Achill Blog 2: How to avoid last minute mistakes and use low intensity exercise to recover..

At this point in your training you may be recovering from an injury or ‘niggle’ or perhaps you have left it a bit late in the day to finish your ideal training for the Achill 1/2 Marathon on 7th July. Either way, don’t panic, here are a few options to help you to build up your fitness (and your confidence in your fitness) without overtraining.

Now is the time to treat your body gently. You probably still have a long run or two to squeeze in which is all the more reason to take great care of yourself through nutrition, massage, physiotherapy and/or active recovery which we are going to focus on today.

 

The big mistake to avoid at this stage:

The biggest mistake I see people make when it comes to training before an event is to succumb to fear that they aren’t prepared enough. I’ve see too many people to try to overcompensate at the last minute by doing huge runs. The danger is that you end up burned out or injured before the event even starts.

(Above: Fresh fruit and veg to pre-hydrate in a natural, nutritious way!)

In the final weeks before a race very few people feel like they’ve prepared enough. That is natural so don’t worry and let’s focus on what you can do! With three weeks to go then you can probably get two to a three long runs in before the event (assuming you are a runner/jogger of course!) I would personally, in an ideal world, take a full week of rest from running before a half marathon so I’d suggest doing your last run no later than Friday 29th June or Saturday 1st July. If you feel pain in the joints during the last long run then note it and get treatment if necessary but don’t keep running on it. What can I do with less than three weeks to go before the Achill 1/2 Marathon?  

 

3 low impact, low intensity forms of exercise

You can still build up your base levels of fitness around your long runs by engaging in low impact, low intensity training. This flushes out lactic acid from your muscles, strengthens the heart and prepares the body for a long day on 7th. Lactic acid is is a byproduct of exercising at a high intensity and it causes pain in the muscles. Lactic acid can be flushed out of the system by cooling down and eating healthily post exercise. 

I sugggest any of these activities as a form of ‘active recovery’ to loosen out the muscles, flush out lactic acid and improve your confidence in your fitness on days between your long runs.

• Walking a long distance at a slow pace (wearing appropriate footwear). This can loosen out the muscles, build your base level of fitness and at the same time build your confidence that you can cover the half marathon distance.

• Walking lengths (or widths if more practical) of your swimming pool helps improve fitness. It sounds easy but it is quite tiring. If you choose this option then make sureyou are hydrating properly before and afterwards.
  
• Cycling is a wonderful way to improve your run. It is low impact, it can activate the hamstrings (especially when using bike shoes) and if you don’t let yourself get out of breath then it burns stored fat and flushes out the lactic acid created from a hard run.

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The solution to the biggest problem with keeping a food diary - dodge the drudgery!

 

They say that; ‘what is measured will improve’ and in my 15 years of experience as a personal fitness coach that is true about monitoring food for weight loss. Every good personal fitness trainer that I know of, every dietitian and many other types of therapists insist that their clients use a food diary. Theoretically we are right to do so but in practice very few people actually bother to fill one out unless they are already highly motivated because it takes time and can be awkward initially. 

I’ve been asking my clients to fill out food diaries years but it is like getting blood from a stone! Let’s face it, who wants to stop after every meal and find the document and write it all down? It is boring, repetitive and feels fruitless.. and yet we all know that if we just did it that the weight would improve, the quality of food would improve, the quantity of food would probably lessen due to the accountability aspect and the increased awareness. 

So here is the solution that I ask my clients to use. They take a photograph of every single meal they eat and send it to me and to their accountability team. This way is so faster it is almost instant so it saves you time, it saves on paper, the accountability is even higher because the quantities are obvious to see in the image and it strengthens those vital relationships between coach and client and between them and their peer group. 

 

 

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4 weeks and counting until Ironman triathlon Austria 2012

 

This blog is for people who have been asking about how much training is involved in doing an Ironman triathlon.  At this point the clock is ticking, I’m almost there. 1^st July is less than 4 weeks away and I’m fighting off the nerves.  However the vast majority of the hard training work is done. I've clocked about 3,000 kilometres between swimming, cycling and on foot over the last four months and I’m also feeling relieved that there isn’t much left to do at this stage. 

