Embracing the Suck: Ironman Mont-Tremblant is Almost Here

I was watching the London Olympic ‘s Women’s marathon this morning and thinking of my upcoming Ironman in Quebec. (Yes, I was up at 5am to watch the race and was on my bike trainer so I wouldn’t waste the training time) The announcers were talking about the work these women put in day after day for years that culminates at their shot for Olympic gold. They also talked about the way an Olympic gold could really change many of their lives, especially those from African nations. Although I did find their commentary interesting, the one thing that struck me was the comment that at least 30 of the woman had the athletic talent to win gold, but it was the ability to embrace the suffering inherent in the marathon distance that eventually meant the difference between Olympic champions and also ran.

It reminded me of an article I read in Triathlon magazine by Chris McCormack (for those non-triathletes he is “Macca” and a hugely successful triathlete and pretty neat guy) that had this topic as its theme. “Embrace the suck!” is Macca’s mantra when thinking about long course. He also felt that mind over body and how you controlled your mind during a race meant the difference between successes and also ran or in some cases DNF!

There was one study that had half the athletes doing math problems while doing weight reps and half the athletes concentrating on the weights. Guess which one fatigued earlier? Of course the ones spending mental energy on math and losing focus of the reps. Focus is the key to success!

What does all this mean? My musing this morning comes down to why we do this sport. Whether you are a marathoner or a long course triathlete, you challenge yourself to perform races that most people think are insane. Why? The challenge! The edge! Whether our goal is to finish or a time goal or to win, a satisfying race is accomplished when we come to the edge and come face-to-face with our inner weakness.  The edge comes when the risk is compelling enough to make it all count.  I find myself asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” about halfway into a long race. How I answer is the difference between success and a less than optimal outcome. Whining is not an option. At that point, I might as well throw in the towel.  Perishing on the pavement is also not a good option. Confronting this inner voice and trouncing it makes the race a success!

After finishing my first Ironman, I went back to work the next week with the feeling I could do anything! Not only was my mental attitude better at work, but it was also better at home. I had embraced the suffering and succeeded so nothing was impossible, even the whining of my 13-yr-old! I find in business, the same mantra holds true. If you embrace the suck, meaning put it all on the line knowing it will take work, suffering and an uphill battle; you usually succeed. Why? Same reason, the risk is compelling enough for us to put in 100% effort! We can’t lose when we bring our “A” game!

I have a significant challenge in 2 weeks at Ironman Mont-Tremblant.  The course is at altitude and is very hilly! I will conquer the course and finish the race, which is my goal this year. I know I will be asking myself why I am racing and what does it matter to anyone except myself that I finish. My self-talk will tell my inner voice to suck it up and finish no matter how bad I feel, for myself, for my friends and family and for all my patients following their doctor! I inspire them to take on life’s challenges and win! If it were easy, everyone would do it!

Bottom line: Embrace the suck!! In a race and in your life! You embrace the pain and the challenge, then deal with it and succeed!

11 Common Sense Tips to Run Injury Free!

My patients in my Grapevine, TX office are always asking me: “Why do some runners always seem to be hurt and others can run forever and never sidelined?” Great question!!

Amby Burfoot tried to answer that question in an article in Runner’s World in March 2010. He states that George Sheehan, MD, the medical editor of Runner’s World in the 1970’s, felt that one in 100 people were “motor geniuses” and never got hurt. The rest of us were destined to be injury plagued from time to time.

Ralph Waldo Emerson stated “that there is a crack in everything God has made,” meaning that nothing is perfect and that can be translated to runners as well!

An extensive review of the medical literature by Burfoot reveals a great number of papers on running injuries, but no conclusions. It turns out that running injuries can be caused by being female (funny), being male (more likely), being old, being young, pronating too much, pronating too little, training too much, training too little, having new shoes, having old shoes, and it goes on…..

So what can we conclude? Most of us will get hurt at some time during our running career! So what can we do to prevent major, career threatening injuries?

