3 Workouts you are not doing
Most people get stuck in a rut with their workouts. They continually do the same routine day in and day out. This will cause staleness and boredom in a workout regimen and ultimately lack of motivation to consistently train and be active. The key to maximizing your fitness routine is thinking outside the box and having variety. You should not just start with these routines if you haven’t been working out consistently. Make sure you have built a solid foundation of fitness before hitting the workouts below.
It is very important to warm-up thoroughly before these routines. For more information on a proper dynamic warm-up, go to www.justintrain.com.
Workout #1
Treadmill Intervals (fast walk, jog, run or sprint): 3 x 20 seconds on/20 seconds off
Bike Intervals (sprint): 3 x 20 seconds on/20 seconds off
Medicine Ball Overhead Slams: 3 x 20 seconds on/20 seconds off
Medicine Ball Chest Slams: 3 x 20 seconds on/20 seconds off
Medicine Ball Squat/Press: 3 x 20 seconds on/20 seconds off
*Rest 90 seconds after one completed round and perform 2-4 rounds of this circuit.
*This workout is meant to be short in time but high in intensity.
Workout #2
Instead of performing one exercise and then resting, try putting together 8 exercises and perform them in a circuit format. Here is an example:
*Perform each exercise for 30 seconds and then go right into the next movement
1. Push-ups
2. Stability Ball Leg Curls
3. Inverted Rows
4. Dumbbell Squat to a Press
5. Front Plank
6. Step-ups
7. Pulldowns
8. 2-Leg Hip Lifts
*Rest 60 seconds after one completed round and perform 3-5 rounds
Workout #3
This will be a mix of conditioning and weight training. After 2 weight training exercises you will go perform 5 intervals on the treadmill, bike or elliptical.
1a) Dumbbell Bench Press x 12
1b) Split Squat x 10/leg
1c) Treadmill Intervals 5 x 20 seconds on/20 seconds off
*rest 1 minute and perform 2-4 rounds
2a) 1-arm Cable Rows x 12
2b) Stability Ball Hip Lifts x 10
2c) Bike Sprints 5 x 20 seconds on/ 20 seconds off
*rest 1 minute and perform 2-4 rounds
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
An Epic weekend
This Memorial Day was a weekend to remember. I was going up north with my wife to visit her parents for the weekend. My plan was to train, relax and get caught up on sleep. I think I managed to accomplish the goals.
Saturday I woke up at about 7:00 am which is big time sleeping in for me. I relaxed, checked my emails and ate a light breakfast. I then packed my riding gear with the usuals: gatorade, gels, bars, CO2/tube, and money. I took off from Arnold, CA which is at about 3400 feet above sea level. Right from the beginning I am climbing and with exception to a few rollers and dowhnhills, the majority of the 1st half was up. As I hit 4500 feet, I started noticing some snow on the ground. As I continued making the path up, the snow would get thicker and thicker and the weather got colder and colder. Not too cold where it was uncomfortable but definitely a change in climate. As I hit 6000 feet, the snow was packed everywhere. I was telling myself, "This is alot of snow." I hit a point in the ride called "vista point", a beautiful look out point that boasted the snowy mountain caps and big redwood tress. I didn't stop long. I kept going.
As I hit the 7000 foot mark, I was now surrounded by thick snow and cold climate. I knew the dowhnill would be brisk. I made my way to Bear Valley, a cute little ski town, situated in the hills of Ebbets Pass. I stopped, filled up my bottles and began the venture back home. I cruised home very fast as most of it was downhill. Before you knew it I was out of the snow, in warmer weather and was finishing the ride. Overall I rode 58 miles with approximately 4000 feet of climbing. Oh and to top it off, I did a quick 3 mile brick run.
