Plateaus in racing performance

Working with athletes relatively new to endurance sports, admittedly, can be less challenging coaching them to improved performance compared to very experienced or elite athletes.  After reviewing functional strength, mobility, weekly training volume, intensity, frequency, duration or recovery, coaches can make adjustments to a training plan based on experience and knowledge of how the athlete’s body responds best.  There are clearly differences among individuals regarding hormone profile, physical build and mental toughness that also play a role in optimizing a plan for individuals and this insight requires time and constant feedback between the athlete and coach.  However, working with very experienced or elite athletes that are close to reaching their athletic potential often require much more focus and attention to the many variables affecting their race performance.  If a training plan is carefully designed, recovery is adequate, stress levels are managed and a healthy weight is maintained, the athlete should expect gains in performance.  Careful assessments now become more prevalent and testing of the athlete in all areas of performance expands to search out potential limiters.   

Some assessment examples; If I have an athlete perform a short circuit of body weight squats, lunges, pushups, and planks and the next day, the athlete is completely sore throughout, it alerts me to their need to focus on functional strength movements.   Next perhaps, I look at race performances or time-trials, selecting what they/we consider their top performances during the year or recent time period. For example, runner X ran a 30 minutes flat for 5 mile race on a fast course, a 1:26:00 half-marathon (again flat) and a 3:10 marathon. These times correlate to VDOT values (taken from Jack Daniel’s running formula http://www.runbayou.com/jackd.htm,) of 55, 53 and 50, respectively.  We can clearly see a declining VDOT value as race distance increases and we can then go and address this issue in our training plan.  Another scenario would be when an athlete’s three selected VDOT values are ascending for example; 48, 49 and 51.  In this instance, I would suspect the runner lacks power, speed or muscular endurance  in their training plan and a period of specific development would be a focus before moving on to target race-pace workouts.  If the VDOT values are even throughout in all distances, we can go on and increase one or two variables of volume, intensity, duration or frequency or move our focus to power to weight ratio (reduce weight while maintaining power), perhaps equipment, or possibly more effective pacing strategies, etc.

These assessments and limiter discoveries are often the most exciting moments for both the athlete and coach. To break through race performance plateaus; regularly perform assessments with your coach in all areas of your swim, bike, run, strength, mobility or equipment selection to determine potential limiters and then carefully work together to focus on improving these areas throughout the season to prepare for race day and hopefully, you will break through to new levels of performance.

Thanks for reading.

Age-Group National Triathlon Championships.

During the winter months, I had discovered from USAT that I qualified for the national age group triathlon championship to be held in Burlington Vermont. The race weekend holds two events, the sprint and the Olympic distance (1500 meter swim, 40K bike and 10K run) events.  I qualified for the Olympic distance so I jumped on the challenge looking for something new and exciting to experience, plus, I’m a triathlon coach and needed to add swim race experience to my years competing in duathlon.  I booked the double goal; marathon in May and triathlon nationals in August, both held in Burlington.  My wife and I enjoy the local scene up there and we wanted to take the kids up to explore a new place.

After the marathon at the end of May, my focus switched from running to a more balanced triathlon training plan.  I expected my running legs to take at least a month to heal but in reality it took about two months before I could comfortably do speed work again or until my stride felt “normal”.  Increasing both swimming and biking volume was not an issue, my enhanced lungs from all the running were eager to be more active and the group rides were happening everywhere.  

I booked a few training races between the marathon and nationals to get fit and test my fitness.  Three weeks out I raced the Lowell Olympic distance triathlon and had improved results.  My swim, though not near the leaders in that race, was still showing signs of improving with 2-3 days a week in the pool. Overall my workouts were going well and the taper was giving me new energy.

My last week of work before our trip/vacation was going great, I was clearing everything off my to-do-list right to the last minute before heading out on my last day. Once I made the train home, I had that aaaah… moment of realizing it was vacation time, race in two days, and time with the family for over a week! That aaah feeling… is that delightful moment of decompression after having a beginning-of-vacation-realization.

