Riding and Running Selfish?
How to keep your Spouse and Family Happy (whilst you’re training hard)
If you have not already noticed your partner may not be so supportive when you disappear for hours on end on the bike or you talk endlessly about your love of riding. So here are some tips to keep them happy and how to manage your cycling addiction whilst not creating world war three in your lounge.
Noel Carroll in 1981 highlighted that there was a ‘selfish runner syndrome’. He suggested that
‘Runners (change this to cyclists in our case.) may make better lovers, but sometimes lousy spouses: that is the problem’.
He stated that runners/cycling are an introverted lot. They like to keep their thoughts to themselves. Their behaviour is at best anti-social, at worst utterly selfish… It can create an atmosphere that does nobody any good, and certainly not the runner’.
Unless we are competing at a very high level and earning an income from cycling, we should aim to keep a good balance between cycling and the other areas of our life.
Tim Noakes in his brilliant book ‘The Lore of Running’ adds further to this with some helpful tips. The following is from his book.
1. Limit serious running to every second year and then to only a few months of that year
2. If you work in an office, run to and from work if at all possible. Alternately, run in the early morning or during the lunch hour or both.
3. Don’t allow running to affect the way you carry out your household responsibilities. Doing so provides your family with a tangible reminder that they come second.
4. Be aware of the ‘danger times’- you will know what these are in your household. At these times, be at your most attentive and, at all costs, do not open your mail to see if your running magazines have arrived, discuss running, or worst of all, go out for a run. Weekends too must be handled carefully to ensure that running conflicts as little as possible with the family’s weekend recreation.
5. Don’t get overtired. As a runner with a family you must have to accept that, for the sake of your family, you simply can’t train hard enough to run at your best. That is the price that must quite realistically be paid.
(Noakes, 2003)
Noel Carroll also stated that you should
· Never complain of being tired
· Don’t always want to go home early on evening out
· Don’t talk running all the time (have other topics of conversation)
· Always play down the importance of running in your life.
(Carroll, 1981)
at Friday, January 15, 2010 0 comments
Labels: Rides, Thoughts, Training
BikeJoring aint Bike Whoring
at Sunday, May 17, 2009 1 comments
Labels: Training
Coming to Consciousness
There is no coming to consciousness without pain.
It seems so dark and nihilistic were it not for the fact that pain , as much as we cushion it in modern society is still pure and intense affirmation of life.It help us shape our world , and when we step away from the comfort of air-conditioning, two-ply toilet paper and other social tranquilizer. Whenever we strap down/ ratchet those uncomfortable shoes tight on our feet.Hunched over the handlebars and stomp our whole body one leg at a time on the pedals with every fiber of being screams in agony.
We know we are completely alive.
at Thursday, April 23, 2009 0 comments
Labels: screw ups, Thoughts, Training
Sport Psycho Part 1 : Staleness
Overtraining and Staleness
Overtraining is “a process involving progressively increased training to a high absolute level that is in excess of more routine training undertaken to maintain performance”.The purpose of overtraining is to enhance physical performance, and it may be incorporated into the training process. Research on over-training has been conducted primarily with athletes, but the findings from these investigations may generalize to individuals who exercise at extreme levels. For both athletes and exercisers who over-train, knowing the optimal amount of training or exercise is often difficult but crucial for their level of performance and for quality of life. Too much training can detract from the quality of life Although various moderating factors may influence a person’s response to overtraining usually occurs when there is an imbalance between training and recovery.
Psychological Responses to Overtraining
During periods of light training, athletes and exercisers tend to report the desirable iceberg profile.However, research examining mood state responses to long duration overtraining (e.g., several months) in swimmers have found that progressive increases in training volume were associated with greater mood disturbance,and decreases in training volume were associated with an improvement in mood.The dose response relationship between mood states and changes in training levels has been reported with shorter periods of overtraining (e.g., 6 weeks or less) and in other sport settings with different overtraining regimens.If the imbalance between training and recovery persists for a lengthy period of time, staleness may occur. Staleness is a severe negative response to overtraining characterized by longterm decrement in performance capacity and dys-regulation of psychological and physiological states Individuals suffering from staleness have a decreased quality of life and may also be clinically depressed. The only proven treatment for staleness is rest.
at Tuesday, February 03, 2009 0 comments
Labels: Mind Body Soul, Training
Continuous Improvement
You dont lower your goals so that your ability can reach it.
You improve your ability so you reach your goals.
Compartmentalize. Make sure everything that you need to attend to before, during and immediately after the race is taken care of. family friends , relationships , work , bills , etc etc.
