N=1 for me, but take it for what it's worth:
I signed up for the Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge for January 2018, a four-day race consisting of a 5k-marathon on consecutive days and increasing the distance each day. The training was all about volume and recovery and wouldn't you know it, along comes shin splints about 6 weeks out from the race right in the middle of my second huge and most important training block...
At the urging of my physio I hit the erg - I basically trained on that damn machine for five weeks while getting twice-weekly shin splint protocol from the witch doctor. I trained by HR zone, so if a workout called for ten miles at Z2, I would approximate the time that would take, and hit the erg for that amount of time being careful to stay within the HR - I would do that with basically every other training sessions at different intensities, times, etc... This include the largest training block I would perform, a three-hour gruelfest on the stupid machine that, in the interest of full disclosure, I just couldn't do because BORING... So I mixed in a few 20-minutes elliptical sessions to get out of the rut.
At any rate, at the end of the five weeks I started running again slowly and just in time for the taper for the event, and felt I lost very little. After the two-week taper I felt I had spring, fitness and went into the event feeling awesome - completed the event standing up and had a great time.
Other observations - even with an iPad playing your favorite take-your-mind-anywhere-but-the-present the workouts are still boring as can be, and a great mental prep. Likely reason for that is, because it's a foreign exercise especially at first, there is a lot of self-assessment and ensuring you're in the proper HRZ.
Also, I learned early on that grip is important if you don't want to blister, and believe me you don't... The grip should be loose on the pull and the catch - you shouldn't be holding on tight with white knuckles... Treat the thing like a golf club...
One more thing, you didn't need to have the lever set at 10 - for endurance and generally fitness and not to work out your back and arms too much, a 5-6 would do just fine. You will, however, get a great back and arm workout regardless, so enjoy that added benefit.
I haven't all of the responses, so if this is repetitive, apologies but wanted to give my actual N=1 experience...
Edited to add: standing up every 30-45 minutes? Huge help in mental state and your butt will thank you...
I signed up for the Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge for January 2018, a four-day race consisting of a 5k-marathon on consecutive days and increasing the distance each day. The training was all about volume and recovery and wouldn't you know it, along comes shin splints about 6 weeks out from the race right in the middle of my second huge and most important training block...
At the urging of my physio I hit the erg - I basically trained on that damn machine for five weeks while getting twice-weekly shin splint protocol from the witch doctor. I trained by HR zone, so if a workout called for ten miles at Z2, I would approximate the time that would take, and hit the erg for that amount of time being careful to stay within the HR - I would do that with basically every other training sessions at different intensities, times, etc... This include the largest training block I would perform, a three-hour gruelfest on the stupid machine that, in the interest of full disclosure, I just couldn't do because BORING... So I mixed in a few 20-minutes elliptical sessions to get out of the rut.
At any rate, at the end of the five weeks I started running again slowly and just in time for the taper for the event, and felt I lost very little. After the two-week taper I felt I had spring, fitness and went into the event feeling awesome - completed the event standing up and had a great time.
Other observations - even with an iPad playing your favorite take-your-mind-anywhere-but-the-present the workouts are still boring as can be, and a great mental prep. Likely reason for that is, because it's a foreign exercise especially at first, there is a lot of self-assessment and ensuring you're in the proper HRZ.
Also, I learned early on that grip is important if you don't want to blister, and believe me you don't... The grip should be loose on the pull and the catch - you shouldn't be holding on tight with white knuckles... Treat the thing like a golf club...
One more thing, you didn't need to have the lever set at 10 - for endurance and generally fitness and not to work out your back and arms too much, a 5-6 would do just fine. You will, however, get a great back and arm workout regardless, so enjoy that added benefit.
I haven't all of the responses, so if this is repetitive, apologies but wanted to give my actual N=1 experience...
Edited to add: standing up every 30-45 minutes? Huge help in mental state and your butt will thank you...
Last edited by:
acefields23: Mar 5, 18 14:28