After I walked in the door, and was greeted by the kids, my wife headed out for her evening run (our typical routine of balancing the day) and while I started to make dinner.  Within a few minutes, my daughter came up to me complaining “My tummy hurts”.  Then she had that awful look of pending doom before I ran with her to the bathroom so she could lose it.   Okay….so there is the sensitive parent side that instinctively springs into action to comfort our ailing children… and then there is the small inner child that screams, “What a way to start to a vacation!!”  Our focus changed quickly from trip packing to making sure our oldest was getting some rest, sleep, hydration etc. My wife offered to stay up with her that night considering I had a race in two days (owe you one!!).  I slept a bit but was distracted by the potential for a few days of family puke-fest, considering the contagiousness of these stomach bugs in 2012. 

The four hour drive up to Vermont went as expected; child number two showed signs of stomach ailment and within an hour lost it all over her seat, her arm, floor, window, ceiling, my bike, our luggage, well maybe not that bad but it was chaos!  I hopped into the back seat as my wife and I conversed in how to clean up this accident (all of this at “slightly” elevated voice levels). We had no towels, napkins or anything to clean up with… not great planning on our part.  We raced to the next exit at ~15 mph because we were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic which was awesome for our spirit.  Our oldest began complaining of the smell and critiqued our hazmat clean-up skills.  The rest of the drive involved a few pit stops for our youngest.  Both our kids were exhausted and we just wanted to get to the hotel to rest up.  Should we turn around?   Sarah was very supportive and committed to going up so I could do the race and pledged to take care of the kids while I raced. Plus the kids did not want to miss out on an adventure.  Her generous and thoughtful offer was soon rewarded by contracting the virus herself once we reached the hotel.  

After getting situated into the beds to rest and re-hydrate I went out to get supplies, drop off my bike at transition, see the course, get dinner and pull-ups (not for me, I swear).  All the while, I was sweating it, not for the race but worrying about my kid’s health and of course fearing the virus was going to hit me at the ideal moment of race start.  “Take your marks, get set… BLAAAH!!”  Also, on the drive over to drop off my bike, my freshly pumped up tire exploded (pinch flat) so I had to change that upon arrival.  I chipped my rear molar trying to get a stem-extension off the blown wheel…. Back to the dentist!  After finding some Thai food and supplies I arrived back at the hotel to find the kids chilling and then Sarah headed off to retrieve the cloths from the hotel drier.  I asked my squirming youngest how she felt and she responded immediately by vomiting all over the bed. 

That night was another sleepless night but thankfully the kids were able to get some rest.  I was able get a whopping 3-4 hours sleeping between our kids while my wife slept soundly by herself.  It had not started that way but I seem to be a magnet for sleepless kids everywhere we are.  I sleep on the side of the bed closest to the door at home so the kids make a b-line for me after nightmares or a any event that wakes them.  I've had many moments of being in a deep sleepy, dreamy state and suddenly feeling like an alien is staring at me before my eyes adjust.

Anyhow, this is supposed to be about my race.  In summary, I awoke early, feeling calm.  The weather was perfect. I walked two miles to the course because we only brought one car. This ended up being my gradual warm-up and was to me, a peaceful way to start the day.  At the start, the water was warm but very rough (no barfing at the countdown) and I thought some people would not enjoy swimming in these conditions.  In all honesty, it was the roughest water I've swam in (though only my tenth triathlon).  I was barely able to keep my swimming lines on target and often found myself swimming off course with all the turns.  Getting out of the water was a sigh of relief.  Onto the bike I felt at home and was able to get in some fast sections. The crowded turns kept me from going at my preferred speed for that distance but it likely kept my legs fresh for the run. , Run was fine, probably should have gone slightly faster at the start but there was very few people catching me nor was I catching anyone in my age group in the second half.  However, I realized after the race, there were many more age group waves to follow and every second is huge at this athletic level. In the future I will give it everything I have in the run to improve overall time in the standings as every second faster can be another placing at nationals.  Overall, I finished feeling strong, in one piece and wanting more. I finished in the top 3rd in my age group. Thanks for reading.   

Experiencing the marathon...and a bit more.

About 5 months ago I decided to add a marathon to my spring racing season. Over the years I’ve studied the marathon, the effects on the body and the training required to complete the distance but I never pursued racing one due to an injured knee during my 20’s. Running shorter distances, cycling and multisport events were enough for me until I started coaching.   My initial goal was to run the marathon for fun and to gain valuable insight and experience of feeling the effects on the body.  I gradually increased my long runs each week over time, peaking with two 22+ milers and really enjoying every step.  During my last long run, about 3 weeks out, I ran over 22 miles, drank one bottle of water and had 1 gel.  The week leading up to my marathon, my legs felt better than ever and it was challenging to hold back on my last few runs.

