tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47143055377210643532024-03-13T08:39:42.413-04:00DC Running Coach, LLCDC Running Coach is operated by Mike Hamberger, whose career as an endurance athlete gained many accolades, including All-American honors in triathlon and a marathon PR of 2:46:33. Mike was a track & field coach and faculty at Sidwell Friends, and now teaches undergraduate sport psychology. Mike offers custom training programs and technical instruction in running mechanics for athletes of all abilities. Buy Mike's book, "The Art of Run Training": http://amzn.to/1EDI6uBMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-31301487126272758892021-04-26T00:23:00.005-04:002021-04-26T00:23:56.528-04:00Carbon Plate Running Shoes (Yay or Nay?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gojCeFOBVj8/YIY_aut8hkI/AAAAAAAAArk/bctUZObi2WgmLakqHjkRisyJHPM3LtnWgCNcBGAsYHQ/s826/shoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="826" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gojCeFOBVj8/YIY_aut8hkI/AAAAAAAAArk/bctUZObi2WgmLakqHjkRisyJHPM3LtnWgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/shoe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">The following is <i>not</i> a running shoe review, it's just
my objective 2-cents from a coaching perspective:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Back in February I picked up my 1st pair of the newest nerdy
item in the running world: Carbon plated sneakers. I was hesitant to try
them, and the rationale is evident toward the end of this blog, but here we
are. Personally, I got the <a href="https://www.saucony.com/en/endorphin-pro/44571M.html?dwvar_44571M_color=S20598-10#" target="_blank">Saucony Endorphin Pro</a> because I was a Saucony
person forever, before I switched to Hokas and Altras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These shoes were definitely the most money
I've ever spent on a pair of shoes in my life!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I said at the time that the jury was still out as to whether they've
actually "improved my pace while reducing energy demands," as most of
these different shoe company ads claim to do.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After almost 3 months of running in these shoes (though not <i>exclusively</i>),
I am inclined to give them a high grade, though I can't say what % of my
increased paces is due to the shoes vs. my work ethic. I view it as a pie
chart, and I know that ultimately my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">training</i>,
not the shoes, is the biggest piece of the pie in determining my race times.
So how much do the shoes help? I can't put a precise data-point on
it, but they are certainly light and haven't given my lower legs/ feet any
issues, so I like them. They feel a bit odd at times because it
occasionally feels like I'm running on a rail, given the central placement of
the carbon sole, but that might also be due to <i>my</i> hyper-sensory
proprioception (kinesthetic sense). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My overall training the past 12 months is better than the
previous 12 months, and so on; therefore, I <i>should</i> be fitter on the
track. However, with last week having been my first Tempo-pace workout of
the year while on a track and wearing these particular shoes, I was not expecting to hit
the paces that I did, so I was pleased! And I am also hyper in-tune with pacing/exertion. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The math tells me that these shoes improved my T-pace
3%. That will equate a scale of 10 - 25 seconds per mile for those in the
T-pace range of 6:00 - 9:00/ mile. But similar to high-end cycling
equipment, the assumption is that there aren't any other major variables
hampering your performance. So, if you are at the peak of your potential
and are looking for a way to get over a hump and/or squeeze out some time, then
yes, maybe the shoes are an answer. But if you're still getting over an
injury and/or haven't hit strength training 3-5x per week for 6+ months yet
and/or are running over a 10:00/mile, then save your money for now, especially
if budgeting is a factor.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">In sum, I have only run in one type of carbon plated shoe (money is a factor), so the results are narrow, but it seems that the theory of the shoes is at least minimally supported by the claims of me and the runners I coach who use them. I purchased the orange ones, and I haven't run in orange shoes in many years, so there's also that perk. If I was paid money to promote the shoes, then yes, obviously "these shoes are guaranteed to give you a PR of your money back," and so goes the world of endorsements in all professional sports. But for anyone reading this blog who is on a budget, the cost of these shoes is the same as 2-3 professional massages, which might do you better to alleviate the ailments that are hampering your progress. Choose wisely, my friends!<br /></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Train hard!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mike</p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-88652938124696104862020-04-12T17:52:00.003-04:002020-04-12T17:52:59.454-04:00Working and Working-Out From Home
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WgGGJqZUzws/XpONo0raoTI/AAAAAAAAAns/1tN6tmqtpbQN_PdDHCvoprhtjFwuBjsIwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/switch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="853" height="168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WgGGJqZUzws/XpONo0raoTI/AAAAAAAAAns/1tN6tmqtpbQN_PdDHCvoprhtjFwuBjsIwCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/switch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Working from home is the world in which I've been living most
of the past 10 years with DCRC. I see that there are online articles
floating around all over the place on "How to Adjust to a Work-From-Home
Environment" and "6 Things You Can Do TODAY to Improve Your
Productivity While Working From Home!" It's all practical advice, so
I won't belabor the point here. Without having actually read those
articles, my #1 tip is to find a place with the least amount of distractions,
which might actually be <i>outside</i> your home. For me, I've found that
the UMD library is where I am the most productive, with a specific section of
the specific floor that I go to. With that shut down, I still have other
backup options I've used over the years. Yes, I'm sitting at my home desk
80-90% of the time when I'm working these days, but I also know it can be
beneficial to go outside for a while to get other type of work done, like
reading and/or less-consuming work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">As it relates to training, some of you are now feeling "cooped
up" because you don't have the separation of commute-work-gym-commute-home
that you used to have. So now you might not always have the usual peppy
enthusiasm to do ST because now instead of doing it at the gym, you're doing it
where you work and eat. My advice on this is the same as it's always
been, try doing your ST outside! There has to be some small park or patch
of grass near your home in which you can take your bag of ST goodies and knock
it out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Either way, whether it's working at home or working-out at home, you
have to flip a switch in your head that enables you to switch modes (see Link
below). One tactic here is to change your clothes when it's time to
workout. Maybe you've been lounging in workout clothes all day, and
that's fine…you don't have to wear your business attire when working from home
(I <i>hope</i> you don't!), but make it a point to change clothes, as in
putting on a "uniform". Uniforms have a special connotation in
that it allows us to make those small yet meaningful identity changes, which
enables us to "get in the right zone" prior to the workout.
Maybe you have a favorite workout T-shirt? …special tights/shorts?
…headband!? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Whatever it is, now more than ever is when you can use that to your
advantage. Switch clothes, put on your workout uniform and "go to
work"…flip the switch in your head! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvB2RW9i7w0" target="_blank">Thank you, Sly!</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Train hard!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Mike</span></div>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-48908522305738630882020-04-02T22:30:00.003-04:002020-04-12T22:51:49.929-04:00Social Distancing & Evolutionary Psychology (& Running)<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AiasU3FGBos/XoafIoMlusI/AAAAAAAAAng/9Jb20FPj6UEzknLxLGRy8nS_zRy_xbpFACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/PastedGraphic-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="1062" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AiasU3FGBos/XoafIoMlusI/AAAAAAAAAng/9Jb20FPj6UEzknLxLGRy8nS_zRy_xbpFACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/PastedGraphic-1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Regarding the social distancing protocol that is in place, it certainly makes sense and is reasoned to be the 2nd best way to stop the spread of the pandemic, with the <i>eventual</i> mass vaccine/anecdote being 1st. As it relates to being outside and being the social creatures that we are, in the past week I've seen more runners out-and-about in DC than usual. DC is always crawling with runners, which I enjoy about my city, but I see more than usual these days, with people having extra time to workout if they're not at the office/commuting. I see some of them running in the outside lanes on Connecticut Ave to attempt to keep distance between the folks on the sidewalk (and since they're are relatively few cars on the road). The trail behind my apartment building is full of walkers and runners every time I peer out my window. Hopefully everyone maintains this level activity when the world gets a full green light again, right?<br /><br />With people feeling "cooped up" and/or isolated after x-amount of days/weeks in their homes, it's sensible that they want to get outside and at least see other humans (we are social creatures by nature), as well as to importantly enjoy fresh air. I don't see any issue with doing workouts outside, just be smart and keep your distance. The efficacy of face masks is debatable at the time of this post, but use them if that's what your gut tells you to do. Bring hand sanitizer or thin gloves if you're using outdoor equipment, as it looks like most apartment/office gyms are shutting down too. ST videos on Youtube can definitely shake up your routine and keep it fun! There is no shortage of ST/PT vids online, have at it! Whatever you're doing outside, I don't believe that you have to feel guilty about it. If you know you have symptoms (fever, dry cough, abnormally low energy) then I assume you're self-quarantined already. I receive university emails <i>daily</i> regarding virus updates, and I also keep checking the CDC website, and here is the most basic info about corona that I will repeat here:<br /><br />"People may be sick with the virus for 1 to 14 days before developing symptoms. The most common symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. More rarely, the disease can be serious and even fatal. Older people, and people with other medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), may be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill."<br /><br />We’re all in the same boat right now in terms of canceled races/events…things that were very important to us are now completely off the radar until at least July at this point. Some of the bigger international races have postponed their date to the fall, in which it's nice to see that they're trying to salvage the <i>experience</i> for everyone involved. I always say that I'm optimistic, but not blindly. I'm hopeful for the miracle of modern science to put up a winning fight against Mother Nature with this new pandemic, but I obviously can't make any educated guesses beyond that of our true experts, to whom I've been listening as much as I can outside the usual news outlets. In the meantime, and to reiterate from above, you are not a selfish individual for being outside in the fresh spring air right now. You want to keep your momentum in terms of health/fitness, and there's a reason fit people are less affected by the virus. Your athletic goals and events are a part of your identity and your psychological well-being, so you have my support, just don't be <i>over</i>zealous about it in the face of others. One of the runners I coach was slated to run his first 50-miler this weekend, but it got canceled, yet he's possibly going to run 50M on his own this weekend and serve as his own support staff too. No qualms from me (as long as he protects his immune system afterward and takes a full recovery week, right?).