I came across this cool animated video of a runner. The only problem is that the narration is not in English. Does anyone know what the narrator is saying? It is very soothing. If you want to add some more peppy music, mute the original video and add some Dandy Warhols to the mix.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Cadence in Running and Fitness Walking
"CADENCE" pt. 1
Cadence refers to how fast your feet are moving, otherwise referred to as "turnover" or "rpms." The main idea here is that you should increase the speed of your feet. For example, if you are on a stationary bike there is usually a readout for RPM. On the bike continually work on increasing this number. If you are initially at 50, aim to increase to 65-70. If you are at 65, try to hold 80-85. If it is too difficult to sustain the higher cadence continuously then use "intervals;" short chunks of high cadence interspersed in steady cadence.
Keep in mind this is increasing the speed of your feet, not the "level" of resistance. You can get better benefit and increase your fitness by keeping the resistance at a relatively easy level. Just move your feet faster.
The same holds true for fitness walking. If you are walking to get into better shape, increase your cadence. Moving your feet more quickly will get you breathing harder and moving faster. This is not to say take longer steps. On the contrary, it usually means that you should take shorter steps. In the case of walking, it is important to use your arms to set the rhythm for your feet. You must bend at the elbows and keep your wrists close to your ribs. Now get those arms pumping in short quick strokes. No wild swinging. Short quick strokes.
An easy way to gauge your walking cadence is to count left-foot strikes for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. That is your rpm cadence .
Fast feet, the arms are moving...you will notice with the increased walking cadence that it is easy to hold quite a bit of momentum. That is good. Now the trick is to keep holding that momentum. You will be breathing a little hard but not gasping for breath. If you are gasping, then take shorter steps. But keep the cadence up.
This kind of training--high cadence paired with low resistance/short strides--challenges the body to make a special kind of adaptation: "neuromuscular." Namely, your brain develops the ability to signal your body to move quickly. Once you get good at taking short steps with high cadence, then soon you will be taking medium length and longer strides while at the same time holding that higher cadence. Same with the bike...high gear + high cadence = speed.
I figured this out while training several women in a Power Walk class. After 4-5 weeks of power walking , I realized I was improving my own fitness. Keep in mind I was in prime Ironman form (10:11 at Vineman). But during those Power Walk sessions we always kept high cadence, which really added strength to my legs and stamina to my lungs.
Okay, I can't resist making an Ironman triathlon comment. If you are training for an ironman, or for most people a marathon for that matter, you are well advised to spend some time doing power walk training. Not only is it a gentle break from running, but in all likelihood you will spend a significant amount of time walking during your race.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Ron Crozier's Birthday Run
Okay so this isn't exactly a timely post but it is a good one. This summer I was training for the Vermont 100 miler so I was looking for some company on a long training run. My good friend Ron had a birthday in a few days so I suggested...let's celebrate your birthday by doing a run...a really long run.
This also happened to be in the middle of the summer in TN so it was oppressively hot most days. Besides, both Ron and I are married and you can't exactly go do a seven hour run without resulting in a unhappy wife. So we devised the idea to do the run in the middle of the night.
The gate to the natural area was on a large gauge gravel road which we departed down after midnight.
This day was Ron's 35th birthday so our goal was to run 35 miles. It was still quite hot but not as hot during the day time and sun light. We took plenty of water and kept up with the nutrition/electrolyte intake...
Photo: Ron is either flashing a gang sign, or saying "I'm this many."
This was a great chance for me to test run my Columbia Mobex pack. I later used this pack for a double crossing of the Grand Canyon, and some other challenging training runs.
We didn't have any formidable wildlife run ins, and we didn't find any puppies in the woods. Just this frog.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Forget You on Glee
Sometimes pop music just makes me happy and I want to share it. Probably we all feel like telling this to someone from time to time. If you haven't seen this from the TV show Glee, enjoy below.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Meanings of Ironman (Part 1 of 3): Origins and Intellectual Property Issues
I was reading this discussion forum thread with meandered into a debate on the meaning of Ironman. Ironman, Iron Man, 140.6, etc mean a lot of different things to different people. Let's look at some of the historical, current, and various uses of the term "Ironman."
Old School
If we are going to be thorough we should acknowledge the very first Ironmen. During the Iron Age of mankind (~500BC to 800AD) life consisted of hunting, various agricultural activities, and a war every now and then.
