It has been well over a year since I updated this site, but I have been very busy with several projects. I mentioned that I had set up a new website called My Athletic Life, and now I am in the process of setting up another. This one is called An Entrepreneurial Life. A couple of weeks ago, I set up a different site, but the topic hasn’t resonated. So, I will focus on a topic I know – what it’s like to be an entrepreneur.
Please check it out.
Over the past few weeks the frequency of my blogging has definitely taken a hit, but honestly for good reason. You see, I have been busy working on a new project called My Athletic Life. It is a website which will bring together content from some of the best writers, bloggers, and subject matter experts in athletic development and provide a community for athletes to share their goals, training plans, and successes.
If this sounds interesting, please check it out. We will have a steady stream of content that is updated nearly every day.
You will also be able to keep track of us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter.
Last week I entered another sprint race held by the Carolina Godiva Track Club (this time the 100m vs. the 200m I ran last week). My goal was to break 15 seconds, and I did so, but barely, coming in at 14.8 seconds. However, just like my result with 200m, I am thrilled as it is more validation that my sub-60 second 400m goal (sometime mid-to-late next year) is actually possible.
One of the things I like most about the Carolina Godiva Track Club is the diverse nature of the group. There are men and women of all ages and abilities giving 100% effort each time they race. My inspiration from last week came from a wonderful 66 year old man, Bobbie Perry. Mr. Perry had recently competed in the USA Masters Track and Field Championships, taking a bronze medal in the 800m. Last week he ran the 100m in 14.3 seconds (WOW).
As you may recall, I have set a goal to run a sub-60 second 400m dash before the end of 2012. Ideally, I would focus most of my training on the track, but my workouts at CrossFit Local have made me painfully aware that I must improve my overall strength and conditioning before I can make the speed gains I need. Even though I knew this to be true, I wondered if concentrating exclusively on CrossFit was helping, and my curiosity got the best of me.
This past Wednesday evening, I went over to the UNC track to participate in weekly races held by the Carolina Godiva Track Club and entered the 200m dash. About two months ago I ran a previous personal best of 32.6 seconds, and while I didn’t feel like the race this week was great (I decelerated quickly near the end), I was able to improve my time by 2 full seconds to 30.57.
For the first time since I started planning/training for a sub-60 second 400m run, I REALLY believe that my chances to achieve my goal are BETTER than 50/50, provided that I continue to put in solid work.
Almost immediately after starting CrossFit, I became aware of some pain in my left knee and on the outside of my left shoulder. I don’t believe this pain was the result of specific CrossFit workouts, but more likely my muscles were (and still are) out of balance from a lifetime of being sedentary. I have been careful to not further aggravate my knee and shoulder; however I realized that both probably needed some attention in order to allow me to exercise in a way that would limit my risk for injury.
About a month ago I found Julie Donnelly, a local sports massage therapist, who happens to be an expert on the type of pain I was having. In fact she has written several books including The Pain Free Runner and Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living (available on her website). It turns out that in both my shoulder and my knee, the problems were originating from other areas. The analogy she gave me was to imagine pulling on someone’s hair. They would feel pain in their scalp, but the problem would be where the pulling was originating.
In the case of my knee, the most likely culprit was the psoas muscle (attached to your lower lumbar, inserted through your hip, and attached to your femur). With a lot of time sitting in front of a computer my psoas muscle was in a contracted state and shortened. This shortening caused my hips/pelvis to rotate slightly forward which caused a lot of other muscles to be stretched out (hamstrings for example). Add in some serious exercising (squats and lunges in large numbers) and the long stretched out muscles tightened up even more and began to pull my kneecap slightly out of alignment (causing the pain/irritation).
The fix: Trigger point massage on the areas of my left leg that had knotted up and some ongoing stretches for the psoas. Let me give you fair warning if you have never had trigger point massage therapy. It isn’t a pleasant, spa-like experience. Getting a muscle to release out of spasm hurts a lot, but the relief is immediate.
