Chi and Pose and Barefoot……Oh, my!

We humans have a real knack for taking something relatively, ok, extremely, simple and, through over-analysis and our desire to find an easier way, turning it into a complicated process. Running is no exception.

In our efforts to become runners, we buy books that tell us the “proper” way to run, gear that forces our form to change and programs that promise we will run faster and injury-free.

Yea, right.

As we attempt to take our predominantly sedentary bodies (despite training twelve to fifteen hours a week or more, most of us spend the bulk of our time sitting at desks or behind the wheel or even on the couch) and transform them into reasonable facsimiles of the lean, mean running machines we see in Runner’s World or at the front of the pack at the local 5K, we encounter a few things that give us pause……discomfort, pain, injury and a woefully unsatisfactory pace. We want to avoid these, so we run (pun intended) to the shoe store, the bookstore……any store that offers the hope of pain-free training and faster times. Unfortunately, we may find at least temporary satisfaction with the method-of-the-week which allows us to skip what I consider to be a crucial phase in our development as athletes.

Adult-onset (or born-again) athletes are typically eager and filled with enthusiasm. Our Type A personalities demand that we get out there and git ‘r dun. Sooner is almost always better. After all, our friends are doing a (fill in the blank) and we want to do it, too. Unfortunately, once in the throes of such race fever, few people are willing to honestly assess their condition and accept that it may take longer than a 6- or 12- or even 20-week training program for their bodies to adapt successfully and safely to its’ newly imposed demands.

It doesn’t help that lot of beginner-friendly groups and programs are so busy conveying the message that “you can do it” that they often forget to tell you that “it isn’t always easy and it might hurt a bit”.

So, in the beginning, we do a little too much, a little too hard and a little too soon. The result is that we get sore and tired and, eventually, injured. And then, rather than back off and take a more moderate approach, we look for a reason, a cause and a cure.

Which brings us to Chi and Pose and Barefoot and whatever the next latest greatest thing will be…….anything that can make it not about that we tried to cram a lifetime of fitness into a 6 month period. Something that will transform us into graceful, speedy and pain-free runners, preferably before our next “A” race.

Now all of the methods mentioned have some positive elements. None are all good or all bad. And almost everyone can benefit from improving their run form……cadence, forward lean, arm swing…..all of these warrant attention. With time and focus we can make small changes that yield positive results.

Unfortunately, time and focus are nowhere near as glamorous as adopting the newest running fad. Buying the latest shoe (or no shoe at all) or following a program detailed in the most recent book cannot make up for month after month of consistent running done at a reasonable pace and progression. Getting started is uncomfortable…….every time. Most people become better runners simply by running. Running early and running often.

Barefoot running natives have been running barefoot all their lives. They didn’t just ditch their shoes because they read a book that told them to. They are evolutionarily prepared to run without shoes. Most of the “fast” runners we dream of catching have been running for years and their form has adapted over time to be the most efficient for them.

There is no magic bullet. There are those who will take advantage of our eagerness and impatience by selling theories and devices promising to give quick results, but the reality is that most runners looking to get faster will improve just by running. Not running races, or with a group that is just a little too fast, but by getting out and running enough that your body adapts and you progress past the beginner aches and pains and learn how you run. How your body runs. Only then can you really begin to make progress towards becoming the runner you want to be.

- Coach Gail

Stupid roller tricks….

 

I have never been a power cyclist and learned pretty quickly that “finesse” was to be my biggest ally. In other words, I need to ensure that every bit of my limited strength goes towards actually moving me, and my bike, down the road.  To this end, years ago I enlisted the services of Phoenix bike guru, Jeff Lockwood. Jeff is quite famous in certain circles for his inability to understand or accept that triathletes, especially of the female variety, can’t ride rollers. With an inordinate amount of patience and absolute faith in his instructional skills, Jeff has gotten many tentative women cyclists up and rolling with confidence……myself included.  My technique, handling skills and overall efficiency have improved drastically as a result.

Every winter I dust off my trusty Minoura’s and reacquaint myself with the piece of equipment that puts fear into not only my heart, but the hearts of more accomplished cyclists everywhere. It may be the off-season, but it’s roller time!