Sunday came with a burst of sunshine. I chomped down on a granola bar and a banana and took off on my run. This time I started down the hill towards Avery, CA, a town that populates a little over 120 people. I ran down the hill and went into Moran Road, a windy, hilly road that was perfect for a Sunday run. The 1st half of Moran Road was tough, giving me some tough hills to climb. I hit the 6 mile mark and turned around and it was fast till Highway 4, where I began the 2 mile jaunt up the hill back to the house. I finished this run off with a stretch and a hot shower! An hour later, I went to the park with Stephanie and her sister and I managed to kick a few field goals, shoot some baskets and did a quick bodyweight circuit. I finished the day off with a round of golf with the father in law. I won't brag but I kicked his butt...hahaha, JK Fred.
Now for the big day....
Well I woke up Monday morning with a thought that I would start riding home and Stephanie would pick me up on her way. I wasn't 100% sure I was going to do this. I took a shower, ate a great breakfast and decided, "what the heck, let's just do it." So I packed all my bags and gear in my truck before I left, got my bike ready to go and took off. I left at 10:00 am and I told Stephanie to leave at 12:00, figuring she would pick me up about 2 hours and 45 minutes later. Since the first 20 miles were fast and downhill, I got to Angels Camp in 50 minutes, averaging 24 mph. But this wasn't just an easy dowhnill ride. The roads I was riding had almost no to little shoulder on the side. "Kind of Dangerous" I kept telling myself. When I made it to the 90 minute mark, I had passed the 35 mile mark. With the dowhnills and the wind helping I was able to get through a ton of land. I made it to a small store and filled up on water, gatorade and ice. But I started to notice the masses of traffic on this next highway I would be taking. It was packed. I passed cars for about 4 miles. I quickly called Stephanie and told her to be patient and expect traffic and look for me later than expected in the drive. I was now figuring that I would be riding close to 70 miles. Luckily I had the proper fuel to get me through the ride. I continued along. Well time was flying as I saw the 50 mile mark, 60 mile mark and 70 mile mark. I was feeling good, riding fast and staying positive. Next thing you know I was at mile 75 and Stephanie pulled up next to me and the adventure was over. Overall 75 miles in 3 hours 40 minutes and a story to remember forever.
Total training for the weekend:
Biking: 133 miles
Running: 15 miles
Saturday I woke up at about 7:00 am which is big time sleeping in for me. I relaxed, checked my emails and ate a light breakfast. I then packed my riding gear with the usuals: gatorade, gels, bars, CO2/tube, and money. I took off from Arnold, CA which is at about 3400 feet above sea level. Right from the beginning I am climbing and with exception to a few rollers and dowhnhills, the majority of the 1st half was up. As I hit 4500 feet, I started noticing some snow on the ground. As I continued making the path up, the snow would get thicker and thicker and the weather got colder and colder. Not too cold where it was uncomfortable but definitely a change in climate. As I hit 6000 feet, the snow was packed everywhere. I was telling myself, "This is alot of snow." I hit a point in the ride called "vista point", a beautiful look out point that boasted the snowy mountain caps and big redwood tress. I didn't stop long. I kept going.
As I hit the 7000 foot mark, I was now surrounded by thick snow and cold climate. I knew the dowhnill would be brisk. I made my way to Bear Valley, a cute little ski town, situated in the hills of Ebbets Pass. I stopped, filled up my bottles and began the venture back home. I cruised home very fast as most of it was downhill. Before you knew it I was out of the snow, in warmer weather and was finishing the ride. Overall I rode 58 miles with approximately 4000 feet of climbing. Oh and to top it off, I did a quick 3 mile brick run.
Sunday came with a burst of sunshine. I chomped down on a granola bar and a banana and took off on my run. This time I started down the hill towards Avery, CA, a town that populates a little over 120 people. I ran down the hill and went into Moran Road, a windy, hilly road that was perfect for a Sunday run. The 1st half of Moran Road was tough, giving me some tough hills to climb. I hit the 6 mile mark and turned around and it was fast till Highway 4, where I began the 2 mile jaunt up the hill back to the house. I finished this run off with a stretch and a hot shower! An hour later, I went to the park with Stephanie and her sister and I managed to kick a few field goals, shoot some baskets and did a quick bodyweight circuit. I finished the day off with a round of golf with the father in law. I won't brag but I kicked his butt...hahaha, JK Fred.
Now for the big day....
