Sunday, September 6, 2015

About Face

One of the best aerobic activities that provides minimal impact to the joints is swimming. While running is hard on the body and cycling is not as physically demanding as running, swimming is an ideal activity that people can use to stay in shape late into their golden years.

Ironically, swimming is one activity that many people avoid for many reasons including a fear of the water. What I have found to be one of the main reasons people avoid swimming is their inability to swim correctly. Poor form is horribly inefficient and can easily tire out the athlete. 

When swimming form is everything.  A good efficient swimmer can move through the water with easy and feel refreshed after swimming 1800 yards. An inefficient swimmer can cover that same distance and feel like they have expended the energy running a marathon.

One of the main forms of inefficiency in the water is the inability of a new swimmer to put their face in the water.  When your face is not in the water and your head is raised to breath, your swim stroke is choppy and your feet and legs will sink.  This horrible swim position is anything but streamlined and causes more friction against the water. Instead of working with a streamlined approach, you end up fighting the water more than necessary.

When I was learning to swim I too struggled with having to keep my face in the water. While it didn’t bother me to have the feeling of water on my face, the struggle for me, and for many new swimmers, is the ability to exhale under water.  This one element, if learned, will allow you to work on improving other aspects of your swim stroke.

So how do you overcome the discomfort from or inability to put your face in the water? What sounds easy enough to do can be a daunting task for even the most determined new swimmers.  Here are some easy drills to help you improve your swim stroke and become comfortable having your face in the water.

First, get in the shallow end of the pool and submerse yourself to get your body wet.  This will help you get comfortable with experiencing water over your entire body.

Next, simply bend over and slowly pace your face in the water. You want to have the water to just cover your face.  Doing this for 10 seconds at a time will get your comfortable with the sensation of having water on your face.

Now we will add breathing.  Exhaling under water is critical to swim success and this drill helped me overcome my inability to exhale.  Get your face close to the water and turn it to the left.  Not take a deep breath and begin to exhale out of your mouth and nose and you slowly rotate your face to the right, easing your face into the water, ending your rotation to the right.

This easy to do drill will help you gain comfort with having your face in the water while helping your work on your breathing at the same time.


HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Newtwon

By far the most popular endurance activity is running.  If you are new to exercise or a competitive athlete, the ease of access to running somewhat makes it a default exercise medium to numbers and popularity.  All you need is some simple clothing, a great pair of shoes and an open road.  Sounds easy enough but like most other things, there is always something that has to make the process difficult. In the case of running, it’s the shoes!

While running has been around since man first stood on two feet, shoes are a relatively new “advancement” in the evolution of the human race. While one would not think there could be a lot of difference in a pair of shoes,  logging on to Zappos and search for “Running Shoes” will produce more results than one can comprehend.


Shoes are much like cars and other clothing.  You develop brand preferences and what works for one person, will not work for another. And much like cars and clothing what often happens is you get attached to a particular model, size or fit and then, whammo, the manufacture completely changes the product and you are left having to find a new favorite.

I recently found myself in this predicament. I have been a faithful Saucony Kinvara wearer.  All was well until the Kinvara 5’s came out this spring.  With much anticipation I could not wait to get my new Kinvara 5’s!  Once they arrived I could not wait to send them back. Saucony completely changed the model to something that did not work for me.

Enter the Newton Gravity.  Searching for shoes can be as taxing as well, preparing your taxes. I was on a tear to find a new shoe so I decided to give the Newton Gravity a try. I have always known about Newton and their unique technology peaked my curiosity so I decided to give them a try.

Runblogger.com describes Newton running shoes as unique in that they are designed specifically for midfoot/forefoot runners. They accomplish this by reducing the height of the heel and increasing the cushion in the forefoot such that the overall offset or difference in thickness between heel and forefoot is minimized. In other words, Newton shoes have a flatter sole than most typical running shoes, and this makes it less likely that a runner will heel strike in them.

In addition to the minimal heel-toe differential, Newton shoes also have a unique system of “actuator lugs” under the forefoot that are designed to absorb shock upon impact and then release it on toe off. Newton calls this Action/Reaction Technology™. The idea is that the lugs get compressed under pressure when the forefoot contacts the ground, and then they spring back, releasing energy during toe-off.

While on the pricy side, the New Gravity (and entire Newton line with models for all distances and pronation) is performance oriented and delivers a great running experience. While providing cushioning and still allowing you to feel the road, ease into Newton’s the “actuator lugs” do take some getting used to.


While an apple may not fall on head, the Newton Gravity’s will give you a great run and you can save that apple for a post race snack!

HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Improving Your Fuel

Endurance training and racing nutrition for athletes can be a difficult obstacle in their path to fitness and body composition goals. In all honesty, many people over think nutrition and it really is very simple.  When I signed up to train and race with QT2 Systems, one of the first things they did was get me on their Core Diet program. It’s easy to follow and it works. Below I’ve outlined QT2 Systems Core Diet 10-point plan to improve your performance, body composition, and overall health.

