The mercury hit 55F this afternoon in Chicago, so I opted to go for a 30-minute, low aerobic run outside. This was only the second time I’ve done any running since October. But quite surprisingly, I hadn’t lost any of the endurance I had gained after a whole summer of triathlon training. I say surprising because for almost five months my fitness regimen has consisted solely of the following:
1. One 45-minute Power Law Workout roughly every 4-5 days
2. One 15-20 minute swim workout every 7-14 days (usually in the lake)
That’s it. Nothing else. No outside running, no indoor treadmill running, no road biking, no spinning classes, no aerobics classes, no yoga, no pilates…you name it. I broke all the sacred rules of the “cardio-aerobic” fitness industrial complex, and yet I still retained high levels of both physical strength and endurance.
This is not an unusual result. People who adopt a primal fitness regimen are simply (that’s the key word) engaging in diet and activity patterns that trigger optimal gene expression.
And Power Law Workouts trigger optimal gene expression – as does swimming outside in the elements.
The key is, nature didn’t design you for high intensity, extended cardio/aerobic activities. Or in layperson’s terms, Cro-Magnons didn’t run on treadmills like gerbils on exercise wheels.
! ! ! STEVE… YOU FAILED TO MENTION THAT YOU RODE YOUR BIKE TO THE LAKE SWIMS WEARING A RUBBER REDUCING SUIT AND AFTER THE 30 MINUTE COOL WATER SWIMMING YOU DANCED AROUND FOR 15 TO 30 MINUTES AFTER POURING BLAZING HOT WATER INTO YOUR GLOVES TO WARM YOU FROZEN FINGERS…. ALL THESE THINGS ADD UP. OH YES THE ENERGY EXPENDED TRYING TO BET IN AND OUT OF THE WET SUITS….
As a recovering endurance athlete, I can tell you that strength training is the key. Extra sleep helps, too (really!).