tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60842322487311762192024-03-12T17:10:28.198-07:00One Two Three Hours a WeekMY EFFORTS TO MAXIMIZE MY FITNESS AND THUS MY ADVENTURE POTENTIAL ON LESS TIME THAN MOST PEOPLE SPEND IN THE BATHROOM*...Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-18582621392115229572014-05-26T07:00:00.000-07:002014-05-26T08:38:42.511-07:00Pain, pain go away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ncPfq6SwHeM/U2EMJpvihvI/AAAAAAAABLA/aTmGJDvinkc/s1600/hardrain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ncPfq6SwHeM/U2EMJpvihvI/AAAAAAAABLA/aTmGJDvinkc/s1600/hardrain.jpg" height="320" width="288" /></a></div>
I thought I would get used to the pain associated with high intensity workouts but this doesn't seem to be happening. It makes me wonder if I'm doing something wrong - am I dehydrated? Am I not eating enough? Is there something missing from my diet?<br />
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The 10 minutes or so following my last few sessions have been particularly difficult. It seems silly to even be able to say this when a look back in my training journal finds the notation 'brutal' after almost every effort. But it sure feels true, although i'll admit it is a challenge to rank the relative difficulty of workouts that are so frequent and where the aftermath is so severe but short lived. <br />
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On Sunday, for example--in the wake of my stepmill workout-- that aftermath included walking a lap around the indoor track. The lap, about 1/12 of a mile, took nearly 10 minutes. I spent that 10 minutes consumed by the pain lungs and legs. My mind could not escape the sensation or become distracted from it and was left whirling around in frantic circles trying to reason out a solution - something action or thought that would help dull it. I tried lying down and putting my legs up the wall which made it worse (maybe the blood needs to circulate more quickly to restore some sort of PH balance in the tissues surrounding my muscle cells? That is my most recent theory anyway). And despite the fact that I know from experience that there is no escaping the intense discomfort that results from these 7 minute bouts with exercise, the discomfort is so all encompassing that I am as of yet unable to keep from trying. <br />
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With further reflection I've realized that it is a rather unusual experience to be completely taken over by physical suffering at one moment and then a mere 15 minutes later feel absolutely no trace of it. I can't think of any other routine painful circumstances in which this might is the case - any injury or trauma will cause 'lingering' pain or such for well beyond this time-frame, and/or yield to manual attempts to mitigate it to some degree (pressure, massage, position, etc). <br />
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It is like Mike Mentzer says (regarding the effects of true high intensity training) -<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: 'Minion Pro', serif; font-size: 1.17em; line-height: 1.2;">"Until you either experience it for yourself or watch someone else do it, you can’t possibly appreciate.”</span></blockquote>
In writing this I've realized that maybe I'm not missing anything at all - calories, nutrition, or hydration - but that, unfortunately perhaps, I'm just doing it right. In which case, that forecast isn't looking too promising...<br />
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[<i>Although i've posted it before, the only video that does justice to what 'a good' workout usually feels like to me is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDGf-LF3jh4">this video</a>, which shows an ice climber getting something called the hot aches.</i>]Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-22946899224878659582014-05-08T13:28:00.002-07:002014-05-08T13:28:37.707-07:00Too Much Information<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G6mXgMVz-1I/U2vowVRdKgI/AAAAAAAABLQ/XeSFoRGBEiA/s1600/Too-much-information.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G6mXgMVz-1I/U2vowVRdKgI/AAAAAAAABLQ/XeSFoRGBEiA/s1600/Too-much-information.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
This is just my opinion (as if anything on this site is anything else?!), but I feel that, at least for the average Johnny or Sheila hoping to get fit and/or pursue athletic ambitions, the athletic/health science industry is doing more harm than good. The fact that at our fingertips rests such an immense wealth of information isn't always a good thing. It makes us believe that there is a right answer. And when we believe there is a right answer, we often feel compelled to find it and follow it. <br />
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The problem is though, that the right answers aren't always clear, aren't always easy to follow, and in the absence of our ability to follow this 'correct' course of action in it's entirety, we often opt to do nothing. <br />
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Look, I'm a scientist by training and I recognize the tremendous benefit the field provides. But science, at least to the non-scientist, can be misleading. It produces claims about benefits of one course of action over another that while perhaps technically true, can (and maybe should) pretty much be ignored. <br />
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Supplement X performs better than Supplement Y, and both are shown to provide benefits as compared to a control group that didn't take either. Better go get supplement X, right? Training regimen A produces a greater increase in VO2 max than regimen B, so looks like I need to go and change the way I'm training now too! Well, not so fast. In truth it is likely that while supplements X and Y do produce statistically significant differences in some measurable characteristic of health over the control group, it is very small difference. It might also be that you are not similar to the control group at all! And if you don't actually know what statistical significance is in the first place, then maybe you should research that before you google any more Brand X's or Program B's. <br />
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It comes down, again in my opinion, to a bit of a need for external validation. Sure, it's good to do research and learn about whatever you are interested in, but it is FAR more important to develop an intuition about your own body and mind--what works and what doesn't. A genuine internal confidence in whatever you decide to do will pay the kind of dividends that can't be paid for, no matter how slick the sales marketing might be.<br />
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Eat good food and move regularly. Spend time with people you care about and care about what you do with your time. Now that's not too much information, is it?Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-1771876684329683452014-04-03T08:56:00.000-07:002014-04-03T08:56:07.362-07:00How much is too much?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DkR1W7mhbys/Uz2EHpi1NGI/AAAAAAAABKo/Wgq4lyPZHWo/s1600/exhausted-cyclist.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DkR1W7mhbys/Uz2EHpi1NGI/AAAAAAAABKo/Wgq4lyPZHWo/s1600/exhausted-cyclist.png" height="396" width="400" /></a></div>
I had a tough workout yesterday that left me asking this question. I mean, all my workouts are tough, but this one was exceptional. I hadn't eaten well all day (two cookies and two cups of coffee prior to my 4:00 pm effort) but was determined to squeeze the workout in. Going in I suspected that my performance wouldn't be stellar but was hell bent on at least matching my performance from the previous week where I'd done the same workout. I'd actually commented in my training journal that I thought I'd be able to 'move up' the next time I tackled it, so just matching it felt like I was giving myself an 'easy day' pass.<br />
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I fought tooth and nail to keep my RPM's above 80 during the final interval. It was as close as I think I've come to truly finding the 'gun to your head' level of determination. And as that last interval ended and I struggled to keep the cadence during the 20 second 'warm down' I knew I was in trouble. When the pain I knew was coming started I tried to spin through it. It got worse and worse until I had to try another tactic. Hobbling straight legged to the corner I collapsed and put my legs up the wall, hoping the pain would drain from my legs with the blood. My heart rate, which had come down a bit from its peak of somewhere above 205 (the machine's sensors stop reading above this number) was still in the neighborhood of 130 or so, ensuring both the pain and blood remained where they were. <br />
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Eventually, of course, the pain subsided and my ability to walk normally returned. But it had me wondering how much is too much. <br />
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So today I spent a few minutes trying to answer the question. In particular I was concerned with the condition called exertional rhabdomyolysis, which is essentially a degeneration of your muscles' cell membranes, leading to release of cell contents into surrounding tissues. Blood potassium levels skyrocket (not a good thing apparently) and if the condition is pervasive enough the kidneys become unable to restore the balance (they get clogged with myoglobin, another content of the muscle cells) and bad things happen.<br />
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Although Rhabdo (as it is called for short) is widely known about in CrossFit and similar extreme training circles, I'd been worried that my own brand of 'extreme' training might also be flirting it. I'm not sure I've found any definitive answers, but I did find a pretty soothing article from <a href="http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/rhabdomyolysis-and-crossfit">Women's Health Magazine</a>, which <i>is</i> probably about as close as one can come to definitive without actually arriving there. <br />
