I decided at the last minute to enter the Morton Plant Mease Triathlon on Sunday, thinking I would find some good competition and a scenic race. Well, I woke up that morning to lighting, dark clouds, and eventually a torrential downpour. I sat in my car for a while after setting up transition in the hopes that I could keep my shoes dry if the race actually occurred. The rain stopped, but the lightning didn't; large bolts rocketed through the sky to the north, right behind the bridge that we were supposed to trek our bikes up later that day. After a 45 minute delay, I finally toed the line with the elite athletes and the other 15-19 year olds. However, they had a "special announcement" before starting the race. That can't be good. They decided to cancel the bike a do a "swim-run". To be honest, I can't believe they let us race at all. Rain-heavy clouds loomed behind us, and strikes were still falling from the sky. It was hard to stay mentally "locked-in", but I dashed into the water just as excited as I always am before a triathlon. I sprinted out of the water in just about 9 minutes, and struggled with my running shoes before gutting my way through a rain-soaked 5K. I felt cheated with just over a 34 minute workout.
So, naturally, with the air temperature finally closer to 80 degrees than 90 degrees, I headed out for a run that afternoon. My ipod decided to stop working again, so this would be a quiet run. Wow, I'm glad I had no music. The trail was deserted as a result of the heavy rain, and the rain still leaked from the sky in misty drops. I felt a sense of serenity, of peace, and pure enjoyment of motion. It was the definition of flow. The run came to me without struggle; I felt like I was floating. My legs had apparently forgotten the hard 5K I ran that morning. The nature sounds lulled my mind to sleep; I thought about everything and nothing at the same time. It was the best run that I've had in a long time, and it lasted 10 miles...something I probably shouldn't have done, given my injury history :)
When I first started running, I couldn't leave the house without my ipod. Now, I've come to enjoy my runs with no soundtrack. Don't get me wrong, I still love my ipod for tempo runs and those days when I'm short on motivation. But I encourage you to try and leave the tunes at home every once in a while. It's great to really sync yourself with the motion; not sync the motion with the music. You notice so much more even on the most mundane of routes, and you'll be surprised about the thoughts that pop into your head. I might have to get used to it, given the chances of Apple giving me another ipod.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
What does this new brain research mean?
In an effort to increase my exercise science knowledge this summer, I've been reading countless magazines and books targeted at endurance training and fitness. Several times I have seen columns by exercise physiologists that report that the newest area of study in exercise science is a more brain-centered approach.
A quick synopsis of this "new" idea: Previously, it was thought that lactic acid accumulation was the culprit when we slow down during a hard bout of exercise. In other words, fatigue had to do with the change in physiology of the muscle caused by exercise. Now, researchers have found that exercise- related fatigue is actually a defense mechanism utilized by the brain in order to prevent us from actually"exercising" to death. So, we slow down because of panic signals from the brain.
Of course our brain isn't going to let us kill ourselves while training. Isn't that obvious common sense, not ground-breaking science? I don't think it's really that new, it's just a fact that has been overlooked for a long time. What I really don't understand is how we can apply this to how athletes train. Basically, it means that the people who are able to suffer the most in training and racing will be the fittest. Ability to suffer, as far as I know, is not a learned skill. It's one of those genetic traits that can only be trained to a certain extent...and then it plateaus. So then how has this brain-centered approach changed exercise science, other than changing our perspective? Sure, it's a great discovery, but at the end of the day a solid mix of training and recovery will produce the most fitness.
Personal experience: I have trouble racing 5Ks because of the speed and high level of suffering involved from start to finish. I can run 3.1 miles while sleeping, but when I try to run as fast as I can, I fail miserably. I am more suited to a half-marathon, where running your last 5K in 21:30 is pretty darn good. I can spread my effort out over the race; by the time I get to that 10 mile mark, I can zombie-run myself to the finish. Mentally, I have had much more positive experiences with the HM than with a 5K. I've had terrible time trials, xc races, and local 5Ks...but I have improved with every HM I have run. It comes back to mindset: you have to set yourself up for success. (which I'm hoping I can do at the mpm triathlon this weekend :) )
A quick synopsis of this "new" idea: Previously, it was thought that lactic acid accumulation was the culprit when we slow down during a hard bout of exercise. In other words, fatigue had to do with the change in physiology of the muscle caused by exercise. Now, researchers have found that exercise- related fatigue is actually a defense mechanism utilized by the brain in order to prevent us from actually"exercising" to death. So, we slow down because of panic signals from the brain.