<br /><br />Personally, I am still symptom-free and I've been doing relatively short runs most days. Some people on the sidewalk appear to be almost jumping out of the way when they see me coming. No doubt, you too have at least once had a stranger "dodge you", as if you're a weapon or a zombie. I acknowledge that it's an eerie feeling to experience that, and despite how high our self-esteem might be, it can sting for a moment. Don't fret or take it personally. That's evolutionary psychology making it sting…the "need" to be accepted by the rest of the tribe, or to be affiliated with others (Maslow's hierarchy, see attached photo), or to at least not feel like an outcast, right? To that last point, we have sensitivity ("sensors") built into our animal/primate brains to sense danger, which is not just physical threat, but also disease, germs, and the sick people around us. Hence the great debate in psychology about whether altruism really exists, or if we help others merely to get rid of our own feelings of sympathy, pity, remorse, or disgust and/or to make ourselves feel good/noble for helping someone else (spoiler: altruism does exist). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I begin the psych courses I teach with a reminder that to ignore evolutionary psychology is to miss out on the understanding of almost all of our <i>modern</i> behaviors too (as a species). Everything is just more sophisticated now. There's a reason people might unknowingly <i>exaggerate</i> their movements to avoid you while you're running, for the very same reason you feel uneasy when they do it. The explanation is that we are, a) creatures designed for survival = "stay away from the bad stuff", and b) creatures designed to be social. You can make the same jokes I have about how social distancing already began in 2010 with the advent of smart phones (haha), but I empathize with any of you who think it's odd when parents warn their kids, "no, honey, wait!!!" as you walk into your building at the same time as a family (as I did last night…I chuckled to myself…it was so damn eerie to be a part of that moment). Or the one person I saw in the grocery store who nearly had a panic attack when someone walked past with a cart within 6 feet. Luckily that's been the exception and not the norm.<br /><br />I tend to be the odd-ball anyway who waives and smiles at people when I run around the city, so there's one way to keep the normalcy…go ahead and waive/smile/head-nod at some people you see out there. Evolutionary psych tells us that one of the first "symbols" we recognize as newborns is a smiling face. Keep the sense of community/friendliness going, just as I say thank you on-the-fly as often as I can to the race volunteers at the aid stations during my races. Viva la happiness. Don't feel guilty, don't feel shame, don't feel like a mutant. Stay active, run outside, just don't annoy anyone. Check the CDC site occasionally, please (please) don't stay glued to the news stations or online headlines/clickbait (life is not horrible). Who knows when this will "flatten out". I'll be optimistic for at least <i>local</i> races to occur in the fall. Stay motivated…feed your momentum, your identity ("ego"), and keep me posted, I'm here to help you navigate.<br /><br />Be Healthy,<br /><br />Mike</span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-28412089843146022342020-01-09T22:30:00.001-05:002020-01-09T22:30:16.717-05:00Mike's Video Series on Run Form...Now Available!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eugMWEbDadk/XhfvspXnukI/AAAAAAAAAm0/ygnr2xyYwr8vvR44Io2j9p_3OeQobZW6wCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/back%2Bcover%2Bhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="923" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eugMWEbDadk/XhfvspXnukI/AAAAAAAAAm0/ygnr2xyYwr8vvR44Io2j9p_3OeQobZW6wCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/back%2Bcover%2Bhead.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hello Everyone!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope that your 2020 is off to a great start! My long-awaited <a href="http://bit.ly/35BwRkE" target="_blank">video series on proper running form</a> is now up on Youtube! The brainchild was ~6 years ago, but it's finally done, whew! Many of you reading this blog made a small investment in me when you signed-up for coaching. Otherwise, I hope you find the video series beneficial. Please feel free to share!<br /><br />I'll eventually add more videos to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/dcrunningcoach" target="_blank">my Youtube page</a>, like a "Coach's Corner", as in a series of short 1-5 minute videos where I discuss various topics (e.g., sections of my book), so subscribing to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/dcrunningcoach" target="_blank">DCRC Youtube Channel</a> also helps.<br /><br /><br />Here are the quick links to the videos in the series: <br /><br />Video Intro A - General points and philosophies: <br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWT2wzm5Ct8 <br /><br />Video Intro B - Background info on Coach Mike: <br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2249fSqz90 <br /><br />Video #1 - Arm Swing: <br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmb2KwMK6hs <br /><br />Video #2 - Posture: <br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7FQ-3YdzNg <br /><br />Video #3 - Stride Rate (cadence): <br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySJQQaTI6KM <br /><br />Video #4 - Stride Length: <br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tHP1Zj4fsY <br /><br />Video #5 - Foot Strike: <br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yNhGHqNocg <br /><br />Video #6 - Closing Thoughts:<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fxHrFpUuvU<br /><br /><br />Have a great 2020!<br /><br />Mike<br /><br />P.S. As you'll see, the main 3 videos (the "main beef") on stride rate + stride length + foot strike are loooong, and that is intentional, as these 3 topics are the "main beef". I elected not to break the longer videos up into even smaller ones because it would potentially scramble the order of them when someone was watching, so for simplicity's sake, I stacked the videos just as I present them during a Running 101 session.</span></span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-52266553786730387202019-06-09T21:26:00.003-04:002019-06-09T21:30:28.537-04:00Precision is Better Than Pushing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R9VlmzZOSDs/XP2ym7aw94I/AAAAAAAAAlE/jlZQEAVhsb06vvwK0JHMeuKWLOrtHpb2QCLcBGAs/s1600/braveheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="708" height="176" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R9VlmzZOSDs/XP2ym7aw94I/AAAAAAAAAlE/jlZQEAVhsb06vvwK0JHMeuKWLOrtHpb2QCLcBGAs/s400/braveheart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Here is an advanced tip for how to stay technically attuned during
your workouts, especially when you get fatigued, whether it’s running or
strength training (ST). I hammer home this point in the ST chapter of <a href="http://amzn.to/1EDI6uB" target="_blank">my book</a> when I discuss the priority of form/technique over mindlessly pushing
yourself to simply do more reps ("more, more, more!"). There is
an obvious connection here in how our form tends to break down when we go to
the upper limits of our long runs and/or harder speed workouts. This is
all in itself a healthy reminder, but I'll take it a step further. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">As a coach, I want to
make sure that my athletes and I have a similar definition of "pushing yourself", or at
least have different ways of defining this phrase. Yes, in general,
pushing yourself means stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing the
harder workouts, the jacked-up heart rate on occasion, the labored breathing, the
muscle burn, etc; however, it can also mean <a href="http://bit.ly/103eUE9" target="_blank">choosing to do a workout vs.skipping it </a>(I discuss this in more detail in a section of <a href="http://amzn.to/1EDI6uB" target="_blank">my book</a> called "Aggressive Training"),
and also maintaining proper focus when the going gets tough (i.e., composure and <a href="http://bit.ly/1lOKKmr" target="_blank">self-talk</a>).
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Another section of my book is titled "Mental Toughness is Overrated" and it's relevant here. How do you know <i>when</i> you're
pushing yourself? Is it based on how many reps you do? …the #'s on your
watch? Or is it a subjective feeling? …does it require <i>extra</i>
mental effort in order to qualify as "pushing yourself"? No
matter how you cut it, "pushing yourself" might sometimes get in the
way of optimum/maximum performance. Wait, how is that possible, doesn't
that sound counter-intuitive? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I was at a 3-day sport psych nerd conference in Baltimore this
past weekend, with lots and lots of presentations on cognitive elements of performance,
motor development, motor control, team dynamics, identity/personality, and a
bunch of other relevant topics. Lots to learn. As I already had this topic in
my head, I caught a few glimpses of presentations that showed that the specific
focal points someone has during endurance tasks and/or high-intensity tasks
helps determine actual performance, which is nothing new, nor earth-shattering,
but it does lend credence to the importance of making sure we all understand
what "pushing yourself" could mean and/or should mean. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">For
instance, there are internal focal points ("staying in your element"
as I phrase it in my book), which are your breathing, technique/form, stride,
perceived exertion, etc., and there are external focal points, such as the crowd,
the competition, the trees, your pace, etc. Side note: Some of you are
wondering if pace is actually internal…keep it as external, this is the
difference between <a href="http://bit.ly/jggZxS" target="_blank">Pace vs. Intensity</a>. Most studies show <i>internal</i> focus leads to
better performance than external focus, and if you've read my book, then you
understand the reasoning. There's obviously room to bounce back and forth
between the two, especially in relatively long events (it's natural and
needed), and <a href="http://bit.ly/1o0Ux6H" target="_blank">that in itself is a skill</a>, in knowing when to do each, but now I'll bring this back to the main point. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Precision is a better way to improve performance than simply
grunting it out (pushing). In fact, you can all think of examples, either
personally or observed, when someone was so determined to push hard that their
technique suffered as a result and they missed whatever mark they were aiming
for. This naturally is more evident in tasks with a cognitive component
(running isn't very cognitive, or at least it's not supposed to be!), but it
does apply to endurance sports too. For example, cyclists were studied
while they either focused on their pedal stroke (i.e., "smoothness" =
internal) or were focused on "keep going!" (external). The
former group beat the latter group. This should be logical. If your
pedal stroke remains smooth (i.e., efficient, just like running form) then you
don't put <i>as much</i> strain/stress on your body (muscles, tendons, etc),
thereby making it physically/physiologically easier to "keep going."
This is the essence of why mental toughness is <i>overrated</i>.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Keep your precision when the going gets tough, it'll help you hit the
target. <i>Braveheart</i> and the Kevin Kostner <i>Robin Hood</i> both
have <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po3HbErxC-c" target="_blank">scenes about this type of precision</a> under pressure, and I learned it
first-hand back in the day when I was doing shot put and playing rugby.