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It mentions five signs that you might be going too hard--cheating on form (hard to do with cardio - bad form usually means less efficiency); sore joints (I'm never sore, muscularly or joint-wise, from short high intensity efforts--races of course are a whole other ball of wax); increasing intensity too fast (no danger there, it's been high intensity for years!); training every day (even at only seven minutes I couldn't imagine doing this, not with adequate intensity); and pushing past pain. This last point gave me pause. I routinely push past pain--in my legs and arms and lungs--in fact a workout without some facet of pain seems a foreign concept. And sometimes, like yesterday, it is temporarily debilitating. But even that effort only left me crippled for ten minutes and left no other lasting effects, either later in the day or in days following. So this leaves me hopeful that my radical attention to intensity over very brief intervals is safe given my history with it and the absence of other warning signs. <br />
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In thinking further, I believe that there is a level of protection against something like rhabdo in my systematic, machine driven approach. My intervals and intensity is very calculated--prescribed as part of a computer program--and are the same (or nearly so) every time I repeat a workout. Although the intensity <i>is</i> very high, the duration is short and the movements are such that bad form lessens my ability to make the intervals. Typically I stop right after my 'peak' interval--the goal of stimulating growth and causing supercompensation having been accomplished. I seek to approach maximum effort during this last interval, carry it out briefly, and then am done.<br />
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So my fingers are crossed that my system of training, despite the pain it creates, isn't too much at all. In fact, for me anyway, it seems to be <i><a href="http://grandforksyoga.blogspot.com/2014/04/goldilocks-was-on-to-something.html">just right.</a> </i><br />
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<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-2871789232692015702014-03-21T07:30:00.000-07:002014-03-21T07:30:01.013-07:00Stairway to heaven--Stepmill to hell.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lM0coEAwjO8/Uyt8ABmHjHI/AAAAAAAABKQ/FsvqwPNguVU/s1600/inferno1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lM0coEAwjO8/Uyt8ABmHjHI/AAAAAAAABKQ/FsvqwPNguVU/s1600/inferno1.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MRI image from inside a sarcomere in my left<br /> quadricep after finishing my workout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Add stepmill to the list of cardio equipment that can incapacitate me in seven minutes. <br />
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Tuesday marked the first day I decided to 'go back to normal' on my workouts. My new plan involves a bigger variety of equipment including the stepmill. I'd tried it out last week but was a bit skeptical that it would be able to provide the required difficulty, but though i'd give it a shot.<br />
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Based on that previous trial (where i did 1:1 intervals, each interval being a minute long) I decided to try 1:2 intervals which meant only 2 work intervals for 2 minutes each. The work intervals were at the max level (level 20) and the rest intervals at level 11. I was on a Matrix brand machine. <br />
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I made the intervals, but barely. The resulting experience was a combination of what i've felt on my <a href="http://www.threehoursaweek.blogspot.com/2013/12/i-need-little-help.html">best bike workouts</a> and my <a href="http://threehoursaweek.blogspot.com/2013/04/running-through-jello.html">running through jello workouts.</a> The final 30 seconds i felt as though everything was in slow motion - my legs heavy like i was trying to lift my feet out of molasses. I was sure i was going to clip one of the stairs and be sent sprawling as i counted down the final 20 steps. After i was done, the molasses went away but still my legs screamed at me and refused to let me walk with anything resembling a normal gait for at least 10 minutes. <br />
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And no back pain the day after which is the best part--I'm happy to hobble around, it just needs to be for the right reasons, like my thrice weekly trips to the Inferno.<br />
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<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-26006460585314148192014-03-04T09:00:00.000-08:002014-03-04T09:00:00.139-08:00The upside of injuryI like to think there is always an upside. In this case, the limitation of my back have led me to explore other training options and I've found a good one in the last place I thought i would: the elliptical machine.<br />
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I have always thought that elliptical machines were incapable of generating enough intensity for the likes of my workouts. Yeah, you could set the resistance really hard but the nature of having your feet just resting on the platforms limited the amount of work you could really do, and I imagined the amount of work I was <i>looking</i> to do vastly outstripped this potential. Turns out I was wrong (my wife won't be surprised!).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wp0nZMfqQZk/UxSUoxw9ryI/AAAAAAAABJw/lv4M3uUTVJg/s1600/Touch-Image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wp0nZMfqQZk/UxSUoxw9ryI/AAAAAAAABJw/lv4M3uUTVJg/s1600/Touch-Image.png" height="640" width="384" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lovely elliptical trainer. She's meaner than she looks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I finished last week out with two elliptical workouts (<a href="http://www.threehoursaweek.blogspot.com/2014/03/train-wreck.html">after realizing I couldn't row or run</a>) on two different machines--for some reason my YMCA has three different brands of ellipticals! Both were awesome. The second one was a bit <i>too </i>awesome and I failed miserably on the fourth of five intervals. The program was a 30:30 interval (30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy) and I'd set the level to 20 (out of 30 possible). After a 3 minute progressive warm-up, the intervals started--30 seconds at level 20 where you're instructed to keep the cadence above 60, followed by 30 seconds at some lower level (11?) where you're told to 'walk' at a cadence under 45.<br />
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For the first interval i was jazzed and 45 felt ridiculously slow and easy and so i kept the cadence above 60 on the rest portion. By the last interval i was struggling to keep the pace above 40 and had lowered the work interval portion down to level 16. Ouch. <br />
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I was pleasantly surprised by these workouts. They were HARD. yeah, maybe i'm still not quite back to where i was before <a href="http://www.mayamountainadventurechallenge.com/">Belize</a>, and sure, they are 'new' which might make them seem harder, but i'm not even coming close to tapping the potential of these machines. Cardiovascularly I felt like i was doing a tabata--my heart rate was through the roof on the work intervals and I was desperate for the rest intervals to last longer. I also felt like both my legs and arms were getting pushed hard--there was definitely a full body feel to the session, similar to what I feel when doing intervals on the rowing machine but with activation of some of my 'pushing' muscles as well.<br />
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So needless to say, I'm psyched. I'll probably alternate cycling workout and elliptical workouts until I can run again, and then maybe alternate all four (biking, rowing, running, elliptical) once I'm back to full health.<br />
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But for now, well the Chiropractor is waiting.<br />
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<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-35706067029247125622014-03-03T05:51:00.000-08:002014-03-03T05:51:30.737-08:00Train Wreck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-78omXuUw148/UxSIk10i8zI/AAAAAAAABJg/BL3bVAbJFpg/s1600/toy-train-off-rails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-78omXuUw148/UxSIk10i8zI/AAAAAAAABJg/BL3bVAbJFpg/s1600/toy-train-off-rails.jpg" height="293" width="400" /></a></div>
My back is a mess. I've got bone spurs on my vertebrae, twisting in my upper spine, and compressed disks in my lower spine (and some major misalignment). <div>
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My best guess based on thinking 'back' (and the X-Rays) is that i've been ignoring and compensating for a minor high jumping injury from 2006. The bummer is that i wasn't even really jumping that high! But the day after i took that leap was the first day i experienced the spasms and shooting pain up the left side of my lower back in the nerves. </div>
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The problem has come and gone over the years and I've sought treatment (a couple sporadic visits to the chiropractor or a massage) when it has gotten particularly bad. It's always been worse with stress.</div>
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The first week of February was one of the most stressful I've had-I was planning my first race of the year (<a href="http://www.endracing.com/iceman">the iceman triathlon</a>) and two days after the event had to be packed for a four day adventure race--in which i was participating--in Belize. The Week before the Iceman the pain showed up out of no where. I mucked through - spending lots of time stretching my back and complaining about it. I still managed to get my training in. Exercise has always seemed to loosen up the muscles and keep the nerves from being impinged upon. I even went to a chiropractor twice but it didn't seem to help much.</div>
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The Iceman was a success as was packing and the race in Belize. Four days of physical activity kept me from thinking about my spine at all and I harbored a deep seated optimism that i was once again in the clear.</div>
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But then came the aftermath of four days of physical activity. The pain got progressively worse during the full travel day back to North Dakota. In the days following it got unbearable. With a straight, stationary spine i had almost no pain. But slight and sudden movements that i couldn't really predict or prevent (unless of course i didn't move at all) were debilitating. Glancing over my shoulder to check my blind spot while driving nearly caused me to pass out. This was the worst things had ever been.</div>
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So i went back to the Chiropractor and this time got X-rays. My hope that the issue was tight muscles causing a temporary misalignment was, obviously, dashed. </div>
