trying to improve stamina, endurance and cardiovascular health

I feel pretty out of shape after a recent bike ride that left me utterly
wasted. A couple years ago I was in good health and was doing these 20 mile
bikerides with no problems. Now I am struggling with rides half that
length. If they are flat and paved, I can go all day. But if there are any
hills, my heart and lungs feel like they will burst, and my muscles burn. I
want to get back into shape!

I have an elliptical in my basement. I took the clothes off the machine. I
downloaded some amped up workout music with a fast beat. And I got on. 5
minutes into it, I feel like I'm going to die. My heart rate is up around
200 bpm. So I paused everything and waited for my heartrate to get back to
a reasonable level. I had to take this break about every 5 minutes, but
managed 45 minutes of workout. I wonder if this is an acceptable method of
getting my stamina back. Isn't it a little like interval training? I
figure as I go along, the breaks will either get shorter or farther apart,
until I don't have to take them anymore. I figure I should be doing this
about 5-7 days a week. I'm also lifting 3 times a week.

I've always wanted to be able to run a mile. It's this stamina thing that
always kills me though. There's got to be a way to break through that
feeling that I'm going to die... I ski, bike, hike, but I guess it has
mostly been low enough impact that it never challenged my body enough.

oregonchick wrote:

I feel pretty out of shape after a recent bike ride that left me utterly
wasted. A couple years ago I was in good health and was doing these 20 mile
bikerides with no problems. Now I am struggling with rides half that
length. If they are flat and paved, I can go all day. But if there are any
hills, my heart and lungs feel like they will burst, and my muscles burn. I
want to get back into shape!

Then go do the exact same ride again. I find that riding my bike is a
great way to build stamina. What's hard for you now will quickly become
easier if you just keep trying.

(I need to say that affirmation another few times because tomorrow I'm
doing a cycling circuit that has a nightmare killer switchback hill in
it not once, but twice, and there'll be witnesses so I have to get up
the damn thing.)

I have an elliptical in my basement. I took the clothes off the machine. I
downloaded some amped up workout music with a fast beat. And I got on. 5
minutes into it, I feel like I'm going to die. My heart rate is up around
200 bpm. So I paused everything and waited for my heartrate to get back to
a reasonable level.

A better idea would be "active recovery", where you slow it way down but
don't stop entirely. In interval training you ramp between Zone 1
(recovery), zone 2(can keep it up for distance), zone 3 (tempo runs) and
zone 4 (short intense bursts.)

I had to take this break about every 5 minutes, but
managed 45 minutes of workout. I wonder if this is an acceptable method of
getting my stamina back. Isn't it a little like interval training?

Yes, but I don't think of interval training as a good way to gain
stamina. I think going on a 20 mile bike ride is a good way to gain
stamina. Can you ride with people who'll push you? I ride with a group
out of a LBS that goes farther and faster (and springs merrily up hills)
that nearly kills me to ride with, but each time I do I get better.

I figure as I go along, the breaks will either get shorter or farther apart,
until I don't have to take them anymore. I figure I should be doing this
about 5-7 days a week. I'm also lifting 3 times a week.

I don't think I could handle anything so punishing so often. I'd find a
way to wiggle out of it. I need my sports to be joyful, affirming, a
treat unto themselves. Running in the woods with my dog, cycling at 20
mph in a peloton along a sparkling river, succeeding in not drowning on
a long swim: these have their own rewards. Where's the reward in
beating yourself silly on an elliptical?

I've always wanted to be able to run a mile. It's this stamina thing that
always kills me though. There's got to be a way to break through that
feeling that I'm going to die... I ski, bike, hike, but I guess it has
mostly been low enough impact that it never challenged my body enough.

The trick to learning to run is to learn to run slow. Most people start
out at their 100 yard dash pace. Nope, you won't be able to sustain it.
What you need to do is jog at so slow a pace that you can maintain it
for the entire distance. THAT will build stamina.

If you want to run a mile, go run a mile. If you can't keep the running
pace up, just walk a bit until you can start back at a jog. Jog/walk
until a mile has passed. Go do it again tomorrow. Keep at it until you
can do it and then increase the distance.

Don't increase distance and intensity and frequency in the same week.
Only increase the distances in short amounts: if you start with a mile,
maybe add 1/4 mile when you increase distance.