Of course our brain isn't going to let us kill ourselves while training. Isn't that obvious common sense, not ground-breaking science? I don't think it's really that new, it's just a fact that has been overlooked for a long time. What I really don't understand is how we can apply this to how athletes train. Basically, it means that the people who are able to suffer the most in training and racing will be the fittest. Ability to suffer, as far as I know, is not a learned skill. It's one of those genetic traits that can only be trained to a certain extent...and then it plateaus. So then how has this brain-centered approach changed exercise science, other than changing our perspective? Sure, it's a great discovery, but at the end of the day a solid mix of training and recovery will produce the most fitness.
Personal experience: I have trouble racing 5Ks because of the speed and high level of suffering involved from start to finish. I can run 3.1 miles while sleeping, but when I try to run as fast as I can, I fail miserably. I am more suited to a half-marathon, where running your last 5K in 21:30 is pretty darn good. I can spread my effort out over the race; by the time I get to that 10 mile mark, I can zombie-run myself to the finish. Mentally, I have had much more positive experiences with the HM than with a 5K. I've had terrible time trials, xc races, and local 5Ks...but I have improved with every HM I have run. It comes back to mindset: you have to set yourself up for success. (which I'm hoping I can do at the mpm triathlon this weekend :) )
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Just Let it Flow
Foreword: This blog is titled "On the Run" because it is literally things I think of while I run. It will be posted irregularly, have random content, and will be poorly written. Of course, the idea to even create this blog came to me while running, and I love thinking of blog topics while I run. It's my new favorite thing :)
"Mind is everything. Muscle - pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind." This Paavo Nurmi quote came to me today while I was slogging through one of my first runs post-achilles injury this morning. Endurance sports appear to be an ultimate test of fitness. But the truth is that they are a mind game in disguise. Your muscles need your brain's permission before they drag your body through training or to the starting line of a race. Oftentimes you want to quit before your muscles do. Without direction, the muscles will go all day--provided they have enough fuel. Most of us think that mental strength needs to come in the middle of a race or workout, when the lungs are screaming and the legs are pleading mercy. However, your mentality before a workout or race has a bigger impact on your feelings while you're in motion--and therefore affects your performance.
The majority of athletes have experienced a mental breakdown in the middle of a workout or race, and I am exhibit A for such malfunctions. I have sabotaged many a race and workout by defeating myself mentally. I realized that perhaps it is my mentality going into the event that causes negative thoughts during the event. I didn't ruin my first half marathon, triathlon, olympic triathlon, or cross country race. Why? Because it was something new. I put no pressure on myself because I had never done it before. I looked at each event as an adventure. I felt the worst pain in my life during my first olympic distance triathlon, but I didn't give up. I just wanted to keep going, and it was the most mental strength that I have ever displayed in my athletic career. I can't say the same for a couple of my subsequent Olympic distance races. I truly wanted to quit several times this season. My mentality was different once I had done it before: I wanted to go faster, and therefore was more in tune with my body instead of just enjoying the race and being smart.
The same goes for workouts. I will run the same pace in a 5 mile run and a 10 mile run, but the 5 mile run will feel more difficult. If I lace up my shoes with the knowledge that I am going further, I give myself permission to go the distance. If I know I only have to expend my energy over 5 miles, then that's what I will do. The will to train is like clay: it will mold to your expectations for the workout.
Example: I rode to Treasure Island on my bike to visit my parents, who stayed on the beach last weekend. It was 25 miles one way, which meant that I was going to cover 50 miles in total. I thought of it as more of an adventure, not a workout. This helped me cope with the distance, and I enjoyed it much more than I would have if I had thought about how "necessary" this long ride was to my fitness. Don't get me wrong, I was definitely hurting at the end, but it was infinitely better to think of it as an adventure.