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Today I go for my fourth visit of a 20 visit plan and am gradually starting to get some relief. When things were at their lowest I became unexpectedly depressed--spending hours thinking about all the simple things I feared I'd never be able to do again: somersaults, climbing, child's pose. Hopefully my ruminations about a future I really don't want will help me look at recovery and maintenance more seriously and take the proper steps. </div>
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I'm now confident I'll heal and be able to get back to all my normal activities. Training wise, I'm still unable to run or row - but haven't really missed much as the week after Belize was 100% recovery and the following week was slated for 'rebuilding' - normal workouts at slightly less than baseline level to gauge my return to full fitness. I managed the biking one this week but to be honest it was a bit hard to admit that I wasn't going to be able to do the rowing without potentially hindering my spinal healing. </div>
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Apparently it takes a long time to clean up a train wreck. </div>
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Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-74576254537712371722014-01-27T07:26:00.001-08:002014-01-27T07:27:29.772-08:005 MPH speed limitToday many of my good friends are taking on the Arrowhead 135 race, a ski, bike, or run ultramarathon in what is historically the coldest place in the continental US on what is historically the coldest average week of the year. Most of the 150 odd participants from around the world attempt to tackle the 135 miles of snow-mobile trail through the Minnesota wilderness on bike. Among these is Matt Burton Kelly, known as 'Beek' (<a href="http://www.endracing.com/">ENDracing'</a>s right hand man)--one of a handful of Arrowhead first timers.<br />
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It is a bit strange not to be there with them, as I've spent 4 of the last 5 last weeks in January freezing my ass off either attempting the race on foot (failed) or challenging the clock on bike (crossed the finish line all three times, once unofficially). I've changed a flat tire at nearly 20 below, survived ambient trail temperatures as low as -40 degrees F while riding through the long night, and even endured 'the push' last year.<br />
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There is something special about races like the arrowhead - races that aren't about speed (even the fastest riders seem to be going at a joggers pace!) - races that are light on competition (everyone seems to know each other) and heavy on adventure. <br />
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So this is a shout out for those who are now several hours into this great adventure through the frozen forests and swamps; those who will pedal and push their way up hills that feel like mountains--over and over again; those who will then careen with wild abandon (and crazy grins on their faces) down the other sides of these hills, as if they were at a local sled hill rather than the inhospitable and unforgiving places they really are. This is a shout out to those who toed and wheeled the start line at this morning, every square inch of skin covered against the bitter cold; those daring and perhaps deranged folks who started walking or pedaling towards a goal 135 miles distant, knowing that for many of them, there is a 5 MPH speed limit.<br />
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<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-40557800490852003852014-01-13T07:30:00.000-08:002014-01-13T07:30:00.922-08:00Why high intensity work matters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yW40M4o6HqQ/UtBN8Xjf8II/AAAAAAAABJE/h8Sf0DXn8kg/s1600/8stopwatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yW40M4o6HqQ/UtBN8Xjf8II/AAAAAAAABJE/h8Sf0DXn8kg/s1600/8stopwatch.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Genuine High intensity training is simply too hard and too painful for most recreational endurance athletes and most serious ones are happy to commit lots of time to their physical pursuits. It is not a surprise, then, that almost all endurance athletes seem to favor traditional training programs that focus on volume at lower to moderate intensities. Higher intensities are typically only used by elite athletes with superior recovery abilities and even then, used sparingly. There is good reason for this - adding high intensity training into a program with typical endurance program volumes creates an extremely demanding program only suitable such athletes. Sure, some non-elites will <i>occasionally</i> use high intensity effort, and many will emulate the programs of the elites by using <i>higher</i> intensity work (not really the same thing). But my experience has shown me that--assuming i'm somewhat typical of the ambitious amateur athlete--adding genuine high intensity work into an endurance geared training program using traditional volumes is, well, problematic. There are just too many excuses.<br />
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However, at least in my opinion--it is clear that we can only reach our actual physical potential in terms of endurance training by including high intensity work. High intensity training is what gets you faster. Increases in speed always have corresponding increases in endurance but it is a one way street--increasing endurance will not always increase speed. High intensity work also develops a capacity for intense but limited duration suffering that is critical for strong and fast finishes. If you want to race long and you want do it as well as you can, you will need to develop your ability to consistently perform high intensity workouts.<br />
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In my experience this is far from easy--even under the best of circumstances. Those interested in learning how to perform high intensity work and developing their ability to do so consistently might be best served by spending time on a program such as the one i'm doing now (3 x 8 minute sessions a week, one each of biking, rowing, and running). For an accomplished and eager athlete, elimination of all efforts other than high intensity work might provide the needed incentive to really learn what high intensity work feels like. For someone used to 5 or 6 hours a week, anything less than a maximum effort during these three weekly workouts would feel like 'selling out'. The athlete would, after even one sub-par performance, feel like they weren't really working out at all - caged and restless. Such restlessness, combined with the ample time for physical recovery based on such a low volume program, helps create an environment in which many of the mental and physical obstacles to experiencing genuine high intensity work are absent. This is the ideal environment in which to begin to cultivate the relationship with mental and physical anguish that defines these efforts.<br />
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If you are able to learn how to feel completely empty after an 8 minute workout--drained mentally and physically to near the point of actual physical incapacity (for example i sometimes finish my bike workouts in such a state that i am actually unable to walk down stairs without falling on my face for up to 10 minutes), then you have essentially developed a new fitness tool. This tool can then effectively be used in conjunction with more traditional methods and intensities in pursuit of your true fitness potential, if and when you decide to make this your goal.<br />
<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-48183853141788745872013-12-23T08:30:00.000-08:002013-12-23T08:30:00.342-08:00Conversations with God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e-N6K-5WTy8/UrMcQZEQcfI/AAAAAAAABIo/-el54ft3VuM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-19+at+10.15.24+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="459" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e-N6K-5WTy8/UrMcQZEQcfI/AAAAAAAABIo/-el54ft3VuM/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-12-19+at+10.15.24+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Years ago (when i was a teenager) i read a series of books called '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversations_with_God">Conversations With God' </a>by Neal Walsh. They were quite interesting at the time and perhaps even formative for me in some ways. For unknown reasons i thought of the books yesterday and read through a few summaries of them, reminding myself of many of the messages they contain. </div>
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The spirituality in the book contains many ideas common in self-help literature and positivism based psychology, as well as many traditional spiritual disciplines such as buddhism. One thought that i like -that applies well to many aspects of life including high intensity training - is that of the sponsoring thought. Here are Neal's words:<br />
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The Sponsoring Thought – the thought behind the thought – is the controlling thought. </blockquote>
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If therefore, you beg and supplicate, you lower your chances of experiencing what you are choosing because the Sponsoring Thought behind every supplication is that you do not have now what you wish. </blockquote>
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That Sponsoring Thought becomes your reality.The only Sponsoring Thought which could override this thought is the thought held in faith that God will grant whatever is asked, WITHOUT FAIL.</blockquote>
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When training or racing if your efforts come from a supplicating desire to succeed - a hope that one can achieve a certain outcome - then your 'sponsoring thought' is that you are not now succeeding. It is subtle but in reflecting on my own mindset as i approach both difficult intervals and difficult moments in long races i realize that when sponsoring thought is one of wanting to succeed, i often don't. Most of the time, however, i'm able to pursue my course of action with a determination and confidence - rising to the challenge of success with a sense of certainty in the outcome. It's not a hope that the outcome will come to be, but rather a firm belief in it. And in my own regular "Conversations with Gov", that seems to make all the difference.Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-29018467271672718572013-12-19T07:44:00.001-08:002013-12-19T07:44:12.742-08:00Death Row Workouts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yLeVKbhhlek/Uqm8LY5zFKI/AAAAAAAABIU/mASO7tyKbls/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-12+at+7.36.24+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yLeVKbhhlek/Uqm8LY5zFKI/AAAAAAAABIU/mASO7tyKbls/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-12-12+at+7.36.24+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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My rowing workouts have been pretty fantastic lately as i'm managed to get the intensity nearly equivalent with what i'm able to do on the bike. I'm currently operating on a three week schedule (one row workout each week) which is pretty much a requirement for me when i reach a certain level of effort - it is just too hard to try exceeding my previous performance each week, which is something i, for whatever reason, feel compelled to do.</div>