Iron Age men existed a long time before the rest of these versions.
Comic Book Character
In more contemporary terms, Iron Man was used by Marvel Comics for the character of the same name, pictured below. Like many other Marvel characters, Iron Man has been made into a movie recently. I will give credit to Robert Downy Jr and everyone else involved, they've done a good job.
Body Building, Etc.
Another historical use of the term Ironman refers to guys who look like this:
Ironman (in the body building sense of the word) is some kind of empire of magazines, competitions, and product. I'm not sure which is more of a caricature...the comic book Iron Man or the guys in this video:
Seriously though, these guys ARE intense athletes. They have to have a very strict diet and rigorous training program. I am not writing this to bad mouth anybody. Besides, at least these guys still wear speedos, unlike triathletes in 2010.
Not to be outdone by those strictly going for size, aesthetic development, and really dark tans, there is another kind of Ironman/body building/size/strength thread out there, namely people who want to be able to bend iron.
This movement is both a reaction to training for aesthetic reasons, and against commercial gyms. It includes Cross Fit, kettle bells, boot camps, TRX, and all manner of improvised workouts. My friend CJ Ong writes about the Free Fitness Movement on his blog the Crucible. Before forming opinions about CJ, be aware that he has done Ironmans, Triple Ironmans (Ultraman,) AND body building competitions. So he is not just an Ironman, he is all the different kinds of Ironman except the comic book character and the Iron Age man.
Sabbath
Our overview of Iron Man would not be complete without name-checking the Black Sabbath classic. By now it is somewhat of a parody song. For this reason I don't enjoy it as much as other Black Sabbath songs from this era, which are hard without being TOO hard if you know what I mean. With this album they basically invented metal.
When the recorded Iron Man the psychedelic movement was still in full swing. Damn that Ozzy Osborne is crazy as hell. Check out their video for Iron Man here. It is really crazy. Although I guess if you were going to do an Iron Man in the late 1960's, you could at least have the benefit of an Aqualung which might help you with the 2.4 mile swim.
The (First) Ironman Triathlon, M-Dot, and the WTC
When 15 guys lined up on the shore of Waikiki in 1978 to settle a bet, there is no way they could have imagined the behemoth that the race format would eventually become. The whole premise began with the argument, "Who is the best athlete; runners, swimmers, or cyclists."
Evidently some legal wrangling and business deals have had to occur for all the different versions of Ironman co-exist. You know those Medieval dudes have some really nasty lawyers! But seriously if you want to know how the tradmark business go settled, then you really read this article written by Dan Empfield on Slowtwitch.com (the older version not the new one.)
Old School
If we are going to be thorough we should acknowledge the very first Ironmen. During the Iron Age of mankind (~500BC to 800AD) life consisted of hunting, various agricultural activities, and a war every now and then.
Comic Book Character
In more contemporary terms, Iron Man was used by Marvel Comics for the character of the same name, pictured below. Like many other Marvel characters, Iron Man has been made into a movie recently. I will give credit to Robert Downy Jr and everyone else involved, they've done a good job.
Comic book geeks like myself know that this iteration of Iron Man is actually known as War Machine, which is a lot like the approach of some Ironman triathletes. Personally I never was too into Iron Man comics...I was more of a Punisher and X-Men reader.
Body Building, Etc.
Another historical use of the term Ironman refers to guys who look like this:
Photo: Ben Greenfield displaying one version of an Ironman performance.
Ironman (in the body building sense of the word) is some kind of empire of magazines, competitions, and product. I'm not sure which is more of a caricature...the comic book Iron Man or the guys in this video:
Seriously though, these guys ARE intense athletes. They have to have a very strict diet and rigorous training program. I am not writing this to bad mouth anybody. Besides, at least these guys still wear speedos, unlike triathletes in 2010.
Not to be outdone by those strictly going for size, aesthetic development, and really dark tans, there is another kind of Ironman/body building/size/strength thread out there, namely people who want to be able to bend iron.
Another version of an Ironman: "How to Bend Nails"
This movement is both a reaction to training for aesthetic reasons, and against commercial gyms. It includes Cross Fit, kettle bells, boot camps, TRX, and all manner of improvised workouts. My friend CJ Ong writes about the Free Fitness Movement on his blog the Crucible. Before forming opinions about CJ, be aware that he has done Ironmans, Triple Ironmans (Ultraman,) AND body building competitions. So he is not just an Ironman, he is all the different kinds of Ironman except the comic book character and the Iron Age man.
