0 Running Naked: The Busy Athlete Goes Au Naturel And Loves It

Yesterday I ran naked for the first time in way too long.  Don't worry.  I wasn't jogging nude around the running trails of Melbourne, frightening people.  I did something much more radical, and for a lot of runners and triathletes, even more unimaginable.  I ran without a GPS, heart rate monitor or mp3 player.  I got home and had no data to review.  No split times.  No "time spent in Zone 3".  I have no idea how far I ran, or how fast, and I will never know if I took the Strava CR on Yarra Bend Road.

I realised recently that I, and many people I know have become addicted to data.  We endlessly analyse run or ride data and define a "good" workout as one in which we ran fast or beat a previous record (or another Strava user).  I can't actually remember the last time I went for a run without having some sort of device attached to my arm to record, track and dissect my performance post-workout.

So yesterday I pulled on my trainers, and headed out the door.  I ran the riverside trails around Studley Park, enjoying the morning sun and the beautiful scenery.  The sounds of the Australian bush were a rare treat as normally I run with music, and tend to pound across the landscape in a carefully playlisted musical bubble.  The bird calls and rush of the river were only interrupted by my own breathing and the staccato beat of my feet hitting the trail.  It was peaceful, beautiful and FUN.

I noticed that I was running through the trees with a big grin on my face.  I was happy in the moment, completely connected to my own body and my surrounds, and I hadn't had to pay a spiritual guru or life coach for this moment of revelation.  I felt freed from worry about how fast I was going, or how much further I needed to run.  I was simply enjoying the act of running just like my daughter does.  It was running for the joy of it.  I ran well.  I felt strong, agile and fast and had the feeling that I could run all day. 

My little naked run has reminded me that I love to run.  I will always be a data nerd.  I will always analyse my training to find improvements and I will always compete with myself and others to be the best athlete I can be.  I will also make time to regularly run and ride my bike without all of the modern gadgets.  It's way more fun and I'm pretty sure it'll make me a better athlete in the long run.

Next time you head out the door to train, stop.  Put down your devices and just enjoy your run.  You'll be grateful you did.

0 Mental Toughness: Pushing Yourself Past Your Limits

I recently started to use Strava to track my runs.  Not only does it map my route and give me pace and distance data (like a million other apps), it also allows me to challenge the times of other users my area.  Being a ridiculously over competitive guy who likes winning a LOT, this is right up my alley.  The first thing I did upon downloading the app was to plan a run that took in as many local sectors as possible, in order to break the existing records and claim top spot.

I'm honest enough with myself to know that I am by no means physiologically gifted when it comes to athletic endeavours.  I'm an average, middle of the pack athlete and will never compete at an elite level in any sport.


Going into my run yesterday though, I had no doubt that I would (not could) reach the goals that I'd set myself.  I made a mental pact with myself to push my body to the level that was required to achieve my goal.  I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my body was capable of running as fast as I needed it to, I just needed to convince my mind that it was OK to suffer through the pain that is the unfortunate side-effect of this sort of extreme effort.


If you've ever seen Jens Voigt dishing out pain on the front of the Tour De France peloton, you will have some idea of what I'm talking about.  By his own admission, Jens is not the best, fastest or strongest rider in professional cycling.  His true gift is his ability to transcend the screaming pain in his body to continue to "suffer" until his rivals are beaten or his own strength gives out.  His famous quote "Shut Up Legs!" perfectly encapsulates his disdain for the weakness of the flesh.


Over the years, I've realised that one of my real strengths is in this ability to ignore the physical pain and continue to push myself.  I'm certainly not claiming to be anything like Jensie, but I was lucky enough to come to a startling, and very simple realisation some years ago.  The pain won't kill me, and it is going to go away almost as soon as I stop.  With this in mind, I've found it a lot easier to reach a much higher level of performance than I previously had.

Obviously hard, regular and effective training is the key to go faster and further, but I truly believe that mental toughness is often the difference between winning, or for the majority of us, finishing a hard race or beating a previous PR.


So how do you get mentally tough?  I think there are some people that are just naturally blessed with the ability to put pain aside and push themselves past what should be possible.  For the rest of us, it's something that can be trained and strengthened.  


The first step is to make a deal with yourself not to quit when things get hard.  It sounds simplistic and a bit cheesy, but it really is incredibly effective.  Just making this sort of mental agreement is a very powerful way of avoiding the all too frequent easing off when the lactic acid kicks in and your lungs are screaming.


Distraction is probably the best way to keep going whilst you are actually running, riding or swimming (or whatever else you do).  Listening to music, observing people around you or the scenery you are passing are great ways to take your mind of the suffering you are going through.  I often promise myself that I'll stop when I reach a point ahead, and then just prior to reaching it, set another point.