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Here are my current three workouts - which, at least for a few minutes near their end, have me feeling like a condemned man.</div>
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<i>Note - i use a concept2 rower (which seems to be standard fare at many health clubs) on resistance level 5, and my metric of choice is time/500meters. All workouts are 8 minutes long.</i></div>
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<b>Workout 1:</b> pyramids. 30 sec warm up @ 2:15, then 3 pyramids with 30 sec each at 2:15, 2:00, 1:45, 2:00, and 2:15. </div>
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<b>Workout 2: </b>progressive. 1 minute segments, starting at 2:20, decreasing time/500meters by 5 seconds each minute. If reaching a level that feels to be a max effort before the 8 minutes are up - try to stay at that level until the end. My last workout I started at 2:20 and spend minutes 7 and 8 at 1:50/500 meters, unable to hit 1:45 and hanging on to 1:50 for dear life.</div>
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<b>Workout 3: </b>double push. 2 minutes @ 2:05, 1 @ 1:45, 2 @ 2:05, 1 @ 1:45, 2 @ 2:05. My goal is to progress until my base effort is @ 2:00 and my harder intervals are at 1:45 but i'm not really that close yet - my last workout the second interval was @ 1:50 and 2:05 felt awfully hard. </div>
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I try to keep my stroke rate around 30 and increase my power per stroke as a way of recovering during the easier segments of these workouts. The only way i can hit 1:45-1:50 is to put everything i have into it and increase my stroke rate to 40+ and it feels very brutal and is definitely anaerobic - i'm usually strongly focused inwardly - eyes closed to limit any/all distractions and get all i can out of my body. i'll flit my eyes open every 3 strokes or so to make sure I'm at or under pace and count down my strokes towards the end of the interval, willing myself desperately toward it's successful completion. Fun stuff.</div>
<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-8092030417274868892013-12-04T09:00:00.000-08:002013-12-04T09:00:04.054-08:00I need a little helpI like to think of myself as a pretty savvy search string constructionist. Typically I can find my way into the dusty and less travelled corridors of the web to glean whatever obscure knowledge i'm seeking - fine tuning my search queries over a couple iterations to get an answer to anything that is vexing me. <br />
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Recently though i've struck out. Maybe the fault isn't mine though. Maybe it is that the information i'm looking for just doesn't exist. Maybe these hyper intense short workouts have led me to break new ground - experiencing things never before experienced. Occum's razor though, suggests otherwise. While i suppose it is theoretically possible that i'm boldly going where no man has gone before it is rather more likely that i'm just not all i thought i was cracked up to be, google-wise. <br />
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Alright - lets get to the point (this is where i need your help). My stationary bike workouts are so debilitating that i feel crippled afterwords. Immediately after finishing my last interval i usually slam the resistance down to zero, spinning for 30-45 seconds as my heart rate drops from just shy of 200 back to more sustainable levels. I usually think i'm going to be ok, even though i should know better by now.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CF2FqJ5y7Xk/Up6zl1E_3MI/AAAAAAAABIE/I3n4iiwqxE0/s1600/Agony-Scene-194x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CF2FqJ5y7Xk/Up6zl1E_3MI/AAAAAAAABIE/I3n4iiwqxE0/s1600/Agony-Scene-194x300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How it feels those first minutes...</td></tr>
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But as soon as i get off the bike the pain sets in. And this isn't just normal pain - this is hot aches quality pain (as i mentioned in the last post). It is difficult to describe. The pain cannot be redirected or eased. there is no position i can take - sitting, prone, etc that will reduce it's intensity. I usually resort to walking (or hobbling rather) around the basketball courts - head clouded by the immediacy of the sensation for probably as long as - or what feels like it anyway - i was on the bike to begin with (8 minutes). And when i walk i feel like an invalid. I try to keep my legs locked straight - but when through my uncoordinated movement one takes a bit of weight even with a slight bend at the knee i feel as though i will surely collapse involuntarily - it's as if the muscles have been shut off or something. <br />
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10 minutes later all is well - the pain is gone, strength has returned. the next day there is never any soreness (it's an 8 minute workout after all) or negative effects. <br />
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All the info i seem to find is related to DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness, which i'm familiar with but is something very different.<br />
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So i'm asking for help. Thoughts? anyone else have similar experiences? Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-11765336466298472882013-11-27T12:19:00.000-08:002013-11-27T12:19:35.087-08:00Been a while, guv'nor (a story about old acquaintances)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday, i had a long overdue visit from an old acquaintance, the guv'nor. We'd been out of touch for quite a while for some time so when we ran into each other at the Y i was a bit surprised he showed up. Normally he only comes when invited (i used to invite him pretty regularly) but lately i'd been coming up with lots of reasons why i preferred to workout without his company. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe he'd just missed me. Or maybe he'd misconstrued our last conversation when i told him about how busy i was and how i needed some time and would call him when i was ready and able to get together. <br />
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Well, anyway, there he was. I didn't really even see him until it was too late to duck out or turn and go the other way. I was on the bike - 2 minutes into my 8 minute workout. I must have been distracted because i'd inadvertently bumped the level up one notch from last week's effort without realizing it. My head was down and eyes closed and when i looked up and realized my mistake he had appeared out of no where and was looking right at me.<br />
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"Hello" he said. "Got time for a chat?"<br />
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It was a rhetorical question and we both knew it. <br />
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So we chatted for the first time in nearly a month, since my big effort at <a href="http://www.endracing.com/end-trails">end-trails</a>. We negotiated and bartered and he tried to convince me that i needed to listen to him as he always does. But i didn't listen - i focused on the fact that i had only minutes left and i'd already done the hard part, now i just had to hang on. I let him drone on - glad to hear his voice but even more glad i could hear my own again. <br />
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Needless to say since my workouts are so short these days the conversation was over quickly. And so I said my 'good day' and 'thanks for coming - hope to see you again soon.' Then I got off the bike and headed to grab my coat and get on with my day.<br />
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"Wait for me" came a voice from behind. <br />
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I turned to see the guv'nor's henchman, Agony, standing there. I'd almost forgotten guv'nor never traveled alone. <br />
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"Come on" i said, motioning to him as i detoured towards the basketball courts for a couple of laps, quads seized with pain reminiscent of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_aches">hot aches</a>. "Lets get to know each other again - i think we'll be spending a lot of time together from now on..."<br />
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<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-71572175084284647082013-11-05T06:32:00.001-08:002013-11-05T06:32:56.336-08:00It's EASY! It WORKS!Every once in a while, I'll admit, I click on one of those insanely buff dudes in the sidebar of my Facebook page. You know, the ones where the tag line reads something like 'new secret reveals ancient wisdom's super easy way to get absolutely shredded while sleeping!'<br />
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My <a href="http://www.perfectmusclehealth.com/30days.php">latest click</a> actually involved something called "muscle rev x" and took me to the fascinating land of <u>Men's Health</u> advertorials where the sales pitch ensued: lots of awesome before and after pictures [check out <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2097832/From-fat-fit-just-FIVE-hours-Blogger-shows-create-fitness-shots-help-chips-soda-oil-tanning-bed.html">this link</a> for the secret behind these magic tricks], sweeping references to "clinically proven" and "scientific research" and an ocean of comments from the fascinating land of "Bro-Merica" (no seriously! check it out... um, Bro?). This particular link was selling supplements though many links are portals for training programs that make similar claims - 'get ripped in 6 minutes a day while drinking beer!'<br />
