Not Always What it May Seem

Tonight I had a new client evaluation session for some cycling issues he was having.  Going into it I already thought I had an idea of what his "issue may be". This awesome cyclist whom I work with on occasion at La Dolce Velo bike shop in San Jose, had already asked me questions and shown me what his cycling form looked like and what his concerns were.  Based on this I formed what I thought was causing his issue in my head, which seemed pretty straight forward.  Another tight hip flexor causing him to rotate through the hips thus causing his knee to wave at you if you look at him from the front while pedaling. 

We met up at the gym I rent space at, Evolution Trainers in Mountain View.  He brought his awesome cool Jamis Xenith SL carbon road bike and we began by setting him up on the stationary trainer.  I went through my typical routine, questions followed by remind me what you are coming to me for.  After a few minutes of watching his form on the stationary bike and getting more information from him I had him hop off and put on his regular shoes, as opposed to the top raised cycling shoes he was standing in.

The next step was to go through an orthopedic assessment of his body, how he moves and what his body does during certain movements.  Trying now to dial in where the hip tightness I though he had was coming from or whether it was just a nagging tight hip flexor.  Well this man was not my typical assessment.  He threw me for a loop for a bit.  Some of the evaluation moves were giving me results of tightness on the opposite side he had complaints on.  Then it showed its nasty little face...during a lunge motion (with special equipment, only to be seen when in the gym with me) his right ankle decided it didn't want to flex properly...and then look there goes his forefoot, and whoops next the knee starts going haywire and wait a stinking minute there goes his hip now. 

Based on what I saw I felt that trying to loosen up his ankle was the best place to start, so I had him do a few quick mobility maneuvers and then had him do the special lunge again only to see a little less ankle complaint and also to hear him say it feels better.  I knew I had it.  I figured out this little bugger who was not quite what I had expected to find.  Not that I didn't think I could figure it out, but I was so wrong when I assumed earlier what I thought it was.

So now he has a few months of ankle and foot mobility exercises and some stretches that I assigned him to do to help his ankle, and we will continue to monitor his progress and adapt as we go.  Thanks RJ for the GREAT session tonight, and Thanks for keeping me on my toes.

I learned tonight that its not always what we think it is just because everyone else had that same complaint and the answer was the same.  So in the same way I learned you cant assume you know, as should you when you think you know whats wrong have another set of eyes or ears help you out, you just might be amazed at what you find.

Thanks for reading.

Aerobic Base Training = Going Slower to Get Faster

That's right! Building a successful base by training at a slower, aerobic pace, will actually help your overall endurance sport performance - Jamii North,  NORTH FITNESS     

One of the hardest concepts for an athlete to understand and implement is base training. It is counterintuitive to run or bike slowly in order to gain performance later in the season. It is also very difficult to take a step back from the intense training you were doing a few weeks ago, and bring the speed and pace way down. But if you have the discipline to train aerobically for a period of time, when everyone else is still hammering away, it will pay you great dividends down the road.

First and foremost you need to take a break from your sport of choice if you haven’t already. I prescribe a 3-4 week transition phase at the end of each season and immediately follow it with base training. Transition is a time to rest and recover both physically and mentally. We do not take total time off because the fitness loss takes too long to make up. Instead I give my athletes maximum flexibility with their training, plenty of rest, and tell them to leave the heart rate monitor at home. This gives them a few weeks to refocus before we begin structured base training. You cannot train hard year round without taking regular periods of reduced volume and intensity. If you attempt to you will in all likelihood find yourself burned out, over trained, and perhaps injured. You will also find your performance degrading rather than improving. Most athletes build base in the fall and winter when there are not a lot of races.

Physiology of base training

There are two basic energy systems you use when training; anaerobic and aerobic. Unfortunately, you cannot build both your aerobic and anaerobic systems at the same time with great success. The idea behind base training is to train your aerobic energy system specifically and solely. Why is this important? The more work you perform aerobically, or in the presence of oxygen, the more efficient you are. Prolonged aerobic training produces muscular adaptations that improves oxygen transport to the muscles, reduces the rate of lactate production, improves the rate of lactate removal, and increases energy production and utilization which all occur slowly.

