A place for runners.
This is my VO2 max over the last few months. I’ve been in terrible shape for a long time, bet you can’t guess when I started running. I can’t believe how much more fun running is when you learn how to do it first!
I can’t believe how much more fun running is when you learn how to do it first!
Elaborate. What do you mean by this? What did you learn to do while running that makes it fun?
Learning proper form, pace, intensity, etc helps tremendously. Even learning how to increase your leg turnover, utilize your core, and run tall with proper hip tuck makes running much more enjoyable and can minimize injuries.
It seems like everyone would just "know how" to run efficiently so it seems a little weird that you have to "learn" to run. That's generally true: kids tend to run pretty efficiently if they do it regularly.
A lot of the "learning" for adults is actually unlearning bad habits and relearning good ones: not using your shoes to compensate for what your muscles and tendons should be doing, not slinging your hips back ("sitting in the bucket"), not reaching with your feet in your stride, and working against the muscular abnormalities that result from sitting all the time.
I was helping someone with their running form, and when she "got it," she said she never realized her ass would be sore from running. Glute utilization is really important, but many people don't even know what it feels like to activate the full kinetic chain that includes their glutes. Unlocking that can be pretty huge for a novice runner.
She described it as feeling like she had rubber bands suddenly attached to her legs that helped propel her and made her feel lighter. That's actually a pretty accurate metaphor.
This is a mystery to me. My weight has gone up and down a bunch.
When I lose weight, this typically looks worse. I think it’s because the algorithm it uses is based on how fast and far your heart rate drops. My exercise routine is easier when I’m not carrying all that weight so my heart rate doesn’t get as high. Also it comes down quite a bit as I do the cool down. So when I stop for good, there is not as much of a drop - hence the poor score.
I am thinking that these are the reasons I see this odd trend, but I’m not sure.
What kind of running/training are you doing? Slow & steady, HIIT? I'd love to make those kind of VO2Max gains!
Kinda both? I’m so out of shape that at first staying in zone 2 was not an option at any speed. Now I can somewhat stay in zone 2-3 for a 2 mile run. Basically I was going slow and steady until too tired to keep my heart rate down, then I’m doing intervals of walking when my heart rate goes up to zone 4 or 5.
I think later on that’s going to look like ending most runs with a few intervals and having at least 1 or 2 high intensity days a week in zone 3-4.
These are the gains of going from inactive and not running to running on a regular basis. I saw the same spike when I started running again last year after a ten year hiatus.
This happened for me also when I started but has flat lined since, after about 4 months of gains. I think for me the season is relevant too, easier to maintain high heartrate training in summer when hot out