For some, this time of year is very motivating for working out. It’s time to put away the shorts and pull out the jeans. And if the jeans don’t fit quite as well as they did last time, then it’s off to the gym to work of those extra pounds!

As for me, I love to get outside and run or bike in the fall. The crisp, cool air makes it easier to breathe and the beautiful colors make a great distraction from the stresses of life.

Next week is when we set our clocks back and really experience the shorter days. That’s when most of us like to stay home and hibernate (eat delicious comfort food in our sweats and skip workouts). But don’t let that be you! Remain determined to get your workout in and keep working toward your goals! Don’t let the hibernating mood get the best of you.

This morning, Kara had to beg me to get out of bed. It was rough…

I have taken a couple of weeks off due to travel and work, fully intending to train on the road.  Never happened.  Jesse is taking about two months off for work travel himself.  I discovered something about time off.

An object not in motion will remain not in motion unless acted upon by peer pressure.

In this case, my wife.  It was HARD to get up, but once I was in the pool at 6am on the dot, it felt great!  Because I got up today, I feel like getting up tomorrow.

man•tra (ˈmantrə; ˈmän-): a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation.

“Slow, Flow, Slow, Flow”

“Compete with myself, compete with myself.”

“Your a runner, it’s what you do”

Trick the Brain!

In order to run distances it is important to focus on the right things.  But, if your like me, as soon as you feel the freeing sensation of the run, your mind starts to wander. I get my best thinking done while running.

Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.
- Henry David Thoreau

My mind goes nuts, and that is okay, but for the fact that when my mind stops focusing my form starts suffering, or out of nowhere I become keenly aware of pain.  When the latter happens I am moments from quitting if I don’t pull the old mantra out.

Graham’s mantra is “Go Daddy Go!” Appropriate, since he is a new father.

If you follow the evolution of my mantra, you will notice a progression from more negative thinking at first to more positive thinking as I improved.  At first my mantra was:

“This Sucks! This Sucks!”

Then as I became a better runner, it became:

“Breathe! Breathe! Breathe!”

Obviously to help me to remember to control my breathing, a basic skill that most runners do naturally.  Later my mantra became:

“Almost there!  Almost there!”

That mantra betrayed my motive: To finish.  Really my motive was to just end the pain.  Now my mantra is about getting over all of the little walls.  As I run I often find out that there are hurdles or walls that, once I am past it, I can keep running until the next one.  Each wall is a potential “call it a day and go home” moment.  Here are a few of my walls and the mantra that gets me over them.

When a hill seems to steep, I tell myself:

“The steeper the hill, the harder the steel.”

When my legs are giving out, I just remember:

“When the tough get’s hard, the hard get tough!”

And when I can barely breathe, sucking air, I say:

“Pain feels better than regret!”

And when I see the finish line, in order to keep from slowing down and finishing slow, I say:

“Leave it all on the track!”

Mantras help keep me focused, push me further, keep good form, and keep me sane.  One important thing to remember when choosing a mantra, is to choose on that has a rhythm that your feet can strike the pavement to.

If you have a mantra, let me know what it is in the comments section.

What is “bonking?”

Bonking is a term used by endurance athletes to describe the effects of depleted glycogen stores in the muscle and liver. Glycogen depletion causes extreme fatigue and the “empty” light on our fuel gauge starts blinking. This is also sometimes referred to as “hitting the wall.” Basically, when exercising, if we don’t fuel our bodies correctly, our bodies will tell us to slow down or make us stop.

Our bodies can only store approximately 300-400 grams of glycogen in the muscle and 70-100 grams in the liver. Muscle glycogen is a very important factor in generating energy when exercising in events such as triathlons. Our bodies use these stores of glycogen to make energy. Without the proper ingredients, our bodies cannot make enough energy to allow us to exercise at the intensity we desire. That intensity determines which ingredients we need. In an endurance race, like a triathlon, the main ingredient is glycogen. Our bodies use glycogen to keep us swimming, biking, and running. Every hour that ticks by during the race, our bodies use around 200 grams of the stored glycogen. If this glycogen is not replaced by eating and/or drinking carbohydrates, then the stores get depleted. Because of the intensity of the race, there are no other means of creating enough energy without using the glycogen stores. And once those are used up, our bodies have to slow down or stop. When we slow down, then our bodies have  other ways of creating energy that do not require glycogen. 

