This blog is a means of expressing some of the landmarks involved in developing a triathlon lifestyle while enhancing home and worklife. I hope it will be a life-affirming and approachable resource. The key focus areas we'll start with are … Iron distance triathlon, Endurance running, Nutrition, Personal Productivity and good old-fashioned Inspiration.
On Friday I first met my grandson. It is a few precious moments I will remember for the rest of my life. Some 45+ years after my own birth in the last century there exists a person who has every chance to glimpse life in the next century. A new life - a blank canvas of potential and possibility. It was an arresting and deeply moving experience with all manner of chaos in my mind - a whirling infinity of practicalities and emotions. Yet there he was - oblivious to any of my concerns and fears, utterly helpless, yet somehow commanding our universe - giving my own son a smile that would instantly melt any heart. A 100% pure, complete and honest-to-God miracle. This poem by poetrywriter191 gets close to the mark ...
Welcome to the world and to our family, May your life be filled with love
In everything you see.
You have a precious mother
Who will give you love and tender care.
Your father looked so proud of you
As you peacefully slept there.
He too was our first child,
Not so many years ago.
And we're not ashamed to tell you
How we loved him so.
May your life be filled with laughter,
And always wear a smile,
For we're only on this earth
For just a little while.
So as you grow from baby to toddler,
From boyhood to man,
We'll always remember the first time
We saw you...love from your
Grandad and your nan.
What are you at such a moment of meeting ? What prepares you for this new relationship and what will unfold ? The Emailed pictures are as nothing compared to the reality. The love and stability in this new young family is simply inspiring. The maturity and care my son shows is moving. Instant bonds are made - deep ties created that you know, no matter what, will never break. There has been a sudden immediate time-flip, former roles broken and new identities and responsibilities beckon. A new future is unfolding. But in the days and years ahead we will always be there for you Dylan and after today I have a renewed and profound sense of what is truly important.
Athlinks keeps all your race results in one place, allows you to post planned races on-line and enables you to keep intouch with other athletes. It's easy and free. It links with FaceBook and Twitter.
Your racing history can be tracked with the click of a mouse ...
So what do you do ?
Go to Athlinks.Com & Sign Up (very easy and very free)
2. Give yourself a profile (upload a photo) ....
3. Check out what results are already registered in the Athlinks.Com database. You can be very lucky and find that your races have already been registered by someone else. In that case it really easy. Lets say your name is "David Warden"... so type David Warden in here (the box at the top of the home page) ....
Athlinks then provides all the data it has on David Warden as follows ...
Unless you are the only David Warden on the planet then it's possible that not all these results refer to you. But if you do see a result you recognize then "claim" it using the blue link on the right (see above). This enables you to build up your result history.
Suppose then that you have taken part in a race not registered in Athlinks so far ? If you are outside the US that's quite possible and the smaller the event the more likely you are to be the 1st to register it. Anyway it's easy to do. So lets do that ... lets add the 2005 MacQueen Bros Mid Argyll Sprint Triathlon....
On the top right of the home page is an invitation to "add a race" . The blue arrow is pointing this out. Click on that....
...then up comes this screen shot offering you the ability to search the Athlinks database to find your race.
Type in the date and location of your race, then click "search" - the dialogue box tells us that Athlinks does not have a match for this event. So click on "Add Race". This brings up the 2nd step where you get the chance to tell Athlinks the race name, location and website address. So fill in the empty boxes below ...
You'll notice it's picked up information from earlier so this is pretty fast. You also don't need the race director's name, the time or special instructions most of the time. The critical bit is the website address and the formal event name. Next we're asked what type of event this is : select this from the drop down box : In our case that's Triathlon/Multisport.
Now Athlinks is going to ask you some details about the event and where they can find the race results. So it's a good idea to have the race website windows open in the background to cut & paste. Here's what it looks like ...