Fat being the primary fuel source for the aerobic energy system, over the course of a base period your body learns to more readily break down and utilize fat as an energy source. As an added bonus this adaptation helps post exercise fat metabolism as well. This is an important factor, especially for long distance athletes. The fat we have in our bodies could provide enough energy to perform long distance events back to back, whereas muscle glycogen depletion can occur in as little as one hour. The less muscle glycogen you utilize, the more efficient you are. Contrary to the aerobic system, the anaerobic system consumes carbohydrate rapidly and the byproduct is lactic acid.  This system is used up in a relatively short amount of time, but allows for very high intensity bursts.

Other adaptations of aerobic training include increased stroke volume of the heart, capillary density, and mitochondrial density. Stroke volume increase simply means that your heart pumps more blood per beat. Mitochondria are structures within muscle cells that produce energy from fat and carbohydrate oxidation. Regular endurance training has been shown to double the concentration of these structures. By increasing capillary density we can effectively transport more blood to the working muscles. The process of building capillaries occurs gradually. Because high stress training breaks down capillaries, base training is best for allowing the slow growth of capillaries.

Base progression

There should be progression during base season as with any other training period. I normally prescribe 12-16 weeks of base training every year. This will vary with athlete's fitness level, and the type of event they will be peaking for. Over the course of base I progress from the low end of the aerobic energy system and gradually proceed in steps to the high end. The heart rate zones I use fall into the 75-90% range of lactate threshold or 65-85% of max heart rate. I also incorporate specific strength training at an aerobic level. This entails different types of high cadence cycling and slow hill running or even walking. These work outs also increase in volume throughout base. Base training is an excellent time to work on form and economy as well. As intensities increase later in the season it is harder for the athlete to concentrate on form. By establishing good economy habits early in the season the athlete will carry them forward. It also important to keep the athlete's mind moving with drills and technique work when they are training at low intensity to keep boredom at bay. Base training does not mean you will never move fast. Run strides, foot speed drills, and fast pedal work will all be integrated but for short bursts and few repetitions. Towards the end of base I start power work but use brief durations and full recovery between efforts.

How does this transfer into performance gain?

Let me give you a hypothetical example. Suppose athlete Susie runs a 7 min. mile at lactate threshold. Her fastest aerobic pace, or aerobic threshold, is an 8 min. mile. We start off Susie's base training at the low end aerobic zones at which she runs a 9 min. mile pace. Over the course of her 12 week base program the above mentioned adaptations occur. At the end of the base season she now runs a 7:30 min. mile- aerobically. This is the base for Susie to build on for the rest of her season. Improving on the previous season is now more obtainable with proper training. If Susie's race is an Iron Man in which the aerobic energy system is used predominantly this improvement in aerobic speed is crucial.

Now the hard part?

The hard part of base training is having the discipline to train at these low intensities. It may mean running very slowly or even walking. It may mean separating from your training group in order to pursue your individual goals. It also means avoiding the contest of egos that group training often turns into. If you can find a training partner with similar goals and fitness level you may be able to train with them, but more often than not what I see is a base work gone awry when taking part on group rides and runs. Even spending short amounts of time above your aerobic zone degrades the work out.

Ride slow and you too can enjoy the GREAT views!

The area between the top of the aerobic threshold and anaerobic threshold is somewhat of a no man’s land of fitness. It is a mix of aerobic and anaerobic states. For the amount of effort the athlete puts forth, not a whole lot of fitness is produced. It does not train the aerobic or anaerobic energy system to a high degree. This area does have its place in training; it is just not in base season. Unfortunately this area is where I find a lot of athletes spending the majority of their seasons, which seriously slows their aerobic development. The athletes heart rate shoots up to this zone with little power or speed being produced when it gets there.

Another issue is having accurate zones. I regularly performance test my athletes in order to ensure their zones are correct and to confirm their training. After performing many of these tests, and comparing them to race data, I get a very clear estimate of lactate threshold. I use a percentage of LTHR to determine individual zones. I also recommend validation through clinical testing (yes an actual blood draw, though expensive is very informative). I have witnessed athletes using zones that are several years old, assuming fitness has improved over this time their zones would no longer be accurate and they may have spent an entire base season training the wrong energy system.

