Running and physical fitness

[HyzerUniBomber]

All these runners say they enjoy it, but I've never seen one smiling while they're doing it :\

I know you're joking, but read the book! (born to run)

 

[deyo7]

And I run barefoot around the neighborhood and sometimes at a nearby park in grass. Once you are barefoot, you stop landing heavy and automatically cushion your weight in your forefoot, so there's nothing bad about running on sidewalks or roads.

You're crazy! HAH. When I was in college, I studied abroad at a university in Australia for a bit. The cool thing to do there amongst the Australian blokes was to wear your swimsuit with tank top and NO shoes to class. Basically, you're ready to surf after class. My buddy and I, also an American, thought we'd be cool too and walk barefoot to class and fit in... we were swearing the whole way from stepping on rocks and sharp things. Hah, definitely weren't manly enough for that.

All that being said I'm sure there's some credence to what you two are saying above in regards to developing foot and calf muscles that we aren't using with current shoe design.

 

[Major Tomahawk]

I have a friend named Patrick Sweeney and he set the (I believe) world record for distance running bare-footed for 24 hours. He's an animal. He's also sponsored by Luna Sandals and runs in them quite often.
He's also a very good disc golfer.

 

[BrotherDave]

I still hate running but agree wholeheartedly with barefoot running if you're going to do it. I've had drastically less back and joint soreness since I've started wearing predominately minimalist footwear and relearned how to walk properly again, even raised the arches of my flat feet a bit. It's godawful to wear traditional shoes for any length of time for me now. If my anecdotal evidence isn't enough I can throw a small appeal to authority fallacy in as well, my anthropology degree jives well with the research on barefoot running. Humans just weren't built to bipedal around by slamming down on their heels. There was a study done that tried to debunk barefoot running and it ended up costing Vibram a class-action suit settlement but it was totally garbage. The study basically took people that run, recorded them in conventional shoes and then recorded them running in Vibrams. The runners were all conventional heel-strike runners and proceeded to run incorrectly in the Vibrams, then a lot of them got heel fractures and the study was like "there you go, barefoot running is unhealthy." You can't just run barefoot the same way you do in regular shoes. Everyone's basically got atrophied feet from wearing shoes their whole lives, that takes serious time and effort to reverse.

From a disc golf perspective it never hurts to have stronger foot and leg muscles so the hiking doesn't wear down your game on hilly courses. It also makes it more natural to be on the balls of your feet, which is a more athletic position and integral to throwing well due to its role in weight shift, bracing, etc.

 

[UhhNegative]

I still hate running but agree wholeheartedly with barefoot running if you're going to do it. I've had drastically less back and joint soreness since I've started wearing predominately minimalist footwear and relearned how to walk properly again, even raised the arches of my flat feet a bit. It's godawful to wear traditional shoes for any length of time for me now. If my anecdotal evidence isn't enough I can throw a small appeal to authority fallacy in as well, my anthropology degree jives well with the research on barefoot running. Humans just weren't built to bipedal around by slamming down on their heels. There was a study done that tried to debunk barefoot running and it ended up costing Vibram a class-action suit settlement but it was totally garbage. The study basically took people that run, recorded them in conventional shoes and then recorded them running in Vibrams. The runners were all conventional heel-strike runners and proceeded to run incorrectly in the Vibrams, then a lot of them got heel fractures and the study was like "there you go, barefoot running is unhealthy." You can't just run barefoot the same way you do in regular shoes. Everyone's basically got atrophied feet from wearing shoes their whole lives, that takes serious time and effort to reverse.

From a disc golf perspective it never hurts to have stronger foot and leg muscles so the hiking doesn't wear down your game on hilly courses. It also makes it more natural to be on the balls of your feet, which is a more athletic position and integral to throwing well due to its role in weight shift, bracing, etc.

For those looking for good minimal footwear that doesn't look kind of crazy like Vibrams (which I own as well), check out LEMS. They make some great zero drop shoes. I've got some Primal 2s I wear everywhere now.