So, don't just close your eyes and plow through, you might screw up your
form, and it's our form that carries us through!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Train hard!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Mike </span></div>
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</style>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-90172404464605923372018-03-26T22:03:00.001-04:002018-03-26T22:05:48.956-04:00Consistency (The Forgotten Variable)<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JaAox8PguhE/WrmmGFy6MBI/AAAAAAAAAis/qG-z2fpFHpIy8a3d2xUFeUXMbQ5rUtQ0QCLcBGAs/s1600/graphic-robot-assembly-line-7141228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="1300" height="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JaAox8PguhE/WrmmGFy6MBI/AAAAAAAAAis/qG-z2fpFHpIy8a3d2xUFeUXMbQ5rUtQ0QCLcBGAs/s320/graphic-robot-assembly-line-7141228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">I frequently use the word
“consistency” in relation to winter off-season training. I encourage everyone not to overlook consistency
as an important variable in your training program. The variables we
usually think of are: distance, miles, pace, # of sets, # of reps, duration,
rest intervals, and # of workouts in the week. However, if you’ve been
doing all of the above for several weeks in a row (putting recovery weeks on
hold for a second), then isn’t the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">number
of weeks</i> also its own variable? Yes, it is! And that is the
main reason I give DCRC athletes proactive recovery weeks as preventive
medicine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">The other more important
point I wanted to make here is that you don’t always need to extend your
weekend long runs, nor do more total miles or days per week as we progress
along. The simple fact you’ve done it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">x</i>-amount
of weeks in a row is enough stress on the body already. This is why a
chunk(s) of your program will often look similar over a few weeks at a time.
And this is where a coach and an athlete might have different perspectives
on training, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I’m controlling
all the variables in a program (within reason) and allowing the fact that it’s
being done week after week (after week) be the important variable in the mix.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">This approach (and
reminder) is especially important for those of you who are either getting back
into running/training for the first time ever, or the first time in a long
time, and/or if you’ve always had nagging injuries in the past, and/or been
sidelined by injury. This approach does not mean your training is
stagnant! No way! That is a fallacy that keeps the PT/chiro offices
in business! If you’ve been training consistently for 6-8 weeks in a row
then you better believe you’re putting in work. This level of commitment
and consistency is new for some of you, either mentally or in terms of being
injury-free. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Let your consistency be a variable in itself and be patient
if your program doesn’t resemble cannon fire. Some of the programs I
create for athletes accelerate faster than others, yet that is based on myriad
factors. The above points also reinforce the notion, "Train smarter, not harder," and now you know another tactic to put that into action via your program.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Train Smart!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Mike</span></div>
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</style>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-20713877370721588762018-01-14T18:42:00.001-05:002018-01-14T18:42:24.236-05:00Hammer Time<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-auMnsYepwbE/WlvqrvyNLNI/AAAAAAAAAiM/o1B-WLhDKHk_TnHm5kRQ1o0YCV7HEQ9AgCLcBGAs/s1600/hammer1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="400" height="141" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-auMnsYepwbE/WlvqrvyNLNI/AAAAAAAAAiM/o1B-WLhDKHk_TnHm5kRQ1o0YCV7HEQ9AgCLcBGAs/s320/hammer1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have 2 full weeks of January 2018 under our belts, and with that we should be clear of the lingering holiday bugs/illnesses, family time (family-in-law time, too), travel, and reasons and excuses (there’s a difference between those last two). Now it's time to start hammering!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever transpired in 2017 (for better or worse) is behind us, and we’re moving forward. Like a dream catcher, take what you need to from 2017, filter out the rest, digest it, believe in what you digested (don’t lie to yourself), and move forward. Part of moving forward is to get your PT visits! PT will offer you much insight into new ST exercises, or where to focus your ST. We can’t use race schedules as an excuse right now because we don’t need to be racing Jan-Feb. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve written many times that your off-season goal is to look and feel like a different athlete on March 1st, as compared to November 1st, so with 2 weeks of 2018 already gone by, keep hammering! Retool, rebuild, reload, repeat. Every week of Jan - Feb you should be focused on strengthening your body, changing your body, trying new things, and shaking up your routine. Signing on with DCRC is a huge first step for many athletes and so it’s happening naturally. Others who have been with me a while and/or long-time avid runners might have to dig a little deeper to see what new elements they can introduce, and perhaps that simply means pushing themselves more than they did last winter! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have 6 weeks until March 1st (plus the St. Patty’s 5k on March 4th), so get moving! If you didn’t start hammering ST in November because that was still peak race month, then that’s fine, but if December was also a recovery period + busy time, then that’s behind us now. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Be the change you want to see in yourself” —Ghandi’s personal trainer.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Train hard!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mike </span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-22153432009637055552017-11-14T21:32:00.004-05:002017-11-14T21:39:35.183-05:00A Winning Vocabulary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MvcnG-KXRvE/WgunNVI8sVI/AAAAAAAAAho/cmAXsVlpiNU5OTG9VbRAhfB8Nr_hST4rwCLcBGAs/s1600/vocab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MvcnG-KXRvE/WgunNVI8sVI/AAAAAAAAAho/cmAXsVlpiNU5OTG9VbRAhfB8Nr_hST4rwCLcBGAs/s320/vocab.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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--</style><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">When considering how you
feel about your last week of training (or life), be sure not to limit your
vocabulary to simply “good or bad”. I understand that there is otherwise
a potentially utility to keeping the language that simple, and I admit that I sometimes
remind my athletes to think of their training program as keeping a scorecard
for each week in terms of whether the week was a “win or a loss,” and so I
recognize the potential contradiction I just offered. However, my point in
encouraging athletes to think about their training in terms of a win-loss
record is related to zooming out and looking at the week as a whole, instead of
focusing on the one or two aspects that didn’t go 100% according to plan.
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">When you consider the
entirety of the week, using both objective and subjective data points, then the
overwhelming majority of your weeks should be "good weeks”…a win!
You could even use a word other than “good,” as in reporting that the
week went “great!” If you don’t believe that it was a great week, or even
a good week, then why not? To take it a step further, just because it
wasn’t a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good</i> week, does that
automatically imply it was a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bad</i>
week? Probably not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Even if you don’t think
it was a great/good week of training, expanding your vocabulary in that regard means
you’ll have many more words to choose from that have a positive connotation from
which you can label your week. The practical application of the bigger
vocabulary is that you won’t be so quick to label a training week negatively,
and then you get to score one in the Win category!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Our thoughts are framed
by the exact words we use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We think in
terms of language”—George Carlin. Elite athletes who frequently use
mental imagery and develop such “scripts” for races demonstrate this element of
psychological skills training. Specifically, they practice the exact
words/phrases (<a href="http://dcrunningcoach.blogspot.com/2017/01/be-your-own-color-commentator.html" target="_blank">cue words</a>) they want to say at various points in the game/race/course
to keep the <a href="http://dcrunningcoach.blogspot.com/2014/04/self-talk-is-skill-that-requires.html" target="_blank">self-talk positive and task-specific</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a skill that takes deliberate practice
to develop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bottom line: Develop a
bigger vocabulary.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Train hard!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Mike</span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-81607348086228359582017-11-05T19:04:00.001-05:002017-11-06T11:52:31.299-05:00Fall Running - Faster & Safer<style>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-quGesD_mhTo/Wf-m8V__5gI/AAAAAAAAAhM/4jcnSHy0kvQNYOgISnl6SY25BeZRsLm3ACLcBGAs/s1600/sleeping_beauty_trail_in_autumn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="525" height="244" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-quGesD_mhTo/Wf-m8V__5gI/AAAAAAAAAhM/4jcnSHy0kvQNYOgISnl6SY25BeZRsLm3ACLcBGAs/s320/sleeping_beauty_trail_in_autumn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">With the fall season coming at the end of a yearly training cycle, it's likely that most runners are feeling their fittest. Therefore, you might find that your
regular/easy pace is significantly faster than it was back in the winter.
First, this is certainly due to your work ethic paying off. Second,
the weather is best at this time of year (minus some warm weekends we had for
key races, like Army 10-miler). Third, you’ve likely been doing more speed work in the fall and have probably been racing more often, so subconsciously you have been primed/triggered to pick up the
pace. In any case, as you set out for a regular jog you might notice that
you’re running “fast,” even though you’re not mentally in “workout mode.”
Should you slow down? Nope! I say go with it! As long as you’re not beating yourself up out
there and the legs feel fine, then go with the flow and let it ride. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">As a second point with
fall running, stay alert out there on the wooded trails
that are littered with leaves on the ground. The underbelly of some of the
leaves are moist and can cause you to slip, and some patches of leaves are covering
up little potholes or oddly shaped tree roots. Autumn is a gorgeous season and a fun time of year
to run through the woods and I encourage it, but for safety's sake, make sure you’re not spacing
out too much on these runs. Most of the time, you know the trail like the back of your
hand and you’re strong enough and athletic enough to be perfectly fine in terms of it being uneventful.
