I was listening to an Endurance Planet podcast with six-time Ironman Hawaii champion, Mark Allen (starting at minute 23). Although the discussion was about long course triathlon, I thought there was insightful information that ultrarunners might find interesting and possibly useful as well.

How to Keep Moving Forward Throughout an Ultra Event

Once the “fresh” factor of an ultra has worn off, how do you keep the consistent momentum to the finish?

Allen explained in his early days that he used negative emotions as his main fuel but then became aware of a method much more powerful (at least for him) – Thoughtlessness.

“Any thought you can conjure up has a shelf life of about three hours. Then the body wears down and it becomes hard to focus thought to have a thought. It takes energy to think.”

By focusing on a point inside of you that is quiet Allen says, you aren’t required to continue creating more positive thoughts or derailed by negative thoughts.  All energy is moving you forward as fast as you can consistently go.

Much of this reminds me of what may be termed the zone or flow. A movement where most every cell in the body is working together in cooperative existence.

It also reminds me of what I would call meditative running.

This meditation description reminds me of the essence Allen is try to convey:

How to do meditation, many people ask.  Don’t do anything, just go into thoughtless awareness.  Try to go to the thoughtless awareness.  If you can get into that condition of thoughtless awareness, you’ve done your job because that’s the point where you are with the truth, with the reality, with the joy, with everything that is so fundamental. – Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

I think I have experience periods of what Allen is referring to as I have been asked more than a few times by non-ultra athletes what I think about during an ultra and I will mention that I often will go through stretches of time where I think about nothing and just run. I think this perplexes most folks. I don’t purposely try to get myself into this state, it just happens.

I also have had plenty of conversations with self as well within the course of an ultra day. Some good..some not so good.

How do you keep yourself going when it becomes real?

What to do when those negative emotions/thoughts come a knockin’?

One method Allen recommends during training when a session becomes difficult or negative emotions creep in is to focus on one or two breaths to calm yourself down and quiet the mind.

I like this idea. I think this momentary focus on breath actually creates space so you can consciously address the perceived situation versus a reactionary/unnecessary response. This same approach can just as easily be used in a race situation and in non-sports life.

How do you handle negative emotions/thoughts when they arise?

Individual Excellence

One final thought from Allen caught my attention and that related to the ingredients he feels are necessary for a huge personal endurance sports performance.

• Motivation, desire, drive – Will get you 99% of the way.
• The final 1% of you has to not care. Whatever happens, happens. I am just going for it.

Good stuff.

The Epic Battle Between Mark Allen and Dave Scott in 1989 Hawaii Ironman

This was a race where two athletes pushed each other to their very best and were separated by less than one minute after a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 miles of running in the Hawaii heat and humidity.

How does a 2:40:04 and 2:41:03 marathon time sound under these conditions?

Here is a short summary video of this amazing day on the Big Island of Hawaii.

(If you can’t see the video, click here.)

If you want to observe more of the marathon, check out the more complete coverage (as recorded by ABC):

• marathon part 1
• marathon part 2
• marathon part 3

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

(Photo: Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckoning/ / CC BY 2.0)

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As ultra endurance athletes this should be a no-brainer (but is not) – Carry some form of ID with you when you are out on your adventures whether large or small. If something unfortunate should happen, it certainly would be beneficial for those first to the scene to have a name, city/state, phone numbers, and even medical history if necessary. You family would greatly appreciate it as well, I am sure.

Road ID creates personal customizable emergency IDs for athletes. They created IDs for the wrist, shoe, neck, and ankle. Depending on your sport and preferences, there is something for everyone.

Wrist ID from above.

I personally own a wrist ID Sport that contains Name, City/State, Home number, Cell number, and a Friend’s number, which are all engraved on a small stainless steel plate. The wrist strap is made from solid nylon and secures with velcro. They are obviously entirely water safe and nice looking as well.

If you have a complex medical history or sensitivities (allergies, etc), Road ID products also have an optional secure and updateable Emergency Response Profile (phone and web based) in which first responders can received more complete medical history. This optional service is free the first year and then 84 cents a month after that.

Road ID also gives back! A portion of every order is given to one of six charities in which you select.

If any of this interests you, be sure to check out Road ID and by being Endurance Buzz readers, I have a special 10% off code for any order. Simply use coupon code: PC582476

This coupon code is good now through December 24.