Factors that lead to the dreaded bonk:

The biggest factors leading to the bonk are exercising at a high intensity for longer than one hour, environmental factors like an outside temperature greater than 75 degrees and high humidity, not eating enough carbohydrates before a race or long workout, not replacing calories while racing, and not drinking enough fluids before and during a race.

Keeping the fuel tank full

Everyone is different, so triathletes need to experiment with types and amount of food. The best time to experiment is during training, not during a race! What triathletes practice during training is what happens during a race. This goes for refueling. Most triathletes will eat a dinner high in carbohydrates the night before a big training day or race which will usually consist of things like pastas and breads to fill up glycogen stores. Then, the morning of the race, they will eat more carbohydrates, and once the race begins, eat or drink carbohydrates every 45-60 minutes. Popular ways to refuel during a race are the convenient gels and sports drinks because they are quick to ingest, are loaded with simple carbohydrates and are easily stowed in a pocket or water bottle. Most races will have aid stations stocked with water, gels, and sports drinks to make things even more convenient for the triathletes and also serve as a good reminder to stay fueled. But sometimes, more than 45-60 minutes pass before reaching one of these aid stations so it is a good idea to keep some fuel on you in case you need it. Also, everyone’s digestive system is different, and sensitive stomachs may not be able to handle a certain type of gel or sports drink. This is why triathletes should experiment during training to make sure they don’t end up with a stomach ache during the race. (Side note: Stomach aches can also occur from eating/drinking at the wrong time. Most athletes choose to refuel on the bike portion of the race because stomach contents don’t get jostled around like they do during the running portion of the triathlon.) But the bonk is not limited to race day, it’s also experienced during long training workouts, so be careful! Hopefully if you plan things just right, you don’t ever have to experience bonking, but if you do, just try something different with the way you eat next time.

Run Barefoot?

Did you know modern running shoes were only invented in the 1970’s? That’s not very long ago! What did people do before that? I know running has been around longer than 40 years! I’m not an expert in history, but I know humans have been around a long time—maybe even millions of years. And I’m pretty sure they’ve been involved in running for just as long. Otherwise, humans would not be around today. So, what happened when they wore out their knees? I know they didn’t have knee replacements way back then. Maybe they didn’t need knee replacements because they didn’t have running shoes!

There’s a study out now that has found that barefoot runners land softer than runners with running shoes on. This is because the barefoot runners land on either the forefoot first or midfoot (or flat-footed) unlike most runners wearing shoes who strike with their heels first. Since they land with their heel off the ground, the ankle and lower leg can absorb some of the force. But in the case of the heel striker- the shins, knees, pelvis and hips absorb the force. For more details on this theory from the biologists who wrote it, check out http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/ This site also has great tips on how to train and run with little to no footwear without hurting yourself.

My experience

Back when I was first getting into running for the joy of running, and not chasing after a soccer ball, I decided to enter a marathon race. While training for this race, I slowly increased my distance each week by 1 mile. Everything was great until I reached 6 miles. I could no longer run further than 6 miles because my knees hurt! I would have to come to a complete stop and hobble back. I couldn’t figure it out until I spoke with an athlete friend of mine. He’s at least 40 years older than me and been an athlete for at least that long, so I took his advice very seriously. He took me out to a park and told me to take my shoes off. Then, he showed me how I was supposed to run. Shockingly, he told me to run landing softly on the ball of my foot! I thought he was crazy. Wearing shoes, it is hard to get the feel for landing on the fore-foot. And, according to him, I would need to do this for a while without shoes. So I found some soccer fields to run on. He said it would take some practice and a while to get used to it, but that it would help my knees. He was totally right! It was so weird running like that, and it made my calves sore at first, but I was able to complete my training for the rest of the summer. Therefore, I was able to complete my 1^st marathon.  But I do run with modern running shoes, just for the record!

