Anyone who has been in the fitness/health industry for more than a couple of years can attest to the fads that permeate the industry. After obtaining my undergrad degree from UC Irvine, I worked for several running and cycling retailers and manufacturers. From the inside I was able to witness some crazy inventions that were marketed as the "next great" thing. Some of the highlights were the Quintana Roo Redstone, Cannondale Headshok, Z Coil, Nike Shox, Reebok Pump, and Adidas Feet You Wear (though, in fairness, the Feet You Wear was a brilliant concept for running and tennis shoes that retailers and customers failed to understand...too bad).
Then several years ago I became a CSCS through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The CSCS exam is known as the most difficult in the fitness industry (I have been told that the pass rate is only around 40% of test-takers). The exam called on a great breadth of knowledge from endurance sports to skill sports to strength sports to geriatric activities to powerlifting to periodization. It is difficult to find a collegiate or professional sports team strength coach who does not have a CSCS certificate. Similarly, a large number of sports medicine doctors and therapists have obtained the certificate. Just as it is a great way for a doctor to differentiate his/herself from less athletic peers, personal trainers can use the CSCS to demonstrate their superior knowledge over their peers. Seeking a trainer or coach with a CSCS is a great way of screening the potentially good from the probably bad.
Some of the workout fads I have witnessed are Bikram yoga, Pilates, Curves and pole dancing. A current "fad" in exercise is CrossFit. I don't mean to be demeaning--I actually am a fan of the types of exercises that CrossFit incorporates. What I like about it is the emphasis on closed-chain exercises and the embargo of machines. I think it is fantastic for general fitness, though it is not the sort of program I would recommend for a competitive athlete.
What is my point? Well, before you embark on your fitness journey, set a fitness goal. Define what you hope to achieve and why. A jogger has different needs than a surfer who has different needs thant a Cat 1 cyclist who has different needs than a rock climber. For most of America, simply beginning a fitness routine, any fitness routine, would be a great step in the right direction. But an athlete needs a workout routine specific to his/her sport. In my opinion, no one needs to perform Olympic weight lifting exercises other than Olympic weight lifters. A person's exercises should mimic his/her daily or athletic activities.
What if you don't want to hire a coach or a trainer? Read, a lot! Regardless of your sport or level of activity, start with the "father of periodization", Tudor Bompa. All runners should read Jack Daniels and Timothy Noakes. Cyclists and triathletes should try Joel Friel. Swimmers should.....well, swimmers should join a masters swim group.
One piece of advice I can give to all athletes and fitness enthusiasts is to "mix it up". Do not do the same workout two days in a row, two weeks in a row or two months in a row. Many weight lifters think it is adequate to break lifting into chest, back and leg exercises. Try occasionally splitting exercises into flexion days and extension days; internal rotation and external rotation days. Sometimes lift weights before you swim, sometimes after. Sometimes swim-bike-run, sometimes bike-swim-run. Whatever you do, constantly change it up. Variety really is the spice of life.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Open Water Swimming for Triathletes
I am very fortunate. I learned to swim around 2 years of age, began swimming competitively at age 4 and started spending time in the surf around age 6. This means that I am a good (not great, just good) pool swimmer and a very good ocean swimmer. My older sisters are both excellent swimmers and are more than competent in the open water. Similarly, my younger brother is absolutely fearless on a board regardless of the size of the swell.
What is my point? Well, my workout this morning was a continuous swim-run just down the road at El Moro in Crystal Cove State Park. When the water is warm, as it is right now, I love to swim out past the breakline, head down the beach a couple hundred meters, swim back in to shore, run a mile and then do it all over again, ad nauseum. With next weekend’s Pacific Coast Triathlon occurring in the park, there were a LOT of triathletes getting into the water.
After my hour and a half of swim-run-swim-run-etc was finished, I sat and watched the triathletes head into and out of the water. I noted that the top 10% were fantastic swimmers—probably faster than myself. The next 50% were capable—neither fast nor slow, but competent enough to handle the open water. The remaining 40% (or so) probably should not have been in the ocean….at least not a few hundred yards out from shore, away from the eyes of the lifeguards.
