A Habit of Jog

 

Today’s topic is “A Habit of Jog”.

 

“Jog” or “Easy run” amount to 60-75% of our total training mileage.

We understand the major training build the our running base when look the volume.

However, the intensity and volume are underrated, and also we don’t have any purpose each jog sometimes.

I will introduce about the jog(Easy run)as the topic is “A Habit of Jog”, and how we can improve it.

(Wellington has a lot of great places to have a jog. So we can not stop it sometimes.)

1, Getting faster and stronger with Jog for the first step

 

We are able to be fit and stronger with any exercise when we start and keep an exercise for the first phase. We can feel that we get used to a stress when I have the cycle of stress and recovery. Our running training starts with jog always.

The first attempt is hard even if it’s slow and only 10 minutes when we are a beginner or after took a break. However, we get used to the 10 minutes jog soon and try to run longer or faster or both.

Our jog duration will be longer to 15, 20, 25, 30 minutes gradually with easy effort.

It is not only duration, but also the pace will be picked up.

Almost of all runners have the experience that we grow up with jog for the first phase as a distance runner.

(We can go for a jog anywhere anytime. It is a handiest training for a distance running. It might be one of the handiest exercises in our life.)

2, Getting used to Jog

We do not have a moment that the time to transform to a runner from a jogger in our career. We could feel just “getting faster”. The exercise that “Jog” will be turned to a distance running as a competitive sport for us. In the phase, we think the jog is not exercise. The jog is a part of training to improve our sport performance. It will be called “Easy run” when we talk about our training.

Our “Jog day” is set as recovery day between workouts.

In the day, we try to maintain the base endurance strength, general fitness or stretching up the legs. Finally, the Jog will be set a basic duration and pace from our experience in our mind and on the schedule unconsciously. Distance runners are asking and talking “How long or fast is your jog(Easy run) normally?”. Because we have a basic jog duration and pace from our experience. Each runner has different basic jog(Easy run) because it depends on major event, career(training age), body type or age. My case is 45-60 minutes and 4:30-4:00/km pace, like this.

A lot of runners are set 60 minutes or 1 hour as the basic or casual jog.

(I am going to introduce the case as sample that 60 minutes is jog/easy run.)

 

3, Some issues to set the time of basic Jog/Easy run

When we are running our running career long time, we believe the basic jog duration is the minimum amount of training.

That means, if you have the basic run that 60 minutes jog is your basic jog, you may not be satisfied when you have had only 45 or 50 minutes jog as a short duration jog.

The mind may have below thinking…

“The training might not be enough effect to maintain or build my fitness.”

“I might not follow my training properly.”

“I might be getting unfit after this day or next week.”

“I might not be reaching to the mileage of 100km this week.”

"I did not run 60 minutes, so I might be lazy for training."

The anxieties push us to stick onto the basic jog duration on our training as 60minutes even if we tired in the post workout day or holding minor injury.

Eventually, we will have chronic fatigue, injury. The worst case is carry over the fatigue to the next session always unconsciously. We do not feel small fatigue and then “We ready go for the hard session!” However, the body and mental are not same feeling sometimes. If our body is holding fatigue and not ready to have a tough session, our running is not able to reach to the main workout effort or absorb from the stress.

In this case, we are losing our main purpose and goals in a long time view. Just we watch a short period of result and take a feeling of satisfaction with the 60 minutes jog that is just doing.  

 

(We will be getting faster with it. After that, we may not make it slower.) 

4, Contradiction of the performance level and Jog

We know the fact that we could grow up our sport career as our jog grew up. So we believed our jog was getting faster and longer, and then our performance level was getting higher.

Another point of view, the performance level is high, so the jog level has to also be high enough as the level of runner to maintain the level. In that case, we have a norm or task each jog amount without conscious volition.

 

At this stage, we can find a huge contradiction into our training.

Because when we entered to the next level, we would have a lot of workouts, gym session, cross training or long run. So the total training amount would be expanded. Our body is holding a lot of stress from them. We have to take a good rest and recovery from the stress.  So we need to think the balance of Stress and recovery. Under the huge training, can we run more or keep the large volume of jog side by side? We will say “No”.

However, many runners do not consider the jog duration or pace even if they have a big amount of training, Why that is happened?

Because, “Jog” is quite low intensity training when we are getting used to the sport and exercise. Therefore, the veteran or experienced runners are just thinking “Jog is easy” anytime if it’s long or short. So we think that is fine to have 60 minutes jog as easy run anytime even if we are tired after a workout because it is same as usual.

Actually, our body has a limit to hold the amount of training. It depends on a capacity of each runner. So there has different room each runner. However, there has a limit each room.

So we have to think about below…

- We have to find the room as a distance runner.

- There has a capacity and limit.

- The room is changing at some stages that are event, career, age, running level or life balance.

 

So one day we have to know the Jog is not growing forever with training levels consciously.

We have to stop to grow the jog more. It’s time to take a reduce the daily jog’s amount. That will be a good tips to be faster and stronger as a runner.

I would like to tell myself, “Set my jog easie, it will make me faster.”

 

(Stay calm and relax for a jog. We don't need to push too hard for the run.)

5, Balance and Jog

Finally, the jog’s duration and pace will have to be changed every day in a whole season’s program.

The main purpose of jog is maintain or build for our ability. So we do not need to set any goals each jog. We have to think a purpose each jog.

Basically, it will be thought with the balance between workout and easy day . The Jog contains do not have to interrupt the workout intensity or training purpose.

For example,

[Jog + Hill sprint] *The purpose is stimulate fast twitch and power, develop mechanics. 

Too much jog will decrease power of sprint, lead to do it with bad form, and then no point to do it.

[ Jog day before a workout day or race day]

Too much jog will interrupt to reach the aimed intensity of workout.

[When on recovery week]

Too much Jog interrupt to recover the body and take more time to recovery after the week.

(Distance runners think hill sprints are easy training sometimes. However, it require fresh body to produce a big power.)

Each training has each purpose, so we have to make sure it. In the schedule and training purpose, we have to think the stress and recovery balance.

When we plan the season schedule or draw a big picture for a big goal, we are going to think a variety of training, a lot of workouts, races and keys as mile stone.

However, the most of part are ” jog” in total in the training plan.

So we have to use the “Jog” that will be flexible as a balancer or a connector for our training.

 

If we have an athlete mind, we will not be satisfied with every single jog. Because we can see the big goal and priority for our training.

We won't think about...

"I’m happy to reach 100km every week."

"I’m happy to achieve 60 minutes run at 4:00/km pace every day."

These thinking will lose our mind to make sure the balance. Because to reach 100km/w or 60 minutes jog are not goals in our training plan. That are just a measure to analyz our traininig.

 

We should see the big goal in the season to achieve a big goal. When we understand it, we will be flexible for our major training in our running life. Finally, we will be confident to keep step up to the goal with strong mind then.

 We lose our instinct with GPS watch or something data in this generation. It might be hard to away from them and  ading us to make a habit of jog. However, we can listen what our body say if we try to listen to it naturally.When we follow the voice in our jog, the jog will take us to the next level.