1) Only eat grains (which include white potatoes) and man-made sugars within one hour prior to workouts, during workouts, or after the workout within a window as long as the duration of the workout.

2) Eat lean meats, fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, and lean dairy all other periods of the day (organic is best). If possible, include red meat once a week (grass fed is best). Juicing is also a great way to supplement your core food intake (not replace!).

3) Use the “Core Ratio” formula to give non-core foods a glycemic “score” before eating them. Look at the label on the food and note the values for the carbs, sugar, fiber, fat and protein, and plug them into this equation: (carbs+sugar-fiber)/(fat+protein). Anything that scores less than two is okay to eat during the day during Core periods provided it has less than five grams of saturated fat and “healthy” ingredient list. This includes dark chocolate with cacao greater than 85 percent.

4) Do not drink coffee unless it’s within one hour prior to key workouts. As an alternative to coffee, you may use caffeinated fueling products during key workouts….choose one! All other periods of the day your caffeine source should be green tea as needed.  As a practical limit, keep caffeine intake below 200mg per day, and 1000mg per week.

5) Focus on consuming omega-3 rich foods such as canola oil, walnuts and salmon for 2 grams of EPA/DHA per day minimum.

6) Workouts should always be well fueled with at least 0.6 grams of carbohydrate per hour, per pound on the bike (and use half of that for running). Sodium content in these fuels should be at least 8 mg per gram of carbohydrate. Fat and protein content should be minimal.

7) Post-workout food should always include a sugar-based recovery drink with protein in a 3-1 or 4-1 ratio of carbs to protein. This drink should contain almost no fat. If a recovery drink is not available, choose foods that are high glycemic, and contain minimal fat or fiber.  Endurox is an excellent choice.

8) Aim to consume fluids on a daily basis using this equation: Take your body weight (number of pounds), and divide it in half. That is the number of ounces you should be drinking each day, in addition to the extra fluid you lose during workouts.

9) Have one cheat meal each week. Ideally this meal should be grain-based and be the night before your week’s longest most demanding workouts. Eat until very satisfied…not stuffed.

10) Reduce fasting periods by eating very frequently—close to rising, and close to retiring for the night. Every one to three hours is best, while sticking to the serving sizes that are suggested on packages. For non-packaged core foods (i.e., apple, banana, sweet potato, etc.) eat one to two items in a sitting.

This summarized version of the Core Diet will keep you feeling on top of your game by providing key nutrient density, while keeping blood sugar stable throughout the day. Nothing replaces working with a dietitian to establish specific macronutrient goals relative to your needs, but this plan will get you started in the right direction. Embrace the power of nature’s foods, while understanding that the extraordinary feats that we ask of our bodies during training also require extraordinary man-made fuels.

HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.




Energy Crisis

It is a beautiful day and you are excited to exercise. You feel ready to go and are sure it’s going to be a great experience.  Then less than halfway through your workout you start to hit the wall. Your arms and legs become heavy, you energy drops and what looked to be a promising exercise session has crashed into a ball of flames.

We have all been there when we experienced the dreaded “bonk,” that feeling you get when you run out of energy and putting one foot in front of the other one seems like an insurmountable task. So what happened?  The body is much like a car that uses fuel to operate. When the car runs out of gas, the motor stops running. This is very similar to what happens in the body.  When the body runs out of fuel, coupled with other factors, it continues to operate but not at the level you desire.

Do you find yourself losing energy halfway through your workouts? Find out what the culprits might be--and how to give yourself a much-needed boost. Here are eight energy zappers that can rob your body of energy needed for optimal athletic performance.

Don’t forget to eat complex carbohydrates. Carbs provide the glucose muscles need to operate. When the sugar is gone, you experience the dreaded “bonk.”

Get plenty of rest. Whether you're skimping on sleep or you're exercising too much, a lack of rest and recovery can zap your energy levels and hurt your progress, too. Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep each night, so reorganize your day and your time so that you can get as much shut-eye as possible each night.

Plan your exercise and get into a habit. 

Variety is the spice of life.  Whether you take your indoor workouts outside or try a new fitness class, variety will keep boredom at bay and help you get better results

Make sure your iron supply is sufficient. Iron is a trace mineral that helps blood carry oxygen to the muscles throughout the body, keeping them powered up during a workout. In general, an iron deficiency can also lead to sagging energy levels. Women are more likely to experience low iron levels, but if you suspect your body is low on iron, talk to your doctor. A simple blood test can determine if iron is an issue, and your doctor can help you get back on track. You'll find iron in lean red meat, fortified cereals, and leafy greens, but steer clear of supplements (unless recommended by your doctor) because too much iron can be toxic.

Eat for energy. Proper planning of your meals and snacks will give your body steady fuel. On days that you plan a heavy workout, you might need to eat even more before you head to the gym.

Deal with stress.  . Instead of letting your stress prevent you from hitting the gym, think of your workout as a much-needed break. Use this small window of "me" time to mentally sort through any issues you've been dealing with lately.

Stay hydrated.  When not exercising, be sure you get 80+ ounces a water a day.


HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Friday, August 14, 2015

H2OOOOOOH

Having participated in endurance events for several years, I have been aware of the dangers of becoming dehydrated, especially during long events.  Add in the heat and humidity of a South Carolina summer and staying hydrated is not only a challenge but an art form as well.  Too little of the correct fluid can lead to cramps, dizziness, muscle soreness and a host of other issues.

Working off of basic common science regarding hydration, one must ingest plenty of water. While this is definitely true, the amount of water and the timing of consumption are critical.  On average, anyone participating in 40+ minutes of cardio activity each day should consume a minimum of 80 ounces of water a day!  This is on top of fluids lost to perspiration during exercise.

Most athletes fall well short of this goal.  It should also be noted that the 80 ounce mark is pure water, as beverages such as tea and coffee do not count and in many cases act as a diuretic that actually flush more fluids out of the system than they replace.

So what about fluid intake during exercise?  While logic would seem to dictate that drinking water during exercise, especially longer sessions over an hour is a good idea, this is not the case.  In fact, consuming water during endurance activities such as running and biking, especially in the heat and humidity of summer can actually be dangerous and harm your performance.

There are two major reasons consuming water during heavy endurance exercise is not a good idea.  When you are working out and sweating, you are draining your body of sodium and potassium. These are key elements your body requires in proper amounts to keep muscles functioning properly and to keep you from cramping.  When you take in water to replace fluids lost to perspiration, you are not only not replacing lost sodium, potassium and sugars; you are further diluting the blood stream that can accelerate cramping and other issues.

Your muscles operate on sugars to perform. As you exercise, your muscles burn sugar in the form of glucose as energy. As the exercise continues, sugars are used as energy and to maintain a high level of effort, you need to replace these sugars.  When consuming water, the energy source is not replaced and not only do you run the risk of cramping, your performance will degrade quickly until energy is replaced.

So what is the answer?  Replacing water with a high quality sports drink will go a long way towards delaying or eliminating the severity of cramping and performance degradation. Power Bar Perform or Gatorade Endurance are two of the best sports drinks to consume during exercise. They have a scientific blend of sugars that release from the stomach at different times to help ensure a steady stream of fuel to your muscles. They also have a good mixture of sodium and potassium as well.

One other benefit of sports drinks is they trigger the thirst mechanism which helps you ingest more fluid whereas water quenches thirst so you run the risk of not consuming enough of the right fluids.



HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Threshold Heart Rate – Part 3

Last week we looked at the methodology used to determine your Threshold Heart Rate. Once this is determined, it’s time to build the various heart rate training zones you will use in your training. The zones range for a recovery zone characterized by easy running or biking to zone three which is at the top end of your heart rate range and is used to build your anaerobic system.

The various zone need to be used together in your training plan with a strategy in mind. If you are a highly aerobic athlete, (can run long distances in a lower heart rate zone) you will want to incorporate more Zone 2 and Zone 3 work to up your anaerobic threshold that will add speed, endurance and durability. Conversely, if you are highly anaerobic, you may want to include more zone one work to help build endurance.

Head coach and owner of QT2 Systems, Jesse Kroplenicki utilizes the following zones:

Zone R (~74% of TH): Recovery zone. To be used for all recovery rides and runs between key intensity sessions. This takes patience to complete correctly but is critical to being recovered for key workouts. If these workouts are overdone, your peripheral system will be too fatigued to effectively stimulate your core systems during key workouts where the goal should be to push your limiters. This zone is also used during long rides for stops, and downhills.

Zone 1 (~83% of TH): Aerobic endurance zone. This is the primary zone for all long rides and runs. Typically, early in the season during the base building phase all work is spent in this zone. Long rides outside, should be spent in this zone in combination with Zone R (due to down hills, stop lights, etc.). Rides on the indoor trainer should be spent only in zone 1 (no down hills, stop lights, etc.) and therefore should get a 1.2 factor applied to them. That is, a 100 min ride on trainer in Zone 1 is worth 130 minutes outside.

Zone 2 (~90% of TH): Endurance tempo zone.  This zone is to be used at the end of long rides and runs following the base phase (typically 8-12 weeks). As the race season draws closer, the amount of time spent in this zone should increase. We recommend a maximum of 120 minutes on the bike and 45 minutes running, inserted at the end of your long sessions.

Zone 3 (~97% of TH): Threshold tempo zone.  This zone is to be used for increasing the percentage of pace or power at which TH occurs relative to VO2 max pace or power. As the race season draws closer, the amount of time spent in this zone should increase. We recommend a maximum of 30 minutes repeats on the bike and 20 minutes running, inserted within the context of an aerobic session.


HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Friday, July 17, 2015

Threshold Heart Rate – Part 2

Last week we looked at why training with heart rate is important. A seeming simple concept can be very complex and confusing and if not done correctly, can yield less than satisfactory training results. After all your heart is the machine that drives your endurance performance with the precision of race car. You need to get your heart rate training dialed in correctly to see the improvement you are seeking.

Head coach and owner of QT2 Systems, Jesse Kroplenicki utilizes the following formula to determine your Threshold heart rate (TH).