 

[sawedsaas]

One cause for lowering the run distance is that you don't know about any physical activity in the cold season. Your muscles used to be activated all the summer, and you stopped. So the muscle tissues started to deteriorate, causing your problem. Before starting working out again in the hot season, my advice is to take some supplies. You could try Ibutamoren. It helps with tissues recovery. Vitamins are also beneficial. And don't forget to drink water.

 

[Brychanus]

I'm 60...
My last 10 player ratings have averaged over 995! I'm currently rated 975 and am curious to see how much my rating jumps in about 10 days. Am I bragging? Ya, a little, but I'm just trying to make a point that being in somewhat decent shape will definitely help your game. Just don't forget about the mental aspect.

I love being new here and reading snippets like this when an older thread gets bumped. Makes me optimistic that I can improve and enjoy this game for a long time.

Just wanted to add to this from a general physical fitness perspective. I've never been a runner, but a weightlifter since my late teens. And I put way too little emphasis on some muscle groups. I underestimated how poorly certain muscles were/became conditioned through office life even though I maintained a fairly regular home fitness program. After I began playing DG, poor form + weakened hips, quads, and calves were a recipe for knee injuries.

During recovery, I learned a lot in PT and found it fun to change up my overall workout routine w/ DG health and performance as a new motivator. My PT was nice enough to add a lot of exercises for leg & core stability, the oblique slings, hip strength and flexibility, and shoulder stability. As PT is winding down, I feel like my body is much healthier overall, and I'm more in touch with how it naturally moves than I ever was when I did my old weightlifting routines. I'm going to stick w/ the new routine and look to other multi-muscle sports training movements going forward.

While rebuilding my BH form I was displeased to find that my calf strength and ankle stability has also gone way down, which I guess came from plenty of shoe walking without a focus on them. I'm now adding in some light calisthenics and dynamic exercises to get my body primed for the smooth, strong movements needed in DG and life in general.

Anyway, TL;DR is just to reinforce that general fitness is great, and I hope we all get enough of it!

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

I always like seeing a thread that I posted in 4+ years back. I haven't continued running as I eventually hit a wall with distance that was causing real ankle pain because I'm old and have terrible flexibility and quite a bit of arthritis from years of crack climbing.

I have been lifting weights with my son (he's a high school sophomore now) before he goes to school in the morning during the week. My driving distance has dropped quite a bit as I have gotten stronger - probably because it's harder to stay loose and whip like when I'm continuously sore and more muscled up. Feels great to be stronger and in better shape, but really sucks to be maxed at 400'.

 

[Brychanus]

I always like seeing a thread that I posted in 4+ years back.

HUB/loopghost/excusemytriceratops! To me as a relatively new player and lurker, you are a DG celebrity.

Glad you're getting to bond w/ your son, that must be a special time.

As a long time lifter, I should say that shifting to mostly resistance bands and moderate weight seems to help train that natural DG balance of looseness/tension at the right time. When I was just doing freeweights it felt very different. I still mix in a bit of freeweights just to try to keep up what muscle mass I can.

So I wonder if even just a day a week doing that might help. Of course the balance of DG, "real" life, and family bonding is never easy for many of us!

 

[lee76007]

At 58 years old I've used an Aqua Track at my local Recreational Center for the past 4 1/2 years, two years prior to playing Disc Golf. The track is about 200 feet circular in 3 1/2 feet of water with jets spraying against you for resistance. I used the track 3 or 4 mornings a week for an hour. I have strong legs for my age and had taken off 70 pounds in 16 months when I first started using it.

For Disc Golf helps with leg power, and staying strong during a round, and at times I may play 3 rounds in the morning, and another 2 in the afternoon on days I don't use the track. This past summer the leg strength helped climb up and down the hills of Hawks Hollow, Lake Marshall, Cannon Ridge, and a host of other hilly courses. Yesterday Morning played Raptors Roost Wing course 7k plus and another 1K or so of walking basket to tee in 90 minutes. When I walked in the Pro Shop the owner asked me did you finish? Yes. All of it? Yes. The look on his face and the young man with him was priceless. There are two other courses on the property just as hilly and I look forward to going back to play those two back-to-back.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

HUB/loopghost/excusemytriceratops! To me as a relatively new player and lurker, you are a DG celebrity.

