MY TAKE ON LONGEVITY IN ENDURANCE-SPORTS (Anecdotally-Scientific) Part 2

Ironman 70.3 Philippines 2017: Thankfully, did not walk except between aid-stations

This concludes a two-part series of my tacit experiences and wisdom gleaned from racing in endurance sports for 14 years.

11) Stretch whenever you can, systematically would be best. However, in its absence a sports massage, or self-massage (with a trigger ball or roller) helps in promoting recovery. Learn to knead, jostle, press and pummel sore muscles.
12) Water-based activities like swimming or water-jogging, reduces undue impact from land-based activities like running. Use aquatic activities to release the body from gravity-based sports-induced stress. Also, cross-train by including other activities (swim, ride and run are examples).
13) I never had a major spate of injuries, save for one case of a hairline fracture on my toe (2 months NO running), mild plantar fasciitis, and being hit by a taxi while riding (beyond my control) where I sustained a cheek fracture in 2010. Staying injury-free means being disease-free. Move from dis-ease to ease!
14) Increase your intake of antioxidants, and choose those that suit your body (natural and packaged). Include tonics made from herbal remedies and concoctions. Bone-broth or soups are very useful.
15) Seek the help of physiotherapists, chiropractors, bodycare specialist, nutritionists, massage therapists, and the like - they help remind us to stay mobile, nimble and functional.
16) Include High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions, occasionally. 1-2 such sessions awakes the body to new-found activation and, perhaps, speed. Use strength-based , gym sessions to supplement your development of musculature.
17) Seek a coach to help you with plateaus and form/gait correction. Seek a coach if you wish to be competitive and improve on your personal best (PB) timings.
18) If you are racing, then train to race. You cannot work beyond your trained threshold of intensity.
19) Seek your motivation: If you train with a team, it has its inherent 'push and pull' factors. If you prefer the occasional solitude, then do your long sessions alone. If you are uncomfortable with toxic members, steer away from them. Mix with those who help you achieve your Best Version of Yourself.
20) It is a life-long journey towards personal excellence, so there is still much to learn, educate and glean from personal experience.

MY TAKE ON LONGEVITY IN ENDURANCE-SPORTS (Anecdotally-Scientific)

After being in the endurance game since 2002, I wanted to share my mild wisdom sustaining my performance over 4 competitive age-groups.
1) Have more than 6 hours of sleep each night. Get a comfortable mattress, curtains drawn, and away from electronic devices (if possible).
2) Skip a day of exercise, if you feel like it. It is, after all, an extreme sport. You need not be extreme about life, in general.
3) Nutrition is one of the keys to recovery: Eat sensibly, guided by what is healthy for you.
4) Reduce your intake of refined sugar and refined grains. Whole-foods, relatively-unprocessed, home-cooked, allows control in this option. Pack your home-cooked food to work.
5) You need not live a monastic life: Exercise may be part of your lifestyle, and may not be your only life. Exercise is a form of self-expression.
6) Race occasionally to test yourself, however each race is an intense workout that requires full recovery. Our races validates our hard and consistent training.
7) Focus on good sources of fats: coconut oil, olive oil (EVOO and normal), butter, eggs, and animal fat. Figure this one out on your own as it is very subjective based on beliefs and practice. Reduce the GMO-versions (corn & soya), when possible.
8) Have 'easy' days intersperse 'hard' workout days. Off-Season, focus on Low Heart-Rate, Distance-Training.
9) 80:20 Rule when it comes to eating. Use your intuition and tastebuds as your guides.
10) Check for food allergies. Once identified, reduce or eliminate that food type.
*This was first posted on my Facebook page.*

My Boston Marathon Journey

I am not a big fan of running. I love watching runners. I enjoy watching competitive runners on television. I enjoy the big sprints to the finish-line by Olympic-Distance triathletes.

I began long-distance running in 2003, having never gone beyond one 10km race in my life. I had assumed a middle-distance running career in my youth; mostly self-trained and driven by personal motivations. I studied all I could about running and runners. I lived and breathed Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovette, Jim Fixx (The Complete Book of Running), Dr. George Sheehan, Abebe Bikila, Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, fartlek, interval training, cross-country, Adidas, et al. I was obsessed about running, doing it almost daily while pursuing an education.

I excelled in running although it was more a means to an end: To finish the session as soon as I could. My mantra was ‘Get it over’.

In 2004, I began doing triathlons and my first marathon. I was hooked on both. No, I did not enjoy running but I loved running faster and earning Personal Bests (PB) and Personal Records (PR).

The cool weather (end-winter) in July on the Gold Coast is conducive for a BQ/PB.

My first marathon yielded a 4:11; my second was 4:24 (with my first and only attack of ITB syndrome). That was when I discovered the need for deep-tissue massage before races. A spate of sub-4 hour marathons followed when I completed the Bangkok Marathon under the elusive 4-hour mark. When I earned a 3:36 in Singapore and 3:37 in Berlin (2010), I knew I had the capacity and capability to earn a BQ on my flip-side of 40 years.

I qualified for Boston Marathon in 2011 at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon (SCHKM). I clocked 3 hours 29 minutes and 59 minutes, which put me within one minute of the qualifying time of my age-group (45-49 years). With my first BQ, I applied for the lottery and was declined.

My second attempt to earn a BQ at the fast course in Berlin Marathon 2012 was marred by a hairline toe fracture two months before. I was diagnosed with that painful symptom during Ironman Switzerland, and I hobbled to an uncomfortable 4:00 finish. And, that was that.

Minutes after clocking my second BQ of 3:16 at GCAM2013.

My second BQ (and third attempt at a BQ) was at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon (GCAM), where I clocked 3:16. I was eight minutes within the revised BQ of less than 3:25:00. I also improved my PB/BQ by 13 minutes on my ‘Run Less, Run Faster’ approach: 3-4 running sessions of 10-21km each, supplemented by a triathlon diet (cycling and swimming). I applied for Boston marathon 2014 and was accepted into the 118^th edition. Despite strong objections from naysayers that it would not be possible on such a meagre running diet, I achieved it. It is important to strongly believe in your ability, training plan, performance, and be focused to accomplish the seemingly impossible. What is deemed ‘impossible’ might be ‘unrealistic goals’ at one time.

My next goal is to earn a stronger BQ for the 120^th edition of Boston Marathon. A performance near-3 hours would be deeply satisfying. I will begin serious training for it after completing one marathon (within Ironman Lanzarote) on 23 May. A narrow recovery and fitness training of seven weeks, will make it highly challenging after my 19^th Ironman attempt to hold less than 4:30/km throughout the July 2015 race.

I will share more of my Boston Marathon journey shortly.