Every year there are a few drownings in triathlons across the country. Some of the time there is an underlying health condition (i.e. heart attack) that leads to the drowning. But much of the time it is competitors not familiar with lake or river or ocean swims who fall victim.
Watching that slowest 40% today, I observed them get into the water (very slowly), stop and rest constantly, and leave the beach as soon as their swim was over. There was no time spent "playing" in the water—no riding swells, diving under the crashing surf, etc. Despite paying $10 to park at that beach, they left the beach as quickly as possible to run or ride.
My assumption is that the 40% have not had the luxury of time in the ocean that myself and the other 60% have. I would guess that some of that 40% are actually fair pool swimmers. And some of the 40% are probably incapable of swimming more than a few hundred meters at a time.
My recommendation is: if you plan on putting yourself in an inherently risky situation (and I have seen enough big “animals” in coastal waters to know how risky it is out there!), then you must become familiar with that environment. No, that does not mean that you have to become the next Laird Hamilton or Craig Hummer in order to compete in a triathlon. But preparing for a triathlon—especially one with a surf swim—by pool swimming exclusively is a lot like using a stairmaster to prepare to climb Mount McKinley.
US Open Water Swimming is a good place to start, as is US Masters Swimming. Whatever you do, don’t go solo. I may paddleboard alone all of the time, but I never open water swim without another swimmer nearby. And with 8-10 foot swells forecast for the end of this week, I wish all competitors good luck out there—be safe, be smart and have a great race.
What is my point? Well, my workout this morning was a continuous swim-run just down the road at El Moro in Crystal Cove State Park. When the water is warm, as it is right now, I love to swim out past the breakline, head down the beach a couple hundred meters, swim back in to shore, run a mile and then do it all over again, ad nauseum. With next weekend’s Pacific Coast Triathlon occurring in the park, there were a LOT of triathletes getting into the water.
After my hour and a half of swim-run-swim-run-etc was finished, I sat and watched the triathletes head into and out of the water. I noted that the top 10% were fantastic swimmers—probably faster than myself. The next 50% were capable—neither fast nor slow, but competent enough to handle the open water. The remaining 40% (or so) probably should not have been in the ocean….at least not a few hundred yards out from shore, away from the eyes of the lifeguards.
Every year there are a few drownings in triathlons across the country. Some of the time there is an underlying health condition (i.e. heart attack) that leads to the drowning. But much of the time it is competitors not familiar with lake or river or ocean swims who fall victim.
Watching that slowest 40% today, I observed them get into the water (very slowly), stop and rest constantly, and leave the beach as soon as their swim was over. There was no time spent "playing" in the water—no riding swells, diving under the crashing surf, etc. Despite paying $10 to park at that beach, they left the beach as quickly as possible to run or ride.
My assumption is that the 40% have not had the luxury of time in the ocean that myself and the other 60% have. I would guess that some of that 40% are actually fair pool swimmers. And some of the 40% are probably incapable of swimming more than a few hundred meters at a time.
My recommendation is: if you plan on putting yourself in an inherently risky situation (and I have seen enough big “animals” in coastal waters to know how risky it is out there!), then you must become familiar with that environment. No, that does not mean that you have to become the next Laird Hamilton or Craig Hummer in order to compete in a triathlon. But preparing for a triathlon—especially one with a surf swim—by pool swimming exclusively is a lot like using a stairmaster to prepare to climb Mount McKinley.
US Open Water Swimming is a good place to start, as is US Masters Swimming. Whatever you do, don’t go solo. I may paddleboard alone all of the time, but I never open water swim without another swimmer nearby. And with 8-10 foot swells forecast for the end of this week, I wish all competitors good luck out there—be safe, be smart and have a great race.
Monday, July 13, 2009
There's no screen like sunscreen
I had a late start at the office today, leaving me with a chance to get in a nice, long run before seeing my first patient. I don't very often run during late morning hours---and today it was HOT! And bright. Sure, we've passed the solstice, but the sun is still very high and very bright in the sky.