1. Know Your Limits. This is a hard one. Some people cannot tolerate long distance running year after year. I’ve seen this in my office all too often. Some people try again and again to get to the marathon distance, but just keep getting hurt. Everyone has a threshold. Learn yours. Follow the rules and avoid too much, too soon, too fast syndrome! If you get to 15 miles and get hurt every time, maybe your body is trying to tell you something. Work on your 5K time instead of trying to attempt a marathon yet again.
2. Listen to Your Body. I give this advice every time I talk to a group of runners. Many do not listen. If you get out of bed feeling like you got run over by a train, perhaps a little rest in is order; not a long run! Most injuries do not spontaneously occur; they start with little aches and pains. Ironman triathletes are the worse! Do not “train through the pain”. That’s just plain stupid (and yes, I’ve tried to do it too!)
3. Consider Shortening Your Stride. I have to admit, I hadn’t really thought of this advice until I read Amby Burfoot’s article. It makes sense. Overstriding increases stress, so shortening your stride will soften the landing when you run. I think this is also why the recent “barefoot” or “minimalist” craze has taken a string hold. It’s hard to overstride in minimalist shoes!
4. Strength Training Can Help. One thing that has been shown to decrease running injuries is strength training. This is especially true in women. Core strength training twice a week can really help you avoid the doctors office and prolonged time on the couch.
5. Ice is your Friend! See my video on first aid for tendonitis, rest and repeat every time you have an ache or pain. A little rest, ice, compression and elevation goes a long way!
6. The Surface Makes a Difference. Here’s great tip: Don’t always run on the right side of the road facing traffic! It allows you to see the cars coming at you, but here in Texas, it means you always run on a slight slant that causes a functional leg length discrepancy. (And don’t try to make up for it by putting a lift in your left shoe- that’s stupid too!) Also try to vary your surfaces, one day on the road, one day on the track, perhaps a treadmill day or a day on the golf course. Trails are also a good thing to put in the mix. The same thing, at the same speed, on the same surface all the time can quickly add up to an injury.
7. Too Hard, Too Often is a Recipe for Disaster! When I was younger (about a thousand years ago) I used to “race into shape”. Not a great plan unless you are a gifted teenager! Too much speed work or too much racing beats the heck out of your body. Always follow a hard day with an easy one, or two if you are over 35!
8. Stretch. I’m not going to debate the value of stretching. I’ve done that in other articles. I know there are some people who think stretching is bad. I’m not one of them! All I know is that runners that are tight get hurt a heck of a lot more than those that are flexible.
9. Cross training is not a Bad Word! When I turned 40 (yes, about 5 seconds ago), I took up triathlon. Why? Because I knew as a thin female runner, getting older, I needed to cross train to keep up my aerobic fitness and decrease the stress on my body. This lead to a love of swimming and eventually an Ironman. Who says you can’t evolve as an endurance junkie? Seriously though, swimming, biking, the elliptical, circuit weight training….These all help to maintain your fitness and change up the stressors n your body.
10. Shoes Make a Difference! Find the shoe that works for you. Your podiatrist or a good experienced shoe sales person can help you, but bottom line….get a shoe that fits and is the correct type for your foot type. The reason there are a million shoes are on the market, and growing, is that there is not one perfect running shoe (although this doesn’t stop people from asking for it!)
11. Orthotics Can Help! I realize that many people are shying away from corrective orthotic and trying to embrace the minimalist wave. Not everyone can run barefoot and not everyone needs orthotics. If you continue to have similar injuries over and over, what’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting a different outcome! If you are one of those biomechanically perfect gazelles, more power to you! But most of us could use a little help in that department. In many cases, you can correct some biomechanical problems with strengthening and stretching, but let’s face it….most of us are too lazy to do the work to correct our biomechanical imbalances. Orthotics can help. Think of them as eye glasses for your feet. The majority of us could benefit from a tire realignment!

Best advice I can give: listen to your body, increase slowly and have a plan! If you are one of those oft injury plagued runners, take a look at these tips. Are you following the guideline? If so, take a spin in triathlon! It has saved a lot of weekend warriors…….

Thanks to Amby Burfoot and his crew. I have liberally borrowed from their content and just put in my two cents worth. If you want to read his article, “The 10 Laws of Injury Prevention” you can find it in the March 2010 edition of Runner’s World.