Well I woke up Monday morning with a thought that I would start riding home and Stephanie would pick me up on her way. I wasn't 100% sure I was going to do this. I took a shower, ate a great breakfast and decided, "what the heck, let's just do it." So I packed all my bags and gear in my truck before I left, got my bike ready to go and took off. I left at 10:00 am and I told Stephanie to leave at 12:00, figuring she would pick me up about 2 hours and 45 minutes later. Since the first 20 miles were fast and downhill, I got to Angels Camp in 50 minutes, averaging 24 mph. But this wasn't just an easy dowhnill ride. The roads I was riding had almost no to little shoulder on the side. "Kind of Dangerous" I kept telling myself. When I made it to the 90 minute mark, I had passed the 35 mile mark. With the dowhnills and the wind helping I was able to get through a ton of land. I made it to a small store and filled up on water, gatorade and ice. But I started to notice the masses of traffic on this next highway I would be taking. It was packed. I passed cars for about 4 miles. I quickly called Stephanie and told her to be patient and expect traffic and look for me later than expected in the drive. I was now figuring that I would be riding close to 70 miles. Luckily I had the proper fuel to get me through the ride. I continued along. Well time was flying as I saw the 50 mile mark, 60 mile mark and 70 mile mark. I was feeling good, riding fast and staying positive. Next thing you know I was at mile 75 and Stephanie pulled up next to me and the adventure was over. Overall 75 miles in 3 hours 40 minutes and a story to remember forever.
Total training for the weekend:
Biking: 133 miles
Running: 15 miles
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Recovery
This week is all about recovery for me. If there is one thing I have learned about endurance training (or any training for that matter) is how important recovery and rest are in the training program. After a grueling race like Wildflower, your body is deprived of fuel, breaks down muscle tissue and is depleted. The worse thing you can do for your body is get right back into training the following week. Research as shown that it can take 7-15 days to fully recover from a 1/2 Ironman or higher event. So if you go back into training on Monday you have no chance to fully recover and heal from the race. It will be detrimental to your training and your performance. Plus your mind insists on a break from structured training. The path you took to complete your big race is constant training, logging workouts, eating healthy and time consuming. Taking the week after a race and using it to jumpstart your body and engine is crucial.
Endurance athletes are very disciplined. They eat healthy and nutritious food, wake up at sunrise for workouts, go to bed early to get proper sleep, sacrifice family and social time for training and budget their finances around their triathlon lifestyle. But you ask them to take a day off and it is a difficult task.
After a big race and training block, I feel it is mandatory to take that following week off from structured training. DO not write down any workouts. If you workout, make it fun and easy. Take a few extra days off during the week and splurge on some good foods. You know that once you are back on the training wagon that you will be disciplined to train, eat healthy and accomplish your goals. But if you burnout or get injured then you will get frustrated and lose focus.
Remember overtraining leads to injury. Undertraining doesn't. As a normal working person, training for the sport of triathlon is difficult. We do not get the ammenities a professional gets (ice baths, massages, manual therapy, open schedule). When you feel you need a day off, you must take it! Have the discilpine to rest the mind and the body so you can regenerate for the upcoming workouts.
So the moral of the story is be on the lookout for overtraining symptoms. You might not get injured right away. It could be 8 weeks down the road from the things you are doing now. Start a workout log so you know exactly what you are doing and you can look back and assess your training. When you have constant fatigue, nagging/overuse injuries, inconsistent sleep, unusual muscle soreness, lack of motivation to train or your performance is declining - Take a break. You will appreciate it when you show up to race.
Endurance athletes are very disciplined. They eat healthy and nutritious food, wake up at sunrise for workouts, go to bed early to get proper sleep, sacrifice family and social time for training and budget their finances around their triathlon lifestyle. But you ask them to take a day off and it is a difficult task.
After a big race and training block, I feel it is mandatory to take that following week off from structured training. DO not write down any workouts. If you workout, make it fun and easy. Take a few extra days off during the week and splurge on some good foods. You know that once you are back on the training wagon that you will be disciplined to train, eat healthy and accomplish your goals. But if you burnout or get injured then you will get frustrated and lose focus.
