Ice It If It Hurts

Water is one of the most abundant compounds of Earth. Made of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen, it is a nutrient for the human body. Interestingly, both our body and our blue planet comprise 70 percent water each. Ice is the solid state of water, which can be gaseous and in liquid form. No two snowflakes are alike – each is unique – despite the fact that water is colourless and odourless. I wonder who is keeping track of all the pictures of every snowflake that existed?

When treating sports injuries, ice therapy (cryotherapy) can be useful to reduce swelling. Icing the injured part reduces inflammation and blood temperature around the damaged body part. It promotes recovery and reduces pain. Pain receptors are blocked somewhat so that the injured athlete does not feel the full extent of the pain. Asians believe that cold is counterintuitive and encourages the early onset of rheumatism. An old wife’s tale was: Never bath with cold water late at night. Injured body parts can also experience rheumatoid symptoms.

The technique for using ice is simple. Put ice-cubes in a Ziploc bag, seal it, and apply it with some pressure on the injured part (strained muscle). Never use ice directly on naked skin, for it burns. You can also frozen gel-packs available from the pharmacy. Alternatively, you can re-use the freezing packs of gels used in Japanese sushi restaurants, used to accompany raw seafood. A bag of mixed frozen vegetables (peas, corn, carrots) also doubles up during an emergency. Have it washed, put it in the freezer, ready for use. I awoke early this morning to use two small packs (with a towel lightly wrapped around it) for my right shoulder girdle and it reduced my pain markedly. I swam with a pull-buoy last night, and it tested my weak rotator-cuff. Icing relieved my symptoms enough to operate functionally today.

Caveats include not immersing the sore or injured in a large body of iced water for prolonged periods. You do not want to risk gangrene. Mountaineers have experienced frostbite when they are not aware of the freezing fingers and toes.

Sponsoring My Charity As Part of Ironman

Hello, Friends! It is that time of the year where I race another Ironman triathlon and raise funds for charity. I am supporting the same charity as 2010, and it is for kids stricken with cystic fibrosis. This charity provides resources for these brave and positive children to exercise and breathe better and naturally. I certainly hope that you can assist us in our collective cause. Breathe Life Fully! 

My fund-raising page ‘Iron-Team Varella’ is up. I am supporting Breath4CF, part of the New Zealand Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. My mathematics is simple: 100 multiplied by $30 each or 300 times $10, will do the delightful and meaningful deed. Or will Pareto Law persist? Let us see if we can budge paradigms and social phenomenon.

Thanks to David Chambers, from NZ, who reminded me to consider this initiative we did in 2010. Back then I closed with a whopping NZ$2,083.00, and David did better. Both of us got to meet the charity organizers and the kids after the race – it was a touching moment to meet both parents and children of CF. My target this year is NZ$3,000.00. I hope to raise funds as close to this amount. I would deeply appreciate your participation and involvement in this cause. I than YOU in advance for donating or spreading the word!

It feels good to do something helpful and useful for others. I am fortunate that I can enjoy a lifestyle that includes endurance sports. Children stricken by cystic fibrosis have difficulty in breathing because the experience large buildup of phlegm in their lungs. Exercise discharges this fluid and allows the kids to enjoy their childhood and stay alive. In this case, exercise can sustain lives!

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After a tumultuous week wrestling with a second bout of flu, and a sprained lower back I managed to complete my sessions. I skipped Thursday as I was quite knackered and my lumbar region was making it hard for me to ride the double sessions. Yesterday, I swam with my group in the open-water lagoon, followed by a short run. After Friday evening’s 2-hour long run intervals in the evening, I crossed the 'imaginary finish-line' in third after two tough-working veteran runners, Jimmy and Vincent. It was a fun way to cap the week's training commitment.

Total training time this week: 11.0 hours (3 sessions for each discipline)

Running Through 2012

Whatever you believe about mankind’s demise or rise from the ashes of despair, I believe that running will continue to be a strong global Movement. Humans have been psychologically wet-wired and geared for running towards (pleasure), and running away from (pain). You can wreak havoc with your brain if you trust the Mayan calendar, or you can create your own.

Have you made preparations for your inaugural or even umpteenth race? You could run your first twilight or sundown marathon, qualify for the MR25 club, complete your first biathlon (swim & run) or off-road, obstacle course. Here is a schedule of exciting physical activities (courtesy of Running Lab) for the first five months.

In case you missed top-Singaporean marathoner (and SEA Games gold-medalist in triathlon), Mok Ying Ren’s piece on post-racing blues.