You have to let your anaerobic system atrophy during base in order to have a sustainable level of fitness to now work at the higher intensities. This means you will lose some of your anaerobic endurance and the ability to sustain speed near lactate threshold. Expect to lose some top end coming out of base, but this is what you are going to spend the rest of your season working on. It often takes several seasons to see the result of sound base training if you are a novice athlete. Be patient, it is a process that is slow and cannot be rushed, but the sooner you get started the faster you will be amazed at your results.

Now get out there are start riding slowly!

Visionary???

This time of year one would think, hang up the bike and running shoes its time for hibernation.  Well if you are like me, "one of us health nuts" you would be outside enjoying the sunny cool days outside on your bike with friends catching up on times passed.  Since it was not raining I decided to do just that and enjoying catching up with friends while being physically active.

These wonderful people I was spending time with had brought another friend one which they just recently met while out on a ride.  Off we go but not till after a nicely enjoyed hot cup of Peets peppermint mocha coffee to warm the inners before setting out in the sunny yet cold temps of Northern California in mid December. 

On out Foothill expressway we go, few riders out and only a handful of car.  The road must have recently been cleaned since there were no leaves and only a few random pine cones in the bike lane.  After just a short period of time we run into a former client of mine, so I took a few pedal strokes (well OK maybe a few miles) to catch up and share our holiday blessings before each continues on our way.  We are now back to our little group of 4 and this to me is the perfect size for both staying together and also for conversation.  Curious me decided to ask our new friend what she does for a living.  Funny thing is that we are just about to hit the rollers on Arastradero road so our conversation gets broken up a bit but I get that she is a dietitian working in a hospital venue at the moment but she is looking to get into the fitness/sports field. 

As the conversation went on and the miles passed across Arastradero road and onto the gentle incline of Alpine road we are able to share more conversation.  I share my thoughts on not just what I do, but where I want to go in my field and how I see the direction of my field going.  She then makes a comment, something I would have never thought myself to be, "You are quite a visionary".  I was taken aback by this comment.  I have never thought of myself a visionary in my field just a small business owner who is looking to help people she can reach out to to achieve a healthier life through the use of their own physical strengths.

For the rest of the ride (we still had 20 miles left) I was glowing with excitement.  Excitement for the thought of being a visionary and what it meant, remembering how people felt with the passing of Steve Jobs, and also what could I do.  Can I reach as many people as he, more maybe I don't know, but the thought excited me to no end.  This excitement allowed for some free flowing ideas and conversation and I was able to create an amazing opportunity for her and I to unite on a common front to help share information with those who are interested.

For now I will not go into what my vision is for both my business and the field of Health and Fitness since there are many copy cats out there, but I can tell you this I can only try to make these visions a reality.  I can tell you that this coming year, 2012 will be an amazing year in so many ways so stay tuned!

Off Season...Weight Loss...Prep for Early Season Race

Today’s entry is one that is all too common during this time of year. Training volume dips, days get shorter, the air gets chilly and your pants start getting tighter. We often find ourselves endlessly tempted beginning with that Halloween candy in October. The temptation continues right through the Thanksgiving turkey, the Christmas ham, don't forget New Years bubbly, and even into February with Super Bowl parties galore. Next thing you know its summer and you are 5 maybe even 10 pounds heavier than you were last year.

I was recently asked by an athlete how she could get back on the right track nutritionally speaking, quickly shed a few pounds, and be ready for an early season “A” race on the 2012 calendar.

My answer was that if she's going to try to lose the weight she gained these past few months, she needs to start now, today.  Timing is critical because high-level training while trying to lose weight is not conducive to high-level performance. Losing weight is just one more stress on your body while it's already dealing with the stress of quality training. It's best to try and drop weight early in your off season, while the training is general and not race-specific. If you wait until after the New Year, the hole you'll need to climb out of will undoubtedly be deeper, and that race date circled on the calendar just that much closer. This is when workouts are becoming more "race like" as well. Once you enter this phase of training, it's best to accept your weight and focus on quality training. Trying to manage both will increase the likelihood of injury and illness.