The Race In Your Head

Ryan Hall said about running a marathon, “It's a long, hard road and it's going to have its bumps; there are going to be times when you fall and times when you don't feel like going on anymore, times when you're just crazy tired but it takes focusing on that one step you're taking. That's what I'm trying to do with the marathon; I don't think about the miles that are coming down the road, I don't think about the mile I'm on right now, I don't think about the miles I've already covered. I think about what I'm doing right now, just being lost in the moment.”

I feel this is even truer about endurance triathlon and Ironman. Focus on the moment and don’t think about the miles and hours to come. Most of the battle in the race is going on in your head!

Disregard the negative self talk! Remember your mantras. It's all about the finish line. Pain is temporary and quitting is forever!

You Know You Are A Triathlete When?

I have a running gag going for the last few years on and off on my website and it makes up the last chapter of my book. “You know you are a runner when….” Lots of my friends contributed to the list from 2008 to late 2009, when we published the first book…. I felt it was fitting to add this year, especially since Janet and I are less than three weeks away from Ironman Texas, “You know you are a triathlete when…” Feel free to send comments back and I will add them to the list. This inaugural list was compiled by Janet and I emailing each other and drinking wine at the same time. Please do not be offended and you are required to laugh. If you do not get it, you need to ask a triathlete……

You know you are a triathlete when…

1. You think it’s normal to wear spandex 24/7.


2. You can blow your nose while on the bike without using tissue. (runners call this a snot rocket)


3. You know the psi needed for your tires, yet can’t remember the garage door code.


4. You have found even more areas to apply body glide you didn’t think were possible.


5. You have no problem loaning body glide or chapstick to a triathlete you don’t even know.


6. You come to the realization there is justification for public nudity in transition, and you are OK with it.


7. You feel that receiving a drafting penalty hurts worse than a tax bill.


8. You think swimming through pee is not so bad, and you pee often in your wetsuit and/or in the lake.


9. You contemplate how to pee on the bike when riding, and you are a girl.


10. You can speed on your bike, eat a gel and yell “on your left” to a pedestrian or other cyclist, all at the same time.


11. You put your helmet on backwards leaving transition and don’t want to stop and fix it because it takes too much time.


12. You think it’s sexy to have your race number sun burnt into your calf and show it off like a badge of honor.


13. You have worse tan lines than a farmer’s tan.


14. Your cycling race wheels are worth more than your neighbor’s car….or your car.


15. You realize flatulance is pretty funny in a wetsuit and warm on cold swim days.


16. You plan for your first Ironman tattoo before you even sign up for the race.


17. You press your race bibs with an iron and file or display for future admiration.


18. You find yourself yelling “on your left” as you pass other carts in the grocery store.


19. You find that a six hour bike ride is a warm up.


20. You wash your bike more than you wash the dog.


21. You look forward to aging as this will be your only way to stand on the podium in an older age group or qualify for Kona.


22. You realize you look like a squid or a sperm in your aero helmet and kinda like it.


23. You realize salt tablets on hot race days are like crack for triathletes.


24. You conveniently happen to have your race medal on you at work for “show and tell”.


25. New tri gear websites make you salivate.


26. You’ve been known to check your Training peaks log even more often then your email on your IPhone.


27. When you start to think it is normal to go to bed before 9pm and get up at 5am.


28. You can’t remember the last time you slept in past 6 am on a Saturday.


29. You rationalize that somehow it’s not completely crazy to try the first open water swim of the season when the lake water is only 58 degrees.


30. You own at least ten swim suits, five pair of goggles, a dozen bathing caps, swim fins, a pool buoy and at least a wet suit and speed suit if not two.


31. You have an entire chest of drawers full of running and biking clothing; but still shop for more practically weekly or even daily.


32. You have more pair of athletic socks with “wicking action” then you have pantyhose or dress socks.


33. You own more than a dozen pairs of running shoes and can justify why you need each and every one.


34. Your inventory of hats and visors equals your running shoes or greater.


35. You have at one time documented and tallied everything you eat or put in your mouth, even a tic-tac, in order to evaluate your nutrition even though you are at least 20 pounds under your “ideal weight”.