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My morning's visit to these distant shores got me wondering why i'm not seeing more insanely ripped people out there these days given the quantity of these opportunities that seem to exist and the fact that all of us spend at least 3 hours a day on Facebook (right Bro?).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJdxiNOIEWA/UnkAJ4v1gkI/AAAAAAAABHc/1LnP2Hp_Kj8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-11-05+at+8.26.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJdxiNOIEWA/UnkAJ4v1gkI/AAAAAAAABHc/1LnP2Hp_Kj8/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-11-05+at+8.26.07+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
And while the answer might be clearly apparent to most, here is my version. These program/supplements aren't creating an army of Gerard Butlers because of the difference between the theoretical truth and pragmatic truth. You see, all of these opportunities are really selling theoretical truths. It <i>is possible</i> to do regular six minute super high intensity workouts, integrate them with a shot glass full of beer, eat really healthy, and see awesome results. It <i>is possible</i> to take virtually any supplement as part of a solid exercise program and diet and radically change the way you look. <br />
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Pragmatically though, things are much more difficult. YOU (or whoever is wanting to get ripped, fit, or lose weight) don't actually change in any significant way when you key in your credit card number to an online order form. The habits, desires, time management, etc that got you where you are will not yield to gentle pressure. There are no easy solutions. If you are out of shape or unhealthy it has taken a long time to get you that way - a long time spent making decisions that negatively impacted you health and fitness. Even when claims of supplements, for example, are true - they only (at best) accentuate any benefits (i.e cause slightly faster weight loss) provided by a meaningful switch to making healthier choices. <br />
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The bottom line is that if YOU don't change - and stick with that change - then no amount of money will get you where you want to be. This is true regardless of what the tagline next to the buff dude tells you. The good news is that if you <i>do</i> really change, then you probably don't need the supplements anyway, and it won't really matter so much which particular training program you end up following.<br />
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The reason we're not all super athletes with fit and healthy bodies is that significant change, the kind required for results - is very hard. So next time you see those ads Bro, remember that you're being sold the theoretical truth and it is the pragmatic one that matters -<br />
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It's (never) EASY! It (all) WORKS!<br />
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<i>PS - did i get all the "Bros" right?</i>Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-71074391770289504192013-10-29T07:44:00.000-07:002013-10-29T07:44:43.067-07:00Suffering and GratitudeTwo days ago I ran 56 miles. <br />
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Over the 10+ hours i questioned my sanity and motives a dozen times, making countless bargains with myself about when i was going to stop. I fell to pieces mentally as i was overtaken on laps 4 and 5 by runners who the day before had finished the first half of the undead hall of fame challenge, navigating over 100 miles of these same twisting and undulating trails on mountain bike. I was hurting bad and these guys seemed to be blow by me effortlessly, despite the previous days monumental accomplishment. My laps got longer and longer, until the 6.2 miles was taking me approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. My toes seemed to drag along the trail, and maybe they were - i took tumble after tumble during this low period.<br />
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It's interesting as i write this to think about these things - the way the whole event changes from the beginning to the end. At the beginning ego is typically a driving factor. There is something to prove. But i've come to realize as i've done lots of long events that ego isn't enough. It's ability to provide the necessary drive to pilot the human machine decreases exponentially once certain physical states are reached. And when you're in these states and your pre-race expectations aren't being met (and they rarely are), ego becomes all but useless. Rationalization and justification take over - and these weapons of the central governor are indomitable adversaries. To overcome them - at least for me - a shift has to take place - a shift from motivation by external things (what others think of me) to internal ones.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q3bT0h5XWuU/Um_I7fqA4LI/AAAAAAAABHM/TQmxa9p7xdM/s1600/dt_business_nd2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q3bT0h5XWuU/Um_I7fqA4LI/AAAAAAAABHM/TQmxa9p7xdM/s1600/dt_business_nd2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom</td></tr>
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This particular race was a fascinating experience in many ways because of the lap style format - i wasn't able to use the sense of a 'journey' (one of the mental attitudes i often employ) to get myself through the darker moments. i got to explore some new ground. I didn't listen to music and so had nothing to do but think and check in with myself. I realized that cardio-vascularly i felt pretty good and that my challenge would be just accepting the amount of discomfort that i was in (not necessarily an easy task) and would be in for another 5 or 6 hours. I thought of my Mom and her struggles with neuromyelitis - the tightness and aching in her legs that endured unendingly for months, not hours. I thought of my grandfather who suffered from shingles for years near the end of his life. It made my discomfort seem insignificant and i realized that the only thing that made it non-trivial was that i had a choice. I could simply stop running at the end of my next lap, find a place by the roaring fire, and lay on my back with my feet up the wall (to drain the pressure from my legs). I didn't though, and my decision to keep going was somehow based on this odd sense of connectedness i felt with both my mom and grandfather through the act of willful suffering. It was a connection, as trite as it might sound, to the human spirit and human resilience.<br />
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Things got better after that. The suffering became purposeful - part of goal - rather than a hurdle to be overcome in pursuit of it. The remainder of the day seemed much more manageable - a small offering of gratitude to loved ones. Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-1642786303438059632013-10-03T05:19:00.001-07:002013-10-03T05:19:49.427-07:00The Upside of Penance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5PJotYE2zg/Uk1gp1awWvI/AAAAAAAABGs/C0dqB84iZrg/s1600/pop-ink-csa-images-man-carrying-four-tires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5PJotYE2zg/Uk1gp1awWvI/AAAAAAAABGs/C0dqB84iZrg/s320/pop-ink-csa-images-man-carrying-four-tires.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In my last post i described my busy fall. What i didn't mention is that i failed to clean up after myself. Well, i didn't clean up well enough. Some 50 tires from one of the mud run obstacles had been left on a somewhat out of the way trail on the greenway in grand forks. The volunteer help and vehicles i'd been using to clear the course were no longer available (or i was unwilling to ask - these folks do SO much!) and wet conditions made access difficult even were I able to get a truck. Combined with a busy schedule and, well, my own mental exhaustion, i just kind of blew it and hoped it would be ok for me to get to it when i got to it.<br />
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But it wasn't. Turns out the trail wasn't quite so far out of the way and regular Greenway users were tired of seeing my mess. The city was getting calls - it was public space after all. I'd already decided that next year better planning was in order to ensure things got taken care of more quickly after the event but that was next year... and those tires weren't going to move themselves. The city had offered to contract with a company to get in and remove them and charge the race for the labor. And they would graciously forgive me as well - it's not a 'one strike' kind of city which is one of the reasons it is such a great place to live. It was tempting. <br />
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But it was my mess. I borrowed a truck and enlisted one more volunteer to help with the removal yesterday morning. 10 minutes before I left the house it started raining. It kept raining. The trail became too difficult to access, the closest i could get to the tires was about 50 yards away, up a slight rise. The volunteer got lost and never showed. Fair enough. It was my mess. So spent two hours carrying mud and water filled tires, four at a time, up to the truck. My forearms became jelly and my traps burned. Then there was the tractor tire that weighed over 100 pounds. I became sisyphus rolling it up the slick path. The final hill was too steep as there was no tread against which to leverage, so i had to resort to tire flipping it up. I can't even remember how i got it into the truck. By the time i finished i was soaked to the bone and coated with mud. It was awesome.<br />
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When i made it to the gym for my scheduled 10 minutes on the bike late in the afternoon i pushed hard as usual and failed definitively half way through. I had nothing left. A good day of training.Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-3044181360829895442013-09-19T06:01:00.000-07:002013-09-19T10:05:26.709-07:00Talk about fatigued...I've been SUPER busy since my last post - planning two major events and trying to keep up with fundraising efforts for the non-profit and develop some new races for 2014. In fact, there were a few weeks i was so busy my training was reduced to 2 x 10 minute sessions a week. Yikes. <br />
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But i'm getting a little let hectic now - still full schedule of activity but no more 18+ hour days (putting on a mud run is brutal work!) thankfully. I'm back to work on my e-book and last week managed to put in a solid hour of training. Woo Hoo! I'm also headed into a three month stint where i'll be racing each month - all 8-10 hour adventure races - so that should be fun.<br />
