As many of you are aware, I'm training for the Charleston, SC Marathon in January. We stand just under 4 weeks away from me toeing the line of a race again. Crazy to think! But then again, outside of a couple of 5Ks in November and December, I haven't really attempted racing since the Cedar Point disast-debacle. So...we're due.
To take you through a sample week: one recovery day. Run slow. Run trails. Run uphill. Run fast. Run long. Run long with tempo. Bike hard. Bike long. Swim somewhere in there. And oh yeah, get some core work done too.
Add on top of this that I got to spend the better part of two days with a sledgehammer and a crowbar taking out about 2500 square feet worth of engineered hardwood that was overglued to the floor (evidently, the previous tenant used the glue to LEVEL THE FLOOR)...and I'm *ahem* tired.
But it's all going to the right place. I've never run this much before healthily. I feel strong. Running is coming easier and easier. On some of these long runs, I just start jamming out 7:00 pace without really thinking about it. Of course, I then slow down when I realize what the hell I'm doing (don't leave your race in a workout).
This week, though, is the test: have a predictor run tomorrow (basically, what I can punch out for that test workout is a great indicator of marathon time/pace) and a 20-mile progression run on the weekend (get to test out that indicated pace).
Bring it, John. You haven't killed me yet.
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Under that same token, I've been doing a lot of work with Christine Lynch to figure out what the ruddy hell has been wrong with my stomach.
As you've probably tired of reading in this space, I've had a lot of challenges with my gut. Whether it's pre-race, during the race, post-race, cramping, vomiting, etc. I was tired of it. Plus, Christine is the one that took this phenomenal photo of me in the medical tent at Cedar Point:
So...she's seen me in some pretty bad spots before.
After some consulting, we decided that the best approach would be to follow an elimination diet for the better part of 6 weeks. What's an elimination diet, you ask? You pretty much get rid of anything and everything that could possibly be a food intolerance. So...pretty restrictive overall. You then add foods back in, one item at a time, to test how your body responds to things.
Add that on top of the training from John...and there were some days where I certainly contemplated putting my head through a wall. (There was in fact a day where I got violently ill from cutting my coffee habit off cold turkey. Worst migraine ever, fever, chills, you name it I got it.)
Well, as it turns out, I'm intolerant of soy and don't handle fructose well under training load. So, out goes soy out of the regular diet, and finding new sports nutrition that doesn't contain fructose in it. Good times. But as we've done this, we've gotten rid of almost all of the symptoms that I used to deal with. It's awesome.
Christine's also helping out on the daily diet front, trying to find some more healthy recipes, etc. that aren't simply "lay protein over massive spring mix and spinach salad, add balsamic vinaigrette (good luck finding one that doesn't have soybean oil in it!)" which, although delicious, is awfully repetitive. We're getting there.
It's been an awesome experience, getting to know what works in my system and how it responds under the volume John's putting me under. It's been, dare we say, fun. One of the biggest lessons out of all of this is enjoying the process of what works for me as an athlete, and even what doesn't work. Then taking those lessons and applying it to racing.
Still a little ways to go before that happens. Time to keep slogging onward.
CTB Editor's Note: This post is an update, and revision, of the Natural Running post from December, 2010.
This is the magic question. And the problem with magic questions, of course, is that there is no magic answer.
For those with some type of logic function in the brain, this is a big issue. After all, shouldn't it be reasonable that, if we were all to take our shoes off and run, that our form would be relatively the same? But how is that even reasonable? What about those of us with functional or true leg length discrepancies? What about those of us who have shorter Achilles' tendons? What about those of us with chronically tight calves, putting us susceptible to plantar fascii injury?
But, barefoot advocates say, what of the Harvard study that says running barefoot reduces impact force? Running in shoes, the theory goes, allows us to put more impact on the foot than it is designed to withstand, leading to specific injury.
Well, that's not what the study says. From the page linked above, a graph showing the impact when landing with a heel strike in a running shoe:
Now, for the same study's graph showing impacts when running barefoot with a forefoot strike:
Notice that the spike goes to the same high point? Running barefoot does NOT reduce actual force.
What the key here, though, is that there is a reduction in the impact transient force. Explained simply, the transient force is that "braking" force that occurs when you excessively heel strike; the foot is absorbing impact while the leg is trying to still come forward (because the foot is extended out in front of you.)
This makes sense: when you run with a forefoot strike, you can't have a heel-toe transition. Of course it will reduce transient force! This isn't telling us anything that, well, anybody should be able to figure out.
To review, what we have talked about so far:
Running with a forefoot strike does not reduce actual impact force absorbed, merely the transient force.
Running with a heel strike does create a transient force that must be absorbed by the leg.
This 2007 study looked at the footstrike pattern of the elite runners from a half-marathon. The scientists photographed 283 runners at the 15 kilometer mark. The theory posited was that, as most elite athletes were from countries where running barefoot when younger was necessary, that most of the elites would showcase a midfoot or forefoot strike.
The results, meanwhile, were startling: 74.9% of runners photographed exhibited a rear foot strike. Midfoot strike positioning was shown by 23.7%. Forefoot strikes only accounted for 1.4%.
So what makes an elite runner elite? It's not the where that's important; it's how much time the foot spent in contact with the ground. The longer the foot spent in contact with the ground, the slower the runner was. The first 50 runners spent less time on the ground versus the next 50, and that second 50 spent less contact time than the next 50, and so on.
Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude, as the study did, that running economy and efficiency comes from the foot spending less time in contact with the ground, rather than specifically how the foot contacts the ground.