(Image above is a screen shot of where I track my trainng on mapmyrun. I tend to work off a pretty casual programme. We'll see how that works on the day!)

The last 3-4 weeks before Ironman, much like a marathon, is primarily a time of tapering down from long distance training sessions. I’ve been looking forward to these few weeks for months!  I plan to do the Wicklow 200 cycle this Sunday as my final long cycle and I’d like to get one or two long runs in before I drop all distances for the last three weeks. 

For the last three weeks I’ll do some work on posture, core strength, flexibility and swimming. This will be my third official Ironman event but I’ve done dozens of shorter triathlons over the years.  My first was a full distance Ironman was in 2005, my second was a 70.3 (or half Ironman distance) in 2011 and I’m doing the full again in a few weeks in Austria.  A full distance Ironman Triathlon is 3.8k swim, 180k cycle and 42k run.  

When I first heard about Ironman I didn’t think that was possible for me but a coach challenged me on it and I gave it a go.  In 2006 in Austria a 77 year old man beat me by over three hours which amazed me at the time and has done every since. I'd love to match his time this year!

  

 Now that I’ve done Ironman I think that most people could do one if they have a strong desire to do so.  The things that I’ve seen cause problems are pace and nutrition. If you go out too fast then you can spend a long time suffering unnecessarily later in the day and if you make too many mistakes on nutrition then there is a hight cost to energy levels, stamina and mindset. 

See the full gallery on Posterous

(Image above was from the 2nd last day of our Mizen-Malin cycle this year which was a huge part of my bike training)

I’m in good shape at this point.  My resting heart rate is around the 38 BPM mark which is as strong as it has ever been.  I can do the three distances individually but I haven’t had a very long run since the marathon in October.  Thankfully I noted the distances I’ve covered  using Mapmyrun and I’ve done clocked about 3,000 kilometres between swimming, cycling, running and walking over the last four months and I’m feeling especially strong on the bike which is the best place to save time on the day of the triathlon. 

 

My physio told me to ease off on running and do core work to take pressure off my IT band and therefore my knee. The result is that although I’m running quickly and well, I’ve done very few brick sessions (running after a cycle) and I’d have liked to have a few longer runs under my belt at this stage.  My long distance run feels a bit unknown and untested.  I’ve also been training at a very high intensity so I’ve been eating mountains of carbohydrates for energy.  With all the eating and training I’ve put on a few kilograms of muscle mass but also some surplus fat.  During the taper period I hope to strip back the surplus weight because on 1^st July the leaner I am the less baggage I have to carry for 140.6 miles! 

(Crossing the line at Ironman Austria in 2005)

 

During the last three weeks of the taper down I’ll do more swimming, physio work, stretching and I’ll be very careful about not overeating carbohydrates because my body has become accustomed to consuming huge quantities of food daily to fuel all the exercise.  The danger is that when I slow down the exercise that I don’t slow down the carb intake and surplus weight starts to pile on.  I aim to eat plenty of protein, minerals and to nourish my body with food that is easy to assimilate. I’ll do this primarily using a plant based diet of and fresh fruit, leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds to keep my body nourished, hydrated, light and fresh. 

 

Like any endurance event, Ironman is about building a strong foundation of fitness. I trained for the Dublin marathon training at the end of 2011 and put in a personal best which was a good start, I walked regularly and commuted on my mountain bike to build my base level of fitness generally. Then about four months a

go I started to add in long slow sessions at the start of the year. For the first two months of training in 2012 I focused on slow, steady sessions but more recently I’ve been upping the intensity which is more fun but it can be exhausting and creates more lactic acid in the muscles which means more pain the next day. 

IMG_0732.MOV Watch on Posterous

(This video is Fauna from Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind welcoming me home after a long cycle!)

 

For this event I’m fundraising for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Cara and I have been raising a puppy in training - Fauna - for IGDB for the last six months.  We are impressed and inspired by the organisation itself and by the impact the dogs have on the lives of the visually impared and Autistic dog owners. To read more about Fauna and how you can support click here to read more.