36. You have a plan “A”, plan “B”’, and a “try not to die” race plan.


37. You start to think an Ironman is not such an insurmountable challenge and start figuring out how you can qualify for Kona.


38. You regularly have to explain that you are not a victim of domestic violence, those are just your “crash bruises”.


39. Your biggest fear is skin cancer even though you practically bathe in sunscreen.


40. Even your kids start to think they have to swim, bike or run just to spend quality time with Mommy.


41. You have more water bottles than wine glasses in your cupboards.


42. Your refrigerator has more protein shakes and Gatorade in it than milk or soda.


43. You have a following on Facebook that lives vicariously through your training and racing ups and downs.


44. You have peeps that you feel like you have known forever through training, but they may not even know your last name (or your first, come to think of it).


45. Blisters, chaffing, road rash and sunburn (an the occasional broken toe) are just a minor annoyance.


46. You show off your peeling sunburn and chip holder tan line on your ankle with pride on the Monday after a race.


47. All of your t-shirts say things like 70.3, 140.6, etc…and you have at least 100+ you can’t part with.


48. When you wake up in the morning with every muscle and joint in your entire body hurting and think, “I had a great work out yesterday”.


49. When you know the exact distances that make up a sprint, Olympic, Half-ironman, and ironman race segments by heart and keep explaining to your friends that they are not all an Ironman and not all in Hawaii.


50. When your workouts have taken the pace of any kind of social life.


51. When you cross the finish line of your first triathlon.
    
    Smile…..and add to the list!
    
    
    
    
    
    

Triathlon Tips For Newbies!

The triathlon bug has now taken over at the FAANT office. Janet and I have been training for the Inaugural Texas Ironman on May 21st for the last 6 months and Janet has done a great job of blogging about our adventures. (click here to read her blog) The women in our office have now been inspired to “tri” their first triathlon. Grapevine recreation is having a sprint triathlon on June 4th right here in town, so many of the ladies have signed up! Even more are taking the role of Sherpa or cheerleaders to encourage their co-workers. I am so excited to see the enthusiasm for the sport. So here are a few tips for getting ready for your first tri!

Have a Plan. It’s not like you just wake up one morning and decide you want to do a triathlon. Or maybe you did and then realized you have no idea how to get ready for one! There are lots of on-line plans and relatively inexpensive coaching available. Having a plan is like having a recipe for success. Make a plan and stick to it!

Be Consistent. If you have ever jumped into a race very undertrained, the experience is not pleasant. You want your first triathlon to be an uplifting experience, not a painful blur. Stick to your training plan and be consistent with your workouts. After the first three weeks it gets a lot easier!

Review the Course. Knowing the course is very helpful in getting through rough spots in the race. You can anticipate the harder spots and know that the finish in near. Also, occasionally the course is not well marked and you can go awry. Knowing the course ahead of time is always a bonus if the going gets rough.

Watch Your Nutrition. Training for your first race is not the time to try a new diet or new foods. Consistent and normal good eating habits will ensure a stable stomach during the race. You don’t want to spend half the day in the porta-potty!

Sleep is Important. Training is taxing on the body and the mind. Getting plenty of rest will help your body recharge and be ready for the race. The sleep you get two nights before is more important than the night before, so if you have pre-race jitters and don’t sleep well….no fear if you have adequate rest in the weeks before.

Pack the Night Before. And use a List! I always set out my transition and all my gear the night before. The morning of the race is always full of chaos and usually starts a 5am, so packing your bag the night before using a checklist will ensure you have necessary tools like goggles and sunglasses!

Visualize Success. Get a mental image of yourself not only crossing the finish line, but being happy with your finish. Your body tends to follow your mind.

Pace Yourself. Many newbies go out way too fast on the swim or start to hammer the bike, only to find themselves walking the run. Pace yourself. The first one is about finishing standing up!

Don’t Freak Out! Janet can tell stories about panicking on the swim. I can tell stories about crashing on the bike. Neither one of us has ever had a flat tire in a race, but we’ve seen enough of them! Relax. Things happen. Your goggles can fall off, you can crash your bike, and you can forget to put sock on with your running shoes.

Relax and Execute Your Race. We have all had stuff happen that didn’t fall into our “perfect race” plan. Go to plan “B”!

