Good question. At what point does it become an addition that's not good? We've heard of professional runners who are running upwards of 150K a week. And that's on top of other strengthening exercises. Granted, these guys (and gals) have professional physiotherapists taking care of their bodies, helping them recover. Many of them don't hold jobs outside their sporting activity, but some of them do.
I've read about something called "overtraining syndrome." This isn't a case of too much training as it is a case of not enough recovery. According to an article I read in Runner's World, one that made a lot of sense, you can actually overtrain on running just 20 miles a week. For those of us that think in kilometres, that's about 32k weekly, or say, about 5k daily with one day of rest. That's actually not a lot of running, that's healthy and respectable, but it's very minimal for serious runners. But yes, if you don't give your body enough time to recover between exercises, and feed it, then you can overtrain. Your body can get to the point where it doesn't get any stronger. In fact, your immune system gets weaker, your mood is also affected, and your body can begin to deteriorate, stress fractures and other muscular injuries.
But you can also train in excess of 100 miles a week and be quite fine. With enough rest your body's capable of amazing things. Reminds me of David Goggins, the navy seal who runs ultra marathons. In an interview that I watched on YouTube, he said something to that effect. That we don't know what our bodies are capable of. And that in running ultra marathons, sometimes when you think you're done, when you can't go on, when you are exhausted to the point where you feel you're breaking down, in actual fact you're only at 40% of what your body's capable of handling.
Imagine that, 40%!
So it is possible to overtrain, but with good rest, good nutrition, and watching for the signs, it's also possible to stretch yourself beyond your normal boundaries.
With that, I think I should sleep.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Mastering the long run
The long run is a part of the diet for anyone training for a marathon. The long run prepares your muscles for endurance. Raises the lactic threshold to allow your legs to sustain the pain of the marathon distance.
But what is the long run?
It's not a precisely measured distance, like the marathon at 42.2 kilometres (actually 42.195 k), but runners generally agree that anything over 30 k is a long run. Training for a marathon involves a combination of short fast runs, strength training, casual distance runs and, the long run.
Some runners have been known to overindulge in the long run. In fact, I tend to put one long run in weekly. Normally on the Sunday, the day that most marathons are held. My long runs take me out to 32 k, which is comfortable enough that the rest of the day is functional. My long runs are slow. It takes me three hours to run the 32 k, far below my 3:30 marathon pace. But the pace is intentionally slow. In fact, I now look forward to the long run on Sundays. There was a time I used to dread it.
The long run for me involves slowing down greatly. Before I head out of the door, I acknowledge the fact that I'm going to be out for three hours. I carry some water, and a couple of energy gels. I also carry $2 nowadays, so that I can stop at a convenience store and buy more water. The water I carry is barely 500 ml, which isn't enough for the distance.
Mentally, I'm not thinking of anything in particular, but my mind wanders. I have my music on, an eclectic mix of different tunes. Not always disco, but some soul, r&b, gospel, dance, hip hop, rap. The music serves as a backdrop, to mask out the sound of my breathing and fill those voids where I might be feeling exhausted. If I can't hear what's happening outside, I miraculously don't get too tired.
And I don't push the pace. One step at a time. I know, that sounds cliché, and it's taken a long time to master, it's very difficult to do. Mastering one-step-at-a-time is the key to the long run. Not looking ahead at the distance, watching the long path ahead, looking at the traffic light way up the road, wondering when you'll get there, looking at the hill that's about to come and heaving and puffing your way up, wondering when you'll reach the top. Mastering just taking one comfortable step, lightly, effortlessly, and feeling great about that one step you just took. Like seeing yourself outside your body. Like you're watching yourself on a TV screen moving easily.
When you watch runners you're never usually concerned with where they're going. You're never usually concerned with how long it's taking them to move from one point to another, even in a race. Watch the guy at the back. He even looks good! When you watch a runner, mostly what you see is posture, balance, how the stride looks, how erect the body is and how smooth they look. And that's what you should concentrate on in the long run.
Consider it to be a dress rehearsal where you have to get something right, and that something is your stride. So work on the single stride. Move one step, and then evaluate that step that you just took. Do you even remember it? What did it feel like? Try a second step, watch your knee as it rises up and forward, as your foot swings in front and you touch down, meanwhile your other leg has stretched out behind you and is kicking off. Stride again. One more, feel it, see it in your mind's eye, do it.
I've found that this technique helps me in my shorter runs too. In fact, what normally happens in those shorter runs is that I naturally speed up. I don't slow myself down but just let it happen. Amazingly, sometimes that speed happens when going up a hill and I cruise up. Of course when I get to the top, sometimes, not all the time, I'm drained, but I don't stop, I slow down instead. Slowing down is better than stopping and I catch my breath as I manage my stride. Again, one step at a time. Not thinking about how I've almost slowed down to a crawl, but concentrate on just taking one step and breathe and one step and breathe.
But for the long run, speeding up isn't a good thing. When I catch myself speeding up, and it happens unconsciously because I'm only thinking about the step-by-step thing, I have to consciously slow down. In order to slow down, I have to concentrate on the technique. Back to the form. Step by step. Not worrying about the distance.
