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!