One of my new mantras while I run is "flow". It reminds me that if I just let my legs pull me along (rather than straining), allow my arms to swing gently at my sides, and embrace the stream of thoughts, I will have a good run. I want the flow to be like a lazy river on my easy days, like powerful rapids on my up-tempo and speedwork days, and like a waterfall on race days. Some days its harder to let it flow than others, but I know I am (and you are) capable of it everyday.
"Mind is everything. Muscle - pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind." This Paavo Nurmi quote came to me today while I was slogging through one of my first runs post-achilles injury this morning. Endurance sports appear to be an ultimate test of fitness. But the truth is that they are a mind game in disguise. Your muscles need your brain's permission before they drag your body through training or to the starting line of a race. Oftentimes you want to quit before your muscles do. Without direction, the muscles will go all day--provided they have enough fuel. Most of us think that mental strength needs to come in the middle of a race or workout, when the lungs are screaming and the legs are pleading mercy. However, your mentality before a workout or race has a bigger impact on your feelings while you're in motion--and therefore affects your performance.
The majority of athletes have experienced a mental breakdown in the middle of a workout or race, and I am exhibit A for such malfunctions. I have sabotaged many a race and workout by defeating myself mentally. I realized that perhaps it is my mentality going into the event that causes negative thoughts during the event. I didn't ruin my first half marathon, triathlon, olympic triathlon, or cross country race. Why? Because it was something new. I put no pressure on myself because I had never done it before. I looked at each event as an adventure. I felt the worst pain in my life during my first olympic distance triathlon, but I didn't give up. I just wanted to keep going, and it was the most mental strength that I have ever displayed in my athletic career. I can't say the same for a couple of my subsequent Olympic distance races. I truly wanted to quit several times this season. My mentality was different once I had done it before: I wanted to go faster, and therefore was more in tune with my body instead of just enjoying the race and being smart.
The same goes for workouts. I will run the same pace in a 5 mile run and a 10 mile run, but the 5 mile run will feel more difficult. If I lace up my shoes with the knowledge that I am going further, I give myself permission to go the distance. If I know I only have to expend my energy over 5 miles, then that's what I will do. The will to train is like clay: it will mold to your expectations for the workout.
Example: I rode to Treasure Island on my bike to visit my parents, who stayed on the beach last weekend. It was 25 miles one way, which meant that I was going to cover 50 miles in total. I thought of it as more of an adventure, not a workout. This helped me cope with the distance, and I enjoyed it much more than I would have if I had thought about how "necessary" this long ride was to my fitness. Don't get me wrong, I was definitely hurting at the end, but it was infinitely better to think of it as an adventure.
One of my new mantras while I run is "flow". It reminds me that if I just let my legs pull me along (rather than straining), allow my arms to swing gently at my sides, and embrace the stream of thoughts, I will have a good run. I want the flow to be like a lazy river on my easy days, like powerful rapids on my up-tempo and speedwork days, and like a waterfall on race days. Some days its harder to let it flow than others, but I know I am (and you are) capable of it everyday.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Stop with the superlatives!
As someone who is highly interested in fitness, I consider myself a fitness enthusiast. Although I'd like to call myself an expert, I don't have the degree or the experience to be able to say so. But this observation of mine from the wide world of fitness doesn't (or rather, shouldn't) require much knowledge of biochemistry or muscoskeletal physiology.
Everybody is constantly looking for the "best, biggest, strongest, MOST effective, fastest,etc"- the superlative way of doing things. It's great buisiness and an even better marketing tool, but it does not reflect reality when it comes to becoming fitter, losing weight, or building muscle mass. Your mom was not lying when she told you that you are special. Even though we are all human beings with the same basic physiology and bodily processes, we all have unique inner mechanisms and adapt to stimuli differently. What works for one person may not work for another.
