A Personal Case Study
In an attempt to provide true insight into the more important factors that make up peak sporting performance, I'm going to document my own experiences preparing for and recovering from a long distance endurance event. In my case, it is the 2014 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. What follows is the second instalment of what I hope will provide an insightful look into the mind of an ordinary bloke who, while extremely competitive in nature, competes for the love of the activity and the process. Attaining one's desired results doesn't have to be all blood and guts, it really can be fun and pain free!
Feel free to email me with any questions or comments.
As an internationally acclaimed chiropractor recently stated:
“While statistics are useful, they are like bikinis in that they reveal a lot but not everything.”
They call it intuition; that little voice of reason inside your head which instinctively knows what the correct course of action is for any given situation. Intuition and instinct need to be developed over time though, in order to counteract that other major psychological factor called ego.
We as humans all possess attributes, the latter often overriding or even dominating the former.
Why is this?
I suspect that peer pressure and self-esteem issues are major contributing factors to many a sub-par performance, where being a "team player" is not necessarily being true to oneself. And herein lies the fundamental problem with the “flat line” approach of conventional wisdom: it is generic, where the person fits the program and not vice versa. This flawed methodology more often than not results in a “sheep” mentality, whereby instructions are blindly followed to the letter, the exact specifics of which are lost on the individual. There is no understanding of the actual process, which in turn hampers proactivity, empowerment and personal growth.
My physical sensations in late April made me unhappy and were I to have carried on with the exact same formula, a rather depressing winter would most likely have unraveled.
Seize the day or more aptly; embrace the circumstance!
The ideal of the triangle of health is equilateral for a reason and is what we as human beings should aspire and strive towards. Sure, perfection is unrealistic but for athletes in particular, a triangle that is more scalene in nature is bound to have negative consequences in both the short and long term. We should be doing as much as we can to work towards this ideal.
When last have you heard a fellow athlete wax lyrical about their weekly mileage or duration totals? Pretty recently, I suspect. Heart rate values? Wattage readings? Number of metres climbed? The list goes on and is a result of our modern society, where the quantifiable outweighs the quality. Everything is measured superficially, where one’s self worth is often directly determined according to such shallow parameters.
Seasons
Autumn 2014 saw me resolve to pursue a more measured approach over the winter, although one which embraced factors other than those mentioned above. One of these factors – and a critical one at that - was sleep. Have you ever kept a training log where you keep track of weekly sleep totals? I haven’t either but there is an important lesson here nevertheless: human beings should embrace their circadian rhythm, whereby sleeping a little more in winter enhances that well of energy for summer
Don’t fight the winter! This cold season saw me eschew chasing mileage in the early morning darkness and allow for more shut eye in general. Not copious amounts like my teenage neighbours (I’m not sure if they got out of bed this month) but focusing on quality sleep over the winter months does result in a natural inclination to rise earlier come spring time.
I’m already waking up earlier than usual and without an alarm clock.
pH levels
I stumbled upon a greatly informative piece about the effect of alkalinity on the excellent and resourceful Sock Doc website.
Check it out here.
Athletic ailments are often a result of what we eat or even a mineral deficiency. In fact, many a high performance coach will point to eating disorders and poor diets purely for the sake of weight loss as cause for the endemic that is stress fractures amongst elite female athletes.
Supplementing with varying doses of apple cider vinegar has certainly contributed to the de-swelling of my calcaneal bursitis. Whilst initially loathing the revolting taste, a liberal amount of vinegar diluted in a glass of water has done the trick, although it is important to remember that a dose-a-day does not necessarily keep the doctor away. Like vitamin C, the body becomes immune to supplements (natural or artificial) after a while thus neutralizing the actual effect. This is where instinct and common sense prevail, where the knowing when and how much of any particular additive is developed over extended periods of trial and error.
There is no manual!
Symmetry
Or should this read Asymmetry?
Benita de Witt is an internationally acclaimed physiotherapist who has developed an aggressive fascia-release method known as Lyno Therapy. While I have yet to experience this actual therapy firsthand, the basic principles of biomechanical balance apply and are wholly preventative in nature.
As a longtime disciple of the daily front plank, Benita’s comprehensive website reminded me of the medial and anterior variations of this exercise through her own Bunkie Test, which is effectively the basis of her treatment style.
Initial attempts exposed massive weakness in my left medial line, where my feeble attempts to hold this position for thirty counts gradually improved to the point where I now do this exercise almost daily and relish it! It took around five months though and I’m proud of my dedicated practice.
In keeping with the theme of self-sufficiency and continuing education, here is a great example of stumbling on a resource, identifying what part(s) work for you and apply to your daily lifestyle via means of trial and error.
Feet
An underrated component of athletic health yet one that has been over-commercialised over recent years is the human foot. Yes, Christopher McDougall’s acclaimed Born to Run has touched the hearts of many (myself included) but I really do feel that the whole notion of minimalist running is lost on many. The shoes look cool and definitely feel fast yet there are many who strap on a pair of “barefoot” shoes and carry on with their sugar-burning running pace without ever having actually run barefoot.
Former Olympic Triathlon Champion Simon Whitfield was once asked what single piece of training advice he would impart to other athletes.
“Strengthen your feet,” he retorted before explaining how he would start and finish all training runs with around five minutes of barefoot walking on his home treadmill.
I spent almost a year running in minimalist shoes over 2013-2014. Whilst good for me at the time, this is no longer the case.
Why?
I’m not quite sure I have the answer but what I do know is that combining daily running in neutral, entry-level cushioned shoes with almost daily bouts of actual barefoot running has worked wonders for me this year.
Take your shoes off and run free! Whilst you most likely will feel like you are running on hot coals, dedicated practice will result in a gradual adaptation where running sans shoes will actually feel normal. As with most things though, a few minutes initially will gradually evolve into several minutes often, thus optimizing the critical ration that is optimal running gait vs fat-burning effort.
That’s it for today. I’m thinking that Part 3 may focus on training instinct and exposing the myth that is the “magic bullet;” that one session that turns the corner makes you better than rest.
Magic bullet?
More like Magic Bullshit.