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But enough about me - i'm writing this post, my hopeful return to more active blogging, thanks to Aaron Schwenzfier, a trainer for the UND athletics department and a real explorer when it comes to ideas about human potential and it's limits. He sent me an article this morning from this month's runners world that addresses some of the thoughts that i've shared on here over the years and introduces some new research about 'brain training' for endurance. You can read it below:<br />
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<a href="http://m.runnersworld.com/race-training/how-to-build-mental-muscle?page=1">http://m.runnersworld.com/race-training/how-to-build-mental-muscle?page=1</a><br />
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The exciting part for me was an clear and accessible explanation of the core element of the Central Governor Theory, to which i pretty much subscribe when it comes to the role that the mind plays in determining our limits. There are a couple of great 'summing' quotes -<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">Scientists have since demonstrated that seemingly absolute physical limits are imposed by the brain—not the body.</span> </blockquote>
Which of course I already knew or suspected - particularly for long durations of activity... i'm not sure that my brain limits my ability to run a 4 minute mile, but it certainly <i>does</i> limit my ability to run fifty 10 minute miles, at least in my experience. The above quote doesn't mean that physical aspects aren't important - but that it is the brains perception of a number of different factors, some physical and some mental/logistical that ultimately applies the brakes. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1qGXOCJqwfc/Ujr1Q9seH0I/AAAAAAAABGY/wWKNqcfgwtA/s1600/buildmentalmuscleoct500x310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1qGXOCJqwfc/Ujr1Q9seH0I/AAAAAAAABGY/wWKNqcfgwtA/s320/buildmentalmuscleoct500x310.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brain training. Pic borrowed from the article linked above</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;"> ...</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">anything that moves the effort "dial" in your head up or down affects how far or fast you can run. All the usual physical signals—dehydration, tired muscles, a pounding heart—contribute to how hard an effort feels. Runners train their bodies to adapt to those signals, and over time the effort of running at a given pace gets lower. But less-obvious signals, like mental fatigue, also contribute to how hard your run feels—and trying to hold marathon pace for hours and hours is pretty taxing on the brain. This... leads to a radical idea: If you could train the brain to become more accustomed to mental fatigue, then—just like the body—it would adapt and the task of staying on pace would feel easier.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22px;"> </span></span></blockquote>
This second bit got me to think about my own training and one reason i think it is effective for me, even as i employ it to compete in events that are hours or days long. In a sense i think it has effectively allowed me to turn that effort dial down. My training efforts and intensity is so extreme that they completely outstrip all race efforts i'm capable of sustaining by orders of magnitude. My Central Governor has been 'educated' as to what hard really is (albeit in very short lessons) and so knows that although there might be pain and fatigue during a longer race, i am proceeding at so far below my actual physical limits that continuing is (almost always) allowed.
Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-56097179821854372002013-07-26T18:03:00.000-07:002013-07-26T18:03:18.968-07:00The Slug Paradox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fXPwyTds2hw/UfMcH2TgH5I/AAAAAAAABFQ/LALwmN9WrX0/s1600/slug_on_track.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fXPwyTds2hw/UfMcH2TgH5I/AAAAAAAABFQ/LALwmN9WrX0/s1600/slug_on_track.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I'm only just back (ok, i was back five days ago) from a 3.5 day expedition length adventure race. From the time the gun went off on at 9:20 am until we hit the finish line 74 hours later, I'd biked over 150 miles, Paddled around 50, and run (using the term loosely here) another 50. Most of this was done at or above 8000 feet (I'd driven from about 1500 feet the day before the race) on a course that included some rugged terrain and lots of ups and downs. During those 74 hours I slept less than 4, and consumed roughly 10-12,000 calories, about half of what i burned. <br />
<br />
So why, then, do i feel like such a slug? <br />
<br />
It's not unique to this race to be honest - but the longer the race, the more i notice this strange paradox. The harder the challenge (and the more robustly I meet it) the softer i feel in the days following. Maybe its because i'm so destroyed afterwards. Maybe it's because the 24 hours after such a big undertaking are like returning to infancy - Eat as much as you can. Look around for a few minutes. Go to sleep. Wake up. Repeat. <br />
<br />
To be honest, the rest of the week has been much the same. But so be it. I'll give myself that week. And in the meantime I'll revel in my fascination about how quickly things change: one week ago i was deep in the gripping immediacy of a desperate struggle that i'd purposefully undertaken - to keep me and my team moving forward with relentless determination in an attempt to clear a completely arbitrary course (we were unsuccessful).<br />
<br />
And, for better or for worse, i'll also revel in my fleeting brush with slughood.<br />
<br />
<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-59955229851885075142013-07-08T11:21:00.002-07:002013-07-08T11:21:20.818-07:00Notes on Adventure Racing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6zoW8hqyV6E/UdsCUU0_WYI/AAAAAAAABE4/5noMNUi56ME/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-08+at+12.57.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6zoW8hqyV6E/UdsCUU0_WYI/AAAAAAAABE4/5noMNUi56ME/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-07-08+at+12.57.02+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Cold AND Wet. Dirty was irrelevant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Team ENDracing/Yogaslackers placed third in the stubborn mule 30 hour adventure race this last weekend. As navigator of the team, i learned lots during the race, got us lost a few times, and realized we have a pretty good team that is just going to keep getting better. I also remembered why i love adventure racing so much - it wakes me up.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Most of my life I spend operating in a way where certain distinctions between things not only make sense, but have great bearing on my decisions. Clean vs. Dirty is a prime example. Adventure racing takes me to a place where this distinction is useless. Cold vs Warm - sure, thats important. Wet vs. Dry is useful too (wet packs weigh more than dry ones). But clean and dirty drop away. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I get closer to a primal (as overused as the notion is in pop culture) state. I realize the resilience of my body. I can survive deep forest teeming with mosquitos. I can sleep in the middle of a swamp standing up. An open lake paddle after 24 hours of racing (26 hours awake) becomes blissful because the sun rises to warm and dry me after a cold, wet night. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I let things go. The natural world is no longer the 'natural' world. For those 30 hours, it is simply <u>the world</u> - 'natural' no longer provides a meaningful distinction.</div>
Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-78901090923221015952013-06-09T07:08:00.001-07:002013-06-09T07:08:28.998-07:00Upcoming races<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t--wjQEWnAo/UbSJ9rNUnCI/AAAAAAAABDw/sifv532vQ-0/s1600/racecalendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t--wjQEWnAo/UbSJ9rNUnCI/AAAAAAAABDw/sifv532vQ-0/s200/racecalendar.jpg" width="200" /></a>I've got three races in five weekends - a bike/canoe race next weekend (which i'm training through), a 30 hour adventure race at the end of June, and a 27 mile swim race on July 13th. All of my daily cool off showers while vacationing in Puerto Rico were spent mulling potential training schedules in my head - trying to come up with something that would have me raring to go for each event. Here's the result of those showers:<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lokmn-v4Eqc/UbSLu1mFypI/AAAAAAAABEA/r3aRVjijf7Y/s1600/4793526668_4830517235_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lokmn-v4Eqc/UbSLu1mFypI/AAAAAAAABEA/r3aRVjijf7Y/s320/4793526668_4830517235_z.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>week 1</b>: 10 minute swim, 10 minute run, 10 minute bike, 30 minute paddle<br />
<b>week 2</b>: 10 minute run, 10 minute bike, 10 minute swim, RACE (bike/paddle)<br />
<b>week 3</b>: 10 minute bike, 10 minute run, 10 minute swim, 30 minute paddle<br />
<b>week 4</b>: 20 min bike/run, 10 min swim, RACE (30 hour AR)<br />
<b>week 5</b>: 2 x 10 minute swim, 40 minute swim<br />
<b>week 6</b>: 10 min swim, 20 min swim, RACE (27 mile swim)<br />
<br />
Week 1 is over and went pretty well, though it had been a long time since i'd swam or bike and both hurt particularly bad. I'm also focusing on more outside work this time around - hoping to do some of the swimming after the AR in the river, and both my run and bike this week involved tire drags on an outside course. Each of those required an additional shower.<br />
<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-69448834406689791462013-05-31T12:09:00.003-07:002013-05-31T12:10:06.117-07:00Ancillary Benefits<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RacpvFoOoZc/Uaj1SNFbu6I/AAAAAAAABDg/XTWz_R6esu0/s1600/fractured_toe_mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RacpvFoOoZc/Uaj1SNFbu6I/AAAAAAAABDg/XTWz_R6esu0/s320/fractured_toe_mod.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">you'd never guess i had such pudgy feet, would you?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think I fractured my toe 10 days ago. I was Stand up paddleboarding in Puerto
rico. Trying to get out through the surf I lost my balance as a wave crashed on
the board and hopped off into what I’d assumed was deep water. Unfortunately, this particular break
was a reef break and I jumped into inches, not feet, of water. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The day after the accident my toe was slightly swollen and
black and blue along its entire length.