With triathlon you can take the option to build the course (swim, bike, run) distances. Add the url link for the web location where your results can be found. Tick the box to denote that your results are at that location and finally confirm that the race organizers spelled your name correctly. If they didn't you can use this box to spell your name as it appears on the results list. Click "Save Course". This logs your request and this box appears...
Give the guys and gals at Athlinks a few days & simply type your name into the "Type your name here to find your results box" on the home page. Simples. So having done all that what then ? Well you can
add your planned races in exactly the same way as above (via the "Add a Race" route) and these future events get logged on your profile page ... but more than that. You get to add some information on your goal times, what you hope to get from the race etc etc. Athlinks also searches for other members who might be also registered for the event and allows you contact them - "send them some love". And more ... all your registered friends get notified that you're competing - so they get a prompt about what you're up to. Then you can set up "Friends" and "Rivals" and track them - and this is very powerful as you are able to call up their splits from each of their races.
The Athlinks "Rivals" section is particulary interesting. You are able to search through all the database to find people (whom you may not know) that you have raced against maybe twice or more. If they are member you can contact them easily through Athlinks. Of course there are far more options to upload video, join groups eg. Cervelo, Garmin, Nike, Planet X, IMTalk etc etc. But the most compelling reason will be to have all that race data in the one place - broken down by splits and positions. Check it out for yourself and see what rivals & friends are already out there. Let Athlinks be your athletic legacy.
Now we've got the mitochondria talking (see You and Your Spleen 01) what happens next ? Well from here it’s down to stress. At least controlled stress – which is stress applied in a good way. When your body undertakes an activity this happens …
Heart rate increases
The volume of blood pumped by the heart increases
You take more breaths, deeper and faster
Blood pressure increases
Your muscles complain and feel “fatigued”
If this is a “one off” activity then when it’s over – it’s over. But if you repeat the “stress” on a regular enough basis then special stuff happens. Magic stuff – the kind of stuff that leads most of us to be able to run a 5k, 10k or a marathon. Consider a stress that you can handle today eg: run a lamppost, walk a lamppost and keep that pattern going for 20mins. Then repeat this workout 3 times a week and continue that weekly pattern for 4 weeks. And what happens ? Your brain adapts to strengthen your muscles, muscles adapt to produce more energy, you get better at processing the waste products from your active muscles and your heart actually gets physically stronger – meaning your resting heart rate gradually falls and you (amazing creature that you are) are fitter !
But you don’t want to stop there. That 50min 10k goal is at the back of your mind and while this lamppost stuff is a great start point we have a desire to progress. Well, you've already achieved a key part of that – you are clear on your goals. If 10k is your “thing” then you should be following a 10k plan that leads to the physical adaptions that enable you to run 10k. That will be different from pole-vaulting or marathon running or space-hopper racing. Your training will therefore need to be somewhat specific and focus on the bits of you that are needed to run 10k.
Pole Vaulting- No Hoppers in sight
You need leg muscles with the strength to be ready for that distance, the respiration system to cope with the stress of almost an hour’s run, energy systems to cope with keeping you going and the “waste processing” ability not to fatigue within the time. You also need to know yourself and cope with the mental challenge of your goal.
Space Hoppers - Don't train with one of these if Pole Vaults is your thing
The good news is that “running one lamppost - walking one lamppost” is not your destiny. Your training plan will cunningly have you running two lampposts and walking one before you know it. And this is amazing. By week 4 of your plan you will probably have adapted your body to be no longer a person for whom a single lamppost run is “unusual” in fact you are by now a seasoned single lamppost runner. So able are you at this distance that it’s not much of a stress anymore and it almost feels “easy”. That’s the time to apply more stress. So the plan changes : now you run for 2 lampposts while the single lampost “recovery” walk stays as part of your plan. That 1st week of the new stress of double the running might be tough – but you’ve been here before. Remember back to the first the week you started this ? That very first time ? But you did it, you got to week 4 or week 5 and while this new stress seems tough right now you have the confidence of previous achievement. You know your body is different now than before and you know you want more of that adaptation. Actually you can be justifiably proud of the changes you’ve made. You are on your way to that 10k.