Now that I'm an "old" man, I have become very good about wearing a hat and coating my body with sunscreen when running, paddling, hiking, surfing, etc. I was not always so diligent. At Ironman Hawaii in 2000, I decided not to wear sunscreen at all. I didn't want it dripping into and burning my eyes, and the greasiness of so many sunscreens has always been a problem with sunglasses. So, I (foolishly) raced sans screen. The result? Oddly, no burn. I was VERY lucky and pretty stupid (though the absence of a burn does not mean that my skin/body was free of any damage from that day).
Skin cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the United States. Cumulative sun exposure is thought to be the cause of squamous cell and basal skin cancers (the "less" serious cancers) while episodes of serious sunburns (click here if have a strong stomach) early in life are thought to lead to melanoma. Melanoma is by far the rarest of the 3 types, but is responsible for approximately 75% of deaths related to skin cancer.
Sunscreens have changed a lot since my childhood. In the old days, we looked at the SPF number and slathered it on. Now, you need to read the label well enough to know which UV spectrums will be "screened". And don't count on that running shirt or rash guard to offer protection. Most dry t-shirts offer SPF around 10, and once wet drop to less than half that number.
And now that I'm a dad, I had to research all over again to know not only what would protect my son, but what would not irritate his skin. I am neither a pediatrician nor a dermatologist, so I'll leave that research up to you.
For my body, I go to Costco or Target and buy (in bulk) a broad spectrum, high SPF "water-proof" sunscreen. I don't care too much about the brand, just the ingredients. For my face, I recently discovered Watermans sunscreen (note: I have no affiliation with the company). It's pretty expensive (hence, I just use it on my face) but it is the first and only sunscreen that I have ever used that does not drip into and burn my eyes. I have paddled, surfed, run and mountain biked using this stuff. It works well enough that I no longer paint my face, ears and scalp white with zinc oxide before heading out on the water---like this.
Now that I'm an "old" man, I have become very good about wearing a hat and coating my body with sunscreen when running, paddling, hiking, surfing, etc. I was not always so diligent. At Ironman Hawaii in 2000, I decided not to wear sunscreen at all. I didn't want it dripping into and burning my eyes, and the greasiness of so many sunscreens has always been a problem with sunglasses. So, I (foolishly) raced sans screen. The result? Oddly, no burn. I was VERY lucky and pretty stupid (though the absence of a burn does not mean that my skin/body was free of any damage from that day).
Skin cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the United States. Cumulative sun exposure is thought to be the cause of squamous cell and basal skin cancers (the "less" serious cancers) while episodes of serious sunburns (click here if have a strong stomach) early in life are thought to lead to melanoma. Melanoma is by far the rarest of the 3 types, but is responsible for approximately 75% of deaths related to skin cancer.
Sunscreens have changed a lot since my childhood. In the old days, we looked at the SPF number and slathered it on. Now, you need to read the label well enough to know which UV spectrums will be "screened". And don't count on that running shirt or rash guard to offer protection. Most dry t-shirts offer SPF around 10, and once wet drop to less than half that number.
And now that I'm a dad, I had to research all over again to know not only what would protect my son, but what would not irritate his skin. I am neither a pediatrician nor a dermatologist, so I'll leave that research up to you.
For my body, I go to Costco or Target and buy (in bulk) a broad spectrum, high SPF "water-proof" sunscreen. I don't care too much about the brand, just the ingredients. For my face, I recently discovered Watermans sunscreen (note: I have no affiliation with the company). It's pretty expensive (hence, I just use it on my face) but it is the first and only sunscreen that I have ever used that does not drip into and burn my eyes. I have paddled, surfed, run and mountain biked using this stuff. It works well enough that I no longer paint my face, ears and scalp white with zinc oxide before heading out on the water---like this.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Need an excuse to exercise?
There was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago. It cited several sources that show running participation—in races—has grown significantly AND finish times have improved. The article blames (or credits) current “economic doldrums” for the newfound training time that runners are enjoying. And more time to train equals faster times at races.
It is an interesting thought, that running enjoys a boom when the economy goes bust. This would help to explain running’s boom years of the late 70s, when it seemed half of the field of any given marathon would run sub 3 hours. Even the early 90s, when I started in triathlons, seemed much more competitive than the past few years.