So the long run doesn't have to be painful or threatening. At least, not the first three-quarters of it. Eventually, after a couple of hours of running, even the best training submits to fatigue. If you're thirsty, no amount of will power, positive thinking, mental discipline will assuage the thirst. You need water. If you're puffing and panting, then you need to stop, or slow down. You can't be out of breath for very long, it's similar to hyperventilating. Your body will force you to quit so it's best to see the signals and stop yourself.
Eat a light, high carbohydrate meal the night before. Not too late. Not too much eating in the morning. If you're like me, stock your running belt with a couple of gels. I find that two energy gels are good enough. I carry two 8 oz (about 250 ml each) bottles of water. Not just plain water, I have an electrolyte mix (eLoad, endurance formula). And, of course, a $2 coin, for that bottle of water that I buy at about the 24k mark.
It takes practise. The long run is something that will take a long time to get used to. It doesn't happen overnight and even experienced runners will tell you that it's taken a long time to get used to running anything over a couple of hours. Some will even admit that they can't run longer than two hours. Running for three hours, if you're marathon finish time is about four hours is about right.
Happy running!
But what is the long run?
It's not a precisely measured distance, like the marathon at 42.2 kilometres (actually 42.195 k), but runners generally agree that anything over 30 k is a long run. Training for a marathon involves a combination of short fast runs, strength training, casual distance runs and, the long run.
Some runners have been known to overindulge in the long run. In fact, I tend to put one long run in weekly. Normally on the Sunday, the day that most marathons are held. My long runs take me out to 32 k, which is comfortable enough that the rest of the day is functional. My long runs are slow. It takes me three hours to run the 32 k, far below my 3:30 marathon pace. But the pace is intentionally slow. In fact, I now look forward to the long run on Sundays. There was a time I used to dread it.
The long run for me involves slowing down greatly. Before I head out of the door, I acknowledge the fact that I'm going to be out for three hours. I carry some water, and a couple of energy gels. I also carry $2 nowadays, so that I can stop at a convenience store and buy more water. The water I carry is barely 500 ml, which isn't enough for the distance.
Mentally, I'm not thinking of anything in particular, but my mind wanders. I have my music on, an eclectic mix of different tunes. Not always disco, but some soul, r&b, gospel, dance, hip hop, rap. The music serves as a backdrop, to mask out the sound of my breathing and fill those voids where I might be feeling exhausted. If I can't hear what's happening outside, I miraculously don't get too tired.
And I don't push the pace. One step at a time. I know, that sounds cliché, and it's taken a long time to master, it's very difficult to do. Mastering one-step-at-a-time is the key to the long run. Not looking ahead at the distance, watching the long path ahead, looking at the traffic light way up the road, wondering when you'll get there, looking at the hill that's about to come and heaving and puffing your way up, wondering when you'll reach the top. Mastering just taking one comfortable step, lightly, effortlessly, and feeling great about that one step you just took. Like seeing yourself outside your body. Like you're watching yourself on a TV screen moving easily.
When you watch runners you're never usually concerned with where they're going. You're never usually concerned with how long it's taking them to move from one point to another, even in a race. Watch the guy at the back. He even looks good! When you watch a runner, mostly what you see is posture, balance, how the stride looks, how erect the body is and how smooth they look. And that's what you should concentrate on in the long run.
Consider it to be a dress rehearsal where you have to get something right, and that something is your stride. So work on the single stride. Move one step, and then evaluate that step that you just took. Do you even remember it? What did it feel like? Try a second step, watch your knee as it rises up and forward, as your foot swings in front and you touch down, meanwhile your other leg has stretched out behind you and is kicking off. Stride again. One more, feel it, see it in your mind's eye, do it.
I've found that this technique helps me in my shorter runs too. In fact, what normally happens in those shorter runs is that I naturally speed up. I don't slow myself down but just let it happen. Amazingly, sometimes that speed happens when going up a hill and I cruise up. Of course when I get to the top, sometimes, not all the time, I'm drained, but I don't stop, I slow down instead. Slowing down is better than stopping and I catch my breath as I manage my stride. Again, one step at a time. Not thinking about how I've almost slowed down to a crawl, but concentrate on just taking one step and breathe and one step and breathe.
But for the long run, speeding up isn't a good thing. When I catch myself speeding up, and it happens unconsciously because I'm only thinking about the step-by-step thing, I have to consciously slow down. In order to slow down, I have to concentrate on the technique. Back to the form. Step by step. Not worrying about the distance.
So the long run doesn't have to be painful or threatening. At least, not the first three-quarters of it. Eventually, after a couple of hours of running, even the best training submits to fatigue. If you're thirsty, no amount of will power, positive thinking, mental discipline will assuage the thirst. You need water. If you're puffing and panting, then you need to stop, or slow down. You can't be out of breath for very long, it's similar to hyperventilating. Your body will force you to quit so it's best to see the signals and stop yourself.