 

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Mini Marathon Munchies; ‘What should I eat before, during and after the 10k mini-marathon tomorrow?’

You should ideally take in carbohydrates 60-90 minutes  before exercise.  This can be a bit of a balancing act between making sure you have enough energy to complete the event and making sure you don’t eat too much or worse still - the wrong types of food.  So what are the wrong kinds of foods to eat before exercise?  If you eat foods that are high in fat or protein or foods with a lot of fibre in them a few hours before exercise then you are more likely to cramp up and to get a ‘stitch’ (which is an acute pain in the stomach. ) If you eat a huge meal before exercise you are likely to feel sleepy, sluggish and bloated so keep so keep it small, primarily carbs. 

 

I like fruit before exercise. Image above is what I'd normally juice (Carrots, apple and celery) and then I blend that with a banana on race day. After a race I sometimes eat the same smoothie but I'd also add an avocado for healthy fat and protein.

Fruit has plenty of carbs, is high in fluid content (to promote hydration) and fruit is easy for the body to assimilate.  I don’t like using sugary drinks or pouches of sugar gels during exercise.  Sugar shocks the body and then there is a low after the initial ‘sugar rush’. Fruit gives you fast burning carbohydrates: apples, bananas (even though they contain fibre), I often mix these fruits together in a smoothie on the morning of an event or a big training session (juiced hard green apples which have a low G.I. rating, juiced celery blended with a banana and/or avocado to thicken it up).  My body is used to this so I’m okay with it however if you are used to corn flakes every morning before your training runs then don’t do anything new on race day.  Stick with what works for you in training and never try anything new on race day (See entire blog on this.)  If you are making a change in your routine for example taking a banana instead of a bowl of cereal then introduce it slowly.  Perhaps start with half a bowl of cereal and half a banana to allow your body a chance to adapt to the change.

As I mentioned in anothermini-marathon blog you should drink plenty of water before during and after every exercise session.  The longer your training session the more likely you will be to need more carbohydrates during it.  If you are doing a very long exercise event or training session then you may also want to get some salts in as you’ll lose plenty through perspiration.  This probably isn’t necessary for a 10k run for most but if you sweat a lot then it might be worth considering. 

After exercise it is ideal to give the body some protein and to replace carbohydrates in immediately.  Fruit again is ideal straight after exercise. Fruit is also very high in water content so it naturally supplies the body with water as well as carbohydrates. Carbs immediately after exercise allow the body to recover quickly and start to restore itself.  If you exercise and forget to nourish the body afterwards then your body knows it is running on empty and can go into shock to protect itself as it will feel like it is ‘starving’.  Protein is also necessary straight after exercise to repair muscle damage.  Protein is vital because the muscle fibres take a hammering during a run and need protein to repair themselves.

Enjoy the event, let me know how you get on and if you have any more tips please send them on so I can re-post them! 

 

Michael T. Rossney

The Energy Coach Consultancy & Training

Email:        michael@theenergycoach.ie

 

Posted via email from michaelrossney's posterous

Mini Marathon Munchies; ‘What should I eat before, during and after the 10k mini-marathon tomorrow?’

You should ideally take in carbohydrates 60-90 minutes  before exercise.  This can be a bit of a balancing act between making sure you have enough energy to complete the event and making sure you don’t eat too much or worse still - the wrong types of food.  So what are the wrong kinds of foods to eat before exercise?  If you eat foods that are high in fat or protein or foods with a lot of fibre in them a few hours before exercise then you are more likely to cramp up and to get a ‘stitch’ (which is an acute pain in the stomach. ) If you eat a huge meal before exercise you are likely to feel sleepy, sluggish and bloated so keep so keep it small, primarily carbs. 

 

I like fruit before exercise. Image above is what I'd normally juice (Carrots, apple and celery) and then I blend that with a banana on race day. After a race I sometimes eat the same smoothie but I'd also add an avocado for healthy fat and protein.

