Black Spur Ultra MisAdventures 2023 by Sarah Seads

“Long COVID can include a wide range of ongoing symptoms and conditions that can last weeks, months, or even years after COVID-19 illness. Anyone who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19, can experience Long COVID, including children.” (CDC.gov)

BLACK SPUR ULTRAMARATHON IN KIMBERLY BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA.

In Kimberly I arrived unwittingly carrying the coronavirus, perfectly asymptomatic. I ended up becoming Extra Sick during this race & the Black Spur Ultra course had me on my knees absolutely begging to carry on at the 50km mark. Unfortunately, after the Black Spur Ultra I experienced coronavirus long term symptoms until just recently and after spending 10 months underground.

At just 25kms of the 108 my body began doing something spectacularly strange.

Entire leg muscle spasms ignited and locked my body into a tin man stance.

I laughed it was so strange. And because I truly had no idea it would lead to my downfall in the race.

I hobbled to the side of the trail to take some reprieve in a patch of shade. Laughing and crying slightly from the sheer pain. A trail angel offered me his extra water and I resisted then rescinded as a wave of excessive spontaneous cramps suddenly migrated across my legs!!!

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.”

The distance, 108kms was created in 2 consecutive 54km ish loops. I was half way through the course and approx 54kms into my race when the worst of it kicked in.

The pain was like fork lightening shattering into the depths of my thighs. Every muscle rocking with electrical bolts of sharp pain and clamping down in tonic spasms. For hours. Just a few hours into the course and there I was, stuck in a near totally rigid body, begging for mercy and screaming from the pain.

I kept thinking it would clear up. Because I had never experienced a physical challenge that had prevented my completion other than the Vacation Races ultra along the rim of the Grand Canyon..

My intuition led me to 90kms and then, after puking in the arms of 2 giant trees and curling up to pray for mercy to the blanket of stars above, I asked my body what next? “ENOUGH” appeared inside of my inner vision and so I Did Not Finish. I pulled the pin and took off my Sinister Sports Black Spur Ultra race bib to take my leave.

ENOUGH. The body is AN AMAZING FREAKING MACHINE and I absolutely never get tired of watching it’s magic in action. How did I DNF at 90kms? Grace. HUMILITY and the privilege of placing my body in the throne. Again and again I bow to my QUEEN. She understands SO MUCH more than my tiny pre-programmed mind. Why did I continue into that second lap that fateful day? My heart. It was a journey. The groveling I endured was a significant death and that funeral needed to occur at some point. The veil that does become visible can choke us to ego death. And that is what they are crafted to do. Once we see them, we can’t unsee them (unless we spend a lifetime trying to mend them) and it is only a matter of time (and endless swims in the seas of potential resistance, attachment, grief etc). Veils are meant to fall. It’s only a matter of time once we experience the attachments that have been limiting us. Attachments to resistance, preventing us from accepting reality.

I DIGRESS…

It was a terrible experience and there was so much beauty. I REALLY like the Black Spur Ultra race course!!! The race itself was absolutely seamless from registration to package pick up and start/finish experience and throughout the entire course.

A big outgrown part of my racing ego died on the course that day. And I’m happy for that as it forever adds more light. I only have 2 hands. Do I choose to carry beliefs in them about myself that are wrapped in this physical realm? PAIN & SUFFERING. Judgments. Categories. Fractions.

What is left after we choose to let judgements go from the clinging fist? ACCEPTANCE = HARMONY in all things. I LOVE MY PHYSICAL BODY & WE ARE FREE!

After Care In Athletic Competitions

After months and sometimes years of training and preparations your celebration event has come and gone and that can sometimes leave what seems like an epic GAP in your experience. What is the best way to recover from a competition and is it normal if you feel slightly depressed after it is all said and your recent is in the recent past? Learn the best ways ( in my professional opinion) how to transition between events and how you can also stay happy, healthy, strong and motivated and continue onward with longevity long after your recent event is behind you.

The following suggestions can help you transition from racing back to training and returning to adventures or competitions (or both) over the longterm while feeling great!
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Congratulations!! Big hugs, high fives and fist pumps coming your way! It really is amazing what you have accomplished and I hope you are feeling the post race bliss, enjoying your memories and feeling proud of all you have accomplished. You rock! A few thoughts for you as you transition from one chapter to the next...