Be active – Be safe – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

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• The Running Gear Most People Forget

Depending on the conditions of the day, a rather simple piece of noggin’ gear can add to the enjoyment of the run. It really can! For example, salty sweat dripping into your eyes throughout a two hour run can be painful and annoying.

Let’s take a look at some of the run gear options that lets you focus on the run, not the elements.

The Traditional Trusty Running Hat

This item is in the oldies but goodies category and can be used in most all conditions. I would look for a hat that is made from technical material for runners or active homo sapiens. Cotton is not a technical material.

The standard running hat can help provide some face/eye/top-of-head shade, a bit of warmth in the cooler months, and absorb sweat so it is not running into your eyes. I will typically use this hat during the mild winter months (I live in the south) or if I would need some sun protection on top of my head.

A company that has some of the best stuff I have used is HeadSweats. Their stuff is high quality and specifically designed for the active lifestyle.

HeadSweats three primary running hats:

• The Race Hat (Includes EB visitor discount at checkout)
• The Go Hat (Includes EB visitor discount at checkout)
• FastSplit Hat

Halo Headband is also big in the industry and makes a technical running hat called their Sport Hat.

The Badwater or other extreme ultra runners may be interested in the Headsweats built in neck protection Protech Collection and Halo Headband’s Solar.

One potential downside to the trusty hat is that it can slow the release of heat from your head which may not matter depending on the conditions of the day or your personal experience.

The Visor

My HeadSweats Visor

The visor started to become a more popular item over the last five years that seemed to begin in the triathlon scene and has started to migrate into the running world. This is my current favorite warm/hot weather running gear for my noggin’.

This item gives you the best of both worlds. You receive some facial shade as well as allowing the heat to escape quickly from the top of your head since there is no fabric providing a canopy. The visor also can be great at soaking up the sweat that would normally work its way to those navigation instruments.

A couple visors worth checking out:

• HeadSweats - The SuperVisor (includes EB visitor discount at checkout)
• Halo Headband - Sport Visor

I have two HeadSweats visors which have been been part of my staple running gear for a number of years.

The Headband

If you want to be minimalists yet keep the sweat out of the eyes, in walks the headband. The headband is alive and well in the running world but these items have come a long way since the 70s with their technical material and sweat soaking or redirecting abilities.

Here are a few options to style in:

• HeadSweats Topless – It uses the same terry-cloth sweat absorbing band as their other products.
• HeadSweats Winter Topless – For the cooler months to keep the ears warm.
• Halo Headbands Halo I – Tie-behind headband.
• Halo Headbands Halo II –  One piece pullover design.

If you are interested in getting away from fabric all-together yet redirect the sweat from your eyes, you can check out the Sweat Gutr. Interesting idea but I haven’t tried it. Plus a guaranteed conversation piece at your next race.

The Beanie

The beanie is noggin’ active wear without the visor. The usage could be for warmth in cooler training months, sweat collecting, and sun protection. For some it may even be a fashion statement.

Some styles to choose from:

• HeadSweats Midcap – A versatile cool weather, breathable beanie. My personal favorite for my southern winters.
• HeadSweats Summit – It seems like a step up in protection versus the Midcap.
• HeadSweats Alpine Reversible – Another active cold weather beanie made from coconut shells.
• Halo Headband PROTEX bandana – Bandana style for warm or cool conditions.
• Halo Headband Skull Caps – Versatile beanie.

My HeadSweats Beanie

I personally have had a HeadSweats Midcap for the last 7-9 years and it still is in great shape. I just need to de-salt it once in a while by tossing it in the laundry.

Going Commando

There are days when noggin’ gear just isn’t needed for your run or race. It may be a short run or conditions are very mild. If that is the case, enjoy the cerebral nakedness. Be free my friend, be free. There are no rules to this game!

As you can see there are some great options that can match up to your preferred style and training/racing climate.

What is your preferred noggin’ wear?

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

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• The Running Gear Most People Forget

In times of great needs like these a voice can often be heard for those willing to listen.  My ear (actually eyes) heard (truthfully read) such a voice (blog post) and it presented me the holy grail of training wisdom. I am so grateful that this insight has been re-released for us all to progress and enjoy our endurance journey here on earth.

Like all teachers of truth from years gone by, this message is not an individualized plan but a thematic message that transcends them all and can be weaved into each individual’s endurance life in a unique way for them.