Bike Test - Utilizing you bike on a stationary trainer
Primary: After a warm-up, complete an 8 minute all out time trial on your bike (pushing as big a gear as you can) recording average heart rate utilizing a heart rate monitor such as Garmin 920XT

TH heart rate is typically about 8 beats below the average heart rate for this test.

Cross Check: This method requires no immediate testing if you already have the data:
Take the highest HR you have ever seen on the bike (within the last 4 years) and subtract your resting HR from that number. Then multiple that “heart rate reserve” by 0.81 and add back your resting to that number.

Take the average of these two methods or choose one versus the other based on how accurate the data input were to each.

Running Test

Primary: After determining your bike TH heart rate, you can then offset it to your run TH heart rate by adding 6-14 beats. Almost every athlete I have worked with falls within this range with most being right around 10. So, first add 10 and then make the following adjustments to the number you get:
If you are a woman shorter than 5’-3” subtract 2
If you are a woman taller than 5’-9” add 4
If you are a male shorter than 5’-6” subtract 2
If you are a male taller than 6’-0” add 4

Cross Check: After a determining your TH above, confirm your running estimate by completing an open running road race while recording average heart rate. A great estimate of threshold from an open road race is:
Average 5K heart rate minus 15 beats
Average 10K heart rate minus 10 beats
Average half marathon heart rate minus 5 beats

Take the average of these two methods or choose one versus the other based on how accurate the data input was to each. After two open road races confirm the offset, its likely best to use that number and disregard the primary offset above if it suggests something different.


I always like to cross check TH heart rate with a few different methods since this is the number a lot of an athlete’s training will be based on! The bottom line is that most athletes should spend more than 70% of their time at less than 86% of this number with almost 100% during the early season. Next week I will look at how to calculate the various hear rate training zone and how to apply them for specific purposes.

Friday, July 10, 2015

Threshold Heart Rate – Part 1

While working on my USA Triathlon Level 1 Coaching Certification last year, I was fortunate to have Jesse Kropelnicki, USA Triathlon Level 3 Coach,  founder and head coach of QT2 Systems conduct much of our training sessions. His experience, knowledge and approach to endurance training opened my eyes to improved methods for improving athletic performance.
One of the cornerstones of Jesse’s philosophy and QT2 Systems training protocols for endurance training is using threshold heart rate and associated heart rate zones as the basis for developing fitness and endurance that lead to peak performance in endurance events.
Heart rate training is the key to effectively improving your athletic performance, especially for endurance athletes.  The concept is simple; determine various heart zones based on your threshold heart rate. Each zone serves a different training purpose. Zone R – Recovery Zone is a low heart rate to aid in recovery workouts. Zone 1 builds your aerobic base – giving you’re the endurance to run, bike or swim long distances. Zone 2 and Zone 3 push the heart rate higher which builds your anaerobic base and helps build your cardiovascular and muscular endurance. This also trains the heart to be more effective and efficient, allowing you to put forth more effort and speed over a longer period of time.
Before you can determine your heart rate training zones, you must establish your threshold heart rate. “I've seen many, many tests to determine heart rate associated with anaerobic threshold (TH); anything from blood lactate tests, to metabolic testing, or as simple as 220 minus your age with some other factors,” states Kropelnicki.  While there are various methods that can be used to establish a heart rate training protocol, I have found that Jesse’s formula has been extremely successful for world class athletes and has been extremely effective in driving my fitness and performance.

I will explain what Jesse and QT2 Systems see as the easiest most efficient way to determine threshold heart rate for those athletes that may not want to have more complex testing carried out. Kropelnicki explains, “What this procedure does is cross check your heart rate zones with a few methods to give you a fairly confident value that you can then base your heart rate zones on for training. I think some folks get a bit careless determining this value which results in hours and hours of training time spent developing an energy system that you may not want to be developing!”

“These methods only give a single data point on a curve which happens to be the most important point to have, however some of the other more sophisticated methods provide the full curve and therefore also allow you to evaluation physiological specifics and target those areas within an athlete’s training program,” states Kropelnicki.

Next week I will outline the process Kropelnicki uses to find the Anaerobic Threshold heart rate (TH) that will determine the various heart rate training zones you will use in your workouts.

HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.