Remember overtraining leads to injury. Undertraining doesn't. As a normal working person, training for the sport of triathlon is difficult. We do not get the ammenities a professional gets (ice baths, massages, manual therapy, open schedule). When you feel you need a day off, you must take it! Have the discilpine to rest the mind and the body so you can regenerate for the upcoming workouts.
So the moral of the story is be on the lookout for overtraining symptoms. You might not get injured right away. It could be 8 weeks down the road from the things you are doing now. Start a workout log so you know exactly what you are doing and you can look back and assess your training. When you have constant fatigue, nagging/overuse injuries, inconsistent sleep, unusual muscle soreness, lack of motivation to train or your performance is declining - Take a break. You will appreciate it when you show up to race.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Wildflower 2010 Race Report
It will definitely be a weekend and a race to remember forever. With each race I complete, I get more inspired and motivated to get better at the sport of triathlon. Wildflower 2010 was one of those epic race weekends as it called for a grueling 1/2 Ironman course and close to 3000 competitors on that specific course. First off, I want to say how amazing it is to me that the pros complete this course close to the 4 hour mark. I guess that is why they are pros. But what really inspires me are the competitors that take 7+ hours to complete the course. They push through the hills and push through the mind games and finish the course.
Saturday morning came with a burst of sunshine to our campground. I ate my pre-race meal of 2 whole grain eggo waffles topped with peanut butter, a banana, and my gatorade. My whole goal for the race was to execute my nutrition and race plan. I wanted to "feel good" throughout the event. I did not want to race out of my element, blow up my legs and deplete my body of fuel. So I focused on getting in consistent nutrition throughout.
I left camp to the transition area at 7:30 am, just in time to do a little jog warm-up, put on my wetsuit, set-up my transition area and head to the swim start. My swim plan was to start on the outside, stay away from the heavy traffic, find some legs to draft off of when I could and stay within myself. I did all of that. The swim was not hard at all. The first 1/4 mile was fast and then I managed to find some feet for about 600 yards. Then I settled into my pace and found another set up feet for another 400 yards. Before you knew it we turned the corner and the boat ramp was in sight. I started to think about getting on my bike and have a smooth transition.
I exited the water feeling fresh and ready to go. I mounted my bike and took off. I didn't know there was going to be a hill at the beginning of the ride. So I kept my heart rate steady and trudged up the hill. My legs were definitely woken up at this point. As we exited the park there were rolling hills the first 12 miles followed by 10 miles of flat land. I was waiting for "nasty grade". This is a 1 mile ascent with about 10% of incline. It was definitely a tough climb. I was pushing my bike 5-6mph during this climb. But the bike was not over. The next 10 miles were full of steep descents, which were very technical and some steady climbs that pushed the legs. I entered the campground feeling good still. I started telling myself, "I just have a 13 mile run left. Here we go.!
As I dismounted my bike, I drank some quick gatorade at my area and took off. Like I said, I wanted to race within myself. So I didn't go out too hard to deplete my energy. The first mile went by quick as I was chatting with a fellow competitor. Miles 2-4 were tough climbs. Once we hit the mile 5 mark we were on the far outskirts of the campground. And there were some steep dirt trails to get through. I even had to walk up a couple of them but it was actually good recovery. I wanted to get to mile 7 because I knew my wife stephanie and my good friends Ira and Jaime were there waiting. When I saw them, I was feeling good and I knew it was almost over.
Miles 8-10 went by quick. Once I hit the turnaround, there were only 3 miles to go. But 2 of those miles were a steady incline. I took advantage of the last aide station so I could finish strong. Once I saw the infamous Lynch hill, I knew the race finish would be in site. I was feeling strong. I crossed the finish line and was ready to eat! I downed a chicken, rice and bean burrito with a Bud Light Lime. Probably one of the best beers I have ever drank.
I executed my race. I want to get better. I will get better.