Visualisation.  Such a fancy sounding concept, but just boils down to imagining how it will feel and look when you achieve your goal.  I almost always imagine myself running down the finishing chute of an Ironman race through the noise of the crowd and Craig Alexander languishing in my wake.


So when I went on my 15km run yesterday, I made an ironclad promise to myself that I would run faster than I had before in order to defeat the current record holders of the segments I was targeting.  I imagined the satisfaction that I would feel when I looked down to see the time I needed on the Strava screen.


And then I ran.  I pushed myself hard from the start, and put my faith in my fitness and my ability to keep going.  When I got to the 12km mark, I knew I still had some strength in my legs, but my lungs were screaming, I had a stitch and my shoulders were tightening up.  I closed my eyes and just told myself that it would all be over in less than 12 minutes.  12 minutes of intense discomfort seems like a long time when you are in the moment, but I tried to put it into perspective.  It was less than 20% of the time I'd already put in and a minuscule amount of time in comparison to the time I'd take gloating over the result on my laptop.  The time passed so slowly that I thought for the last 100 metres that time had stopped.


And then it was over.  I was double over gasping for air.  My legs felt like they were on fire and sweat was running off me like a river.  Within five minutes all of this was over.  I felt fine.  Tired, a bit sore, but fine.  The pain had passed, like I knew it would, and I couldn't wait to get home to check my result.


Lance Armstrong once said "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If i quit, however, it lasts forever."

These are words that I tell myself all too frequently.

0 How My Exercise Addiction Saved My Life

My addiction (and it is an addiction) to training has saved my life.  I'm absolutely convinced of that.  If I hadn't embraced exercise as passionately as I have, I would be dead well before my time.

5 years ago I was 14kgs (30lbs) heavier than I am now.  I was a heavy smoker, drinker and recreational drug user.  I was lazy, unfit and existing on a diet of unhealthy junk food.  I had a big wobbly belly and suffered from an unfortunate case of man boobs.  I would go out and party for days on end, and would never be asleep before midnight during the week.  I never exercised, was weak and generally just in pretty poor physical shape.

Along with the physical effects of my lifestyle, there was a significant impact on my mental well-being.  I was lacking in self-confidence, and incredibly self conscious of my body.  The worst part was that I was depressed.  It wasn't an all-consuming soul crushing kind of depression.  More like a constant, unhealthy feeling of sadness and discontent.  I was disgusted at the state that I had allowed myself to sink to, but completely unable to find the motivation to fix the problem.  Getting fit was an unattainable goal, and the other lifestyle changes that needed to come were just as far away.  

I was staring down the barrel of a life spent being unhappy with my body image, and the health and well being issues that come along with that sort of toxic lifestyle.


So what changed?


I had known for a long time that something needed to change.  When I tried to critically evaluate myself, I realised that I am an all of nothing type of guy.  I need something to devote all of my efforts to, to focus on.  I need a sense of achievement to drive me to a goal.  Somewhere along the way I'd allowed apathy, laziness and a general malaise to take over.  I made a conscious decision to change my life.  And I did.  


It sounds like a trite, oversimplification, but all it took was the mental decision to devote myself to improving my health (both physical and mental) and the rest is history.


I dragged my fat arse to a local boot camp class and can distinctly remember almost puking in the first session.  I started riding my mountain bike to work.  I started jogging, very slowly, a couple of times a week.  I was lucky enough to find a good trainer who put me through high intensity, circuit sessions that burnt a lot of fat and began to rebuild my strength, and I fixed my diet.  I ate healthily, ate less and started drinking a LOT of water.


I very quickly realised that I loved the way that exercise made me feel.  I felt more comfortable with my body, the endorphins released during my workouts made me feel happy and the sense of achievement I'd feel at the end of a long day of work and exercise was something that I began to love.  I had forgotten how great it can feel to sweat.  To get outdoors and do a hard workout in the fresh air.


I quit smoking and drugs, began to sleep more (primarily because I was knackered after working out) and was amazed at how good I was feeling.  My body felt strong and healthy, and I was happier, more productive and more generally in a much better mental state.


The first triathlon that i ever did (a corporate sprint distance race) was a revelation.  I was immediately hooked and haven't stopped since.


The fitter I got, the more I wanted to explore and push my limits, trying to see how far or how fast I could make myself go.  I found that I am mentally suited to the structured, obsessive routine of training that you need to be an endurance athlete.  I like the early mornings and the long runs on the weekends.  I enjoy the gym sessions and the hard bike rides in the pre-dawn cold.

