Gary’s Fitness Blog

We all need athletic “blinders” … most of the time.

This morning Nikki and I got into an argument during our run. It centered around a workout that I had given the Chicago Marathon group that we were in the middle of completing. I was trying to get a message of “experience” across, while she was trying to get the point of “perfection” across.

In the end, we both had reason to feel frustrated. But the workout ended great and another life lesson was learned while taking part in this endurance lead life.

Upon thinking about this mornings run, I have continued to think about this idea of training with an emphasis on perfection. I am actually in favor of training for perfection, but only within the right mindset. For example, training with a focus on perfect experience and not perfect outcome.

This may seem like an argument in semantics, but I don’t think so. I’ll share more on this subject when time allows, but here’s a quick thought:

Perfect Experience vs. Perfect Outcome

I find that when I become more devoted to challenging an aspect of my own physiology or mindset I obtain a higher satisfaction out of my endurance lifestyle, versus the times that I become focused on obtaining some external outcome (i.e. Boston Qualifying, top 3 age group, etc.). The irony is that I often perform my best when I am able to completely detach myself from those external influences (times, paces) and allow my body/mind to focus on self-perfection in my performance.

This is a fine line (as in today’s workout) when a workout or race is governed by specific external factors. It is difficult but it can be done.

Creating our athletic blinders.

Elaine Breeden is a swimmer at Stanford University that just qualified for the USA Olympic Team in the 100 and 200 fly. Back when Elaine was a swimmer for the Wildcat Aquatics program, I had the opportunity to work with her for a short period of time in one/one and team settings.

At that time there was also some interest in sharing ideas with her about how to prepare mentally for competition, I wrote my “Mental Training for Athletes” article as a response to thoughts that I wrote out to share with her. As time passed, I continued to see personality traits in her (at 14) that I felt were an essential part of her success. I wrote some of those thoughts in a blog post titled, “Personality of a Champion“.

After Elaine qualified for the Olympic Team she was quoted in the paper and interviewed on tv, which lead me to send her some questions regarding her mental preparation. I feel that one thing she said in her reply, really addresses this topic of “perfect experience” vs. “perfect outcome”.

Here is that specific question and answer:

Me: I am really interested in some things that they quoted you saying in the Lexington Herald and in your interview, specifically: “I had my eyes shut and was focused on my stroke” interview after the 200.

Elaine: Closing my eyes is more of a natural reflex while racing than something I plan on doing. Its my way of putting “blinders” on so I think about my stroke, not the rest of the heat.

Most of us do not understand what it means to compete at such an elite level - I don’t. But I can only assume that the temptation to feel motivated or driven by an outcome is significantly greater at that level of performance than any level I have competed in. Especially when your competition is ultimately determined by finishing first or second (and not some personal best).

Elaine’s response is the reminder that I sometimes need. I need to focus on my experience and ultimately the performance will be there and the outcomes will take care of themselves. This is another characteristic of a champion, they understand what they can and can not control - then they perfect what they have the power to manage. In fact, earlier in her response she wrote:

“My focus going into trials was to stay confident and positive and to concentrate on the things I had control of. “

It appears that she is much better at implementing some of the mental training and preparation ideas that I shared with her than I am myself. Not surprising to me. As I have said many times since meeting her, she is very talented physically, but there is something about her personality and character that sets her apart (and she is only 19!).

Elaine has shared some more thoughts with me and I have a few more questions to ask her, but I’m going to wait until she gets back from China.

Seek the perfect experience. Control what you can. Find the blinders you need … and allow the outcome to occur!

I just found a gps route at motionbased.com that was done of the loop section at Ironman Wisconsin.

Here’s the link: Ironman Wisconsin Loop Route - gps is of 1 loop

Last year I did 2 complete race simulation rides as I prepared for Ironman Wisconsin and chose a route around Lexington that I felt was comparable to the IMMOO route. The significant part of the IMMOO bike course is a loop that you do twice (link above).

Here’s the link to our route: Race Simulation Loop Route - gps is of 2 loops.

Here are the links to the two race sim rides I did: Race Sim Ride 1 - Race Sim Ride 2

Comparison Thoughts

The IMMOO loop is 39.69 miles with 2,695 feet of elevation gain and loss. The race simulation loop is 36.2 miles with 2,926 feet of elevation gain and loss. That is about as good as it can get in a practice situation. When we created this route we thought is was close, but we didn’t use a gps to map it out. Sometimes it pays to get lucky.

