Tale of Two Races – from rooster to feather duster

Of all the races on each year some become favourites for a variety of reasons – the course, the distance, the challenge, the competition or other reasons. These are the races that mean most, where you want to have your best performance to see how you stack up against history and the competition. In recent years two such races for me have been the Two Bays Trail race over 28km from Dromana to Cape Schanck in January, and the Six Foot Track marathon over 45km in the Blue Mountains, NSW, in March. They complement each other really well.

Having done each race once before, I was keen to go back this year with the benefit of course familiarity and see what I could knock out. I had actually wanted to do Six Foot again two years ago – my first attempt was four years ago – and trained my arse off in every way getting super fit for it, only for flooding to see it being cancelled two days prior to the race. Bummer. Major bummer.

This time around things were different with Eddie being on the scene making it a hard deal to head off to the Dandenongs for about half a day each weekend to hit the hills. So a different approach was called for using the short hills near home and working on my speed hoping this would be a good alternative. I also wrote out a 12 week plan for myself, something I never usually do – I prefer to keep things flexible to allow for circumstances – and was happy how it looked.

So from about November onwards I started ramping things up and ticking off the sessions with some great running. I was doing about 130 kms or so a week, with plans to build on that, and my form was pretty good – not super fast but strong.

The first test came with Two Bays on 12th January, just a week after my first (and only) foray to the Dandenongs for a great session – I was flying up the hills which is good since the race starts with a 300m ascent in the first 3km over Arthurs Seat. On race day I was jumping out of my skin during the warm-up – I was ‘on’ - which was just as well since a key rival over recent years, Barry Rogers, was also in the field. Barry is about my age (44), a top guy, and just as tough as nails. Each time I see him on the start line my stomach churns since I know it will take a gut busting effort to race him – we’ve pushed each other to big PBs in several races.

And so it turned out again on that day – side by for the first km or so, then I pulled away up the hill, before he caught me down the other side. Then we ran together for km after km after km, through the gates, over the boardwalk, along the sandy tracks and around turns. I began to wonder what we should do if we were together at the end – I can’t sprint for nuts, but my competitive spirit thought it should go to the toughest anyway...would it be me? We barely shared a word, only heavy breathing, but I was still feeling really good and in leading all the way along the endless single-track could control the pace...not letting up for a moment, and hoping Barry would drop off. Like I said, tough as nails.

At the final road crossing with 5km to go Barry slowed a little for a drink and I kept pushing...he was gone. In twisting and turning tracks we were quickly out of sight of each other which could only help me...but I was tiring and just looking for the Cape Schanck lighthouse at the finish. Finally it came and I was still clear – what a thrill to win, which I really enjoyed. Barry came in 17 sec later. I was stoked to run so well – fourth fastest ever (1:52hr) on the course – and was excited about more improvement with 8 weeks still until Six Foot. I was rooster for a day.

Training kept on going well, following the plan and bumping mileage up to 140-150km per week, although very few hills. Yes, I was tired a lot but still getting some good sessions done with a plan for doing a 15km road race in late-February where I had it in mind to aim for PB (set in 1987) – I felt I might be a reasonable chance.

Then things started to unravel. In early February we had a tummy bug / gasto go through our house – I just had a pain in the guts for a while, Eddie did a big one-off spew while Andrea copped it worst with vomiting and the works. While my sore tummy eased, it drained me of all energy for days – I felt like sh*t.

With tummy better I got in a few OK sessions, including two trips to the local athletics track for some fast running...which led to another problem, this time straining and bruising my right foot. So two-and-a-bit weeks of very interrupted running and we are now down to two weeks pre-Six Foot and the 15km road race I was planning. I didn’t do it, only being able to jog around slowly...my foot was at least improving. But my legs felt crap, perhaps from the bike riding I did while not running, or perhaps lingering effect of the tummy bug, or loss of fitness.

I had a final small window for in a couple of sessions to get some zip back in my legs and hopefully some confidence in my running. They went OK, but they didn’t come with the ease I wanted them to and my legs didn’t feel great, in fact, were tight, tired and heavy – not a good sign one week out. My legs improved a bit during race week, but generally felt pretty crap...and I was quietly worried about how they would be on race day.

Friday came around and we packed up and headed for the plane to Sydney, then hire car drive to Katoomba. The Blue Mountains are absolutely stunning and beautiful, with Katoomba and neighbouring Leura towns being the key attractions perched right on the top of cliffs with million dollar views – great for tourists, and great for trail running in the valleys below.

But this leg of our trip (plus holiday after) was for the business of running and so early on Saturday we made our way to the Explorer’s Tree marking the start of the Six Foot Track, 45km to Jenolan Caves. The field entered was a cracker headed by London Olympic marathon runner Martin Dent plus a host of very competitive runners – on paper a top-10 finish would have been a challenge if they all turned up.

I thought I felt OK during the warm-up; not near as good as for Two Bays, but it was a long race and anything can happen...I was hoping the race start would shake me out of my funk. We lined up for the treacherous start down a narrow, steep, rocky track for 500m or so before turning onto even more treacherous steps for another 2km or so. My technical running is not great and was quite a grandpa down this section just to avoid falling over and/or spraining my ankle.

The pace up front was fast and furious, and it seemed like there were dozens ahead of me – all out of sight. When the track flattened out and opened up I could see about 4-5 runners ahead, including first and second from last year so concluded that I wasn’t doing too badly after all. I was running OK, passing a couple of people, but not with the ease that I would have liked this early on.

The first major milestone is crossing Cox’s river at 15.5km, and as I closed in could see 4 runners within 20 seconds ahead – some of the really competitive runners in the race. This is the river that was flooded 2 years ago, but today it was about waist height...except that I tripped and almost went right under. Out the other side it turned out that the 5 of us covered 3rd to 7th place, which I was really surprised about. I had tried to run controlled down to the river – it is easy to blow your race in that primarily downhill section – and got there in 64:49min, only 30sec slower than last time, four years ago, which was OK.

Out of Cox’s river it is straight up the first of two really hard climbs, 4km averaging 10% or so with some steeper pinches. One guy, Mark Green, cleared out ahead but local legend and 2011 winner Andy Lee was just ahead while I ran alongside last year’s winner Tony Fattorini letting him set the pace since I knew he is good on the hills. The fifth runner in our 'group', Sam Walker, dropped back. Over Mini Mini saddle and down a steep quad busting descent to Alum river I pulled away from Tony into 5th just 50m or so behind Andy. I was running solidly and had got no worse so was hopeful that feeling would remain.

The next big climb is up to the Pluviometer timing check at 26km mark, another 4km climb at 10% or so. This was a slog. Andy was still just ahead but I couldn’t see anyone behind during the climb...it was just muscle straining effort with each step and I was dragging my arse. Last time I raced I got to Pluvio in 2:02hr so I was watching my clock to see how I was going. 2:02 came and went and the check-point was not in sight. It took another 4min to get there, so well outside my goal pace - it was the beginning of the end.

At the aid station I took sports drink, coke, a caffeine gel, and prayed for a miracle. The section after Pluvio is a lot flatter in comparison but still goes up, and up, and up, in little increments for about 8-9km – soul destroying and why the old timers say the race doesn’t really start until here.

I was spent from the hills and my lack of visits to the Dandenongs; my legs were falling back into the funk of the last few weeks – tight, tired and just not moving. I ran on as best I could doing some mental arithmetic about my finish time knowing it would be outside what I dreamed of but maybe it would still be respectful. I stopped at each aid station drinking more coke hoping it would pick me up, waiting for a wall of runners to come from behind which they finally did one-by-one. I hung onto top-10 for quite a while but the prognosis was looking worse and worse, and nothing was helping...least of all downhills because my quads were hurting more and more.

Into the last 10km and I started walking the up the hills, down the stairs and very nearly the flat sections. I had a quick chat at each aid station, which was nice to be able to thank them, and laughing when they said “you’ll be happy it’s mostly all downhill from here”...no I wasn’t!!

I lost count of how many people passed me, and how many times I walked...it was all painful, especially the steep and rocky last 3km down to the finish. Maybe running backwards down would have been easier? The last 10km took well over 1hr...ouch!!