Riding rollers involves an extremely steep, but generally short, learning curve.  Each year  I am forced to go through a thankfully abbreviated revisitation of that curve. FYI, while double checking that revisitation was actually a word, I learned that one definition is: an affliction or punishment, as from God. I find this particularly appropriate.

Anyway, my first couple of roller sessions each year are never pretty and frequently near death-defying. Fortunately, the body seems to remember what the mind forgets and I always find myself pretty comfortable within a week. This brings me to the real purpose of my roller antics…….forcing myself to stay uncomfortable. As Mr. Lockwood explained, skill development is a process of exploration, failure and adaptation. In other words, keep pushing the envelope until you suffer a negative consequence and then figure out what the heck you need to do differently to avoid that consequence in the future.

While this seems reasonable in theory, it can be challenging to execute.  Intentionally putting yourself into a situation where the chance of failure is high and the possiblity of looking really stupid even higher can be difficult at best. But, my desire to ride faster is greater than my fear, so I approach each roller workout knowing that I will be scared a good portion of the time.

This December has been no different than the previous 6. The first of the month I approach the rollers with a level of trepidation that borders on terror, but as the days pass I quickly regain the confidence and skill that seemed to be lost. I learn that the more I relax, the better things go. And that I can do most things if I just stop telling myself that I’m scared or I can’t. I realize that I am better off if I stop thinking and just do. The ability to push myself to scary places reemerges once again and with it I am able to do more than the December before.

I have to admit that teaching my husband to ride the rollers also helped push me to the edge each session. Just knowing that he was riding out of the saddle made me even more determined to do it myself. It became a bit of a game of one-upsmanship of sorts. Anything you can do, and so on. But the result was that both of us made greater progress than we might have alone. Whatever works!

My progression went like this:

• Riding and not falling off the rollers
• Riding with one hand
• One-legged drills
• Riding out of saddle
• Riding while moving in/out of drops
• Riding while taking a water bottle in/out of cage

I am very pleased with my progress over the past month and I am quite willing to admit it. The list of accomplished skills is the longest of any December so far and I know my efforts will have a positive impact on my cycling come next season. Despite many frightening moments and a couple of near-disasters, I have survived the roller session of ’09 unscathed……thank you, Jeff (and Kevin).

Anyone with basic cycling skills can benefit from getting on the rollers. I encourage my athletes to give them a try but admit it tends to be a tough sell. Even explaining how entertaining it can be for the entire family doesn’t seem to help. But, those that are willing to take the plunge (ok, maybe that isn’t the best choice of words) are doing something that will definitely have a positive impact on their bike split with no real increase in physical effort. To me, it’s very much worth every nervous moment.

- Coach G

One-a-Day-December…..

After surgery disrupted my 2008 racing season, my goals for ’09 were modest, at least by my previous standards. Getting back to pain-free training and crossing the finish line in a few races were all it took for me to declare the year a rousing success. Of course, I’m a triathlete and my success this year leaves me no choice but to set the bar higher for next season.

With a 2010 schedule that includes some very tough races and won’t be over until the finish line of Ironman AZ is crossed in late November and a body that will no longer tolerate an abusive training schedule, I found myself forced to acknowledge that I absolutely had to take the concept of off-season seriously if I planned to have another successful year. This awareness led me to commit to my One-a-Day-December.

Simply put, I would only allow myself to do one workout per day for the 31 days of December.

Sounds easy enough…and for a huge percentage of the US population such a pledge is actually the stuff January resolutions are made of…but I have been doing multiple daily workouts for more than a decade with only a very few, very brief and very much-needed breaks. I can’t remember the last time I went for more than a couple of days without completing 2 or even 3 workouts each day.

Regardless, as a concession to my age and slightly-less-bulletproof condition, I knew that backing off in December would afford me a better chance of surviving, and even flourishing, in the tough months that lie ahead.

I’ll admit, it hasn’t been all that difficult to cut back on swimming. What can I say, turning over and going back to sleep when the alarm rings at 4:15 is even easier when you actually have a reason beyond laziness for doing so. But as an adult-onset swimmer, I am scared not to swim at least a couple of days a week.  So I do get myself to the pool and have come to learn that knowing I will be done for the day when the workout is over is a beautiful thing.

