Once Inspired

Archive for December, 2009

Well, well; for most it is the final day at the office. And I’m sure all of you think it is completely necessary to be at the office too? (Repeatedly shaking heads from side to side) “No”, you say? I couldn’t agree more. If you’ve all been good children for Santa then you should have finished all your work already.

Well Christmas came a little early for me. As of last week I am now racing for Team Audi. Associate sponsors are New Balance, MSM: Multisport Magazine, Wasp, and Med Sport.

Team Audi is made up of a diverse group of locally talented athletes who train like professionals, yet race as amateurs whilst holding down full time

employment and or studies.

Wane Rossouw who spearheaded the creation of Team Audi says: “Our objective is to popularize the sport of triathlon and duathlon and to be the best brand ambassadors to our partners by encouraging others to participate in the sport.”

Team Audi is a strong team and has seen some impressive results thus far.

“Gilbert Lucas catapulted the team’s reputation as he proved to be an almost unstoppable force in the run-bike-run format of duathlon in which he excels. He won every duathlon in Cape Town, he earned himself a place on the South African team and competed at the World Duathlon Championships this year, finishing 14^th and 1^st South African home.”

Thus far this season there have been some impressive results including several category wins including my own. So far so good.

Here’s to some hard and fast racing. Thanks Team Audi.

Yah Muhl

Shortness of breath is related to the fact that body heat is dissipated approximately two to four times as fast in cool water as in air of the same temperature. During exercise in cold water, skin heat loss can be 70 times greater than in air of equal temperature.

On immersion in cold water, exercise performance may be significantly impaired at first, as a result of the initial physiological responses to cold. The respiratory response may cause swimming failure within a few minutes, as high breathing rates make the synchronization of breathing and swim stroke impossible, thus resulting in the inhalation of water. It has been reported that compared to thermo-neutral water, cold waterincreases oxygen demands during moderate exercise requiring oxygen consumptions up to 2.0 l/min, but not intense exercise at 3.0 l/min.

Approximately three minutes after cold-water immersion, peripheral cooling may begin to affect performance. The hands are particularly susceptible to cooling, largely because of their high ratio of surface area to mass and, to a lesser extent, their low level of local heat production and variable blood supply. The effects of peripheral cooling are primarily due to alterations in muscle and nerve function. Low muscle temperatures affect several chemical and physical processes at the cellular level, including metabolic rate, enzyme activity and calcium and neurotransmitter release from nerves. In addition, there is increased muscle tone of both protagonist and antagonist muscle groups.

The rate of conduction of nerve impulses is slowed in water temperatures below 20 degrees C. The cooling of peripheral motor and sensory nerves leads to dysfunction equivalent to peripheral paralysis. The result of these alterations is that performance is reduced, as maximum power output is reduced by 3 percent per degree fall in muscle temperature and mechanical efficiency is also reduced.

By contrast, muscle temperatures above 27 degrees C are associated with greater ability to sustain muscle contractions. This may be due to slower production and accumulation of the metabolites that cause fatigue. At muscle temperatures below 25 degrees C muscle fatigue occurs earlier as cooling begins to impair neuromuscular function in peripheral muscle fibers, leaving a smaller number of fibers to produce the same amount of force. The changes in neuromuscular function resulting from cooling explain, in part, the reduction in work capacity in cold water. Other reasons for this decline are alterations in central circulation and reduced core body temperature.

The shivering evoked by cold-water immersion increases oxygen consumption. This effect becomes increasingly pronounced as more and moremuscle groups are recruited and as skin and deep body temperatures continue to fall.There is progressive involvement of the muscles of the neck, torso and finally the extremities. It is possible for shivering to occur during exercise but this reflex is progressively centrally inhibited with increasing exercise intensity. Shivering has been reported to be 80 percent suppressed by exercise at an intensity of 50 percent VO2max and totally suppressed at workloads requiring oxygen consumptions exceeding 1.2 l/min.

Higher fitness levels may protect against the long- and short-term responses to cold-water immersion. If all else fails, the initial responses can be attenuated by slowing the rate of entry into cold water, while swimming performance is significantly improved if the initial ventilatory responses are allowed to subside before swimming is commenced.A fitter individual will also have a greater capacity to cope with the increased work requirements associated with exercise in cold water. With less fit individuals, the combination of the reduction in body temperature and the increased oxygen requirements for sub-maximal work in the cold may seriously impair physical performance. Maintenance of normal levels of muscle glycogen in largemuscle groupsmay be an important factor in protection against the cold. It has been reported that low skeletal muscle glycogen levels are associated with more rapid body cooling during coldwater immersion in humans.

