Fitness levels

Hey everyone!
In about two weeks, I’m heading out to Monterey or maybe Miami to catch some waves. Since this will likely be my only real chance to get serious about surfing this summer—and my best shot at actually learning something—I want to spend these next couple of weeks getting my body ready so I can stay out in the water longer.
Is it actually possible to make progress in such a short window, and if so, how should I approach it?
I really need to build up my stamina and some decent upper body strength. 😢
Since I’m already waking up early to study for finals, I was thinking of getting up even earlier to squeeze in some running and push-ups. But I'm a bit lost on where to start—how do I know if I'm overdoing it? I don't want to wake up with so much pain in my arms or legs that I can barely walk, let alone go for a run.
Is there a good way to tell if I've overtrained?
How many miles or push-ups should I start with, and how much should I increase the volume each day?
This is pretty important to me, so I'd really appreciate any advice, answers, or even just a helpful link...
Thanks a bunch!
ps. If I have other sports activities scheduled for that day, should I still stick to the running or just take a break?

Look... you aren't going to pull off any miracles in just 15 days, and you definitely won't see a massive jump in your cardio level in that timeframe.
..Maybe a tiny bit.

As for how many pushups you should start with or how much running you need to do? That’s entirely on you.
..Nobody here knows what your current fitness—or lack thereof—actually looks like.

Just try some pushups and see how long you can hold out without absolutely redlining it.
...Then check in the next day to see how bad the muscle pain is, and adjust accordingly.

..Same goes for the running.

...You really should have thought about this a little sooner.

...And if you're looking for the formula to spot overtraining... 😁
..Don't sweat it, you'll figure it out. That's exactly why muscle pain exists.👋

Look, you aren't exactly going to build peak fitness in fifteen days. It just doesn't work like that. But... you can start working out lightly now and ramp up the intensity day by day. That way, you deal with the muscle soreness—you know, those micro-tears—before your vacation actually starts instead of right in the middle of it.

The absolute best cure for muscle pain? A hot soak, some aspirin, and getting right back at it the next day. Don't just sit there resting!

Joseph Jones85 said:The best way to deal with muscle soreness? A hot bath, some aspirin, and getting right back at it the next day instead of sitting around resting!

Here’s my take—I don't see much need for meds.
...I'm sure aspirin does the trick, but if you go that route, make sure you're hitting the Vitamin C too.

Alternating hot and cold showers works wonders. 👍

...And regarding working out the very next day? Sure, it might clear the soreness faster, but let's be real: it hurts like hell, especially if the inflammation is bad.
..Just take it easy. It's up to him to decide what he can handle.
,,,That's exactly how you end up totally burnt out.

... just wanted to throw this out there—when you're windsurfing, your back is like, superrr important. It honestly hurts way more than your arms does... or maybe that's just me? I don't know. But man, it's brutal! Your lower back usually takes the biggest beating because of bad posture or just being all stiff and inactive while you're sailing...

Watch your back and hope for some good wind👍

If you want to actually survive a session out on the water, your back, biceps, and forearms are everything—and let me tell you right now, you aren't going to build any of that strength just by cranking out push-ups. Don't get me wrong, you shouldn't ignore the rest of your body either; keeping everything balanced is non-negotiable if you want to avoid getting sidelined by an injury. You're cutting it pretty close here, but you still have about two weeks to prime your muscles for the physical grind of surfing. Get yourself to a gym or at least pick up some dumbbells for home.

Thanks!
Went for a run 1.2 miles this morning and there's zero pain right now—we'll see how it feels tomorrow 😁
No pushups for me today, though, since I managed to tweak a tendon while surfing yesterday 😢

Quick question, though—if I know I have a big day planned with running, jumping, or other physical stuff, should I still hit my workout in the morning, or just take the day off?
Thanks again!

Gary Sanchez said:...I mean, I'm not saying aspirin doesn't do its thing, but you gotta consider the body is also getting hit with Vit. C at the same time

for real? can you walk me through that a bit, please?

rustymoose54 said:Seriously? Can you actually explain what you mean by that?

Aspirin, just like most common over-the-counter stuff—think Advil, Excedrin, Tylenol, Motrin, etc.—is loaded with caffeine.

And here’s the kicker: caffeine doesn't just strip your body of Vitamin C. It also drains your Vitamin B complex (especially inositol), zinc, potassium, and several other essential minerals.
(And honestly, those aren't even all the downsides to caffeine; there's plenty more where that came from.)