By this point, I'm sure you're now wondering: where are we going with this? We still haven't figured out what natural running is!
Here's the rub: there is no universal answer. We need to separate the core principles of good running form, from the hyperspecifics of a unique foot strike. We must account for the differences in physiology that make humans so different from one another.
Therefore, I would posit that the following elements are key to natural running:
The Hasegawa study shows us that running economy is more related to contact time in the ground. Therefore, it would stand to posit that we want to have a faster foot turnover rate.
Because of the faster cadence, this will require a shorter stride; it is nearly impossible to overstride if you are trying to keep your footstrikes per minute near the 180 mark.
The key of footstrike is to keep it as close under your center of gravity as possible. Whether it lands forefoot or rearfoot or midfoot is, in my opinion, not as important. But landing underneath the knee, keeping the kinetic chain in line from the core downward, is important.
We DO want the whole foot to try and contact the ground at as similar a point in time as possible. Our feet are like tripods; we have wide metatarsals and a narrow heel. A tripod is most stable when it is fully in contact with the ground. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that this is how the foot should engage and absorb impact.
Therefore, the core of good, natural running form would include a higher cadence for running economy; a stride that engages the ground under the center of gravity, and attempting to engage the whole foot with the ground at as similar time as possible.
So how on Earth does this all relate to the footwear buzzwords of minimalism and natural running?
Well, let's lead with what might be groundbreaking news: we are not meant for pavement or concrete. The human foot was designed to run on grass or sand, not on the roads. We have built a completely unnatural environment to attempt to perform a natural activity on. That being said, there will be some of us who can run all of our miles in Vibram Five Fingers. However, it is likely that this would be the exception, rather than the rule, considering that running injuries have actually increased as people have tried to run in barefoot-esque shoes.
What I think this reflects is a conscious decision on the part of shoe designers to separate biomechanics...from overall feel, which is influenced by a shoe's cushioning.
Therefore, when looking at running shoes, it is imperative to first discuss running form. Your running mechanics will dictate the offset that will be best for your running shoes, whether it is the "traditional" 12 millimeter difference between the heel and the toe, or the class of effective zero shoes (6 mm or less), or in between. (As a note, both Saucony and New Balance will be introducing shoes with an 8 millimeter offset in their regular running line, to try and promote a more balanced footstrike. Remember, though, that your feet are dumb: you must tell them where to land.)
After determining the offset appropriate, we may then talk about pronation control and cushioning. As a single example, I run in shoes with a low offset (less than 6 mm), but still feature a midfoot pronation control device. Why? Because even with good running form, my feet still overpronate. And I need a good amount of cushioning, because if I run with a more minimal shoe, I develop a stress fracture in my right foot. This is why I've run in the Saucony Mirage, for example.
Therefore, when shopping, these are the things a retailer needs to know in order to ensure a good fit:
Injury history
Running goals (training, mileage, speed, etc.)
Running history (current mileage, races upcoming, etc.)
Running stride or form (if known)
Cushioning preferences
So what is natural running? Whatever is natural for you.
Alternate title: "You're just a slut for punishment, aren't you?" (A quote from fellow Maine Running Company employee, Ben Webber, after hearing that I wanted to race again so soon after the disaster-debacle known as my experience at Rev3 Quassy).
After having a week to look back at what happened during the race experience, there's an awful lot that I'm still happy about. But, in the recesses of my mind, I've got a fair bit of disappointment lying around, too. After all, when you're shelling out between $260-$300 a race at the half-iron distance, you want to maximize the potential value of the day. (Some would argue, of course, that by staying on course longer, you actually maximized your money's worth, as it was cheaper by hour out there compared to others. I digress.)
For myself personally, I think I've identified four major things that, going into Timberman 70.3, need to be improved upon in order to ensure that another Rev3 result does not occur:
NUTRITION
This, obviously, was the big downfall at Rev3. Once I got behind on the calorie count on the bike, I never was able to catch back on up. Now, I don't ever foresee another situation with the heart-rate monitor happening quite like that again. But, analyzing my choices for both liquid and solid nutrition, I think I may have also set myself up for a bit of a long day.
To review, for the bike the game plan was as follows:
Carbo-Pro: Glucose polymers derived from hydrolysis of maltodextrin
Analysis: First and foremost, we're talking about three separate needs during the course. We need to be replacing fluids lost via sweat/urination; we need to be replacing the electrolytes in the system; and we must be replenishing the glycogen available to muscles to continue using it as fuel. For the uninitiated, glycogen is what the body stores carbohydrate as; when somebody says that they are "carb-loading," they mean that they are trying to maximize their glycogen stores.
Breaking down further: hydration needs are an entirely independent sort-of inquiry. For some people, they need to be downing 30-40 oz. of fluid per hour while out there. That doesn't work for me in the least. I can handle about a bike bottle per hour while out there. That's approximately 20-24 oz. of fluid per hour. (Note: I only managed to put down about 10-12 oz. per hour at Rev3 on the bike. And we wonder why I med-tented it.)
IM Perform is also pretty high in a fair number of the electrolytes. There are five key electrolytes that are lost during endurance activity. Most people only focus on sodium, but the other four are potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium. They're all necessary to keep the body functioning at a high level during intense athletic activity. As you look at IM Perform, you see potassium, salt, and magnesium, but a bit lacking in chloride and calcium. Why? Often times, it's a matter of digestion: in order to get calcium into a drink such as this, you will regularly need to be adding some kind of dairy extraction into the mix. You can imagine how palatable that would be on a 90 degree day. Other drink mixes do, however, manage to do this (First Endurance being one of the primary examples).