 The night before the marathon my adrenaline was pumping (not uncommon before a big race) resulting in a few too many trips to the bathroom (overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system).  After a sleepless night, I started the morning feeling already dehydrated, despite all my attempts to keep hydrated with water and electrolytes. I assumed it was typical prerace excitement.   Arriving at the race, I was feeling relaxed and ready to get the marathon started.  After the start, I settled into my planned race pace and it felt easy on the legs.  Into the first mile however, I felt thirsty and knew it was a bad sign.  I drank at all the water stops and gradually moved from water to Gatorade and added gels after every 5-6 miles beginning at mile 11. The race was a gradual pace decline after I began eating (not helping the dehydration with blood rushing to my stomach) and the last 6 miles I was running much slower on cramped quads.  Once I committed to finishing, however I was programmed to finish no matter how much pain I was feeling.  After crossing the finish line, I guzzled a few chocolate milks and that put me over the edge.  My body/stomach did not feel right so I visited the med-tent to be checked out.  My blood sodium levels were within the safe range but my potassium levels were high (Hyperkalemia) and my blood pressure was very low.  I felt better after some water and after looking around the tent, thought I was in a much better state compared to the rest, so I left without any treatment.  After greeting my friends and family my physical state went downhill.   I hopped on a bus with a close friend while my family headed back on their own. Soon after arriving to the hotel, I was sent to the hospital to be treated for severe dehydration and hyperkalemia which is risky to the heart. 

The lessons I learned in my first marathon were; Listen to both body and mind.  It’s more courageous and wise to know when to stop rather than finish and risk ones health to reach an athletic goal. Everyone can have a bad day or race, we are all human. I’ve had many great races and plenty of not so great ones; it's all part of racing.  The "poor" races have actually taught me more than the great ones.  There is a limit to what our bodies can take and to know when to save it for another day.  Family and friends are the most valuable, period, and we should keep them at the top of our priorities and think twice about making risky personal decisions that may negatively affect them in the end.   Mental preparation is often more valuable than physical preparation and this is the area I could have focused more on in my marathon preparation.  My marathon pace ended up slower than most of my long training runs and those were run at a comfortable pace.  Dehydration will seriously limit physical performance and physical suffering!  Hyperkalemia is a rare condition for most people but more common for longer endurance events where dehydration occurs.  Take the time to learn more about the crucial electrolytes in our body and how to keep them all in balance particularly for longer endurance events.  

Well, 26.2 miles down.  Hugely valuable insight gained. Now it’s time to rest and recover.  My quads are hurting way more than my ego right now!  Special thanks to my friends and family that supported me during and after the marathon; Sarah Carrier, Bradley Gates, Christina Chadwick Bennett, Dawn and Jay Cobak and Chris Nolan and his family for a fun evening dinner distraction after a long day.   

Cross-training vs. pure running.

I've been asked this question a few times; Why spend time biking, swimming, strength training or performing any cross-training session when can I spend more time running?  The answer really depends on the individual.  The primary focus of new to relatively new endurance athletes should be to improve aerobic capacity.  Teaching the body to tap into fat as a primary fuel source (rather than sugar) is critical in building a solid cardiovascular foundation before performing anaerobic work.  If an athlete has been running consistently for many years (10+) and volume has remained relatively constant, then yes, adding more running volume or speed work is likely the best option to take that runner to the next level. This runner is likely reaching the limits of their genetic potential and therefore needs to spend more time running to improve running economy.

The next few questions I would ask an individual would be; Have you been injured recently or in the past year during higher volume/intensity training? Have you encountered severe burnout or fatigue for long periods of time, or experienced periods of excess stress, depression or anxiety?  Did you peak in the spring with PR’s then remain at the same level the entire summer even with track sessions and frequent weekend races?

Aerobic training is far less stressful than anaerobic training which, if not prescribed or executed correctly can overload the adrenal system, increasing cortisol release; leading to staleness, burnout or injury. All of these side effects can sideline a runner and keep them from continuous improvements.  Our bodies thrive when focusing on aerobic development and the balance of hormones keeps us happy and feeling refreshed after nearly every workout.