Running has remained the most consistent of the three disciplines. With a couple of 1/2 marathons on the calendar, I’ve had to keep my run at a certain level. Actually, I think continuing to run three or four days a week has been critical to my maintaining what little sanity I have. It has also kept the weight gain to a slightly less frightening, and hopefully easily reduced, amount.

I have always been pretty good at math, but it was somewhat shocking to me when I realized that if I swam twice a week and ran three times a week and I was truly committed to doing only one workout per day, I was going to run out of days long before I got much biking or strength training in.

But I love to ride my bike. On the road, on the trainer, on the rollers…it doesn’t much matter to me. Could I handle riding only once or twice a week? So far I have been able to manage it by riding predominantly on the rollers and focusing on challenging my comfort zone with one-legged drills and water bottle grabs instead of just spinning merrily along. I have convinced myself that if I improve my skills it will make up for the loss of hours in the saddle. It may not be the case, but it does make me feel better.

Strength training has been trimmed to the occasional core exercise done post-run and a little stability ball balance work I throw in after I get off the bike. I worry about my increasingly flabby upper arms, but try to ignore them and have faith that their woeful condition will be quickly rectified come January.

All in all, my workout totals come in at around 8 hours per week…a far cry from my usual 14+ plus average. I find it rather shocking that I have summoned the resolve to stick to my December plan and am thankful that the holiday bustle makes it easier.

I do worry about losing hard-earned fitness and have to admit that I have surely lost some. I plan for this to be a very temporary situation and hope to come out ahead after a few weeks back at full steam. And this is where it gets interesting. Along with the loss of a little fitness, I have also lost some other things. I have lost many of the little naggy aches and pains that used to be a constant in my life. I have lost the deeply seated fatigue that clung to me so tightly that  I could never completely shake it. I have lost the stress that comes from trying to cram yet another workout into an already overloaded day. I have lost so much more than just fitness.

Now that I am halfway through my month of restriction, I know that I will survive it.  I can see that my worries of becoming an out-of-control-coach-potato were pretty much unfounded. I truly believe that I will be back, fit as ever, probably before the end of February. And I am forced to recognize the real possiblity that my previous fear of taking one step back at season’s end may have actually prevented me from getting the full two steps forward each following year.

I always knew intellectually that time to rest, recover and rejuvenate was important to both personal happiness and continued athletic improvement. However, I have to confess to not knowing it emotionally.  I was too afraid of risking my high level of fitness and it’s contributions to not only my athletic endeavors but my self-worth as well. I was too frightened to allow my body the break it needed….the rest it deserved.

- coach gail

Random cold weather thoughts…..

It’s gotten downright chilly in Dallas, even compared to places normally known for cold weather. A friend from north of the border…..that’s Canada, not Oklahoma…..felt the need to let me know that it was about 6 degrees warmer at his house than mine this morning. I realize that most residents of the Mid-West would trade their current blizzard conditions for our crisp, clear sub-40 mid-afternoon high, but for those of us who are more acclimated to hot ‘n steamy than sub-zero, it was cold this morning!

In honor of the off-season, I recklessly delayed my morning run until the sun was high in the sky and the ice on the ever-present neighborhood puddles was starting to soften. Still, my jog required two top layers, tights, gloves, beanie and my thick socks. A far cry from the vast amounts of fleece, multiple gloves, socks and double tights that my previous training grounds had demanded, but still significant in the scheme of things.

Anyways, as I trotted about the neighborhood, I couldn’t help by admit that despite my dripping nostrils and stinging cheeks, I love running in the cold. Not sure why that is exactly, but I do.

There aren’t usually any other runners out and I know that people driving by with their heated seats and mugs o’ coffee look at me and think I’m some kind of crazy person. For some reason, that thought…..the thought that I am doing something that most people think is a bit absurd…..makes me happy.

I invariably encounter the smell of woodsmoke along my route and this says winter to me more than any of the Christmas decorations displayed in so many yards. Unfortuately, I do believe that the repeated sight of sad, wilted, deflated snowmen and Santas has totally ruined my enjoyment of the same figures in their bulging, glowing inflated states.