I told this athlete that given this is an “A” event that she will taper and peak for; the price to be paid for carrying extra pounds will cost her time should she not get back to racing weight. Each extra pound will slow an athlete down by approximately 2 seconds/mile running, and 5 watts climbing a hill. Multiply that by the number of pounds by which you exceed race weight and you'll see how it can quickly add up. Being 10 pounds over race weight can cost 20 seconds/mile running and 50 watts on a climb.

As we approach Christmas, with Thanksgiving now behind us, begin to think like an athlete, not a dieter. Depriving your body of calories will slow your metabolism and sap your energy. Instead, focus on steady weight loss to provide energy for training while increasing your chance of keeping the weight off for good.  Enjoy your family feast, but remember to have one serving not two or three, and be careful with the empty calorie alcohol you may consume. 

There is no best way to deal with the extra calories that it is inevitable you will consume, plan accordingly and burn the calories BEFORE you consume the food.  Go out and get an extra workout or two in before the binging begins and know just how many calories you can consume without gaining weight.  I always feel it is better to be ahead of the curve than to always be playing catch up.  It’s a mental attitude and is much easier to stay ahead than try and catch the fast moving train that just past you by.

Now go out there are enjoy your holidays, just remember to stay ahead of the game.

Runners High! Am I a runner now?

Back in the day (high school and some college) I used to be part of the cross country and track teams.  I didn't really consider myself a runner cause I liked the sprints and jump events even though at the time I never thought I did them very well. That is if you don't include the several times I went to the State meet and finished on the podium, or the senior year relay team (4x800) where we broke the school record that had been there for over 15 years.  Maybe I should take that statement back about not being a runner.

In the past several years, say oh since 1995 I haven't run consistently nor have I done any mileage over a 5k distance.  I would say I have considered myself a pure cyclist since I don't do any of those other sports. Rightly so I was very focused on racing the past 2 years and just didn't have time for the "other" sports.  Since I have signed up for the triathlon next July I have been working diligently on bringing my run distance up and my goal is to be able to run a 10k before the end of the year.

This past two weeks of running have been quite interesting.  As I was beginning my runs i had the usual sluggish start, getting the body warmed up then I would fall into my groove.  The running was OK till I realized I don't have to think about cars hitting me or squirrels (of many varieties, cyclists know what I mean by this) running in front of me.  I'm out of danger, I can focus truly on what I am doing...running.  This focus has become a welcome place for me.  I have a busy life, work is 24-7 as I own my own business and well need i really say more.  Don't get me wrong I really LOVE cycling, but this running thing for me is different.  I went out this week with my iPod and well fell in love with running.

The distraction of the iPod was my way of being able to shut out the world around me, and to quiet the thoughts in my head of this client or that meeting, or this marketing idea or, or or...and just run. I would describe it as almost Zen like, its my new happy place, a place where I can get back in touch with myself and still cover some distance. :-)  My hope is that as my mile get longer and the runs get harder that this still stays true.  I will keep you posted.

Killer Chili

Early this morning, say 8am I was already thinking about what to have for dinner.  I of course had no clue so I decided to sit at the computer while drinking my cup of coffee and look at some recipes.  Well even before getting to the computer it jumped into my mind...Chili!  OK I have never made such a delicious mean before so I thought why not.  It can't be that difficult right? 

So I sit down, coffee in hand, and direction known, chili.  My mission to find out what most people use in their chili, I looked up a ton of different recipes on the internet till I got a good idea of what I would put into mine.  Finish the cup of coffee then off to the grocery store between client sessions.  This is one of the pluses of having a split schedule, NO ONE in the grocery store at 9am, short lines and I can get in and out in no time. 

During my drive to the store I was planning my ingredients and upon arriving i needed to sit a minute to type my list based in what I remembered I had at home and what I needed to but.  See if I don't have a list me and my AAADD can end up buying all the wrong stuff.

Whew out of that place in 10 minutes and off to put the ingredients together.  When I get home my girls are excited to see me and so before I can get the fun started I decided to give them some attention, and of course that always helps elevate my energy and mood.