Although I could still bend it slightly, doing so was pretty
painful. And although I was on
vacation, I still wanted to be active, and had planned on doing a short hard
run every other day (the hills from our vacation rental in Rincon were short,
steep, and perfect for my style of training!). I figured I’d give it a go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The downhill was very painful (slap, slap) and the uphill
moderately so. Luckily, the whole
episode only lasted about 15 minutes.
By the time it got uncomfortable enough that I started feeling pretty
stupid - you know, the point where
the ‘hey, running with a fractured toe might not be a great idea’ realization
hits – I only had about 5 minutes to go.
And feeling stupid for five minutes is ok by me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So despite my injury, I managed to maintain my efforts
during my Caribbean stay. Although
I suppose it may take me a little longer to heal, I’m not worried either. Seems like I’ll be easily able to train
right through this minor detail in a way I doubt I’d be able to were I feeling
the need to log 40 miles a week or something. Sweet. </div>
<!--EndFragment-->Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-27126178050655214662013-05-13T18:36:00.005-07:002013-05-13T18:39:58.644-07:00New methods of torture<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-USW5xY0rLjI/UZGU5JB2FdI/AAAAAAAABDI/ePHP_qHsS_M/s1600/0000131384-tortur002-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-USW5xY0rLjI/UZGU5JB2FdI/AAAAAAAABDI/ePHP_qHsS_M/s400/0000131384-tortur002-004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">treadmill torture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I tried a variation of a workout i'd given my brother and the <a href="http://www.yogaslackers.com/">Yogaslackers</a> adventure racing team (they are the guinea pigs i guess) the last week, just to make sure i was pushing them properly.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
No worries there.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's a combination pyramid/negative split arrangement on the treadmill, and its pretty nasty. Here's how you do it - given in minutes, and for the sake of using numbers, my pacing.</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>flat at 9 mph</li>
<li>1% at 9 mph</li>
<li>2% at 9 mph</li>
<li>3% at 9 mph</li>
<li>4% at 9 mph</li>
<li>4% at 9.3 mph</li>
<li>3% at 9.3 mph</li>
<li>2% at 9.3 mph</li>
<li>1% at 9.3 mph</li>
<li>0% at 9.3 mph</li>
</ol>
<div>
you need to choose a starting pace that feels fast - so fast in fact that the fifth minute will feel really tough - so tough that you should be wishing that you not only didn't have to speed up, but that you didn't have another minute at the 4% incline, period. And then when you <i>do</i> speed up, its one of those minutes where you're desperately counting every second and can feel actual physical failure starting to approach rather quickly. The beauty is that although that 6th minute is the peak in terms of physical intensity - it won't feel like it. the 1% reduction of incline - at best - is <i>barely</i> enough to allow you to keep going. During my first stab at this workout i wasn't sure i was going to be able to finish it until sometime during the 9th minute - 3 whole minutes were spent in that glorious state of running through jello - full uncertainty as to whether body or mind would prove to be the master. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Good luck. You're going to need it!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-10472902189872828852013-05-10T07:52:00.000-07:002013-05-10T07:52:41.764-07:00The Long Run - a one hour a week marathon training program.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQcqhPFsgsU/UYpjK8jv1JI/AAAAAAAABCc/KxVz1Ro85pk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-05-08+at+9.37.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQcqhPFsgsU/UYpjK8jv1JI/AAAAAAAABCc/KxVz1Ro85pk/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-05-08+at+9.37.11+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
One of the criticisms that i find reasonable of a super low volume approach to endurance racing - particularly for someone getting into the sport - is the concern that it doesn't provide adequate opportunity for physiological adaptations of connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons. These tissues are brutalized during long events involving repetitive stresses. If they are stronger, injury is less likely. Research during my morning cup of coffee found little in the way of easily accessible information regarding how the adaptation of these tissues occurs - but i did find one <a href="http://www.uml.edu/campusrecreation/staff/EP%20II%20Materials/Neuromuscular%20Adaptations%20to%20Training.pdf">powerpoint</a> from the University of Massachusetts (with some textbook sources cited) that seemed to suggest that it is changes in collagen fibrils that are responsible for these adaptations. It further suggested that exercise of low to moderate intensity did little to drive this process. <br />
<br />
That being said, there is a pretty heavy dose of conventional wisdom out in cyberspace beating the drums to a tune of "volume = necessary adaptations" and so i thought that in absence of more substantial evidence* i should work towards figuring out a way to include some longer workouts in the mix, just in case. The added benefit of this is that for someone trying to take the low volume approach as an <i>entrance</i> into endurance efforts, longer efforts will help provide some of the required mental confidence. <br />
<br />
Here's how it might work for a marathon.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>week 1 (40 min) - 2 x 10 minute high intensity runs**, 1 x 20 minute tempo run</li>
<li>week 2 (50 min) - 2 x 10 minute high intensity runs, 1 x 30 min. tempo run</li>
<li>week 3 (1 hour) - 2 x 10 minute high intensity runs, 1 x 40 min. tempo run</li>
<li>week 4 (1 hr. 10 min) - 2 x 10 min high intensity runs, 1 x 50 min. tempo run</li>
<li>week 5 (1 hr 20 min) - 2 x 10 min high intensity runs, 1 x 1 hour tempo run</li>
<li>week 6 (20 min) - 2 x 10 min high intensity runs (later in week)</li>
<li>week 7 (50 min) - 2 x 10 min high intensity runs, 1 x 30 minute tempo run</li>
<li>week 8 (1 hr 50 min) - 2 x 10 minutes high intensity runs, 1 x 90 min. tempo run.</li>
<li>week 9 (20 min) - 2 x 10 minute high intensity run (later in week)</li>
<li>week 10 (2 hr. 20 min) - 2 x 10 minute high intensity runs, 1 x 2 hour tempo run</li>
<li>week 11 (20 min) - 2 x 10 min high intensity run (later in week)</li>
<li>week 12 (1 hr) - 40 min tempo run (early in week), 2 x 10 min easy runs. RACE</li>
</ul>
<div>
12 weeks and 12 total training hours. While it might seem like the proposed marathon would be tough mentally (being up to twice the duration of the longest training run), i think it wouldn't be too bad for someone who'd been able to actually get through the program with genuinely high intensity efforts. The marathon pace would be substantially easier than nearly ALL the training and it seems unlikely that the additional running time at these lower intensities would prove to be a significant mental challenge for someone who'd been able to consistently pour themselves into the 10 minute efforts week after week. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alright - who's gonna take the bait and be the guinea pig?</div>
<br />
<br />
*I'm going to keep looking. Honestly i'm not sure i'll find anything substantiating a strong connection between training volume exclusively being necessary for any sort of adaptation... it seems more likely, in my opinion, rather that consistent application of stresses above a certain threshold are the requirements for physiological changes. There is already a good body of evidence along these lines in terms of aerobic adaptation, and i'm guessing that the same will hold true here. <a href="http://thedailygrind.robdamanii.com/2012/10/19/coaching-the-myth-of-more-miles/">This post</a> provides some good context as to why these drums might still be sounding though.<br />
<br />
** I'll provide details on what constitutes a 'high intensity effort' and give some example running workouts that fit the bill in a later post - or if you're interested in finding out more before i get to it, just leave a comment.<br />
<br />
<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-77178339109274543882013-05-08T06:23:00.000-07:002013-05-08T07:38:40.772-07:0080/20 principle (AKA the Pareto Principle)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SuWJpQEKwak/UYpQdFY-3HI/AAAAAAAABCM/6g9YCFZfMz4/s1600/80.20-jpg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SuWJpQEKwak/UYpQdFY-3HI/AAAAAAAABCM/6g9YCFZfMz4/s640/80.20-jpg1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
From Wikipedia:<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The <b>Pareto principle</b> (also known as the <b>80–20 rule</b>, the <b>law of the vital few,</b> and the <b>principle of factor sparsity</b>) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NYT_1-0" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle#cite_note-NYT-1" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8020pre_2-0" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle#cite_note-8020pre-2" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup></blockquote>