So now we come to carbohydrate, and this is where things get a bit tricky. There are both simple and complex carbohydrates (also referred to as short-chain versus long-chain carbohydrates). Simple carbohydrates are your primary sugars, like glucose, sucrose, and dextrose. These are quick-burning, and easily absorbed by the body. However, it's much like throwing gasoline on a fire: you get a quick, explosive effect, but the body burns through it rapidly, and you're back to where you started from.
Long-chain carbohydrates, meanwhile, are a more refined fuel: think of it more like putting that big log on the fire instead of the gasoline. You'll get a much longer, more sustained burn out of it. However, it takes the fire some work to get on that log: it's going to have to bring in enough oxygen from the outside in order to keep the original burn strong enough to light the log, before finally being able to penetrate and start burning the large log. Much the same in the body: it's going to take some work for your gut to be able to process a longer-chain carbohydrate, but when it does, you get sustained energy. But if there's not enough energy available to start that log on fire...well, things can start getting bad quickly. Nevermind getting into the osmolality of the solution (essentially, you want the solution to be at a lower osmolality than body fluid, so that it can process through your system easier).
So, what do we take from this? Why would this drink mix work during training, but not during racing? I think it is mostly due to the composition of the carbohydrate in the drink mix. Because IM Perform's C2Max energy blend is more long-chain than short-chain carbohydrate, I was essentially taking in nothing but longer-chain carbohydrates during the course. This meant that I needed to have things low enough out of the gate that my body would be able to process this. Well, here's the rub: my heart-rate coming out of the water was going to be much, much higher than that of when I was doing a normal training ride. I didn't have enough energy available to transfer blood to my gut and start processing the fuel; when that happened, I got backed up, nauseated, and then behind the eight-ball. I also didn't have enough short-chain carbohydrate on board the bike to try and get things rolling again.
So, then, it's no surprise that at about the one hour mark on the bike (or about 90 minutes into the race), I was going to have to slow down a bit: your body only has enough glycogen storage for 90 minutes of activity. This meant that the body would start using fat as fuel instead, which means the heart-rate must come way, way down. So, when reviewing my data from the race, it wasn't a shock to see my average heart-rate drop down to the 135 BPM mark at the one hour mark on the bike, down from the 150/155 mark that I was planning on racing at all day long. This also marked a pretty heavy departure from the 20.5 MPH I was averaging on the bike down to 14-16 MPH.
So, to review: I was too heavy on long-chain carbohydrate, and did not have the tools on hand in order to put the wheels back on once they started coming off.
This. Will. Not. Happen. Again.
What to do, then? Well, I'm looking into new drink mixes. The First Endurance stuff listed above intrigues me the most, as it is a bit higher than most other mixes in the five electrolytes. It is also a different sugar blend (higher in short-chain carbohydrates), which I think, when mixed with Carbo-Pro, would make a better solution. I do like Hammer's HEED for taste, but unfortunately it isn't high enough in sodium for my needs, and it too is fairly high in maltodextrin. I'm also planning on a contingency plan of GU Roctane, or incorporating it a bit more. Perhaps 200 calories of drink per hour supplemented by a gel. I'm also debating implementing a 600 calories "slurry" bottle (essentially, a concentrated mix of the electrolyte and carbohydrate drink), and then having a separate bottle for my hydration needs. Undecided. Luckily, I have some time to figure it out.
SWIM FORM
Although I had myself a pretty solid swim at Rev3, I also realized that a bunch of my fellow age groupers are a HELL of a lot faster here than I am. So, it's time to hit the water. During the build to Quassy, I thought that I had done a good enough job getting into the pool. Well, I did but I didn't: although I had good fitness, I think my form limitations made me have to work a bit harder to get that swim time.
To be blunt: I need to work on technique as much as I do aerobic capacity. The better my form is, the faster I go, with less energy exerted. The fresher I can come out of the water, the better; then, the lower my heart-rate is coming out of the water, the better off my nutrition gameplan can go.
I know I can swim faster; the question is, can I swim faster while exerting less energy? That, too, I believe can be answered in the affirmative. It's just going to take a lot more work.
BIKE FIT
This isn't to say that my bike fit was wrong. To the contrary, Doug Welling and I had decided to go a bit conservative with my fit at the outset.
The thing is, we both think I've outgrown it. By that, I mean I can definitely ride a more aggressive position than I could have just a couple of months ago. So we're going to go aggressive with my fit, and try to lock in a better aero position on the bike. We will also make the final determination for pad reach, etc. and cut things down. It's time to make this bike mine, and mine alone.
I'm also looking into gearing and crank length. However, considering my run time off the bike was not nearly as catastrophically terrible as one would suggest with the bonking that I did do, perhaps things are where they should be. (For those wondering, I am riding a 175 mm crank, 53/39 chainrings, with a 12-25 cassette. I MAY switch to a 12-27. We'll see. It may also be more effective to go to a compact crank. But again, not sure as of yet.)
BIKE FITNESS
To make this long story short: more hills, please. More time in the saddle. A few more light brick workouts (35 mile ride, short run afterwards.) I think this is where I have the most overall to gain. I'm happy with my running ability; I know I can run a 1:38 open 13.1. I also know I can hold that pace pretty decently, even when the wheels come off. So it's the bike where I have more to gain.