I’m not doing Ironman Wisconsin this year, but I know a few local triathletes that are, so this might boost their preparations. Who knows, maybe it will be a testing ground for future Ironman preparations too.

The subject of when to eat and how often to eat is a common question that we get as trainers and coaches. There is a lot of discussion in the media about this topic that often leads us to believe that there is a magical formula to meal timing as it contributes to weight loss or weight management. So what are the facts?

Bottomline: There is no way to lose weight if you don’t create a calorie deficit. The timing of those meals may be helpful, especially if you look at behaviors and food cravings.

A common theme that I see in many people’s behavior patterns is that they eat very little in the morning before they head off to work, they grab a smaller quick lunch (if time allows) and then they find themselves needlessly tired and hungry by early afternoon. This hunger craving might be alleviated by a trip to the vending machine for a quick “satisfying” treat (like snickers, right?), followed up that evening by a large dinner at a restaurant or home.

I have been through these cycles and patterns too. The two sabotaging behaviors in this scenario are:

1. Eating too little during the first half of the day.

2. Which leads us to choose poor foods during the afternoon and overeat at night.

A commonly heard meal timing theory is that you can’t eat after 9pm (or any other time you may have heard). The issue isn’t so much that you eat after a specific time of day, it is likely due to the fact that you are overeating to make up for what you feel you didn’t eat earlier that day.

Another issue with late night eating is related to the behaviors that are associated with those hours of eating. Eating at late hours can often be done while sitting around trying to relax from a hard day of work, family (and hopefully exercise). Again, this situation is the perfect setting to mindlessly eat foods that are not as healthy and to mindlessly consume too much of them.

In the most recent Issue of Fitness Matters, put out by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), they tackle the meal timing discussion. Their suggestions:

1. Let hunger be your guide (but don’t eat mindlessly)
2. Eat a healthy breakfast - with whole grains and fruit
3. Create a calorie deficit - through consuming fewer calories than expending (add exercise)

So should we be concerned about when we eat during the day, while trying to lose weight?

My answer would be yes and no.

Yes - Because it appears to be beneficial to consume high quality foods earlier in the day so that we don’t overconsume later in the afternoon and evening.

No - It is ok to eat foods later in the day, as long as that food is part of a normal meal plan and not the result of mindless consumption or binging episodes to manage emotions or boredom.

My Challenge to you:

1. Over the next 5 days commit to eating a breakfast with at least 1 piece of fruit.

2. During those 5 days keep a food log. Watch your own patterns and see if you find yourself eating food without even thinking about what you are eating.

Resources for more information:

Books:
1. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think - a great book that discusses the topic of why we overeat

2. In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto - my favorite book on nutrition lately. It just breaks down the subject into something as simple as “Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.” Simple, yet complex in execution.

Web Links:
1. Thoughtful Decision vs. Decisions Made Without Thought - a post I wrote in January of 2006 discussing my own struggles with becoming “aware” of what I feed myself and why.

2. Fit Day.com - a free website to help you journal your food intake.

3. Meal Timing - Zone Diet Webiste - interestingly, they suggest an 11:00pm pre-bed snack

4. Tri Fuel - Meal Timing, Composition, and Amount - article by Ellen Colemen, RD, MA, MPH, I’ve always enjoyed her stuff on nutrition for runners and triathletes

5. Men’s Health - Meal Timing Examples - just a sample of three scenario’s, not for everyone but gives an idea

In my last post, Why guys need to find fitness (and life) milestones., I wrote:

What do I have in mind for my “milestone” event?

In May, I made a post titled “Help me find my new challenge“. At the time I wasn’t looking forward to my birthday, but I think that as I come up with ideas, I will. The idea of riding across Nebraska is probably out at this point - but what I have on my mind right now would actually be more challenging physically - and pretty cool (IMO).

Stayed Tuned.

I think that I’ve been hesitating on telling people what my exact plans are because I am scared of - failing to accomplish the journey, I don’t feel fit enough, etc. etc. The whole idea is to take on a challenge that feels somewhat impossible and to celebrate living.