Have Fun. Don’t be so serious about the challenge that you don’t enjoy the day. I remember finishing my first sprint triathlon after years of marathon running and feeling. “Wow! That was fun!” Let’s face it, most of us won’t win our first time out, so our reward is the sense of accomplishment (and the beer at the finish!)

Hopefully these tips will help any newbies and all the staff in my office who are training for their first tri! You will get addicted! Triathlon gets in your blood and you will be hooked!

Six Simple Exercise For Stronger Strides!

Are you thinking about embracing minimlaism or barefoot running? These can be good adjunctive training exercises to make you stronger, fitter and faster! All in is not the way to go. I feel a better approach to minimalism is to realize that your feet are weak in their current state and you need to add a foot and leg strengthening program to your current regimen. A strong core is imperative for good, efficient running form. The stronger the core, the longer you can hold good posture as you run down the road in search of your zen.

Here are six simple exercises to stronger strides

Here are six simple exercises you can do daily to improve your intrinsic foot strength. I recommend you walk around your house barefoot for five minutes to warm up your feet. Then really warm up your foot muscles by pretending your big toe is a marker and writing the alphabet with your foot. Do this twice. Now you are ready to begin strengthening your feet.

1. Towel crunches. Your foot has tiny intrinsic muscles that stabilize your toes called the interossei and lumbricals. A great way to strengthen them is to put your foot on a towel and crunch your toes. Do this ten times, then take a 30 second break and repeat to complete three sets of ten. When you get good at this, replace the towel with a pen or marker and grab it with your toes.

2. Heel walking. Heel striking is what we are avoiding, but heel walking is a great way to strengthen your anterior lower leg muscles (muscles in your shin). Roll back on your heels and walk forward balancing yourself on your heels for about 30 seconds, then take a 30 second break and repeat two more times.

3. Deep squats on your forefoot. Roll up onto your forefoot then squat down into an almost sitting position, trying to keep your balance and avoid shifting back onto your heels. Hold this pose for 30 seconds then stand up for 10 seconds and repeat 5 more times. When you get good at this, try holding a weighted bar at you shoulder level and then squat.

4. Inner foot strengthening with a resistance band. (This targets the medial muscles; the posterior tibial muscle and abductor hallucis) Tie the resistance band on a chair leg then use your medial muscles to pull the band toward the center of your body. Other option is to hook the band around your foot, then use the other foot to stabilize it. Pull your foot toward the midline of your body. Hold for 10 seconds then relax for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times. (An alternative is to balance on the inside of your foot and walk for 30 seconds, following the pattern of heel walking)

5. Outer foot strengthening with a resistance band. (This targets the lateral muscles; the peroneals) Tie the resistance band on a chair leg then use your lateral muscles to pull the band toward the outside of your body. Other option is to hook the band around your foot, then use the other foot to stabilize. Then move your foot towards the outside of your body. Hold for 10 seconds then relax for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times. (An alternative is to balance on the outside of your foot and walk for 30 seconds, following the pattern of heel walking)

6. Proprioceptive/Balance Training. Balance on one foot with other leg bent. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 5 times. When you get good, then roll up onto your forefoot. If you are a pro, then put a 5 pound weight in the opposite hand and touch your toes while balancing on your forefoot. (An alternative progression is to go from one leg on forefoot on level ground, to a foam mat then a Bosu ball or wobble board)

These six simple exercises can help you strengthen the intrinsic muscles of your feet and lower legs to help you transition to a minimalist running style. Remember to also stretch your quads, hip flexors, hamstrings, and calf (gastrocnemius and soleus) as well as your plantar fascia after these exercises to warm down. Small incremental increases in stress make us stronger. Large incremental increases in stress lead to overuse injuries! Achieve your natural stride slowly and carefully to stay injury free.

Watch the video for help with these exercises! Click here

Acheive Your Fitness Goals!