The finish in front of Caves House is great, like an amphitheatre from where you can hear the cheering and announcer over the last km or so. It takes a little while to come around the corner to see the roof as you turn onto a smooth path to zig-zag down to the finish line – a welcome relief. As I came down the path I wondered where Andrea and Eddie would be, hopefully nearby. Down the final steps I saw Andrea just ahead with a little blonde head bobbing over the barrier beside her. This was an opportunity too good to miss – I reached over and picked him up, over and down on his feet beside me. I held his hand as we ran the last 20m to the finish.

Eddie did a little stumble, and reached around for mum, but we were going the other way and on we went with his little legs keeping pace until we crossed the line to some great cheers. I never thought I’d be one of those parents to take my kid down the finish chute, but now I know why they do it. I picked him up and gave him a cuddle. He didn’t know or care about the torment of the race, how sore my legs were, or that it was a disappointing time (3:53hr) or place (23rd). I was just daddy, which makes everything seem so simple.

So yes, I had a shocking race. There might be a host of reasons – the last 5-6 weeks in particular did not go to plan one bit. The race ended up feeling like the crappy training runs I had during that time. My main feeling was relief it was over – I’ve put so much in the preparation for this race each time, which is both mentally and physically draining. This time I knew that I lacked the big hill running that is so important to do well. With another kid on the way I can’t really see that I’ll be able to do those runs – it just wouldn’t be right from a family point of view. I think I prefer road races – they are more intense, but more tangible in ways that agrees with my mentality. Six Foot Track beat me like a feather duster this year.

The real world ageing athlete

As sure as the sun rises we get older, with whole industries built around the promise of maintaining your youthful characteristics – skin, hair, health, energy and more. But the reality is that we can’t turn back time or aging, which from an athletic standpoint has its own implications…primarily being a drop in performance. The measured fall in performance is just the result of a whole range of changes that occur as we age.

I’m not going to document all the physiological changes associated with age – many people far smarter than me have written volumes on the topic – but rather comment on what it means in real terms and some things you can do in response. My basis for this is being well into my 40’s, and far from wilting have been running and competing as fast as I ever have, proving to myself (at least) that there can be life in an old dog for many years!!

Here are some key areas I’ve learned to focus on as you get older…it is the mix of all these things that will help you age well and keep the young guns honest.

All Round Strength and Conditioning
Those impressive quads and guns you had in your prime are not going to last. They get weaker and smaller as you age, and no amount of endurance training is going to maintain that strength. You need to do resistance work using weights, body weight, medicine balls, Swiss balls and other tools. Train the movement rather than specific muscles – functional strength. Sure, it is not necessarily specific to performance improvement, but neither is a loss of strength.

Primary areas to work on are your core strength – basically the region between your thighs and chest (especially your back) – glutes and calves. Glutes and calves play a major role in movement (running, in particular) but weakness in these areas is also a primary contributor to knee and lower leg injuries, while core strength is essential for basic stability.

Include strength and conditioning as part of your training schedule. It doesn’t take a long time, something like 30-40min of focused work 2-3 per week. Don’t be fooled by muscles that look strong and impressive…as the old saying goes, use it or lose it.

Body Composition
A general tendency as we age is an increase in body fat. Often, because this gain is off-set by a loss of mean muscle mass that your weight may stay much the same but don’t fooled that you’re still healthy. Increasing body fat is a health risk, and getting older is not rite of passage to middle age weight gain. Manage your weight and body composition closely to maintain performance and health, which includes being careful about diet.

Self-Maintenance
By this I mean self-massage techniques, and the like. We’ve all got our suspect spots, for me it is my calves, so use spare moments to get stuck into those spots before they become stiff and tight. Use time in front of the TV, in meetings (be discrete!), while waiting for a train, etc. A bit of self-massage here, some stretching there all adds up. An important modality of stretching as you age is neural stretching, especially of your sciatic nerve, which is linked to back strength and health.

Recovery
Nothing reminds you of your age like waking up the morning after a hard session, let alone a race. Of course, the fitter you are the better you will recover – age is no barrier to being fit – but you also need to work with your fatigue, not by ignoring it and working against it. Make allowances for how you feel and what you know your body can cope with – being flexible in your training approach is critical. A fatigued body is most prone to injury and health issues if you stress it too soon.

Having said that, like I said, the fitter you are the better you will recover…although it won’t protect you from being tired. So the best way to improve your recovery is for your body it be fit enough to cope with the stress you’re putting it under. You ‘earn’ the right to train hard by being fit enough to cope with it, and be very careful in trying to train harder than that. Don’t train (too far) beyond your current capabilities.

Training
Last but not least, is the training you do as you age. Generally, your capacity to do a high workload like you have in the past will diminish as your ability to recover also diminishes. However I have found that the higher the workload I maintain, the higher the workload I can sustain. It’s a bit of chicken-and-egg. While being sensible, it is possible to maintain a good workload, if you maintain a good workload rather than accepting what other people say is the ‘norm’, and that you should be winding down. Of course, life circumstances come into play here, also.

As far as the type of training, for most older athletes who have been in the sport for a while, you’ve already got plenty of endurance. So what you need to focus on more is speed and power, which are very time efficient also. The problem is that speed and power training, especially in running, is also very stressful so be very careful in how you approach this…if you’ve given consideration to the previous points you will be better prepared for this type of training because your all round conditioning will be pretty good. High intensity training – there’s many variations of session types – is the key to maintaining performance as you age.

So in summary, age is a real issue for older athletes in terms of your physical capabilities, but it is also the effort you put into maintaining your physical capabilities – and all round health and conditioning – that is the primary mechanism for a long, fit, healthy and competitive life. But all of this is common sense, anyway, isn’t it??

Two and a quarter things

There is a theory I read about a few years ago which says people have the capacity to be 100% committed to only two-and-a-quarter (2¼) things at one time. If you try to fit any more in something will have to be sacrificed. In the context of triathlons I think this theory applies on two levels.

Firstly, for many people this most likely means that work accounts for one point, family for another point, leaving a quarter of a point left to play with. But on a second level, it is really hard to be an equal level of form and fitness across all three sports. Two sports, yes, but three sports, no...although maybe a quarter point to the third sport!!

The thing about theories is that they’re generalisms, and don’t wholly apply to everyone, including this two-and-a-quarter theory. Here are some of my thoughts prompted by it.

• Whether or not this theory is true, and whether things account for full or parts points is a moot point (no pun intended), the main aspect is that there are a finite number of things you can do well at any time. Choose the (few) things that are important to you, and do them well.
• Triathlons can consume a person and become their lifestyle – it’s a choice and a sacrifice. But at the same time, take a look at where you’re taking points from in the other areas of your life and ask yourself if the sacrifice is worth it. 
• It’s OK saying no to things that are going to ‘cost’ you too much, whether that is financial cost, time cost, emotional cost or something else. Spreading yourself too thinly across multiple things is tiring, stressful and ultimately unfulfilling.
• As far as the actual sports go, it’s really hard to be in equal form and fitness across swim, bike and run simultaneously. And to be honest, there are only a few really key races during the year where that is really important, so in the meantime just roll with the ups and downs you experience and aim for overall enjoyment and incremental gains where you can get them.
• If something takes you out / away from doing one of the sports, typically injury, then move on and ahead with what you can do in the other sports. However, even at this time, still think of yourself as a triathlete who will be back in good time.
• Have a backup and exit plan in case things go out of balance, especially if other people are dependent on you. Have support networks (family, friends, other hobbies, etc) so that you’re not too dependent on the one thing that might be causing you to tip over the edge of balance.

There are many more thoughts prompted by this theory and what it might mean for each individual. But the main take away point is to keep tabs on how many things you take on in your life, and to do each of them justice. Keep it real.

The Off-Season Training Guide

With the summer season over and done, races run and won, hopefully you had some performances close to your goals. The end of season is a time to naval gaze somewhat, and take time out to day dream a little about what might be next season – after a good “off-season” winter of training.

What should do you do over winter? Six months or so is a long time, and while you don’t necessarily want to maintain the same intensity of training you had during the season, this isn’t a time to just noodle around in training since you can make big gains on your path to next season. Think of it as pre-training before you get into focused race-specific sessions later in the year.

Winter is often regarded as the base period of training, building a big, wide platform of fitness upon which to shape great race performances, which is true. Base training can mean many things to different people, and in my book it is not just about doing easy, steady state sessions. Rather, base training is where you build multiple aspects of fitness – speed, power, strength endurance, speed endurance, etc. – working on your weaknesses while also enhancing your strengths.