Implications

This study about barefoot running is not necessarily evidence we should stop wearing shoes. I think the implications are more about how we should be running. It’s not about the shoes, it’s about the form. I will explain running form in a later post. But, for now, head out to your nearest grassy field and experiment with how it feels to run barefoot! It’s a very freeing feeling. And it just might make you forget that you’re working out!

Oh boy, stacking cheerios.  Well, today was my first day for weights.  I was up at 5 am to ride my bike to the gym and then ride home taking the long way.  Not only was it weights day, but it was bike day as well.  Up at 5…check.  Ride bike to gym…check.  Lift weights…uh, asterik.  I did lift weights just for the record.  However, it only went on for about half hour.  It took a lot of effort to move weights I used to kick aside on my way to the real cold steel.  To top it off, I am already sore.  But, this is what motivates me.  I feel like I should be stronger.  I want to be stronger.  I will be stronger.  I can’t wait until my next weight day.

G

New Beginnings!

Since we have a year to prepare for the Xterra Euraka Tri, we have basically started from scratch.  We have approached everthing as if we are learning to do it for the first time.  The idea is that we will then be doing everything correctly/efficiently.  This eliminates “junk miles” which is a term used to describe training time that could produce better results.  Additionally, using correct form translates to less injuries and hopefully better race results.  In endurance racing moving efficiently is a large part of being successful.  As Jon mentioned previously, each minute becomes precious and valuable when we get busy with life.  So, each minute we spend training should be full of focus.  This does not take away the joy we get from the activity; It merely emphasizes the fact that there is a point to what is being done.

What We Do

We have video taped our swim by having one team member swimming in the lane closest to the wall and having a team member walking up on the deck while taping the swimmer.  Granted we do not clearly see what is going on under water but we can learn loads about our breathing, hip rotation, and reach/glide.  Watching that footage and comparing it to instructional videos from YouTube, footage of olympic swims, Ironman, etc. has already produced obvious gains.

Dirt Foot Hippie

According to most experts, the way we run in our bare feet should be how we run with shoes on.  So, last night we met at the local soccer complex and filmed our running technique/stride.  We started with shoes on and ran long enough to settle into a comfortable/consistent stride.  At that point, we got about 30 seconds of video footage from a side angle of the runner with shoes on.  We repeated those steps running bare foot.  After getting video of our strides, we ran barefoot on the soccer fields for our 20 minute run workout.

Outcome

My feet/ankles/calves are fatigued in a way that shows I used muscles I don’t use when I run in shoes.  My stride is already taking on the proper form.  As a team we are smarter and getting more efficient than we were yesterday.  I haven’t figured out how to film mountain biking, so if some one has an idea I am ready to listen.  It’s been another good day!  Best of all, I got to be a dirt foot hippie again.

A year of training for a single event is more than is really needed, but you need to remember, it’s not the event that is needed in my life, it’s the lifestyle.  If I train for a year I will have started something.  Habits will have formed and my future will be brighter.

It takes a lifetime to grow a strong heart, one that can do more than supply blood to your body.  I want to have a heart that can jump out of an airplane while juggling knives without having a heart attack when I am eighty.  I want strong lungs.  If a dude steals my wife’s purse I want to be able to run right next to him for 26.2 miles explaining why he should leave his life of crime.  I want efficient muscles.  Body builders have big muscles.  I want useful muscles.  I want muscles that can kick a twenty year old’s tail when I am sixty!  All of this requires that I start yesterday.  In order for me to maintain this lifestyle though, and it is quite a lifestyle change, I am going to need balance.

Balance

Man am I busy right now.  And it’s not going to get better.  Apart from my job, I have a baby on the way.  There are so many dads that are not involved in their kids lives nearly enough, and I don’t want that to be me.  Not to mention, my work requires a lot of time, and fair amount of travel.  Should this stand in the way?