I like the feeling of my eyes watering from the wind and wondering if they, or my aforementioned nasal discharge, would freeze if I left them to linger on my face. This always reminds me of the time I ran when it was REALLY cold and my sweat wicked through all the layers of fleece to form a frozen crust on the back of the final layer. As I recall, that was a very good running day.

When I do see others on my cold morning excursions, they are almost always bundled, elderly folk….yes, even older than me….who are as committed to their daily constitutional as I am to mine. Often, a canine of some sort accompanies them. I enjoy knowing that some ”normal” person’s parents are also willing to brave the elements as I do……and that their kids probably tell them it’s too cold to go out.

After a cold run, I usually come home feeling fabulous and with a compelling urge to bake something. Today was no exception. I can honestly say that my short, happy jaunt produced not only the requisite number of endorphins, but two wonderfully good smelling loaves of oatmeal-banana bread. A fabulous day by any measure!

- Coach Gail

The Power of the guy who yelled “Gorilla”

As the last screams and shouts fade away from the Ironman finish-line,  and I turn away from the beach-front condos to begin the daunting 26.2 mile run ahead of me, I make a mental note of my progress. Swim, check.  Bike, check.  Run.  Okay, now onto the last stretch of the race.

In the Florida course, the mass of humanity funnels itself into the single-file flow of runners who snake through the quaint neighborhoods of Panama City and into the desolate trails of a St. Andrews State Park — then return and repeat.  Aide station volunteers scream out “Water!  Gatorade!” Power Gel!”  to all the passers by.  But soon the footsteps and my own breathing fill my ears louder than any spectator ever could.

As I head out of town, I am cheerfully greeted by those costumed characters who offer me beer shots instead of water.  They are wild and crazy and fun!  But as I tick off the miles, my journey becomes more solitary,  and a man standing alone picks me out of the crowd and calmly, quietly encourages me: “Good job, Gorilla.  Keep going.”

I had been yelled at by thousands of spectators who seemed to draw more attention to themselves than to those struggling runners for whom they are cheering.  But this man didn’t make a commotion.  He simply stated an affirmation that I heard and took heed.  When I pass him the second time, I am not expecting him to be there.  Again he singles me out.  ”Okay Gorilla, you’re doing fine.  Keep it up.”

Daylight savings robs the town of Panama City of it’s afternoon hours with sundown at 4:51p.m.  By Loop Two, twilight is setting in and the portable spotlights begin to hum as the generators kick on. The runners become a bit more spread out and “to themselves”. As I round the corner once again, my personal cheerleader is waiting on the same patch of grass.  He’s found my jersey in the shadowy darkness and quietly restates his powerful words:  ”You’ve got this one, Gorilla.”

At mile 24, I passed him a final time.  This time, I expect him there for me, I stand a little taller, run a little prouder and smile as I look his way.  ”Congratulations Gorilla.  You’re there.  Nice job, today.”

You can’t escape the hype of the family and friends who await the Ironman finishers.  Their cheers and screams energize and rejuvinate each participant and remind them that they did not get here alone.

But there is something to say for the mental uplift a single person can give another just by acknowledging a name, a bib number, or a logo on a jersey.  The power of a quiet human voice can communicate louder than any stadium-packed crowd.  Don’t ever doubt the power of one.

So what about Aerobic Fitness?

Aerobic fitness is defined as the measure of how well your blood transports oxygen around the body, as well as how effectively your muscles are able to utilize that oxygen. When used in regard to endurance activities, aerobic fitness it is the ability to sustain work for a prolonged period of time.

The term aerobic implies that the oxygen needed to accomplish the work is taken up by the athlete during the activity. In simple terms, you can take in enough oxygen to sustain an activity while you are actually engaged in the activity. The longer the exercise time, the more aerobic metabolism is involved. Exercise activities lasting longer than 12 minutes are predominantly accomplished via aerobic metabolism. Work is performed by the muscles using oxygen for the combustion of fat and carbohydrates to create the energy necessary to move the body.

Sounds a lot like triathlon to me.

Low intensity aerobic training results in an increase in the efficiency of oxygen transport within the body. By lowering the resting HR, and heart rates at sub maximal loads, your heart pumps more blood with every heart beat. This, along with other physiological changes, increases your oxygen transport capability. Simply put, train slower and you improve your aerobic engine allowing you to work harder and longer before reaching your lactate threshold.

