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I want to give a shout out to my brother in law, Marty who competed in the ‘Across the Lake’ swim in Taupo, New Zealand over the weekend.  Marty is a wicked swimmer and has been swimming most of his life.  He came in 35th in what looked like a pretty strong field and did the 4.2km swim in 1:07:47.

Marty and Amelia

He was aiming to swim under 1:05:00 so was a bit dissapointed, but the conditions were less than desirable as he strugled to maintain good form in the choppy water.

On ya mate.. now you dont have to be a prostitute..

Across the lake

Read this great article over at Steve Maxwells blog and needed to share.

“I believe you create your own existence with your own mind and as long as you have this ability, why not create something beautiful? Through a belief system in a universal source, you can create glowing health and well-being, both physical and mental. You can mold your body, first in the mind’s eye, then manifested into flesh.

I became acutely aware of this many years ago, when serving in the armed forces. There was a sergeant in our unit, a black guy, with one of the single most chiseled and awe-inspiring physiques I’d ever seen. Even with crappy army food, and little opportunity for decent workouts, this guy maintained a fat-free, lean, incredibly muscular and chiseled physique. One night I asked him how he kept himself in such great condition, since I’d never actually seen him work out. He replied that every night, before he went to bed, he’d see his body in his mind’s eye, exactly the way he wanted it to be. He’d take a mental scan and visualize himself as physical perfection. He further used the same technique for any ailments or health problems that might crop up. Indeed, I never saw him sick or with a cold, although others around him were perpetually coughing, sneezing or even bed-bound with the flu. This guy was able to transcend what other people consider normal, by controlling his subconscious mind.

Now many years later, after studying the techniques of mind science, I understand that everyone has the power to control their circumstances, including their health, through the power of the mind. I say it’s science because there’s a formula which can, if used properly, repeatedly produce the same results. One of the main principles requires never focusing on negative circumstances. Another tenet is that just because someone believes something doesn’t mean it’s real! So much of the world is illusory. Things aren’t what they seem.”

Goal Setting

Score!

When I think about goal setting I think about the old saying on life: “It’s not about the destination, but the journey that really counts.”

This philosophy means a lot to me as it not only demonstrates the importance of taking life by the horns, but also has proven to be a tried and tested method for achieving the desired things in life along the way.

Having goals in all aspects of life is important. After all, financial, relationship, and career goals all jump out and meet us every day. However, the area of life I want to focus on in this article is not only the importance of setting health and fitness related goals, but empowering yourself to achieve them as well.

Note the ‘setting and achieving’ statement above.  It is pretty easy for almost anyone to set a goal, but it is the accomplishment of that goal that by far supersedes the setting of the goal itself.

Where many people fail in the great scheme of their health and fitness planning, is that they do a fair job of setting their goals, but they fail to put a plan in place as to how they will actually achieve those goals. When planning your end goals, it is important to remember that it is equally as vital to set measurable goals. Otherwise, how will you know when you get there?

For example; “To run a marathon before I turn 30” is a great measureable goal for the running minded, but, realistically, without the required strenuous effort and training required to complete a marathon successfully, the mere goal itself becomes nearly impossible to achieve.

Another example of changing a simple end goal into a measurable goal is a common one. “I want to lose weight or; I want to get stronger.”  While on the surface these both seem like good goals to set, it is almost certain that you will fail unless you attach measureable realistic targets to them.  Rather than simply saying “I want to lose weight”, setting a measurable goal such as “I want to lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks”, breaking the goal down making it a much more measurable and realistic one.

The easiest way to make a goal measureable and realistic is to break it down, giving it both as quantity as well as a timeline.  “I want to be stronger”, is meaningless where as “I would like to be able to do 5 chin-ups in 4 weeks” has real meaning and a true measure to it.

OK, now we know the basics of measurability in goal setting. Now, let’s look at some real world examples and how we can accomplish our goals.

It is important to remember that every goal needs to be measureable and that it’s the journey toward the goal that will get you there in the end.

The next step in the planning process, if you want to be successful, is to start to break up the goal into smaller more measureable action items.  For instance, a goal of wanting to lose 10 pounds in 12 weeks can be broken down into smaller units of 1 pound per week for 12 weeks.  Instantly the distant 12 week goal gets thrown into the present with weekly action items that all add up toward the grand picture.  You know that 1lb per week will get you to your ultimate goal of 10lbs in 12 weeks, and is much easier to obtain while keeping you motivated along the way.  If you chose to, you can take it a step further and even map out your plan down to the days in each week, and take note of the required meals and exercise that will be necessary to ultimately get you to your weekly goal.

