Preparing for Crown

[Brennus]

I am planning on fighting in Crown in the fall here in Meridies. I had thought I was in pretty good shape. I have been fighting a couple times a week. I have been training pretty hard I thought I breezed through Gulf Wars and fought almost all day everyday never really got exceptionally winded. I decided to joina DOJO/fitness center because I don't have anyone to practice with during the week anymore and because I'm on a dig in North Georgia right now and don't even know if there is anyone to practice with during the week here. I just got back from doing an hour and a half of Aerobics....OH my god I feel like I got ran over by a train. Even for a big guy I thought I was in ok shape but my stomach feels like its on fire.


I'm going back tomorrow if it hurts this bad it has to be good for me.

[Tristan vom Schwarzwald]

I'm going back tomorrow if it hurts this bad it has to be good for me.

You know what they say..."if it don't kill you, it will make you stronger".

[Duke Icefalcon]

I was thinking of trying Aerobics. They have classes at the base I work out on. My current work out, although intense, is not giving me results any more. My body had become acustomed to the work out.

Good luck to you, my friend.

[broinnfinn]

Good luck! - To a point. I am kinda pulling for my Knight.

Moose and I will be throwing our lot into First GA Crown (well, he will, I am still, um, indisposed) two weeks later. Hope to see you there - crowned or not.

Broinnfinn.

[Winterfell]

I always thought it was, that which does not kill you, still hurts a lot."

I'm going back tomorrow if it hurts this bad it has to be good for me.

You know what they say..."if it don't kill you, it will make you stronger".

[Ashildr]

One thing that may help in your training is a heart-rate monitor-I've been experimenting on myself and any fighters I can get to be guinea pigs for me. If you know your MHR(maximum heart rate), and also how close you hover to it when fighting, you can simulate that in your aerobic work.

Also, since many of us hover close to going anaerobic when fighting(and cross over frequently), it'll also help you to know whether you need to work on improving your anaerobic threshhold.

(btw, an interesting side note : HG Ailgheanan, who I get to use as a guinea pig for everything , stays at a relatively low heart rate at all times(even though his aerobic fitness is not that great) and never goes anaerobic.

If you want to know more detail on all this catch me at an event sometime soon.

-Ashildr, Meridies
(training geek)

[Brandr]

One thing that may help in your training is a heart-rate monitor-I've been experimenting on myself and any fighters I can get to be guinea pigs for me. If you know your MHR(maximum heart rate), and also how close you hover to it when fighting, you can simulate that in your aerobic work.

Also, since many of us hover close to going anaerobic when fighting(and cross over frequently), it'll also help you to know whether you need to work on improving your anaerobic threshhold.

(btw, an interesting side note : HG Ailgheanan, who I get to use as a guinea pig for everything , stays at a relatively low heart rate at all times(even though his aerobic fitness is not that great) and never goes anaerobic.

If you want to know more detail on all this catch me at an event sometime soon.

-Ashildr, Meridies
(training geek)

Interesting never considered that much detail in the aerobic/anaerobic relationship. Obviously the more time you spend on the aerobic side of things the better you will feel and the fewer "breaks" you would need. Definite edge there.

Where would one obtain such a heart rate monitor? And also the latest information on calculating the MHR? All I have on the is 15 years old from college and most likely out of date.

Thanks
Brandr

[Heairn]

Except.. Crown is not an endurance race. It's a series of explosive sprints followed by rest. In that, it's more like football. Good conditioning and strength is a helpful, but training for tourney fighting is pretty much a unique animal.

Most of my work for Crowns has been fighting practice. Extra work, like lifiting and such, has been for explosive power and strength training. All my endurance training has been for War..

just a different opinion..
Malcolm

[St. George]

Except.. Crown is not an endurance race. It's a series of explosive sprints followed by rest. In that, it's more like football. Good conditioning and strength is a helpful, but training for tourney fighting is pretty much a unique animal.

Most of my work for Crowns has been fighting practice. Extra work, like lifiting and such, has been for explosive power and strength training. All my endurance training has been for War..

just a different opinion..
Malcolm

I disagree, Crown is absolutely an endurance race. I found that my being in better shape than my opponents at the end of the tourney day has often allowed me to emerge victorious, where those huffing and puffing just aren't able to finish it out correctly. Being in shape is just another tool in the bag of the victorious. If you can wear out your opponents, then your ability to win is made greater. The only time conditioning does not affect the outcome of a fight is if whentheir level of it is similar or equal.

As a workout, I find that alternating days of endurance running or aerobics (yeah they kicked my butt too) with wind sprints will put someone into the proper overall cardio-vascular shape to be prepared to win Crown.

Further, I encourage fighters who want to win Crown to be able to fight between 70-100 fights in one practice session, and be victorious in at least 70% of them, and probably be doing this at least twice per week.

Alaric, Dux

[Brennus]

Just got back from class today. Today's class hurt alot less but I got a great upper body workout. Yesterday was Aerobic day, today was called three thousand punches. We did fifteen minutes of stretching and jumping rope and 45 mins of punching. I was much more prepared to do this.


Ashildr I don't know if you remember me I was the great-swordsman that was holding off the spearmen at the gate of the Castle at castle wars.


How much do these heart rate monitors cost? Are they the kind that you see on watches from time to time?

Duke Alaric I agree I think that overall Physical fitness/endurance is one of the tools I need in my Prowess kit.