Run far. Run short. Run when you want. Stop when you choose to. Time is what we make of it.

10 Post-Training Recovery Methods

What happens after training is as important as what occurs before it. Recovery methods help us ready ourselves for the next session. In the hours leading up to the next strenuous session, what we do can spell the difference between a good or better session.
1)    Hydrate and rehydrate. Water is a key nutrient for recovery. It is one of the six nutrients required for life. Many biochemical reactions in our body rely on water as a medium. Be mindful that you can be dehydrated during long swim sessions.
2)    Within 30-60 minutes of cessation of exercise, consume ample quantities of carbohydrates and protein. Cellular repair and glycogen replenishment begins as soon as you stop all strenuous activity.
3)    Quick-fixes for carbohydrate-protein meals after exercise include chocolate milk, meat-based rice porridge, fruit and yoghurt, or a whey protein shake (like Muscle Milk). Power-gels or a Power-Bar is a good stand-by source of ready-to-eat nutrients. 
4)    Load up on natural sources of antioxidant-laden food like fruit and nuts. Polyphenols, found in fruit juices like pomegranate, concord grape, blueberries and tart cherry can help reduce muscle soreness. Chocolate and red wine also contain these natural chemicals. You can buy these from major supermarkets like Giant and NTUC in the organic, health-food section. 
5)    If you are into popping of pills, then a multi-vitamin and mineral blend helps. Vitamins A, C and E are useful anti-oxidation nutrients that also protect the heart.
6)    Smaller meals comprising carbohydrates and protein are probably more useful than humungous meals that bog you down.
7)    Raise your feet up – against the wall. Gravity delivers the residual lactic acid back to your liver for reprocessing. This was a favourite passive recovery method of competitive cyclist, Greg Lemonde.
8)    Spinning on a stationary-bicycle can be most rewarding as it recycles the lactic acid that dwells in muscles, and flushes impurities and toxins out of fatigued muscles.
9)    Sleep is under-rated. Aim for uninterrupted sleep, in a dark room, with temperature set to cool. The nutrient melatonin may be useful if you still are experiencing a buzz from an evening workout.
10) Stretching, yoga and self-massage may aid recovery. It puts the muscles in a relaxed and less tensed state. Why deny your self of relief from pain and discomfort?

10 Things About Training For Your First Ironman Triathlon

1)    World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) organizes the M-Dot series of Ironman. Non-M-Dot races may be less expensive and you are more likely to get an entry spot. European races are transferrable within the EU for a mild transfer fee. There are currently no more Asia-based races; only in Australia and New Zealand.

2)    It would be best to link your vacation to a race, or the cost to race alone would be punitive. You may want to bring your spouse along to experience the event.

3)    With a consistent base of one year of endurance training, it takes about 16-20 weeks to prepare adequately for an Ironman race.

4)    You will require at least 12-15 hours per week of training for your preparation. Some weeks are ‘easier’ weeks, with possibility of twice-a-day sessions (depending on your work schedule).

5)    If it is your first time, it will make more sense to use the services of an online coach. Select an expert who has raced a similar race before, and who may fit your profile.

6)    In training, you will have to cover at least 180-200K in your longest ride, 4K in your swim, and up to 32-34K in your longest run. Include shorter, local races as preparation.

7)    You will access your nutritional needs during these long run and ride sessions. How much you consume during the longer legs will be determined during training. Use products you trained with.

8)    Never use new equipment or nutritional products on race-day. Break in your wetsuit early (at least three times in training before the race).

9)    Do core and strength training as part of your weekly preparation – over and above your core training. Focus on flexibility, core strength, and weight-bearing resistance exercise.

10) Once you confirm your race application, do book your accommodation early. These sell out early if they are situated near the race-site. Longer distances may involve rental of vehicle.

No Pain, No Gain is Out-Dated

I recall in the 1980’s – due to the emergence of the aerobic-dance movement – the term ‘No pain, no gain’ was successfully promoted and promulgated by actress-activist, Jane Fonda. Her mantra included ‘feel the burn’, which referred to the lactic acid searing cause by repetitive resistance work. Through time, even bodybuilders sang the song of ‘no pain, no gain’ as a means to an end. It was not funny when some muscle-heads collapsed under the sheer weight of their egos and weight-stacks.

Pain is a major indicator that something may have gone wrong within our body. Pain is detected through nerve endings and our central nervous system (brain and peripheral nervous system). Pain is detected on our skins and deep within our organs. It can be described as acute or chronic – is it sudden and short-lived, or long and debilitating?