Unfortunately, for many Type-A triathletes……those who judge the value of each workout by whether or not they are able to beat their pace from a previous workout or hang doggedly at the back of the alpha group…..this can actually be the most challenging training they are asked to do.

But for those willing to check the ego and slow things down the reward is a larger, stronger engine capable which will benefit from appropriate speedwork and ultimately produce the desired improvements in performance.

In real simple terms, go slow now to go faster when it really counts.

Coach Gail

Hood to Coast

This just in. My brother Dave did the Hood To Coast Relay this weekend, a 197 mile race with a team of 12 runners who run from Mt. Hood to the Oregon Coast. I love to hear about races that might be fun to try in the upcoming years. According to Dave, I should put this one on the calendar for 2010. Here is his report:

“If you ever get a chance to go, jump on it. Unbelievable course and Nike puts on a good show. Relay races like that really expose the training (or lack thereof) that you’ve put in. I found out that all the time I put on the bike training for 1000 Warriors didn’t help me at all for the hills, rollers, and distances required for this race. I felt great the first leg, started to feel the burn my second, and was absolutely shot by the time I started my third. I’m walking around like an 80-year old man with replaced knees and avoiding stairs like the plague.”

Here are a few specifics:
Nike Hood To Coast Relay
197 miles
12,000 runners
28th Annual Year
3,500 volunteers
Largest Relay in the World!
Incredible Adventure with Unbeatable Scenery
Fundraise for Charity of Choice: American Cancer Society
From majestic Mt. Hood to beautiful Pacific Ocean in Seaside

I need a team of 12. Who’s in?

Coach Lorie

Super Sexy Magical Clothing

I’m not claiming to understand it, but I do enjoy the effects of compression tights after a long run. Tomorrow’s run is 18 miles, and you better believe I will be donning those beauties under my yoga pants as I cruise the ailes of Fresh ‘N Easy post run.

My first experience with compression anything was a pair of socks I bought and wore at Ironman Arizona. I have to say, they made my calves feel great. But they were a tad bit uncomfortable heat-wise during the race. I ended up rolling them down halfway through the marathon, which voided any good they would have done anyway.

However, last winter at the Gorilla Training Camp in Tucson, I purchased the full compression recovery tights by Zoot with my nice Trisport.com training camp discount. Now these, my friends are a little hidden gem. Zoot has designed these babies to wear after your long workouts to stimulate the circulation in your lower extremities. I describe it as a mini massage for your calves, knees, hamstrings and quads. Doesn’t that sound lovely? And it really does work!

I endorse this product 100 percent. I wear them after every long run or ride I do. I’ve even slept in them because they are super attractive. Haha. And though they are pricey, I believe that investing in good gear keeps your mind and your body stimulated and in tip top shape.

Coach L

The NEED for SPEED?

I think it is safe to say that about half of the people who hire a coach are looking for someone to help them make it through their first major event with no major issues or injuries…….these are the easy ones. Most of the remaining 50% have a few races under their belt and are itching to go faster.

They look to a coach to give them the speed that they believe will make for faster finish times…….seems to make sense, right? However, the reality is that for a large number of triathletes looking to improve on their ½ and full iron distance times, real speed has very little to do with it.

I believe that, left to their own devices, most reasonably athletic individuals will progress to somewhere in the range of a 3-hr Olympic, 6-hr half and 14-hr iron distance finish. It would be safe to assume that much of their training would be of the casual, social and relatively generic variety.

After a year or two with limited or even no improvement in finish times, it is easy to conclude that more speed is what is needed. So a coach is hired, goals are discussed and an initial training plan is written……and here is where things tend to get a little dicey.

Because, while the athlete believes that the lack of speed is what is holding them back, the reality is that plain old speed generally has very little to do with it.

When I see an athlete whose stand-alone half marathon PR is around 2 hours but who can’t seem to do better than 2:30 or so for a 1/2IM I generally feel pretty safe assuming that I will find their limiters among the following:

• Aerobic Fitness
• Pacing
• Metabolic Efficiency
• Muscular Endurance
• Ability to suffer

Now, the road to improving any of these, except maybe the suffering , is not nearly as glamorous as doing those fun-to-throw-out-in-friendly-conversation track workouts or interval sets……..instead it requires little more than patience, consistency and a willingness to check the ego.