The most common New Year’s resolution in the United States is to lose weight or improve your fitness. Let’s face it, even for the veteran marathoner or triathlete, the New Year gives us an excuse to refocus or give us just a little kick in the butt we need. We all need a plan to achieve our fitness goals or race success. I woke up on January first and realized it was 21 weeks until Ironman Texas. Wow! That crept up on me! Janet has been blogging for months about the road to Ironman Texas. I’ve been so busy working my butt off and being Mom, it crept up on me. Now it is time to refocus on my fitness goals, so I don’t perish on the streets of Houston on May 21st.

Maybe you are like me, a race is creeping up on you, or maybe you have just gained a few extra pounds from the holidays, or maybe you are like some of my friends who realized running up their stairs they get out of breath. This is a great time of year to refocus on your fitness goals. We all have obstacles; time, energy, financial, and our own self-defeating voice in our heads! Here are some tips that will help you focus and reach your fitness goals in 2011!

1. Know your goals: You need to start with the end in mind. What are your goals? Lose weight? Get faster? Get fitter? Get stronger? Body sculpting? Finish your first marathon? Finish your first Ironman? Whatever they are, start with small focused goals and build to larger ones.
2. Start Simple: Begin with a basic program. Make it a habit, and then you can build from it. Maybe you run for 30 minutes every morning at 5:30 am. Maybe you add a strength work out twice a week. Maybe it is as simple as adding a tempo run once a week. By starting simple, after 21 days you have now made a new habit to build on.
3. Write it Down: A goal not written down is a mere wish. Also, logging your workouts make them more real. It also makes any blank spots much more glaring! There are lots of logs or even phone apps to log your workouts and your nutrition. Use one! Include your goals at the top of each page of your log. I also find it helpful to leave myself sticky notes around the house. When you find a note that says “20 weeks to Ironman” on your bathroom mirror when you get up in the morning that is powerful motivation!
4. Enable Yourself: Make sure your equipment is working well. Time to get that new pair of running shoes. Time to tune up the treadmill and work on your bike. Buy yourself a new toy like a chin up bar or power meter for your bike. New toys make fitness goals even more fun!
5. Make it Fun: Find some workout peeps. Make sure you are having fun even when your muscles are screaming at you to stop. I find a weekly group run or ride, coupled with a weekly mostly social weight workout at the gym, makes the many solitary miles on my bike, treadmill or road a lot more tolerable.
6. Confuse your body: Mix up your workouts. Your body gets stronger and faster with small incremental increases in stress. This means changing speeds, changing routines and scenery to confuse you muscles to get stronger. Throw in a crazy yoga workout, a new routine or just a bunch of hills when you usually avid them. Change your energy levels for better success.
7. Be Committed and Consistent: Every year I see a whole gaggle of new people at the gym in the first week of January, and then they are gone by Valentine’s Day. Fitness goal cannot be reached in a month or two. You have to commit to your goals and work towards them. It may take a year to reach your goals. I started working towards my first Ironman two years ago. Now I am less than 5 months away. Rome was not built in a day. When you feel like quitting, pull out your goals and read them again. Start a mantra, “Pain is temporary and quitting is forever” is the one I use with my middle school cross country running daughter. I personally like, “It’s all about the finish line”. Find one that works for you. It really is true that the hardest part of a marathon is the first three steps out of bed in the morning! You will find that once you get up, the rest is easy!

If you follow these few tips, I promise you will reach your fitness goals in 2011! You will thank me! And I will live though Ironman Texas this year! Run happy and towards your goals!

Is Your Metabolism Happy?

Why is it that so many people complain that they eat very little, but are still overweight? I have many triathlete friends that eat way better than I do, yet can’t seem to tame the belly bulge. Then there are people like me that eat everything in sight, and never seem to gain weight. We complain that during times of extreme training that we are hungry constantly and work hard not to drop too much weight! No one feels sorry for us! What’s up with that?

Your metabolism is the key. Most people are somewhere between the two extremes. Their intake, metabolism and output are on a roller coaster ride. If only you can tame the metabolism beast, healthy weight and better performance will follow.

How can we make our metabolism happy? The answer is a healthy, consistent diet and regular exercise routine. The key word is consistent! Food becomes energy at the rate our metabolism dictates. Exercise utilizes this energy at a more efficient rate if our metabolism is fast and happy.