Fruit has plenty of carbs, is high in fluid content (to promote hydration) and fruit is easy for the body to assimilate.  I don’t like using sugary drinks or pouches of sugar gels during exercise.  Sugar shocks the body and then there is a low after the initial ‘sugar rush’. Fruit gives you fast burning carbohydrates: apples, bananas (even though they contain fibre), I often mix these fruits together in a smoothie on the morning of an event or a big training session (juiced hard green apples which have a low G.I. rating, juiced celery blended with a banana and/or avocado to thicken it up).  My body is used to this so I’m okay with it however if you are used to corn flakes every morning before your training runs then don’t do anything new on race day.  Stick with what works for you in training and never try anything new on race day (See entire blog on this.)  If you are making a change in your routine for example taking a banana instead of a bowl of cereal then introduce it slowly.  Perhaps start with half a bowl of cereal and half a banana to allow your body a chance to adapt to the change.

As I mentioned in anothermini-marathon blog you should drink plenty of water before during and after every exercise session.  The longer your training session the more likely you will be to need more carbohydrates during it.  If you are doing a very long exercise event or training session then you may also want to get some salts in as you’ll lose plenty through perspiration.  This probably isn’t necessary for a 10k run for most but if you sweat a lot then it might be worth considering. 

After exercise it is ideal to give the body some protein and to replace carbohydrates in immediately.  Fruit again is ideal straight after exercise. Fruit is also very high in water content so it naturally supplies the body with water as well as carbohydrates. Carbs immediately after exercise allow the body to recover quickly and start to restore itself.  If you exercise and forget to nourish the body afterwards then your body knows it is running on empty and can go into shock to protect itself as it will feel like it is ‘starving’.  Protein is also necessary straight after exercise to repair muscle damage.  Protein is vital because the muscle fibres take a hammering during a run and need protein to repair themselves.

Enjoy the event, let me know how you get on and if you have any more tips please send them on so I can re-post them! 

 

Michael T. Rossney

The Energy Coach Consultancy & Training

Email:        michael@theenergycoach.ie

 

Posted via email from michaelrossney's posterous

10 Reasons to give the Dublin Marathon a bash this year (October 29th 2012)

• You’ve got plenty of time to do, and to do it right! With twenty something weeks to go you could do a marathon in late October even if you are a complete beginner to running or ‘couch potato’ now! (Run the idea past your GP first before going running, of course!)

• You’re more likely to regret the things that you don’t do in life rather than the ones that you do! Wouldn’t it be better to be able to be in better shape and say ‘Well I gave it a shot this year and didn’t quite make it’ than to say ‘I didn’t get around to it, again, this year!’

• For most of us, that first marathon seems impossible. Can you imagine how empowered you will feel after you’ve just done what previously seemed impossible? 

• We’ve got long evenings and the sun is up very early at this time of year. You might just be able to squeeze in a walk, jog or run before or after work.

• Mental health: Committing to a marathon is like committing to giving yourself a mental health boost a few times a week for the next few months.  The training will get you outdoors, meeting new people and maybe out of that rut!

• An enormous percentage of Irish people are enormous! I was one of them! Slow, low intensity exercise over a long period of time is the optimal way to burn off stored fat. I know because my gentle marathon training (combined with some intelligent eating) helped me to shed three stone in three months!

• 
  The social element of running a marathon can be wonderful. When you share a long run with a friend then talking helps to pass the time and to distract focus from the miles to go. Running is a very ‘real’ activity and the challenge of it helps to bypass superficial conversation, you get to know people quickly.

• Running relationships are a great way to multitask and hang out with those friends that are just too important to let go of but that you are too busy to see regularly. Some days you’ll be the encourager and other days you’ll need all the encouragement but either way the shared journey will be a bonding experience.

• The day itself is one of the most emotional, inspiring and encouraging experiences that I have ever had.  I loved the first marathon so much that I’ve done another four since then and I’ve another two booked this year. I’m not saying it will be pain-free but the pain fades away and is soon forgotten while the experience of comraderie and interaction with the spectators will lift your spirits every time you think back on the day.