Overall, then, I think I've had the time, and the patience, to look critically at how Rev3 went. Now it's time to put the work into Timberman. This week is my "ease back into things" week, meaning I'll start a little bit of swimming, biking, and running. Next week is a full-on recovery week, where the intensity stays quite low, but I get back to normalcy. Then it's time to crank up the wick, and start the fun back into Timberman.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? As always, post a comment and I'll respond.
Bonus points to anybody who can figure out the artist and song that was the inspiration for the title of this post...
It's great to go out for a run to pull data. I've written two posts about it in this space. It's refreshing to be able to keep track of your training, and be able to see how you improve through the process.
But those aren't the runs you remember.
No, the runs that stick in your head are the ones where something happened. Where you broke through a wall, or where you caught a glimpse of yourself reflecting off the glass of a still lake. That's what stays with you. Those are the moments you pull out of your well in order to get the motivation to head back out the door.
With that in mind, here's a couple of my favorite runs:
When: May 25, 2008
Where: Boston, MA
What: Boston's Run to Remember Half Marathon
This was PUNISHING. I had signed up for this race with the intention of training seriously for it. Well, a week before the race, and I had put myself in semi-decent cardiovascular shape, but my running was still garbage.
Time to man up, I thought. So I did a few hill workouts, and even ran with a backpack full of gear through near 95 degree heat. Looking back, this is probably not within the top 5 smartest ideas I've had...but I was 22. (So young and full of piss and vinegar.)
Sunday came, and off I went. I held pace to run a 1:45 until mile 7, when the cramping finally kicked in. I tried gels, Gatorade, water, stretching. No dice. I'd stretch my quad, and my hamstring seized. A stretched my hamstring, and the quad went. On this went until the finish line. But I made it, and I ran through the line. That's all I could ask for.
Why I remember it: For two reasons: the misery that I was in, yet I still pushed myself to finish. If I can do it on less than a week of training, I can finish anything. That, and to remind myself that you need to put the work effort in to be able to compete seriously.
When: February 2, 2011
Where: Portland, ME
What: 60 Minute Training Run
As you can tell, this was a quite recent event for me. It was the start of my training for Rev3 Quassy, and it was the first "longish" run that I had to pull off.
Mother Nature, it seemed, would have other plans, and it snowed. And it snowed. And it snowed. It was full on blizzard time here in Maine. School? Closed. Work? Don't think about it. So I did what every rational man would do in this situation.
Time to run.
I like running through snowstorms. There's a few different reasons for this. The first, obviously, is the fact that snow is a bit softer to run on than pavement. This makes the landings a little less jarring, and forces good form on you. The second is that nobody is out on the roads as well, so you have plenty room to run on the roads.
Lastly, it makes for an epic ice beard:
Why I remember it: There's nothing more gorgeous than a city gone completely silent, outside of the sound of your feet on the ground directly underneath you, and the occasional gust of wind. Plus, if you can run through a blizzard...you can run through ANYTHING.
When: March 27, 2011
Where: Glen, NH to North Conway, NH
What: Transition Run
First, a note: this wasn't the run that it was supposed to be.
This was supposed to be a stand-alone run, 90 minutes, cruising along here in Portland. But life being what it is, I had done a whole lot of nothing in terms of training for the week. And I was run down. Soul drained. Nothing left in the tank.
So my lovely wife, being the smart one that she is, proposed that we go to New Hampshire for the weekend. Celebrate with the family for a bit. Just get away.
Well, fine. We'll go.
Smart lady.
We started the day off skiing at Attitash Mountain in Glen, NH. Hero snow. Gorgeous day. Blue skies. Warm temps. Groomers, bumps, Volkswagens, even in the park: good times to be had all over the place. We skied till about 1:45, and then I strapped on the ole Kinvaras, switched out the snow pants, and threw on the Brooks Nightlife Jacket.
Time to run.
I started off with a quick cadence, trying to fight my way uphill, before settling into a groove. No watch, no heart rate monitor, no pace read out. This was a run about testing your mind. Current Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack just wrote about how this can gauge how close to peak you are: the better you gauge time and effort without a watch, the closer you are.
I meandered my way up Route 302, then tacked onto Route 16A to get away from some traffic. It rolled a fair bit, roughly equivalent to the course I'll be seeing in Connecticut in 8 weeks.
I got down to the end of Route 16A, where I should've made my turn to head to my finish, when instead this sight greeted me:
I ran an extra bit down to the scenic vista, just to make sure I painted that picture on the canvas that is my brain, before turning and wrapping that run on up with a hellacious climb.
I figured it'd take me about 70 minutes in all. It took me 65. Not bad for an internal clock, eh?
Why I remember it: It's the prettiest run I've ever been on. I can't describe the euphoria that hit home when I rounded that corner, but I still get goosebumps thinking about it.
So what are your favorites? Or, if you have none, time to get out there and start making them.
Well, let's explain this one a little bit. I was never a competitive swimmer. I didn't race. I never competed against other teams. I wasn't a YMCA kid. High school? The most athletic thing I did then was letter in marching band. (It was a varsity sport. Won New England championships. Stop rolling on the floor laughing.)
But, on the other hand, I learned how to swim at the Y when I was 4. My parents had an above ground pool when I was growing up. I'd be in that thing every day from Memorial Day until Labor Day, churning out a few laps across (all 24 feet of it). We'd also wind up racing each other, trying to go back and forth. It's how I learned to flip-turn, just so I could keep my advantage on my brother (who has infinitely more natural athletic talent than I, the bastard).
So to summarize: I wouldn't call myself an expert on competitive swimming. But I've got two decades worth of experience in the water. And about four months of experience in actual, honest-to-God lap training.