Overall times:
Swim: 34
Bike: 3:06
Run: 1:59
Overall: 5:44
Saturday morning came with a burst of sunshine to our campground. I ate my pre-race meal of 2 whole grain eggo waffles topped with peanut butter, a banana, and my gatorade. My whole goal for the race was to execute my nutrition and race plan. I wanted to "feel good" throughout the event. I did not want to race out of my element, blow up my legs and deplete my body of fuel. So I focused on getting in consistent nutrition throughout.
I left camp to the transition area at 7:30 am, just in time to do a little jog warm-up, put on my wetsuit, set-up my transition area and head to the swim start. My swim plan was to start on the outside, stay away from the heavy traffic, find some legs to draft off of when I could and stay within myself. I did all of that. The swim was not hard at all. The first 1/4 mile was fast and then I managed to find some feet for about 600 yards. Then I settled into my pace and found another set up feet for another 400 yards. Before you knew it we turned the corner and the boat ramp was in sight. I started to think about getting on my bike and have a smooth transition.
I exited the water feeling fresh and ready to go. I mounted my bike and took off. I didn't know there was going to be a hill at the beginning of the ride. So I kept my heart rate steady and trudged up the hill. My legs were definitely woken up at this point. As we exited the park there were rolling hills the first 12 miles followed by 10 miles of flat land. I was waiting for "nasty grade". This is a 1 mile ascent with about 10% of incline. It was definitely a tough climb. I was pushing my bike 5-6mph during this climb. But the bike was not over. The next 10 miles were full of steep descents, which were very technical and some steady climbs that pushed the legs. I entered the campground feeling good still. I started telling myself, "I just have a 13 mile run left. Here we go.!
As I dismounted my bike, I drank some quick gatorade at my area and took off. Like I said, I wanted to race within myself. So I didn't go out too hard to deplete my energy. The first mile went by quick as I was chatting with a fellow competitor. Miles 2-4 were tough climbs. Once we hit the mile 5 mark we were on the far outskirts of the campground. And there were some steep dirt trails to get through. I even had to walk up a couple of them but it was actually good recovery. I wanted to get to mile 7 because I knew my wife stephanie and my good friends Ira and Jaime were there waiting. When I saw them, I was feeling good and I knew it was almost over.
Miles 8-10 went by quick. Once I hit the turnaround, there were only 3 miles to go. But 2 of those miles were a steady incline. I took advantage of the last aide station so I could finish strong. Once I saw the infamous Lynch hill, I knew the race finish would be in site. I was feeling strong. I crossed the finish line and was ready to eat! I downed a chicken, rice and bean burrito with a Bud Light Lime. Probably one of the best beers I have ever drank.
I executed my race. I want to get better. I will get better.
Overall times:
Swim: 34
Bike: 3:06
Run: 1:59
Overall: 5:44
Monday, April 19, 2010
Millerton Lake Triathlon 2010
Millerton Lake Triathlon 2010
The Milleron Lake Triathlon is special to me in so many ways. First, this is the triathlon I did on my wedding day two years ago. What a day that was. Second, one of the craziest triathlons I have done was the first time I competed at Millerton in 2007. It was cold and rainy and definitely a tough day to compete. So this triathlon definitely has a special place in my heart. Plus, Faron and Heleen Reed do an outstanding job of organizing this race. They make everyone there feel great and their is a friendly atmoshphere exuded throughout.
Onto the race report:
I woke up at 4:30 am to a text message from my good friend Josh Hickey saying "Why do you tri? Because it makes me alive." So that was a great way to start the morning. We met at CFA at 5:30 am to carpool over to fresno. It was Josh, Ken, Carol, Mark, Mike, Aaron and our supporters Landon, Jesse, Jaime and my wife Stephanie. We got into Millerton Lake at 7:00 am. As the sun was rising, we knew it was going to be a spectalular day. We arrived to the transition area and it was crowded already. I immediately took my bike off my truck and found a spot on the first bike rack (Thanks Faron for this spot). Once 7:20 came, I hopped on my bike for a short 18 minute warm-up. This got my blood flowing and erased any nerves that had settled during the drive up. The warm-up for a sprint triathlon is so important. You must trust your training and know that the warm-up is crucial for a better performance. Once I was done with the bike warm-up, I put on my running shoes and did a 6 minute jog with some surges. This definitely helped and I was ready. I put on my wetsuit, which is probably the hardest thing of the triathlon, and headed down to the lake. I was able to swim a bit before the start.