• The finishers t-shirt, the medal and the bragging rights after the marathon! The medal is physical anchor which reminds you of this momentous achievement and a tangible reference for success and progress as you look back over your achievements in 2012. 
  
  

 

Posted via email from michaelrossney's posterous

10 Reasons to give the Dublin Marathon a bash this year (October 29th 2012)

• You’ve got plenty of time to do, and to do it right! With twenty something weeks to go you could do a marathon in late October even if you are a complete beginner to running or ‘couch potato’ now! (Run the idea past your GP first before going running, of course!)

• You’re more likely to regret the things that you don’t do in life rather than the ones that you do! Wouldn’t it be better to be able to be in better shape and say ‘Well I gave it a shot this year and didn’t quite make it’ than to say ‘I didn’t get around to it, again, this year!’

• For most of us, that first marathon seems impossible. Can you imagine how empowered you will feel after you’ve just done what previously seemed impossible? 

• We’ve got long evenings and the sun is up very early at this time of year. You might just be able to squeeze in a walk, jog or run before or after work.

• Mental health: Committing to a marathon is like committing to giving yourself a mental health boost a few times a week for the next few months.  The training will get you outdoors, meeting new people and maybe out of that rut!

• An enormous percentage of Irish people are enormous! I was one of them! Slow, low intensity exercise over a long period of time is the optimal way to burn off stored fat. I know because my gentle marathon training (combined with some intelligent eating) helped me to shed three stone in three months!

• 
  The social element of running a marathon can be wonderful. When you share a long run with a friend then talking helps to pass the time and to distract focus from the miles to go. Running is a very ‘real’ activity and the challenge of it helps to bypass superficial conversation, you get to know people quickly.

• Running relationships are a great way to multitask and hang out with those friends that are just too important to let go of but that you are too busy to see regularly. Some days you’ll be the encourager and other days you’ll need all the encouragement but either way the shared journey will be a bonding experience.

• The day itself is one of the most emotional, inspiring and encouraging experiences that I have ever had.  I loved the first marathon so much that I’ve done another four since then and I’ve another two booked this year. I’m not saying it will be pain-free but the pain fades away and is soon forgotten while the experience of comraderie and interaction with the spectators will lift your spirits every time you think back on the day.

• The finishers t-shirt, the medal and the bragging rights after the marathon! The medal is physical anchor which reminds you of this momentous achievement and a tangible reference for success and progress as you look back over your achievements in 2012. 
  
  

 

Posted via email from michaelrossney's posterous

Free Half Day of Inspiration in Dublin this Monday...

This Monday morning brings one of the most inspirational, motivational and uplifting events on Dublin’s calendar. Being an encourager at the Dublin Marathon is a wonderful way to recharge your batteries if you are feeling a bit low, burned out or like there has to be more to life. It commences at 10am from Fitzwilliam Place near Merrion Square and finishes again on Merrion Square.

 

 

Watching people strive, stride, suffer and sweat, on the surface, sounds like vicarious sadism. The marathon, when examined cerebrally, isinadvisable if not insane. However, if you give yourself (and the athletes) the gift of being present along the route you’ll start to get a sense of what this event means to each competitor. You simply have to be there to appreciate it. These individuals really suffer towards the second half of the race. There is the physical an indescribable mental and physical fatigue that sets in when athletes hit the infamous ‘wall’ - each athlete gambling that it will be worth the elation of the finish line. 

 

There are first timers, age group competitors, clubs competing against each other, internal club rivalries, friends, fundraisers and of course the old battle hardened veterans. Each competitor has somehow convinced themselves that not only is this event worth getting up early on a Bank Holiday but that the training was worth trading social time for suffering, the  risk to joints was worthwhile etc etc. Their actual marathon run is just the icing on the cake of their actual commitment.  

 

But is it worth getting out of bet on a precious Bank Holiday Monday to be a spectator?...

 

Yes, you can watch it live on RTE and it’ll still be inspiring stuff,  but if you do it’ll cost you! The real inspiration happens along the sidelines where you can participate by feeding athletes encouragement, energy and enthusiasm. It is an incredible moment when you realise that these athletes really are relying on your words of encouragement. Last year I wrote an entire blog about ‘The Power of Encouragers’ after a complete stranger convinced me (with one yell!) to run the last few miles of the marathon shortly after I decided to give up and walk to the finish. 