As I've started to come into my own stroke, and seeing lap times drop (down from 9:16 500s all the way to 7:28), there have been four major keys to my swimming that I'd thought I'd share. Your results can, and probably will vary, but we'd at least be able to have the discussion about it.
The Water is Your Friend: One of the many things that has been difficult to recognize is the relationship that you need to have with the water. Yes, we float, but we also sink a little bit (especially when you're *cough*153 lb. *cough*). We don't have gills, either, so there's an inherent fear of the water built in.
The thing is, you need to work WITH the water in order to be able to move through it well. Thrashing about is not going to make you a better swimmer. You need to appreciate that it's resistance is also the propulsive force. This is why they call the hand entry the catch, and the actual "stroke" the pull: you're grabbing the water, and pulling it behind you. In that effect, it's more like the old rope climb in gym class than you might initially recognize.
You also need to be unafraid to put the head underwater and stare at the pool bottom. As you move through your stroke, you will have a little bubble to the side to breathe out of. So go ahead, and stare down at the lane marker. It'll be OK. You will breathe air.
Slow = Smooth = Fast: I had previously put this at the end of a blog posting talking about my own swimming technique. This is one of those completely counter-intuitive items, but if you think about it, along with the previous key, it makes a lot more sense.
The smoother you are in the water, the more you can focus on how much water you catch, and then pull through. In order to be smooth, you need to potentially slow your stroke rate down a touch. The more water you move per stroke, the faster you go. So as my stroke rate has decreased, I've seen dramatic improvement in my swimming time.
Two quick drills: get into the pool, and count how many strokes it takes for you to get down and back. Then try to take 10 less strokes, and then try to take 10 more strokes than that base number. Record your times, and see what works for you.
Also, one-arm drills will improve your stroke turn-over so that you are always either catching, or pulling. This limits the amount of space between strokes, allowing for you to continually be gliding through the water (remember, we're not fighting the water, we're working with it).
Streamlining: This is by far the toughest, at least for me. My kick is ALL over the place, making it completely inefficient. We want to keep you in a single, smooth plane to limit the amount of resistance created by the water. Again, gliding through it.
So, with that head down in the water, we want your hand to not cross over and create too much angle. We want your kick to flow directly behind you, rather than your body moving all over the place. Think of being like a torpedo in the water: straight. True. Focused on the end of the pool. This will hurt the back and abs like hell the first couple of times...but it hurts so good.
Nothing Replaces Hard Work: What, you thought you were going to get faster just with that? PLEASE. Get in the water. Now.
Back here on an earlier post on Crashing the Boards, we talked about items that will collect data and how you can use them to help along with your training.
Well, now that you've had the time to go and buy something, and start to fiddle with it a little bit (the advantage of me not doing this post on time, I suppose), what on Earth do you do with all of the information that you've collected?
There are numerous options to track your training with. All of them follow the same module, though: we want to be able to store the data in a safe spot, so that you will be able to go back and take a look at it and see what did and did not work over the course of your training. There are three major types of storage options which we will review below. I've used all three, and I will rank them from my least favorite to most favorite.
PRINTED TRAINING LOG
These are typically spiral-bound books that include either a training program with them, or other tips and tricks to keeping your information down. There are generally spots for you to write in your heart-rate, pace, weight, what you ate, etc.
I find that this type of training log is most effective for the person who is having a lot of trouble keeping to a schedule. Seeing that Monday-Sunday laid out, with blank pages, is intimidating. You don't want to have to write in that you didn't do something on a particular day. It is extremely valuable as a motivating force.
On the flip side, though, these logs tend to give you very little space to actually analyze what you have done. You usually have no more room than an inch or so to cram in all of your information. This is truly ineffective for those who are looking to be able to write out what they thought based off of the data pulled.
Therefore, I recommend this product to people who are having a tough time staying motivated in their workout routines, as well as those who are looking to pace themselves ONLY off of the numbers they generate, rather than a mix of raw data and intuition. Not necessarily a bad thing, just not my preferred method.
ONLINE OPTIONS
The class leader, by far, in this category is TrainingPeaks, with their free and pay-to-play options. The free data source is excellent to pull all of the information of your device (such as the Timex Global Trainer or Garmin Forerunner 310XT), and compile it into a workout schedule for you.
TrainingPeaks is also excellent for you to analyze data, what with their utilization of WKO+ and TSS. Without going into too much detail, these metrics will tell you how sore you will feel off of a given workout, as well as giving you your maximum threshold (e.g. the pace that you can hold for one hour), which is what you would then try to base all of your other workouts off of.
This option is also enticing for coaches, and their athletes alike, as the data can be uploaded by an athlete, and then reviewed by a coach. A coach may then upload a week of training, and have the athlete upload the data based off of that training into TrainingPeaks. Another intimidating factor, eh?
Coach: "So, why isn't your stuff up on TrainingPeaks?"
Athlete: "Oh, uh...I forgot to turn on my Garmin?"
The problem with TrainingPeaks, of course, is that it can be information overload--you have SO many metrics available to you, and so many different ways of toying with them, that you can wind up getting lost in the numbers and lose your focus instead on the training itself. So if numbers are intimidating to you, this may not be the best place to go. However, if you are being coached, are a coach, or love playing around with data, this is by far your best option.
THE CHEAPSKATE: FIVE SUBJECT NOTEBOOK
Yes, I'm serious.
Stop laughing.
No, really.
This is how I track my training.
Now that you've gotten your ab workout for the week, let's talk about why I use a cheap $5 notebook instead of some of the fancier toys to look at things.