Many times such philosophical insight is often discarded as useless. What do I do? Tell me the specifics! I want details!

We are presented with what we need to hear, not what we want to hear.

So before you create a new training program, hire a coach, rub BodyGlide on those delicate inner thighs, or strap on that heart rate monitor, make sure to actualize this training plan secret so graciously revealed to us by sagacious endurance athlete Chuckie V.

Click here to enter the quiet reflection room where the secret is revealed!

Be active – Feel the buzz!

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This is something I have rarely thought about until recently after participating in a marathon in which a young woman collapsed on the course and later died at a nearby hospital. This clearly demonstrated the frailty of life and stuff can happen regardless of how healthy, fit, and careful we are.

For the benefit of yourself, family, friends, and the people trying to help you in an emergency situation, we all need to carry some form of identification on our bodies. With the options available ranging from free to low-cost, there are no excuses. Get it done!

Free Way to Identify Yourself

There is an item that many people have in their lives already that could help in an emergency situation.

• Driver’s License – Name, address, and maybe some special medical information. All good stuff. The ability to carry this on you will depend on having a pocket in your running clothes or gear. If the driver’s license has a chance to get wet due to water or sweat you may want to put it in a plastic baggie or sleeve to protect it.

Low Cost Ways to Identify Yourself

Here are some low-cost personal identification products that are created for the runner and active lifestyle enthusiasts.

• Smart ID – A portable shoe-attached ID label system that contains contact and emergency information. By looking at the how-to page it appears to be a do-it-yourself-er product where you write in your personal information on the template. The Smart ID appears to attach to a shoe by sliding under a couple shoe laces and snap it close.
• Go Wallet – A portable shoe-attached ID pocket system that can attach to your shoes with a Velcro strap. Since it is a little pocket, you could also put a key, money, as well as your identification/emergency information. The entire pocket appears to be a size that would cover much of your shoe laces. (Update 5/7/09: Poor quality.)
• Runner’s ID – A portable plastic ID tag system that can be snapped to a shoe, a neck chain, or anything in which a metal key ring (included with the tag) can attach to. The customizable plastic tag is 1+1/8 inches wide and 3 inches long. They also are customizable and have available six lines for identification/emergency information along with a choice of graphics (or submit your own).
• Road ID – A portable ID tag system with products for the wrist, shoe, ankle, and a neck chain. They also have a portable shoe pocket system. All products have multiple color choices and most include 3M reflective stripes to improve your visibility in low light conditions. Road ID includes a unique optional subscription feature called Road ID Interactive in which you create a online emergency response profile that contains all the detailed personal information that would be beneficial for emergency personnel. This information goes way beyond what can be put on a little tag. Road ID also donates a portion of every purchase to a charity that you select (from 5 or so). Kind of cool!

All of the above methods appear to be a useful and quality products but I recently bought the Road ID Wrist ID and have been very happy with it.

Here are a couple pics of the ID.

Wrist ID from above.

Wrist ID Adjustable Strap.

This stuff isn’t rocket science but the Wrist ID is light weight and I don’t even realize it is on except for the random visual flash of the blue strap.The primary information I included on the ID is name, city/state, home phone, cell phone, and friend phone (Hi TJ!).

The biggest challenge with using an ID that isn’t already attached to your shoes is remembering to put it on. After a few weeks this should be habit.

Road ID was also kind enough to provide a $1 off coupon for any Road ID order until 4/29/09. (limited to 20 uses) To take advantage of this offer use Coupon Number: ThanksDavid472577 .

Act Now

While this stuff is fresh in your mind, spend a few minutes to decide how you are going to carry identification information with you during your next run. Because you are going to carry something, right?

If it’s your driver’s license – use it!

If you like one of the products listed above – buy it and use it!

If you have another way – do it!

Please use something.

If you know of other products or methods please share by adding a comment below. We could all benefit.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

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Endurance sports is really about the journey. It is a never ending opportunity for growth and self exploration. Throughout this process plenty of mistakes are made and sometimes it can be a bit fun, humorous, and emotionally painful to look at some of those moments that didn’t go quite as planned. Here are just a few of mine. Enjoy!