Base training is where you work on your all round fitness, with the specific emphasis varying depending on the individual characteristics of the athlete. Base training is also where you can set mini-goals as a means of measuring your progress, as well as developing skills to help you during the actual race season. Here are some things you can include in your base period:

Sprint and Short Course

Triathletes tend to be endurance machines by default, since triathlons are an aerobic sport. However, sprint and short course racing requires good capabilities in speed, power and speed endurance, as well as associated skills in executing these performances. So these athletes should spend time working on developing speed, and the two components of speed – biomechanical skill and fitness. The first comes from just practicing moving fast in a relaxed way against low resistance – small gear on a bike, and slight downhill on the run. You want to be able to move smoothly at speed, which is a practiced skill, and precedes the fitness to be able to go fast. You build the fitness starting with short efforts (e.g. 20-30sec with 2-3 x recovery). Holding good form is essential. Don’t go for any longer or harder than you can hold good form for. Once you can, then introduce hills, starting with short hills – the pathway to power development!

Speed endurance takes your basic speed and extends it out to three-to-four minute efforts, with equal recovery. Do these at close to maximum effort you can sustain across a total of 15-to-25 minutes cumulative interval time in a single session. These are gut-busting, high-octane sessions, but deliver great results over four-to-six weeks.

Good goals for sprint and short-course athletes to aim for are over 10-to-20-kilometre bike TTs, 5-to-10-kilometre running races, and short duathlons which you can afford to do several of. These allow you to test your fitness, assess your development and practice race skills. It’s OK, race fast during winter and aim for PBs, but remember when your goal season is.

Long Course and Ironman

Many of the winter goals for sprint and short course athletes also apply to long course and Iron-distance athletes, but in smaller amounts. For these athletes, the winter is the time to develop strength endurance and lactate threshold, and should follow on from speed, power and speed endurance – the linear order allows for good progression of fitness.

Strength endurance is sustained strength training for endurance athletes. The practical implementation of this for cycling is big-gear sessions, and for running is longer uphill efforts. On the bike, efforts of five-to-20 minutes are most effective, at cadence of 60-to-70rpm. The effort level is key: do these at close to Olympic-distance triathlon effort (or power), but note that this is a muscular-endurance effort and not an anaerobic effort. You want to feel muscle burn, not oxygen debt! For running the principle is similar, with efforts in four-to-10 minute range, ideally up a gradual hill of perhaps four-to-six percent, not so steep it is a struggle to run up. Recovery is easy, between about 50-to-100 percent of interval time.

The other aspect to focus on is lactate threshold work, which equates to about one-hour TT effort/power on bike, and for running your maximum average pace for a 45-minute effort. Once that is established, the sessions are based on short-recovery intervals with work:rest ratio of about 4-to-5:1. On the bike you might do 30-to-40 minutes of intervals in lengths of five-to-20 minutes, and on run 20-to-25 minutes of intervals in lengths of four-to-eight minutes. These are sustained sessions, and require concentration. Good test events include 20-to-40-kilometre bike TT and up to half-marathon running races.

Of course, these are just snippets of what might be included in a well-planned program, but hopefully provide some ideas of what you can include in your training over winter so you make some positive progress before you even focus on your racing season.

Mid-season training tweaks

The triathlon season can be a long one, running for many months and incorporating numerous races over a range of distances. It is the time when you put the hard work you did during the off-season into practice, hoping to see the results of your efforts in bringing you closer to your goals. Short-course athletes will probably do quite a number of races, with some key events amongst them, whereas long-course athletes tend to race more sparingly, often culminating in a goal event.

Regardless of how often you race, your fitness and form can fluctuate over time - it takes quite some skill to be race sharp all season (and somewhat unrealistic!). Most athletes have an innate understanding of their form, whether through race performances or based on how training is going.
The key thing is, by introducing some mid-season training tweaks you can influence your form in a positive way for the remainder of the season. Here are some common scenarios and what actions you can take in training (bike and run focus) to address them:

Symptom: You're dead, flat and tired. You're lacking zip and freshness in your movement. Your motivation and enthusiasm is low.
Action: Rest. It's amazing how common this problem is. Triathletes, in particular, are so good at training they forget how to race, and how to rest before a race. While rest is a relative term, the theme is allowing your body to feel refreshed and physically ready for a race, with your mental state also benefitting. There are few good reasons for being tired going into a race where it compromises your performance. This is a quick and easy fix!!

Symptom: You're lacking a top-gear and the ability to get the top 5% of performance from your body, typically in Sprint of Olympic Distance triathlons.
Action: Assuming you're not tired…this would suggest you're lacking race fitness, and the training sessions where you are truly pushing to race intensity, albeit for a shorter period of time than the race.
The best training intervals to address this are:
Bike: 2-4min at Sprint Distance Triathlon intensity with 75-100% interval duration as recovery, for a total of 20-25min of intervals in a session.
Run: 1-3min at Sprint Distance Triathlon intensity with equal recovery, for a total of 10-15min of intervals in a session.
These are not long sessions, but the emphasis is pushing hard in each interval and recovering well between them, which means they are high intensity and hurt!! Of course, you can also use races themselves to build your race fitness, which can be a good strategy leading up to key events, but quality training sessions are a good alternative. You'll feel some benefit within 2-3 weeks of doing these sessions once a week in each sport, but don't continue them for more than 4-5 weeks in a row.

Symptom: You're lacking strength towards the end of your races, despite feeling great early on, typically in Sprint of Olympic Distance triathlons.
Action: Assuming you've got the speed you want, this suggests that your race threshold endurance is limited. That is, you can achieve race effort and hold it for a short period, but not hold it.
The best training intervals to address this are:
Bike: 3 x 10min / 2 x 15min / 2 x 20min at Olympic Distance Triathlon intensity with 5min recovery.
Run: 5 x 4min at Olympic Distance Triathlon intensity with 1min recovery.
The emphasis with this is the overall duration of the main session, with the intervals being sustained and the short, incomplete recovery. Your goal is to maintain your effort across and between each rep, at or close to race intensity. You'll feel some benefit within 2-3 weeks of doing these sessions once a week in each sport, and you can continue them throughout the season although perhaps after the first 4-5 weeks, only doing this session every second week.

Symptom: You lack basic endurance. You fade in long training sessions, and similarly in longer races, typically in long course or IM triathlons.
Action: Assuming your nutrition is not the limiting factor, the simple answer to addressing this is doing more long training sessions!! Of course, there is more to it than that since how you do those long sessions makes difference. This means focusing on your pacing and building your effort during the session so you start easily and finish strongly. A further progression on that strategy is to include some intervals in the last quarter of the session, something like this:
Bike: 3-4 x 10min / 2-3 x 15min / 2-3 x 20min at Long Course Triathlon intensity with 5min recovery. Do these in the last 60-90min of your long session.
Run: Progressively build to a tempo pace in the last 30-60min of your long run. The tempo pace could be anything you want, but essentially a change in pace from what you were running at.
The emphasis with these sessions is to deliberately increase your effort late in these long sessions. This requires concentration and effort, and works to counter any slackening off in effort, thereby building your endurance. Of course, it is assumed you are building the duration of this long session sensibly. As with the previous actions, expect some benefit within 2-3 weeks, and this approach to long sessions can be used almost year round.

The other benefit of these sessions, if you do them well, is that you’ll build your confidence in these scenarios which in aiming for mid-season tweaks is just as important as your physical fitness. Good luck!!