A notebook is a blank canvas. Divide it up how you want. Write as much, or as little, as you want. Get context for specific situations. Star workouts that you loved. Put big black letters of NEVER AGAIN! if you hated something. It really gives you options.
But really, it makes you think.
You have all of this data sitting in front of you: elevation. Pace. Top speed. Average heart rate. Transition times. Power. Cadence. So many metrics. The thing is, you are going to have to put these numbers into context with your workout, and have to think about why certain things came up, rather than a computer telling it to you.
To me, this forces you to be intuitive about your body: know when it is feeling good off of a specific pace, rather than being told that you are supposed to be holding X pace at Y interval. This helps develop a better mind-body connection, which in turn, should help reduce the rate of injury overall. You are only as good as your mind can go with.
In other words, your training is a blank canvas at the start of the year, and by thinking, and by training hard, you will paint something that you can call your own. Review that work. Think about it. And try to get better.
After all, isn't that what we're doing this for?
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Programming Note: Upcoming blog posts will talk about my own swim focus, and another running gait post. If you have topics that you'd like me to cover, e-mail me.
Let's begin with the premise that you've decided to undertake some type of training. Is it running? Great. Triathlon? Awesome. Just trying to keep yourself in some kind of athletic shape? That works too.
You go a couple of weeks through your training, but something seems missing. You're starting to notice some kind of results, but you don't have any true measure of what they are. Sure, the scale numbers might be coming down (or taunting you, if they're not), but you haven't any idea if what you're doing is really, truly, working.
You don't know what's going on with your body.
So what are you to do?
This post, along with the next one, is going to look into the broad categories of products that are designed to help you track your training results. Today's Part I will talk about products that help generate data, whereas Part II will talk about products that help you to analyze that data. In all, everything described here is designed to help you generate metrics that will help you figure out what it is your body is doing during the course of workout, and watch the results of that training throughout your program.
Pros: Relatively inexpensive, pedometers are a good way to track the distance of your running or walking workouts. There are two kinds of pedometers: the Timex Simple Pedometers are based upon the movement of the hip joint, which is why they must be attached to the waistband of your bottoms; the Nike+ system instead relies on a footpod, with a sensor that will click each time it detects an impact, such as a footstrike. These devices are also relatively simple to use and set-up.
Cons: Unfortunately, pedometers can be awfully tricky to calibrate correctly. No matter the type, they are going to be based upon the stride length that you input into them. It is necessary to determine how long of a stride you take, and then it will be dependent on you using that stride length consistently in order to get an accurate measurement. Also, these devices are one-dimensional: they only give you one metric for training, and they also can only be used for one sport.
Who it's for: People just getting into running or walking activity, who are interested in simply knowing how far they went on a particular day.
Pros: Being able to time your workouts are great. Knowing that you just cranked out a good workout for 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 minutes...you get the idea. There's also the ability to provide what are called "splits:" say on a particular session, you are going to run 4 laps at the track. You can hit the split button on each lap, and then be able to review later how you did. Did you go faster in the second-half? Slow down somewhere? It provides great feedback for you to review, to know which part of your workout you may need to improve upon. Particularly with Timex watches, these tend to be intuitive, simple devices that make reviewing your workout simple.
Cons: Unfortunately, time alone does not tell you how hard you went during the course of your workout. Only you will be able to do so. Could you have dug a little deeper? Psychologically, perhaps not, but physiologically? You may have been able to. The next range of devices may provide that for you. Also, if you are looking to compare splits, you may need to pre-measure your distance to track specific improvements.
Who it's for: The former track star, looking to improve upon those split times. Or, alternatively, the athlete looking to know how long they were out there for, and not much else.
Pros: Without getting into an entire rambling about how good heart-rate is for training purposes, just know this: it is the most effective measure of telling how hard your body is working on a particular day. Not all workouts are created equally. A slog through sloppy conditions may not cover the same distance in the same amount of time, but be a tougher overall workout, than other days. It can also help guide your nutrition strategy, as you will know where your body was burning fuel from, depending on how high the heart-rate was. Most monitors also typically give you the same features as traditional stopwatches, too, with lap-splits, countdown timers, and regular watch functions included. They may also include footpods to act like pedometers as described above. These also are incredibly accurate, so long as you pick the right device.
Cons: And that's the rub, isn't it? Forget about any device that does not measure the heart-rate off of a chest-strap. The strap is noticeable for the first few runs, but in my experience, it simply becomes another piece of your regular training routine at one point or another. Also, cheaper devices may not have coded transmitters, meaning if you are standing next to another user, you may wind up drawing off of their data. Look to spend at least $100 for a good monitor, and above $200 to combine a monitor with a footpod to get distance numbers.
Who it's for: The savvy athlete looking to generate simple, easily interpretable data without maxing out his or her credit card.
Pros: The tagline above is stolen from Cadillac's ad campaign, and for good reason: these devices have all of the data available above at your fingertips. Want to know how far you went? Check. Want the device to tell you how fast you went over the course of the workout? Check. If you bought it with heart-rate, you get that measurement too. Elevation. Time in specific workout zones. If there is a data metric available, here it is.
Cons: You can wind up with number overload. So many different measurements, so little time! And which ones to choose from? (Note: each device will allow you to review ALL of the numbers when you upload them...it's just the numbers you will actually see during the course of your workout that may be difficult to choose.) They can be very tricky to navigate, so the technologically challenged may wish to avoid...or have somebody set them up for you. Also note: unless you are spending money on the top of the line models, these tend NOT to be fully waterproof. Sweat/moderate rain OK, trip to the local hot-tub...not so much. I also find people tend to wind up becoming too attached to the numbers, and not knowing what it's like to pace yourself on feel, which can result in increased injury risk. (That's a topic for another day.)