Sabbath
Our overview of Iron Man would not be complete without name-checking the Black Sabbath classic. By now it is somewhat of a parody song. For this reason I don't enjoy it as much as other Black Sabbath songs from this era, which are hard without being TOO hard if you know what I mean. With this album they basically invented metal.
When the recorded Iron Man the psychedelic movement was still in full swing. Damn that Ozzy Osborne is crazy as hell. Check out their video for Iron Man here. It is really crazy. Although I guess if you were going to do an Iron Man in the late 1960's, you could at least have the benefit of an Aqualung which might help you with the 2.4 mile swim.
The (First) Ironman Triathlon, M-Dot, and the WTC
When 15 guys lined up on the shore of Waikiki in 1978 to settle a bet, there is no way they could have imagined the behemoth that the race format would eventually become. The whole premise began with the argument, "Who is the best athlete; runners, swimmers, or cyclists."
Evidently some legal wrangling and business deals have had to occur for all the different versions of Ironman co-exist. You know those Medieval dudes have some really nasty lawyers! But seriously if you want to know how the tradmark business go settled, then you really read this article written by Dan Empfield on Slowtwitch.com (the older version not the new one.)
Ironman (Part 2 of 3): The Tattoo, Sticker, and Corporation
When I first got into the sport of triathlon, I asked a mentor, "Why do they call us tri-geeks?" I will never forget her response. She said, "Let's see, because you go for a run in the morning, you swim at lunch, and you go for a bike ride after work." The first triathlon club I ever belonged to was Columbia Multisport Club, five time national club champion in the largest division (beating among others L.A. Tri. They had--and continue to have to this day--a very popular listserv called "trigeeks@columbiamultisport.com."
Have you ever heard the expression, "I did it for the T-shirt?" It seems backwards that someone would do a race so that they can wear a t-shirt to let others know they did a race. What about enjoying the race itself? Doing it for the sense of achievement or fun? Well Ironman Triathletes tend to take it one step farther. They are not satisfied just "wearing the shirt."
We aren't called tri-geeks because we exercise a lot. It is because triathletes vainly display the M-Dot tattoo. (The below pictures of M-Dot tattoos are interspersed with quotes from an actual discussion forum thread about getting M-Dot tattoos...quotes do not correspond to the pictures.)
My commentary:
And this one is a variation since she did a "non-WTC iron distance" at Beach 2 Battleship. Getting an Ironman tattoo is like getting a Nike Swoosh tattoo or a McDonald's Arches tattoo. Getting a 140.6 tattoo is like getting a tattoo that says "sports apparel" or "hamburgers."
I understand what an epic and profound experience doing an iron distance triathlon is; I've done eight. I've won a 140.6 tri and gotten 3rd in two others, and been to Kona. My criticism specifically is the need people have to advertise their achievements with the M-Dot tattoo. It is like someone who has to cover the back of their car with stickers advertising every racing distance they have done, providing irrefutable evidence that "I am a Tri Geek."
Part of the issue I have with the M-Dot logo, brand, and the WTC is that corporately, Ironman has become an overly commercialized corporate entity. The sport/brand/corporation of Ironman is owned by a company named Providence Equity Partners. This company views the sport of triathlon and for that matter the spirit of Ironman as little more than a flippable commodity. And if flipping this commodity is it's business, then business is good.
The WTC has engaged in an aggressive expansion including the popular "Ironman 70.3" distance with at least 34 races, and in 2011 a nationwide series of olympic distance triathlons called 5150. I won't say that this business expansion is itself a bad thing, it's just that the entire sport is becoming dominated by one particular brand. Well, actually two brands. The other giant is Falconhead Equity aka Competitor Group, which owns Triathlete, Inside Triathon, VeloNews, Muddy Buddy, and the entire Rock n Roll Marathon series.
When those 12 guys and 3 gals lined up on the beach for the very first Iron Man Triathlon in 1978, they would have never imagined what a corporate mega-entity of pre-packaged experience, magazines, and lifestyle accessories their little experiment would become. Before you get your Ironman Tattoo, consider "Do I want to advertise for this company?"