Manage your worries effectively. Committing to your race plan is the best way to do this. Now is not the time to make any major changes.
Focus on process not outcome goals.
"Outcome goals have their place, but the closer an athlete gets to a big event, the more outcome thoughts can create stress, anxiety, and distractions." Task goals, also known as process goals -- how to win -- are the best object of your attention during the last days before a big event.
Practice staying in "The Present." From here on in it's all about "The Now." Time to practice staying out of the past and not getting lost in the future. There are many techniques to do this, from focusing on your breathing, to setting the timer on your watch or cell phone to beep every so often to remind you to refocus on The Present (just in case you drifted off!). Remember, this is all about practice. No one (well maybe the Dali Lama) does this perfectly. So now is the time to get used to being present.
"Simplify. Simplify. Simplify." By the time you leave for your big event it's too late to to make any major changes in your life -- and probably too late to make many minor ones. So why stress out over something you can't control? Time to start cutting out anything that might be a distraction and keep it simple and focus on one thing at a time -- no multitasking.
While multi-tasking may feel like the right thing to do in today's complicated world, it is a recipe for mediocrity."
at Tuesday, December 16, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Deep Thoughts, Mind Body Soul, Thoughts, Training
BONK or Low Glycogen training
Generally, athletes of all levels are told to have a carbohydrate-rich meal two to three hours before any training occurs, ensuring their glycogen levels are fully topped up.
But these studies suggest that purposefully manipulating your glycogen level so that it’s around one third depleted results in improved signalling, hence greater muscular mitochondrial mass and better endurance performance.
The idea is to purposefully lower your glycogen until it’s depleted to the right level, then to do some high-intensity training in that state.
Have a low-carbohydrate meal prior to the session and then beginning the workout with 45-60 minutes of low-intensity, steady cycling at around 70% of your VO2 max (a level where you can still breathe through your nose, with your mouth shut).
After your glycogen is sufficiently depleted, switch to intervals of five minutes’ hard exercise with a minute of rest in between.
This will train your signalling pathways to maximum effect.
Training Goal : BASE
Aim to build strenght and endurance so you're looking to build distance and resistance in this early stage.
Glycogen manipulation : Low glycogen training 2 to 3 times per week but ensure glycogen is high for strenght training
Training Goal : BUILD UP
Slowly incorp speedworks while maintain distance and strenght gains
Glycogen manipulation : Do low glycogen training 2 times early in the week and load up on glycogen for strenght and speedworks in later session in the same day
Training Goal : CONSOLIDATION
Do high quality training session while decreasing distance and resistance
Glycogen manipulation : Keep high glycogen for morning quality trainnig and low gylocgen for evening session atleast one or twice a week.
Training Goal : COMPETITION
Glycogen manipulation : Keep glycogen High all time..
at Monday, October 06, 2008 2 comments
Labels: Training
Drafting Survival Tricks
There's a simple way to survive that scary situation when an overlapped wheel is bumped: Turn into the direction of contact. if your front wheel taps a rear wheel on your right side, turn the handlebar right like you are trying to use the front wheel as a hockey stick. This provides a counter force that pushes you and the bike away, together, from the rear wheel without losing your center of gravity. In this technique, your entire body and bike will act as one solid unit and be more likely to bounce off rather than jackknife into a crash.
wheel getting too close? another simple way will be using the whole body as a negative spoiler to slow you down ( upright position ) thus without tapping on your brakes. Still to fast? beside the above, start coasting to scrub speed off.
In evasive maneuver in case of hole or pothole avoidance but you cant see or don't know whats going on the front? hear for shoutout and the riders hips in front of you.Usually hips movement is very noticeable if its a left or right swing to avoid road hazards.
Never the less don't ever forget the etiquette of peloton riding
at Thursday, September 04, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Rides, Thoughts, Training
Hydrotherapy
Water therapies are much underutilised and undervalued. In Europe Russia and Scandinavia a wide range of treatments have been in use several thousand years. Recent research in Finland has shown that underwater massaging following strength/power training reduces neural fatigue and helps to maintain neuromuscular performances, and that a spa and plunge pool routine aids recovery. Such routines involve a shower followed by a spa (39-40o C) for three minutes and then a cold shower or plunge into a cold pool (10-15o C) for 30 to 60 seconds. Spas should only be used if the athlete is in a healthy state and has no new soft tissue injuries. Athletes should not stay in a spa for more than five minutes as they are likely to experience a large drop in blood pressure and feel faint and dizzy as a result. This feeling will be more evident if they have not been hydrating during the session.