Commercial and recreational divers, long-distance swimmers and triathletes who spend long periods in cool or cold water may experience considerable bodyheat loss. However, if exercise is performed at a high intensity, it is theoretically possible that normal body temperature could be maintained. Most swimmers in long distance endurance events wear a wetsuit for thermal insulation in cool/cold water. However, at least two studies have shown that wearing a wetsuit in moderately cold water does not prevent a decline in body temperature. For example, 1.5 hours of water immersion (14 degrees C, 57 degrees F) performed by a wet-suited breath-hold diver caused rectal temperatures to fall from 37.7 to 36.9 degrees C (99.9 to 98.4 degrees F). Of course, triathletes typically spend less time than 1.5 hours in cool to cold water.

Finally, with regard to thermal comfort, heat flux and maximal swimming performance, the optimal pool temperature for competitive short-distance swimming is 28 to 30 degrees C. For longer distances, water temperature should be lowered to about 25 degrees C, as this will enable thermal balance to be maintained. Outdoor, long-distance swimmers are advised to train in water at temperatures they expect to encounter in competitive events.

Taken from http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/

1. Soleus
*Maximum elasticity (massage) allows the soleus muscle to expand to its fullest capacity in order to transfer power from the quads to the pedal without compromising the rider’s position.
*Keeping consistent contact with the bed of the shoe from heel to toe box without allowing the heel to rise early allows the rider to stay in his cycling position for a prolonged period of time by pulling backward through heel of the shoe rather than scraping the mud off the bottom of the shoe.
*Working this area will decrease the opportunity for the heel to turn outward. When it does this, the upper outer region of the soleus and calf can become dysfunctional.

2. Quads
*Maximize payload opportunity within the region while increasing flexibility so that the pelvis can organically shift with the rider’s torso allowing the back to flatten and the pedal stroke to take advantage of the pull/push through the center of the quads rather than pulling upward from the knee relying primarily on velocity.
*Decrease opportunity of adhesions (massage) allowing the muscles to fire independently rather than as one. Once all the muscles within the region stick together they are all going to increase the tension on their insertion points. Since they all attach in the patella tendon, knee problems can be avoided by rolling through these areas.
*Maintaining elasticity (massage) within this region allows the muscles to transfer wattage from the center of the quads to the center of the soleus as these are the most efficient transfer points of the pedal stroke.

4. Psoas
*Maximizing elasticity (massage) within this muscle will allow more force and flexibility to be accessed within the quads, lower, and upper back by using the stabilization of the saddle and associated core muscles.
*Decrease the pelvic tilt that detracts from allowing the pelvis to move naturally into a fixed static position desired for proper bike fitting.
*Maintaining the elasticity within the region reduces or eliminates the compression of the L4-5 region and the static weight placed on the hands. This allows the diaphragm to be open and allow the uptake of oxygen to be as efficient as possible.

5. Piriformis
*Maximizing elasticity (massage) within the glute region will allow efficiencies in power during 6-9 o clock in the rider’s pedal stoke. If you do notice a decrease in power within this region, your piriformis muscle will need to be addressed.
*Increase blood flow to the sciatic nerve region allowing the neurological feed to the lower extremities to be uncompromised.
*Maintaining elasticity (massage) within the glute region will allow the rider to maintain the use of the saddle as a platform for power. This platform allows proper functionality of the pelvis to occur, allowing the rider’s position to be consistent for a prolonged period of time without compromising the diaphragm, quads, or shoulders.

3. IT Band
*Maximize the efficiency of the surrounding muscles by creating additional blood flow (massage) to the IT band, which is a tendon. This will lessen the restrictions placed on the muscular fibers, thus increasing the range of motion and movement patterns in this region.
*Decrease the strain on the inner quad (VMO). When adhesions are present between the IT Band and Vastas Lateralis or Bicept Femoris, the rider may feel pain in the inner knee region. This is due to the IT band pulling the entire quad outward due to the lack of range of motion.
*Maintaining elasticity (massage) within this region will allow the knee to track properly behind the handle bar or in line with an elbow pad (Time Trial Position), not allowing undue stress on the piriformis muscle.

6. Pectorals
*Maximizing elasticity (massage) within the region is going to allow the shoulders to rotate back naturally, taking strain off the upper back and neck region.
*Arm reach to bars is more organic, and neurological feed to the hands is maximized by freeing up the nerve root within the pectoral region.
*Maintaining elasticity (massage) in this region will eliminate numbness in the hand, while also allowing the rider to sit on the saddle with proper weight distribution across the saddle. This will allow power to be transferred from the center of the rider’s back when the body is based on the saddle and transferred through the quads down to the pedal platform.