For example; Monday, eat 5 small meals, including 3 pieces of fruit and 30 minutes of exercise; Tuesday, eat 3 servings of vegetables and attend yoga class etc.  Once you know what you need to do each day, you will have full control over your goal, giving you the best chance of achieving your health and fitness goals.

Let’s look at another goal. “I want to eat healthier” is a common goal, but again, how do you measure that?  First think about what constitutes eating healthy. Fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and whole grains are all key requirements in a healthy diet, so you can start off with small goals like, “I want to eat 3 servings of vegetables a day” or “I want to eat 3 pieces of fruit a day”, and build from there until you have a measureable goal of eating a full balanced diet every morning, consisting of the right measure of the above.

To put it simply, it is about taking the small things that you do every day and gearing them towards what you want to achieve your goals in the big picture.  It helps to have a strong mental resolve and to constantly be thinking “Will this action take me closer or further away from my ultimate goal?” or “What can I do right now that will put me one step closer to where I want to be?” And, like any other decision in life, always be sure to weigh up the pros and cons of you’re decisions, make a choice, and most importantly, and don’t regret it.

My Gimp Foot

I hit my first road bump in my big 2009 running season on Saturday and that is my first (and hopefully only) injury of the year and at 2 weeks out from my first and highly anticipated race the timing could not have been worse.   Up until Saturday morning I was feeling very strong and confident in the weeks leading up, running the perfect mix of tempo, strength, speed and long workouts week in and week out to get in top shape for the big events in March, but the Dirty Duo orientation run would see that I would not end the day feeling as good about myself as I did when I started it.

It was a good turnout at Jaycee house for the 8.30am start, a few new faces and a few familiar ones and we set off relatively easy into a 3 hour LSD.  I chatted a little bit at the beginning, before setting into a rhythm and comfortable pace at the front and really just enjoyed the company of the early morning light breaking through the trees and the sounds of the forests and feet running through them.  I was running up front with Sam and Ray and no one really knew the route that well so there was plenty of stopping, reforming the group and then heading off again and it was after about an hour into the run after one of these group reformations that I did the damage.  I had just downed a pack of Honey Stinger’s as the group reformed and started to take off again. I found myself about 4 back in the pack and the pace was back to easy as we traversed over to Old Buck which I eagerly wanted to climb.  As the pace was easy and I was excited and still full of beans, I found myself running the edges of the trail and rather carelessly hopping from foot to foot and perhaps not even concentrating on where my feet were landing and it was then that I felt the familiar ankle roll to the outside of the foot.  I say familiar as you experience a lot of half rolled ankles running trails, especially technical trails, but usually you are lucky enough and light enough on your feet to stop the roll at the breaking point and keep on going.  Not today unfortunately, as my ankle rolled I continued to apply downward pressure and I actually felt and hear a little pop… Ouch… That wasn’t good.  I stopped immediately to let the runners behind me passed, luckily enough Ray was last in the group and held back with me.  Initially I tried to run it out, foolishly I might add, but it became blinding obvious very quickly that if I wanted to race at all in March, I needed to get out of the trails and off my foot.  I ended up walking to meet up with Sam, Nicola and Ray (who was kind enough to run ahead and report my gimp status to the leaders) and they directed me down a trail to which I could find a shopping centre and hail a cab, which was exactly what I did.  By the time I got back to my truck and then home, I literally could not take any weight on my foot at all.  I hopped down he street to London Drugs and spent up on Ice packs and rented a pair of crutches which unfortunately 3 days later I am still heavily dependent on.

So, as it sits right now, I cannot walk, or run, or even ride a bicycle.  I still have high hopes of racing on March the 7th so am religiously icing and elevating my ankle and sending out the right signals to the universe that come March 7th I will not only race the 25km leg for my Team but race it hard and finish competitively!

Gimp foot run route

I came across this wicked video the other day courtsey of kettle bell and bodyweight training guru Steve Maxwell.

In my mind this showcases true functional athleticism and strength and is definitely the route I would prefer to take in my training.  The man behind the video and the Movnat name is Erwan LeCorr.  Erwan intends to turn the fitness industry upside-down, returning to a more innocent time of moving the body as it was meant to be used. This includes:

• walking
• running
• jumping
• balancing
• moving on all fours
• climbing
• lifting and carrying (all sorts of objects)
• throwing and catching
• defending (including striking, wrestling and grappling)
• swimming

Erwan is also set to feature in a 12 page spread in Mens Health this month so be sure to see and hear a lot more from this guy.