I don’t see why it would.  Research shows that it doesn’t take a lot of exercise to be in great shape.  Well, of course, how much “a lot” is depends on the person.  The biggest hurdle most people face is not trying to exercise  enough, it’s exercising at all.

Good news and bad news.  Bad news: you’re gonna need about an hour a day.  Good news: You only need about an hour a day.  Show me somebody who is too busy to get physical exercise for an hour a day, I’ll show you somebody who is lying about being really lazy.

The truth is, you need to do something fun, and not do too much.  Make it sustainable.  You don’t need to run a marathon.  You need to run.  Period.  Work on that!  On a side note; some people set their sights so low (such as, I am going to do five jumping jacks today) that they don’t see any results.  If you’re having trouble getting out and doing something, then try doing something that you look forward too.

Biking

No matter what I can say with confidence that biking is by far the most fun and rewarding exercising activity that I am involved in.  If Danah let me, I would bike everyday.  It would be so easy to be in shape because I found something that I love to do.  One season I snowboarded every single day.  I was in great shape, but I wasn’t trying to be.  What is you funercise?

The truth is I enjoy swimming, but it is a real challenge for me.  I get so exhausted.  I find myself, much like running, at the edge of sanity.  It was just this morning, near the end of a hard workout, that I almost got pushed over the edge into insanity.

Backtalk

I am sure he meant no harm as he cut our team down.  I am sure that he didn’t think that he could even slightly influence us hardened seasoned athletes.  But he did.  I was at the edge of the pool, chatting with my Team 365 homies when this other swimmer dude said some things.  I left a little discouraged. I tend to let things people say get to me. I asked Graham how he felt about it, and he laughed, saying something about how he was over it as soon as the guy said it.  Jesse too.

So, that left me with a realization: I have to train my heart and my lungs and my muscles, but I REALLY have to train my mind.  Here I am, in front of you declaring, that I am going to train my mind to be as athletic as my body.  So, when you see me training, throw stuff at me and taunt.

Not really.  I’ll probably cry.

First of all, great news! I actually got a buzz cut! I blogged about it rather facetiously, but then I thought of all the benefits. No illusionary leeches on my head. Extreme aerodynamics. Relative hotness. But most importantly, my hair is no longer a shrub. When you have hair that looks like a shrub on top of your head, your follicles become like branches and your scalp becomes like fertile soil. Akin to assorted flora, the follicles will draw sweat out of the scalp like branches draw nutrients out of the ground. I now produce 94% less sweat. I’ve actually drowned a small rodent with my hair sweat. No more dead rodents.

Anyway, I was feeling pretty awesome as I started my run today. I actually started thinking thoughts like, “Man, people are going to remember this day as the day I totally destroyed this track. Lucky they get to watch me.” Which makes absolutely no sense, but I was definitely feeling it. Then after about a mile, I encountered my biggest running obstacle ever: a group of about 10 women jogging much slower than me a little ways ahead.

All my confidence drained and I started to cry. On the inside. Well, if I did on the outside, I would never know because of all the sweat. I was so disappointed. I knew I was on my way to a personal record, but I was overtaken by my insecurity of passing 10 woman, especially since they were spread out across the track like that game “the blob” I played as a kid. Were they playing that game? It was hard to tell, but I definitely wanted to keep my blob winning streak going. So I figured I could do one of four things:

Pass them

In hindsight, this makes the most sense by far. But I was filled with doubt. Would I be able to maneuver between them injury-free? What if my pants fell down as soon as I passed them all? What if I said “hi” to one and she pepper sprayed me? Tough questions.

Run behind them

This didn’t take long to rule out.

Flat tires

I thought maybe if I ran right up behind them and stepped on the back of their shoes, they would pick up the pace. The more I think about it now, the more logical it seems. I don’t know why I didn’t do this.

Turn around

I hate to say it, but this is what I did. But it didn’t turn out too bad, because I actually ended up running farther than normal, and I really busted my butt doing it. Hopefully, that’ll help prepare me for this Saturday’s local 5K.