Hi folks, Last weekend I had a 4-hour bike ride scheduled by my coach, but I just didn't want to do it. Then I did it anyway, in spite of myself. For the first hour my legs complained, my brain complained, and in general I complained. The complaints didn't do any good because I was out there on my own. If I had said any of this stuff to a riding buddy (which I never would, as I learned that lesson ... Read more
Activating Your Core Prior To A Run As Part Of A Roller Routine
Hi folks, We sure have some lovely countryside here in North Carolina, including great running trails. I had two short runs to do today, and during the first of these I was gently cruising along and it occurred to me how much better I am at engaging my core and how this makes hill ascents more manageable. I was also playing with shifting the load from my quads and hip flexors back to the combination of ... Read more
Keep Track Of Laps In The Pool Whilst Boosting Your Mental Discipline
Hi folks, If you have a long swim, you'll have no trouble keeping track of laps completed with a complex group of short sets, such as that in the adjacent figure. You just have to count each set and mentally tick off your workout on the plan stuck on the wall at the end of the pool. However, if you have a small number of long sets, say 4 x 1200 yards, it is not so easy. I discovered the perfect way ... Read more
Lazy Unilateral Recovery Swim Stroke Revealed By Paddles
Hi folks, I was swimming with my nice new yellow paddles the other day and noticed that from time to time my left paddle would touch the water. The impact of this contact was considerable, almost tugging the paddle off of my hand, disrupting my stroke. Diagnosis - lazy left arm recovery causing my elbow to drop too low. This is a nice example of the value of paddles in the diagnosis of defects in your ... Read more
Learn To Stand Before You Walk Before You Run
Hi folks, I have a problem with chronically tight calf muscles, and I may have found the cause. The way that I stand. I was receiving further core instruction from my dance and Continuum teacher, Rebecca, who commented that I tend to lean forward when standing. I did a quick internal body scan and there it was, plus lots of other things. My Feldenkrais training from Karen emphasizes the importance of ... Read more
Different Ways To Set Your Effort Level On The Run
Hi folks, As a runner you can assess your effort level in a number of different ways, and some are safer than others. I have friends who head out on a run saying that they plan to hold such-and-such a pace for certain intervals or distances. These are the people who tend to be injured most frequently. Eight-minute pace can be easy one day, a struggle on another, and on occasions potentially ... Read more
Integrate Your Endurance Training Into Your Life In A Healthy Way
Hi folks, This is a follow-up post to the 'early morning swim chicken' one I posted previously. I am a notorious no-show for early morning swims, but I am working to fix this. Like one of my key biking partners, Rory, I also tend to lose the mental debate at 5:00 am and end up staying in bed. But that is no way to work towards a sub-13 hour Lake Placid Ironman time, so I am biting the bullet and ... Read more
Choosing A Coach? Choosing A Dog? Questions To Ask Yourself.
Hi folks, It's been an interesting couple of days, and now we are thinking about adopting a pit bull. She seems to be a lovely little dog. Pit bulls are generally frowned upon, but this has not always been the case. It would appear that this breed has been inappropriately maligned, according to the interesting linked article on the 'I've Got Something To Say' blogsite. I think that we are going to go ... Read more
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