Some version of this 'rule', which seems to have a rough equivalent in sectors from business to agriculture to social media (80% of your facebook interactions come from 20% of your friends), is foundational to my training methodology. In my love of complexity, i'm going to suggest that in truth the principle as applied to fitness is actually recursive and can be applied iteratively (only in terms of time invested) as one approaches their athletic goals.<br />
<br />
In terms of fitness the principle goes something like - 80% of your fitness potential** comes from 20% of your training time. The second iteration means that 80% of that 80% comes from 20% of that 20% - creating a 64/4 principle. Now keep in mind that this really only applies in theory, and to someone following an 'ideal' training program with a proper mix of intensities. But thus applied - it is basically sound: 80% of the fitness potential realizable on that program comes from 20% of the training time. And i bet you already know what that training time is spent on - yep - high intensity work. <br />
<br />
So as a thought experiment, lets consider that I might (barring likely injury) be able to train to run a 9-10 hour ironman triathlon if i could mentally and physically follow through on a traditional training program pedaled to elite athletes. It'd likely require about 16-20 hours of effort (on average) per week, and would (in theory) get pretty close to my physical potential. The Pareto principle suggests that by training around 3-4 hours a week and focusing on the workouts with the highest 'return on investment', i can get to about an 80% level. Apply it again and you're at about 64% of your potential on under 1 hour a week. And while 64% might seem pretty low to some folks (and it should) - i'm going to suggest that the majority of recreational 'athletes' - the ones whose goals and ambitions support the entire 'health and fitness' sector of the economy - are working at levels below this*.<br />
<br />
<i>*Quantification of fitness is messy as there are too many variables - but i think the basic structure of what you'd see using just about any metric would substantiate these ideas. For running endurance, you might measure percentage of potential based on marathon time for example. If I trained exclusively for a marathon and tailored my life to support my efforts, what time could i aim for? Probably somewhere in the sub 3 hour range. My idealized training would probably consume about <a href="http://www.yourmarathontrainingplan.com/free-training-programs/elite/">4-5 hours a week</a>. Using the above logic, this would mean that I ought to be able to train for about 1 hour a week and turn in a respectable time of sub 3:45 (0.8*3 Hrs). My own experience corroborates this.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>**Of course working out/training serves many purposes in peoples lives beyond working to reach their physical potential - stress relief, general health and well being, camaraderie, and just good old plain fun. </i></div>
Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-65220536529793136342013-05-06T07:17:00.002-07:002013-05-06T07:18:04.351-07:00minimum maintenance roads<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">END-SPAR minimum maint. road</td></tr>
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My journey down this road started a few weeks ago in mid April when I helped take our youth climbing team down to Minneapolis for their first 'away game'. It was awesome, but the long travel days meant that i missed both my friday and sunday workouts. The following week i was in the throes of last minute planning for <a href="http://www.endracing.com/end-spar">END-SPAR</a> and had to make Sunday after the race a family day as they'd been rather neglected as of late. And finally, training this last week was hampered by a 'too good to miss' trip to Pembina (little south pembina river during flood stage!) in addition to race director duties for the <a href="http://www.groundupadventures.com/far">family adventure race.</a><br />
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So long story short, three weeks in a row with only my 3 10 minute workouts done. Surprisingly, i'm feeling good about it. probably partly because i was getting outside to hang checkpoints rather than sitting in front of a computer. And although i was super busy and each of my 10 minute sessions felt squeezed in and almost an after thought, i still managed to match or better my best ever efforts on every one of them. Sweet.<br />
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Maybe if i modify my schedule to be somewhat periodized - limiting it to the 3 sessions (for a total of 30 min) for three weeks with a 90 minute super 'effort' at the end i'd have a three week cycle where i was getting in some long enough efforts with enough frequency to cause some adaptation of the connective tissues, etc - which is one of the major limitations (as far as my research has shown) of using an exclusively high intensity approach to endurance. <br />
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ND whitewater</div>
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If nothing else, the last three weeks have shown me that, for what it's worth, even just the 3 weekly workouts are enough to keep my stimulated and feeling pretty damn fit - in a minimum maintenance kind of way.Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6084232248731176219.post-878997653365369082013-04-09T13:25:00.002-07:002013-04-09T13:25:33.554-07:00N=2One of the biggest problems i've faced in trying to discuss the path that low volume, high intensity training provides as a potential alternative to ambitious (but time crunched) amateur athletes looking to take on serious endurance challenges (other than the lonely factor) is the N=1 argument. When the only one following my training program and having success is me - the project is more case study than experiment. Interesting, perhaps, but hardly evidence.<br />
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But i can happily say the days of N=1 seem to be behind me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Subject number 2</td></tr>
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Meet Ryan Wagner - a 35 year old father of 5 whom i met about a year and a half ago. He's a fit guy with the physique of a greek hero who has a real passion for exercise. When he was introduced to what I was doing (and the crazy events <a href="http://www.endracing.com/">ENDracing</a> offered) he was just getting into endurance sports, and most of his exercise consisted of a steady diet of standard fare lifting and 'cardio'. He'd run one marathon in 3:43 following a more traditional training program back in September of 2008. But between his wife's heavy law school load, his own full time student status, and all the kids, he was fitting in training at 4 a.m. obviously at the sacrifice of sleep.<br />
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When i convinced him to try some long events (a 6 hour adventure race for starters) he got super excited and, not surprisingly, upped his training. After all, longer races meant more training, right? Simply put, he didn't feel he was doing enough. Long story short - he developed a slight injury leading up to the event that forced him to DNF after 2 hours.<br />
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But he healed. And I started inviting him to workout with me. It took him a while to 'let go' of the junk miles. He tried to rationalize a need for them - that it gave him something more - that it relaxed him or kept him sane. But i suspected differently. What he needed was sleep. And i felt that what he really wanted was just to feel like he could go out and do crazy long super hard stuff -that he was fit enough - and that how he got there really wasn't as important. So for a while he was tagging along with me on my gut wrenching 10 minute workouts and trying to squeeze in all the other stuff too. He put in a one or two longer runs leading up to the <a href="http://www.endracing.com/end-sure">50 Kilometer winter ultra</a> we did together in March. We did really well at that event and i think he was convinced.<br />
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It was in the let down from the 50K that we decided to add a 50 miler to our racing calendar on May 11th. He agreed to follow my training program more or less (he still gets to lift - i've been there - hard to give that up) and see how it goes. I'm nervous but confident. We'll run together which means i can talk him through the low points that will undoubtedly come. And he's demonstrated that he is very capable of producing the genuine level of extreme effort required for the truncated program to yield good results (something i'm starting to think that few people are able to and/or interested in doing in the first place).<br />
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And granted, N=2 is hardly evidence either. But it <i>is</i> a 100% increase in numbers, and that has one other important benefit - it fixes the lonely factor. Suffering side by side, even in breathless silence, is - at least for me - better than suffering alone. Thanks for being along for the ride, Ryan.<br />
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<br />Andy Magnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10462464014137155123noreply@blogger.com0