As endurance athletes, we learn to cope with varying levels of pain and discomfort. We can build some tolerance to lower levels of pain, or by directing our focus elsewhere. Pain may indicate that we are alive, yet prolonged pain suggests a forewarning. Western medicine treats the symptoms of pain, but fails to address the organic causes of it. If we attend to the cause of the pain, we can reduce its impact on our well-being. Being pain-less and pain-free can be a precursor of a blissful state.

Deliberately creating pain for pain-sake may not be useful. There are other useful ways of inducing pain to draw upon abject lessons. Pain from physical fatigue can teach us discipline, determination, patience and tolerance. Inflicting pain on others can reflect on our poor leadership, character and lack of humaneness. Emotional pain needs to be dealt with early, for it can be crippling to almost anybody. Part of the grieving process involves managing our pain through denial and resistance; subsequently, we progress to exploration and commitment. The pain becomes distributed and diminished through time.

Leadership Lessons: Be aware of signs of pain. Pain signals possible trouble, and a need to slow down and inspect. Pain within a team can multiply, and accelerate so it has to be moderated and monitored. If this pain is due to hard work, and then the sense of achievement and accomplishment sets in then this pain is perfectly normal and acceptable. Pain that leads to relief is useful. That is why we need to resolve the conflict, or the pain nags us.

The Structure of Sleep

‘To die: to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heartache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause’

~ Hamlet.

My Coach advises me to sleep at least 8 hours a day. This being a new work-year, it is certainly going to be challenging to catch on so much 'shut-eye'. Yet, with eight weeks to go before my next Ironman, sleep is an essential component of my potential success. Sleep equals recovery equals tissue and cellular repair equals healing. Healing leads to adaptation: stronger muscular development and, thus, performance. Sleep also encourages healthy brain functioning, so we ward off debilitating mental conditions like depression, lethargy and malaise.

Our brain works in amazing ways! It has been, incorrectly, described as right-brained or left-brained. Technically, we have two hemispheres or halves of the brain joined by a bridge called the corpus callosum. Thus, we are whole brain with a preference or dominant side that expresses us differently as thinkers. There are numerous crossover activities that traverse across this conduit to enhance mutual collaboration. That explains why Leonardo Da Vinci was a scientist, inventor and artist.

If you are short of sleep, you can still ‘cheat’ for a short while and stay alert while training or functioning normally. Since the sleep cycle takes place every 90 minutes, with alternating periods (30 minutes) of light sleep with deep sleep/REM (Rapid Eye Moment) – sleep in pockets of 90 minutes or 1.5 hours. That is 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, 7.5 or 9 hours. 8 hours is just within light sleep (nap) whereas exceeding the 8-hour threshold will lead to a disorientating awakening. That is why we tend to sleep through the screaming ‘alarm clock’.

You cannot cheat on sleep, nor pay it back. Induce sleep normally and naturally. Avoid medication that causes drowsiness. Instead you can use melatonin to stimulate sleep neurotransmitters in your brain, especially if you are traveling for business or a race, across significant time-zones. Sleep well, for it spells great dividends when we train hard.

Staying Hard Core

‘Hard-core’ is that term that outsiders call serious enthusiasts and hobbyists. When you spend lots of time on a pastime or pursuit, you are considered hardcore because what you do may be perceived as extreme, unusual or tough. Endurance athletes can be christened as hardcore because of the unusually long and demanding hours required for training. Add the three disciplines in triathlon, and hardcore takes on a multiplier effect: times three, yet not necessarily in equal amounts.

Instead of considering hardcore as extreme, indulgent and insane can it be seen positively? When somebody spends as inordinate amount of time at work, he/she is labeled a workaholic. When an artisan or artist spends hours developing their art and craft, they are pursuing excellence as a master. When amateur athletes do well at sports, they belong in the sphere of elite age-grouper.

When you strengthen your core muscles that is developing a hard core. Core muscles hold our posture together and they comprise more than the admirable ‘six-pack’ abdominals that A&F male models flaunt as part of their launch. It involves the lower-back, and internal girdle or corset that protects our abdomen and vital organs. It keeps our torso from collapsing as we complete a triathlon or marathon without leaning ungainly forward.

Hardcore need not be a derogatory term or debilitating condition. If professionals, occasionally, take a hardcore approach to their performance they may excel in their endeavours. You don’t often hear of hardcore parents, however you do hear of doting parents. Love knows no boundaries or labels. You can be hard outside, but still soft to your core.