But since I also want to encourage you right now to add some adventurous
running into your mix and get off the beaten path, you have to keep your eyes
alternating between the ground immediately underneath you and 10-15 feet in front of you. If you're running through a place like Rock Creek Park, then stay alert and plan your footing in advance.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">A small percentage of runners are timid when it comes to running on these natural trails. My short answer is this: Strength training (ST) is a major guardian against a rolled
ankle, so continue to do your ST shoes-off for improved foot and ankle strength. Make your ST dynamic and
functional and you’ll have increased confidence on the trails, allowing you to enjoy the gorgeous autumn scenery.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Train hard and enjoy the foliage!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Mike </span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-60357332792917198162017-07-30T18:57:00.001-04:002017-07-30T18:57:29.362-04:00"Be Water, My Friend."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QngQb4eZ7eQ/WX5kJM2ZjJI/AAAAAAAAAgo/xnFcJzTQvAkeyQvlBdff4hdWaUpRYhaYgCLcBGAs/s1600/Bruce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QngQb4eZ7eQ/WX5kJM2ZjJI/AAAAAAAAAgo/xnFcJzTQvAkeyQvlBdff4hdWaUpRYhaYgCLcBGAs/s320/Bruce.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The main coaching points I’ve been giving my athletes this summer have been reminding all of them to continually adapt and adjust to the weather conditions. Rather than fighting against Mother Nature’s undefeated streak, adapt and adjust to what the conditions allow you to do that day. This requires much self-awareness in terms of being in-tune with your body (in the moment), as well as the phrase we’ve been using recently, “managing expectations,” which sometimes means, “managing your personality." <br /><br />The more weeks, months, and years you train, the quicker you should be able to identify the conditions around you and know how to adjust accordingly. Bruce Lee left an enduring message that is very much akin to this idea of adaptation to your immediate environment (see short video link below). Water works with the shape and contours its given and always finds its natural balance, and so must you work with the heat, humidity, wind, hills, etc., and find the appropriate balance for that day’s workout. I’m aware of how overly commonsensical this Tip sounds, so (collectively) let’s prove it! <br /><br />Rise up to the level of Master during your workouts so that you can report success, optimism, and confidence in your recaps, rather than letting summer weather conditions kick you around. Kick back Bruce Lee style by adapting and finding a natural balance on that day. Just as the drop in temperatures did this past weekend, the fall weather will reveal your fitness, so keep your mental fortitude. Overall, the athletes I train are doing well as a group in this regard, so I want them to view this as healthy reinforcement, not as negative feedback. We’re on the same team.<br /><br />A final note on this topic would be to also see the occasional OPEN days in your program as a “let the water find its own natural balance day.” What this means is that your OPEN days allow you to do whatever you need to do to reset/balance your mind or training for that day or week. It’s a catch-up, get-ahead, or OFF day. Listen to your inner Lee and use sound judgment.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spoken by the legend Himself, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJMwBwFj5nQ" target="_blank">Be water, my friend</a>.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mike</span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-63575335542307988692017-07-13T14:54:00.001-04:002019-05-29T18:13:57.484-04:00The Sound of Two Hands Clapping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yPaPsfMrb5Y/WWfBtTbJtUI/AAAAAAAAAgM/p--5eVtPYbk5y4g5ZH7NNGcLH1IoIP1OACLcBGAs/s1600/IM0911%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="208" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yPaPsfMrb5Y/WWfBtTbJtUI/AAAAAAAAAgM/p--5eVtPYbk5y4g5ZH7NNGcLH1IoIP1OACLcBGAs/s320/IM0911%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="167" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Does anyone else ever finish a run with a handclap or mini fist pump in the air? I do that quite often and it puts a fabulous exclamation point on any run, and makes the lasting impression of the run as one of confidence. Cognitive psychology can teach us many tactics and tricks about how to put a positive touch on any situation, so the handclap is an example you can try, and it might be especially meaningful in the face of summer heat/humidity that could otherwise sabotage your feelings of progress. More importantly, what makes the handclap work is that I <i>believe</i> it to be true. <br /><br />As I shared in the final chapter of <a href="http://amzn.to/1EDI6uB" target="_blank">my book on run training</a>, virtually every run I’ve ever done has had a positive element to it, and that’s far from lying to myself. It’s the truth. I don’t have negative experiences when I run. When you finish a run in 90-degree temps with high humidity and every square inch of you is drenched in sweat, you better believe a run like that gets a “WOOHOO!” <CLAP> at the end of it. SUCCESS!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mbpPSLNznr8/WWfAZ7QpndI/AAAAAAAAAgE/zK1yMX8p8wA73Ep0a8bTnTyDCAywzEW2wCEwYBhgL/s1600/will.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="1359" height="162" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mbpPSLNznr8/WWfAZ7QpndI/AAAAAAAAAgE/zK1yMX8p8wA73Ep0a8bTnTyDCAywzEW2wCEwYBhgL/s400/will.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moreover, make sure you are <i>proactively</i> <a href="http://bit.ly/15NJLaw" target="_blank">adjusting your workouts</a> to account for the <a href="http://bit.ly/12fZwKK" target="_blank">summer weather</a>. <i>Proactively</i> adjusting means “sit down before you fall down” and prevents negative self-talk from entering the picture and then having to pick yourself up mentally post-workout. Some runners don’t adjust by their own volition; rather, they run slower and slower as the workout goes on because their body is slowly shutting down. One of my favorite coaching expressions is: "Foresight is a more powerful tool than hindsight."</span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvojexDmPmI/WWe-1mKrfbI/AAAAAAAAAgA/NWCh5FZRGcYInIFHXGvDqAIZA6j1p1a_ACLcBGAs/s1600/tiger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />With more heat and humidity coming our way, be sure you are still fine-tuning your mental skills to stay optimistic and confident. Here is what one of my runners wrote to me regarding his recent weekend long run: "<i>Long run went great. Went out with the [running store] weekend group and did the first half with a few folks, second half on my own with headphones. You would have been very proud of my pacing decisions if you saw me and others at the end of the run. Despite the heat, I finished with a big smile on my face, only to meet up with a bunch of others in the parking lot complaining about how their runs were terrible. I found myself repeating your advice, that it's all about perceived exertion and managed expectations in the heat!</i>”<br /><br />Anyone can fool him/herself at the beginning of a workout in hot/humid conditions, but the cumulative effects don’t take very long to reveal themselves and spike your heart rate too high, too soon. Remember that summer running is about perceived exertion/ intensity, and <i>not</i> pace. For instance, the average runner doing a tempo workout on the track might have to adjust the pace by as much as 30-40 seconds per mile! <a href="http://bit.ly/1o0Ux6H" target="_blank">If you’re a data-driven runner</a>, then that workout has the ability to “suck” in your mind because the numbers are your focal point. We don’t want that. We want a superb feeling of accomplishment when we’re done. Perhaps solidified by a handclap as you cross the finish line on that final rep (or arriving back at your front doorstep).</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0AAdeHwsQQQ/WWfA3rYBK9I/AAAAAAAAAgI/CPBSRAw9wz4QXZwG-ipr4edQku0QeucMQCLcBGAs/s1600/last-shot-celebration-81353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="1000" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0AAdeHwsQQQ/WWfA3rYBK9I/AAAAAAAAAgI/CPBSRAw9wz4QXZwG-ipr4edQku0QeucMQCLcBGAs/s320/last-shot-celebration-81353.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Yes, I know, it feels weird for your legs to move at a pace much slower than you’re used to, but “train smarter, not harder” is one of our mantras. Remind yourself that you hit other process goals that day, and again, you’ll be likely to honestly believe the positivity that you throw at yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Run Happy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mike</span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-79091637349474502942017-05-09T20:02:00.003-04:002017-05-09T20:05:35.501-04:00Relativity<style>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n1nBxQ_nvRk/WRJY1ITFlFI/AAAAAAAAAfk/6XV_zxUzMjI4eh8kyQJimo9Ndew-E7oBgCLcB/s1600/einsteinrunning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n1nBxQ_nvRk/WRJY1ITFlFI/AAAAAAAAAfk/6XV_zxUzMjI4eh8kyQJimo9Ndew-E7oBgCLcB/s1600/einsteinrunning.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">As Einstein once said,
“Whether or not a race course or trail in the DC area is ‘hilly’ is relative to
the individual.” This is your reminder to have <i>your own</i> rating
scale for hills and courses based on <i>your own</i> running experiences and perceived
fitness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">As I remind the runners
I coach each year that head up to Boston for the marathon, Heartbreak Hill is
overrated if you’re a DMV area runner. Relative to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">us</i> (DMV area residents), that hill isn’t too daunting. Relative to someone from most parts of Florida, then sure, it’s a doozy.
I address this topic in my book “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Art-Run-Training-Psychology-Performance/dp/1515311546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441565706&sr=8-1&keywords=the+art+of+run+training" target="_blank">The Art of Run Training</a>” in a few sections;
most notably the section titled “<a href="http://dcrunningcoach.blogspot.com/2011/06/dcs-advantage-for-endurance-athletes.html" target="_blank">The DC Advantage for Runners</a>,” as well as the
section “<a href="http://dcrunningcoach.blogspot.com/2014/09/long-hills-dont-exist.html" target="_blank">Long Hills Don’t Exist</a>.” For more advice, you can click those
links and check out the respective Blogs for both of those points. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Additionally, make sure
you reserve the word “hilly” for courses that deserve it. The fitter you
become, the less effect the smaller inclines have on you, so don’t do them the
favor of considering them hills any more. Use that word sparingly.
You can make distinctions between “hilly” vs. “rolling” vs.
“incline" vs. “gently rolling.” </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">The same approach
applies to the weather. “Hot” is 90-degree weather; it hasn’t been hot
yet. “Warm” is a better word to use, or “fair.” Hilly and hot
conditions might set you up for an adverse mental state going into your run,
whereas, “scenic” or “sunny” have a positive connotation that frames the run
differently. So, with the exception of perhaps your run coach, don’t let
other people’s perspectives of what constitutes a hilly course change your
opinion too much, or at least as it pertains to strangers. Trusted run
friends and race directors certainly have valid opinions, but either way, make
sure <i>your</i> <i>own</i> perspective of <i>your own</i> fitness is the
guiding light. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">E = mc<sup>2</sup> would
have been an impossible riddle for all of us to solve, but to Einstein it was
(eventually) <i>relatively</i> easy. ‘Twas not a Heartbreak-Hill-esque
problem for him, just a “roller.” Choose your own vocabulary and make it
work for you. Use some words only sparingly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Train hard!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Mike</span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-57219574835320243652017-04-02T21:57:00.002-04:002017-04-19T19:03:48.548-04:00The Relationship Between Sleep & Athletic Performance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k41zWfyqlfQ/WOGr3HgsOMI/AAAAAAAAAfM/RkG6StoH3noio47-ZxFtAoRAR3zopm4cgCLcB/s1600/man-pajamas-running-sleeper-isolated-white-background-54690652.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k41zWfyqlfQ/WOGr3HgsOMI/AAAAAAAAAfM/RkG6StoH3noio47-ZxFtAoRAR3zopm4cgCLcB/s200/man-pajamas-running-sleeper-isolated-white-background-54690652.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">I recently read a 2015
review article published in <i>Sports Medicine</i>, titled "Sleep and
Athletic Performance: The Effects of Sleep Loss on Exercise Performance,
and Physiological and Cognitive Responses to Exercise.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Below I provide a
summary of the authors’ main points, followed by my 2 cents (interpretation of
the results) from a coach’s perspective.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Authors’ main points:</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Although sleep is
considered critical to optimal performance, many athletes appear to lose
sleep prior to competition for various reasons, including noise,
light, anxiety, and nervousness. While there appears
sufficient evidence to imply complete sleep deprivation can have
significant negative effects on athletic performance, the effects of sleep
restriction (partial disturbance of the sleep–wake cycle) are more
conflicting; a concerning issue given that athletes are more likely to
experience this mode of sleep loss. The detrimental effect of sleep
loss on most aspects of cognitive function remains unequivocal, with only
minor conflicting findings present for the extent of the effects of mild
sleep restriction, findings that would predictably suggest negative
consequences for athletes requiring high neurocognitive reliance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Much of the previous
research has reported that exercise performance is negatively affected
following sleep loss; however, conflicting findings mean that the
extent, influence, and mechanisms of sleep loss affecting exercise
performance remain uncertain. For instance, research indicates some
maximal physical efforts and gross motor performances can
be maintained. In comparison, the few published studies investigating
the effect of sleep loss on performance in athletes report a
reduction in sport-specific performance. The effects of sleep loss on
physiological responses to exercise also remain equivocal; however,
it appears a reduction in sleep quality and quantity could result in an
autonomic nervous system imbalance, simulating symptoms of the
overtraining syndrome. Additionally, increases in pro-inflammatory
cytokines following sleep loss could promote immune system dysfunction.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">My 2 cents:</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">For those who read the fine print of this review article and saw that the several studies
that showed a decrease in performance were mostly in maximal <i>power</i> output
(i.e., 30-sec Wingate/cycling test), I would ask them to raise their hand
if that is a meaningful carryover into their own training (answer: most likely
not). Sleep <i>deprivation</i> (SD) vs. sleep <i>restriction</i>
(SR) is where the other significant findings of the article are contained, but
I also don’t think any of local amateur athletes are facing actual sleep <i>deprivation</i>.