And this is the whole idea of training. Gradually accumulating (and banking) changes in the loading (or stress) you give your body. It’s so important to start with care and the web holds many resources eg. Runner World. Another really safe way to re-discover running is via an organization like JogScotland. When it becomes more advanced individual coaches can use their skill and experience to know when and how much of what type of stress is best for your own goals. But all the same it’s just adding extra "lampposts" – admittedly for some people they are very very far apart (and often uphill) !
So bottomline. The brain fixes up the physiology and bio-chemistry for you in response to what you want to do. You “run” the talk and the brain delivers. But be careful, your body can’t adapt overnight. You need this to be a controlled stress – especially if you’re new to training. So don’t risk over-training and if you feel your plan is pushing you too hard then listen to your body. Some sort of “rule of thumb” for moderate runners might be to look to increase training after 5 or 6 weeks. Many training plans are weekly in their cycle but they don’t need to be. Famous triathlon coach Brett Sutton is deeply sceptical when considering plans fixated on 7 days. Like the advice for hermaphrodites to “know thyself” adapt any plan to suit your own home and work circumstances. If you can stay healthy, uninjured, motivated and improving by adapting to a 10 day cycle then do it – this is your journey after all.
While this has been all “good news” so far there are some penalties to being human. You will have some genetic limiters that may mean that while you’re adapted to achieving Olympic standards for space-hopping you are only ever going to be “middle of the pack” in terms of a half-marathon race. Sadly your aspiration is all about those 13.1 miles. Also for a while at the beginning of your running career the more you train the more you improve in roughly equal measure.
Getting faster gets harder - and risks over-training
But the better you become the harder fought the improvement. Thus in our 50m 10k quest we might find that in 6 months we have gone from couch to a 1h 10m 10k time. It could take another 6 months to break the hour barrier and maybe another year to achieve the goal. Olympians dedicate their lives to the pursuit of mere seconds. However this is no discouragement – a hard won goal is all the sweeter – and the day of breaking that hour is a fantastic achievement in its own right.
So what are your next steps :
Define the goal that grabs your imagination.
Look into your motivation about why that goal is so important to you.
Consider if you need to break down that goals into sub-goals. It needs to be achievable from where you are now – but also you should be a little unsure if you can actually do it.
Research how you might go about this. If needs be consider discussing your goal with your GP. Talk to your family and get their support. Telling them will make it more likely you’ll stick with it and it can be inspiring for them too.
Once you’re sure and your mind’s made up then get a training plan or join a group.
Get a training log and write your goal down.
Enjoy the process. Experiment with the plan and know exactly why you’re doing each workout.
So folks how did you get on with the opening chapters ? I guess I have a confession to make. I have followed training plans by Matt Fitzgerald for both Ironman and marathon distances so I think that helps me understand his approach and concepts (and some keywords) a little easier. I also trust his judgement and right now I am using his plan for Paris in April. The foreword was hardwork - skip it.
I think it helps if you have some key words into your head : Base runs or Recovery runs - low intensity often low-duration aerobic runs at moderate pace. Endurance runs - these start at moderate pace over longer distances but gradually build towards race pace as a race approaches. Tempo runs: Matt is keen not to endorse the long held view of an "anaerobic threshold". For him Tempo runs are runs taken at 10k or half marathon pace. Cruise intervals are a Tempo run with an active recovery (low intensity) break in the middle - also done at 10k pace. Intervals - short high-intensity segments followed usually by an active recovery low intensity segement eg. 30s sprint with 2min active recovery jog. OK, we got that over with.