A whole new world of marathons, Ironman, triathlon and trail running has opened up to me.  A community of like minded, strong and focused people who love to push themselves and those around them to be better.  People often ask me why I put myself through all of the pain and hardship.  They don't understand why I like to train so hard or deprive myself of so many hours when I could be doing something else.  I always say "Because I want to know what I'm capable of".  I just want to know what I'm truly capable of.  Our modern lives are so soft and cossetted, and I want to know where the line of physical and mental endurance is for me.  How far can I push myself?

Over the last five years, I've completely transformed my life.  I'm now strong, fit and healthy.  I am happy, confident and content with the shape of my life.  I have drastically reduced my chance of suffering heart disease, diabetes, stroke, osteo-perosis, and lung cancer.  I'm a father and a husband and I feel like my training has given me the best possible chance of staying alive longer and living a healthier and happier life with my family.


I've realised that I need to balance my family, work and training effectively to keep everyone happy, but it's a good problem to have.





 

0 A Great Ironman Movie - Ironman Coeur d'Alene

Check out this great movie on Ironman Coeur d'Alene.  Some excellent interviews with the pros and the age groupers who make this such a wonderful event.

0 Get Off The Couch! 5 Reasons You Should Start Getting Fit Today

It's cold outside at the moment.  The weather is terrible, it's grey and dark and the only thing most people want to do is stay inside where it's warm and cosy.  If you're anything like me, you also want to eat filling, hearty winter foods that might not necessarily be fantastic for your waistline. It's all too common to see people putting aside their exercise routine in the cooler months, and paying a heavy price for it (pun intended)

As our lives get more sedentary and we spend more and more time at our desks, sitting in cars or on the couch, it's never been more important to include regular exercise in our daily routines.  You don't have to put yourself through boot camp torture or run a marathon every other day.  Just try and incorporate regular exercise into your weekly routine.  It could be riding your bike to work three days a week, running with a friend at lunchtime or a regular spin class at the gym.  Once you get started, there'll be no stopping you.

Here are five reasons to drag yourself off the couch today, and start to take care of your body again.

You'll feel better.

Vigorous exercise releases endorphins, the "feel good" chemicals that stimulate pleasurable sensations and an uplift in your mood.  You perceived levels of stress will be reduced, and you'll be less likely to feel anxious or pressured.

You'll be less likely to die early

Regular exercise reduces blood pressure, your risk of heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes.  We're talking significant health benefits here people.  Your heart will be strenghtened and you will be more likely to avoid the very real health risks of our modern, western lifestyle.  Not only will you be more healthy, you will also be stronger in your later years, have denser bones and be less likely to suffer respiratory illness.

You'll have more energy

As your body becomes more efficient at carrying oxygen due to your improved level of fitness, you will feel more energetic.  Obviously, this has a signicant impact on your enjoyment of life, and ability to work harder and more effectively.

You'll be healthier
Regular exercise has been proven to improve your body's immune system.  You'll be more able to fend off common colds, viruses and common ailments.  There's nothing worse than those annoying winter colds, so make sure you give yourself the best possible chance of avoiding them.

You'll look great
Let's be honest. You'll feel great, and once you have been exercising for a while, you'll also look strong, fit and healthy.  You'll feel more attractive and there's a good chance others will think you are too.  It's not the most important reason to exercise, but it's a nice result from all of your hard work.

0 Tour De France For Dummies: The Busy Athlete's Guide For Cycling Beginners

If you are not a cycling tragic like I am, you may find the terminology of the Tour De France (or cycling in general) a bit confusing, if not downright baffling.  Terms like peloton, echelon, gruppetto and maillot jaune are an impenetrable code to the unitiated.  

So that there are a few less people in the world to stare at me blankly when I talk about cycling, here is the Busy Athlete's Guide to Le Tour.

The Jerseys: What are all the different jerseys about? 

• Yellow (Maillot Jaune) - The jersey worn by the overall race leader
• Polka Dot - The jersey worn by the King of the Mountains.  The rider who collects the most points at designated places on climbs throughout the tour.
• Green -The jersey worn by the rider who collects the most sprint points throughout the various stages of the race.

The Terminology: What the hell are they talking about?

• Peloton - The main bunch of riders.
• Break - A group of riders who have escaped up the road from the peloton.
• Chase - A group of riders who sit between the peloton and a break (usually chasing the break or being dropped by the breakaway riders).
• Gruppetto - The group of slower riders which often forms as the sprinters and weaker riders get dropped on the difficult mountain stages.
•  Drafting - Riders sit in behind the rider in front to shield themselves from the wind and benefit from the reduction in drag that comes with the reduced wind resistance.  This can save riders up to 30% in energy expended.
• Echelon - The line that forms as riders try to shelter from a crosswind.  Instead of a straight paceline, the riders will form a precise diagonal line across the road away from the prevailing wind.
• Domestique - The soldiers of each team.  These are the "bottle bitches" or workers that you'll see going back to the team car to pick up water for the rest of the team.  They work to support the senior members of the team who are in contention for the overall win.
• Time Trial - A solo race against the clock.  Fastest man wins.