[Brennus]

Broinnfinn,

If I happen to meet your Knight upon the field I hope to honorably aquit myself and I pray that we both find honor and renown among those there that day.

[Hew]

Don't forget the most important preparation for Crown Tourney: New garb for Feast and Court.

[broinnfinn]

Don't forget the most important preparation for Crown Tourney: New garb for Feast and Court.

Oh, and pick a Chancellor early. Have somebody who won't be too "deer in the headlights" who agrees in advance if you win. In Meridies, they are the ones that sign for your stuff. As he often reminds me, I owe Master Stephan of Durham BIG TIME for the two reigns he did for us.

On training - I never fought or felt better than when I was running 15 miles a week. I am hoping to go back to it slowly after the baby is born (but coming back at 40 is difficult enough WITHOUT the labor part of it).

However, a great part of consistency in prowess is more mental than physical training - depending of course on what you start out with. Radu will tell you that fighting is more of a mental than physical game with him, but he starts out a bit more ahead on the physical side than the majority of us. However, even for us average joes, it CANNOT be underestimated.

What consistent practice give you is not just consistency in physical skill, but the development of the mental discipline necessary to win - confidence without underestimation, the ability to think quick enough to control and "own" the fight, the ability to size up an opponent logically and quickly. These are often the things that tip the good fighter over into the category of great fighter.

Broinnfinn

PS - Fight Radu greatsword if you get the chance and like the weapon. He really is one of the very best around.

[Murdock]

Yeah B i'll be your chancellor


I'm perfect, everyone already hates me and i can't be reasoned with.

[Samuel]

Ive been thinking about what I did prior to crown tourneys in the past and Ive come to the conclusion that when I spent a lot of time fighting up to about a month before crown and just stopped and healed... as well as making sure my head was right for the job at hand I did the best ive ever done...

I spend the day not thinking about anything, not dwelling on who I was going to fight nor how I would fight them. Just being calm and relaxed. IN doing so I found a focus I rarely get to...

IMO having your mind in the right place is far more important than where your body is...

[CosmoCraven]

I disagree, Crown is absolutely an endurance race. I found that my being in better shape than my opponents at the end of the tourney day has often allowed me to emerge victorious, where those huffing and puffing just aren't able to finish it out correctly. Being in shape is just another tool in the bag of the victorious. If you can wear out your opponents, then your ability to win is made greater. The only time conditioning does not affect the outcome of a fight is if whentheir level of it is similar or equal.


Alaric, Dux[/quote]

I thought smoking a pack a smokes and drinking pretty hard helps the day before?
Craven

[Blackoak]

You can get the heart monitors at a sporting goods store. Academy, Sports authority, etc. Probably at Wal-mart too, they sell everything. The cheapest run 50-60 bucks.

What you do is subtract your age from 220. Take that number and multiply it by 80%. That is about where you want your heartrate to be at for true aerobic training.

Ex: I am 32. 220-32=188. 188 x .80 = 150.
I want to keep my heartrate around 140-150. That is what the monitors are for. I am not getting good results if I am panting at 170 vs 140. When I run and my monitor starts going above 150 I drop to a brisk walk. I start running again when I go to about 140. This is the training I was doing when I won the Diamond Wars bear pit with about 40 people in it. A friend of mine who did an Ironman (2 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26 mile run) taught me this.

Combine this with fighter practice, core weight training, and a good diet and you are set. Sure does sound easy.

Uric

[St. George]

I thought smoking a pack a smokes and drinking pretty hard helps the day before?
Craven

That was to get my head straight- my body was already in shape

Alaric

[knoch]

I thought smoking a pack a smokes and drinking pretty hard helps the day before?
Craven

That was to get my head straight- my body was already in shape

Alaric

I tried this a couple times the only I thru was projectile Vomit

from Knoch

[Kevin]

You can get the heart monitors at a sporting goods store. Academy, Sports authority, etc. Probably at Wal-mart too, they sell everything. The cheapest run 50-60 bucks.

We favor the Acumen Cardio Trainer, $95, and the Polar a3, $80, for their accuracy and ease of use.

WalMart does carry the Polar A3. Of course, I have a hard time finding watches with watch bands big enough (not that I wear watches anyway) - I can't imagine the difficulty I'd have with a chest strap...

[BdeB]

I'm thinking of eating four gallons of Ice Cream. I'm lactose intorent. Should be fun!

Then again, i'm just marshalling...

[Vitus von Atzinger]

Listen to Ashildr, she knows what she is talking about.

[Brennus]

Yesterday I did Aerobics again. I am going to take today and tomorrow off fight Sunday and they have aerobics again monday.

I think I'll keep posting my progress here and encourage others that are in Crown this Fall to do the same. Sort of an encouragement by posting your progress sort of thing.

[Greenshield]

Brennus,

I've been taking a class at my local YMCA called a Boot Camp class. It’s a combo or aerobics and calisthenics and stretching. It has improved my endurance remarkably, especially during the summer months. It may be a little late for you to find something like this in your area but it is defiantly worth a try and will really push you if you have the right trainer.

With Crown being in May and with each round best two out of three, those with the best endurance will stand a better chance of victory in the end.

Camric

[Brennus]

I'm not fighting in May Im preparing for Fall crown list. This is the time to think about the fall if you havent started to get ready for spring crown in may six months ago your too late now I would think.