WAG Running

[Flipomaniak]

So I just posted a thread on having issues with endurance... This is another thing that is just KILLING me! We have to run a mile before workouts 3 times a week. After we run (outside) we come in, stretch, and then go to our first event. Here's the problem. Our first event has just started and i'm already dead. My shins are hurting, my legs tired, my head hurting, all sweaty, and fatigued. I feel like this and I have 5 hours left of practice and 4 events plus conditioning. I know a mile is not too long but I'm not a runner. I'm always near the end because I just can't keep up! The rest of the day is awful as I'm trying so hard to push through my extremely tired body.

Can anyone offer any advice or help on how I can make this better? or ways I can not be so dead the whole day?

Thanks

 

[bookworm]

It seems ridiculous to kill you before practice with a mile run...I know some great gymnasts that just aren't runners...

 

[htimcj]

How long have you been running? DD runs 1.5 miles three times a week, does stairs and sprints then goes back to the gym and finishes another 3 hours of practice. At first this just KILLED her! But have about a month to month and a half her endurance really took off and it now it isn't a problem. Just give it time. Also make sure you have true running shoes, not sketchers or something like that. If your shins are sore try shortening your stride so that you land in the middle of your foot hits the ground not your heal.
It does get easier!

 

[eryes]

How's your diet? You could be deficient in some vitamin/minerals and that could be cause to some of the loss of stamina.
Or your water intake? Exhaustion and headache are signs of dehydration....

 

[gymboymom]

When I was in hs I ran track (after being done with gymnastics) I could win the 100 meter dash, but not once did I finish the 1 mile warm up. So I know where you are coming from. As an adult I wanted to run again about 4 years ago, and last year I did 2 half marathons. It was really really hard to be able to distance run Here are my suggestions: WALK. On your days off from the gym walk. Start by going .5 mile, work your way up to 1 mile, upto 2 miles. This should help a ton. Your body will be used to going this far. I would also slow down your running when you are at the gym. Hopefully they allow this, or try a run/ walk strategy. Do some reading on learning to run, tell your coach why you will be slower (it should only be a few minutes) for a while. I would hope if she knows you are working on it at home she would be agreeable. It is important you are not starting your workout exhausted. Too much chance for injury if you are too tired. Good luck!

 

[Flipomaniak]

It seems ridiculous to kill you before practice with a mile run...I know some great gymnasts that just aren't runners...

My thoughts exactly! haha

 

[Flipomaniak]

How's your diet? You could be deficient in some vitamin/minerals and that could be cause to some of the loss of stamina.
Or your water intake? Exhaustion and headache are signs of dehydration....

I haven't looked at it from that angle... I take calcium pills and I would say I eat alright, but I don't know... Water might be it actually...

 

[Flipomaniak]

When I was in hs I ran track (after being done with gymnastics) I could win the 100 meter dash, but not once did I finish the 1 mile warm up. So I know where you are coming from. As an adult I wanted to run again about 4 years ago, and last year I did 2 half marathons. It was really really hard to be able to distance run Here are my suggestions: WALK. On your days off from the gym walk. Start by going .5 mile, work your way up to 1 mile, upto 2 miles. This should help a ton. Your body will be used to going this far. I would also slow down your running when you are at the gym. Hopefully they allow this, or try a run/ walk strategy. Do some reading on learning to run, tell your coach why you will be slower (it should only be a few minutes) for a while. I would hope if she knows you are working on it at home she would be agreeable. It is important you are not starting your workout exhausted. Too much chance for injury if you are too tired. Good luck!

My coach gets angry... I'm always one of the last to finish and he really doesn't like that. So slowing down more in not an option. Walking sounds like it could help though! Thank you for all the suggestions.

 

[Flipomaniak]

How long have you been running? DD runs 1.5 miles three times a week, does stairs and sprints then goes back to the gym and finishes another 3 hours of practice. At first this just KILLED her! But have about a month to month and a half her endurance really took off and it now it isn't a problem. Just give it time. Also make sure you have true running shoes, not sketchers or something like that. If your shins are sore try shortening your stride so that you land in the middle of your foot hits the ground not your heal.
It does get easier!

It's been over 3 months... I'm not getting used to it at all. My coach wants to increase the distance now! Ughhhhh

 

[QuietOne]

Flipomaniak, you might already have checked this out, but if not, you might want to talk to your doctor about your symptoms. I'm no doctor, but I had undiagnosed asthma for quite some time -- and I was on the track team in h.s. (though not winning any races, I can tell you). I always thought people with asthma coughed, wheezed, whatever, but that wasn't me. I had just the symptoms you described, primarily because I really wasn't able to breathe very well when I was running. (And, o.k., I had a little wheezing, but who DOESN'T make weird noises when they're running, right?) I thought that EVERYONE felt that way when they exercised! Needless to say, once I got the appropriate testing and diagnosis, I became a whole new person in terms of my cardiovascular endurance. And I liked running a whole lot more. Just a thought.

 

[BlairBob]

Well running in summer is never easy.

Give it some time and you'll adapt. 2-3 weeks.

1 mile really at a really slow pace is 10 minutes, more like 8 ideally. So it sucks, but it's not the end of the world.

If you're dehydrated upon starting it, it's gonna suck.