Friday, July 3, 2015

When Things Fall Apart

It’s finally here! It’s the week of the big race and you have trained hard for months, you have prepared physically and mentally and you are ready to go. Race day arrives and your stomach has as many butterflies as it did before your first prom. You have your routine planned, your goals established now all you have to do is complete the event and enjoy the celebration that you have envisioned for so long!  To borrow from advertising slogans from years gone by, “This Bud’s For You!”
Then it happens. Something unexpected transpires and adversity becomes the main attraction. Suddenly your dream race or event has been reduced to ruins.  All that hard work and preparation can come to a crashing halt in a matter of minutes leaving you in a pile of sweat, tears and despair.
Unfortunately, the above scenario is all too real for many people.  Hours, weeks and months of hard work and preparation suddenly dissipate when you face adversity or some unexpected situation. While adversity is not all that uncommon, how people choose to react or respond to that adversity is the key to survival and salvaging your race.
There is a form of psychology called positive psychology that has individuals focus on the positive aspects of a project, initiative or life in general. In his book The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work, author Shawn Achor encourages people to journal three things they are grateful for every day. This focus on positive energy and attributes is said to make people happier, more relaxed and enjoy for fulfilling lives.
While I completely agree with Achor’s view of positive thinking, there is a time and a place for negative thinking.  Most athletes practice some form of visualization where they see themselves successfully completing their events. This is extremely important but leaves the athlete vulnerable to issues that may arise that they were not prepared for.
I am in the middle of training for my first full Ironman race in October in Louisville Kentucky.  While I am comfortable on the bike and on the run, having learned to swim as an adult I still have some respectful apprehension for the swim, especially with 2,500 fellow competitors.
As part of my preparation for the Ironman swim, I hired a Kim Webster, a Sports Psychologist and fellow triathlete to help me overcome some of the mental hurdles of triathlon swimming.  As Kim and I talked, I told her I was a fan of positive visualization and during every swim practice I pictured myself successfully and easily finish the Ironman swim without incident.
The advice Kim gave me was unexpected and may be one of the best things I could have learned.  She asked me what my fears were in an Ironman swim and what things that could go wrong that would cause me to panic and negatively impact my swim. I was able to name off about five items and she asked to visualize each of these items during my swim practices to live the emotion and devise a plan on how I would RESPOND to them.
What Kim gave me was the ability to see the Ironman swim from all perspectives and to try and feel those experiences during practice so I could devise a strategy to overcome each one in case they occurred. The lesson – not only look at positive aspects of your training, look at what can possibly go wrong, live the emotions and have a plan for how you will respond to each. It may make the difference between the sweet taste of victory and a DNF.

HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.




Friday, June 26, 2015

Getting Into The Zone - Pt. 3

The Zone is the place or state of being that anyone strives for in athletic, business or personal endeavors.  It’s that perfect place where you perform at your best.  It seems effortless and easy and something you could sustain forever.  For me, I know when I am in the Zone when I am able to push the pace on a run with ease or when miles pass by and I have no recollection of the time or distance covered.
Similar to auto pilot, the Zone is achievable by all and only requires some mental acuity and focus to achieve.  In his book Finding Your Zone, Dr. Lardon provides ten lessons to help anyone achieve the Zone in sports, work or any walk of life.  Here lessons five through ten.
Manage Your Emotions and Thoughts.  We are always more than what we think and what we feel and yet we often don’t experience ourselves that way.  Powerful thoughts and intense emotions can make us believe that we are that thought or feeling.  It takes knowledge to realize that you have a choice to simply be aware and not react to your emotions or thoughts. This is called Emotional Intelligence.  Program your mind with how you want to feel and make it a reality.
Keep Your Motivation Pure.  The best type of motivation is the motivation that comes from the heart that place deep within us.  This is called intrinsic motivation and is what you should strive for.  Extrinsic motivation is when our drive comes from outside our selves such as criticism, material gain or fame. While these can be useful, make sure any external motivation is fueling your main internal drive.  You have to want to do it for yourselves.
Acceptance and Faith Conquer Fear.  Fear is the first natural enemy of a great competitor. Conquering fear and boosting faith boosts our ability to get into and stay in the Zone. Some tips for conquering fear include: The phenomena of behavioral desensitization by getting used to doing what you fear, framing your fear up for what it really is or seeing the forest from the trees, spiritual faith and know-mind awareness.
Build Confidence and Win.  Confidence is the cornerstone of all success in any realm and developing it is much like nurturing a garden. Work hard to develop a strong sense of self-confidence.  Family, friends, coaches and mentors are great ways to build confidence.  Add in practice of all elements of your game, especially those elements that you fear. I have found that journaling about strategies on how to address my strengths and my fears and then the associated successes has been a great tool in building confidence.
Perform Under Pressure.  Being able to not only find the Zone but to achieve success requires you to perform under pressure.  As your goals become loftier, the pressure increases and you will have to hone all these strategies to make sure you can compete at the level you desire.
The best piece of advice I can give is to have a strong plan, stick to that plan and make adjustments as needed.  While finding the Zone is purely a mental game and requires great practice and concentration, don’t get into your own head and over think your plan, especially during competition.


HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Friday, June 5, 2015

The Zone - The Space For Optimal Performance - PT 2

The Zone – no it’s not where touchdowns are scored or a new night club or energy drink.  The Zone is that space athletes and others find where their particular endeavor seems effortless and easy while producing excellent results.  While the Zone is most commonly associated with sports, people can and do achieve the Zone in work, play, and other projects.
Unfortunately, people that find the Zone often do so by accident and do not achieve this optimal state on a regular basis. Dr. Michael Lardon, M.D has spent his life studying the Zone and states that the Zone is less about human physiology, and more about human determination and will. Think about a time when you ran your best race or the project you were working on at your job seemed effortless and time flew by.  This is the Zone.
In his book Finding Your Zone, Dr. Lardon provides ten lessons to help anyone achieve the Zone in sports, work or any walk of life.
Dreams.  Before going to bed, give yourself a nighttime suggestion on what you want to exceed at and first thing in the morning write down what you dreamt about, how you felt and what lead to that feeling.
Be Prepared To Overcome the Odds.  Performing at the highest level in competition always involves thinking on your feet. Any component of your performance that can be practiced can be automated. Practice correctly and execute the same in competition.
Transform Desire Into Will. The drive to discover our limits, to push and maximize those limits, is embedded in the process of self-actualization.  We must be dedicated to transform our desire into will to achieve the Zone. How Bad Do You Want It?
Trust Your Brain, Keep It Simple and Stay Positive.  The human brain is incredibly smart.  Our brain provides the innate ability we all possess to bring forth the possibility that maybe it is better in the midst of competition to simply trust our instincts and not over think a situation.  Have a plan, practice that plan then execute to the plan in competition. Competition is not the time to re-think situations or change your strategy or tactics. Remember “those who think do not know, and those who know do not think.”
Stay In the Now and Be In the Process.  Excelling in any sport or other performance-related activity mandates that you must resist distractions of the mind – whether these distractions come before, during, or after your performance.  These distractions might be internal, such as psychological fears, anxiety, or pangs of self-doubt.  Conversely, these distractions may be external such as weather or a chaotic environment. The key is learning to manage our anxiety most effectively and keep it from becoming overwhelming.
Next week we will look at the next five lessons to help you achieve the Zone.


HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Friday, May 22, 2015

The Zone - The Space For Optimal Performance - PT 1

If you have been a fan of the NBA this year you have seen Stephan Curry of the Golden State Warriors have one of the most amazing seasons in recent NBA history. His outstanding play not only lifted the Warriors to the best record in the NBA, it earned him the NBA MVP award as well.
Curry is an outstanding player but on certain nights his play seems effortless. His ball handling skills and ability to make shots makes it seem like the game is in slow motion and the rim is 20 feet in diameter. In one game, Curry was so hot, he took a deep range game winning three point shot and while the ball was in the air he turned towards his bench with his arm in the air indicating victory.  Two seconds later the ball went through the net and the Warrior’s won!
What I just described for you is something that is not exclusive to the top professional athletes or even high ranking officials or business executives.  Steff Curry had found “The Zone.”   While most of us will never hit a game winning shot in the NBA, the good news is we can all experience “The Zone” in the things we choose to do including sports, work or other activities we participate in.
While we talked in recent weeks about The Zone diet being a healthy balance of protein, good fats and good carbohydrates that provides nutrition for optimal performance, the Zone I am referencing here is the ability to perform at your highest level in any activity you participate in. The Zone is a higher consciousness and intense level of engagement that allows for this optimal performance but unfortunately, most people that experience the Zone get there by accident.
Michael Lardon, M.D. has spent much of his professional life working with athletes and studying scientific research to better understand the Zone and what leads athletes and others the ability to experience the Zone in regular intervals.  Dr. Lardon has identified ten essential characteristics that the world’s greatest athletes possess that enable them to perform at optimal levels while allowing them to transcend distractions and everyday challenges that could potentially hinder their performance.
The research Dr. Lardon conducted UCSD and Scripps Research Institute suggested four characteristics that people experienced when they were in the Zone.  (1) Super concentration or complete mental absorption in a task; (2) the experience of time slowing down; (3) a sense of detachment from outside influences; and (4) a resulting super-normal performance.
Dr. Lardon continues to state that the Zone is less about human physiology, and more about human determination and will. Think about a time when you ran your best race or the project you were working on at your job seemed effortless and time flew by.  This is the Zone.
Next week I will discuss the ten elements Dr. Lardon identifies as necessary to help you experience the Zone more frequently to help you achieve optimal performance in your selected sport, work or other activity.  Until then, if you want to see the Zone in action, I recommend you catch a Warrior’s playoff game on television and watch how Stephan Curry masters the Zone!


HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Protein Power – Part 2

If you are an active person, fatigue and the recovery cycle play a critical role in how well you will perform. You need to have the energy and ability to push your body to achieve new levels of cardiac and muscle growth.  Conversely you also need to experience full recovery so you can repeat the process the next day. 
This is an intricate cycle that involves sleep, hydration, stretching and diet. While carbs and fats play an important part in your nutrition strategy, protein plays an equally important role and is the glue that holds the delicate balance of protein, carbs and fats together to provide you optimal nutrition.
Research has shown that eating more protein can support weight loss and prevent weight gain by boosting metabolism, increasing feelings of fullness and helping the body retain muscle while losing fat. However, many Americans are not consuming enough protein in a balanced way to achieve these effects and athletes are at particular risk.
University of Missouri researcher Heather Leidy and her colleagues conducted a review of the current scientific literature on protein consumption and found that a moderate increase in protein consumption at each meal, balanced throughout the day, can lead to significant improvements.
To help individuals integrate more protein into their diets, Leidy, an assistant professor in the MU Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, provides several recommendations based on her and others' research based:
"Breakfast, in general, provides benefits for appetite control and satiety, or feelings of fullness," Leidy said. "Eating a protein-rich breakfast containing about 30 grams of protein leads to even greater satiety throughout the day and can reduce unhealthy snacking by improving appetite control."
When looking at protein look for healthy protein like Greek yogurt and eggs and stay away from high saturate fat loaded protein found in sausage.
Leidy said individuals should aim for a diet that contains 1.2 -- 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For example, a 150-pound woman who wants to lose weight or prevent weight gain should eat approximately 90-100 grams of protein a day. For endurance athletes that number can go as high as 3 grams per kilogram of body weight. This will help promote lean (muscle) body mass.
In keeping with the Zone diet concept pioneered by Dr. Barry Sears, balancing protein, fats and carbs at every meal is idea. "We want people to know that they don't have to consume impractical amounts of protein," Leidy said. "Although most Americans don't consume the amount of protein necessary to achieve benefits, such as increased feelings of fullness, the research suggests that individuals only need to add an additional 10-15 grams of high-quality protein, such as eggs, lean beef, pork or dairy, at breakfast and lunch to achieve the recommended amount."
Not all proteins are created equal. High-quality, or "complete," proteins found in animal-based foods such as beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products contain all the essential amino acids and are easily digestible. Most plant-based proteins found in vegetables and grains are considered lower quality, or "incomplete," proteins because they lack one or more essential amino acids and are less digestible.
Adding protein through “clean”, high quality protein powder like Designer Whey is also a good way to add valuable grams of protein.  Two scoops to a smoothly can add as much as 36 grams in one serving.  Be sure to look for protein powers that are low in sugar and the less ingredients they contain, it is more likely to be a quality and clean product.


HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Protein Power

You completed a hard workout with great intensity and duration and your body is tired and fatigued. You smile as you love the feeling of being tired and worn out that comes with a sense of accomplishment for crushing your workout!
You eat, rehydrate and enter the recovery phase so you can experience equally great workouts the rest of the week.  As the week goes on, you find your workouts being harder and harder to complete. Your body is tired; you aren’t sleeping well and what you were able to do on Monday with energy and enthusiasm takes a monumental effort to complete the same activity on Friday.
If you have ever experienced this feeling of soreness, fatigue and dead legs or arms? You are not alone. When preforming strenuous workouts several days a week, you should not feel like giving up and going back to bed. Some fatigue is good, but being on “empty” is something to be avoided.
As my Ironman training is ramping up in duration and intensity, I recently found myself having trouble “recovering” for future workouts.  My sleep patterns and duration were fine, my carbohydrate intake was correct and my fluid intake was more than enough to support my activity.  I was frustrated. I had performed this same series of workouts late last year without the same symptoms of fatigue and dead legs.
So what changed? First, I realized that I am much stronger now than I was in the fall and it is taking more effort to get my heart rate and power output up than it did in the fall. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, if you do not pay detailed attention to your sleep, nutrition and hydration, fatigue will creep in and make your life miserable.
The second conclusion I came to was the amount of protein I was ingesting to help with recovery and muscle growth. While my power out has nearly doubled on the bike and my run times are 30 seconds per mile faster as a results of increased strength and fitness, I had actually gone backwards regarding my protein intake. 
This was a huge mistake. I was not giving my body the proper balance of nutrition to provide a full recovery. While I was doing well with carbohydrate replacement, I was only refilling half the tank so to speak. With less than optimal protein intake, I was not able to get the full benefit from each workout.
Once I added back more protein, my workouts were more impactful as my body and mood responded accordingly.
Research has shown that eating more protein can support muscle growth, improved athletic performance and weight loss and can prevent weight gain by boosting metabolism, increasing feelings of fullness and helping the body retain muscle while losing fat.
Unfortunately, many Americans are not consuming enough protein in a balanced way to achieve these effects. Next week we will take a deeper dive into the importance protein plays in your diet and how it can aid the various aspects of your health you are trying to accomplish.

HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Walt Disney Wold Marathon Weekend and IRONMAN Florida 70.3 - 2015

We were blessed to have an awesome time in Florida this year with PR's for all three of us in the Marathon, Half Marathon, Kids Race and IRONMAN 70.3!
We hope you enjoy our memories!
Chris and May