Who it's for: The athlete who wants to know everything about their improvement in a single package.
Now, get out there and generate some numbers! We'll talk about how to analyze them next time.
Words are extremely powerful things. They convey emotion, thought, and to continue the theory on down through, it is basic humanity.
Think of the things that have inspired, and that have brought both greatness and terror. The power that the word has given rise to some of our greatest, and worst, moments as a collective. As such, they make for extremely powerful items when it comes to you.
These are just a few of the mantras that have helped carry me through to this point so far. I can only hope that they are as good for you, as they are for me. Comment below to vote for your favorite, or to post your own.
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
--Steve Prefontaine
"Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible."
--M.C. Escher
"Dark, unreasonable fear can twist and grind an individual. It is necessary to dig deep within oneself to discover that hidden grain of steel...called will."
--Ryan Shay
"Don't give up. Don't ever give up."
--Jim Valvano
"What's so bad about being a dreamer?"
--Chris McCormack
"What we have is based upon moment-to-moment choices of what we do.In each of those moments, we choose. We either take a risk and move toward what we want, or we play it safe and choose comfort. Most of the people, most of the time, choose comfort. In the end, people either have excuses or experiences; reasons or results; buts or brilliance. They either have what they wanted or they have a detailed list of all the rational reasons why not."
--Anonymous
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, covered in scars, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'hell yeah', what a ride."
--Anonymous
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody!"
I am happy to announce that I am officially using this year's triathlon season to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, also known as LIVESTRONG.
As utilized previously here on the blog, I'll be using the press conference style question-and-answer session here to clarify and detail how and why I have chosen to raise money for LIVESTRONG.
You are correct to point out that in my December entry, I would only be raising money for Rev3. However, one of the main reasons I had chosen Timberman for my other 70.3 race this year was because it is the closest location for my family, and I believe that the race embodies the spirit of my late father-in-law.
Wait, weren't you going to race via charity entry to Rev3? What gives?
To make a long story short: Rev3 was associated with the V Foundation for cancer research. For this season, though, the charity slots at their races are not associated with the V Foundation, but instead the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. Although I feel that the Ulman Fund is indeed a worthy cause for many people, it is only designed to help people between the ages of 15-40. That wouldn't have helped out my father-in-law. Therefore, I decided to raise money for a different charity that would.
So how are you entering Rev3 Quassy?
God. Bless. Tax. Refunds.
What are you doing to raise money? How can someone help?
There are two different options to help. A person can decide to contribute to my personal fundraising page. Alternatively, if one wishes to join in by racing this season in triathlon, there is a collective team as well. Please e-mail me if you have questions about joining Tri-ing Harder.
Why LIVESTRONG?
As you are probably more than well aware, LIVESTRONG was founded by Lance Armstrong following his own battle with cancer. It is his enduring spirit to crusade against cancer, to make battles like Peter's, or Jim Valvano's, or anybody else's battles, eventually unnecessary. It drives me to race under their banner.
So what's your next step with this project?
My fundraising pages are linked above. And now it's time to put the nose to the grindstone, and compete to the best of my ability.
Are you racing under Team LIVESTRONG?
No, I will not. As stated previously, I am sponsored by Team Sports Bistro. I will more often than not be seen in The Sustainable Athlete team colors as well, as the embodying spirit of relying on an athlete's intuition, leaving a small footprint on the planet, and striving for your best is one I feel matches with Peter's.
Training updates to give?
Training is going along quite well. In week 4 of my training program. Feeling much faster through the swim, as I feel I have unlocked a big key in swimming. To share bluntly, slow = smooth = fast. I'll leave you to ponder on that for the time being.
I'm also still dialing in the bike fit, as we're changing the stem on Kermit to bring the base bar a little closer to my body. As an aside, if anybody is looking for a 100 mm stem with a 26 mm base bar clamp...let me know. At any rate, I'm definitely feeling strong so far. That sound you hear is me knocking on wood as we chat.
Thank you for your time today. Any parting words?
Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible. And always, tri harder.
You're supposed to do a specific workout, or event, on a particular day. You hear warnings of bad weather, but ignore them. There is work to be done. Dawn breaks on the day in question, and your alarm beeps you out of deep slumber. You peer outside your window, looking at the rest of the world, and think only to yourself: Crap.
It's insane outside.
That describe your winter? Welcome to New England, my friends.
The key to surviving a winter up here is flexibility, in both your mindset and in your training. Although for many early season races, including my own, specific workouts need to be done during the course of the week, you need to maintain the flexibility to fit your workouts into the cards that Mother Nature, and life itself, have dealt you.
My own personal success has come from utilizing a couple of different strategies:
Modifying the training schedule itself: Although having a training schedule mapped out can be incredibly helpful in getting you on the path to success, it is also important to be able to change things on the fly. As being a law student, there are specific days that simply do not work for me to try to fit two workouts in, as my training schedule calls for. Instead, I simply move those workouts around in order to fit them appropriately in. However, I try to continue to space out my long days in each sport from one another, and try to follow each long day with a recovery day in a different sport. It winds up looking a bit messy, but so far, so good.