New Year running resolutions

Here is a little article I wrote for http://www.newbreedrunning.com.au/

This year I'm going to be more of a runner.
This year the early morning darkness will not put me off. Neither will bad weather…unless it's really bad.
This year training will be a priority, rather than an after thought.
This year I will pack my running bag the night before, and perhaps even have a check-list so I don't forget basic things…like shoes.
This year I'll wash my running clothes more often.
Thie year I'll buy more running clothes I can wear that I can wash more often.
This year my running clothes will actually be running clothes, and perhaps even be matching. Sometimes.
This year I won't committ any fashion faux pas, like pants over pants, compression socks, cotton race t-shirts, football shorts and headbands.
This year I will learn how to run so I look a bit like a Kenyan, except they run a lot, lot faster.
This year I will do more races and not get nervous and anxious before all of them.
This year I won't rely on the porta-loos before the race, except if I'm nervous and anxious.
This year the races I do will be far and wide, long and short, up and down, and round and round.
This year I will get to know the people I see often at other races.
This year I will join a training group, and learn the language of running.
This year I won't be afraid of blowing up at training, or being out of my depth, or not being able to keep up.
This year I will do more stretching…maybe even do as much as should be doing.
This year I will be a strong runner, so you can actually see my muscles in race photos.
This year I might buy some race photos, especially ones you can see my muscles in.
This year my diet will be a lot better.
This year I will learn to like sports drinks, sports bars and possibly gels…even though they resemble snot.
This year I will take my lunch to work more often, rather than buying take aways.
This year I will swap my café loyalty card for a gym membership card.
This year I will learn what how it feels when you muscles burn.
This year I will learn how it feels to be out of breath and my heart to be jumping out of my chest.
This year I will enjoy the feeling of being tired.
This year I will run as hard and fast as I can.
This year I'm going to be more of a runner.

Running form case study

Running form is a popular topic these days as runners increasingly recognise the role it plays in efficiency, injuries and enjoyment of the sport. While running is not often considered as a strongly technique based activity, like perhaps swimming, running technique is a skill nonetheless where there is a variety of ways to execute the skill with varying degrees of efficiently and effectiveness.

In doing analysis of running form there are some common points that arise, which if addressed, help to improve the balance and alignment of the runner, and often performance. In many cases, issues are subtle and usually unique in their actual presentation. Working to address them involves identifying cues, working on drills, developing coordination and ultimately, practicing running to achieve the desired 'feel' and movement. The goal is not to have every runner looking the same, but to achieve a body position and alignment in common with good running form. The process differs for each runner.

The following is a case study in running form analysis - and improvement - involving my younger brother, Sam, because it nicely illustrates some common issues and how he worked to address them to markedly improve his running form, and performance.

Often there is a catalyst and/or reason for making changes to running form, which is important because there are (injury) risks in doing so, so you want to be sure the risk and effort are worthwhile. In Sam's case it was an injury to his tibialis anterior tendon on the front of his shin, which is responsible for pointing your foot and toes upwards (dorsi flexion). Sam sustained this injury 5 weeks before his goal race, the 2011 Melbourne Marathon (debut marathon), which plagued him and compromised training considerably during those 5 weeks (and post-race). Nonetheless, he ran 2:56hr and came home with motivation to improve…we just had to address his injury, not just the symptoms but the root cause.

Sam has always been a heel striker as a runner, as many runners are, which is characterised by his hips sitting back 'in a bucket', particularly at point of landing. Not only is it inefficient, but is often associated with common running knee injuries, with patellar femoral symdrome (PFS), or "runner's knee" being a particularly common one (which Sam has had). However, in this case it was linked to his shin problem, since with each step his tibialis anterior muscle is eccentrically loading to "release" his foot down from its initial heel strike position (with foot/toes pointed up), to being flat on the road. Repeat that thousands of time, and it overloaded the attached tendon causing inflammation, so as long as he ran this way would continue to cause this irritation.

Upon recognising this association between his heel striking running and the shin injury that the solution was apparent - we needed to change Sam to be a mid-foot runner to remove the overloading on his tibialis anterior, since in mid-foot running you place your foot on the ground rather than slapping it down heel first. To test this theory Sam did some exaggerated mid-foot running, and instantly the shin pain went away…and instantly came back when he reverted back to heel striking.

Now the challenge was to transition his running form, which is not as simple of saying "run mid-foot" since the way your feet strike the ground is a result / consequence of your body position. It also involved great risk as mid-foot running considerably increases the loading on your calf and achilles, in particular, injuries we really wanted to avoid!!

Fortunately Sam was up for the challenge…and enduring his older brother giving him instructions(!!)…so the first step was simply becoming aware of his body position while running, and the effect it had on his form. Remember, we were focusing on body alignment and if/when we got that right, his foot strike would improve the way we wanted it to. Foot strike is immediate feedback for body alignment, so we used a small amount of barefoot running to enhance this feedback, and also because of the natural effect barefoot running can have on how you run - it was a tool. We also reviewed his footwear, switching to a less-cushioned, smaller heel drop shoe, also as part of the multi-pronged approach.

During this initial transition phase, in February 2012, Sam was doing less running, partly because his shin was still recovering and partly to help adaptation in his calves (which were very tight). We worked out some suitable cues that helped remind him about the desired body position, slowed down his pace to allow quality practice, but also including some faster stride-throughs to practice the technique at multiple speeds. The key points were to focus on keeping his hips forward, being on top of his stride, and to roll along "over" the ground, as opposed to "across" the ground. These points help to incorporate the key aspects of good form in a "plain english" kind of way to make sense rather than being lost in jargon or technical terms. During this time feedback was via Sam's comments and video, since we live some distance apart. Ideally I'd be able to see him regularly to monitor progress and provide on-going feedback and altering the cues we used, but that wasn't possible.

The first video of his new running technique was highly anticipated - had Sam got what I was trying to explain, and had he translated that into his running? The answer was yes, and almost. My first impression was how well he had got the concept and principles, and how well he had adapated his running form…it was quite a transformation. At a quick glance, it looked like his form was all OK, but actually there was some more work to do.

While Sam was now running with good body position and alignment, no longer sitting 'in a bucket', he almost gone too far to the point where he had a fore-foot landing but was achieving this by leaning a little too far forwards and "falling" onto his feet rather than placing his feet on the ground. This was very subtle, but notable, with the result being that he was excessively loading his calves and achilles, and was also a technique I did not feel would be sustainable over longer distances, especially marathon.

My feedback in response to this progress was really positive but also adding some new cues to incorporate, being to straighten up a little, ie, more vertical, and to "place" his feet on the ground - one of the few times I do suggest to focus on foot placement in run technique review. I wanted him to just lightly touch the ground with each step. Again, these were subtle but I felt really worthwhile tweaks.

A week or so later Sam sent another video of his progress…and it was great!! I watched it again and again, and was really pleased to see how well Sam had incorporated all the technique aspects into his running. His form was spot on, with only on-going focus to maintain that form being the feedback I gave…it is easy to slip back into old habits when you're tired. Not only was his running form looking great, it was far more efficient and above all, his shins were OK.

It is testament to Sam's motivation and determination to make this change, being open to feedback and practicing…not everyone has this same application to the task. Fast forward to the Gold Coast marathon in July 2012 and Sam smashed his marathon PB, running 2:42hr, holding good form to the end.

Working on your bike leg

The bike leg of any triathlon is really important, largely because it is disproportionally long and so much can happen during the time you're riding. This is perhaps more so in IM and IM 70.3 distance races, and even though the saying goes "ride for show, run for dough", if your bike leg is weak it will be shown up on the bike and carry-over to the run.

There's all kind of things you can do to improve your bike leg, from getting a newer bike to simply training more, but I'm going to focus on just a couple of things I've found to be valuable in preparing athletes for IM races (in particular), which kind of seem opposite to each other but actually work in harmony on race day. Let me explain some more.

In a long bike leg, 90km to 180km, you're going to get tired and pedaling will just feel harder…like you're riding through sand. Even though you might be pushing the same / similar power it doesn't feel like it. You've run out of endurance, so to speak. Something to help your whole bike performance - not just in this situation - is including big-gear riding in training. And quite a bit of it. The intent is to develop your muscular strength and endurance, your neural familiarity with this type of effort, and train your ability to keep pushing the gear when you're legs are fatiguing.

This strength endurance work can be included in a variety of ways, but with the common element of pedaling at about 60-70 rpm, or about 20-25 rpm less than you would naturally choose - we're not training you to be a big gear rider or change your natural cadence.

As with adding any new / different stress to your training, you should build into it gradually. Start with 2-4 x 5 min efforts with 2-3 min easy between. Your target effort is about FTP wattage, or the kind of effort you'd ride in an Olympic distance triathlon. They key is the muscle tension you are developing, not the anaerobic effect - if you're breathing hard then you're not quite doing it right. It will burn your legs more than your heart and lungs. You can do these on flat, uphill or on an indoor trainer…aim for the same effort on the pedals.