So all that said what did I get from these opening chapters? Well you get a big clue from Matt's lack of focus on heart rate, or anaerobic threshold and he's quite dismissive of lactic acid as a driver of fatigue. I think he wants us to focus on our aspirations ... maybe you dream of a 50min 10k or a 1h 45m half or a 3h marathon - or whatever. Matt would encourage us to set realistic near-term goals based on testing your present fitness. This gets our ultimate goals into perspective and from that viewpoint we use a scientific pace-based approach to improve. Oh, and Matt wants you to hurt - but in a good way. A planned, controlled and scientific way. In fact he's very keen on the promotion of gym work, cross-training (resistance training, flexibility training, non-impact cardio training : eg. a bike). This "hurting" thing need not put you off - this is not a book about multiple desert marathons or heavyweight sacrifice. If you're reading it you'll probably want to improve from whatever level you're at today and that means you'll need your body to adapt to new stresses that you'll impose during training. That inevitably means pushing yourself and the "hurt" is inevitable - but so worth it.
The idea that my brain could be holding back my performance rather than some imposition from lactic acid induced muscle fatigue was interesting & I think it very persuasive that the brain is likely to have it's 1st focus on keeping the body's systems ordered and controlled as it ensures stability (homeostasis). So Matt dismisses energy depletion as the cause of fatigue, he gives the brain a slightly "sinister" role through an ability to control your race performance based on it's assessment of your fitness level, past experience, environmental conditions etc (teleoanticipation). He quotes a powerful example of this with high-intensity interval training where athletes ran the last interval of a series of demanding sessions no faster nor slower than the earlier intervals. Somehow the brain had managed things to be able to control how the muscles would perform for that last interval. If you have a Garmin and you've done any intervals you'll relate to that. Just how was your body so able to keep that last interval's performance in reserve ? Spooky eh ?
Matt very positively states that running form can be improved throughout your running life, and that strength training is vital. It was interesting to learn that top-quality runners are actually using a higher proportion of their muscle fibres than someone like me. Matt suggests that early in a training plan maximum speed (sprints) could be employed (carefully) to recruit new muscle fibres which can then be used throughout later weeks. That's certainly new to me & I need all the new muscle fibres I can get. I think he's on the money there. A major thrust of this book seems to be about training with a focus on pace (min/km or min/mile). It's as if we cannot trust heart rate & Matt hardly mentions it in Chapter 1. There's a strong focus on 3 feedback areas (Feedback Loops):
1. Collective Feedback Loops
Stuff & help we get externally :
training guides
injury prevention methods
advice on the correct shoes
what nutrition works best (for you)
Run ....a lot. Want to improve running performance ? Increase running volume. BUT focus on running form. Matt uses the term "proprioceptive cues" and I so wish he hadn't - I can't even pronounce it. But his training plans make clear what he means : "driving the thighs" or "feeling symmetry" or "falling forward". Matt wants us to develop a self awareness of our form and create a mindset of what better technique might look like & hold that mindfulness throughout a workout. Very Zen.
Progressive change is emphasized as you progress towards your goal race. Base through to Peak phases each with a need to focus on slightly different aspects of your fitness. Matt talks about Key Workouts : the quality workouts that need to be a part of any plan. These are : speed workouts (gets those lazy muscle fibres firing), intensive endurance workouts (experience of race pace) and extensive endurance workouts (experience of race distance). In addition : Breakthrough workouts : these are often races you take though your training period where you absolutely "smack it". Max effort - Full on. Zero left in the tank. Matt emphasises this as it will familiarize the brain with pre-race nerves, race pain and suffering. Have you ever seen Matt and Coach Troy in the same room ?