Most of the athletes I work with, including myself, are not at the elite level in running performance.  Therefore, building aerobic conditioning should be the primary focus, particularly, for athletes focusing on distances over the 5K.  If we keep adding run volume and our body absorbs this increase, we probably have great running mechanics, durability or a unique hormone profile which helps us to a speedy recovery.  If however, we are prone to injury or burnout, as running volume/intensity increases, then why not add some low impact cross-training to our total training volume to  improve aerobic capacity which can transfer to other sports?   Example; I have a friend that had been purely cycling for most of his life and then took up running for cross-training. Within 3 months he was running 6:05 minute pace for a 5 mile run.  Was this likely due to his 3 months spent running or to his 12+ years spent cycling and improving aerobic conditioning?

In addition, adding drills, core work or full-body strength moves have been proven to increase durability and running economy, particularly for longer distances.   Of course, spending loads of time in the weight room will increase muscle mass, power and durability but is also likely to take away from valuable run-time. However, incorporating a few short (~15-20 minute) strength sessions each week should be a staple in any endurance training plan.

Adjusting to race day weather that does not match hopes or expectations.

We sit in our offices, doing errands, hanging with friends or out for our daily workout and in the back of our mind we ponder our goal race event coming in a few months, weeks or days. We project all our hard work coming to a peak, doing the little things; following a nutrition plan, completing our long runs, purchasing the right gear, tapering, testing fueling or working on just about anything we can think of. Then as race day nears the weather outlook turns grim. The prediction of a high temperature day can prompt feelings of panic or disappointment and annoyance after having worked so hard for this one day. 

How does one focus knowing our A, B or even C goal may be in jeopardy? The first goal to limit such anxiety is to stay in the moment.  Weather predictions can be wrong.  I’ve watched weather change from a downpour to clear skies within minutes of starting an event and also experienced a downpour right at the start without such predictions.  The second goal should be to adapt and prepare for such conditions, proper hydration leading up to the event, fueling and hydrating during the event including salt intake for longer events and even clothing considerations; the type of material can be key to improving sweat wicking and reduce sun exposure. Think light, white and little covering (although material can help shield from intense rays in extremely sun-intense environments).  Lastly, it is critical to adjust race pace early on to account for increased body temperature as the day progresses.

The goals and expectations may change for this event but all the hard work building up to the event is not a waste.  If you take it easier this day, the improvement in fitness will provide confidence that you can reach a new level with smart training.  Finishing an event in hot weather is a huge victory in learning how to prepare for such harsh conditions in training or racing events.  The experience and gain in wisdom is immensely valuable and equally is the realization that one day does not define you nor is it the secret to finding happiness. As always, when a race day turns sour due to unexpected events, to keep life in perspective, avoid taking yourself too seriously.

First bike fitness test of the season following base training block.

Most of my blog entries have been about my perspective on training and tools to go about improving endurance. Occasionally, I will post some personal training workouts, fitness tests or race reports. Below is my first field test of the season.

I've been training consistently for the past 3 weeks, running 17 or more miles on each Sunday accumulating roughly; 40 miles of  running, 80-120 miles of biking, 3-4 miles of swimming and 1-2 hours of functional strength work.  Most of my aerobic training has been spent below my MAF heart rate determination of 147 bpm.  The few hard efforts have felt great but required a few days of easier training to recover from the intensity.  This past Saturday I was able to test my fitness on the bike during an indoor computrainer race over a 6 mile rolling course.  I went out conservatively for the first 2 minutes and kept my heart rate around 162 bpm, roughly 90% of my max heart rate. My average wattage was 357 and I weighed in at 167 lbs.  This equates to 4.7 watts/Kg and is a great sign my fitness is coming along without doing much anaerobic work. Having accomplished my goal, I can go back to base training to absorb the effort and prepare for my first duathlon of the season.

Bike-run brick workouts

Many of us live and train where cold weather and short days limit our outside cycling for a few months out of the year. To improve fitness we can utilize combined bike/run indoor to outdoor workouts. Here are a few aerobically challenging workouts that add variety. 