Showering within 10 minutes of at the end of a session is a good way to reduce fatigue in the peripheral nervous system, shower with cold and hot water in interval using water heated system. If there is access to a pool then a few light active movements with some stretching in the pool (up to five minutes) is beneficial.
Following this form of hydrotherapy, muscles are more relaxed and are much easier to massage. Athletes can be taught some basic self-massage skills that they can apply, particularly to their lower legs and necks. Self-massage is also easy to do in a warm shower.
High performance hockey players tried a contrast temperature protocol involving a hot pool, with no underwater massaging, and cold plunge (same protocol as outlined above), and their recovery of lactate levels was measured after a series of Wingate tests. A comparison of lactate clearances following passive rest, light exercising (active recovery) and the contrast immersion techniques was undertaken. Lactate levels recovered equally quickly after either the contrast water immersion protocol or the active recovery protocol, and significantly more slowly after passive rest (Sanders 1996).
The choice between contrast temperatures or an active rest routine after training often hinges on access to appropriate facilities. However, it is essential to replenish energy stores as soon as possible after exercise. Active recovery for 10 to 15 minutes following training requires extra energy and may be less effective if the work done has already depleted energy stores, whereas the energy demands for the spa or shower routine are much less. Athletes also report that they find the water routines more relaxing and enjoyable.
at Monday, August 11, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Training
Difference Between Riding and Training
There is a time for training, and there is a time for riding. And they both have their place in the training cycle.
Training is a very structured event. You go out on your bike and do a very specific type of riding. It's going to involve some intervals, some cadence, some very specific things that elicit a very specific adaptation.
It's very difficult to do those types of rides in a group, because you're at the mercy of the pack. Most of the time, real training is best done by yourself, or in small groups, especially if you have teammates who are doing the erxact same type of training.
That's an important difference. Many times, when you're just going out for a ride, you're not training. The typical amateur cylists says, "Oh, I'm going out for a training ride this weekend."
If you had a specific plan to use that event, like a group ride, for a specific training purpose, then you can call that a training ride. If you're just going out to ride in a group, and you're going to practice like it's a race, then there is some value there because you're practicing your racing and your racing rhythm. But there may not be as clear a benefit as from a real training sesson.
If you're just going our and riding with friends, that's a recreational ride. Obviously if you're a beginner, you're going to get improvements and adaptations from every time that you go out on the bike.
You can benefit from that, but just going out for rides with friends usually doesn't elicit a very good training response. Because if there's no plan, you can go too easy, you can go too hard or too long...you're kind of at the mercy of the recreation of it.
Often there's no pre-plan around this type of ride, and there's no real purpose to it. There's nothing wrong with riding like this, but it's important to distingjuish the three basic categories:
1. Pure training.
2. Using a group ride as a training ride, with a specific purpose.
3. Just riding your bicycle for recreation.
In a monthly structure, you can use all of those to your advantage. Unstructured rides can be for recovery, and can also be mentally good for you, but the whole point is for people to understand that there are distinctions, and those distinctions are important. Then they can understand and apply each one of those when it's most appropriate.
at Sunday, March 16, 2008 0 comments
Labels: Training
Bukit Timah@SG
A lil stupid to videocap this while steering with one hand..but hey its insanely fun... a good trip there to sg hiting the trails and meeting the natives there..
Update:
Ohh heck,after only being on a mtb for 3 times in 8 months and now hitting the trial in Sg i'd say its fun being on a mountain bike again.... there..i updated already....Aiyaa, DAMM IT if i say its fun,its fun ler...IF YOU WANT to know more on how its like , go register Presidential ride. BeLIEve me...
Here are some pics fromthe ride.
http://picasaweb.google.com/bbrtan/SingaporeWithPCCBTPUBIN
at Tuesday, October 02, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Event, Rides, Training
INTERSTATE 2007 Pcc Cycling - Feel the love yet?
How does one start writing-up an epical bicycling adventure that starts in the suburbs of Ipoh and traverses to the coastal town of Penang in 80 hours? It is difficult enough to remember exactly what happened right before, during and after those 80 hours, the whole ride seemed a blur.With the knowledge of knowing that this Interstate sets the bar in terms of luxury accommodation,ballroom presentations and not forgetting the food.... Here's what left a lasting impression.