In short, if it’s the night before a race and you don’t get much
sleep, then don’t worry about it, especially since there are very little (if at
all) cognitive aspects of endurance events, whereas team-sport athletes might
have other considerations depending on their position/demands, but even then
the results are mixed with no need to sound an alarm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">It’s important to note
that the article points out that physiological measures don’t always show
adverse effects from SR, so the authors postulate that central fatigue (as
in central nervous system fatigue/ self-talk) is most likely the mechanism,
especially if you factor that perceived exertion (effort) was diminished in
some studies. In other words, if the athlete believes that the sleep
restriction is going to have an adverse effect, then he/she might be
likely to create a self-fulfilling prophecy! Get the idea out of your
head, and do so with confidence, as the empirical evidence supports that
short-term SR likely won’t affect your endurance the following day. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Chronic</span></i><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> sleep restriction is a separate issue not
addressed by this article, and I think we would all agree that at that
point there are going to be performance detriments (even with just a few days),
along with an increased chance for injury (i.e., relationship between
chronic muscular fatigue and injury). I can empathize with any athlete who doesn't get a solid night of sleep the night before a big game/race, but what’s </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">probably </span>more important is the sleep you get <i>two and three</i> nights before a significant effort.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Train hard!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Mike</span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-26906224989505516252017-01-15T16:44:00.001-05:002017-02-24T15:56:43.281-05:00Nutrition & Happiness<style>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V8r-xj-TDNE/WHvtDXF9jBI/AAAAAAAAAek/AGgqgT2Q4EsKumFczdp7mVzt6Q0gxYZAQCLcB/s1600/mealplanphoto.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V8r-xj-TDNE/WHvtDXF9jBI/AAAAAAAAAek/AGgqgT2Q4EsKumFczdp7mVzt6Q0gxYZAQCLcB/s320/mealplanphoto.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">How did nutrition and happiness end up in the title of the same blog? Let's find out together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">There is a collective
theme emerging this winter from the runners I coach in that they are
proactively taking control of their own healthy eating and fueling habits.
Some of them have purchased books on the topic, and whether or not it’s a
run-specific nutrition book is irrelevant at this point. They’re setting
specific goals in this category, with tangible action plans. Much of that
starts at the grocery store (e.g., reading labels), and then carries over into their
choices when dining out (e.g., no alcohol). Quick side note: Alcohol
affects your sleep, and then lack of sleep, especially over an entire week or
month, will affect your performance <i>and</i> increase your risk for
inflammation injuries (overuse injuries).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Some of you have a body
type that doesn’t have much room to improve, whether that’s in terms of body
weight (you’re already as low as you’re going to get) or body composition (lean
vs. fatty tissue), but your goal with proper diet can still be to be energetic
day-in, day-out, and to get good sleep (I have a separate Blog on <a href="http://bit.ly/1EQUN3s" target="_blank">BodyTypes</a>, which also appears in the <a href="http://amzn.to/1EDI6uB" target="_blank">Nutrition chapter of my book</a>). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">The <a href="http://bit.ly/ssDpO3" target="_blank"><i>off-season</i></a> is
the best time for experimentation and to attack all the off-the-field elements
of your training. Yes, we incorporate all aspects of training during the
entire year (a holistic approach), but we mentally <i>prioritize</i> (key
word) things like, ST, PT, XT, and nutrition in the off-season. To
mentally prioritize <i>everything all the time</i> means you’re going to drive
yourself crazy. The key to “finding balance,” like your hippie yoga
friends preach, is <b><i>not</i></b> to reduce everything to the same level
(same amount of priority) throughout the day, week, month, or year, but instead
to focus/prioritize certain aspects more than others for a while (however long
that needs to be) before switching focus/prioritization to something else, so
that at the end of a month or year, the overall weight of everything has balance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">To use run training as a
quick example (explained in greater length and depth in the <a href="http://amzn.to/1EDI6uB" target="_blank">Periodization chapter of my book</a>),
racing is the lowest priority in the winter, with ST at the highest. Then
that slowly but surely shifts in the opposite direction as we hit the fall
season, which is peak race season. Monitoring exact paces for workouts
follows suit (low priority now, high priority later). You should be able
to apply this same mental approach to all aspects of your life: professional,
athletic, social, and family/friends, with further breakdowns within each of
those major categories. I’m sure some of you already do this with
elaborate color coding on your monthly planners or through journaling, or
though meditation, but if not, then give it a whirl. Take an hour to
dissect your life on paper...your schedule, your priorities, your goals, and
your happiness. As an athlete in the
Mid-Atlantic region, this is the perfect time of year to do it (winter
off-season).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">So, as you focus on nutrition now (here in the off-season), you are adhering to a key component of happiness, which is to the <a href="http://bit.ly/1HjOAsS" target="_blank">Purpose and Pleasure Pendulum, for which I have a separate Blog</a>, and reading that will explain how nutrition and happiness ended up in the same title of this Blog :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Train hard!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Mike</span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-39447346631352841492017-01-09T20:16:00.002-05:002017-01-09T20:16:16.250-05:00Be Your Own Color Commentator
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GdvbRCIghYg/WHQ0-51tKLI/AAAAAAAAAeM/YZeDJxulqx00xkX8y5zE_e6B-RyfNf3VgCLcB/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GdvbRCIghYg/WHQ0-51tKLI/AAAAAAAAAeM/YZeDJxulqx00xkX8y5zE_e6B-RyfNf3VgCLcB/s1600/image.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">As part of your longer
runs, a strategy you can use to practice positive self-talk and keep it fun is to play the role of being your own color commentator, treating
the run as if you’re out there with imaginary opponents!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bear with me here :)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re already talking to yourself in some
way, shape or form when you’re running, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So why not spice it up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I first
started doing this with my friend Brian many years ago when we did 3-5 hour
bike rides together out in the middle of nowhere VA/MD. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The invention of iPods has changed the game
since then, but when cycling with someone else, you tend not to bring your
music with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I would entertain us
both by doing my best impersonations of the Tour de France commentators as we
had to pass the time somehow while climbing all of those hills, staring at
trees, and inevitably getting lost on occasion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The commentary kept the
training fun, but I also started to see common themes emerge once I kept this up
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> on occasion </span>during my solo run training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
noticed that it helped keep me positive, as I could create
positive self-talk at any point in the workout to help me push through to the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When training each week can otherwise become
monotonous, this is a way to generate some excitement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even on the days I wasn’t feeling my A-game,
I could still pretend that “everyone else on the course is suffering too, but
I’m still in command and winning.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore,
I mostly used this fun tactic toward the end of my workouts, when I was more
likely to need a mental boost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Give it a shot. Be
creative, have fun, give it your own flavor, add an accent too if you
like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any time you pass a runner who is
going either direction, you can make them part of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can even turn it into the overly
(overly) melodramatic NBC-style coverage we are bombarded with during the Olympics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’ll also allow you to be
brutally honest with yourself (if you’re not already), as you can remind
yourself of the obstacles you’ve overcome, that you are probably fitter than
you’re giving yourself credit for, and so you can soul search in the midst of
all this commentary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good way to
get to know yourself as an athlete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
also a great way to get in the habit of envisioning success, whether it’s
actually winning a race or hitting a goal time or PR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the run, who the hell is there
to say otherwise!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I have separate sections on Self-talk and
Imagery in Chapter 6 of my book “<a href="http://amzn.to/1EDI6uB" target="_blank">The Art of Run Training</a>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chapter 7 offers many other strategies for
different race distances, but I really like this one even though I didn’t put
it into the book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Train hard!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Mike </span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-22205944442190493152015-11-22T16:16:00.002-05:002016-11-22T18:10:56.210-05:00Thanksgiving Week for Runners<style>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mbS2vKhK1tA/VlIwXfKLm3I/AAAAAAAAAdQ/DtISQCWK96I/s1600/blow-your-mind-cosmos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mbS2vKhK1tA/VlIwXfKLm3I/AAAAAAAAAdQ/DtISQCWK96I/s320/blow-your-mind-cosmos.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Regardless of how much
you actually celebrate this holiday (or the next big one coming up), it can also simply serve as a time to gather with family and friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With these two holidays comes extra
time to yourself (I hope!) and time to relax your mind and decompress…and
eat Mom’s world famous mashed potatoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Enjoy yourself this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Allow yourself time to do some soul searching over the next 5
weeks in total.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">As it relates to Turkey Trots, your goal there is probably an all or none mentality, right? Meaning, you’re either still riding high on the coattails of peak fall season and you’ll therefore shoot for a 5k/10k PR, or you are in your recovery period with a mellow approach to fitness/training and you’ll jog the course with friends/family. There’s probably not much grey area, nor would I encourage anything in between at this point. Pick one: Go for the PR or jog it to enjoy the festivities.</span> For those pushing the pace that day, then yes,