And consider...How the rest of the world views Ironman triathletes. Perhaps Ironman Triathlon has "jumped the shark." (Part 3)
Have you ever heard the expression, "I did it for the T-shirt?" It seems backwards that someone would do a race so that they can wear a t-shirt to let others know they did a race. What about enjoying the race itself? Doing it for the sense of achievement or fun? Well Ironman Triathletes tend to take it one step farther. They are not satisfied just "wearing the shirt."
We aren't called tri-geeks because we exercise a lot. It is because triathletes vainly display the M-Dot tattoo. (The below pictures of M-Dot tattoos are interspersed with quotes from an actual discussion forum thread about getting M-Dot tattoos...quotes do not correspond to the pictures.)
"I say hell yeah! So what it's not Kona earned?!?! It's still a friggin' ironman and that is AWESOME!!
"For those of you that have IM tattoo's- Did you get it right after the race or did you wait a while? Can anyone recommend a good tattoo parlor in Panama City? I'm planning on getting one after IMFL.
"Does it matter if you are sunburned? I'm planning on getting mine around my right shoulder blade. Basically where it will only be seen if I'm swimming or in a jog bra.
"I will probably wait until I get home. The long drive home will be hard enough on my legs without having a new tattoo on my back! I'm planning on getting my inside my shoulder blade. It won't be covered by a bra strap, jog bra or swimsuit. We're going to try out a temporary M Dot tattoo on first. After looking at the prices of M Dot jewelry, Hubby told me to get a tattoo instead!
"This may be extreme, but I actually got mine 30 minutes after I crossed the line at IMAZ and got back in time to root on the last finishers...I wanted to get the tattoo where I raced and I was leaving Tempe early the next morning. I called ahead and scheduled an appointment, based on my moderate goal finish time...
"I printed out an ironman logo, and the tattoo guy resized it with a copying machine. Freehand drawing doesn't sound like a good idea, since there's a circle involved and stuff.
Even thought I am not worthy of sporting an IM tat yet, it would be nice to have a copy saved for the big day. Only have done 1/2 IM, Timberman . In the process of signing up for the new 101 series in Bradenton, Fla. in may. 1.8 mi. swim, 80mi. bike and a 18 mi. run. Do they make a 1/2 IM or 3/4 IM tattoo? lol Could you please send me a copy? Hope to do IMFL in 08. Should I get the tattoo on my leg or my back? Thanks for the help.
My commentary:
And this one is a variation since she did a "non-WTC iron distance" at Beach 2 Battleship. Getting an Ironman tattoo is like getting a Nike Swoosh tattoo or a McDonald's Arches tattoo. Getting a 140.6 tattoo is like getting a tattoo that says "sports apparel" or "hamburgers."
I understand what an epic and profound experience doing an iron distance triathlon is; I've done eight. I've won a 140.6 tri and gotten 3rd in two others, and been to Kona. My criticism specifically is the need people have to advertise their achievements with the M-Dot tattoo. It is like someone who has to cover the back of their car with stickers advertising every racing distance they have done, providing irrefutable evidence that "I am a Tri Geek."
Part of the issue I have with the M-Dot logo, brand, and the WTC is that corporately, Ironman has become an overly commercialized corporate entity. The sport/brand/corporation of Ironman is owned by a company named Providence Equity Partners. This company views the sport of triathlon and for that matter the spirit of Ironman as little more than a flippable commodity. And if flipping this commodity is it's business, then business is good.
The WTC has engaged in an aggressive expansion including the popular "Ironman 70.3" distance with at least 34 races, and in 2011 a nationwide series of olympic distance triathlons called 5150. I won't say that this business expansion is itself a bad thing, it's just that the entire sport is becoming dominated by one particular brand. Well, actually two brands. The other giant is Falconhead Equity aka Competitor Group, which owns Triathlete, Inside Triathon, VeloNews, Muddy Buddy, and the entire Rock n Roll Marathon series.
When those 12 guys and 3 gals lined up on the beach for the very first Iron Man Triathlon in 1978, they would have never imagined what a corporate mega-entity of pre-packaged experience, magazines, and lifestyle accessories their little experiment would become. Before you get your Ironman Tattoo, consider "Do I want to advertise for this company?"
And consider...How the rest of the world views Ironman triathletes. Perhaps Ironman Triathlon has "jumped the shark." (Part 3)
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