It is officially the off season for me. Since I did not plan on running a marathon in December, my off season began in October but I kept on training in hopes of another Rapha 500 challenge in 8 days event around Christmas. I tried the challenge two years ago and failed miserably but this year looks promising. I discovered both Rapha and Strava at the same time for that challenge and I am happy that I did. They are both good organizations and I owe to myself to complete the challenge.
Back to the off season training article. Most of us pick an event as our main or “A” event. Sometimes we do two “A” events in one year but we still have the same feeling when we finish our main event. It is a feeling of accomplishment. We achieved our goal or we did not achieve our goal. If we did not achieve our goal, we will either quit or dedicate ourselves to achieving our goal next year. My message here is for the people who achieved their goal and then asked “Now what?” It is a weird feeling when a mission has been accomplished and you have no follow up goal. Most of us find ourselves in this predicament at one time or another. I am bringing this up because I am in the “now, what” stage myself. Here is a list of things I do to keep myself ready for the next season.
Find next “A” event
Maintain core strengths
Lift weights
Swim a mile at least once a week
Ride my bike farther than 40 miles at least once per week
Run close to 10 miles per week
I also like to do a couple trail half marathons during the off season to keep my endurance up
Check your calendar for the last season. Did you get injured? What were you doing before you were injured? No calendar? Create a plan to track your workouts.
Pick your next event
Develop your training plan for the event
Decide what your fitness level should be when the training begins
Picking your next event is usually the most fun part of the process. There are so many events in so many locations; it can be hard to choose. If you are picking one of your first events, it is so exiting when you realize that you are going to be an athlete. I still remember my first race, when the race director raised his bull horn and said “athletes, gather around”.
Developing the plan is not easy. There is no plan that fits everyone. We all have to come up with our own plan. I recommend looking at other peoples plans to use as a reference for your own plan. I do the same thing myself. I can take my own plans from 10 or 15 years ago and tailor them to my current needs. As I get older, my recovery is not the same as it was 15 years ago. My nutritional needs are certainly different from 15 years ago. In fact, the grocery store is different from 15 years ago but that is another matter entirely. I encourage everyone to put at least one rest day per week in their training plans. I tend to be more prone to injury when I am training over 20 hours per week. I used to consider a 2 mile swim day as my rest day. That was not a good idea. Rest means rest.
Whether your “A” event was a couch to 5k or the western states 100, rest up, pick your plan and have fun.
I seem to have daily conversations with people who are ashamed of what they do. Don’t be ashamed of what you are doing. If what you are doing makes you happy, continue doing it. The idea behind life is to be happy. I am not really sure how a healthy life style relates to a long life. I do know that fit people can get from point A to point B faster and they can be productive a point B faster.
Here is a list of recent comments and my thoughts:
“I can’t run a mile, but I try.” All you can do is try. If you keep trying, you will get there. Do not overdo it. Plug away by jogging a few steps then back to walking. Before long, you will be jogging more than walking.
“I only work out 20 or 30 minutes a day on weekdays only.” That is great. Doing any type of physical activity is better than sitting at your desk all day moving files around.
“I want to lose weight.” This is probably the most common thing I hear. My advice is to start small by eliminating the fast food lunches a couple of days per week and bring in food that has not been processed in a factory. I am not sure of the health benefits of food that has been designed by scientists and use chemicals with names that I can’t pronounce but I do know that empty calories can help make you fat.
“I am doing the couch to 5k and now my (insert body part) hurts.” Take it easy. You can take a day off or walk more for the run/walk portion. All pain is not good pain. When in doubt, rest.
“I read on the internet that I should do this exercise, now I have a sharp pain here.” Rest the area that has a sharp pain. Ease in to the aggressive workouts. Do not trust any one source without asking questions. If you can get a personal trainer, get one. If you can’t get a trainer, read multiple articles before you try things. http://www.livestrong.com/ is a great resource. I go there regularly for training and dietary ideas.
Did you notice a pattern? Most people tend to overdo things and pay a price for it. I am no exception. I learned a lot of things the hard way. It is usually best to make small changes that you can maintain. Fad diets and workouts are great at motivating you for a short period but it is hard to maintain the enthusiasm for long. Take it easy and be satisfied.
Saint George, UT – December 9th, 2013 –ENDEVRTM , creators of the MyID medical bracelet and other health and wellness products, has launched their Dear Motorist campaign promoting cycling safety and driver awareness. The innovative brand has partnered with various sponsors, including Bell Helmets, Camelbak, and Shimano, amongst others, to help educate and create a more positive relationship amongst drivers and cyclists on the road. The initiative has been brought to life in a touching short film, which will be used to further highlight their efforts online and through social media.