Glad you're getting to bond w/ your son, that must be a special time.

As a long time lifter, I should say that shifting to mostly resistance bands and moderate weight seems to help train that natural DG balance of looseness/tension at the right time. When I was just doing freeweights it felt very different. I still mix in a bit of freeweights just to try to keep up what muscle mass I can.

So I wonder if even just a day a week doing that might help. Of course the balance of DG, "real" life, and family bonding is never easy for many of us!

Thanks, I can honestly say that it's super helpful to have my son being motivated to work out, because getting to the gym at 6:45am doesn't always sound like a good idea.

We're doing a 3 day cycle:
1. Chest / Tri / Abs
2. Back / Bi / Forearms
3. Legs / Deadlifts / Shoulders / Abs (this day sucks)

He's basically eating me out of house and home, but it's awesome seeing him transforming from a kid to a young man. I'm okay with the discgolf loss at the moment, because I'm really enjoying this process and I still have a smooth putter/mid game that keeps me from losing strokes on longer holes as long as I can hit my up-shots.

Plus, I want the back 9 of my life to be fit and capable and ignoring weight training all together (which is my default) wasn't looking good for longevity.

 

[SaROCaM]

We're doing a 3 day cycle:
1. Chest / Tri / Abs
2. Back / Bi / Forearms
3. Legs / Deadlifts / Shoulders / Abs (this day sucks)

That third day sounds brutal! Been a long time since I did deadlifts and squats on the same day for any sustained period of time.

Earlier this year I accepted that I am an "older" lifter and adjusted accordingly. Been doing a M/T/Th/F split, adjusted the periodization, and added recovery work.

Feeling stronger and have increased work capacity, plus some nagging injuries from chasing bigger numbers have gone away.

It has made a difference on the course as well.

 

[Brychanus]

Love it!

My parents still joke that the first thing I do when I get home after I hug them is go to the fridge.

Day 3. was always my least favorite day too. Probably contributed to current issues. Go get it!

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

That third day sounds brutal! Been a long time since I did deadlifts and squats on the same day for any sustained period of time.

Earlier this year I accepted that I am an "older" lifter and adjusted accordingly. Been doing a M/T/Th/F split, adjusted the periodization, and added recovery work.

Feeling stronger and have increased work capacity, plus some nagging injuries from chasing bigger numbers have gone away.

It has made a difference on the course as well.

Agree: "older" lifter for me, means that I really shoot for 10-12 rep sets. I'm forcing my son (and myself) to really think of some exercised like deadlifts, hamstrings and squats as a year long entry process. He hates to lift less than he knows he can, but I'm not interested in injury because I want to prove something.

Funny side note, he told me that he thought that I should work on losing my gut. "You look great dad, but you really gotta watch what you eat and you should lose that..."

Wow, thanks kid... enjoy walking to the gym.

 

[flatflip]

He hates to lift less than he knows he can, but I'm not interested in injury because I want to prove something.

It took a long time for me to learn this lesson. It was a huge revelation to me when I started doing the stronglifts protocol (5x5 of a few select movements 3x/wk) and started seeing gains without feeling totally cooked at the end of every workout. I had always gone for HIIT and xfit style workouts which required tons of reps with weight, just f*cking exhausting. There was a time when I needed that intensity, but backing off this modality has done wonders for my overall health.

 

[flatflip]

What's helped me as I get older is discovering that periodization is more than just a plan for a week -- there are mesocycles (3-4 months) and macrocycles (years+) as well. Olympic athlete macrocycles start when one Games end and they structure their training to peak four years later.

This realization has helped my finally come around to acceptance that my body won't let me throw as hard as I want to year round. I wish my frizbee season could be longer but I have had years where I couldn't touch a disc because of injury and I don't want that to happen any more.