Replacing workouts: sometimes, the skiing is too good to pass up. Or, family obligations change your schedule. Or...well, last night was just a little too much fun. The key here, as always, is to figure out what you can afford to pass up on. For me, swimming is my weak link, whereas running is my strongest. So if I squeeze a ski day in, it will more than likely replace a run workout for the week. If I go twice, the second time will replace a bike ride. I need to keep the mileage up, but be mindful of the intensity and muscle groups involved. Skiing can be a hybrid of running or cycling strength; figure out which, and you can figure out how to effectively replace some workouts.
Bypassing workouts entirely: Listen to your body. If you're exhausted, it's time to dial it back a notch. Your body will be more appreciative of the extra rest, and come back and attack well. Put the past behind you. Get focused on what next task must be accomplished, and you'll have clearer focus for your next workout.
Sorry for the delay between posts; the skiing has just been far too good, and I've been running around a bit with the start of the Rev3 Quassy program. But I promise to stay further updated. Expect a product review for more nutrition products, and a ski day report, for next week.
It's been one hell of a week at the Crashing the Boards offices. And by offices, I mean getting out there and after it.
To wit, put down an epic ski day over at Saddleback Mountain: waist deep powder, low 20s temperature, and a barnburner of a run at 43 MPH. You can't get much better than that. Then, of course, because I'm sick in the head, came home and ran with the Maine Running Academy for the night. Couple all this with a great swim set earlier in the week, and things are looking up for next week's start of training for my first half-iron distance race.
To make all of this extensive training possible, though, it's important to have the right gear. You can't make turns confidently on skis you don't trust; you can't run in shoes that don't fit well; you can't run outside in the winter without the right tights or pants. In all, here's a few items in my arsenal that have been added in the past 12 months:
Fischer Progressor 8+ 170 cm: Full disclosure: I've been on Fischer's since I started skiing. I know how they handle (extremely responsive), and know what they don't like (laying flat). In other words, this isn't the ski for you if you want to be lazy. Instead, if you're an active skier looking for your ski to provide a lot of energy return, this is where to go. The dual-radius turning system is a real cool trick: the tip of the ski is set at 12m, where the tail is tuned to 16m. So if you're forward on the ski, you can make explosive slalom-style turns, or ski moguls with a lot of confidence. Meanwhile, if ripping big GS turns is more your style, sit back and relax. Great carving and edging on firmer surfaces.
Tuning note: the integrated binding system on the Progressor provides a lot of response. However, the Austrians tend to mount the binding further back on the ski for more stability at high speed. If you want more quick turning, or a centered feeling on the ski, mount on the forward (+5) setting. Want to float in powder? Set it to the rear setting (-5).
In all, a great all-mountain ski for the East Coast, or a carver for those out West. Not for the faint of heart, but those who want to really get out there and hit the slopes hard.
Dimensions: 120mm tip, 72 mm underfoot, 103 mm. Price: $799 with Railflex bindings.
Saucony Kinvara: If you've read the post on Natural Running here on Crashing the Boards, you'd know where this shoe falls into our categories of footwear: natural. Coming in around the 10 ounce mark in my massive size 13 boats, this is probably the lightest shoe I have run in.
To be entirely honest, I was skeptical of trying something like this out. I've had plenty of issues with running before (see my Injury posting), and going to something without posting seemed like it would be wrong.
I could not be happier to tell you: I'm wrong. This shoe kicks about 11 different levels of tail. I've taken it on speedwork, on long runs, on short runs, and it has been a dream. I will say that it is happier at speed than it is slow, as you are more likely to maintain good form when you are pushing your limits. (Weird how that works out, as you'd think form gets sloppy when you add speed to things).
Note: the lack of heel-toe drop can be a bit jarring if you haven't run more midfoot-style before. It can lead to some Achilles and calf issues, or even stress fractures in the lower part of the leg. Transition slowly. But for those who have made the switch, this shoe is a winner. Thinking this is my shoe for training and racing this year.
Cost: $89.99, available from Saucony or specialty running retailers.
Craft ZeroExtreme Long Sleeve and Concept Base Layers: Two answers to the same question: what to wear as a base layer. In general, for winter, we want three different layers: your base layer, designed to move sweat as quickly as possible; your insulating layer for warmth, and a shelter layer to protect from the wind and precipitation.
The ZeroExtreme line was designed with 35-55 degree temperature ranges in mind. To be honest, I could never see myself wearing the Warm product line. I love these two pieces. The Long Sleeve and Concept both feature the same basic weight in the garment, but the Concept piece has a bit more open paneling off the Cool product line for breathability. Extremely lightweight, and form-fitting.
Fitting note: Yes, they ARE supposed to be that tight. Take your normal size in these things. The Scandinavians do tend to build things long and narrow, but we want this to be tight so that if the wind makes it through your first two layers, you are still protected from your sweat turning ice cold.
Prices: $69.99-$79.99, available at ski shops, specialty running stores, and Craft directly.
CW-X Stabilyx Tight: Not just a tight, CW-X utilizes both compression and kinesio-tape application to provide a support web throughout. The Stabilyx product line focuses on the IT band, patellar tracking, and the calf for support. Other pieces in their line focus on other aspects of the body.
I've been wearing them for both skiing and running, and I can definitely feel a bit of the difference between them. My personal pet peeve, though, is that they aren't quite long enough: I've got a small spot on the lower part of my leg that does not get covered by my sock nor the tight. CW-X: please offer a tall version.
Sizing note: Sizes not based on waist size or inseam: instead, simple height and weight will dictate. For reference, at 6'3" and 150-155, I'm in a large. (again: please offer a long version!)
Cost: $97.99, available from specialty running and ski retailers.
Now equipped, what are you waiting for? Get out there!