How do the teams work? 

Not all riders are created equal, and you will hear talk about the "strong" teams dominating the race.  "Superteams" like Sky and BMC are full of superstars, whilst some of the smaller teams like FDJ and Cofidis (who don't have similar super budgets) tend to develop younger, unknown talents.  It's not unusual to find a team that has numerous "leaders" who are employed to chase results in different stages.  Sky for example, has Mark Cavendish who will chase wins in the flat "sprint" stages, hoping to claim the Green Jersey.  Bradley Wiggins, also on the Sky team, will chase the General Classification, or overall win.  On the flat stages, the Sky team will protect Wiggins and Cavendish, shielding them from danger and keeping them out of the wind.  As they get nearer to the end and the pace picks up, a lead out "train" will form with the faster Sky riders trying to assist Cavendish in taking the win.  As the mountain stages arrive, Cavendish will drift off into the Gruppetto whilst the team works to help Wiggins get to the top of the mountains in the best possible position.  The domestiques that work for the team leaders, will often never win a stage, but find their own brand of glory in putting every ounce of effort into helping their team get a result.


The Contenders: Who to watch

• Cadel Evans (BMC) - Last year's winner.  Cadel was the first Australian to win the Tour.  He comes to this year's tour in good form.
• Bradley Wiggins (Sky) - One of the favourites in 2011, before he crashed out.  Wiggins has won several big races in 2012, and with his strong team, he is considered the favourite for this year's Tour.
• Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) - The winner of the 2012 Giro D'Italia, Hesjedal has proven his ability to climb in the high mountains and is a real threat to the Wiggins/Evans pair of favourites.
• Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) - The Italian chose not to ride this year's Giro so that he could come into the Tour fresh.  He has great support in Ivan Basso and Peter Sagan.  Will be with the leaders when we get to the mountains.

0 Le Tour De France 2012: An Australian Fan's Survival Guide

The Tour de France.  An epic, three week test of endurance.  The battle of iron will over the screaming fatigue of an exhausted body.  And then there is the bike race.


As an Australian, I count myself lucky to live in a beautiful, relatively uncrowded land of startling beauty.  We have wonderful food, beautiful beaches and generally pretty good weather compared to much of the Northern hemisphere.  What sucks is the fact that we live in a VERY unfriendly timezone for watching European sports.  I can't count the number of nights sleep that I've missed because of Football, Cycling and Ironman races over the years, sitting up at o-dark-hundred to enjoy my chosen sports.

So it is with a mixture of sheer joy and horrible trepidation that I view the Euro cycling season.  Whilst I watch the beautiful, sunny French countryside slide past on my TV screen, I can't help but be a little irked by the fact that I'm sitting up at 2am huddled next to my heater.  I suffer from a near comatose state of fatigue for most of the race, trying to maintain my own training, family and work lives on about 3 hours sleep per night.


So here are my, hard-won, tips for surviving Le Tour if you live in part of the world that is equally unsuited to watching the live TV broadcast:

• If you are not a real cycling tragic, you probably don't need to be watching EVER single moment of the tour.  Pituresque as it may be, the flat stages are usually just three hours of French chateaus and hay-bale sculptures before a short, intense sprint at the end.  For most of the flat stages, I set an alarm and wake up approximately 30 minutes before the end of the stage.
• Go to bed early.  I always try to get in a couple of hours sleep before the stage starts.  It's not really fun waking up at 11pm to watch TV, but after three weeks, you will be glad of the extra sleep you are sneaking in every night.
• Watch with a friend.  It's always better to watch with someone who loves the race as much as you do.  You can discuss the relative merits of the new Campagnolo EPS gruppo, or swap leg shaving tips, or just keep each other awake.  I know that I've fallen asleep at critical moments of past races because I've been on my own, on a comfortable couch.
• Coffee is your friend.  But not at night.  One year, I was drinking coffee to keep myself awake to watch the Tour every night and then wondering why I wasn't able to sleep after the end of the stage.  I thought it was just the excitement of seeing Mark Cavendish win bloody everything.  It wasn't.  Be sensible with the caffeine.
• Pick your battles.  If you're a fan of the GC favourites slogging it out in the high mountains, but not necessarily as excited by the bunch sprint (this is me), consider watching only the stages with a profile that suits your preference.  You can always catch the highlights of a missed stage the next day.
• Be nice to your spouse/boss/flatmate in the weeks leading up to the race.  You will be irritable, unproductive and tired, so you will need their tolerance.