Active.com Endurance Sports

The journey, not the destination

The past couple of days have been challenging for me both physically and emotionally as I attempt to process the fact that I won’t be running the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on Sunday. I have come to learn that life lessons take on many forms and my recent injury is no exception.

First and foremost, I recognize that I am blessed with an amazing support-network of family, friends and co-workers who are always looking out for me. If those who feel alone in this world could be this fortunate, there would be less of a propensity to seek refuge in destructive activities that prolong the recovery process.

With that being said, it is important to recognize that overtraining for an event can be more harmful than not being adequately conditioned. If you aren’t properly trained, you can still walk, crawl, or skip your way to the finish line. If you’re injured, you can’t even cross the starting line.

During training, a relationship with your body will develop that requires the utmost attention. Not listening to your body’s signals is like not being there for a friend who is in need. Every athlete will respond uniquely to an over-the-counter training regimen so an adjustment of mileage and intensity to preserve this relationship is encouraged. The article “Overuse injury is preventable,” by the American Running Association, offers suggestions that will keep you healthy and strong all the way to the finish line.

Train smart, not hard.

Active Toby's Adventure Blog

The most expensive T-shirt

The long-awaited final long run of my marathon tapering process came to a screeching halt on Saturday. What began as an eight-mile jaunt ended within three agonizing miles. The long walk home was more of a limp while my body and ego both struggled to cope with the pain, burning and aching in my Achilles tendon. Visions of competing in the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon next Sunday were decimated by the flash flood of realization: I’m injured.

As I iced my wound, feelings of anger and depression infiltrated my thoughts and, before long, my positive attitude was taken hostage. I was illogically contemplating the scenario of chancing it on Sunday. The worst case would be my Achilles tendon ruptures -- surgery, cast and physical therapy resulting in months of inactivity. Best-case scenario: I hobble through 26.2 miles much like the aforementioned failure-of-a-training-session.

I picked up my current read in an attempt to ignore the monkey on my back. I encountered the following serendipitous passage from Pam Reed’s book about her ultra-running career entitled “The Extra Mile”: If your body is urging you to quit--not over just a cramp or a blister or fatigue but over something more serious--let your body win. What’s the point of finishing a 500-mile bike race if it cripples you so badly that you can never bike again? 

Reed truly embodies the “endurance spirit” so I took her counsel straight to heart. As I began to relinquish the idea of not running, I was in need of additional information related to common running injuries. I logged onto Active.com and located the following article, Understanding tendon injury, by the American Running Association, which helps distinguish tendonitis from tendonosis and offers excellent treatment suggestions.

Delivering the news to my brother this weekend was probably most difficult of all. He has been training simultaneously on the east coast and arrives Friday, ready to run. On Sunday, I will watch the race as a spectator as my brother crosses the finish line without me next to him. One thing is for certain: I will be wearing the most expensive cotton T-shirt I have ever paid for in my life. Sorry no refunds.

Train smart, not hard.

Landis Trial (Continued)

In part 1, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused Floyd Landis of using banned synthetic testosterone during his 2006 Tour de France win. Landis’ urinalysis, conducted following his outstanding performance in Stage 17, showed an 11-to-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. According to the USADA, anything higher than 4-to-1 can be considered a positive test.

The longest anti-doping hearing in U.S. history came to an end yesterday. The three-member arbitration panel will likely take six or seven weeks to deliver its decision but despite the outcome, Landis’ reputation will be tarnished forever.

The nine-day arbitration case, which Landis demanded be open to the public, turned into an aggressive media campaign targeting the methodology used to process drug tests as well as the professional competence of scientists at the French laboratory where Landis tested positive for synthetic testosterone. Landis’ legal team made progress in this effort, although Landis may have shot himself in the foot during the proceedings.

USADA lead lawyer, Richard Young, highlighted the phone call made by Landis’ business manager, Will Geoghegan, to three-time Tour champion, Greg Lemond, late last Wednesday night. The call came from Geoghegan and threatened to expose Lemond’s early childhood history of being sexually abused if Lemond testified against Landis. Despite the threats, Lemond testified and Geoghegan was fired once the news was made public. It was then established that Landis was sitting at the same table as Geoghegan when the call was made. Landis denied all knowledge of the call, but admitted to finding out after the call was made. Young used the fact that Landis waited to fire Geoghegan until the news was made public to portray Landis as desperate and underhanded.

We can assume that this matter will not be solved anytime soon. It will be a month at the very least before the arbitrators release their ruling after which either side reserves the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. When that happens, a new trial will begin and you can check back here for updates.