I tear open the package of turkey toss it in a pan to brown it, and on top of it I smother it with cumin, Mmm Yum!  While my turkey is cooking I cut up my veggies and drain my beans.  I decided to go with canned beans and sauce since it was a week day and I wouldn't have time to soak the beans or cook down the tomatoes. But I did opt for the low sodium, organic when possible.  In the crock pot go the tomatoes, chillies, onion, green bell pepper, garlic, oregano, and cayenne pepper.  As soon as the turkey is done I drain what little fat there is and mix the turkey into my mix.  On goes the crock pot to a low setting and off I go back to work.

All afternoon I could not get it off my mind, is it going to be too spicy or what?!?!?!  Well I had a slightly late night and arrived home by 8pm at which time I needed to feed my cats, then put the rice on to cook.  Thirty minutes later the rice is ready and I DIG right in........WOW, I can't believe I actually made something GREAT without following a direct recipe. Its the tastiest, and healthiest chili I have ever had, AND i didn't have to add anything to it. 

So now you are probably wondering what the ingredients were?  Well here ya go....

2lbs Organic Lean Ground Turkey
2 large Green bell peppers
1 medium Yellow Onion
2 minced cloves of Garlic
15 oz. Tomato sauce
30 oz. Diced tomatoes with Jalapeno pepper
4 oz. Fire Roasted Green Chilies
30 oz. Dark Red Kidney Beans (50% reduced salt)
Couple Pinches  Oregano
1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tbsp Cumin (on turkey in browning pan)


My thoughts on the flavor and changes for the future...Flavor is delicious you wont need to add salt or put melted cheese on top of it, and nope I think won't be making any changes in the future.  Thanks for reading and best of luck in your attempts at replicating this delicious healthy way to make chili.

Run...Sweat...Music...Tears...INSPIRATION!

As you know I signed up to participate in a triathlon in July of 2012.  For me the training for the bike portion will not be too difficult, but the run will be a little and the swim no doubt the hardest.  In prep for this event through the months of December and January I will be focusing on my technique and also my body imbalances and weaknesses.

Today was a run day focusing on forefoot strike and high cadence.  I decided to bring my iPod along with me since I had it just to see what it was like running with music in my ears.  I loved it, it was very distracting and silenced lots of the thoughts I have during my runs.  However this distraction took away from my ability to pay attention to my running form and also my pace.  I am supposed to be keeping it between 8 and 9 minute per mile pace, well I found myself a few times at about 6 and a half minute per mile and had to slow down and refocus.  Ugh I was driving myself crazy with this constant up and down pace, and finally had to slow it to a walk to regain my composure and change the play list to a slightly slower beat bunch of songs.

After readjusting my music selection I was able to get into a nice rhythm and focus on my goals for the day.  Well me and my stinking AAADD (Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder) got all into the play list and my mind started wandering again.  This time however it was me applying what one particular songs lyrics were saying to me and how I was comparing it to my life.  The song was by Natasha Bedingfield called Unwritten....

I am unwritten,
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand
Ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your innovation

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten, yeah

Oh, oh

I break tradition
Sometimes my tries
Are outside the lines, oh yeah yeah
We've been conditioned
To not make mistakes
But I can't live that way oh, oh

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
the rest still unwritten

(Gospel)
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open *****
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open *****
Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

The rest is still unwritten.............................

WOW!  While listening to this song I found my inspiration for my life, for my work, for this triathlon, for so many things.  Far too long I have lived in the past, memories I can't let go of, relationships I don't want to leave behind, and hiding my true self from the world just because I am afraid someone might not like it.  Well the lyrics and the tune of this song just hit me and I feel renewed, ready to write that next chapter in my book of life, ready to end my last chapter to close the page but not forget my experiences that got me to today. 

Needless to say when all these feeling started rushing in yeah I will admit it I started crying.  Then to add to it my eyes got all blurry and I couldn't see the trail well and ran into a tree branch and cut and bruised my knee.  BUT I didn't fall, I just kept going, crying, pushing, running, breathing...ready for my life to move forward.