If you open up a fitness magazine at any point in time, my unscientific guess is that there is 75% chance that there will be a "mythbuster" article; one that proclaims to dispel those nasty rumors that spread around local gyms like wildfire. I think these are great, because many casual fitness junkies believe in dogmas that simply aren't true, i.e., fruit is bad for you because it's full of sugar or that low intensity exercise is best because it burns fat. But the problem is that fitness is not a one-way street. It's more like a big grassy field in the middle of nowhere: there is an infinite number of paths to reach any one central point. Just because a method is "unconventional" doesn't mean that it can't be effective, and just because this unconventional method works for some doesn't mean that it will work for all. This is where the superlatives come in: a so-called reputable person finds an exercise that works wonders for his/her small experimental group, and then publishes a book that says it's the "best" way of becoming fit, losing weight, etc. Fitness just isn't meant to work this way.
I came about this opinion while I was reading about two new "unconventional" methods: Crossfit endurance and the barefoot movement in running shoes. Both methods have many followers and even more haters. My opinion on these two is this: they both can be incorporated into any endurance athlete's regimen and significantly increase their performance. If the transition is done correctly, the body will react positively to adapt to the new training stimulus. It's just how our bodies naturally respond to the environment (a defense mechanism). But this isn't what people want to hear. They don't want a "grey" answer. They want the black and white answer: "This is what works, and this is what doesn't work". And who could blame them? Why waste your time and sweat over something that doesn't work?
Anyone who has taken high school anatomy knows that our bodies are extremely fascinating and complex. Therefore, the steps that we take to keep it healthy and make it stronger are also complex. Choosing your exercise routine and diet can be difficult because you need to do self-experimentation and find what works for you. There isn't a cure-all, and there never will be, no matter how much money/brainpower we spend on it. I know much of this is obvious, but its just something to keep in mind when you are in the market for fitness knowledge.
Everybody is constantly looking for the "best, biggest, strongest, MOST effective, fastest,etc"- the superlative way of doing things. It's great buisiness and an even better marketing tool, but it does not reflect reality when it comes to becoming fitter, losing weight, or building muscle mass. Your mom was not lying when she told you that you are special. Even though we are all human beings with the same basic physiology and bodily processes, we all have unique inner mechanisms and adapt to stimuli differently. What works for one person may not work for another.
If you open up a fitness magazine at any point in time, my unscientific guess is that there is 75% chance that there will be a "mythbuster" article; one that proclaims to dispel those nasty rumors that spread around local gyms like wildfire. I think these are great, because many casual fitness junkies believe in dogmas that simply aren't true, i.e., fruit is bad for you because it's full of sugar or that low intensity exercise is best because it burns fat. But the problem is that fitness is not a one-way street. It's more like a big grassy field in the middle of nowhere: there is an infinite number of paths to reach any one central point. Just because a method is "unconventional" doesn't mean that it can't be effective, and just because this unconventional method works for some doesn't mean that it will work for all. This is where the superlatives come in: a so-called reputable person finds an exercise that works wonders for his/her small experimental group, and then publishes a book that says it's the "best" way of becoming fit, losing weight, etc. Fitness just isn't meant to work this way.
I came about this opinion while I was reading about two new "unconventional" methods: Crossfit endurance and the barefoot movement in running shoes. Both methods have many followers and even more haters. My opinion on these two is this: they both can be incorporated into any endurance athlete's regimen and significantly increase their performance. If the transition is done correctly, the body will react positively to adapt to the new training stimulus. It's just how our bodies naturally respond to the environment (a defense mechanism). But this isn't what people want to hear. They don't want a "grey" answer. They want the black and white answer: "This is what works, and this is what doesn't work". And who could blame them? Why waste your time and sweat over something that doesn't work?
Anyone who has taken high school anatomy knows that our bodies are extremely fascinating and complex. Therefore, the steps that we take to keep it healthy and make it stronger are also complex. Choosing your exercise routine and diet can be difficult because you need to do self-experimentation and find what works for you. There isn't a cure-all, and there never will be, no matter how much money/brainpower we spend on it. I know much of this is obvious, but its just something to keep in mind when you are in the market for fitness knowledge.
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