Once you're used to 5 min efforts, extend them out to 10-15-20 min up to total of about 30-45 min per session, just once a week at this stage. For variation, do some of the reps standing up…this will burn your quads!! Big gear work can also be included into your long ride, alternating intervals of normal gear/cadence with big gear work, ultimately building up to intervals as long as 60min, completing 4 of these in a long ride - two at normal cadence, two at big gear. The difference with big gear efforts in your long ride is to do them a IM (or slightly above) effort - a power meter is ideal for measuring this effort.

Including big gear work throughout your IM build phase can pay big dividends in the last 40km of the bike leg, however having this new found strength on the bike is not necessarily a strength in itself. It is simply developing an aspect of fitness you will call upon late in the bike leg.

The second aspect of training to help bike performance is learning to "soft pedal" as you ride, which is somewhat contrary to developing big gear strength, but the best thing about having a performance strength is not necessarily using it. In doing an IM bike leg your goal is to expend a minimum amount of effort for the maximum reward / speed, which you can do by "soft pedaling" and barely touching upon the bike strength you've built up.

Saying "soft pedal" needs a very careful definition, which is a subtle change in the way you ride and "how" you generate power through your pedals. It is best illustrated on a power quadrant analysis, where the aim is to shift the power spread from Q I and Q II towards Q III and Q IV. The feel of this just as "soft pedaling"  implies - being softer on the pedals, by a small and subtle amount. So rather than "pushing" during the pedal stroke, you would ease off just a fraction, and perhaps even changing down a gear at times. Your power would barely change, but your perceived effort would. As I said, it is subtle and represents a variation in the way you ride…having a smoother pedal stroke.

Learning to soft pedal takes practice, especially during long rides where your effort is most like an IM bike leg. During shorter, harder rides you do need to pedal hard - including during any big gear work - so it is during other gentler, steady-state efforts where practicing soft pedaling is best done. Having a power meter helps a lot, especially for post-ride quadrant analysis, but even without a power meter the feeling of soft pedaling is what you are after. To an extent you are aiming to protect your bike strength - to not use it - even though you eventually will, where your big gear work will come to the fore.

These two aspects of training seem at odds with each other, but are actually complementary. Using big gear work builds your bike strength, especially for late in the bike leg, and soft pedaling protects you from having to use that bike strength until as late as possible. If you get it right - pacing is crucial - you'll get off the bike with fresher legs and ready to run to your potential.

Running holiday...holiday running

Holidays are great for all kinds of reasons. For the places you go, the people you hang out with, the R&R and so much more. Holidays are also great for running, and running is great for holidays. Some holidays are even based on running, whether it's travelling to do an event or going away for a training camp…running is front-centre of the experience.

For me, I love running while holidaying for the pleasure it brings and the things I can see on the run. Perhaps my most memorable holiday run was in Paris whereupon leaving the hostel set out in the early morning, I set out on a route that took me down to the Seine river, along to Eiffel tower, across to Place de la Concorde and the forecourt of the Louvre museum, then up the Champs Elysees to Arc de Triomphe before heading back to the hostel, all in about a 55 min run. Not only did I see many of the main sights of Paris, but saw the city come to life…the street sweepers, delivery vans, cafes setting up and more. It was memory I've held and savoured to this day.

Then there were some fabulous runs in New Zealand, heading out along trails, around lakes, into some hills and round towns, just checking out the scene and hoping I don't get lost (or worse…). And don't forget running along the endless beach on Fraser Island…being chased by a wasp…or running the road to Uluru, or circling Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. Running on holidays can take you places you might not go if you were walking - a lot quicker - and starts the day off on the right foot. If you've done a run and seen things before breakfast, you've got the rest of the day to just take in the peace and serenity of being on holiday.

The challenge for a keen runner while on holiday is the fine line between running for enjoyment while away against the temptation to turn it into a "training camp", of sorts, and smash out some great sessions to give your running fitness a boost. The problem with this is the effect it may have on your actual holiday…being too tired to really enjoy the surroundings and the people you're with. Running up a great mountain trail is fantastic, but hiking up it with others and appreciating the view might be a better…as long as you're not too tired to do so. Striking a compromise between great running and great holidaying can take some practice!!

The middle ground I've found is to see holidays as a break from focused training, as such, and enjoy the holiday for what it is…and enjoy the simple pleasures of running in new and stimulating environments. That is, enjoying holiday running. The exception is, of course, if you're taking a running holiday in which case, run hard!!

A universal training session

Amongst the training libraries of many athletes and coaches you'll find a range of "go to" sessions which are the ones they most often do, for all kinds of reasons. Some will be complex and some will be simple, and some in between, but the bottom line is they work for that person/people.

One of my "go to" sessions is simple, 1 min 'on' / 1 min 'off' repeated a certain number of times, but the beauty is in the universal way a simple session like this can be used, at any time in training year and with almost any level / fitness of athlete. The key to it is the emphasis of the 'on' and 'off' intervals and the number of reps. It could equally be described as "timed fartlek"…as opposed to a "free form fartlek" where you use things like trees, posts, and other landmarks as the delimeters, but the effect is similar. I'll explain this further with some examples, using running as the sport.

The pre-requisite for this session is having sufficient fitness to be able to consider doing a session beyond just easy running, something that will take a new runner some time to build up to. Once you have, the sky is the limit in using this session.

The first example in using this session is for a runner who is new to any form of interval type training, and are more familiar with just easy paced running. For this runner using their watch to time out 1 min at a "faster" pace, then 1 min at a "slower" pace introduces them to simply running at different speeds. They could do it for a certain number of reps, around a particular course to set a duration for the session, much like a race is a defined length.

The key detail is the "faster" and "slower" pace, which is expressed that way to help the runner develop a feel for their own ability, and pacing during a session. For new runners it is part of experience to know what it feels like to run faster, and to align that with their ability to maintain a pace for duration…this session introduces them to that which is why it is important not to set any specific pace target and let them work it out themselves.

This approach can also be used for a runner returning from a break to get back into interval training in a gradual way rather than aiming for specific targets before their fitness is at that level.

Moving on to a more experienced runner, the session can be used for speed development with high emphasis on the 'on' interval and using the 'off' interval for very easy recovery. In this way, there is a large discrepancy between the 'on' and 'off', and keeping it time limited means you also control how much recovery the runner gets rather than leaving it open-ended, eg, 200m recovery, by contrast, can take minutes if they slowly walk it.

A further variation is to make it a threshold/tempo session where there is only small variation between the 'on' and 'off', so that the emphasis is on the overall duration of session rather than the individual reps. For example, 10 x 1 min on / 1 min off, becomes a 20 min tempo session featuring surges for each 'on' minute, but still maintaining a high pace during the 'off' minute. In that case, they key is not slowing down too much in the 'off' interval…if you execute it will you will find the total distance covered in the 20min will only be slightly less than if you did a 20 min effort.

A beauty of using the session in a tempo style is that the runner can choose the effort / pace depending on how they feel that day, and it's a good way to break up a 20 min effort if you're a little unsure of your capability to do 20 min straight…the 'on' and 'off' allow you to build the effort to achieve a productive session rather than potentially abandoning it if you feel ordinary from the start.

A final example for this session is during a taper, where you can use it to keep some intensity in training without the session being too stressful in the lead-up to an event. In this scenario, the 'on' could be at goal pace, and the 'off' at an easier pace, which helps the runner be in tune with how they want to run in the upcoming race. The duration could be something like 10-20 min total (ie, 5-10 reps), just enough for them to feel a little effort but short enough not to fatigue them.

So the key points of the session are the use of individual feel for the 'on' and 'off' intervals, and how the variance in pace between those intervals can change the nature of session. While I've based this on a 1 min base, you can use all kinds of variations to the length of the 'on' and 'off' intervals - a favourite is 2 min 'on', 1 min 'off', which has been a favourite amongst Kenyans for many years.

This is just one session that I use, where the key point is how you can use and control the 'on' and 'off' intervals to vary the nature of the session depending on the season, athlete ability, how they are feeling on a particular day and more. Being flexible is crucial to getting the most from any session, and choosing a session which allows this - while still being aligned to the training objective - helps piece together a great training program.

Terenzo Bozzone running form analysis

Terenzo Bozzone graced the Australian shores for a rare race appearance at the Shepparton IM 70.3 race, and showed the class act he is in swim, bike and run with a convincing victory over a quality field of Australian contenders. Bozzone has real pedigree, evidenced by multiple IM 70.3 victories in USA and around the world, including a World Championship title a few years back. His progress came to a halt 12 months ago, however, undergoing Achilles surgery...and having had 3 Achilles operations myself can say that his comeback has been fantastic, seemingly reaching top form late in the US season.

