Running Stadiums (HIT and HIIT posters take a look)

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't experienced it....  My workout and running partner told me that running stadiums increased your running efficiency.   The local college has a nice stadium which is near where we both work so it was a perfect option.   We've been working running stadiums into our workouts 3 to 4 times a week for the last 1.5 months gradually increasing the total number of 'sets' we do each day.   I guess just like starting anything new it absolutely kicks my ass right now even though I was doing Stairmaster at the highest level for the last year and a half.   I can barely breathe at the end of the third stair and the stress it puts on my legs is excruciating!  Overall a very, very excellent workout. 

So what has it done for my actual running times?  I ran a 5K in the middle of September for the Walk from Obesity event in Baton Rouge and finished with a respectable 27ish minutes.  I ran another 5K last week put on by the local college and finished in 24:30 which actually should have been 24:00 if I count the slow start trying to get out of the crowd to set my own pace.    So I basically cut off 3 minutes from my time in 2 months.  

Has anyone experienced anything similar with any other HIT or HIIT training activities?

 

I have done some speed work this summer.  I did one speed workout a week during the early part of the summer.  My times did increase and I ran a 5K PR of 24:16  in August.   What I would do during a typical workout is maybe 10 - 400's or a pyramid of 200, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400, 200.  Sometimes I will do 800 repeats at the local park.   The theory is that to run fast, you have to run fast.  It is all about increasing your Vo2 max.  That is how efficently you can get oxygen to your blood.  You only get better at doing that by training your body to go faster.  Pretty much getting your heart rate way up is what you have to do which is why stairs work well for it.  Keep it up

For us former couch potatoes, soon to be athletes like you guys, could you explain what HIT HITT is? I have seen you mention it before, and gathered it had to do with running stairs, but am curios what it stands for.

----- 
Even the toughest criminals become remarkably docile 
 once separated from society by six feet of soil. 

Lots of HIIT and NHE/ HIE links on the top of my profile.

Dave

HIT is High Intensity Training and HIIT is High Intensity Interval Training.  

Basically HIT is an exercise philosophy that focuses training on brief, high intensity, intense exercises.  Doing a HIT routine would be more something you would do in a weight room rather than cardio but I maybe wrong.   An example would be to do 1 - 3 reps of your maximum or close to maximum weight on an exercise rather than doing 10 - 12 reps of that same exercise with a lighter weight.  

HIIT i****'s cardio brother.   HIIT focuses on high intensity cardio exercises using the same philosophy as above.

 

I have seen great articles on HIIT.  Muscle and Fitness just had an article that quoted a study that showed that women who did HIIT lost 50% more FAT than those that did straight running or walking.  Google "High Intensity Interval Training" to get some ideas.  It is good for the beginner because you can start with 1 or 2 sets and work yourself up.  I like the example of look at a sprinter and look at a marathon runner.  The sprinter has WAY more muscle mass than the marathon runner.  I will PM you with a work related suggestion about how to incorporate some workouts into your day. 

Hi Kyp,

I ran and jumped stairs all summer. Great for power/ general fitness. About September though, I started working on running form and dumped a lot of the power work. I tried Pose running at first and now I'm looking at Evolution Running and Stride Mechanics (book). You should google all those. It's hard to change your running style though, but maybe worth it for injury prevention.

Best Wishes,

Dave