Hydrate, maybe eat some fruit right afterwards.


I don't really find it necessary and would rather see it at the end of workouts but that is pointless to argue about.

Developing an aerobic base does have some benefits to an anaerobic sport. Developing the heart, etc. A lot of this is done by anaerobic activity.

Why is it only WAG programs do stupid stuff like this. Could be worse, could be 3.

Adaptations for a 100m sprint compared to 1 mile/1600m is completely different energy systems. Pure Anaerobic to aerobic. Gymnastics is mostly anaerobic though routines are longer than 60s ( but it isn't continuous activity with pauses and breaks and dance [ compared to tumbling ] ).

 

[MaryA]

Why is it only WAG programs do stupid stuff like this. Could be worse, could be 3.

DD's team does two miles 3x a week in the summer, bright and early in the AM. At least it's before it gets too too hot.

 

[vagymmomma]

Not sure I can much more to the running discussion though I thought the comment on diet was a good thing to consider. Just wanted to add that my DD has been training with the 9s the last month (she's competing 8, but training with the higher level group) and she's mentioned several times how much more physically draining the 8/9 skills are than 7 and below. If I recall you may even be a 10, so I'm sure the skills are incrementally even harder. I think conditioning really becomes critical at the higher levels and gymmies need to take it seriously and give it all they have (not saying you're not - I just know some girls cheat a little). I think the older you are (and by old gymnast I mean a still young teen ), your bodies been beaten down for a number of years and you're having to deal with more weight that I think it has to be more physically demanding.

I do sometimes wonder if it's a fast twitch/slow twitch issue as well. I think fast twitch is great for tumbling and individual skills but wonder if it impacts the adenaline level.

 

[shelovestoflip]

My daughter's team is also running when they get there this summer....first before anything else. My daughter is NOT a distance runner! I really think some bodies aren't designed for it!

Happily they arent' about the speed so I told her take it as slow as she wants, it's not a race. Also, I make sure she's eating a banana at night and then water in the morning.

Once school starts they'll go back to no running (too busy outside streets at night) so I"m not clear on the summer only purpose..other than team bonding?!!

 

[dani4]

I am no gymnast, but I have learned to love running.

I suggest looking up the "couch to 5k" program (just google it) and start working on it on your days off. It's a run/walk program that progressively leads to being able to continuously run a 5k. You could stop sooner than that, because you only need to get comfortable running one mile (less than 2k). But I have found that if I want to be able to run a short distance faster it helps to be able to run about twice as far slower. And I am a big fan of structured, progressive programs when working towards a goal that feels out of reach.

 

[mouey77]

For someone who doesn't run or isn't used to running, an 8 min mile is not very realistic. Back In the day when we had to do the president's fitness challenge, the goal was a 10 min mile.

Good shoes make a big difference. What are you running in? Staying hydrated is important.

 

[gasrgoose]

My daughter's team is also running when they get there this summer....first before anything else. My daughter is NOT a distance runner! I really think some bodies aren't designed for it!

Happily they arent' about the speed so I told her take it as slow as she wants, it's not a race. Also, I make sure she's eating a banana at night and then water in the morning.

Once school starts they'll go back to no running (too busy outside streets at night) so I"m not clear on the summer only purpose..other than team bonding?!!

Our girls are running in the morning also for the summer. During the school year they only run on Saturday mornings. My daughter has never had to run but enjoys it. They run around the floor for conditioning and mix in a variety of exercises in the gym so the outside running is a nice change of scenery.

OP. Does you gym not run around the floor for conditioning during the school year? I agree with the others that you probably should see a doctor. Running a mile for a conditioned team gymnast should not be difficult. Our team runs 3 miles and some of the girls are tiny (short legs and lots of steps) but they all make it easily.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

I run long distance but I am not a long distance runner or even a runner at that. By that I mean that I am not built like a long distance runner, I am built more like a sprinter, short and muscular like a "fireplug." I was running along with my gymnastics to try to get in better shape and I ended up getting a stress fracture in my leg that took forever to heal and tore my patella ligament twice.

my athletic trainer, granted not a doctor but still has some medical background told me that because I wasn't meant to be a long distance runner, that was why I kept getting hurt from running and would only injure myself more. My doctor didn't say anything like that more just like a "hey injuries happen" kind of approach.

Even though running made me be out for a long time when I was injured, the times I was running with gymnastics I was in such good shape that my skills were coming so easily and I was so consistent with everything. That year I won 3 out of 4 events and all around at states.

Now that I was forced to be done with gymnastics because of an injury, I have taken up running and will actually be running on a cross country team. Granted I won't be the fastest and I may even be the slowest, but I will be running and getting in shape and exercising. I have forced myself to become a long distance runner even though I was "not built for it." Someone "built for it" may be faster than me, but we can both still run.

Sorry for such a long post. I like to talk a lot! Basically I shared all that to explain that running really helps your gymnastics, but don't get injured while doing it. And that even if you say you aren't a runner, everyone can run. Some will just be faster than others. Good luck!

 

[Flipomaniak]

I see so many different opinions!! Thanks everyone! I did go to the doctor and the doctor said I might have exercise induced asthma but I really really doubt it. I like the banana tip

 

[Flipomaniak]

We do run around to floor on the days that we don't run outside.