Run Down, But Not Run Out of Time

This morning, I got up early to do a three-hour ride. It was a shame I missed yesterday's ride as I was still feeling under the weather. Ideally, I would have preferred a 4.5-hour ride as prescribed by Coach however my recent run with the flu virus led me to hold my enthusiasm back. Why would I take undue risk of a viral infection on my heart after brief convalescence from disease? As my last foray into the marathon indicated, if you are not 100 percent recovered then you will not perform to your best.

I started a little stiff in my back, but I was not run down – the feeling of disinterest or indifference caused by fatigue and pain. I did an easy warm-up and then shifted into slightly higher-gear. It was all about control and being disciplined to hold my pace. On my way out towards the airport runway, the familiar and predictable headwinds welcomed me. I dropped into aero-position on my tri-bars and focused on spinning in nice smooth circles. I also paid heed to my breathing, taking in generous mouthfuls of air as I cranked the pedals. I did all these while staying alert to fast-moving traffic (and that meant more than the herds of roadies sweeping furiously but respectfully by), and being aware and cognizant of my surroundings. Might as well enjoy my morning if I was training, anyway.

I took one High-5 gel every 30 minutes, after my first hour passed. Before I left my house, I consumed one packet of gel and one can of Red Bull. The latter tastes like bad medicine, but gives you wings minutes later. I took two bathroom breaks, refilled my water-bottles, and completed the entire 90K in just-over 3 hours. I was pleased for the time, as I did not waste much of my time churning out ‘junk miles’.

You can run yourself down to the ground, yet your joints may hold if you are blessed with the right genetics for endurance sport. Or, you played it safe and held back in your youth by not thrashing your knees and ankles from overuse, or faced full physical contact from testosterone-infused sporting adversaries. I always found it delightful when well-intentioned people caution me about overdoing endurance sports for fear of damaging my knees. What is more amazing is that some of these naysayers are only in their 20’s and 30’s and are suffering such debilitating conditions. Well, I believe in the science and am assured by anecdotal evidence. I think of 79-year-old Mr Kor Hong Fatt who ran Boston this year, and think: ‘Now, who do I prefer to listen to…?’

Brand Tribes author, Reeves Lim writes about ‘running in and running out’. This is a stunning example of encapsulated writing using the analogy of running. I am looking forward to meeting Perth-based, multiple-Ironman finisher John Cooke tomorrow. We will definitely have war stories to trade over coffee. I will certainly ask him about his lessons learnt at IM Western Australia. Stay tuned for more sharing.

What’s Your Kryptonite?

Superman’s weakness was the very same mineral that came from his birth planet, Krypton. Kryptonite sapped his strength and could kill him eventually. Greek premier fighter, Achilles’ weakness was his heel – thus the saying ‘Achilles Heel’. Every superhero had his weakness and an arch-villain as his nemesis.

What is your kryptonite? What weakens you? What drains you of your energy and enthusiasm? Positive psychology has included a term called ‘toxic people’ – they pollute the workplace and leech it of positive energy and goodness. Putting yourself in a place of most vulnerability increases your risk of being affected by these threats.

For me, being ill is my kryptonite for I am psychologically and physically affected by it. On the physiological level, I am victim to how my body responds to the infection. On a mental level, I am tempted to train through my condition although that is not recommended. Having conversations with positive people, achievers, survivors and the like, provides me with nourishment and medicine for my spirit. Perhaps, it is all about energy and the various physical forces in the universe.

What you do when you face your weakness is critical to your long-term success. Think and act tactically, and it is short term. Think and act strategically, and you may have to lose a few fights in order to win the war. Sometimes, less is more. It is the sum of all parts, and then some. 

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This is my third meso-cycle out of four, before Ironman New Zealand. Coach has prescribed me a tough fourth week of preparation. Since I returned from my short vacation, I have been stricken by another bout of flu. I am sore in my muscles and joints, and these aches have been indicators that I needed to rest. As uneasy and uncomfortable the thought was of resting and convalescing, I decided to give in. It was hard passing up the opportunity of doing the New Year Day’s ride-run brick this morning. It seemed like an opportunity lost. Coach has prescribed a double-session this week for riding on the same day. He hopes that I will learn to do a better back-end leg of the ride. As I resume my work schedule of teaching, I will have to be creative with my time and ensure I cover my training thoroughly. To achieve a PB for my next Ironman triathlon requires a completeness of approach and preparation.