Picking Up the Pace

Getting Ready for Summer Sports

by Robert Lillegard, with reporting by Donna O’Neill

Welcome to May! Winter is finally over and done, the ice has long since broken up on the lake, and the trails are drying out. It’s time to put away those big sweaters and get in shape for the spring, summer and fall seasons of activity.

Whatever sport you practice, the first rule is the same—take it slow. Use proper technique, warm up before you exercise, and be sure not to overdo it at first. The body takes time to get accustomed to more rigorous training, and an early-season injury can put you out of the game for the whole summer. Furthermore, it’s easy to get discouraged. If you throw yourself into something and fail, it’s a lot harder to come back.

“The only thing you shouldn’t do if you’re just starting is to go your hardest the very first day,” Rossing says, “You could set yourself up for failure.”

But how do you get set up for specific sports? Here, Duluth~Superior Magazine breaks it down into four key areas.

 

Running

Running works your feet, your legs, and your heart. But for one surprising way to improve your running, you’ll have to look higher.

“I lift weights twice a week,” Fleck says. “I like to lift with my upper body.”

Why the upper body? Ultimately, upper-body strength will balance the lower body and make you a better runner. Fleck works with a trainer at Impact Sports, but you can get good results at your home gym by following a basic upper-body strength routine.

Of course, lower-body strength is important too. To deal with the stresses and strains of running, Fleck says you’ll need a solid base.

“You want strong calves, strong quads,” Fleck says. “You want to have strong hip flexors in running because they can take a real beating.”

The same gym you go to for your upper body workouts should have plenty of machines for leg exercises. While you’re there, consider doing some crunches. Both Fleck and Sudoh agree that core strength is fundamental.

“Your core is what supports you in probably just about any activity that you do,” Sudoh says.

Finally, a large element of running is cardiovascular. If you’ve kept your heart in shape by cross-country skiing, great (just make sure you don’t run too hard the first several workouts— you might be ready for the distance, but your legs aren’t ready for the pounding). Otherwise, it’s good to get things started again. Fleck suggests switching between running and biking for the best exercise.

“When you add in that biking, you really get a lot of new muscles firing,” Fleck says. “If you alternate the two,they’re both gonna benefit each other.”

Biking

Humans were not designed to pedal bikes. The combination of sitting, spinning your legs, and holding on to handlebars is an unusual activity; as such, biking is its own best training. Fleck says she practices all year round on a combination of indoor bikes, a road bike with studded tires, and a trainer that lets her use outdoor bikes indoors.

“Riding is a fairly specific sport,” Fleck says, “So there’s not a lot of other things you can do.”

On the other hand, some general things can help a lot as the season gets started. It’s important to be able to handle stresses on the body, so a good stretching routine is in order.

“You want to keep stretching, particularly your hamstrings, your glutes, your quads,” Fleck says.
“You definitely want to make sure that you’re flexible.”

Furthermore, a lot of biking is cardiovascular. Fleck says that just like biking can help your running, running can help your biking. Mix it up and get better results!

 

Kayaking

You may be intimidated by the big lake, but there’s good news—compared to some sports, kayaking is low risk.

“There aren’t a whole lot of injuries with kayaking,” Sudoh says.

The injuries that do happen (carpal tunnel, shoulder pain) can mostly be avoided with good form. Sudoh says paddlers should make sure to use proper technique.

“Ultimately, when you paddle you should be using your trunk and your core,” Sudoh says. “Not so much your shoulder and your wrist.”

Since kayaking is so core-driven, make sure your core strength is good. Pilates, yoga, and exercise ball workouts are great ways to do this, but you don’t need anything elaborate. Fleck says that simple crunches are great for strengthening your abs—no fancy training necessary.

 

Climbing

Pulling yourself up steep rocks takes a lot of courage. It also takes a lot of strength. But since climbers must pull their own body weight, looking like a Governor (Schwarzeneggar, Ventura) can be counterproductive. So how do you balance strength and weight? Simple—train for it.

“It’s not that you’re trying to see how much you can lift,” Sudoh says, “It’s how long you can sustain that activity.”

To that end, do a large number of repetitions with smaller amounts of weight. This won’t increase your maximum strength as fast, but it will help you have more endurance on your climbs. Circuit training, where you go quickly from one activity to the next, is one way of doing this. So what kinds of activities should you do?

“As you’re climbing you’re going to be pulling up quite a bit, or hanging on your arms,” Sudoh says. “Pull ups are always a good thing to do.”

For grip strength, invest in a good squeeze ball or hand gripper. Work on quad and glute exercises for leg strength, and keep working on that core!

It’s summer, the sun is shining, and you’re on your way to good health. So whatever your sport of choice, keep a good attitude. It’s ultimately pretty simple. Don’t worry about what others do—do your best, and success will come. As Rossing says:

“Start slow, gradually increase what you do, and don’t be afraid to push it a little harder to get better.“