Nikki is 100% into supporting this event, so I don’t have any reason not to try. I figure if I put it out there, it may push me out the door some of these summer days that I don’t want to get out there.

Here are the things that I want to try and accomplish:

1. On September 6th, 2008 - complete the Great Illini Full Distance triathlon
2. Take the next week and ride my bike to Winona Lake, IN (from the GIllini location)
3. On September 13, 2008 (my 30th birthday) run the Lake City Marathon

We’ll see how the planning goes for this? Right now I can honestly say that riding that much would not be possible, no matter what the intensity would be. I also need to find some locals along the route from Illiniois to Indiana to give suggestions on routes and roads to ride.

Here’s the gmap … any suggestions? [edit note: the map below is a different route than gmap show in the full frame? The full frame map does not go through Indy..]

View Larger Map

The idea of "milestone" birthdays has been an increasingly large topic on my mind lately. I do not normally think about my birthdays and honestly hate the idea of a birthday celebration, but I think that the next few months are going to be interesting for me from a psychological / personal happiness point of view.

Why? Because I turn 30 in September.

I am not complaining, I do not feel old, I do not believe my days of "living it up" are over….. it just seems that as I think about the fact that I am turning 30, I begin to think about 5 and 10 years ago and all that I thought would have happened by now.

For those that know me, you likely know that I like operate on multi year plans. In general, my 2 year plan is pretty specific, 5 year plan is outlined and 10 year plans are fuzzier mile-markers. Here are a couple examples of plans that are easy to point to and that I am currently in the middle of:

a - 5 year Ironman plan. I first shared the sketch of this plan back in September of 2006 in my post, "4 days to first 140.6 triathlon ". It has obviously changed to a small degree, but even when life variables change I try and stay steady. We’ll see how much it changes when Nikki starts school full-time?

b - 5 year business development. One of the reasons that Nikki and I wanted to move back to Kentucky is that it was going to offer us the ability to start our own business. Moving back here in August of 2005, I thought that it would take around 3 years for us to both be able to step away from "regular jobs" and try being on our own 100%. Nikki went full-time in April of ‘06, I went in April of ‘07. So things have been moving quickly and we’re as passionate as ever to serve others in health, fitness and performance.

Other guys do the same thing:

1. I was recently listening to Competitor’s Radio and heard an interview they did with Dean Karnazes . They talked about his journey to becoming the "Ultra Marathon Man" and how it began with him running 30 miles on his 30th birthday (from a bar I believe). I haven’t read his book, Ultra Marathon Man: Memoir Of An Extreme Endurance Athlete but Nikki has and she said this event is discussed in the book also.

2. This past week I got an email from Bill Anders , who had some questions about training for his goal to run 40 miles on his 40th birthday. He said he got the idea from the site, B-FitB-day . Because Bill is in Iraq, he’s modifying the standard goals for B-FitB-day and just running his age (did I say "just" run his age!).

And the list of events like this goes on. It makes me wonder, why is it that guys find it a necessary step in life to prove that a birthday (or passing of time) has not proven their mortality? I guess the most famous defiance of age over the years has been the events that Jack LaLanne has done on his birthdays.

In the book, "Timeless Healing " by Herbert Benson, PhD, he discusses how men tend to die around the time of their birthdays. Specifically, men tended to die prior to their birthdays because looking ahead towards their birthday as a sort of deadline. The paper that Benson referenced was actually titled, "The Birthday: Lifeline or Deadline?" by Dr. David Phillips from the University of California, San Diego.

It’s interesting as I look at my own thoughts about the upcoming 30 year "deadline", there are many things that I thought were in my 10 year plan during my 20’s that have not happened. The biggest item that I had on that list was getting my Ph.D, which still comes up a lot within my mind as a source of dissonance.

What do I have in mind for my "milestone" event?

In May, I made a post titled "Help me find my new challenge ".  At the time I wasn’t looking forward to my birthday, but I think that as I come up with ideas, I will.  The idea of riding across Nebraska is probably out at this point - but what I have on my mind right now would actually be more challenging physically - and pretty cool (IMO).

Stayed Tuned.

What milestones have you faced?

It doesn’t have to be a birthday, but I’m interested in hearing others fitness or life milestones that you have encountered.  How it impacted you?  How it propelled you to better places?  Etc.

See you on the roads!