• We are lost – During a 3 person team adventure race that took place during the night, myself and another teammate took a wrong turn during the mountain bike portion of the race. We road about 10 minutes before finally turning around and sensing something wasn’t right. Our third teammate was on course and waiting for us further up the trail. I don’t think he was happy with us as he had minimal light source that pretty much died in the middle of the woods while he was alone.
• 500 calories = Puke – During the start of the marathon leg of Ironman Wisconsin I ingested 500 calories worth of gel. That would be similar to inhaling five bananas and then saying to yourself, “now go run!” It didn’t work. I bloated like a whale and found a Spiffy Biffs to puke in 10 miles later. I was digesting nothing! I felt a lot better after cleaning out though and I didn’t look nearly as pregnant.
• Missed turn – In the bike segment of a duathlon (run-bike-run), myself and another racer missed a turn on the course. Luckily we figured it out pretty quick but had to back track about 25 yards. A little bit of a momentum killer when you are traveling 20-25 mph.
• Cone head – Exiting the lake after the swim portion of a triathlon and attempted to take the swim cap off by pulling from the top of the cap. That doesn’t work! The rubber merely stretches, yet the cap remains attached to your head. Nice!
• Old Shoes – When I first started getting into running, I was wearing old trail shoes. I was getting completely beat up from the running on the road until I picked up a new pair of road running shoes. Ah, so this is what it should feel like.
• No fat – For a short period of time I was on a virtually no fat diet. Healthy fats are critical for proper body functioning. Maybe that was why my hair was falling out and I couldn’t sleep.
• Not in the chip bucket – Running hard during the run leg of a sprint triathlon and as I approached the finish I could hear runners behind me. I found another gear but was red-lining a bit too much and could feel some acid buildup in my stomach. Immediately after crossing the finish line, I had to puke. Instead of puking on the ground I found the nearest thing I could grab which was a bucket that had all of the timing chips of racers that had finished. Oops. I said I would bring it down to the lake and clean it out but the volunteers said not to worry about it.
• Friction – A few wetsuit swims and long runs in the humidity without a skin-protectant introduced me to my close endurance sports friend, BodyGlide.
• Clip-less – My first ride with clip-less pedals on my mountain bike sent me to the rocks within about five minutes of riding as I was trying to negotiate a rocky section that required me to put my foot to the ground. Well, that didn’t happen.
• Where is my bike – After finishing the swim during a triathlon and then running to my bike in the transition area which contains 200 – 1500 other bikes has been a bit of a challenge more than a few times. Nothing like the guy running up and down the bike rows looking for his bike.
• Cute Shoes – I bought some trail shoes because I liked the style of them and didn’t worry about the foot type they were designed for. Well, they weren’t for my type of foot and created a few knee tweaks after about one or two runs in them.
• Root monster – I was finishing a seven mile trail run in which I was trying to push a bit of effort. I was in fairly good running shape and was preparing for a fall trail race. 50 yards from finishing my run, my foot clipped a root and I went down. I jacked up my periformis and ran minimally during the following two months.
• 10 down, 40 to go – I decided to start running hard in a trail race after completing 10 of the 50 miles. Um, not smart. I did have plenty of time to reflect on this choice during the rest of the race. Interesting conversation were had in my head.

Feel free to share some of your endurance sports blunders. I am sure we could all relate in some way. Consider this an endurance sports therapy session.

Happy Training!

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Danny mentions up to a 30% increase in lung capacity with proper poster. That sounds good to me. This is sure to provide some noticeable or subtle benefits for nearly all runners and athletes.

Did you try his suggestion? Did you notice the subtle (or dramatic) posture change? My biggest slouch moments are when sitting at a desk working on a computer. I notice the change with Danny’s tip. I will have to observe my posture when running today and see if I notice anything.

Here are seven more posture tips that will help with all aspects of life. Most all are ones we have heard before but they are definitely worth putting back into our awareness.

Enjoy and happy training!

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Ironman Registration: $500+

50 mile Ultrarunning Trail Run Registration: $60-$100 typically

If the Ironman event interests you but it doesn’t quite fit in the budget, you may want to give ultrarunning/trail running a try. I have completed both Ironman and 50 mile trail running events and they offer many similarities.

• finish times of 8-16 hours
• challenging
• scenic locations
• a personal journey
• great people
• great support
• a lot of fun

Of course with trail running you won’t get to swim but you may have to wade across some streams/rivers. The bike, well, leave it at home or save it for after the race when walking just plain hurts.

If Ironman really interests you, save your pennies and go for it! I am still a big groupie of the sport.