The shoulder problem is also likely the result of chronic use of the computer (think rounding of the shoulders and hunching forward) but slightly more complicated. Basically I need to carefully build up strength in the shoulder and avoid moving into any range of motion that generates significant pain.
Undoing a lifetime of bad habits will take more than a few well intentioned weeks in the gym.
I have completed my initial experiment with daily heart rate variability (HRV) measurements that began in February. As background, if you don’t know about HRV, you can read this post Do You Have a Healthy Heart? to learn what I am measuring and why it matters. You can also refer to my previous readings here: Baseline, March, April, and May.
The fantastic news is that the primary HRV measurement I am evaluating (RMSSD) increased substantially from 29.6 to 37.3 (an increase is a positive improvement). Based on the research papers I had read, I expected that my HRV parameters would benefit from strenuous exercise over a period of several months, and thankfully, my results were consistent with that research.
As I continue to exercise, I will occasionally check to see if my numbers improve and also use the information to determine if I am overtraining. Given that I am only working out 3 or 4 times a week, I don’t think it is likely that I will suffer from overtraining; however I hope to be able to increase my training now that my body has a better level of fitness.
On a related note, I plan to write several posts in the coming months about cognitive abilities and neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain and nervous system to rewire themselves) related to acquiring new motor skills via exercise. This research paper, “Is heart rate variability related to memory performance in middle-aged men?” looks to be a good bridge between these areas of interest.
Posted in Fitness, heart rate variability, hrv
Tagged Heart Rate Variability, HRV, Memory, Suunto
As I discussed in Pursuing Difficult if not Impossible Goals, I would like to run a sub-60 second 400m dash sometime before the end of 2012. While it would be great if I could achieve my goal sooner, I don’t think it is realistic to expect to do so as 1) my current best time is 75 seconds and 2) my overall level of fitness/strength is still pretty poor.
For those of you that know me well, you will not be surprised to learn that I have read a tremendous amount about sprinting over the past few months. I guess it is part of how I get comfortable in doing something new (I try to gain knowledge and insight from others). Specific to my training plan, the most valuable article I have read is called Masters Track is like a Car: It’s Mileage, not Age that Matters. Here are the seven recommendations the author makes for someone a bit past their prime entering the world of track and field:
1) Get fit first: I believe CrossFit is providing a great help in meeting this goal. My guess is this part of my training will take at least 6 more months (before I have a solid base).
2) Lose weight and regain flexibility & range of motion: I definitely don’t need to lose any weight as I am 6’1” and 165 lbs; however it clearly wouldn’t hurt for a few of those pounds to be additional muscle (and less fat). As to range of motion, I will continue to improve on that with specific shoulder and hip mobility work as well as a lot of dynamic stretching drills.
3) Strength, speed, and explosive power are synonymous: Out of all of the areas, I believe this one represents the largest area of upside for me. Honestly I am surprised that my current 400m time is 75 seconds given how weak I am on squats, deadlifts, cleans, presses, etc. As weight training is a big component of CrossFit, I don’t anticipate doing a lot of additional strength work outside of the gym with just one exception. I plan to make core work part of my daily plan independent of my gym workouts.
4) Recovery is king: Check – I think I am getting very good sleep (about 8 hours per night), and making sure that I am not trying to train too much (my current CrossFit schedule is M, W, F).
5) Nutrition is queen: Check – see My So-Called Healthy Diet for more information on what I eat and why.
6) Train on grass…. Surfaces, that is: I am not sure it is realistic for me to try and do my entire sprint training on grass; however the principal of minimizing the impact from running on hard surfaces is a huge priority.
7) Growth hormone and testosterone, naturally: Focusing on #1, #3, #4, and #5 will encourage my body to produce these substances in abundance without resulting to supplementation.