Endurance session;  This is a great session for an indoor bike and treadmill. The constant change from bike to run helps our legs adapt to transitioning in multisport events. Keep heart rate at ~71-75% of Max HR. If you only have an hour, this workout could be shortened to 10/10/10/10/10 but keep the disciplines in the same order. This session is as follows; 20 minute bike/20 minute run/20 minute bike/20 minute run/20minute bike.  If you have power on the bike record average watts and distance covered on the run.

Lactate threshold-boosting session; On an indoor stationary bike or trainer, perform 15-20 minute easy warm-up including 3 x 1 minute single leg riding and a few high cadence spinning intervals, spin easy for 2 minutes before performing 10-15 x 1 minute at 105% of FTP (average functional threshold power in watts during a 20 minute bike TT) with 1 minute easy spinning between each speed interval. After the last 1 minute interval, hop off the bike and run a 3.1, 5 or 6.2 mile loop at tempo pace or ~30-45 seconds above race pace for each distance selected.  The length of the run depends on your level of development or goal race distance (sprint, olympic, half, etc).

Perform each of these sessions in a week with the other training days being easier endurance or functional strength training sessions.

Building your aerobic engine.

To continue with the ongoing theme of this blog I encourage the reader to review previous entries and follow along with the steps outlined in each entry over time. Reading these entries consecutively will give a clearer understanding of the big picture for long term-improvement I am aiming to project.

Once you have a handle on priorities, a schedule of upcoming races, a fitness plan, a positive perspective, a mantra to draw strength from, you have incorporated core strength workouts; it is then time to focus on effectively improving aerobic endurance.  If you are competing in running events of 5K to marathon, bike races, triathlons and duathlons etc., the primary emphasis in your training should be on improving aerobic endurance, more often termed your aerobic engine. 

There are numerous sites that go into training zones and how your body utilizes fat and glycogen as fuel sources or the percentages of lactate produced in each zone, VO2 Max%, or % of Max HR, etc, but to keep it simple, I will focus on Max HR%, considering most heart rate monitors use this as a reference.  However, to understand Zone 2, we still need to be aware of the 5 heart rate training zones and they will differ in some literature but these are the zones I utilize to assign heart rate for myself and other athletes I work with.

Zone 1; (50-65% of Max HR) Breathing very easy, a pace one can do for hours.  This zone is great for long, slow endurance base building or short recovery workouts of ~20-40 minutes to flush metabolic waste from a previous workout. If you can work out for a large block, ~3-8 hours/day, you are one of the lucky few to have the opportunity of training in this zone all day long (and take naps after eating a huge meal).

Zone 2 (66-75% of Max HR): This zone is where a person with a busy schedule (able to train 6-12 hours a week) should spend 50-85 percent training during most of the training phases after building an aerobic base with work in zone 1 (more on this later). In zone 2, we are burning mostly fat (~85%) and the rest glycogen (~15%).  Some lactate is produced in this zone but not enough to hinder recovery after ~ 8-24 hours if the workout is kept under 60-90 minutes, for more advanced athletes and even under 45 minutes, for many beginners.  The beauty of training in this zone is it will improve; fat utilization, lactate threshold (gradually), capillary development and it will strengthen the heart to deliver nutrients more efficiently. 

Zone 3: (76-80% of Max HR) Tempo pace, comfortably hard, but less than max effort (or 5K to 10K pace) while your body is burning both fat and glycogen at nearly equal levels.  This is described as a pace that can be typically held for 30-60 minutes in most workouts. Great for building strength and improving lactate threshold for longer races and workouts need to be carefully planned as too much training in this zone can lead to breakdown. This zone has similar improvements as Zone 2 but more taxing with the increased lactate production and increased use of glycogen.

Zone 4: (80-91% of Max HR) 5K or 10K running pace for most, unless a person's lactate threshold is lower compared to the majority.  Use this zone sparingly 1-2 times per week at most.  In triathlon training, this zone can be utilized a bit more frequently compared to an athlete that focuses on one sport.  Still this zone is very taxing, and if done too often can lead to over-training or injury.  This is the next most important training zone for race preparation and I will talk about this zone in more detail in a future blog entry as the race season approaches.

Zone 5 a, b and c: (92-100%)  This zone is rarely used in longer endurance events except during a sprint finish.  We can train in this zone briefly at different stages of training cycles with short quality sessions but should spend very little time compared to other training zones. It can be used in short duration to build fast twitch fibers and does build endurance moderately (compared to the other zones).  *One of my favorite quality sessions includes 30 second intervals in Zone 5a, followed by 4.5 minutes of active rest.

