My muscles are so so tight today after some really hard interval sets on my bike trainer and treadmill this week. Glutes, hams, quads, calves – all are so sore and so tight! I haven’t felt this sore in two years!
Oh my, I just searched Google images for the word “tight” to find an interesting picture to put here. Um, well, I guess I won’t be using any of THOSE images, yikes!
2005
I remember when I first started running in 2005, my brother, Mark, told me to be sure and stretch properly. I did stretch alot during that first year. I never really felt much tightness in my muscles, when I stretched, but I did it anyway, because my big brother told me to.
2006
During 2006 I got really ambitious with this triathlon stuff, and ramped up my training. I was doing hard workouts on the track that really left me gasping for breath at the end. My best time for a 400 meter was 1:41, and my heart rate sometimes got up to 180 bpm. I was sore and tight back then alot, and the stretching was definitely worthwhile. I could FEEL it.
2007
During 2007 I was following a 1/2 marathon running plan that was pace based, not heart rate based. I wanted to be able to run a goal pace of 8:45 in the Duke 1/2 run. Hahahaha. That didn’t work too well. My track workouts were done at the right pace, or even faster. They didn’t leave me gasping for breath, but I figured all was well because I was on target with the pace on my plan. My longer runs were slower than the pace outlined in the plan, and I blamed it on all the hills, and told myself that the Duke 1/2 run course was easier than my training grounds. I was wrong about that!!! And I didn’t figure in just how much slower I would l run after a choppy swim and a long hilly bike ride. I wasn’t wearing an HR monitor that year, but I’m pretty sure I ended up running in the grey zone all the time.
As for the rest of my training, I was following a 1/2 iron triathlon plan. It didn’t have much in the way of speed workouts – mostly alot of long slow distance stuff. I did a Spinervals DVD bike session once a week, just so I didn’t lose my speed on the bike. I think I was mostly just maintaining my current fitness level that year.
And, my muscles never felt tight, ever. I actually hardly ever stretched, because when I did, it seemed like a waste of time. Stretching became a once a week thing, sort of a test to make sure I could still touch my toes.
2008
Fast forward to today. Ouch – I am so tight now I cannot touch my toes, not even close. I spent about 20 minutes stretching last night, and still cannot touch my toes. I’m debating whether I should skip my interval bike workout until I can get my muscles loose again.
Conclusions
#1) if you don’t feel the need to stretch, then you probably aren’t working hard enough in your interval training.
#2) don’t follow running plans for triathlon training. Stick with a triathlon plan! I thought because running was my weakness, I should train like a runner. But that is wrong. As my blog buddy, Jonathan, from Inside Triathlon wrote:
When I started out in triathlon, my first club coach said that it is a different kind of running. He called it muscle running.(Running when you are tired)
I had to have some picture, so here ya go. Click image to find out what it means!
Stretching is a must – but that’s not anything new. I stretch a bit before working out, just to loosen up, and then for a long time afterwards (while enjoying a recovery drink of course…Ovaltine!). I find the most use for stretching in my off days. Staying loose when I’m not training really helps out for when I am.
I had to go google “tight” as well. So why didn’t you post any of those pics? 😉
I’m a stretching freak. I really think it helps. I stretch a little before workouts, and better once I’m done.
And thanks for your thought on “abandonment.” I was actually assess an Equipment Abandonment penalty over a year ago when my bike number flew off during a windy race. They took off 2 minutes.
“[D]on’t follow running plans for triathlon training. Stick with a triathlon plan!”
Oh so true, Carol.
I just developed a 7-week training schedule for a triathlete who needs to “tune up” her running for an Oly in Dallas 10/5. It specifies only 2 running workouts per week: one progression run, maxing out at 7 miles (but with the final hard segment increasing in duration and intensity), and one track (or “track-style”–could be done on carefully measured road) session, maxing out at 6000m of “quality” work. (It’s her option to add one or two runs–exclusively at easy pace–in any weeks where she’s unable to bike her normal volume.)
I’d have *tripled* her mileage for a 10K foot race…
Hi Carol, nice pic of cupping.
Have you tried http://www.tptherapy.com/ ? I have the set and it works wonders (along with stretching) to aleviate soreness. I just have to force myself to do it but it keeps the knees and quads and hammies out of trouble.