(Photo provided by Gettyimages / Photographer Gabriel Bouys)

Mental Fitness: The Missing Link

Your race is in less than 2 weeks. The past 17 weeks of training has you in peak physical condition and one question remains: Are you mentally prepared?

Those familiar with competition understand that there is more to be done than simply staying true to your training and nutrition plan. Details that may appear fanatical to newbies can in fact hold the secret to your strongest race. Active Expert, Gale Bernhardt, recommends visualization techniques to help you maximize your race-day experience in the following column, Cerebral fitness: Mastering the mental game.

Quinoa: Grain’s Best Kept Secret

The following recipe is courtesy of Tara Coleman, a certified clinical nutritionist in San Diego. Tara has developed a practical approach to nutrition that offers our endurance community straightforward information to take performance to new levels. She can be reached at tara@taracoleman.com for additional information about individualized food and supplement health programs.

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”) is a nutritious grain that I integrate into all of my clients’ meal plans. It originated in the Andes highlands and was revered as a sacred crop by the Incan civilization. During the European occupation of South America, the conquistadors overlooked quinoa and favored the potato as a staple of their diet – and French fry lovers everywhere have rejoiced ever since! Today, however, quinoa has been embraced for its versatility and impressive nutritional profile.

Quinoa has a high level of protein (15 percent) and is one of the few non-animal sources of complete protein. It is also gluten-free and contains none of the allergens common to many grains. It is high in fiber and low-glycemic, providing sustained energy for both training and event day.

Quinoa has a texture similar to cous cous with a pleasant nutty flavor. It is found packaged or in bulk at most health food stores and can replace rice or cous cous in any recipe. Quinoa is cooked in a 2-to-1 water-to-quinoa ratio or in a rice cooker. It can also be toasted over low heat and added to granola or fruit for a quick snack. For those that are a little more adventurous try the recipe below:

Sweet and Spicy Toasted Quinoa
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 tbsp fresh ginger root, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves. chopped
1 quarter red onion, chopped
4 tbsp limejuice
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1 can mandarin oranges, drained

Toast the dry quinoa in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir consistently for about five minutes making sure not to burn. In a separate pot, bring the water, ginger, jalapeno, and salt to a boil. Add the toasted quinoa and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and allow to cool. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Serve cool.

Total Prep Time – 30 minutes
Servings – 4

This dish makes an excellent side for chicken or grilled fish. You can also mix in canned tuna or chicken for a quick meal on the go.
Enjoy!

Youngest to Climb Mount Everest & Seven Summits

An additional record-breaking performance trailed the SuperSherpas expedition on Mount Everest last week. Eighteen-year-old Samantha Larson of Long Beach, Calif., reached the 29,035-foot summit on Thursday. This feat, confirmed by the Nepalese government, makes Larson the youngest foreigner ever to reach the summit.

Larson and her 51-year-old father, David, began climbing mountains when she was a middle-school student. The father-daughter team ascended South America's Aconcagua when she was 13 and Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro when she was 14. These peaks represent two of the seven summits, or highest peaks on each of the seven continents.

Conquering Mount Everest was the final step, for Larson, in completing the seven summits challenge. Her decision to finish the quest was made certain when she deferred her freshman year at Stanford University to train.

With this success, she broke the 2006 record set by then-20-year-old British climber Rhys Miles Jones to become the youngest person to ascend the highest peaks on each of the seven continents.

(Photo provided by Gettyimages / Stringer)

Metal vs. Wood: Consistency needed

In response to Trish's post, the New York City Council banned metal bats in high school baseball because of a belief that such bats increase the risk of injury. The decision to change the rules for one geographical location has potential repercussions that may provide an unfair advantage to athletes elsewhere who aren’t forced to use wooden bats. It is paramount that consistency is restored throughout the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSH) in order to preserve the integrity of the sport. 

In the endurance-sports world, competitors abide by the many rules and regulations set forth and enforced by larger governing bodies. The International Cycling Union (UCI), which sets industry standards governing the rules for competitive cycling, enforces a rule relevant to the metal-versus-wooden bat debate. The UCI does not have rules for which materials may be used for bicycles because there is minimum mass limit of no less than 6.8 kg (~15 lbs). With a baseline rule established for weight, a rider with greater financial resources will not have a significant advantage over a rider with inferior sponsorship. Thus the focus shifts to the individual rider’s level of fitness, skill and team strategy.

In baseball, the NFSH has an equivalent role to the UCI. And similar to bikes, bats have design restrictions too. In high school baseball in the United States, the bat is not allowed to be more than 2 5/8 inches in diameter and 42 inches in length. The difference between inches of length and ounces of weight must be no greater than 3. An example of this is that a 34-inch bat must weigh at least 31 ounces.