Now isn’t that ineresting?

Days off or resting phases is one of those situations. At our training plans, we don’t schedule days off unless there is any specific situation with each individual, with our approach you should be training every day, and let the days off comes naturally, be it for a professional or social commitment, or if you feel just too tired on any specific day(s), for those situations is OK to take the rest.

And how does this differs for Diabetics athletes? Why can’t it be just the same?

If the diabetic athlete trains everyday, to a point that he is forced to take a day off, that means this athlete was training hard or long enough to really create a huge insulin sensibility, than out of a sudden, you take the day off, only sit on the coach and have a few extras snacks.

This is aggressive for your body to handle, and your blood glucose levels won’t be very stable at all, since in a matter of a day, you are shifting a healthy/fit routine, to the couch potato one. Is very likely that for the later meals of that day, you will require more insulin than the usual, and is likely that you will need more insulin over night, or your blood glucose levels will be fairly high in the morning after, which creates that tired feel, and you think you need one more day off, and this can get very hard to get out.

How to handle the deep fatigue then? Active Recovery!

If you are into a consistent training routine, one training session, seven times a week, you will be way better by taking 2-3 easy days, than a complete day off. The active recovery workout only needs to be 20-30min long, if possible, include some short 20sec all out effort to work on your hormonal balance and increase metabolism (which helps insulin sensivity), stick to the diet you are used to, don’t overeat thinking that the extra calories will restore your glycogen stores, as with the reduced training and the usual diet, you will be carboloading anyways, no need to force it.

Then after 2-3 days of very easy training, see if you can get back into your plan, focus on getting the volume done first, then slowly build up the intensity to normal levels.

Other than keeping your blood glucose levels down, this approach has also benefits for the non-diabetic athlete. You get something done every day, this avoids the athlete to make up for the lost sessions, as highly motivated athletes are likely to train harder after a forced day off.  You also keep your metabolism high, avoid that bloated feel, and stay loose, which makes easier for your return into the plan, then once you are settle into it, avoid to get into that deep fatigue level again.

Taper:

Taper is nothing else than freshening up for a race. You can do it in many diffent ways:

1) Reduce training intensity
2) Reduce training volume
3) Decrease training frequency (session per week)
4) Taking extra days off

For diabetics, this order is exactly what you should do for your taper. You should be able to taper based on #1 and #2 until 3 days out of race day, then you can do less sessions, especially if the race requires tapering, and of course, as always, avoid the days off, even a 15min easy jog is much better than completely rest.

For that reason, since you can’t have an aggressive resting period, you might want to start your taper a little bit earlier, we usually do a 2 week taper, so for diabetics athletes, I would recommend starting reducing intensity with 2 ½ week to your race day.

All in all, just make sure you don’t follow general training guidelines that you feel are not right for diabetics, as a diabetic, you are different, and requires a different training approach, let your coach knows all the ins and outs of diabetes and don’t be afraid to create something that works specifically for you, but is not “right” in terms of conventional approach, since you are different in a way!

Vinnie Santana

Read more about training with Diabetes at  http://www.ironguides.net/your-training/diabetes.html

This is something to just make you realize that your loved ones need to be cherished and each moment with them savoured. I thankfully have had no experience of this of late but it just strikes a kind of emotion that is humbling. One that makes us take note and say thank you to those who we love and who love us.

If I knew it would be the last time that I’d see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly, and pray the Lord your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time that I’d see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss, and call you back for just one more.

If I knew it would be the last time I’d hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would tape each word and action, and play them back throughout my days
If I knew it would be the last time, I would spare an extra minute or two,
To stop and say “I love you,” instead of assuming you know I do.

So, just in case tomorrow never comes, and today is all I get,
I’d like to say how much I love you, and I hope we never will forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.

So, if you’re waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you’ll surely regret the day
That you didn’t take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss,
And you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today, and whisper in their ear,
That you love them very much, and you’ll always hold them dear.
Take time to say “I’m sorry,” “Please forgive me,” “thank you” or “it’s okay”.
And if tomorrow never comes, you’ll have no regrets about today.

By Norma Marek

Read this, then choose how you start your day tomorrow.

“Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would be twins!”

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?” Jerry replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

“Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested. “Yes, it is,” Jerry said. “Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live life.”

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, “If I were any better, I’d be twins. Wanna see my scars?” I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Jerry replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live.”

“Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked. Jerry continued, “…the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read ‘he’s a dead man.’ I knew I needed to take action.”

” What did you do?” I asked. “Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,” said Jerry. “She asked if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes,’ I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Bullets!’ Over their laughter, I told them, “I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”

“Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.”

Taken from www.inspireme.net