 

People pay lots of money for motivational books like the new Steve Jobs biography, they pay to watch inspirational movies and speakers. Participating in the marathon as an encourager is free, it gives you a chance to interact with the athletes, the costumes, the unlikely competitors and the shockingly inspirational folk who limp, walk, jog or run all 42 kilometers. 

I love these types of events because they remind us that being human is more than just being a logical being. Marathons mirror the trials of life, they remind us who our supporters are, they give us a chance to test ourselves and give us an opportunity to experience that elusive ‘Yes, we can!’ feeling. Is it logical to get out of bed on Monday to shout at a gang of egotistical athletes? Certainly not! And yet, it would be such a tragedy to miss it if you need a bit of a lift this weekend. 

 

Moments of inspiration only come by occasionally unless we plan and pursue them. New Years Eve will come along exactly two months after the marathon and we’ll wonder what happened to 2011! Why not step  yourself the gift of a half day of free inspiration between now and then?

 

Posted via email from michaelrossney's posterous

Free Half Day of Inspiration in Dublin this Monday...

This Monday morning brings one of the most inspirational, motivational and uplifting events on Dublin’s calendar. Being an encourager at the Dublin Marathon is a wonderful way to recharge your batteries if you are feeling a bit low, burned out or like there has to be more to life. It commences at 10am from Fitzwilliam Place near Merrion Square and finishes again on Merrion Square.

 

 

Watching people strive, stride, suffer and sweat, on the surface, sounds like vicarious sadism. The marathon, when examined cerebrally, isinadvisable if not insane. However, if you give yourself (and the athletes) the gift of being present along the route you’ll start to get a sense of what this event means to each competitor. You simply have to be there to appreciate it. These individuals really suffer towards the second half of the race. There is the physical an indescribable mental and physical fatigue that sets in when athletes hit the infamous ‘wall’ - each athlete gambling that it will be worth the elation of the finish line. 

 

There are first timers, age group competitors, clubs competing against each other, internal club rivalries, friends, fundraisers and of course the old battle hardened veterans. Each competitor has somehow convinced themselves that not only is this event worth getting up early on a Bank Holiday but that the training was worth trading social time for suffering, the  risk to joints was worthwhile etc etc. Their actual marathon run is just the icing on the cake of their actual commitment.  

 

But is it worth getting out of bet on a precious Bank Holiday Monday to be a spectator?...

 

Yes, you can watch it live on RTE and it’ll still be inspiring stuff,  but if you do it’ll cost you! The real inspiration happens along the sidelines where you can participate by feeding athletes encouragement, energy and enthusiasm. It is an incredible moment when you realise that these athletes really are relying on your words of encouragement. Last year I wrote an entire blog about ‘The Power of Encouragers’ after a complete stranger convinced me (with one yell!) to run the last few miles of the marathon shortly after I decided to give up and walk to the finish. 

 

People pay lots of money for motivational books like the new Steve Jobs biography, they pay to watch inspirational movies and speakers. Participating in the marathon as an encourager is free, it gives you a chance to interact with the athletes, the costumes, the unlikely competitors and the shockingly inspirational folk who limp, walk, jog or run all 42 kilometers. 

I love these types of events because they remind us that being human is more than just being a logical being. Marathons mirror the trials of life, they remind us who our supporters are, they give us a chance to test ourselves and give us an opportunity to experience that elusive ‘Yes, we can!’ feeling. Is it logical to get out of bed on Monday to shout at a gang of egotistical athletes? Certainly not! And yet, it would be such a tragedy to miss it if you need a bit of a lift this weekend. 

 

Moments of inspiration only come by occasionally unless we plan and pursue them. New Years Eve will come along exactly two months after the marathon and we’ll wonder what happened to 2011! Why not step  yourself the gift of a half day of free inspiration between now and then?

 

Posted via email from michaelrossney's posterous