you should absolutely stick to your normal (healthy) routine on Wed so that you
feel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right</i> on Thurs morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This message is not in conflict with
the previous paragraph; both messages can coexist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the folks I’ve been coaching for at least a year, they also
know that this mentality of embracing a recovery week is part of our normal
training plan anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also
know that this time of year (for most runners) is an extended, planned Recovery
Phase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I discuss this time of year
in more detail in its own section in Chapter 2 of my book, <a href="http://amzn.to/1EDI6uB" target="_blank"><i>The Art of Run Training</i></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">From microlevel to
mesolevel to macrolevel, we have off/rest days (in a week) + recovery weeks
(every 6 - 9 weeks) + a Recovery Phase (2 - 5 weeks at 1 – 2 times per year),
respectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All 3 levels should
be built into a yearly program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you believe that an rest day can benefit you, and if you also believe that
recovery weeks are a good idea, then you must believe that a Recovery Phase is
a fabulous idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The latter is typically
2 - 5 weeks following your peak race, and/or before your <a href="http://bit.ly/ssDpO3" target="_blank">off-season</a>, and/or
during the holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately for
those of us in the Mid-Atlantic region, we have actual winter weather that is
separated 2 - 5 weeks from <a href="http://bit.ly/VFQijf" target="_blank">peak race season</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The timing is perfect for a recovery week and a Recovery
Phase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">As we change seasons, we
change the type of training we do and simultaneously change the “mental
approach to training and racing” (the main service of DCRC).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recovery weeks/phases don’t mean couch
potato, nor does the <a href="http://bit.ly/ssDpO3" target="_blank">off-season</a> mean less training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The former is an intentional recharge period; the latter is
the intentional rebuild period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://amzn.to/1EDI6uB" target="_blank"><i>The Art of Run Training</i></a> outlines this whole process in more detail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Train hard (and rest hard)!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Mike </span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-47277617992756727352015-08-02T22:09:00.003-04:002017-02-24T15:57:49.552-05:00Purpose and Pleasure<style>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Purpose and Pleasure are the two points on the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Design-Change-What-Think-ebook/dp/B00FX7R7E2" target="_blank">pendulum of happiness</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Remember</span> that both
exist and each has its own time and place on a daily, weekly and monthly
basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This reminder allows you to
work your butt off, either professionally or with training, and not think
"I'm working my life away," and it also allows you to unwind, do
nothing, maybe even engage in some debauchery without thinking, "I need to
get my act together." Do both. "Keeping the balance" doesn't mean trying to have
purpose and pleasure at all times throughout a day, week or month (that's
impossible). You have to let that pendulum swing to both sides and stay
there for extended periods of time. However you choose to define
"extended" is up to you...hourly, daily, weekly, etc. Just be
sure that pendulum swings back the other way at some point! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">The same is true for healthy interpersonal
relationships. Meaning,
a relationship of any sort, whether it’s with siblings, coworkers, lovers or
close friends, is rarely going to have a 50-50 split of responsibility, effort
and energy. Sometimes you’ll be carrying 80% of the load and other times the
other people in your life will be carrying more than half the share.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s important is that at the end of
the year there’s a mutually perceived balance in the aspects of the
relationship that matter most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
long as you know this in <i>advance</i>, then you’re better able to surf the
ebb and flow of the different waves that enter the relationship. Once
again, we’re reminded that “knowledge is power” and “foresight is more powerful
than hindsight”. So, “keeping the balance” among any facets of your life
should not involve constantly trying to ensure an equal share/split among
those facets at all times, because to do so is what drives many people bonkers.
Let the ebb and flow happen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">As it relates to training, this is why I love
the <a href="http://bit.ly/ssDpO3" target="_blank">periodization model</a> of training theory (<a href="http://amzn.to/1EDI6uB" target="_blank">chapter 2 of my book</a>) because it
allows for this ebb and flow to occur over a period of many weeks, months or
even the entire year. We don’t need to, nor should we, try to focus on
all elements of training in one week or one season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, overtraining and mental burnout are inevitable.
This is the main service I offer with DCRC: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The mental approach to training and racing</i>, as in knowing when to
prioritize certain types of training and workouts and when to back off in favor
of other activities. All the while, periodization is geared to keeping
you injury free, happy and reaching a peak level of fitness in the fall, which
is racing season (running season). You can’t be all things, all the
time in relation to your training. The body can’t handle it and/or you’ll
mentally burn out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">I read a fascinating research article a few
months ago about the experience of a midlife crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why it happens, who it happens to, how intense it becomes,
and how long it lasts (if at all). It was a very good empirical review of
the topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Regret</i> is often what rests
at the base of a midlife crisis (if someone is to have one), and it’s found
that those with less regret tend to fly right past any such crisis, and that
makes logical sense to me. So, to come full circle in talking about
purpose and pleasure, make sure you’re not living with any regrets. Avoid feeling regretful or guilty when highly engaged in either purpose or pleasure.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Additionally, don’t
<i>dwell</i> on past mistakes or past negativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Learn</i> from those experiences if/when you recall them,
but don’t dwell…there’s a big difference between those two different ways of
recalling the past. Similarly, don’t get caught up on not having
accomplished something that was once a goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you still think you can achieve it, then sure, “never
give up on your hopes and dreams.” But if another reality quite simply
states (objectively) that you can’t achieve it or get it back, then that’s a bit harder to
move past, but you must move past it. I always thought I’d compete in the
Olympic Games, but so much for that. At least I have 8 more lives to try
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s lots of clichés and
sappy songs about how to "move on,” and I can dig it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Allow yourself a pleasurable life and don’t
feel guilty about it. Being <i>selfish</i> is very highly correlated with
happiness, but the key there is to change the definition of the word "selfish." As long as you’re not harming others or detracting from their happiness
to gain your own, then <a href="http://bit.ly/qnaV0x" target="_blank">this display of selfishness</a> may actually be needed for your own happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, how often are you needlessly
depriving yourself of pleasure and happiness!? Keep the pendulum on both
ends of the spectrum at various points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a coach, I don’t want a healthy, active lifestyle to detract from your purpose or
your pleasure; rather, my aim is for your training to contribute a little bit to
your purpose <i>and</i> your pleasure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Train hard!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Mike </span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-30585838291351076922015-07-24T20:10:00.002-04:002015-07-24T20:10:51.032-04:00Old School Training vs. New School Training
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hfsNXRlVeJA/VbLT-a2jxcI/AAAAAAAAAcE/rz37Ko8r9Sk/s1600/hippie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hfsNXRlVeJA/VbLT-a2jxcI/AAAAAAAAAcE/rz37Ko8r9Sk/s320/hippie.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">It’s the end of July; your summer run training
doesn’t have to hit peak volume yet, and that applies to everyone, regardless
of what fall race(s) you’re training for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, most of you are running more miles, or at least longer long runs,
than you did in the spring, but summer training can still place a bit of
priority on ST and XT while the run mileage settles into a nice steady level
(this is not a bad thing).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of
you are getting over some minor injuries, some of you are dealing with hectic
summer travel schedules (or kids’ schedules), and others are trying new types
of training (including running form), any of which won’t necessarily be the
case for the fall. With that in mind, remain patient and be mellow.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">I address this topic in more detail in another Blog titled “<a href="http://dcrunningcoach.blogspot.com/2014/01/time.html" target="_blank">Time</a>”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when considering whether you still
have enough time to train for your peak fall race, the answer for most of you is
“yes." I am contractually forbidden from telling a lie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">On the topic of mileage, a simple Amazon search
on run books will show the increasing popularity of the training method
dedicated to running faster on <i>less</i> mileage. This isn’t a new strategy;
it’s just that it’s taken a while to be embraced by the run community against
the grain of the “more mileage means more fitness” mentality that has dominated
for so many years. U.S. pro runners learned that more isn’t always
better, as our top times plateaued for a loooong time while we tried the
more-mileage approach. Meanwhile, the rest of the world kept getting
faster. "More mileage means more fitness” is true, but only to a
degree, or else we’d all be running 100-mile weeks in order to improve.
To tie this back to the first paragraph, put that extra time into ST, XT,
PT, massage, and more ST, <i>especially</i> in the summer (it mirrors the
winter in that sense). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">There’s plenty of time for us to hit key long
runs in the fall and increase the total run volume/mileage too at that point.
Yes, my goal is to get athletes to do more running (up to a point), but
I’m not hell-bent on it as a coach. If you can’t stand on 1 leg for 30
seconds without wobbling, then trust me, more mileage isn’t your #1 priority
(insert plug for ST here ____). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">“More mileage” is old school, just like “weight
lifting”, as the latter has been replaced by “strength training.”