If he does have an “Achilles heel”, so to speak, it is in IM races where he hasn’t quite put together a race that reflects his capabilities over IM 70.3 distance. Often it has been in the run leg where the IM race has got away from him, a leg where he is arguably at his best over the half distance. There could be all range of reasons for this fade, but regardless, I took some good footage of him running at Shepparton which provides great material for analysis of his running form...and believe me, he was going very fast in the first 2 (of 3) run laps, eventually running 1:12 on an accurate course.

This video was taken at the start of the 3rd lap, so at the 14km+ mark, with a clear and safe lead. The following are some comments / observations of what I see, using my experience in running form analysis:

• He is very smooth, with little vertical movement.
• His arm swing is compact and relaxed.
• His core stability is strong, with little non-linear movement or body rotation.
• Further to that point, his hip stability is also very good, with minimal hip drop upon landing. However, he does twist his hips a little.
• He torso is nicely vertical...although I’ll touch on this again in a moment.
• He is mid/flat-foot runner, and to see him in real-time speed, is quite light on his feet.

So those are all the good things about his form. Now to be really harsh and picky, there’s a couple things I’d point out that might be coming back to bite him in an IM run leg:

• His foot landing is a little in front of him, meaning he is “behind” his stride rather than on top of it...this would really noticeable if you put him alongside the likes of Cam Brown, Crowie, etc. Refer to my article post IM Melbourne analysing the run form of the top-10 men.
• In conjunction with this, his hips are slightly back and “in a bucket” to a minor extent. The effect of these two things is that when he fatigues this will be exaggerated and he’ll sit back even more rather than being forwards and on top of his stride, which is momentum that is critical to maintaining form and speed in the depths of fatigue such as in an IM.
• Also, his slight hip twist would become more pronounced.

What I’m talking about is very subtle, but at that level it’s things like this that make the difference, even to a Formula 1 engine like Bozzone.

So what would I do if I was his coach...work on getting his weight over his stride via combination of drills, run form practice and incorporating it into his default form. The effect would be to introduce an ever so slight forwards lean, from the ankles (rather than from hips) and he would roll along, over the ground using momentum to his benefit.

Terenzo Bozzone is a world class athlete, proven by results over recent years, in particular IM 70.3 format, and he obviously has the calibre to compete over IM...but has not quite cracked it so far. Perhaps a little tweak to his running form might help in that quest, to see him compete with the best guys over IM. These were just my thoughts on that aspect...I wish him all the best.

One of those days

Another little piece for www.newbreedrunning.com.au

It was one of those days, you know, when you wake up and are not sure which side of the bed to get out on…the good side or the 'other' side...which reflects the uncertainty about how the day might unfold. Nonetheless, you get up and lace up your shoes in preparation for the run session you've got planned. Part of your mind is suggesting to can it and either not start or just take it easy, competing with the other part that says just get out and get started. So you do.

As you expect, the first km feels awful…tired, dead and heavy. Urgh!!! But you haven't gone far enough for it to 'count' as a session, so you keep going. As you do something happens. Whether it was stopping at the traffic lights to cross, or passing over some imaginary line, or even that you've just woken up, you're not sure what it is. But things start feeling better.

Your stiff joints loosen up. Your breathing levels out. Your stride finds a groove. Your rhythm becomes smoother. Things just seem to click into gear and your body warms up. Your running actually starts feeling good, much to your surprise, and you start thinking about doing a proper session of fartlek, or tempo, or intervals…there's a range of options.

As you run on you find yourself losing track of how long you've run for, or how fast you're going, until you realise how hard you are breathing - this is equating to a good, hard session, and it feels effortless. Why don't race days feel like this? You go on further, relishing your fitness and endurance to be able to do so, taking all the little side tracks you usually only selectively go down. It's surreal to be feeling so good.

Eventually you look at your watch with surprise to see how long and how swiftly you've run, not to mention how much you're sweating. You could continue on forever, but decide to head home, still skipping over the ground albeit with some fatigue creeping into your legs…the adrenalin is keeping you going.

Arriving back at your front gate and you come to stop, euphoric about how good the run was and how surprising it was considering the way it started. These are the times you love being a runner. It was just one of those days.

Minimalist running in the real world

Minimalist running has been a popular topic for a few years, with growing awareness and opinion about it, and why you should take the step (pardon the pun) down this path. This period of time has been accompanied by wide ranging debate and opinion, and backed up by both the birth of new running shoes companies and a change in direction by others. Some of this is balanced and well meant, but some information and resources related to minimalist running borders on evangelism.

With this passage of time, combined with my own experience, plus what I've seen in others, my own thinking around minimalist running has evolved to what is perhaps a more real world perspective. Here is some of what I come to realise and understand myself.

Minimalist running is a description covering everything from barefoot and sandals to light-weight training shoes. Rather than consider it in such absolute terms, minimalist running in the real world means a range of things, starting with just being aware of what you're putting on your feet and the effect it is having on your legs, body and running posture/form. Simply opening your mind to the range of footwear options, and importantly, what is most suitable for you, is the start of the journey to minimalist running.

Remember that running shoes are simply a tool to help with running, and are not a solution unto themselves. When you run they are part of you so you need to consider them in the full picture of your running and that they may influence your running form. In my opinion, shoes that "change the way you run" are getting into dangerous injury risk territory. Remember, they are a tool and should not control or dictate you and/or the way you run.

Further, minimalist running should be measured in relative terms compared to what you're currently wearing. So any shoe that is "less" of a shoe than you currently wear is a minimalist shoe for you. The very big thing here is the adaptability of your legs and body to a (relatively) minimalist shoe, in particular you calves and achilles. For all the benefits that minimalism offers (some of which I'll get to below), the main fault is in how you make the switch to implement it, not to mention the reasons why you might choose to. This is where my own experience is very relevant.

Being open minded to what (relatively) minimalist shoes offered, I got a pair. They were fairly conservative, but importantly, went from about a 10-12mm heel-toe drop to about 4-8mm drop, which I went on to use for my daily running. It took a few weeks, even months, but I started to notice some stiff and sore spots in my calves and heels, which might have been due to many things, but in switching back to my comfy 10-12mm drop shoes the issues (eventually) went away. I feel it was the repeated stress that a slightly lower heel-toe drop shoe put on my calves, achilles and plantar fasciitis that my old legs couldn't adapt to. Or more specifically, it was something I wasn't prepared to go back to basics and take the time to adapt to…which would have taken months and months. It was a powerful and pertinent lesson.

In looking more at why you might want to switch to minimalist running, you need to be very careful and very honest with yourself. Being sucked in by shoe company marketing is not a good reason to switch, neither is  being trendy and keeping up with "the Joneses". Also, if your running is not 'broken', then don't try to fix it with minimalist shoes. Period.

There are, however, times when considering changing shoes to a more minimalist style can make sense, but it needs to be considered as part of a big picture solution, not just as a band-aid type patch. Such a change requires some dedication, commitment and patience since there a number of things you need to consider, things like:

• Your readiness to take a step back before taking a step forwards,
• The fitness and durability of your running infrastructure (aka body) to cope with the change,
• Any injury issue you might have, and the impact of that on running let alone a change like minimalist shoes,
• Your running form, independent of shoes (remember, they are just a tool, not a solution). 

Changing to minimalist shoes can be a viable - and possibly even a suitable - option for people who do need to change something to try overcoming a prolonged issue, usually injury related. So as mentioned, it would be part of an overall review and solution, and gradual transition while being careful not to let your running enthusiasm get ahead of what your body can cope with…cumulative stress and strain can creep up on you, and is common in transitioning to minimalist running.

For runners wanting to change to a minimalist approach and who are not injured, many of the same principles apply…basically, hasten slowly. What I think is a better strategy is to insert small portions of minimalist running within an existing program. For reasons mentioned above, I'm not a fan of making a wholesale change to minimalism without reason (and certainly not 'barefoot' running), but small amounts (measured in minutes per week) can be helpful in a range of ways. Having said that, using different shoes for different sessions is part of being a runner, so in just doing this you’ll be switching between degrees of minimalist running.

