobic training. But once you stop seeing progress with your aerobic workouts, you can start adding in the HIIT provided everything else is going well meaning you’re not injured or have any health problems. Here is the Sock Doc link to HIIT: http://sock-doc.com/sock-doc-training-aerobic-intervals/
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Hey Sock Doc, I loved this quote by you that I read on NRC’s Facebook page: “It’s better to go into a race 10% undertrained than 1% overtrained.” My question is this: how does one ever know if one is properly trained for a race ? I want to do a marathon next summer {I currently max out on half-marathons with an average time of 1:50-1:55). I want to go into that 26.2-mile race NOT overtrained.
Sock Doc: The answer here is that you really never know. Most athletes are always going to feel somewhat under-prepared for a race, always thinking they could have done or changed something to get them to the finish line faster. This, as you can imagine, often leads to poor training habits, (too much or too intense training), and inadequate rest and recovery leading up to the race. Never look at your race as an end-all. View it as just one event of many that is a stepping stone to improved fitness.
You can also keep an eye on your heart rate with training. As your fitness improves, you should be going faster at the same HR; said another way, you should have a lower HR training at the same speed. If you notice that your HR is higher, or your times are getting slower, then that is often a sign that you are overreaching, and could be entering the realm of overtraining. Here are some common signs and symptoms of overtraining: http://sock-doc.com/2011/02/warning-signs-symptoms-of-overtraining/
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I had been running minimalist successfully for about six months when I developed a stress fracture in my left ankle. Of course, I was off running for several months of recovery and it has healed fine. I’ve returned to running, but have developed plantar fasciitis, especially in my left heel. Are there any strategies for dealing with this, or do I just have to rest again until the pain abates?
Sock Doc:If you have a stress fracture then you hadn’t been running successful; sorry to shoot you down here. Whether your stress fracture is because of the minimalist footwear or other factor may be hard to determine. And not to throw salt on your wounds here, but if you “healed fine” then you wouldn’t have plantar fasciitis now. This is typical of so many runners – they never heal but go from one injury to another simply compensating over and over. You most likely have a major gait imbalance due to some mechanical or metabolic problem as I discuss often on the Sock Doc site. Yes, improper footwear, (even some “minimalist” shoes), an inadequate diet, improper training or recovery, and many other factors can result in a stress fracture and “itis” conditions. So look at the entire picture of your health and training to figure out what you need to change to heal, rather than where this, or the next problem, is.
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What kind of socks do you wear?
Sock Doc: In the office I wear just some typical dress socks, and only when it’s cold outside and while running I wear Swiftwick socks.
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Sock Doc is Dr. Stephen Gangemi’s alter ego and the name of his popular site on a natural approach to injury prevention and treatment.