"Weight lifting" dominated for years because it was new and
took up lots of space in local gyms, so why wouldn’t you do “weight lifting,”
right? Now with the popularity of Pilates, TRX and functional training,
we have better ST. In sum, don’t be old school, and don’t stress about
mileage. I’d rather a runner be more obsessive and neurotic about even
pacing during track workouts and/or perfect ST form.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Keep enjoying your summer, the fall isn’t close
enough yet, so keep your fall races out of your head and live in the moment.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">To use a Caps metaphor, this means it’s still
not quite time to Unleash The Fury! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Train hard!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Mike</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">P.S. Next year is the Caps’ year.</span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-58446844056196236902015-07-19T22:13:00.002-04:002015-07-19T22:13:30.623-04:00Plyometric Training ("plyos")
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nEk8siUsw_M/VaxZMqW7_OI/AAAAAAAAAbs/g_bESvH_HTs/s1600/Oly-lifters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nEk8siUsw_M/VaxZMqW7_OI/AAAAAAAAAbs/g_bESvH_HTs/s320/Oly-lifters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Plyometrics (“plyos”)
are typically a series of jumping and bounding movements of which the aim is to
increase the strength of the joints, tendons and ligaments in the legs, as well
as to increase muscular <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">power</i>, as
differentiated from strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
difference between strength and power is the speed of the movement, with
powerful movements being performed more quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A plyometric exercise is a quick, powerful movement using
the spring-like action of the tendons. Jumping rope and sprinting can be
considered plyometric exercises, with jumping rope being a great option for an extended warmup prior to a strength training (ST) workout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Power
has been associated with improvements in running economy (RE).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Studies have appeared in the scientific
literature demonstrating that eliminating portions of endurance training in
favor of explosive activities or adding plyos to an existing running program
for six to nine weeks can improve RE and performances in short-distance racing
without needing to see an accompanying change in VO<sub>2</sub>max.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These benefits are evident regardless
of ability, gender or age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">These results are best
understood in that any time a muscle group becomes stronger and more powerful,
fewer muscle fibers are recruited to perform the given task, thus allowing the
muscle group to have more fibers in reserve for continued work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, this means that less energy
is used to cover the same distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since the discovery of this concept, it has been shown that power
training, not just ST, will lead to enhancements in running economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course there is no substitute for
running if one wants to run faster and farther; however, during peak racing
season, as the run volume gradually decreases, plyos are another option for maintaining
high-intensity workouts (in addition to speed workouts). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">A plyos program is
typically done one or two times a week and is based on the total number of foot
contacts, or “touches.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
beginners, the recommended range is between 60 - 100 touches for a few weeks, before
progressing toward 100 touches for a few more weeks and then beyond (capping
the total touches at 140).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reps
can be performed as double-leg exercises (both feet jump, or contact the
ground, at the same time) or as single-leg exercises, although single-leg plyos
should be reserved for experienced athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes additional equipment can be used to add variety
and difficulty into these workouts, like small hurdles and boxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Plyos are a great
compliment to ST and can even be done as a warm-up on lower body ST days, but don’t
underestimate how strenuous these exercises can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many of the exercises, it’s not necessarily the muscles
that are the target for strengthening; rather, it’s the joints, tendons and ligaments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that said, these aren’t always
muscle-burning exercises or workouts, so don’t mistakenly take that mentality into
a plyos workout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that said,
before starting any plyos training, I recommend completing at least six weeks
of general ST in order to strengthen these body parts that incur more stress
when performing various jumping and hopping exercises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recommend plyos as long as an athlete
is familiar/comfortable with jumping exercises in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not do plyos unless there is 100% certainly
on the landing mechanics for each exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similar to how I frame a discussion on proper ST technique,
if you couldn’t teach jumping and landing mechanics to a small group, then your
plyos form probably isn’t ideal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Train hard!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Mike </span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-29800356380195886482015-06-16T22:15:00.000-04:002015-06-16T22:16:03.282-04:00A Day of Fasting & Beverages<style>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fu0ISg0hbzU/VYDYS6T9pOI/AAAAAAAAAak/tpTTYYMurpU/s1600/badger-milk-360.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fu0ISg0hbzU/VYDYS6T9pOI/AAAAAAAAAak/tpTTYYMurpU/s320/badger-milk-360.gif" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Consider a "day of
fasting" where you significantly cut back your caloric intake one day each
week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes the most sense to
do this on the day you don't workout or the day with the lightest workout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One strategy to use on that day is a
liquid diet, where you can do a 1-day juice cleanse (as they call it), or use
some meal replacement shakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you don't own any such products then make a mental note for the next time you
visit the grocery store (tons of options these days).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also ask yourself in general about which food items
you can eliminate from your list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a quick aside, and you've heard this from multiple sources before: go
to the grocery store on a full stomach, not an empty stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Another side note: Don't
mistake the feeling of hunger as a sign you need to eat, as hunger is often a
symptom of dehydration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drink more
water in order to curb your appetite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Drink water exclusively as your way to hydrate (zero calories).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless you're using another beverage as
a meal replacement, try to limit yourself to just water, even if it's
zero/low-calorie vitamin-mineral water of some type (just keep an eye on the
sugar content).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Everything in
moderation, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I slug down a
cherry Coke when I go to the movies because it tastes great with popcorn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't lose any sleep over drinking a
soda at the movies once per month, nor should you be guilt tripping yourself
each time you stray from your diet plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you find that you're unable to stick with your diet plan and feelings
of guilt are too frequent and/or intense, then maybe it's your diet plan that
needs to change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is no
different from the Goal Setting 101 lessons that are applied to your training
program, your career goals, your daily to-do list, and you name it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make your goals realistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will power certainly helps you stick
with your goals, but make sure you have a specific, actionable component to
your goals/diet because that'll make it easier to monitor and adhere to a
plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I encourage you to
reflect upon your diet plan, your grocery list, ways you can reduce your
caloric intake, ways you can lead by example around co-workers in this regard,
and whether your diet is even being monitored at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As humans, we have highly adaptive mental skills to rationalize
everything we do, including what we put into you bodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have ambitious running goals,
then what you put into your body (how you fuel the machine) should receive
attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zooming out into a broader
viewpoint, think about how much your diet is contributing to your injuries,
your sleep, your energy levels and your mood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"There ain't no wealth but your health."</span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-41694185831724538372015-05-03T20:34:00.003-04:002016-04-06T09:45:46.551-04:00Find Your Own Haven & Voice<style>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NKakadDDnLs/VUa_WX2WptI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/bvROJwGrRSQ/s1600/Winding-Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NKakadDDnLs/VUa_WX2WptI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/bvROJwGrRSQ/s1600/Winding-Road.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">I've previously written on the topic of <a href="http://bit.ly/p06RIs" target="_blank">Breakthrough Performances</a>. As it pertains to this blog in particular, ask yourself: "Where do I have my best workouts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">" </span>Which trail, route, course, or track always treats you well?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, which place do you only visit
<i>sporadically</i> that seems to allow you to have your best workouts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I refer to such places as "havens."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">The other question to ask is: "Whose voice do I hear in my head when I need to keep pushing myself?" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">I went to my own haven last week, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">the track at Widener University (</span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">my alma
mater)</span></span>
and had my best track workout of the past 2 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also helped that I ran
into my old track coach as I was jogging down to the track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We only had a single minute to chat,
but as I turned to keep jogging he said in a purposeful voice,
"Hey...workout hard today!"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had his voice in my head during a few moments of the the workout and
it kept me focused. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turned in my
fastest times in recent history without an increase in perceived exertion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the power of <a href="http://bit.ly/1lOKKmr" target="_blank">positive self-talk</a>
and imagery done correctly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who is
the voice inside your head?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assume it's your own voice 90% of the time, but what about the other 10% of
the time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">A few months ago, I
finished Stephen King's book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (what a genius
mind!), and he said that he always had the voice of his wife (also a writer) in
his head when he was contemplating decisions about his stories (or
similar).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He welcomed an extra
(conjured) voice to help him break through decisions about his writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In sum, not only should you have a place
where you can go for A-game workouts (King created his own haven, his own
special writing room in his house), but you should also have a good default
setting for the voice of your internal dialogue while training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don't need a voice all of the time
(</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">shutting the brain off is </span>a hallmark of elite athletics and a central theme in <a href="http://amzn.to/1EDI6uB" target="_blank">my book on run training</a>),
but when you do have a voice, choose one wisely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep it in reserve, like a "Break in Case of
Emergency" glass case.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Train hard!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Mike </span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-10606992252092154842015-02-24T17:24:00.000-05:002015-02-24T17:28:54.126-05:00Run in the Snow<style>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I-3CZ7LAOEY/VOz6w6Srn2I/AAAAAAAAAZk/fqBLNrD-LQI/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I-3CZ7LAOEY/VOz6w6Srn2I/AAAAAAAAAZk/fqBLNrD-LQI/s1600/images.jpg" height="213" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">In case the sun god
melts away our final amount of snow until next year, here is a blurb to help
you through this final week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally,
I enjoy the snow runs because they are a unique run you only get a few chances
to do each year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also enjoyable
to me because you can also feel like a kid again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On my last run in the snow I took a few minutes to simply run
up the steepest sections of hills to see if I could make it to the top before
gravity and the slickness made me slide back down (thank goodness for long tree
branches).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you're <a href="http://bit.ly/jggZxS" target="_blank">hell-bent on monitoring your pace</a> for every run then you might miss out on the opportunity
to "practice random acts of childness."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our brains (dopamine receptors) need new stimuli.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fact.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Coincidentally, I just
received this recap from a runner I coach, and it's good to hear these tales
from others, so it’s not all just coming from one place: "Ran in the
snow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like being 5
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saw a couple other runners
out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one old man in
striped spandex was pretty cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
felt gratitude to live so close to a park where I can just pop right into the
park for an easy, scenic long run route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Didn't trudge, didn't get too cold, nice peaceful, flat and quiet
run."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I have sections on running in cold weather and the snow in the<a href="http://amzn.to/1AYM2PA" target="_blank"> recent book I published</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> on training and coaching. </span><a href="http://bit.ly/Nq3NPU" target="_blank">Run form</a> is
very much related to determining who might slip on the ice and who won't.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's not related to pace (at least not
as much as you might think).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give
it a read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully that section
motivates you to stay outside and not resort to the treadmill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand there may be a time and a
place for the latter, but I view that decision mostly as a way of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do give credit to those who opt for
the treadmill rather than scrapping the workout altogether, but hopefully you
can rearrange your schedule to still do the runs outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I had a flashback today
to the only (single) time I ever ran on a treadmill...spawned by the fact that
I saw that very treadmill in the same local gym.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That session was ~7 years ago (in late Feb) and only lasted
8.5 minutes before I decided there's got to be more to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then bundled up and did ~15 laps
around my small neighborhood block since the roads were too treacherous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It feels good to feel alive and that's