Everyone wakes up,fill up ,gear up,jeered up and meet up at the lounge of casturina hotel.I'd said i'd promised to stay with the group. (which i did not manage to,either too fast or too bonked ).Then blame it on the ever uncertain dynamics of the whole peloton with the rider's personality mixed up with their bikes personality and the exchange of energy between them, i'd swear they are half people , half bicycle .Which in results i came to an epiphany of realizing that every trial and tribulation in a long distance event is root caused by knowingly being there on the bike and "gives'ing it "
And yep folks - it's all in the mind, especially in a cyclist mind riding Interstate 2007.
"When you're out there on the bike, you've got a lot of time to think. And what goes through your mind has the power to get you that extra 50ks or bring you down and make cycling seem impossible."
"when you're out there on the bike , knowingly push on with the fact there is 30 riders following , what goes through your mind to power on for the next 30mins to make the pull"
"when you're out there on the bike , knowingly pushin on with the fact there is 10 riders is catching up on you , what goes through your mind to catch them when they pass by while having limited or no reserves left within to hook on "
I'd says there's no rules for good and bad days.
Sometimes you do 150ks and you feel like you could go on for another 50 more - it might be a beautiful day or you might have a good tailwind. But when you're sun-stroked and burnt and there's another 40 ks to go, sometimes you do want to stop. You have to be able to imagine the friend that's waiting for you , the nice cold shower or the nice cold drink to take you through the last k's .. otherwise you couldn't do it. Knowingly there is an untapped reserve within that guides you thru an autopilot of zen like nature which pushes and says "its alright, you'll make it"
The memories of motion still lingers in the muscles of the legs and round and round they seem to goes.( i'd swear i still feel it now)
Feeling satisfied in life is a matter of finding the right perspective from which to view it. At least that's the conclusion I came to after finishing this year's Interstate 2007.
In epilog,
i'd say its job well done to the PCC committee..i'd thank the collective effort of everyone ( including sponsors,support, camera dudes & dudettes ) in which this will never be able to materialized. i'd say thanks to those extra 110++ rider to make up the amount from last years 150 to 260 this year ( whom dared to register) . i'd say thank for the awesome weather.
and i'd say thanks that everything went well...and no bike were harmed. ;)
at Wednesday, September 05, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Event, Race, Rides, Training
14 and 18 Stone.
Wasn't aware of any long distance ride. Decide to ad-hoc sms jasmine for what ride is on for Saturday. So the route of the day was decidely Batu 14 hill to Perez and back to Batu 18.
Well, its a nice slow Saturday morning ride that i could not ask for more from a hectic week.
A rare Softride replica belonging to Alex. I bet it was bling bling during its days but still a good conversation piece.This picture is a nice shot taken while riding along side.
Never knew Perez has such nice curves and thats Elaine and Jasmine making it look easy.. i am really starting to like my new camera phone.
Got to learn to wear socks...
PS. Congrats to Elaines newly purchased 2 weeks old sweet looking black merida bike..many many happy kilometers on it.
There was a Long Distance ride to Bentong on that very same morning.. but its okay... i had fun :) from where i rode...55 km in total.... but later my other unorthodox training regime kicked in...
at Saturday, August 11, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Training
PD ride... another RED PILL...
This time to PD a 140 km ride to pd for some fast and furious tempo and cyclophonic beats..at 150 bpm and above...
we average to PD about 35kmh+- with Snake and Ladder game play with 50-70 kmh dice throw ...We had our meal at PD..( all the way to PD to have nasi lemak bungkus?) however on the way back there is an idiotic rider whom headed straight to seremban only to realized its the wrong way.Thats a additional 8-10 km mistake.On the way back the average dropped down to about 24-26 kmh..
On the way back to base camp in the last 3 km, my tire blew without warning. Kenda Kaliente is light but damm it aint that durable.
its a wonderful ride but i am totally knackered from the "intervals training" and the work involved. in total about 147km with my tiring mistake.
at Sunday, August 05, 2007 2 comments
Labels: Training
Open Immersion..
i'd like to share this with you in account to my own experience in a way may relate to some of your own experience :
1. Many triathletes train in swimming pools where there is relative order and they can push off the wall everytime. Many, on their first time in the ocean or a large body of water, are completely overwhelmed by the vastness , the fact they can't tell how deep the water is, and the fact there is nothing to grab onto. Putting them with a bunch of very competitive and more experienced athletes is a recipe for disaster.
2. Most people greatly overestimate their swimming skills and endurance. That's human nature, I guess. I see people swim like turtles nonstop for two km in a pool. But put those same people in a lake or sea and they would likely have high anxiety or panic due to the great difference in environments and the chaotic surrounding during race day.
