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.*

Another 42K – Sounds Like An Eddie Murphy Sequel!

How long should you rest for your next long race?

It has been tossed around for a while that a 42.195K marathon can tax your body for a whole month. Can you imagine how long an Ironman triathlon can sap your physical resources? Anecdotal evidence suggests three months before another similar race. Be that as it may, we need to rest and recover in order to resume our training regime after our A-race.

The 48-72 hours after a race can be the most physically crippling. Termed ‘Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness’ (DOMS), finishers of this killer-of-a-run (ask legendary Greek messenger Pheidippides in the Battle of Marathon) can be seen walking sideways down stairs, or walking with straight knees. Every eccentric (meaning muscles stretching under tension) action jolts bolts of pain up one’s legs, and incapacitates us. It may look funny but it is not, I assure you. Thankfully, after last weekend’s Ironman triathlon I walked reasonably well on the first and second – it used to be a whole lot worst!

To ensure full recovery (accelerated recovery is still inconclusive), we can:

1)    Do active recovery a day after the vent: cycle on a bicycle for about 30-45 minutes.

2)    Walk or stand in cold water (less than 20 degrees Celcius, or as in water mixed with ice-cube). The cold reduces inflammation of the damaged muscles; known affectionately as cold baths, in the physiotherapeutic sense.

3)    Use compression attire to enhance lactic acid removal: wear full, or half-tights (example: Skins, 2XU) especially when you sleep.

4)    Avoid running for at least three days after a major event. When you do any ride or swim, keep the distance short and intensity light. The main idea is to flush waste products out of those sore muscles.

5)    Load up on food and nutrients: water, carbohydrates, and natural foods (for protein, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals).

6)    Stretch, assisted massage and self-massage are useful. Trigger Point Therapy, deep tissue massage and lymphatic draining help - in heaps.

7)    Lean your feet against a wall to allow waste products to drain back to your heart/liver for metabolism. This approach was popular with Lance Armstrong and Greg Lemonde as a post-race recuperative method.

8)    Sleep is the ultimate anabolic steroid: sleep at least 7-8 hours a night to allow your tissues to fully restore and repair itself.
*****
I walked a fair bit over the last few days; some of which was on the beach. My calves took a workout. This evening, I did 30 minutes of running in a small pool, and 15 minutes of swimming (combination of front crawl and breast stroke). After a hearty dinner, my legs feel better now. 

So Much For Big-Man Plans

Today, I dropped out of my 200K ride at the 135K-mark; I was annoyed that I had to bail out on Hui Koon who’s headed to IMWA. He managed 195K, which was pretty near what I covered last weekend when he blew his tyre out. I completed just under-150K, or five hours worth of pedaling. The road was busy with groups of roadies, Ironman-in-training and familiar faces (Nicholas, Ai Ling, and Robert Choy of T3 Bicycle Gears). As the morning grew into afternoon, the cyclists gradually made an exodus for cooler pastures.

I was struggling with a persistent spasm on my upper right trapezius muscles and middle back. Essentially, the entire right scapula was tight when I was in the aero-position. Sitting upright did me no good, as the wind resistance created in the totem position only served to slow me down.

I dialed up an appointment at the massage centre at Parkway Parade and secured a 20-minute session. The masseur requested that I let him know if his pressure was too hard, but I let him have a good go at it. It stung when he hit the epicenter of the muscle spasm. A muscle spasm can only be released by going at it deep. It certainly hurts. However, if you work at it hard and long enough, the tensed muscles will relent, and relax. Sore as I was after the massage, the pain was reduced and I have more mobility in the troubled area.

Monday’s 90-minute session at Core Concepts with my sports masseur should reveal and release all accumulated spasms. My legs are battlefields of tightness, like a large pincushion of alert pressure points. For the last two weeks I have been doing at least 15-17 hours total training time. This has been the most intense fortnight of my Ironman training ever. I used to get by with 10-12 hours per week, but that was enough to ensure I completed in decent times. To earn a PB in any of the three disciplines, I would have to work longer and with more intensity.

This coming week, I will be working just as hard before I taper off. So, I have more – shorter but intense - workouts to do. So, more drills and distance to cover; but additional sleep will be a bonus I shall relish.