2. Objective Feedback Loops
The goals. The data. So ask yourself ...what are you training for ? To what do you aspire ? What do I want to achieve in this workout ? While Matt defines your true performance limit as "the fastest pace you can sustain over the full race distance without literally killing yourself" it is a reassurance that the brain will never let that happen. However he makes the point that people race faster when they race against folk of a similar ability - in other words the brain lets you raise your game if you really need to. Having time goals - or pace goals - in a workout is a great way to ensure you deliver improvements in performance. Be demanding and have high expectations of your body. But be careful. You will not go from couch to Chrissie Wellington in 6 months (she is 15m up in IM Arizona as I write). A well chosen goal is one you think you can do but are not certain you can do - and it is grounded in where you are now. A 50min 10k might take you 3 years, improvement built on improvement, to achieve. But that makes the goal no less desirable. Departing from the text here there's a resource that's very helpful in this respect.
In this table by Jack Daniels you can determine your own "VDOT" level. Don't worry what VDOT means. Just imagine you have a recent 10k time of 54m. That equates to a VDOT value of approx 36. This helps you in 2 ways.
It allows you to project that at this level of fitness you could run other distances in certain times eg. a VDOT of 36 should be capable of a 2h 01m half marathon or a 4h 10m marathon (if you trained for these distances of course).
It also enables you to predict training paces that you should be working-out at.
So lets go back to what Matt was saying about interval running or endurance runs. What pace should you be training at when you undertake these sessions ? Daniels took the VDOT level and suggested supporting pace values as follows.
Lets say our "VDOT = 36" athlete has an "easy run" for 40min. Daniels' suggested pace is 6:38m/km but if the session involved several 400m intervals (say on a running track) then each interval should be run at 2m 02sec pace. The value of this table is immense. Not only does it show you where you should be training right now but it points to where improvement will come from. Our "VDOT = 36" athlete has a goal for a 50m 10k. On our 1st table this needs a VDOT level of 40 (see the arrow). So the athlete must transform themselves from a "VDOT =36" to a "VDOT = 40" level of fitness. That means Tempo runs (approx race pace) at 5.06m/km (red arrow above) and track interval sessions of 1m 52sec black arrow above). So the athlete has a clear vision of the standards required and the route to get there. In Matt's "brain world" we have a scientific way of setting the sub goals to reach our ultimate target and each workout is an end in its-self. Not surprizingly all this goal setting and structure lends itself to recording your progress and the setting up of training logs. These allow you to review and keep motivated. Find a free electronic one here and Matt himself produces a paper based version (below). If you'd like to know more about Jack Daniels try here. Matt writes " Pace based workouts are one of the the most important and unique features of the brain training method. The whole systems is orientated toward the goal of convincing your brain that you can sustain your goal pace all the way to the finish line of your next big race..."
3. Subjective Feedback Loop
The feelings & emotions of how you feel during the workout, during the race or during recovery. Listening to your body and knowing when to do more & when to back off. Matt suggests that there are 5 ways to use subjective feedback :
Responsive Training - do the right workout for your body & don't slavishly follow the training plan. When you unexpectedly good - go harder & be prepared to take a day off when you need it.
Heeding Pain - stop running before the pain becomes severe. Review the training log to see if there are clues.
Run by Feel - the self awareness to exactly the right thing in that precise moment. If you perceive your effort correctly you will know if there's more to give or if it's a time to hold back. I personally think that heart-rate is helpful here - if you know you have a little more to give then it can give you the confidence to "go for it".
Control your Form - how am I moving ? Where is my foot striking ? Am I over-striding ? Teach your body what "good" form feels like and develop the self-awareness to reproduce those feelings as you run.
Positivity. Focus on those thoughts and emotions which will help your performance. If you have a GPS then focus on the mile/km splits. If you're ahead great, if it's not your day then re-define your goal and get after the new one. You could even get into visualization. Lets break ...
Yip, it was sure time for a break. Great kid eh ? What does your morning affirmation look like ? Hope it looks somthing like Jessicas. Matt's Chapter 2 is a little bit like "the knee bone's connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone's connected to the hip bone ..." etc etc.