3....2....1 and it was time. My first event of the year was now going. The swim was not as chaotic as last year. I settled towards the outside and did not get caught up in the thick of the craziness. I just focused on long and powerful strokes. I tried keeping it smooth. No need to get out of my comfort zone on the swim. I knew I could make it up on my transitions and bike and run portions. Before you knew it I was out of the water running up the ramp to my bike. I immediately took my wetsuit off and quickly mounted my bike. I was passed by 4 guys on the bike. I still need to improve my bike fitness to make it a strength of mine. But I held steady and was able to hold strong for the last 6 miles. Once I saw the transition area I took my feet out of my shoes and made a very fast transition to the run. I saw one of the guys that passed me on the bike and I passed him within the first mile of the run. The run always goes by quick at Millerton. The first 1.2 miles is on a trail with some tough climbs. Once you are off the trails it is a 1 mile downhill road finish. I had the 3rd place guy in sites but I ran out of real estate to catch him.
I was really happy with my overall performance. My goal was to break 1 hour and my time was 58:11 so I had a fast race. I took 4th overall and was 1st in my age group.
Now it is time to get ready for Wildflower Long Course!
The Milleron Lake Triathlon is special to me in so many ways. First, this is the triathlon I did on my wedding day two years ago. What a day that was. Second, one of the craziest triathlons I have done was the first time I competed at Millerton in 2007. It was cold and rainy and definitely a tough day to compete. So this triathlon definitely has a special place in my heart. Plus, Faron and Heleen Reed do an outstanding job of organizing this race. They make everyone there feel great and their is a friendly atmoshphere exuded throughout.
Onto the race report:
I woke up at 4:30 am to a text message from my good friend Josh Hickey saying "Why do you tri? Because it makes me alive." So that was a great way to start the morning. We met at CFA at 5:30 am to carpool over to fresno. It was Josh, Ken, Carol, Mark, Mike, Aaron and our supporters Landon, Jesse, Jaime and my wife Stephanie. We got into Millerton Lake at 7:00 am. As the sun was rising, we knew it was going to be a spectalular day. We arrived to the transition area and it was crowded already. I immediately took my bike off my truck and found a spot on the first bike rack (Thanks Faron for this spot). Once 7:20 came, I hopped on my bike for a short 18 minute warm-up. This got my blood flowing and erased any nerves that had settled during the drive up. The warm-up for a sprint triathlon is so important. You must trust your training and know that the warm-up is crucial for a better performance. Once I was done with the bike warm-up, I put on my running shoes and did a 6 minute jog with some surges. This definitely helped and I was ready. I put on my wetsuit, which is probably the hardest thing of the triathlon, and headed down to the lake. I was able to swim a bit before the start.
3....2....1 and it was time. My first event of the year was now going. The swim was not as chaotic as last year. I settled towards the outside and did not get caught up in the thick of the craziness. I just focused on long and powerful strokes. I tried keeping it smooth. No need to get out of my comfort zone on the swim. I knew I could make it up on my transitions and bike and run portions. Before you knew it I was out of the water running up the ramp to my bike. I immediately took my wetsuit off and quickly mounted my bike. I was passed by 4 guys on the bike. I still need to improve my bike fitness to make it a strength of mine. But I held steady and was able to hold strong for the last 6 miles. Once I saw the transition area I took my feet out of my shoes and made a very fast transition to the run. I saw one of the guys that passed me on the bike and I passed him within the first mile of the run. The run always goes by quick at Millerton. The first 1.2 miles is on a trail with some tough climbs. Once you are off the trails it is a 1 mile downhill road finish. I had the 3rd place guy in sites but I ran out of real estate to catch him.
I was really happy with my overall performance. My goal was to break 1 hour and my time was 58:11 so I had a fast race. I took 4th overall and was 1st in my age group.