Dear Motorist invites cyclists and motorists alike, to go to the dedicated landing page at dearmotorist.com, and share their experiences, by either: taking a pledge or writing a letter to be more aware of their surroundings on the road. The campaign also offers those who may have lost a loved one to a road accident the opportunity to share their story, leading up to the global event, Bike Week, starting on May 1, 2014.
Full release available after the jump: Read more… »
The Mizuno Wave EVO running shoes have a flat sole that is designed for a midfoot or forefoot strike. I have the Levitas style. Let me start out by saying that I love to take long strides and strike with my heel first. Although I am a neutral runner, by toes point out slightly. Striking on the outside of the heel wears out the heel quickly and creates a lot of stress on the outside of the leg. Between the stressed out legs and my capacity for over doing things, I am always injured. I took a chi running class that changed my running technique from leaning back to leaning forward. It seems to help. But I still want to strike with my heels. I was browsing around The Sports Basement one day when I stumbled on the EVO running shoes. I tried them on and they were very comfortable. They were so comfortable that I bought a pair.
My new shoes were nice and comfortable for my first run. I did notice that they seem to be about ½ size large. I am not sure if they are big or they feel that way because they are vastly different from regular running shoes. Without the heel padding, I tend to land more on the center of the foot. I did not alter my stride intentionally. It happened because there was no structure to encourage me to strike heel first. I don’t know if it is good or bad to land mid foot as opposed to landing on my heel. I do know that landing on my heel causes stress on the shin and outside of my leg where landing mid sole causes stress on the calf and inside of my knee. My non-scientific reasoning says it is better to work the calf because it is a larger muscle.
If you noticed my comment about landing on a different part of your foot works different muscles, you may be prepared for the consequences of working new muscles. I took my new shoes out for an easy 3 mile jog. About an hour after my run, my calves started to show their displeasure. Wow! I had a lot of sore muscles. I had sore muscles that I did not know existed. There are a lot of muscles below the calf and around the ankle.
I have been wearing the EVO’s for about two months now with no injuries and no worse for the wear. I am used to the long feel of the shoe and wonder if the shoes run big or it is the way I am accustomed to running shoes. My runs have been between 3 and 5 miles with no pain. I did push the pace on a 3 mile run with no adverse effects.
Things to note:
I am a neutral runner with high arches
I do triathlons and run the occasional marathon
I injure myself 2 out of 3 times that I train for a marathon
I replace my running shoes every 300-500 miles
Most of my injuries are running related
EVO’s are cheaper than regular running shoes
EVO’s are light
I love shopping at Sports Basement
If you try minimal shoes, start with easy runs
So far, I like the EVO’s and consider them a success. That may change when I get up to the 15 mile runs but I will remain optimistic.
I ordered a new pair of minimalist shoes to try out. They are still sealed in the garage. I forgot who made them but that is part of the fun for reviewing things. I hope they are close to Mizuno shoes for comfort and better for fit. Amazon has them for about $110 but you can find them for $80 at Road Runner sports. If you have not been to a running only store, I highly recommend it.
Locking your bike is important and should be done anytime you’re parking your bike in a public place. Unless there is a bike valet service – or pay-by-the-minute bike lockers – you’ll have to just lock it up outside.
Here is a quick video demonstrating the proper way to lock a bike:
Additional tips and links available after the jump: Read more… »
A friend recently purchased a 2014 Specialized Sirrus Sport Disc hybrid bike from the Mike’s Bikes of Berkeley store – and that enjoyable experience will come in a separate blog post. I wanted to briefly discuss the “Mike’s Bikes 5-Year Service Policy” that is available to customers purchasing a bike from Mike’s Bikes.
The 5-year service policy costs $150 and customers need to enroll in the program within 90 days of bike purchase.
There is a wide list of services covered, including a ‘Comp’ tune up (gear adjustments, brake adjustments, wheel truing, etc.), along with changing a flat tire, derailleur adjustments, brake pad labor replacement, and so on. It’s nice that labor charge for chain replacement, brake pad replacement, and other adjustments also is included in
Take a look at the full list of the benefits available here.
Some people will look at the program and not show any interest, while many of you probably would be interested in this type of service. If you are in the market for a new bike, I highly recommend inquiring if your local shop offer some type of similar program.
These are the types of programs that separate good bike shops from great bike shops – Mike’s Bikes, Sports Basement, and other reputable bike dealers should provide some type of follow-up support new customers can enjoy in the future.
There is a certain learning curve that beginner bike riders must deal with as they become familiar with riding, and fixing a dropped chain is one of those things.
Here is a short video that outlines three different ways to fix a dropped chain – two of which can be done while still riding – and is an important lesson for beginner bike riders:
After it happens a few times, and you become more familiar with your bike, it’ll be easier to quickly (and cleanly) put your chain back on. Keep pedaling and be safe!
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