If you would like to see if there are any trail running events in your area, you can check out some of these calendars. Unfortunately there isn’t one main source (that I have found) for all of the running events.

ultrarunning.com

trailrunner.com

trailrunnermag.com

You can also search online for some trail running clubs in your area. They seem to have the best local/regional information.

Also, Running Through The Wall contains many interesting ultra/trail running race reports which can provide a glimpse inside the wacky sport.

Have you found any good sources that have a fairly complete listing of national and international ultra/trail running events?

For those that have done both an Ironman and a 50 miler, how would you compare?

Happy Training!

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The Ironman World Championship in Kona Hawaii is happening on Saturday! The top pros and age-groupers will be battling it out anywhere from 8-17 hours.

If you like to watch live endurance sports, make sure to check out the live coverage on Ironman.com which will probably start around 10-11am CST. Best of all, it is free!

If you want to geek-out a bit, hook up a projector to your computer and enjoy the race on the “big screen” (sheet).

This video provides a nice glimpse into the special day in Hawaii. It almost makes me want to start swimming again…almost.

Mahalo!

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Can caffeine improve your running performance? It seems so.

I was listening to the recent Fuel podcast on Endurance Planet and the information on caffeine caught my attention. It discussed the results of a study by David Costill Ph.D. (physiologist) concerning the affects of consuming caffeine prior to endurance exercise. (This is old news but new to me.)

David Costill’s Findings

• 22% of energy from free fatty acids when no coffee (caffeine) is consumed before endurance exercise
• 40% of energy from free fatty acids when coffee (caffeine) is consumed before endurance exercise
• Consuming coffee (caffeine) 1 hour before heavy exercise delayed the time-till-exhaustion by 19%
• Consuming coffee (caffeine) 2 hours before heavy exercise delayed the time-till-exhaustion by 7%
• Amount of coffee (caffeine) consumed : 4-5 mg caffeine / kg body weight (basic recommendation was 2 cups of  black unsweetened coffee)
• Over-dosage does not increase benefits and may be detrimental
• Highly trained athletes will get less of a benefit than a less trained athletes
  

So what does all of this information mean? Drinking ~2 cups of coffee 1-2 hours before an endurance event may help delay running out of gas during your race.

So is this the end of the story? Nope!

Terry Graham’s Findings

There is a study by Terry Graham Ph.D. that had a bit of a different take on things as noted in this WebMD article.

“What caffeine likely does is stimulate the brain and nervous system to do things differently,” he tells WebMD. “That may include signaling you to ignore fatigue or recruit extra units of muscle for intense athletic performance. Caffeine may even have a direct effect on muscles themselves, causing them to produce a stronger contraction. But what’s amazing about it is that unlike some performance-enhancing manipulation some athletes do that are specific for strength or sprinting or endurance, studies show that caffeine positively enhances all of these things.”

The good news is that both studies note a performance-aid with caffeine.

The Pre-Race Cleanse Factor

Many athletes appreciate the movement before the race. No need or desire to go into great detail but(t) I think you get the idea.

Coffee After Exercise?

How about coffee post exercise? Well don’t turn off that coffee pot just yet. There is a new study noted over at Runner’s World that caffeine aids in glycogen resynthesis.

So now it seems I should drink coffee before exercise and after exercise!?!

My Experience

I have always liked to use caffeine (Hammer Nutrition Espresso Hammer Gel) during my long training runs or races. I can’t say specifically that it enhanced my ability to train or race but I have always intuitively felt that it had a positive affect. During my Ironman events, drinking some cola brought alertness and focus back to me more than a few times during the run. Also in a recent 50 mile trail run, cola got me out of the dead-man-shuffle. Was it the caffeine or calories that made the difference? I am not sure, possibly both. I do feel the caffeine helped with the increased alertness.

I have never been much of a coffee drinker but I think I will give the pre-race/training joe a try and see if I notice any positive or negative affects.

When looking at the coffee article on Wikipedia I noticed that rubusta coffee has 40-50% more caffeine than arabica. Also lighter roasts have more caffeine as well.

I have a feeling we haven’t heard the last of the research concerning caffeine and endurance sports.

We are all experiments of one so what works for someone else may not work for you. Practice in training before race day and enjoy the journey!

Have you had noticed any benefits ingesting a form of caffeine before, during, or after a training session or endurance race? Any detrimental affects?

Happy Training!

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