suggested running conditioning schedule

[maria mouk]

what kind of stamina (if that can be gauged!)
is needed to begin pk?

can you suggest gym run times? outdoor running better?

[Dogwithrabiez]

PK can be started by just about anyone, supposing you can run for more than ten meters at a time. If you don't run regularly, I would suggest light jogs across track or grass, soft surfaces to prevent shin splints from happening. Once you begin to get more used to it, you could do longer runs across all sorts of places. It's important to stretch after the exercise, rather than before, generally, as I understand it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[Bogdan]

its important before and after....

[Philosofist]

More after than before, see technique's article on before exercise stretching and muscle damaging.

[BrodyB]

To be completely honest, I can't run half a mile without a break. But I've been training with the guys in the South Bay for almost two months now and I've been progressing and keeping up (for the most part) and jog twice a week.

[pyz.particle]

There isn't much as you start up, personally i think being able to actually jog for a mile nonstop would be much more than adequate. Though looking at the conditioning sessions really experienced and dedicated people do (like 5 sets of 5 miles etc), you'll probably want to, at some point in the future, work up to more endurance and stamina...

[Dogwithrabiez]

We are so jogging a mile as conditioning this Saturday, then. :P

[hillexallen]

Well, I am a long distance runner, so I obviously like running. I think that you should practice running right before your regular training or workout. I like to do about a 1/4 mile jog, then a few short sprints. Some uphill, some downhill. I do the distance training during cross country season.

But definitely, coordination is the most important thing.

[hillexallen]

Oh yeah, I am finally convinced that dynamic stretching is for before training, and static stretching is for after training. Many researchers and scientists say that doing static stretching before an event can decrease your strength by 30%!

[SafeNSure]

[this thread relates interestingly with this one here more generic about running]

Dogwithrabiez +1
Also, I may oversimplify it, but really imagine yourself in one of these scenarios:

- you are getting out of the mall loaded with holiday shopping bags, when suddenly you see your express bus getting to the stop on the other side of the street, the next bus is in 30 minutes... the running amount and commitment that you need to catch it, or to try catching it w/o being run over by any car, is the level of effort that you may utilize proficiently in your average parkour session... you may improve it over time, but any healthy individual has some level of it, and that's exctly where you start.

- you are sitting at your desk by the window, in your two stories apartment building, when suddenly you see the ticket maid fining the car behind yours for street cleaning... you both forgot... how much time do you have? 30 seconds? Where are the keys? How many flights of stairs? 3? How many doors to open? 2?... You go, or you don't?...

In both cases, once you start running, you are already doing parkour... THAT's the kind of stamina needed to begin parkour.
;)

[Philosofist]

The bus situation has occured to me before. haha, I actually needed to vault a few things...

[kingtheking]

join the club... i got out of a movie with some friends, saw golden gate transit, and ended up sprinting about 300 meters to catch it overcoming any obstacle in my way (like red lights)

[kingtheking]

i run cross country for my school and i would have to say running regularly greatly helps your improvement in PK. After the season ended i felt a lot stronger in my legs and core which are key in parkour. just try running once every couple of days a distance that you feel pushes your limits but doesn't take you out of your comfort zone for too long. This will help develop muscle and stamina