Dally

"Dally" wrote in message
...
oregonchick wrote:

I feel pretty out of shape after a recent bike ride that left me utterly
wasted. A couple years ago I was in good health and was doing these 20
mile bikerides with no problems. Now I am struggling with rides half
that length. If they are flat and paved, I can go all day. But if there
are any hills, my heart and lungs feel like they will burst, and my
muscles burn. I want to get back into shape!

Then go do the exact same ride again. I find that riding my bike is a
great way to build stamina. What's hard for you now will quickly become
easier if you just keep trying.

(I need to say that affirmation another few times because tomorrow I'm
doing a cycling circuit that has a nightmare killer switchback hill in it
not once, but twice, and there'll be witnesses so I have to get up the
damn thing.)

I have an elliptical in my basement. I took the clothes off the machine.
I downloaded some amped up workout music with a fast beat. And I got on.
5 minutes into it, I feel like I'm going to die. My heart rate is up
around 200 bpm. So I paused everything and waited for my heartrate to
get back to a reasonable level.

A better idea would be "active recovery", where you slow it way down but
don't stop entirely. In interval training you ramp between Zone 1
(recovery), zone 2(can keep it up for distance), zone 3 (tempo runs) and
zone 4 (short intense bursts.)

I had to take this break about every 5 minutes, but managed 45 minutes of
workout. I wonder if this is an acceptable method of getting my stamina
back. Isn't it a little like interval training?

Yes, but I don't think of interval training as a good way to gain stamina.
I think going on a 20 mile bike ride is a good way to gain stamina. Can
you ride with people who'll push you? I ride with a group out of a LBS
that goes farther and faster (and springs merrily up hills) that nearly
kills me to ride with, but each time I do I get better.

I figure as I go along, the breaks will either get shorter or farther
apart, until I don't have to take them anymore. I figure I should be
doing this about 5-7 days a week. I'm also lifting 3 times a week.

I don't think I could handle anything so punishing so often. I'd find a
way to wiggle out of it. I need my sports to be joyful, affirming, a
treat unto themselves. Running in the woods with my dog, cycling at 20
mph in a peloton along a sparkling river, succeeding in not drowning on a
long swim: these have their own rewards. Where's the reward in beating
yourself silly on an elliptical?

I've always wanted to be able to run a mile. It's this stamina thing
that always kills me though. There's got to be a way to break through
that feeling that I'm going to die... I ski, bike, hike, but I guess it
has mostly been low enough impact that it never challenged my body
enough.

The trick to learning to run is to learn to run slow. Most people start
out at their 100 yard dash pace. Nope, you won't be able to sustain it.
What you need to do is jog at so slow a pace that you can maintain it for
the entire distance. THAT will build stamina.

If you want to run a mile, go run a mile. If you can't keep the running
pace up, just walk a bit until you can start back at a jog. Jog/walk
until a mile has passed. Go do it again tomorrow. Keep at it until you
can do it and then increase the distance.

Don't increase distance and intensity and frequency in the same week. Only
increase the distances in short amounts: if you start with a mile, maybe
add 1/4 mile when you increase distance.

Dally

Some good tips there, I would also invest in a heart monitor, so you can see
your stamina increasing.

--
Gary

228/206/175

It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle thing

"Dally" wrote in message
...
oregonchick wrote:



I figure as I go along, the breaks will either get shorter or farther
apart, until I don't have to take them anymore. I figure I should be
doing this about 5-7 days a week. I'm also lifting 3 times a week.

I don't think I could handle anything so punishing so often. I'd find a
way to wiggle out of it. I need my sports to be joyful, affirming, a
treat unto themselves. Running in the woods with my dog, cycling at 20
mph in a peloton along a sparkling river, succeeding in not drowning on a
long swim: these have their own rewards. Where's the reward in beating
yourself silly on an elliptical?

Oh, I agree with you, but the opportunity to find the time to go do
something joyful doesn't happen often enough during the week. I have to
fill in the blanks with the basement elliptical - where I am close to my
laundry duties, and the 7 month old...

It could be that your age is catching up with you. It happens you know.
especially after 30.
"oregonchick" wrote in message
. ..

"Dally" wrote in message
...
oregonchick wrote:



I figure as I go along, the breaks will either get shorter or farther
apart, until I don't have to take them anymore. I figure I should be
doing this about 5-7 days a week. I'm also lifting 3 times a week.