Track work.

I had a good solid workout on the track last night with the Lions Gate crew.  The workout was 3 x 1 mile repeats with 2 minutes rest between repeats.  I started off a little reserved and ran the fist mile around 5.50ish and felt pretty good going into the second mile ran at 5.47.  I decided to push it (as usual) in the last mile and ran in at 5.36 which I was pretty happy with as I was pretty tired at the 800m mark.

At the end of the workout Roger explained that adding the 3 mile times and then 15-30 seconds is an fairly accurate 5k estimate.

My 3 x 1 mile times totaled 17.08 meaning I have a 5km estimate of around 17.38.

Not bad.. guess I should run a 5k sometime soon…

PWO

PWO — post workout nutrition, best defined as the fuel for you body immediately after a workout.  PWO can also be called peri workout nutrition which is fuelling before during and after a workout.  In both cases the best formula for PWO is a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein.  The carbs should be simple sugars and very easily digestible, usually something like dextrose or malodextrin.  There is a new carb out on the block called Waxy Maize starch and rather than being high on the GI scale it is unique as it is a high molecular weight carb that is capable of moving through the stomach very quickly, roughly 80% faster than simple sugars.

I have long believed in the importance of the PWO drink for maximum muscle glycogen replenishment and for optimum nutrient uptake by the muscles after the stresses of training.  To further cement my beliefs, I was fortunate enough to stumble across this awesome study done by Dr John Berardi where he tested recovery and performance in pro cyclists who consumed Carbohydrates only vs Carbohydrate and protein mix.  If you have any interest in endurance sports or sports nutrition then this is essential reading… enjoy

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/research-aerobic-recovery-1

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/research-aerobic-recovery-2

Vancouver Long Run, West End to West Van

I set out this afternoon with a goal of 2.5 to 3 hours on the legs.  Again, I have had to miss the Dirty Duo training run due to work commitments so set out from my apartment at around 4pm.  I knew I would leave in the day and return at night, so I packed my head lamp in my pack as I wanted to run off road as much as possible.  I tried my hand at taking a video while on the move so the first part if this report will come from this clip:

This run actually felt really really good, I felt strong throughout and really enjoyed the different terrain of the wide trails in the park, some trails and sea wall around West Vancouver and even did some beach whacking for variety.  I think the key to feeling good on this run was that I was spot on with my hydration and nutrition.

I took my pack with 2L bladder of water, with nuun tablets.  At around 50 minutes, I downed a pack of Sharkies, 1:15 took a gel, 1:30 took on Cliff Shot blocks, 2 hours, I took a salt tablet and at 2:15 another gel and at 2:30 1/2 a pack of sports beans.  Definitely a lot of food, but I need to be good with this for Chuckanut coming up as I will be on my feet for over 5 hours.  I may even need to experiment with more substantial food than simple sugars on a few long runs in preparation.

In any case, I never felt fatigued today, felt strong on the hard flats and felt rhythmic on the climbs.  You can see how I’m feeling at 2:30 in the video below:

I have had to miss the last 2 mountain madness Dirty duo training runs due to work commitments so have had to do weekend long runs alone.  Last week saw me in Pasadena California with the FCm 1/2 year awards conference.  I arrived Friday night, had a few quite beers, and turned in around 1am, which is very tame by FCm conference standards.

Saturday saw me busy with work all day, but manage to finish up around 3pm and threw on the runners and took off to see what I could see.  I had done a bit of research in the area and knew that there were some mountains nearby.  Being a bit unfamiliar with the area, I decided to stick to main roads and pretty much took off and set target on the mountains.  I had a goal time of 2 hours for this run, but decided on the fly that I would make the mountains no matter how long it took.

It was an interesting run, typical LA, not very scenic at all.  I stumbled across a jungle gym on the way and squeezed out 20 pull ups before continuing.  I made it to the mountains in about an hour, found a neat little trail network that I didn’t spend enough time exploring, found and use some porta pottys and then ran back to the hotel.  It ended up just on 2 hours and was actually a bit of a struggle, not the most enjoyable as my hip flexors were playing up.  Also, I only took 1 gel so may have been under nourished.

Running in California.