The benefits of minimalist running, for those who make a successful transition, vary. As eluded to earlier, the journey to minimalism and what you learn along the way can be as valuable as the destination, so you'll be a more educated runner in a wider aspect of running. You'll also have a new range of shoes to purchase from, especially as more companies come up with a good range of offerings - there's already some nice shoes around. Depending on your reason for changing, your running may improve if only because you might be not be injured (as much!). But your mechanics and efficiency might have also improved - this can be a side-effect of changing to minimalist running. In doing so, the function of your lower legs will also improve. The switch is minimalist shoes on its own will not necessarily improve your running (except for the benefit of lighter shoes).

Minimalist running does have a place, but it's not a black-and-white scenario that some might have you believe. There are degrees of minimalist running, and a range of reasons why you might want to make a change…which needs careful consideration. But above all, the important thing about minimalist running - if you are going to make a change - is how you go about it. Be measured and considered and careful, and make the change for reasons that are aligned with your long-term running continuity.

The athlete's athlete

You probably know - or at least know of - someone like this. You know them because they are one(s) who seem to just 'get it' when it comes to sports. They always race well to the extent that you'd bet your house on them. They rise above any prevailing circumstances and distinguish themselves by their notable performances…they're probably over achievers in other aspects of life, also. They are an athlete's athlete.

An athlete's athlete is someone who captures all the essential aspects of being a well rounded and accomplished athlete…but it goes beyond just that. It's a definition that is shaped your individual perspective, but suffice to say, an athlete's athlete is the athlete (and person) you might imagine yourself as being, in a perfect world. They epitomise all the good points you imagine of an ideal athletic peer.

So why is it these people, in particular, stand out, and what are the common characteristics of being an athlete's athlete?

First and foremost, an athlete's athlete knows themselves in depth. They know their abilities, limits, capabilities, constraints, the way they respond in various circumstances, the stimulus they need for a particular outcome, when to go hard - or easy - and so much more. They have an amazing and innate grasp of pacing in races, and how to squeeze the last drop of performance from their body on any given day.

Such self awareness has usually come about through conscientious training - being fully conscious and aware of what they are experiencing in each session and race. They realise that the things they learn in training are preparing them for racing, part-and-parcel with the physical fitness that goes with it. Further, they make the connection between different types of sessions and the net effect and outcome on their fitness, and how it felt during the process so they know how to fine tune and tweak the session next time for maximum benefit.

An athlete's athlete is also extremely diligent in what they do to contribute to their performance. They train and prepare with the bigger goal in mind, being reassured by the good sessions and learning from the others. They could tell you exactly what they are doing in training, and why, and also rattle off other information like workload, session milestones, training performance markers, etc, because that information is so closely part of the picture of their training. The things they do are micro-managed to perfection. More than likely there is training diary behind the scenes going back seasons and seasons.

When it comes to actual racing an athlete's athlete is solid as a rock, with only small variance in their quality performances. They know their equipment, the effect conditions will have on the day, what are the best tactics, race nutrition, emotional stability and so on. With little fuss they just get the job done - it's all about race execution.

As people, an athlete's athlete is a breath of fresh air. Quiet and humble, they tend to let their actions do the talking rather than feel the need to talk themselves up. You'll need to pin them down to hear any elboration about themselves and what they do, other than just the obvious fact that they just do it. They will be happy to share thoughts and advice in a generous way, but without any accompanying hoopla. Just the straight, down-to-earth facts. Their sport is part of their life that blends into their identity and persona, rather then being overtly who they are.

The lessons you can draw from an athlete's athlete are endless. From their approach to diligent training, understanding of the sport and perspective on where they fit into it, race performances through to the down-to-earth people that they are - the sum of many parts. They just get it, and derive satisfaction from the process of being part of the sport. One more thing, an athlete's athlete exists at all levels in the sport, not just the pointy end. You'll notice them as much for what they aren't as what they are.

Coaching Art vs Science

In many Coaching 101 textbooks is a section titled something like "The Art vs Science of Coaching", which goes into discussion about the balance between the gut instinct, experience and understanding of a coach versus (or contrasted with) what the collective body of scientific knowledge prescribes. It's a battle of ideologies with one saying "we just understand" while the other says "we know because science says so". One is intangible while the other relies on measuring and being measurable. Ultimately, of course, it is the athletic performances that counts most.

With sports being based on human behaviour…something innately difficult to measure repeatably and reliably…there is no magic formula for success from one athlete to the next. It is natural that athletes seek out the option they believe has the highest chance of delivering that success. But which is it…the artisan style coach or the calculated, scientific style? The answer probably lies with the preference of each individual athlete as there are so many variables. Let's look into it a little further.

Coaches have been around in sports for a long, long time. Coaches were guiding athletes to victories and world records way before the emergence of "ground breaking" science, developing theories and approaches which have stood the test of time, and combined it with eccentricities that have been the hallmark of genius throughout the ages. Great coaches think outside the square for ideas and inspiration, evolving over time with results that speak a louder message than their sometimes cryptic words. Great coaches are creative artisans at heart.

The art that these coaches bring is in the form of an innate understanding of sports, especially the one(s) they practice in, and an empathy for the individual person that sees them as a whole, not just the athlete visible to the spectator. A great coach recognises what (and when) an athlete needs in order to improve their performance, combining physical, psychological, emotional, tactical, technical and other elements into a rounded program suited to the individual. A true coach deals with each person individually, calls upon hard earned experience, teachings from others, and amazing foresight in creating a program and adapting it to the scenario presented by each athlete.

Coaches will develop and evolve their own theories, methodologies and protocols which are applied, tested in competition, evaluated, revised and so on year after year to develop programs which are evidence and performance based on the results of many athletes over many years. Coaches have a sense of what is the right thing to do and when, and know that one approach does not suit all. How they do this is their artistic flair.

It has often been said that science's main role is to understand why and how coaching techniques work, rather than to be prescriptive about what should be done. It's as if coaches might say "I told you so" after science "proves" something that was well known and practiced already. "Damn crack pots", the scientists might reply…

Nonetheless, science is important, although the relationship between coaches and scientists can be a little tetchy at times. Science looks at situations in black-and-white, measures things, analyses and then seeks to define groups into which people should fit based on their findings. Science struggles to cope with individualities - outliers - usually excluding them on the basis of statistical exceptions. Having said that, science is very good at developing a great understanding about a defined scenario.

A good analogy is to say that science seeks to discover everything about one square of a checker board, but ignoring the other 63 squares directly around it!!

In a coaching and training context, science can give a great insight into why something might have happened as it did. But in trying to draw conclusions, science can fall short because humans are individual, and the needs of one person will always differ from another. To generalise scientific findings in order to apply them broadly dilutes the specific value that science is trying to offer.

To be a scientific coach might be to ignore the indivudual characteristics of athletes, things like their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, adaptability, recovery needs, work ethic and so on. A scientific coach might seek to apply a protocol that research has found to effective, but miss the individual detail that made it so effective, with the consequence being sub-optimal training that that person. To extend the checker board analogy above, a particular scientific training approach might only be suitable for 1 out of 64 people!!

But as in most debates, the reality is that neither extreme makes for the "best" coach. Coaches these days need to have capabilities in all areas, albeit with some emphasis reflecting their background. A coach without an understanding and consideration for what science is saying is ignorant, while a science based coach without respect for the age-old art of working with individuals is arrogant. The art and science of coaching needs to work alongside each other for the best coaching outcomes.

The role and importance of scientific knowledge in sport is undenied and unquestioned. The skill and techniques of coaching have evolved over generations of athletes. The real skill of coaching - and training - these days is to be open minded enough to consider all sources of information available, scientific or otherwise, and "cherry pick" the pieces that are most helpful in the pursuit of what is best for the athlete and their performance. Because after all, the welfare of athletes and their performance is the main goal!!

Running numbers

Did you know that runners are great with numbers? Usually you'd think that accountants, engineers, physicists and the like would be the numbers people, but no, this valuable skill is shared amongst runners, too. What is so surprising, however, is that most runners don't even realise they are talented beyond their physical prowess, but trust me, it is true. Let me explain.

Running is ruled by numbers. For starters, there is the distance you run, which might be in kilometers or miles, and could also include a number of additional meters or yards. So any run might be 5.7 km, or 3.5 miles. If it was through hills then you will have some elevation so that 5.7km run might include 124 meters of ascent, with a steepest gradient of 8.4%. See, plenty of numbers…but we haven't even got into the interesting part yet!!

