Strengthening Your Weak Points

‘Training for strength and flexibility is a must. You must use it to support your techniques. Techniques alone are no good if you don’t support them with strength and flexibility.’ ~ BRUCE LEE

In Bruce Lee’s book ‘The Art of Expressing The Human Body’, the late-great martial artist was lauded by his wife, Linda Caldwell-Lee: ‘The greatest talent Bruce Lee brought to realizing his dreams were intelligence and curiosity, dedication and perseverance, and focus.

This book shares Bruce Lee's complete strength and conditioning workouts, including how he developed his muscularity, speed and agility.

Weaknesses, by definition, can be a potential source of distress when these cripple you. Athletes learn from painful experience, that weaknesses need to be addressed early during rehabilitation or training, or they manifest themselves as major disappointments. A weakness limits us, and prevents from reaching our full potential. It can impede, restrict and affect range of your movements. Thus, our flexibility is curtailed and we care sidelined by injury, resistance and immobility. The same goes for the responsiveness of others to our behavioral weaknesses and inflexibility.

Photo-credit: Runevent Shots (Catching up from behind my pack: Weeks of strength-sessions on the saddle seemed to give me a salient edge)

I have shared with you how I have focused on my two major weaknesses in recent years: my swimming and my riding. Focused attention on correcting my swim techniques and specific strengthening drills/workouts seems to be addressing my concerns when I am in the water. With specific strength training, I have begun to enjoy a higher average speed, as well as fresher legs on the run. Strength gains come fast or slow, depending on your current level of conditioning. Some make incremental gains while others experience exponential gains.

Photo-credit: Runevent Shots (Here, I am seen leading my pack in Sunday's TRI-Factor Cycling race)

How you strengthen your weakness also reflects on the strength of your values: purpose, resolve, commitment and determination. As you consciously exercise your body to become stronger, you are in effect strengthening your mind and spirit to strengthen these values, and your character.

Practice & Perpetual Progression

Are indefinite gains possible in sports and in business?

Economists propose evidence of the Law of Diminishing Returns, which simple stated means that: there will come a time when your interest and need for something you enjoy, eventually, diminishes in value. However, that does not mean you will sicken of it, yet you may lose your enthusiasm for it. I think that it is a great approach for delaying the need for instant gratification, and promote delayed gratification. Gorge the kid exclusively on ice cream (not the expensive, real milk-based, pints) and they will develop an aversion for it. Negative reinforcements do work; regularly attach pain and unpleasantness to a behavior (that you like to change) and there is a negative association. Watch the documentary Super-Size Me, and you will quickly learn the painful gastronomic point about subsisting solely on convenience food.

As promised, here is my collective and compiled approach to running less, safely and faster.

1) The top runners regularly run up to six days a week; be consistent.

2) Each week includes at least two or three, alternating, intense days.

3) Hydration and nutrition (quickly absorbed calories) is crucial for training and racing.

4) You will need additional calories during intense workouts and racing.

5) Treat all injuries before you intend to race hard.

6) Run barefoot (as a complementary intervention), however race exclusively in minimalist shoes or racing shoes.

7) Your initial race pace determines your final results. Sprint and burn. Patience pays.

8) Include one longer run each week (if you run 10-milers, do up to 15-17 miles in training).

9) Hard days means training at ‘race pace’ effort.
10) Lean forwards slightly when your run; avoid upright running (which looks cool but slows you down due to the 'braking' action).

Yesterday, I spent the evening chatting with a running team, comprising staff on active duty. Nathan Carlson, a physical therapist who was 14^th yesterday in the Men’s Open 21K came in at 1:11, which is close to Singapore’s top marathoner/5,000m record-holder Mok Ying Ren’s time. His colleague Marty, who is in his mid-40’s, came in at 1:11 also, and he earned 2^nd in the Masters Open category. For them, racing as a team, they individually race to win. They are motivated by prizes and podium finishes. They echoed Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack’s book title, ‘I’m Here to Win’. Tim, who had a toe injury, raced and still came under 1:30. They are committed to their individual and team goals.

(Seated L to R: Elite age-group runners Nate, Paul, Mary & Tim)

When you spend time with the elite age-groupers, you do pick up their energies. They are serious about their task when racing, and they do their best. They also know how to enjoy the privilege and opportunities bestowed on them. We bumped into the British team after dinner, and the English lads were also fun-loving guys who know when to activate their seriousness when racing for their organizations. Switch on, and switch yourself on differently.