Now it is time to get ready for Wildflower Long Course!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
4 ways to improve your performaince
4 Ways to Improve your Athletic Performance
If you are a competitive athlete this article is for you. Whether you are a professional or college athlete, youth athlete, masters athlete, recreational athlete or just enjoy working out and being healthy the advice below can assist in taking your performance to the next level. These are not fast acting remedies. Abiding by these principles can have a dramatic transformation in the way you perform mentally and physically. But you have to put in the work and have the self-discipline to work on these concepts.
1. Good nutrition. Without good nutrition your body will lack recovery and energy, suffer during workouts and you will be more likely to suffer injury. Immediately wake up and drink 8-16 ounces of water, eat breakfast and take your vitamins (look below). Eat every 2-3 hours and focus on getting in quality carbohydrates, healthy fats and lean proteins at each feeding. A good nutrition plan goes hand in hand with a good training program.
2. Train Smart not hard. Most athletes definitely put in the work and train hard. But the question is “are they training smart and efficient”? If you are constantly training hard and breaking down the body your performance will suffer. Instead focus on smart training. I am not saying that you shouldn’t work hard. I am saying that you need to have a smart plan so you can stay on the path to conquering your goals. Arrange active recovery, rest days and rest weeks into your training schedule. Know when your body needs a break from training and have the discipline to rest when needed.
3. Take vitamins. In a perfect world we would get our recommended nutrients and vitamins in the form of natural food but it is very hard to do this. A multivitamin, fish oil and Vitamin C should be taken every day with a meal to maximize nutrient intake during the day. A multivitamin is intended to supplement the human diet with dietary minerals and vitamins. Taking fish oil is a great way to increase your Omega 3 fats to decrease inflammation in the joints and tendons and aid in the recovery process. And taking a daily vitamin C will increase your overall health and help fight infection
4. Believe in Yourself. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy says, “You are who you think you are.” You need to have daily self affirmation and motivation so you can have the confidence to go out and perform. Visualize yourself having the perfect race or competition. You are more likely to achieve athletic success when you have a positive mindset about yourself and your abilities.
If you are a competitive athlete this article is for you. Whether you are a professional or college athlete, youth athlete, masters athlete, recreational athlete or just enjoy working out and being healthy the advice below can assist in taking your performance to the next level. These are not fast acting remedies. Abiding by these principles can have a dramatic transformation in the way you perform mentally and physically. But you have to put in the work and have the self-discipline to work on these concepts.
1. Good nutrition. Without good nutrition your body will lack recovery and energy, suffer during workouts and you will be more likely to suffer injury. Immediately wake up and drink 8-16 ounces of water, eat breakfast and take your vitamins (look below). Eat every 2-3 hours and focus on getting in quality carbohydrates, healthy fats and lean proteins at each feeding. A good nutrition plan goes hand in hand with a good training program.
2. Train Smart not hard. Most athletes definitely put in the work and train hard. But the question is “are they training smart and efficient”? If you are constantly training hard and breaking down the body your performance will suffer. Instead focus on smart training. I am not saying that you shouldn’t work hard. I am saying that you need to have a smart plan so you can stay on the path to conquering your goals. Arrange active recovery, rest days and rest weeks into your training schedule. Know when your body needs a break from training and have the discipline to rest when needed.
3. Take vitamins. In a perfect world we would get our recommended nutrients and vitamins in the form of natural food but it is very hard to do this. A multivitamin, fish oil and Vitamin C should be taken every day with a meal to maximize nutrient intake during the day. A multivitamin is intended to supplement the human diet with dietary minerals and vitamins. Taking fish oil is a great way to increase your Omega 3 fats to decrease inflammation in the joints and tendons and aid in the recovery process. And taking a daily vitamin C will increase your overall health and help fight infection
4. Believe in Yourself. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy says, “You are who you think you are.” You need to have daily self affirmation and motivation so you can have the confidence to go out and perform. Visualize yourself having the perfect race or competition. You are more likely to achieve athletic success when you have a positive mindset about yourself and your abilities.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Woodside 1/2 Marathon Race Report
Well I think I proved that you don't have to put in long useless training miles to endure a long distance event. The past 12 weeks I have been working on speed and efficient training. I have not ran 10+ miles since my 1/2 Ironman in October. My goal this off season was to train efficiently and smart. I feel I am on the path of accomplishing my off season goals. I am not exactly where I want to be yet but I am happy with my performance.