I don't think I could handle anything so punishing so often. I'd find a
way to wiggle out of it. I need my sports to be joyful, affirming, a
treat unto themselves. Running in the woods with my dog, cycling at 20
mph in a peloton along a sparkling river, succeeding in not drowning on a
long swim: these have their own rewards. Where's the reward in beating
yourself silly on an elliptical?

Oh, I agree with you, but the opportunity to find the time to go do
something joyful doesn't happen often enough during the week. I have to
fill in the blanks with the basement elliptical - where I am close to my
laundry duties, and the 7 month old...

W. Wells wrote:

It could be that your age is catching up with you. It happens you know.
especially after 30.

My 51 year old husband and I just got back from doing a triathlon.
Would you please expand on what happens when age catches up with us?

Dally, age 41

For one thing you don't have the stamina that a younger person has. You can
get in superb shape for your age ,but younger people can last a lot longer
and recover much faster than you, or your husband. You just have to face it,
you ARE getting older.
"Dally" wrote in message
...
W. Wells wrote:

It could be that your age is catching up with you. It happens you know.
especially after 30.

My 51 year old husband and I just got back from doing a triathlon. Would
you please expand on what happens when age catches up with us?

Dally, age 41

"W. Wells" wrote in message
. ..
For one thing you don't have the stamina that a younger person has. You
can get in superb shape for your age ,but younger people can last a lot
longer and recover much faster than you, or your husband. You just have to
face it, you ARE getting older.
"Dally" wrote in message
...
W. Wells wrote:

It could be that your age is catching up with you. It happens you know.
especially after 30.

My 51 year old husband and I just got back from doing a triathlon. Would
you please expand on what happens when age catches up with us?

Dally, age 41


Interesting that you say that because I just saw something recently on the
news that average age of a marathon runner has been getting higher and
higher and that there are a lot of people over 40 who run marathons these
days.

Just because someone is younger doesn't grant them the ability to last
longer.
--
the volleyballchick

"W. Wells" wrote in message
. ..

For one thing you don't have the stamina that a younger person has. You
can get in superb shape for your age ,but younger people can last a lot
longer and recover much faster than you, or your husband. You just have to
face it, you ARE getting older.

Nice excuse. I guess this means you can sit on the couch and figure all
that athletic stuff is for young people.

(Betsy, just so you know, your lack of stamina isn't due to your
decrepit old age of 31.)

Dally

its not so much the stamina you need to work on as much as you need to learn
how to pace yourself. If you are getting that exhausted that quickly, then
you need to slow down your pace and keep your breathing and heartrate under
control. As you build stamina you will be able to increase your pace as
well.

A few years ago when I took up running, I found success in my running
partner who was a bit more out of shape than me. I slowed down to her pace
of running and found my endurance lasted longer at her pace. As the weeks
went by we both worked together, she helped me learn how to pace myself, I
help her with improvements because I could push her to her limits. Within 3
weeks we both went from not being able to run 1/4 mile without needing to
walk, to running 3+ miles without stopping.

When I ride, run or use cardio equipment I use this practice. If I find
that I will push myself to get my heart rate up, then back off a little bit
and focus on my breathing to get my breathing and heart rate back under
control, and then hold that. To do intervals I'll push myself to get the
heart rate back up there then backoff.


"oregonchick" wrote in message
. ..
I feel pretty out of shape after a recent bike ride that left me utterly
wasted. A couple years ago I was in good health and was doing these 20
mile bikerides with no problems. Now I am struggling with rides half that
length. If they are flat and paved, I can go all day. But if there are
any hills, my heart and lungs feel like they will burst, and my muscles
burn. I want to get back into shape!

I have an elliptical in my basement. I took the clothes off the machine.
I downloaded some amped up workout music with a fast beat. And I got on.
5 minutes into it, I feel like I'm going to die. My heart rate is up
around 200 bpm. So I paused everything and waited for my heartrate to get
back to a reasonable level. I had to take this break about every 5
minutes, but managed 45 minutes of workout. I wonder if this is an
acceptable method of getting my stamina back. Isn't it a little like
interval training? I figure as I go along, the breaks will either get
shorter or farther apart, until I don't have to take them anymore. I
figure I should be doing this about 5-7 days a week. I'm also lifting 3
times a week.

I've always wanted to be able to run a mile. It's this stamina thing that
always kills me though. There's got to be a way to break through that
feeling that I'm going to die... I ski, bike, hike, but I guess it has
mostly been low enough impact that it never challenged my body enough.