I initially got into strength training to compensate for the fact that I've never been the most durable athlete. I've figured out that I cant lift heavy for more than a few months without getting bored -- mostly because I can't really throw a disc well while I'm building mass, even if I'm diligent about mobility work on my off days. Actual integration of strength is a progression as well -- starting with more compound movements like olympic lifts and kettlebell/macebell work and eventually moving into actually throwing a disc. I do almost exclusively body weight workouts during tournament season.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

My job at a vending machine company has me on my feet all day moving items up to 28 pounds (that's a case of pop), so as a guy in the upper reaches of Am Masters age on the verge of joining Am Grandpa Masters here in a little over 12 months, I get plenty of exercise there. Just worked over 30 hours in 3 days, but that's a bit of an anomaly lately (I'm employed in the "old guy" position at the shop these days, thank the heavens, being surrounded by young guys who remember 9/11 while they were in 4th grade or something). Having my exercise built in to my day is something I've always been thankful for.

I can play two rounds of Flip City in a day but I'm a hell of a lot more sore than I was 20 years ago doing that! I only opt for one round anymore if I can help it, even the shorts at league night, just for the enjoyment factor. Such a departure from 1998 when I HAD to play that second round to avenge my piss-poor first round!

Man, I can totally see how it's going to be a Tylenol-fest in just a few years. I imagine if you didn't have a physically active occupation you'd want to be in shape for sure.

 

[dehaas]

I was powerlifting 4-5 years ago, trained for one actual competition…more to set goals for squat, deadlift, and bench maxes. Zero desire to actually try to be competitive, just wanted to see what I could hit if I went through a dedicated training cycle. Got burnt out afterwards, lifted casually for a while and eventually got back into running. I'd ran cross country and track in high school.

Since I had been power lifting prior I kept telling myself I didn't need to lift legs once I got running, which was about the furthest thing from the truth. Not that my legs weren't strong, but it's very easy to develop muscle imbalances when you run a lot and sit a lot for work. When playing dg I could definitely tell my hips and glutes were weak and I was losing some distance.

Seems like once or twice a year I'll end up with some minor lower body issues, typically hip or lower back. I'd trained up for a big race in September that had an insane amount of vertical climb, and after that told myself the goal of the winter was to get back to lifting and address the muscle imbalance issues I know are there. Got a bit too aggressive with the squat and deadlift weight initially and ended up with a bulging disc in the back. I think I took for granted how lifting heavier weights impacts your nervous system and you have to allow it some time to build a bit of tolerance to those types of movements.

Lol TLDR: I'll be 40 in a month. Was always very athletic growing up and still am, but think I can still do the stuff I could when I was 17 and recover like when I was 17. Not the case anymore, so no shame in easing into things. For anybody looking for some easy stuff to do over the winter I'd agree with the body weight or resistance band stuff. Work on core strength, hips, and glute. Yoga is also awesome, Yoga with Adriene on YouTube has a ton of videos that target certain regions. My two favorites are the deep stretch video…which can be intense at first, and yoga for psoas.

 

[autocrosscrx]

I had all these plans to do field work to add distance this offseason.

Then I got out there and remembered that I had the cold and it was all muddy and sloggy and I got a runny nose and decided that wasn't really fun and I can't get myself quarantined and lose income over a cold I get from throwing frisbees in a field.

So I've really been working on a diet and a body weight exercise routine and also on working to strengthen my core and improve hip and ankle mobility. And I'll just get out and throw when I can on warm sunny days.

I guess we'll see if that pays off around March or so.

 

[Brychanus]

I had all these plans to do field work to add distance this offseason.

Then I got out there and remembered that I had the cold and it was all muddy and sloggy and I got a runny nose and decided that wasn't really fun and I can't get myself quarantined and lose income over a cold I get from throwing frisbees in a field.

So I've really been working on a diet and a body weight exercise routine and also on working to strengthen my core and improve hip and ankle mobility. And I'll just get out and throw when I can on warm sunny days.

I guess we'll see if that pays off around March or so.

Funny, I was just thinking about this. In my form rebuild I've been trying to scale up my throws to practice long drives again, but cold hands and sluggish muscles on top of my still-shaky new movements don't help.

Since I'm still benefitting from repetition of basic movements, I'm realizing that I can get a lot done at home with exercise sessions where I sprinkle in DG drills a few minutes at a time. Then, I can reserve field work for "high value" time (like tightening up form for long drives) when the conditions outside are most favorable. It's frustrating that winter is setting in just as I feel like I'm making breakthroughs, but there are still opportunities to improve!