This past weekend was the Woodside 1/2 Marathon. For those of you that do not know about this event, I will give you a few details. This is a single track trail run. The first 6.5 miles is a climb of 1900 feet. When you turnaround it is an all out time trial to the finish. For most the weather was dark and gloomy but for us running the event the weather was perfect for a run.
I started out fast, maybe too fast because about 15 minutes into this race my legs were burning. As we started the climb up the mountain my heart rate was high and my legs were pumping. I was able to stay positive throughout the tough section of the course. I just told myself, "Get to the turnaround and then the race is almost over." I kept saying that in my head. I would zone out and before you knew it another 10, 15 and 20 minutes were gone. I checked my watch and I knew the turnaround would be here shortly. The final climb was a tough one but then I turned around and started the "time trial". I got to the top in 52 minutes so roughly 8 min./mile. Running downhill is tougher than most think. Especially on a descent that involves a wet and muddy trail and approximately 15 switch backs to deal with. My heart rate was steady and controlled and my stability felt great. This is where all the training in the gym pays off and being strong and stable are advantages. By time I reached the 10 mile point of the race, my legs were fatigued but I needed to push through the last 3 miles. I zoned out, kept my pace and pushed to the end. Once I knew there was only 1 mile to go, I gave it all I had and finished strong. The 2nd 6.5 miles took 42 minutes so roughly 6:25 min./mile. My overall time was 1 hour 34 minutes and 16 seconds, 7:14 min./mile, which was 50 seconds faster than last year. I was 22nd out of 156 participants.
Good things: speed and strength were great; aerobically I felt good till about 11 mile marker
Things I need to work on: endurance; pushing through the tough spots of the course; digging a little deeper to keep up with a racer infront of me
Goals: 1) Keep training smart. 2) Continue building the endurance to prepare for Wildflower 3) Challenge the body a bit more when racing
This past weekend was the Woodside 1/2 Marathon. For those of you that do not know about this event, I will give you a few details. This is a single track trail run. The first 6.5 miles is a climb of 1900 feet. When you turnaround it is an all out time trial to the finish. For most the weather was dark and gloomy but for us running the event the weather was perfect for a run.
I started out fast, maybe too fast because about 15 minutes into this race my legs were burning. As we started the climb up the mountain my heart rate was high and my legs were pumping. I was able to stay positive throughout the tough section of the course. I just told myself, "Get to the turnaround and then the race is almost over." I kept saying that in my head. I would zone out and before you knew it another 10, 15 and 20 minutes were gone. I checked my watch and I knew the turnaround would be here shortly. The final climb was a tough one but then I turned around and started the "time trial". I got to the top in 52 minutes so roughly 8 min./mile. Running downhill is tougher than most think. Especially on a descent that involves a wet and muddy trail and approximately 15 switch backs to deal with. My heart rate was steady and controlled and my stability felt great. This is where all the training in the gym pays off and being strong and stable are advantages. By time I reached the 10 mile point of the race, my legs were fatigued but I needed to push through the last 3 miles. I zoned out, kept my pace and pushed to the end. Once I knew there was only 1 mile to go, I gave it all I had and finished strong. The 2nd 6.5 miles took 42 minutes so roughly 6:25 min./mile. My overall time was 1 hour 34 minutes and 16 seconds, 7:14 min./mile, which was 50 seconds faster than last year. I was 22nd out of 156 participants.
Good things: speed and strength were great; aerobically I felt good till about 11 mile marker
Things I need to work on: endurance; pushing through the tough spots of the course; digging a little deeper to keep up with a racer infront of me
Goals: 1) Keep training smart. 2) Continue building the endurance to prepare for Wildflower 3) Challenge the body a bit more when racing
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