He talks about the structure of the brain. Neurons are the active brain cells that make stuff happen. They communicate and are very "plastic" i.e. they change their function as you do new things - so if you learn a new skill neurones adapt to enable you to do it. Neurones formerly involved with vision can adapt to become involved with hearing in a newly blind person - they are that flexible. A physical experience is a fusion of millions of neurones firing away to create an "activation pattern". The more that activation pattern is repeated the more neurones change slightly to make the impulses easier, faster and more precise improving communication between neurones. Essentially it all becomes more efficient. This is why a new learned behaviour becomes easier over time. The brain then connects outwith itself - to the muscular, sensory, digestive and immune systems. It sure keeps busy. When you run Matt considers the brain is at work as follows :
Motor Output - activating and coordinating the muscle groups involved. This is mindblowingly complex and even extends into how the tendons and muscles store and release energy gained from the foot impacting the ground (giving you more forward thrust).
Stride Adjustment - taking account of the terrain and your body's 3D position in space. Are you running uphill, over loose surfaces, is it windy,what was the consequence of your last stride ? While most of this is thankfully sub-conscious it is possible through self-awareness to consciously adjust your stride to improve form.
Metabolic Regulation - when you run fuel-demand in the brain, working muscles, the heart and the respiratory system all massively increase. The brain recruits the optimal number of working muscles given the oxygen volume that the runner can supply and the available fuel supply. It also controls the release of that fuel into the blood stream.
Perceived Effort - this is hot. Feelings of fatigue might well originate in the brain & not the muscles. The brain might generate feelings of discomfort, pain or reduced motivation in order to slow the runner down.
Thought patterns - at relaxed, controlled efforts the brain's frontal lobes exhibit an alpha-wave pattern - where thoughts are often random "flows of consciousness". However where the runner is very focused in a race situation - or in the achievement of an interval pace - Matt describes an "in the zone" state-of-mind where there is very low frontal lobe activity and a real polarization of brain activity into those areas directly involved. The runner is "not thinking; they're just doing".
Focus. The ability of the brain to hold focus on the "total experience of running" rather than allowing your mind to wander onto other matters - staying in "the moment".
While the above are brain-controlled interactions that take place during running the act of repeatedly training brings brain adaptation as follows :
Regular motor signals being sent to muscles increases the number of motor units that the brain uses. More motor units = more muscle activation = more force from your stride. Also the brain rotates the muscle fibres it puts to work at any given time - resting some and working others. More motor units = more fibres available to be deployed = more rest before a fibre is re-used = more endurance.
The repetition of training leads to improved neuro-muscular efficiency - enabling more speed from less muscle activity. Part of this is technique based - involving fewer muscle fibres by more forceful contractions.
Delayed fatigue - the body becomes conditioned to a lower blood glycogen level and the muscles and liver become better at glycogen storage.
Increased Self-Belief. Training brings psychological benefits - knowing in the race that you've done the "hard yards" in training. Knowing you are "ready".
Cardiovascular exercise in it's own right stimulates neurone growth and and strengthens interconnections. It improves focus. Exercise lowers the risk for and slows the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
So how did you get on ? - for me this was an excellent opening to the book. I had a glimpse into the complexity of running physiology and a feel for how Matt is going to develop into the huge number of training plans that make up more than half the book. I especially liked his focus on my goals & his challenge that potentially I'm the barrier to my own success. Of course if I know that I can change and improve. The message is hopeful and full of promise. Please drop a comment in the box on your views - what worked for you ?
On Friday I first met my grandson. It is a few precious moments I will remember for the rest of my life. Some 45+ years after my own birth in the last century there exists a person who has every chance to glimpse life in the next century. A new life - a blank canvas of potential and possibility. It was an arresting and deeply moving experience with all manner of chaos in my mind - a whirling infinity of practicalities and emotions. Yet there he was - oblivious to any of my concerns and fears, utterly helpless, yet somehow commanding our universe - giving my own son a smile that would instantly melt any heart. A 100% pure, complete and honest-to-God miracle. This poem by poetrywriter191 gets close to the mark ...