With these restrictions in place, there is predictability in performance allowing athletes to showcase their skills on a level playing field. Thus, the high school athlete that has what it takes will stand out to scouts and be recruited to play at the college level. It has already been determined, by the recent court ruling, that metal and composite bats produce faster, harder and longer hits than wooden bats. If New York or only a few places ban metal bats, then these players will be at a disadvantage. The resulting discrepancy in performance across the nation will skew statistics and the integrity of the sport will be diminished. There must be a uniform ruling -- if this is going to happen in New York, it must also hold true for all of high school baseball.

SuperSherpas join powers on Everest (Continued)

In part I, a group of climbers and scientists organized funding for a research documentary this spring on the superior performances of the sherpas. The film will follow an all-sherpa team to the summit of Mount Everest. These six-members share 50 Mount Everest summits between the group.

"We are on the summit. We are all on the summit."

These two sentences broke radio silence at Everest base camp at 8:44 a.m. Tuesday. The broadcast confirmed the arrival of the SuperSherpas Expedition at the top of the world.

Climbing more than 7,700 vertical feet in less than 24 hours, the strongest team in Everest-history safely and successfully reached the 29,035-foot summit. Highlights included a record-breaking performance by Apa Sherpa, the Guinness Book of Records-holder of 16 Mount Everest summits. Apa Sherpa broke his own record with his 17th ascent while teammate who holds the Everest speed-ascent record at 10 hours, 56 minutes, 46 seconds, completed his 13th ascent.

Reaching the top was only one of the goals for the SuperSherpas. The team hopes that the awareness raised by their expedition and the documentary, set to be released this spring, will generate greater respect, fair wages, and contribute to education and improving health care in the Khumbu region of Nepal.

The documentary follows the team every step of the way, from a laboratory in the U.S. to the summit of Mount Everest. Myths of genetic predisposition unravel as viewers see first-hand what enables these men to out-perform others in such extreme conditions.

(Photo provided by Gettyimages / AFP) 

Landis Trial

Today was the first day of arbitration for Floyd Landis and his team of defense attorneys at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused Landis of using banned synthetic testosterone during his 2006 Tour de France win. Landis’ urinalysis, conducted following his outstanding performance in Stage 17, showed an 11-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. According to the USADA, anything higher than 4-1 can be considered a positive test.

Although the credibility of the science and ethics at the French national anti-doping lab has been questioned before, the USADA has never had a charge overturned in 35 cases since it was formed in 2000.

If Landis is found guilty, he will be the first cyclist in the 104-year history of the Tour de France to be stripped of his title and serve a two-year suspension from racing. If he loses this appeal, he has the chance to appeal one last time to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and their decision will be final.

Landis insisted on turning his arbitration hearing into a public process in an effort to expose what he believes is the fraudulent way the USADA and its industry partners do business. The case, which has been in and out of proceedings for 10 months, is set to conclude by next Wednesday. Stay tuned for more updates and be sure to check out: Martin Dugard on the Landis trail -- Day One.

(Photo provided by Gettyimages / Photographer Gabriel Bouys)

May is National Bike Month

National Bike-to-Work Week begins on Monday, May 14 and culminates on Friday, May 18 with Bike-to-Work Day. As both the temperature outside and the price of gas continue to rise, there isn't a better time than now to start commuting by bike.

Bicycle commuting is a great way to stay fit and include exercise in a busy workday. Besides being environmentally friendly, it allows you to save money on gas and avoid annoying rush-hour traffic -- delivering you to the office in an improved state of mind.

As a bike commuter myself, I've seen the high and lows of attempting such a daily endeavor. Impatient drivers, pot holes and the absence of bike lanes can be thoroughly frustrating. Almost daily, I find myself questioning if there really are any requirements for a driver's license in the state of California.

Yet the feeling of accomplishment and the physical invigoration I get when I reach my destination make it entirely worth it. Add to that the friends I've made during the public transportation leg of my commute, and I feel like I'm part of a larger, urban web -- connected to the city I live and work in beyond the door-to-door lifestyle of home/car/office.

Across the country, cities and states are wrestling with a growing population and its effect on transportation budgets. More and more municipalities are realizing the benefits bike trails and bike lanes have on easing congestion and providing citizens with a healthy, fun and inexpensive alternative to driving.

This coming week, add some activity to your daily commute. You just might find there are better things to do in the morning than sit in traffic listening to radio DJs babble.

For tips on how to get started, check out cycling author J.P. Partland's article on bike commuting.