As you read the list above, you may be wondering about the specifics of my sprint training. Honestly, without a lot of improvement in areas 1-3 above, sprinting at a fast pace is good way for me to injure myself. What I will do specific to my 400m goal is to focus on sprint speed drills (A skips, B skips, hurdle mobility, etc) as well as sprint technique work (learning proper mechanics to be more efficient and not waste energy). If you think about speed as a learned skill, as opposed to a purely innate ability, performing LOTS of drills that retrain your brain about how to coordinate the complex movements of sprinting should be hugely beneficial.
As the title of this post suggests, this is simply meant to be an overview of how I am approaching my training. Additional details about specific track workouts, including different types of speed and tempo runs, will follow shortly.
photo credit: tableatny
With few exceptions, I tend to work at things for which I show some aptitude or ability. I am willing to establish goals only when it is clear that the effort required is not overly taxing. It is only during the past few months that I have recognized this about myself and it doesn’t make me proud.
Being physically fit is something that most of us would like to achieve; however for me (and likely some of you), it is something that is difficult and requires a lot of work. I am now about 3 months into my CrossFit experience and showing steady but not spectacular progress. In other areas of my life this would likely have led to some serious rationalizing about how this activity isn’t important or necessary. NOT THIS TIME! Continue reading
Neil running with coach Smith
A few months ago Jenny and I signed the boys up for a 3 day track camp that would be taught by the UNC track coaches along with help from several team members. Neither of us thought that Neil and Evan would suddenly be transformed into 8 year old track stars, but rather our hope was that they would be inspired by being part of that setting. After three days of hard work, my kids blew me and my expectations away.
I had assumed that there would be a wide range of ages represented at the camp (the reality was a bit different). After Neil and Evan, all but one of the campers were in high school. Initially I was concerned; however it turned out to be a huge advantage. A coach or track team member was CONSTANTLYgiving the boys one-on-one help and encouragement.
Evan preparing to jump
With Father’s Day as a backdrop, I can honestly say that I have NEVER had a better parenting moment (or moments) than watching my kids in this environment. This isn’t to say that they were or became gifted athletes, but instead their attitude and enthusiasm were absolutely infectious. The love and genuine appreciation that was shown by the coaches, team members, and other campers toward Neil and Evan was powerful and palpable. When I thanked one of the coaches for the special attention he gave the boys, he remarked, “Are you kidding – they made the camp.”
My ongoing heart rate variability (HRV) measurements continued to show a modest improvement during the month of May. As background, if you don’t know about HRV, you can read this post Do You Have a Healthy Heart? to learn what I am measuring and why it matters. You can also refer to my previous readings here: Baseline, March, and April.
The primary HRV measurement I am evaluating (RMSSD) increased from 28.1 up to 29.6 (and an increase is a positive improvement). In addition, the trend over the second half of the month was dramatically better, so I expect that next month’s reading will be substantially better.
I continue to find interesting articles and books about the nervous system as well as the brain, and I recently completed reading The New Brain by Dr. Richard Restak.
In his book Dr. Restak writes about sensory adaptations made by the brain when a person loses the ability to see (enhanced hearing is but one example). Another example relates to how a blind person learns to read Braille; however not everyone who learns Braille does so in the same manner.
Some people read Braille using a single finger, and some people use three fingers treating them as a single unit. “Those who read Braille for several hours a day and use several fingers simultaneously develop a kind of merged, giant, large finger,” says Thomas Elbert, a brain researcher in Germany. This “merged finger” phenomenon often leads to the person losing the ability to determine which of the three fingers is actually receiving the stimulus (and not just while reading).
Try the following experiment: Take off your shoes and socks, close your eyes, and have someone lightly touch different toes. Can you correctly identify which toe was touched?
I did pretty well when my wife touched either my big toe or my little toe; however I did no better than random chance when trying to identify between toes two, three, and four. Given how we trap our toes inside of sensory-limiting shoes most of the day, it isn’t that surprising that our brain begins to look at them as a single unit.
Cool, huh?
Posted in Fitness, heart rate variability, hrv
Tagged Brain, CNS, Heart Rate Variability, HRV, Nervous System