Some people prefer to measure runs in duration, for example 25 mins 32 secs, or 25:32 min. If you include hours then it become 0:25:32 hr, and fractions would mean 0:25:32.6 hr!! Now we're getting into some good stuff. If that 5.7 km run took 25:32 min, it means you ran at an average pace of 4 min 28.8 sec per kilometer.

You might laugh, but all this information is important to a runner…and to borrow a trusim from business, you can't manage what you can't measure. So for any runner who is wanting to improve - which is almost all of us - then these numbers are it!! They are a black-and-white indication of who and what you are as a runner. The number of kilometers you run in a week, your average pace, time for certain intervals, and more, carry you from session to session and season to season. Some runners might seem blasé about the details of their running, but you can be sure they do know what their numbers are and can talk for hours about them and what they mean!!

Races provide a whole new set of numbers like placings, PB's for various distances - or for favourite courses - scores against rivals and more. Just witness the angst when a course turns out to be inaccurately measured to see how important numbers are to runners. The victory of beating a PB - a number - is the euphoria that drives runners on to racking up more training numbers.

Then you have the skill of mental arithmetic mid-run, calculating how much time, what distance, the required pace, how much effort, etc, in order to achieve a goal. This is something not just anyone can do…you need to be a runner to get it. It makes Sudoku seem easy.

So next time someone passes you off as "simply a runner", rest assured that you'd be a Nobel prize winner if you weren't busy training for your next race!!

Race assets

What is your favourite race each year, you know, the one you mark in the calendar months in advance and then pack the car to journey back to, reliving past glories and seeking new experiences? Do you tell other people so they too make the trip next year, boosting event numbers and establishing it as a 'must do' race each season? This kind of on-going support for races is the heart and soul of sports, more so than the glitz and glamour that sometimes precedes events actually becoming successful. Strong races are good for the sport.

But strong races also stand out as being ripe for picking by big event managers, when they out grow the grass roots committees that were behind their initial success, and need a bigger and more accomplished management team behind them. The smart event managers will nurture and care for their popular events, knowing the value they bring both in dollar terms and prestige for their brand and reputation, thereby attracting more people to their other events. The net result is still good for the sport, with more quality event options for people to choose between.

But the risk is that established races lose their identity that made them so popular in the first place, and become assets and commodities that are assessed for their black-and-white value to the managing organisation, and become the subject of ownership battles for almost territorial rights to hold and run an event at a defined location, on a defined date. While the recent trend has been towards improving the quality of race experience, one wonders if there will a point soon of cost cutting and cost saving by event managers, seeking to maximise return for less outlay, relying on the good will built up over years of participating by many athletes.

In recent times there has been competition at play in the triathlon market, such as WTC buying out USM Event Management and thus securing rights to IM Cairns away from Challenge. Then, perhaps in a return shot, Challenge came in and pulled the WTC rug from under the historic IM Canada to establish Challenge Penticton in 2013. These are examples of both new and old events, but each with a deemed value in the marketplace.

For each of these races, they would seem to be essentially the same event except for the branding and associated aspects, each of which has a subtly different appeal to athletes. So once again, competition is good and although not necessarily like a case of picking your favourite brand from the supermarket shelf, does provide choice in a market that increasingly looks beyond the WTC formula for something new and/or different for iron distance events.

Then there are the cases where an established and iconic event, with a loyal following, is up and moved to a new venue with race organisers perhaps hoping for a “Field of Dreams” scenario of ‘build it and they will come’, relying on the associated race reputation to be the drawing card. In Australia we’ve seen it with IM Australia leaving what many (still) call the ‘spiritual home’ of Foster, to the nearby town of Port Macquarie, leaving many feeling like they were robbed of everything Foster offered the competitor. While athletes followed to the new location, it seemed there was some resentment about how it was done, forced onto the athletes at a time when the choice of events was more limited. The product of IM Australia won out, and athletes were at the mercy of the IM licence holders at the time, IMG, who we usually associate with big, greedy corporate organisation, for whom the bottom line is everything.

Whether or how much race organisers give consideration to the humble athlete we don’t know. Are they out to squeeze whatever they can from our pockets in the interests of “shareholder return”, or do they really have our interests at heart? The recent example of WTC cancelling entry to IN New York for 2013 shows some level of community concern, but that was only after backlash at the $1200 entry fee they tried to put over everyone. Whether it would have sold out is secondary to what is deemed as value for money...and an entry fee of > $1000 might have been a tipping point.

While I’ve got no problem in people running a business of organising events, heck, my brother does just that for his job, it’s when races are considered like assets on a Monopoly board that the line between what is in the best interests of whom becomes blurred. Ultimately supply and demand will sort things out, but soon there might be a wake up call on one side or the other about the lengths people will go to for a race...the playing field might be in for some levelling out, then.

Inter sport respect

You might have heard that Caine Eckstein is doing Hawaii IM in October this year. Eckstein is a surf Ironman star, winning the famous Coolongatta Gold race 5 times…and he's only 25 years old now!! Like all the surf Ironman guys, he is tank, has a huge engine and is incredibly skilled in the surf. His name has come up a few times in relation to switching to triathlons, along with various stats and numbers for how fast he actually goes, even though surf competitions are notoriously affected by variable conditions making it hard to get an accurate bearing on his ability.

The reason his participation is earning some attention in triathlon circles is because triathletes have a healthy respect for their beach multi-sport cousins. There's enough similarities that we (triathletes) can appreciate how good these guys (and gals) are, even though we rarely line up against them in a race…open water swims being one occasion. So now he is making a jump into our territory we want to know how good he actually is…it doesn't matter that he may have never ridden a bike beyond the surf club before!!

Inter sport respect (or lack of) - and rivalry - is a funny thing. How do multi-sport athletes view single sport athletes, and vice-versa? Not only that, how do long distance athletes view sprinters? Then there is the intense interest when someone transitions from single-sport to multi-sport, or back the other way, and speculation about how they will go now the playing field is the same as the commenting peers. Just remember the hoo-ha when Lance came back to triathlons, and whether he would re-capture his junior form…which he did, until affairs went awry. Equally, many folks made great predictions in speculating about possibly Chrissie Wellington switching to cycling.

There's a tendency for triathletes to look down on single sport athletes a little, after all, surely it would be easy to excel if you're only doing one sport? Also, single sports seem to be the thing you do when you're not a multi-sport athlete, not as a chosen sport in the first instance. Being competent at 3 sports does not necessarily mean being good at three sports, until you consider it as one sport, triathlon, which is the only time that triathletes can claim any kind of ascendancy.

Since triathletes are familiar with three sports it does mean they have some degree of understanding about what it takes to perform in the separate events, which would explain why triathletes generally take high interest in swimming, cycling and running in the broader, and especially international, arenas. Triathletes have good respect for athletes in these sports through their kinship, having a grasp for how fast they really are, much like the respect for Caine Eckstein.

But when you ask a triathlete about some other sports the level of respect varies, as if to say those sports are not "hard" sports based on some kind of effort based comparison…which ignores the intricate role of skill combined with effort. Badminton…ha, soft touches. Judo…ho ho, just a play wrestle. And so on. Each of those sports could use the same retort triathletes often employ…if it were so easy, everyone would do it!! So it's fair to say that every sport is deserving of respect, and that the people at the top of the respective games really are hard athletes.

Intra-sport rivalry is fascinating. Just go to an athletics track and see the divide between the sprinters and middle-long distance runners…they are mutually exclusive groups, even though they are all (just) runners!! Sprinters seemingly demand respect, while longer distance athletes just do their thing. High maintenance versus low fuss.

The view in triathlons is intriguing. Long course triathletes seem to be of the belief that short-course tris are what you do before stepping up to the "real' triathlons, whereas short-course guys can't understand why those crusty demons, IM athletes, would want to go that long, that slowly!! It took an established IM star like Macca to enlighten us about the realities of ITU racing, and really state that short-course and IM athletes are niche athletes.

I think that's where the discussion should head, respecting and understanding the niche that athletes calve out in their chosed speciality. Some people are good at one format and not at others, just like some tennis players are better on grass than clay, and some horses run better on heavy tracks than dry ones. They are all good, but just not necessarily in the way that the critics can appreciate. Nonetheless, speculating about one sport compared to another makes for great bar room debate…and don't forget, led to Ironman triathlon being conceived!!