The days and weeks following such a big event that has been building for months can be interesting and challenging. You may feel high highs and then low lows following your big event and that is ok. 'Post Race Blues' are a real thing and seem to be the rule, not the exception, based on my own experience and the conversations I have had with athletes over the years. Not to worry. Any emotional roller coaster you may feel will most certainly pass and you will level out again and be back to your usual self before you know it! It seems that the bigger the event, the further we can fall and this is a result of many factors- physiological, emotional, chemical and neurological. That being said- if you have done a great job at adapting to the needs and desires of your physical vessel then you might just be feeling like 100% with zero downtime - you never know!

Listen to your body and focus on self care including more sleep, downtime, intuitive nutrition (after post race Eat Week that is lol!), and all of the things that fill you up - meditation, yoga, massage, acupuncture etc. 

Relive your journey through photos and writing your race reports. Focus on gratitude for all you have experienced and all that you have gained and let yourself be a little sad if that is what you are feeling! 

A great way to kick start your next training cycle- when you feel ready - is talking to friends, searching and scheming future adventures and races for once you are feeling the call again.

Please take some time this week to write down your post race report. Reflection is an important part of the racing journey and it will help you learn and grow even more than you already have. It doesn’t have to be a big blog or journal, just write what works for you. Include things like the logistics and conditions- weather, what you wore, ate, how you paced, the course details. And then reflect on what went well and what lessons you learned about your racing and yourself so that you can respond and adapt to these things in the future.

Take some time to let your body and mind recover- it can take longer than you think! Some people need a week for every 10k raced (up to a point of course!) but some times we can recovery miraculously sooner than that as well. 

Be kind to your body with easier workouts, less structure and lower volume for a few weeks while you recover. Make sure you are healthy in body and mind before you start ramping up your training again so that you can be successful training and racing for your next adventure.

There are no guarantees in training, racing (or life!) but we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to experience these powerful journeys with healthy bodies, full hearts and strong minds.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your exciting journey! I am grateful to have had the chance to support you!

Woot! You are amazing! I don't care if you finished or won the race or what! Just accepting the challenge is worth an award IMO. Good job!

xo

In Love,

Coach Sarah

Looking for additional (and alternative) ideas that can improve your recovery and support your transition between big fitness events? In this podcast I share my personal experiments with alternative training and recovery techniques that speed up my adaptation and decrease the time it takes for me to recover: including Pranayama, BEMER PEMF therapy, meditation and theobroma cacao. Find out what steps I took to overcome suffering from pain, nausea, foot damage and chronic excruciating acid reflux between my first and second 100 mile ultramarathons as well as my experiences utilizing “life force energy” to adapt to my training and accelerate my recovery, in this episode.

Listen To This Episode at May The Life Force Be With You Podcast Here

2 Trail Running Agility Drills For Improving Your Stability, Performance, Technical Trail Technique & Sense of Play!

Agility exercises are excellent tools to increase turn over, boost co-ordination, improve agility in the trails. These 2 basic agility techniques are created to boost the stability and responsiveness in your ankles, knees, hips and pelvic regions of your body!! Agility drills improve neuromuscular co-ordination, strength and agility by strengthening tissues and nerves and how they communicate with each other in your body. Include 1 set of each of these simple drills weekly to increase your agility, stability and sense of play at the same time!

*Note - these exercises are not intended to replace individual coaching and should only be completed by apparently healthy persons with adequate running experience, strength, balance and co-ordination. Speak to your Kinesiologist or Trainer prior to starting any new exercise, health or fitness activity.

1. Side Steps - 10 in each direction at a jogging exertion.

2. Cross - Over Steps - "" light and picking up the feet quickly.

2 Trail Running Agility Drills For Improving Your Stability, Performance, Technical Trail Technique & Sense of Play!

Looking for Additional Running Strength & Technique Drills? Check out the following :

• ABC’s - https://youtu.be/7AHkneReRQI

• 4 Drives - https://youtu.be/gL3nTtAUIGY

• Skipping - 10 each leg in the forward direction. Covering lot's of ground as you swing your arms back leading from the elbows and drive your knee's up and forward. Trains technique.

• Curb Step Ups - 10-20 each leg trains agility and quickens turn over through increasing neuromuscular co-ordination and leg strength.