Back to Zone 2; by targeting this zone during most workouts we are using the most effective workout in terms of gaining aerobic fitness with the least amount of risk to our health (getting injured or overtraining).  Mark Allen (a multiple ironman winner) and numerous successful endurance athletes touch on the importance of training in this zone and the effectiveness of building a large aerobic engine before moving onto tempo intervals (Zone 3) and then race-paced interval work (Zones 3-4). 

For simplicity in finding your zone 2 heart rate range, use the Karvonen method (taken from Wikipedia); 

First, take 220-your age to get approximate max HR.  In this example 220-38 = 182

The Karvonen method factors in resting heart rate (HR_rest) to calculate target heart rate (THR), using a range of 50–85% intensity:

THR = ((HR_max − HR_rest) × % intensity) + HR_rest

Example for someone with a HR_max of 182 and a HR_rest of 42:

50% Intensity: ((182 − 42) × 0.50) + 42 =  112 bpm

*75% Intensity: ((182 − 42) × 0.75) + 42 =  147 bpm (beats per minute)*

85% Intensity: ((182 − 42) × 0.85) + 42 =  161 bpm

*Another recommendation is to add 5 beats to this number if you tend to have a higher heart rate max compared to the average calculation of 220-age.

For this individual, workouts spent training in zone 2 would be at or close to 147 bpm on most days. This will allow the athlete to stress the aerobic system enough but with less risk to over-train and improve fat-utilization (large supply) and use less glycogen (limited supply). Ultimately, this will require less time for the athlete to recover and allow them to get back to the next training session more frequently without carrying over significant fatigue.

Creating your mantra.

We spend considerable amounts of time improving our physical fitness, purchasing race equipment, sighing up for races, finding travel arrangements etc, but our mental focus and preparation is often neglected. There are numerous ways to draw inspiration in tackling a challenging training session or competing at our best in races.

While some need external or internal sources to get the adrenaline pumping others require the calming of nerves to stay focused.  For the over-stimulated and unmanageable-nervous type, I recommend mantras with calming words.  Create your own statement/verse such as; “I am calm, relaxed and at peace.”,   “I am focused”, “I am prepared” or “I will do my best and be satisfied with the outcome.”  Or one word mantras; “calm”, “relaxed”, “ready”, or “focused”.  As you repeat this mantra be mindful and focus on your breathing.  Also, repeat this statement and write it down; “When I use the mantra (X), my body relaxes, my mind is focused and I am ready to engage any challenges.”  Regardless of the word, find something similar to these positive phrase examples.  Create positive associations with your mantra so you program your body to respond the way you want it to in those situations.  Use this mantra months before your goal event and during challenging workouts and teach your body to associate control and relaxation when going at hard efforts. 

Conversely, keeping up with negative thoughts of being nervous or stressed before events or workouts may reinforce these feelings when you arrive at your goal event or workout.  Replace the negative with your positive mantra and your body will respond positively.  Also, write down how you aim to feel on race day.  Create the image in your mind of the race unfolding positively before you go to bed for a few nights or on nights if you begin to over-think the race. Visualize the race unfolding positively at each stage of the event. The more you practice with both mantras and visualization, the easier it will become to stay focused and relaxed when race day arrives. 

 

Generating movement from a stable platform.

A friend recently sent me a link to a video showing perfect swim technique.  My first observation was how smooth and relaxed the swimmer appeared with each stroke and how his head rotated on a horizontal axis.  He swam as if his torso was fixed to a pole directly from center of his forehead to the bottom of his spine.  The only movement visible in his torso was rotation on this axis.  He extended his arms during each stroke with no pause in the water, maintaining continuous forward movement of his entire body.  The video is taken from a world-class swimmer who perfected his stroke after many years of practice. We can learn from watching videos of others that perform at the elite level and improve our own proprioception when we spend time performing a specific discipline in triathlon.