To make matters worse, taking aspirin can actually triple the rate at which your body flushes out Vitamin C!

(That's exactly why they bother making those effervescent aspirin tablets with added Vitamin C in the first place.)

Just so you know, Aspirin is strictly acetylsalicylic acid—there isn't any caffeine in there...

Casey Palmer5 said:Aspirin is just acetylsalicylic acid; there’s zero caffeine in it.

👍

Look, you're actually right... I just went and checked.
...my bad, I was wrong.

...but as far as those other meds go, what I said stands.

...and the whole thing about aspirin and Vitamin C? Still holds true.

So, there's actually a thing with Vitamin C and aspirin—like, if you take them together, it might actually help cut down on all that nasty stomach irritation you get from just popping aspirin alone. There’s a ton of research out there on this, and I stumbled upon this recent one: Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 2004, 19, 367-374.

Oh, and side note... I also dug up this study claiming that taking aspirin after a workout can actually be a good move for lowering oxidative stress. Check it: Steinberg J. Gainnier M. Michel F. Faucher M. Arnaud C. Jammes Y., "The post-exercise oxidative stress is depressed by acetylsalicylic acid", Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology 2002, 130, 189.

Look, I don't think it's impossible to get stuff done in two weeks.
If you ask me, you should hit the gym maybe 5 or 6 times a week. Get a trainer there to show you the ropes so you can do some light reps—nothing that's gonna wreck you. If you're out of shape, you just gotta build that stamina back up slowly. It’s basically untapped potential sitting there waiting to be used. Real progress takes time and actual work. Anyway 😁 😁 As for running, don't go at it every single day or you'll blow out your muscles. They need downtime. Run every other day instead. And if you don't want to deal with muscle pain or issues in your knees or ankles, make sure you warm up before you start running.

A buddy of mine goes to a local college and we were actually talking about building up cardio. I don't remember all the specifics, though. Basically, they do these drills where you run like 800m, take a break, then go again, and so on... I don't know the exact routine. Just find someone who actually does this for a living. Like I said before, just go ask around at a gym. It shouldn't be an issue to ask questions even if you aren't planning on joining right away.

Grab yourself some isotonic drinks like Gatorade or Powerade... it helps with recovery since you lose minerals when you're active. Seriously, it works. I ride my bike through the hills, so I know exactly how it feels to be wiped out versus feeling good after a few hours of riding.😁

Alright. That's all I got.😁

rustymoose54 said:By the way, I also stumbled upon some research claiming that popping aspirin after a workout helps dial down oxidative stress.

Sure, maybe.

But there are plenty of other ways to deal with that oxidative stress without relying on pills.

...I’ve personally been fighting off that same stress by sticking to green tea, black tea, and tons of fruit.

...Yeah, those teas have caffeine, but they're a hell of a lot healthier.

Look, you still haven't really walked me through how aspirin actually drains your Vitamin C levels...

Because what I was getting at—adding Vit C to aspirin to help with those stomach issues—is a totally different ballgame. We're talking about soothing micro-lesions in the lining right there on the spot.

Besides, let’s be real, there's no way you can just eyeball it... without actual testing, you can't really tell how much any specific chemical compound—any of them, really—actually helped dial back the oxidative stress.

Regarding the running stuff.
Start slow. Like, embarrassingly slow. Toward the end, pick up the pace just a bit—just enough to get the body used to it. Let it wake up. And every time you go out, go a little longer and a little further...

Whenever I’m waiting for that post-workout muscle soreness to kick in, I’ll hop in the shower, lather up really well, and just let the soap sit there and dry on my skin.
Honestly, I think it actually works.
My physical therapist was the one who gave me the tip.

Taylor King7 said:When I’m expecting some muscle soreness after a workout, I’ll lather up really well in the shower and just let the soap suds dry on my skin.
I swear, it actually seems to help...
My physical therapist was the one who suggested it

Did they give you any actual reasoning behind that trick?

Sorry, but I’ve never heard of anything like that, and honestly, it doesn't make much sense to me (if anything, my gut tells me letting dried soap sit on your skin would just cause irritation).

Whenever I feel muscle pain coming on, I usually just take an aspirin and soak in a hot tub, maybe get a massage too. I haven't heard of any other "remedy," and I can't think of anything else worth trying...

For muscle pain—maybe try some warm water plus some aspirin? I guess the trick is you really gotta take the aspirin before the ache actually kicks in... while you're still feeling kind of warm from the soak. Just my two cents!😕