This is not only the key to getting stronger, faster and more efficient but also the million dollar answer for weight loss! Losing weight means taking in less than you put out. You have to take into account your personal BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is one part genetics, one part age and many parts lifestyle habits! Seems simple enough; but if you are on a constant fad or crash diet, your body’s BMR is very low. Hence, you burn much less at rest than a hyper runner like me who eats constantly! I love my BMR! I burn more calories when sleeping than the average person!

So what does all this mean? A person who eats very little but can’t lose weight probably has a slow BMR and is often sluggish in their energy output; while in contrast a person with a fast EMR can eat more calories, utilize them more efficiently and have a higher energy out put!

The formula "energy plus metabolism equals output" means that all three react synergistically. High output is always desired, so in order to affect output, more energy either has to come in, or metabolism has to speed up, or both. Metabolism tends to be the limiter in most cases, since we can choose how much to eat. The volume of output can also be manipulated through programming our metabolism to be happier.

How do we affect our metabolism to achieve our goals? The most logical means to improve metabolism is to do more work. Increase your exercise in either duration or intensity. This will encourage your body to pick up the pace!

Many times your metabolism is low genetically and environmentally for many years and is stubborn to move. It is clinically depressed! The way to jolt it into action is not through starvation, which is often a knee-jerk response to the problem. Steady and consistent eating habits will be supported by good and steady energy inputs and high-energy outputs.

It makes sense that we need to increase our output and eat sensibly and consistently in order to change long-term trends. It is important to remember, this is a gradual process, so a commitment to the course of action is necessary.

Small consistent meals five or six times a day with a gradual increasing exercise program over a period of months leading to years will help kick your metabolism back into its happy place! Patience and discipline are the two primary rules of metabolism repair mechanism.

Almost all of us can improve what we're doing at some part of this equation. Grade yourself honestly. Is your metabolism happy and trusting? Is there enough energy? Is there enough exercise? Too much? Is your metabolism depressed and mad at you having been starved and stuffed with bad food and bad habits? Is there enough energy coming in and where is it going? Where can you improve?

Make your metabolism happy for better race results and an added bonus of a better waist line!

Race Recovery Secrets Revealed!

How long does it take to recover from a marathon? How long does it take to recover from an Ironman triathlon? How much racing is bad for my body? These are all good questions posed in my office on a regular basis. The problem is that the answer is always, "It depends". Everyone recovers at a different rate. Age, experience and current fitness level are large variables in the equation. I know a marathon runner in town who ran 100 marathons in a less than 10 years; and of course, we have all heard of Dane Rauschenberg who ran 52 marathons in one year for charity and then wrote a book about it! The flip side is that I know runners who can only do one marathon a year without getting hurt and most triathletes only train for one Ironman a year.

So what is the magic formula? How much is too much? I think the first thing to think about is what is your goal? If you are just talking about finishing the marathons and not really having a time crunch, then feel free to do up to six a year but realize that having more than two quality runs in a year is very difficult. The Ironman distance should not be attempted more than 2 or 3 times a year regardless of time goals! Now, for those of us who are addicted to the watch, "racing" a marathon is something that should not be done more than twice a year. "Racing" an Ironman triathlon should only be attempted one a year.

Why is this true? Well, simple math. It takes a minimum of 4 months to train effectively for a marathon and 6 months for an Ironman. Then you need at least one day for every mile you ran and three to five days for every hour your triathlon took. That means a month of recovery before you start to train again after a marathon and at least 6 weeks after a 12 hour Ironman. Last time I checked, there were only 12 months in a year; hence, the common recommendation of racing no more than 2 quality marathons or one quality Ironman triathlon a year.

Why do some people recover faster? Age. My feeling is that youth is wasted on the young. I remember being able to run a marathon and get up and go to work the next day. Now I have to take at least one day off and often take two! Experience does help. Your body has been there before, so it knows it will live. Veterans often have a post-race routine down that helps them recover. (Often this includes the anesthesia known as beer!) If your fitness level is high and your nutritional status is good, you will recover faster.