This led me to think further about reducing movement in the spine while running or cycling.  If we reduce movement in the spine providing a stable platform, we reduce wasted energy originating in the core muscles and become more efficient in that activity, transferring power from the core, to legs, to feet and then pedals. If we are fit correctly, we can work on a smooth pedaling stroke at all cadences.  I suspect, on a steep climb, lateral movement in the upper body would increase with a lower cadence as we lean forward to gain more leverage and power and rock the bike back and forth. Bobbing the head is wasteful as is hip movement when rocking in the saddle.  These habits can be worked out through focus or simply proper seat height and fore-aft adjustment.  If we watch videos of elite cyclists carefully we can see the head and spine remain steady while the legs spin rapidly at cadences of 90+ for hours on end.

On the run, the legs flex and then extend as we make contact with the ground propelling us forward while the spine remains relatively still. There is some movement in the hips on the horizontal axis (top of the head down the spine) as one pushes off the ground but the head should remain relatively still and level.  We can observe a variety of movement patterns when observing new runners. Some may be very strong or fit coming from other sports but may lack running technique and may be losing valuable energy. It could be due to arm swing coming across the body or bounding up the road, head moving in a number of planes due to over striding or not feeling what actually propels them forward with each step. Typically, a more efficient stride improves simply from running more miles. Yet we can progress more rapidly if we head out for a run with a few things in mind.  By standing tall, straight and leaning forward at the ankles we will allow our lungs to expand and compress more easily. Proper posture reduces compression of the diaphragm commonly brought on by slouching when we fatigue. Focus on being tight in the core and stable in the spine, but relaxed with arm swing close to the body and moving forward (the arm angle may depend on the distance and speed of the run) while the calves and feet are loose and able to adjust to the variety of terrain. Also keep the facial muscles relaxed even during hard efforts.  Breathe deeply to clear CO2 from the lungs.  Breathing rapidly and shallow will lead to hypoxia over time due to reduction in CO2 clearance.  Keep this in mind at the start of a race when feeling nervous or anxious. Take deep breaths to absorb more oxygen, particularly in those first few accelerating steps or during the first 30 seconds of a race where it is easy to run fast without much oxygen.

Setting priorities, goals and finding balance.

Once we establish why we run/train and where our inspiration emerges; we can go about setting life priorities and goals to attain balance. For example my priorities are; family, work then training/racing.  I just finished reading the Four Agreements, written by Don Miguel Ruiz, view this website for a further explanation http://www.toltecspirit.com/ or read the book; http://www.miguelruiz.com/.  I feel this path is helpful with finding/creating balance in life and training. However, there are likely many other methods for reaching this same point. The following paragraphs are my perspective and the derived methods for finding balance in my life. Perhaps, this perspective can be a helpful to you as well.

To set goals and utilize the “First Agreement” talked about in the book: Be impeccable with your word.  How would one utilize this in training and setting goals?  Begin by making a statement to the universe (write it down too) of what you aim to obtain from your training and racing.  Here are some examples; 1.) I would like to find peace of mind and relaxation from performing training sessions. 2.) I aim to challenge and better myself through the experiences I encounter in training and competition. 3.) I will do my best to prepare myself for the goals that I aim to achieve through intelligent preparation of my body and mind. 4.) I will train to be the best that I am capable of within the time that I allow myself for training and accept the outcome, gracefully.

Further example of being impeccable with my word, for example; I will set my alarm and get up for training runs, bike rides or swims that I have planned for that week.  I will eat a healthy balanced meal to sustain myself to aid in recovery and avoid injury.  Next, I will train at the paces which I set out to do that day, according to the training plan which I designed (or had designed for me) and have committed to completing. However, more importantly, when I am tired or other priorities arise, I will do my best to rest and recover or adjust my training to meet my priorities in the order which I have assigned them. If something comes up, I will address my higher priorities by skipping the workout and attend to them.  Essentially, adjust as needed.