Friday, May 1, 2015

Heart Part Four - Staying Healthy

Silent inflammation is a major cause and concern for heart disease and other diseases such as diabetes, obesity, stroke, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s, cancer and numerous others.  Silent inflammation is caused in part by a poor diet which drives an imbalance between bad or pro-inflammatory hormones and good hormones that fight inflammation.
Many research studies are consistently pointing to diet as key factor in inflammation and associated illness.  While a poor diet will ignite and accelerate the many health issues discussed in this series, the correct diet can be a healing and preventative agent for the body as well.
Dr. Kota Reddy, a noted Cardiologist in Houston states that his base plan for treating heart disease (among others) is though diet.  His philosophy is to eliminate or severely reduce your intake of bad fat (saturated animal fat and Omega 6 fats found in vegetable oils), sugars, starch, salt and caffeine.
Dr. Barry Sears has a similar strategy for fighting disease through diet. Dr. Sears’s strategy is to keep the body inflammation free or at minimal levels through a combination of a “balance diet” using good fats (Omega 3 fats, extra virgin Olive and Canola oils), lean proteins and complex carbs mainly from plan sources.  Dr. Sears also recommends a minimum of four grams of high grade fish oil (Nordic Naturals, Zone OmegaRx or prescription) daily.
One of the things I like best about Dr. Sears anti-inflammation approach through diet is that no foods are off limits. While arguably some foods are far better than others, he uses a “block” system for carbs, fats and proteins that allows you to build a balanced meal that will fight or keep inflammation at bay.  You can learn more about Dr. Sears’s research on inflammation at drsears.com.
While diet is important, here are some other strategies to remain heart healthy.
·         Visit your doctor and get a complete physical and blood work up.  This will serve as your base against which you can measure your progress. Follow your doctor’s instructions and stay on your medications.
·         Eat a healthy diet that is low in salt; low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol; and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.  One of the best things you can do is reduce refined sugars, grains and starches. These drive insulin surges and turn sugar to fat.  Be wary of protein powders, bars and other foods such as Carnation Instant Breakfast that are labeled “healthy” as many of these are loaded with simple sugars and will spike your blood sugar that results in increased fat storage.
·         Take a brisk 10-minute walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week.  Keep expanding your duration and number of exercise sessions as you get in better shape.
·         Exercise and diet will lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and will reduce your risk of dying of heart disease
·         Don’t smoke. If you smoke, quit as soon as possible. Visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco and www.smokefree.gov for tips on quitting.


HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Heart Part 3 - Inflammation

In recent years inflammation in the body has been receiving more attention as to one of the major causes of illness in America. While some inflammation is good, like the burning, red and puffy skin you get around a cut or bruise that denotes the body is healing itself; other forms of inflammation can be deadly.
Dr. Barry Sears describes this low grade dangerous inflammation as silent inflammation as it is usually not painful and thus not easily detected.  Dr. Sears states that silent inflammation harms the body in a number of ways. Studies have shown that it destabilizes cholesterol deposits on coronary arteries, leading to heart attacks and possibly strokes.
It also drives insulin resistance that is a major factor in diabetes and weight gain and also attacks nerve cells in the brains of those predisposed to Alzheimer’s and triggers rapid cell division, causing healthy cells to turn into cancerous ones.
In his book The Anti-Inflammation Zone, Dr. Sears explains that silent inflammation is the first sign that your body is out of balance and you are no longer well. You can’t feel it, but its damaging your immune system, heart and brain.  There are three underlying hormonal changes that are linked to silent inflammation.  These conditions set the stage for chronic disease and include the hormones Pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, Insulin and Cortisol.
Each of these hormones contributes to silent inflammation when overproduced by the body.  Fortunately each can be brought back into balance following a correct diet, exercise and use of high grade Omega 3 fish oil. Anti-inflammatory eicosanoids (the good ones) come from eating a diet rich in long-chain omega 3 fatty acids found in fish while limiting omega-6 fatty acids found in vegetable oils.
Insulin is the storage hormone that drives nutrients to the cells.  It is vital for your survival since it allows cells to either store nutrients or immediately use them for energy.  If we eat a diet rich in omega 6- fatty acids, simple carbs and sugars with no or minimal exercise, our cells are full and the insulin turns those sources to fat.  Excess insulin is also a major cause for increasing silent inflammation.  Controlling insulin is essential if you want to reverse silent inflammation and move toward a state of wellness.
Cortisol is the third hormone that affects silent inflammation.  When your body is in a constant state of silent inflammation, it reacts by having your adrenal glands pump out high amounts of cortisol, the primary anti-inflammatory hormone you have to slow down excel inflammation.
While there are various tests you can take that will test your level of silent inflammation, Dr. Sears’s notes that your triglycerides (TG) divided by your good (HDL) cholesterol is the ratio to use.  The TG/HDL ratio will tell you if you have what is called metabolic syndrome, which is caused by insulin resistance.  Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of chronic conditions (obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension) that are related to insulin levels caused by insulin resistance.

The higher the TG/HDL ratio, the higher your insulin levels and the more silent inflammation you may be generating.  A ratio greater than 2, however, does indicate you have high inflammation. The lower your TG/HDL ratio is, the greater your protection against heart disease.
This protection comes from having a high percentage of nonatherogenic (friendly) LD particles in the bloodstream.  Silent inflammation causes the arteries to become rough and when you have predominately small LDL particles they can easily become oxidized and stick to the artery walls, thus a major cause of heart disease.
Next week I will look at ways to reduce silent inflammation and reduce your risk for chronic diseases.

 HERE’S TO BEING FIT FOR LIFE! Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.  He is a member of the 2015 QT2 Systems Advanced Team.