Eat a light, high carbohydrate meal the night before. Not too late. Not too much eating in the morning. If you're like me, stock your running belt with a couple of gels. I find that two energy gels are good enough. I carry two 8 oz (about 250 ml each) bottles of water. Not just plain water, I have an electrolyte mix (eLoad, endurance formula). And, of course, a $2 coin, for that bottle of water that I buy at about the 24k mark.
It takes practise. The long run is something that will take a long time to get used to. It doesn't happen overnight and even experienced runners will tell you that it's taken a long time to get used to running anything over a couple of hours. Some will even admit that they can't run longer than two hours. Running for three hours, if you're marathon finish time is about four hours is about right.
Happy running!
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
A case for eradicating the letter "Z"
In a move to simplify spelling tests for kids in school, as well as merge common sounds to use the same letter (at some point we'll discuss phasing out the letter "g" in favour of combinations of "c"), the management board of Common Sense Inc. has decided finally to eradicate the use of the letter "z." In an astounding vote that previously ended in a deadlock, rationality has won out. In making a statement to the press right after the forty-eight hour debate, the public relations arm of Common Sense Inc. said that "this was a giant leap for mankind." Mr. Chord then went on to admit that in the end it took a physical fight to resolve the deadlock. With the ten person panel hopelessly deadlocked it didn't look like there would be any progress. According to the charter of Common Sense Inc. a solution must be reached, either positive or negative, to any internal debate. In this case, a five-to-five deadlock was simply unacceptable and so they would need to continue discussing it. After twenty four hours of debate, mostly it was the idiot from the press team who did most of the talking, the board room door was locked and they were denied water and food. This was a a standard decision making tactic used successfully in the past by Common Sense Inc's management. Introduced by the founding president, Charles It's-my-way-or-the-highway Rocco, the original technique involved a preparatory cleansing period. In that twelve-hour period, prior to any team meeting, staff members who were known to be in disagreement with Rocco would be locked away in the janitor's closet and made to breathe in the fumes from cleansing liquids. They were denied water and a stool to sit on.
Mr. Chord explained to the anxious team waiting for the results that in the end, Jack Azz, obviously among those in disagreement, was standing quietly when all of a sudden Ad Digit from Accounting dove at him in what appeared to be a rugby style tackle. On the ground Ad was able to place two well timed punches on Jack's ribs before the other members of the panel pulled him off. Even as Jack was getting painfully up from the floor, Ad was taunting him by shaking his ass and mouthing the same word too. It took a few minutes to calm the room down but after that had been accomplished, another scuffle began. This time it was between Barry, an avid historian who was defending the word "zero" and Meg, the receptionist whose view of life was mostly learned from watching television. The argument wasn't going anywhere but Barry was definitely getting irritated to the point where he looked like he was going to blow a vein. A huge vessel in his temple was pulsating and he was slowly turning purple.
No one really noticed that Bob had gotten up from his seat around the table and was pacing along the window. Occasionally he'd look outside, but mostly the chaos in room didn't disturb him. One by one they stopped what they were doing to observe Bob. Finally Bob turned to face them, slipped his hand into his right pocket and revealed what looked like the handle of a gun. He took a look around the room, shook his head, put the thing back and continued his pacing. After a few minutes, he quietly declared to the room, "I think that this would come to a quick conclusion if there were only an odd number of us in the room." More silence. "I vote to eliminate z, who's with me." All hands shot up.
Victory. It's quite amazing that even the most perplexing, or seemingly perplexing, issues can be handled with quiet, poise and careful thinking. In this case, Bob clearly displayed his management potential, even though he was just the mail room clerk.
Mr. Chord explained to the anxious team waiting for the results that in the end, Jack Azz, obviously among those in disagreement, was standing quietly when all of a sudden Ad Digit from Accounting dove at him in what appeared to be a rugby style tackle. On the ground Ad was able to place two well timed punches on Jack's ribs before the other members of the panel pulled him off. Even as Jack was getting painfully up from the floor, Ad was taunting him by shaking his ass and mouthing the same word too. It took a few minutes to calm the room down but after that had been accomplished, another scuffle began. This time it was between Barry, an avid historian who was defending the word "zero" and Meg, the receptionist whose view of life was mostly learned from watching television. The argument wasn't going anywhere but Barry was definitely getting irritated to the point where he looked like he was going to blow a vein. A huge vessel in his temple was pulsating and he was slowly turning purple.
No one really noticed that Bob had gotten up from his seat around the table and was pacing along the window. Occasionally he'd look outside, but mostly the chaos in room didn't disturb him. One by one they stopped what they were doing to observe Bob. Finally Bob turned to face them, slipped his hand into his right pocket and revealed what looked like the handle of a gun. He took a look around the room, shook his head, put the thing back and continued his pacing. After a few minutes, he quietly declared to the room, "I think that this would come to a quick conclusion if there were only an odd number of us in the room." More silence. "I vote to eliminate z, who's with me." All hands shot up.
Victory. It's quite amazing that even the most perplexing, or seemingly perplexing, issues can be handled with quiet, poise and careful thinking. In this case, Bob clearly displayed his management potential, even though he was just the mail room clerk.
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