3. Biking and running dont require one to think about the rhythmic type of breathing that lap and open water swimming require. Instilling that rhythm takes lots of practice, more than most budding triathletes who are excellent bikers and runners are willing to commit.
4. Wear a Dark tinted goggle and swim at night or in the evening. This will give that "dark" ambiance while swimming and concentrate on your stroke and breathing.
5. Go take up diving or snorkeling, this will aid in your erratic breathing.
i am not an excellent swimmer by the way, there are whole lot of better ones out there.But i am just willing to share it with you on the fact to practise more when in doubt especially when its your first time.
at Wednesday, July 25, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Training
Complete triathlon book
Felt like sharing this.
For those ambitious enough to voluntarily agree to swim, bike and run their way through a triathlon, Triathlete contributor Fitzgerald proposes this impressive, wide-ranging guide. Triathlon training is fairly standardized, says the author, with established principles and proven methods. Among the rules are "train for endurance" (even the shortest triathlons take at least an hour for the fastest athletes to compete), "train specifically" (compartmentalize to become efficient) and "rest and recover sufficiently" (after a body system's been overloaded, it needs to return to a state of balance). Fitzgerald follows these conventions with chapters on equipment, including hydrodynamic swimsuits and road bikes with clip-on aerobars; swim training, with in-depth explanations of freestyle techniques; maintaining a healthy lifestyle, describing various stretches and how to deal with injuries; and more. He even discusses mental training, reminding readers to keep a playful attitude. They'll need it, especially in the grueling final stretches.
Author: Matt Fitzgerald
Type: PDF
Download Size: 5.14
ISBN: 0446679283
To download:
http://files-upload.com/349779/CompleteTriathlonBookBiggest.pdf.html
at Wednesday, July 04, 2007 1 comments
Labels: Training
Does "JOG" means "WALK " to ME ?
So a good friend of mine decide to start jogging. Not trying to burst her stride, i just follow her pace. It felt heavy and sluggish perhaps due to the pace however i cant let her down on being a jerk by saying "No,i am just wasting my time " Being slim enough & petite enough, why she bother going thru this?
Coz she wants to be slimmer and leaner with a better posture with a kick ass butt all together , however this is her excuses:
1.I really hate to exercise.i'd rather watch tv and channel surf.
2.I can't seem to stay motivated to continue working out and
3.I can't make the commitment to stick to an exercise routine this is just a spurr of the moment.
Well i hope she is just kidding as i "invested" many hours of walking and she is actually begining to RUN..after giving preaches after preaches of the benefits of pushing a lil harder, a lil more attitude.
Hey girlfriend if your are reading this, just keep on going , the day we stop improving , is the day we stop living.
at Thursday, June 21, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Training
PD WIND TRI-ing.
Mr Chan and his grin..
PD training was indeed pretty nice. Great temperature ,good turnout and great support by the TRisports,some local authority and some Tv crew from NTV7 (TV crew look so lack of energy,so tired.)
Anyway to the gist of things.
THE GOOD:
Trisportz to org the whole thing.
To test run the new swim course.
To provide the bike racks
To provide the needed water after swim and during run.
To provide the carpet.
To arrange the local crew on water and on land.
To provide some Powerbars to hungry unprepared tri-athletes
To sell nice T-shirts
To give out stickers.
To have lucky draw!!!
To have good support from everyone.
To have more Improvement!
Excellent!!
THE BAD:
Super Windy Swim,
Choppy waves. If my bike can be used as a surfboard,I'd for sure be surfing.
Super Windy Bike,
Constant battle with headwinds and rain makes needle like pricks, feels like acupuncture
Super Dirty Bike,
it looks like my road bike just came back from cycle-cross.
Super Hungry,
Ill prepared tri-athlete with no food. Thought is a clinic!!NOo all the hardcore fellas turned out to be there.
The above is definitely out of the hands of trisports.I believe if Uncle CHan can control the weather , He would.. :)
The Ugly:
On the Rocks! The most concern part of the whole thing is the swim. If the condition on race day is like what it was yesterday. Someone can get really hurt. Please see my ugly mspaint drawing. The waves pushes the swimmer out to the exposed rocks if navigation aint straight.
(lets not talk about experience swimmers ler)this is for the not so strong swimmers. I suggest putting out some visible floaters/markers there.
This is the new swim course BTW
Due to the on going Construction, the swim course has to be moved to the open sea,will there be a Shower on the way back?
PD should clean the beach for debris on race day.
So anyway Great Effort Trisports, keep on setting the bar.
Feeling strong , going strong.
at Monday, June 18, 2007 0 comments
Labels: Training
