track workouts

i think my athletic habits switch around now and then much like my eating habits. i've always had something against running, like running isn't very entertaining (compared to other cardio workouts such as basketball, ultimate frisbee, or even sparring). and i never liked running because it either involved a stationary treadmill, or hard pavement and the unyielding whims of the weather.

but actually having an outdoor track that people use can be fun. unlike the lonely track at MIT which for some reason always makes my feet heavy, the ucsd track was fun to run in yesterday. maybe it's because there were all kinds of different people there so you don't feel as lonely. maybe it's because the track is sunken so there are tall bleachers all around it, and it seems almost like a colosseum. maybe the san diego weather is nicer to run in.

i can say that i'm relatively in good shape. i feel that my recovery is good, because i was surprised at how fast i stopped being tired after sprints. of course, i was tired as hell during those sprints, and i only did like three sets, and i normally jog at a snail's pace. but my goal is to start doing more track workouts, maybe on off days, or even before taekwondo, to get that aspect of fitness better.

my knee is starting to bother me, though, so i started thinking about how to exercise without hurting it, and that's what's brought me into the new athletic habit phase. (other phases included surf/bike, rock climbing, full body lifting, and leg circuit training.) this one is a track/field and resistance training, mainly focused on building explosiveness. some of the actual track exercises that i found online - nine exercises for sprinters - are very similar to regular taekwondo warmups, but are done on a track scale:

Tuck Jump 2x6
Rocket jump 2x6
Lunge jump 2x6
Line hop 2x8
High skips 3x30 M
Long skips 3x30 M
Straight leg bound 3x30
Forward weight throw 5
Overhead Weight throw 5

but i also wanted to do resistance training with flex ropes, or whatever those rubber things you use for resistance are called. one, it'll probably help strengthen my knee, and i have a huge fear of acl/mcl injuries, and two, i saw people kicking and sprinting with them and it just really seems cool to do resistance sprints.

for an even more hardcore workout, checkout the regimen followed by the actors from 300:

The 300 Workout