I have noted several times that Orange County in the early 90s was awash in runners and cyclists and triathletes. There certainly are a lot of us now, but not as many as “back then.” My theory was as real estate became more and more expensive (have you looked at housing in Newport Coast or Corona del Mar lately???), the middle class weekend warriors were priced out of the area. While that may be true, the article postulates that many of us simply became too busy to train and race at our previous levels.
There is a pretty well-known study, now about 10 years old, that looked at the affect of aerobic exercise on patients suffering from major depressive disorder. After 16 weeks of medication, aerobic exercise or a combination of the two, all groups had similar outcomes, improving by statistically similar amounts.
Another study looked at the possible mechanisms for this reduction in depression. The verdict? It’s difficult to know how or why regular exercise helps with the “mood” of people. All that is known is exercise does help with people’s mood.
Maybe it’s the formation of a habit, the sense of belonging to a group, the regular exposure to endorphins, the sense of accomplishment, the learned resistance to stress, or something else. Speaking personally, I have a tough time getting through the day if I go 2 days in a row without some sort of workout.
I’m not saying that running or cycling or paddling will solve life’s problems. But I will advocate that our bodies are meant to move. From our huge Achilles tendons to our long femurs to our broad nuchal ligaments, we are built to walk and run over very long distances. Be it God or Darwinian, someone or something intended for us to be in motion on a daily basis. It would seem our brains and psyches crave the same movement.
If you’re a runner, make sure to get a few miles in today. If you surf, go get in the water (despite how cold it’s been here lately). If you’re not currently active, try something new: a walk around the block, a jog around the high school track, a few laps in the community pool, even mowing your lawn! Get your body in shape, and hopefully your mental state will follow.
It is an interesting thought, that running enjoys a boom when the economy goes bust. This would help to explain running’s boom years of the late 70s, when it seemed half of the field of any given marathon would run sub 3 hours. Even the early 90s, when I started in triathlons, seemed much more competitive than the past few years.
I have noted several times that Orange County in the early 90s was awash in runners and cyclists and triathletes. There certainly are a lot of us now, but not as many as “back then.” My theory was as real estate became more and more expensive (have you looked at housing in Newport Coast or Corona del Mar lately???), the middle class weekend warriors were priced out of the area. While that may be true, the article postulates that many of us simply became too busy to train and race at our previous levels.
There is a pretty well-known study, now about 10 years old, that looked at the affect of aerobic exercise on patients suffering from major depressive disorder. After 16 weeks of medication, aerobic exercise or a combination of the two, all groups had similar outcomes, improving by statistically similar amounts.
Another study looked at the possible mechanisms for this reduction in depression. The verdict? It’s difficult to know how or why regular exercise helps with the “mood” of people. All that is known is exercise does help with people’s mood.
Maybe it’s the formation of a habit, the sense of belonging to a group, the regular exposure to endorphins, the sense of accomplishment, the learned resistance to stress, or something else. Speaking personally, I have a tough time getting through the day if I go 2 days in a row without some sort of workout.
I’m not saying that running or cycling or paddling will solve life’s problems. But I will advocate that our bodies are meant to move. From our huge Achilles tendons to our long femurs to our broad nuchal ligaments, we are built to walk and run over very long distances. Be it God or Darwinian, someone or something intended for us to be in motion on a daily basis. It would seem our brains and psyches crave the same movement.
If you’re a runner, make sure to get a few miles in today. If you surf, go get in the water (despite how cold it’s been here lately). If you’re not currently active, try something new: a walk around the block, a jog around the high school track, a few laps in the community pool, even mowing your lawn! Get your body in shape, and hopefully your mental state will follow.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Happy Independence Day!!!
If you're on the roads or on the water, be careful out there!
And if you see a serviceman, thank him/her for their service.
Better yet, visit the Wounded Warrior Project.
Have a great weekend!!!
And if you see a serviceman, thank him/her for their service.
Better yet, visit the Wounded Warrior Project.
Have a great weekend!!!
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