Now, utilizing the second agreement; Take nothing personal!  In my opinion, this will be what sets one free from race-day anxiety as an athlete; run, swim, bike, train, race, etc, for yourself and aim to satisfy yourself first before thinking about the expectations of others.  Be impervious to negativity, high expectations and even praise from others because the search for the approval from them will not be the secret to happiness.  Yes, praise feels great and it is a nice gesture to give. However, the goal is to be happy and satisfied without any of this energy or praise. Be happy with giving your best and be satisfied with the outcome knowing you gave your best in that moment.  When we compete, we line up against other people and push ourselves to our limits and in the end; there can be only one person that ends up first, in an age group, division, sex, etc.  This is reality; winning is fun and very uplifting but it should not be a way to find happiness. For a professional, the priority is higher in racing because this is their job.  However for the semi-pro, elite, age-grouper, beginner, there is so much gained simply from the time that we spend, outdoors, with a friend, solo, at an event, surrounded by the fun and excitement.  Results are only a component of our athletic endeavors.  We are aiming to be more fit, healthy, overcome challenges and to find happiness.  Aim for improvements in yourself and the rest will follow!  Expectations will change as we age, beating a personal best will likely be less within grasp and therefore, it is essential to be happy with the simple movement of our body through the world (even if stationary on a treadmill).

The third agreement is: Avoid making assumptions.  This could be as simple as; using the same training plan, nutrition, or mantra that works for someone else. It may not work well for one but not the another!  We are all unique, mentally and physically.  We all have different, genetics, hormone profiles, weight, height, bone structure, posture, dexterity, flexibility, strength and mental toughness.  Many of these things, we can change or alter while others factors we can do nothing about.  These factors all lead us to the fourth agreement.

The fourth agreement is; Always do your best!  Whether parenting, working, learning, or performing an easy bike session, stick to your plan, goal, principles, credo, etc.  Once you prioritize, it will be easier to allocate your energy to family, work and training. Free yourself from the expectations of the world and allow yourself to create and shape the best and most unique athlete/person you can be. Prioritize, then set goals for meeting all of those priorities in your life and plan how you will be the best at each priority.  Be grateful for every moment spent alive and moving through the world!

Real core strength.. What are we running for (or from)?

The current emphasis in the fitness world and more specifically, training for endurance events, is to focus on developing a strong core. Developing core strength provides a solid foundation for movement in all sports, providing more power and efficiency and even preventing injuries. Some of us may encounter muscle imbalances through reduced activity during the work week while simply sitting at a desk.  Transitioning from a lunch-time run to a quick shower, dress, meal and then sitting for hours on end can lead to reduced flexibility, muscle shortening and weakness, particularly in the gluteal region. Still, before we set out designing a training plan for a goal event which includes core strength training, easy distance, threshold and speed session,  I believe it's essential to examine core-mental strength. Begin by asking yourself; Why do I run (bike, swim, etc.) each day? What do I get out of this significant time spent exercising my body and mind? Is it purely for finding relaxation? To enjoy being outdoors, meeting friends or simply a way to keep the weight off.  Once you find the answers to the obvious questions, go one step further;  Ask yourself; Could I be running from something?  Once you ask the universe these questions the answer will eventually be revealed to you quickly or gradually over time.

Perhaps through your soul-searching you recall traumatic events from the past, or current stress from work, relationships, family responsibilities or even future expectations.  This negative energy can be what inspires many of us to lace up and head out the door to find mental clarity or peace of mind.  To find peace, focus on the task at hand and this will improve our proprioception for the activity in that moment. Focusing on the moment and the activity will free us from these anxieties or stress we may have been feeling before beginning our training session. To develop core mental-strength, allocate a portion of your training time for positive imaging, setting reasonable goals/expectations when not training and planning out your goals for the year.

Confronting fears and anxieties are often overcome simply by facing them. However, simple or complex the issue is, take the necessary time to develop strategies to overcome these fears. For example, one might have a fear of racing and competition in general.  By confronting and examining this fear, one might discover the fear came from past experiences of not meeting the expectations of friends or family.  To change this negative perspective, focus on the positive experiences encountered at your goal race;  The race will be an opportunity to test fitness after a period of thoughtful design and execution of a training plan, you will be surrounded by like-minded positive endurance enthusiasts, you will be traveling to a new location which can be stimulating and exciting. Most importantly, be thoroughly grateful for the ability to simply move, regardless of the speed relative to others. Releasing negative energy will allow for improved mindfulness leading to more efficient mastery of your sport. Be mindful that movement through space is an art form and inspiring others is in the eye of the beholder. Simply being present at the starting line and giving it your best during the event could inspire others to find ways of challenging themselves. Rely little on the expectations of others and challenge yourself in new ways to the best of your ability. These personal achievements will lead to growth as an athlete and person.

On your next run, focus on standing tall and leaning from the hips. Think of your body viewed from the side as looking like the letter L (in italics).