What can you do to hasten recovery? Walk a cool down after the race. Do not sit down immediately even though your legs are begging you to! Take a 15 to 20 minute walk and stretch gently. An ice bath is best, but very few people I know are that tough. A cool bath followed by stretching before you go to bed is helpful. A large amount of carbohydrates and water also helps. Hence the beer phenomenon! A massage a few days after the race will help you recover. More than anything, do not start training again until you are fully recovered. Many injuries occur due to too much, too soon, too fast and too fatigued syndrome!

So how much is too much? Again, the answer is always, "It depends." Listen to your body. Really listen and stop being stubborn or stupid! If you start training and you are exhausted, you are doing too much. If you are spending too much time in my office and less on your bike, you are doing too much. The answer is really simple stupid. Listen to your body and it will tell you how much is too much.

Bottom line: Let your body fully recover from your races and quality times will be recorded. Race only one to two marathons or one Ironman triathlon a year. As for other distances, keep in mind that you need one day for every mile of a running race and at least 3 days for every hour you raced in triathlon. Anything shorter, you better take off your watch and go for the finish instead of the time and prepare yourself to spend some quality time with your local sports medicine physician!

Run Happy! And Recover Well!

Gotta Tri New Orleans 70.3!

It’s the day after my second Half Ironman. Funny thing, I’m stiff and sore, but the worst pain I have is in my sunburn and my wetsuit rub on my neck! What did we learn from the Oschner New Orleans 70.3 this weekend? Sunscreen and Body Glide are essential to a good long course triathlon experience. You would think after finishing Austin 70.3 last October with sunburn that looked like ahi tuna on both shoulders that I would learn. Must be the blonde in me, ha ha. Stubborn or stupid Hmmm….

What a great day it was in New Orleans. Lake Pontchartrain was choppy and took out quite a few swimmers. I had some rough early moments, but then became one with the waves and relaxed. Unfortunately, I probably swam 3000 meters instead of 2000 because I was all over the place. The waves were pulling you into the shore. I even had one chick in a kayak yell at me “Go left or you will hit the levy”. I was sure levy ping pong with my body would hurt, so I zigzagged my way back on course. I got out of the water about 5 minutes longer than it should’ve been, but no major damage done.

On to the bike! Transition was smooth. Thank God for wet suit strippers! Onto Roxanne (that’s my bike’s name) and away I went. My bike got tons of comments from the other riders. No exaggeration, I think about 500 people in the race commented what a cool bike I had (she’s hot pink camo). I wish they gave out style points, because she is definitely a statement on the ride! The best part was that after I Retuled my bike last month, I rode almost 2.5 mph faster than before! Sweet! The course was flat and fast! The only hills were the overpasses! I spanked the bike and entered transition. I was happy to see only about half of my age group competitors were already on the run so I was having a fine day!

Then the sun peeked its head out from behind the clouds and made all of us pay. It was 83 degrees and about 90% humidity. A hot, steamy day in New Orleans. Normally for me, this would not have been a problem, but the weather in Texas has been so cold that we had no training in the heat to get our bodies acclimatized. Lots of water, Gatorade, salt tablets and ice. I found a great new use for the Jog bra….it holds ice very well between aid stations and definitely helps keep your core temperature down! The run was not pretty, but I dug deep into my mararthon experience and realized the faster I ran the sooner I would be done. Not pretty, but got it done. I crossed the finish line in front of Jackson Square in 6:28 and happily had a beer to celebrate. That was the best tasting beer I think I have ever had! After a potty break and a silver blanket, it was back to the course to find Janet. The boys let me know that she was hurting coming off the bike and probably was walking it in. Happily, we spotted her running slowly but moving forward. She crossed the line and took her beer as well! A good time was had by all!! Janet’s coach Della Irby won her age group, so we had a second beer to celebrate!!

So again, what did we learn? Lube or Body Glide the heck out of your neck before putting on your wet suit if the water is at all choppy. You spend the whole time looking like a turtle popping your head up to try to see where you are going. Sunscreen after you take off your wetsuit in transition. The extra 20 seconds are worth it not to be whining about your sunburn the next day! And remember that God has a sense of humor…..Hydration and nutrition is the key to getting through to the finish. Will I do another one? Of course. Thinking about Miami 70.3 in October. Hmm….A salt water swim would be a cool new experience and I love Cuban food!!