For some reason, this tends to be a much harder sell than the aforementioned speed work, despite paying bigger dividends to the athlete described above. In most cases it is the “easiest” thing, at least physically, that an athlete will be asked to do, but the toughest for them to actually execute. Kind of crazy, huh?

I will attempt, in future posts, to explain the how’s and why’s of tackling the listed limiters……..the sooner those are dealt with, the closer we are to that wonderful and eagerly anticipated speed work.

- Coach Gail

The Mental Game….

Recently I had the pleasure of witnessing two triathletes complete their first Ironman in June. For purposes of this article, let’s call them Bob and Jerry. Bob had a goal time and was determined to achieve it. Jerry, who had very similar abilities, voiced that he just wanted to finish his first Ironman race with a smile on his face. He wanted to “take in the whole experience and enjoy every minute” but secretly he did have a time goal. In his mind, he knew that he could reach this goal, but kept it to himself since the whole Ironman experience was so unknown.

Jerry had a great swim but, within 5 miles on the bike, had a flat tire. He was able to fix it but at mile 80, it happened again. This time, it cost him almost an hour. He was very frustrated but realized it was not over, he could still finish the race. He moved on to the next segment, walking the majority of the 26.2 miles. He did finish the race, he did have a smile on his face, and he definitely did have fun on the course.

The other day after a long bike ride, we were discussing our thoughts on Ironman and Bob asked Jerry if the flats affected his run. The answer was immediately “no.” In his mind, the flats physically did not have anything to do with his tired legs on the run. But after further questions… yes, the flats on the bike had everything to do with his run time. He pretty much gave up on the run and decided to walk. Mentally, he knew that his time goals were out of reach so he let go of his secret goals. In his mind he asked himself, “Why run? What is the difference in 30 minutes or an hour?” He talked himself into just enjoying the experience and soon he would be an Ironman!

Yes, Jerry is an Ironman, and he does not have any regrets but … what if he did not have the issues on the bike? Would he have been able to mentally push harder and run the last segment of the race? He agreed that his run time would have been a lot faster and he probably would not have walked nearly as much if he still had his goal in sight.

Bob has a different story. He had a past experience that he did not want to repeat. At a half iron man, he had a bad bike segment of the race and he mentally shut down and pretty much gave up on the run. For 8 long months, this feeling of disappointment and regret had been with him and he was determined to not let this happen at this IM.

Bob was on track to reach his time goal through the swim and bike and for the first 13 miles of the run. The run was his weakness and was extremely difficult for him. I ran a few miles with him and then at mile 22, I realized that he could possibly make his goal if he dug deep. He had to run 4.5 miles in 59 minutes. For Bob, especially at the end of an Ironman, this was not an easy task. It was a reach for him but he remembered that feeling from the previous race and did not want to repeat it. I asked him how much he wanted it and he mumbled, “bad.” He was going for it and he was willing to sacrifice his body so he would not have any regrets. And he did, he gave all he had to give and left it on the course that day acheiving his goal by 8 seconds!!

Both athletes now proudly display their M Dot art on their bodies. They both have very different stories behind those tattoos. But most importantly, they are both proud of their accomplishment and are ready to commit to their next Ironman.

Bottom line: Do we as triathletes, who train for 40-60 hours a month swimming, biking and running, put enough energy into the mental part of the game? Do we visualize the possibilities of having a terrible swim and putting it behind us to be successful on the bike? Can you put it aside that your biggest competitor just flew by you earlier than expected on the bike? Will you be able to be mentally strong enough to hang in there and catch him/her later in the day or will you just settle for letting them have this race? Have you visualized your perfect day and how you are going to achieve the results you want? During the race, do you think of the feeling that you have after a race when you put all your efforts into your performance? What about the thoughts you have after the race when you did not perform to your abilities? Have you gone through all the “what ifs” in your mind and have a solution to them?

How important is the mental training to you and what are you going to do about it?

- Jenny Hogan