what being outdoors in any/all conditions does for me, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> is how/why I consider it a way of life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Train hard!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Mike</span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-90257977289395711392015-02-08T18:45:00.002-05:002015-03-15T18:57:03.131-04:00Body Types<style>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WjJfJS6thPc/VNf08BsJNRI/AAAAAAAAAYI/fhSjdTHpNA4/s1600/sports%2Bgene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WjJfJS6thPc/VNf08BsJNRI/AAAAAAAAAYI/fhSjdTHpNA4/s1600/sports%2Bgene.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">During a recent hill
workout with my group, we arrived at the bottom of the hill midway through the workout
and were greeted by a woman walking her uber-fit looking dog, who had a ton of
energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all know dogs are better
than cats, so I used the extra 10-second recovery before the next rep to say
hello to the dog (and the owner).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She said, "Oh, I bet he could keep up with you going up that
hill."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My initial thought
was, "I bet you dollars to gel packs that this dog would not only keep up,
but this dog would <i>smoke</i> us up that hill and never be seen again."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had that thought because I noticed
this dog looked like a running machine!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The legs, the muscles, and even its eye of the tiger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Body type has an effect on ability and
performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">An athlete should dedicate his/her off-season (wintertime for the Mid-Atlantic area) to reshaping the body (composition).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This doesn't mean we have to be
vain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I recognize that
"looking good" is motivating for some people to a degree, the
research shows this is one of the least motivating reasons for
exercise/training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, to repeat,
transform your body so that you perform well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Running faster and/or farther will then be easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You'll feel like an athlete and that's
a wonderful feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
certainly no harm to your self-esteem and confidence if you are confident in
your abilities...and happy with how you look, which you all should be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">In the breeding of
animals, we do breed some types of dogs and horses to be faster and stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have the capacity to be very direct
and selective with animals, yet not so much with humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Sports Illustrated</i> continues to run its
"body type" issue each year, where athletes representing the full
spectrum of different sports are posing in their skimmies in black-and-white
images.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a bit of
photo shopping, you get to see what the body types look like across various
sports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some body types are more
advantageous for basketball, some are better for discus throwing, and others
are better suited to sprint up a hill like a wild dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My observation comes on the heels of
finishing a marvelously written book <a href="http://thesportsgene.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Sports Gene</i></a> by David Epstein, who was
a pretty good collegiate runner himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's now in my top-5 books of all
time, which is a damn tough honor to achieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The book highlights how our loooong genetic evolution has
made certain populations of humans (based on ethnicity and/or region) primed
for certain athletic pursuits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nature vs. Nurture?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's
always both, but this book delves more in detail about the who, what, when,
where, why and how of elite performance from the point of view of genetics,
muscle fiber types, height, leg length, ankle mass, and you name it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Epstein is an outstanding writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He presents clarity in his points, he's
very clever and witty, and extremely on-point with a scientific mind that helps
dispel many myths we once held about elite performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He even covers the game of chess in
chapter 1 when he explains the vision/eyesight of elite athletes and why/how
it's different than the general population.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if you have no interest in reading about
"sports," you can believe that this book often merely uses sports as a
backdrop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you're like me and
you get excited reading about evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology,
anthropology and history, then add it to your wish list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">To come back to the main
point, without becoming obsessed with your body, continue to brainstorm and be
brutally honest with yourself about how you can change your body, or if you
even want to, or need to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider
how it can help you reach your goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Are your nagging injuries due to weak muscles, not enough
muscles/strength, or extra weight you're carrying around?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i>Sports
Illustrated</i> issue I mentioned above reminds us that mom and dad gave us our
body types, we can only change them by so much (or so little).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, even though your upper and
lower limits are set, that middle portion in between is large! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Maximize it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>"Most people start running in order to get fit, whereas
more people should first be getting fit in order to run."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This quote reminds us to take your strength training
and cross-training to heart if you have ambitious running goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don't have to look like "a runner" to perform
your best, but you should revisit your checklist of what it is that you can do
to love yourself (your body...that thing that hosts your consciousness, which
makes you human).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Train hard!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Mike</span></span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-1617938678011144422015-01-26T17:16:00.004-05:002015-02-08T18:48:30.847-05:00Now vs. Later (What to Focus on During Winter)<style>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bmdhegTx4yY/VMa8zA1T08I/AAAAAAAAAX4/hu5arrEEBY4/s1600/Present-Focus-Bias.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bmdhegTx4yY/VMa8zA1T08I/AAAAAAAAAX4/hu5arrEEBY4/s1600/Present-Focus-Bias.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">In January of last year,
I wrote a blog about <a href="http://bit.ly/1aibA26" target="_blank">Time</a> and being patient with your winter training and not
pulling the trigger too quickly on your emotional involvement with your spring
race calendar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is still only
January and we don't need to be thinking too much about spring races right
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With 5 more weeks left in the
true <a href="http://bit.ly/ssDpO3" target="_blank">off-season period</a>, make it count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pack it in <i>now</i> before the spring race season arrives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generally speaking, we shift gears both
mentally and physically once March 1st hits, with strength training (ST)
getting slightly less priority as your race schedule gets broken in and your
weekend runs become more intense.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">In order for an
off-season to be effective and to accomplish its goals, we need it to be
relatively long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8 weeks would be
the absolute <i>minimum</i>, but as non-professional athletes, we tend to have much
more catching up to do in terms of general strength, specific strength,
flexibility, coordination, balance and athleticism, all of which are related to
your race performances and your ability to make your ST sessions dynamic and
functional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we want to make
the off-season 16-20 weeks in order to better prepare the body for the harder
training that will come in the summer and fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Most people run to get fit, whereas more people should
be getting fit so that they can run."</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Month to month we should
begin to make subtle shifts mentally in terms of prioritizing certain types of
workouts and how much emotional energy we're giving to spring racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I remind my athletes each fall, a
training program in Dec should look much different that it does in Sept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly, February and March training
should look different than Dec, and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The physical aspects of training and the mental components
will hand in hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep the focus
on ST right now, it's still only January and you’re not racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carry that gym rat approach through the
end of Feb and transform your body as much as possible via ST, XT and PT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing that all of these off-the-field
aspects of training are taken care of lends itself to lots of confidence at the
start line of spring races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as
I stated above, you have to be really dedicated to these aspects of the
off-season or else the changes won't happen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">It takes many, many
weeks of training and repetitions (ST, XT and PT) to attain benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No PT or chiro has ever said,
"Just do those exercises here and there once or twice per week and you'll
be fine."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would be
rubbish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can't fake fitness
and you can't fake functional corrections in the body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It either is, or it isn't.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Injuries are not mysterious; nobody is
"unlucky" in that regard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stronger, leaner, more resilient athletes don't get injured, and now you
know why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They become stronger,
leaner and more resilient because they beat the hell out of their bodies (in a
good way, without overdoing it) for a long, dedicated off-season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read any of their post-race
championship interviews and you'll see what I mean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therein is lots of motivation for ST in February. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The reason I encourage
everyone to delay this shift toward racing and race mode is mostly due to the
principle of specificity of training and also due to the weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, the physical aspects of
training and the mental components go hand in hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meaning, if the specificity of training is still relatively
low in January, then I doubt that you're <i>feeling</i> (mentally) your spring races
during your workouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than
dabble in a grey area of "mental training," I say nay...just wait
until late Feb or March 1st to get fired up for spring racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be more connections between
mind and body at that time because, a) your legs will feel fresher/faster due
to less intense and less frequent lower-body ST, b) your run workouts, like
track work and select long runs, will begin to resemble races, and c) we can't
forget about the large role that weather has. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Each summer I encourage
all of my athletes who are running a peak fall marathon or Half <i>not</i> to be in
"race mode" yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because if you
honestly think that a 2 hour run in 90-degree weather with 85% humidity gives
you any resemblance of the "feel" or your fall marathon, then you are
unnecessarily dooming yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would take it a step further and say that you're dabbling in a grey area of
mental training and detracting from your confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the same rationale about the summer also applies to the
winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless of how well you
train in the winter (god bless you all), the winter is not the spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You cannot deny the effects that the
weather has on our bodies during key workouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don't compare apples to oranges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don't compare summer slugfests vs. perfect fall
weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don't compare how your
body feels in 35-degree weather with slightly fatigued legs vs. perfect spring
weather on fresher legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In sum,
if you are struggling to "feel" the races during your winter
workouts, then stop trying, there's no reason to put dents in your
confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put that mental energy
back into ST, XT, PT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patience is
a virtue, but in this respect, the real virtue is in understanding the body-mind
connection because specificity of training applies to the mental training
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you may guess, you can
insert here what you think I would say about exact pacing (and garmins) during
Jan/Feb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Train hard!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Mike </span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4714305537721064353.post-52988542655372390892014-09-07T14:37:00.002-04:002016-04-24T14:47:30.706-04:00Long Hills Don't Exist<style>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmJPTABC1Hc/VAyl9KoRu_I/AAAAAAAAAXY/TybauAE1aT0/s1600/Tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmJPTABC1Hc/VAyl9KoRu_I/AAAAAAAAAXY/TybauAE1aT0/s1600/Tunnel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">The steepness of a hill and
its duration are always relative. Sure, there are some hills in the DC area for which we would all agree are tougher than others, but those are the exception, not the
rule. The faster our pace, the shorter the hill lasts, so there's another
reason for the difficulty of a hill to be subjective. The specific point
of this Tip is to offer you a mental strategy for running up long inclines.
(Note: Because we think in terms of language, and word usage affects our
beliefs, calling it an "incline" may serve you more good than
calling it a "hill"). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">If an incline is long enough (let's say a minute or longer) then you may be able to convince yourself that the hill isn't
there. How so? At some point on that hill you settle into a steady rhythm, or at least I hope you do! With that in mind, you should have the
ability to do what you always do on your runs, focus on intensity and not pace.
When the intensity/ perceived exertion begins to level off soon after
starting the incline (that's a good thing), it may feel as though you're out
there running on a flat stretch of pavement. Don't believe me?
That's okay right now as you read this, but give it a shot next time
you're out there. This strategy is made easier if your thoughts are
positive or even focused on something else, the latter of which is bound to happen on most runs anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">When I'm halfway up a long incline, like coming up Nebraska Ave from Rock Creek Park, or up Wisconsin Ave leaving Georgetown, I honestly forget sometimes that I'm even running uphill.
How? Because I'm focusing on perceived exertion (intensity), and as
long as I feel like I did when I was on the flat portions, in <b>my</b> mind,
I'm merely</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><style><!--
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12.0pt;">running—nothing </span>
more, nothing less. Try it out. See if
you can't convince yourself that the rhythm of your feet and the rhythm of your
breathing are just the same as running a flat stretch, and once you're on the
hill long enough you become desensitized to it. It becomes a part of your present
moment and it's not there anymore. It's no longer that "dreaded hill
that won't end." </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Train hard!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Mike </span></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740590673524766641noreply@blogger.com0