• 2 - 1 foot Jumps - 10 each leg. Start in a side by side stance and squat slightly as you prepare to jump upwards with both feet. Land on a single leg and cushion your landing using 'triple joint flexion' AKA slightly bending at the ankle, knee and hip joints. Repeat10 times on same leg then switch sides. Progressions include: Jumping Higher, Covering forward ground and Jumping up onto a small step or curb.

  Find all of my complimentary videos here: http://www.youtube.com/@wildseads

  Happy Training!

  In Love, Coach Sarah *Wild* Seads

RECOVERY IS TRAINING

A FEW KEY WORDS ON RECOVERY TO ASSIST YOU IN MAXIMIZING YOUR TRAINING AND ACHIEVING YOUR POTENTIAL AS AN ATHLETE.

You can push your body all that you want but training only breaks it down. In order to rebuild to new levels your body needs recovery. It is during recovery that the body rebuilds stronger. While you sleep, between breakthrough efforts, in the valleys between the peaks and pretty much anytime other than when you are actually training.

Yet, most athletes consistently undervalue the power of recovery. They tend to focus on the pain rather than the gain. The secret to progression, personal bests and PR's however, is finding the balance between training and recovery. The faster you recover, the sooner you can overload the system through training again. So how much recovery do we need? What is the magic formula?  That depends.

Too little recovery and the body will not have time to fully adapt to the training stimulus. Plateaus in performance, fatigue, soreness, injuries and systemic over-training symptoms will soon follow.

Too much recovery, on the other hand will result in a reversal of the training effect, de-conditioning, stagnation and decreases in performance.

There are many variables that effect how much recovery an individual needs at any given time. It is not just the length and intensity of the training session that determine how much time we need to rebuild, regenerate and adapt. Genetics, age, emotional well-being, nutrition, sleep quality, illness, injury and all forms of stress (positive and negative) all effect our body's ability to adapt. The higher the level of total stress, the more time the body will need to adapt and realize a training effect. Quantifying the accumulative stresses that we place on the body (emotional, physical, mental etc) is critical for creating a personalized and effective recovery program.

There are a few principles and guidelines you can use to get started on creating your own training and recovery program. Start with these safe 'rules' and then begin watching, listening and tracking how your body responds. You will find out how much recovery your body needs in response to different types, volumes and intensities of stress through trial, error and observation. You are an experiment of one. Be wise and be patient. Here are some guidelines to get you started:

• Less is more. It is always better to be conservative with your training load than to push too much too soon and suffer the negative effects. Patience is required and slowing down will likely result in reaching your goals sooner in the end.

• 10% 'rule'. This is a very conservative approach to building your training program by adding no more than 10%(ish) each week. Consider the volume (time or mileage per session/week), intensity (speed, incline, resistance, heart rate, power) and type (changing surfaces, shoes, sports, techniques) when adding to your training program each week.

• Annual Recovery. Taking time throughout the year, after peaks in your training, is important to allow the body to catch up from the load and do the things it needs to do to adapt. Known as the 'Transition Period' in periodized training plans, this time should be focused on restoration and recovery, rather than reaching for new heights. Avoid the temptation of an extended 'off-season', however, as long periods of inactivity will result in de-conditioning and actually increasing stress on the body during a return to training. Work with a coach to learn more about creating an optimal transition phase into your plan.

• Monthly Recovery. All athletes incorporate recovery into their mesocycles and so should you. It doesn't matter if you are training for the Olympics or to run your first 5k, the body will benefit from regular decreases in training load. Decreasing the total load of training by 25-50% every fourth week is a safe place to start. You may need more or less than this, however.

• Weekly Recovery. Look at your week and ensure there are peaks and valleys in your training. A safe guideline is to alternate hard:easy days into your week. Take your life into consideration when labeling days as 'hard or easy'. Remember to quantify all of the stresses in your life including work and life stress. Give your body 48 hours between the most intensive training sessions in your week. Not only will your body adapt more fully, but you will be able to work harder at the next session, thereby increasing the training effect that much more. If you are too fatigued from your last workout to reach your training intensity targets, it really defeats the purpose. Recover fully so that you can train hard!

• Daily Recovery. Most professional athletes put their feet up for the other 16-20 hours a day that they aren't training. They get frequent passive therapies such as massage, they take naps and lay around as much as the can. You are not a professional athlete and I am guessing you can't lay around all day. But you can plan in little pockets of recovery to help your body adapt. Make a list of all of the things that replenish and re-balance your body. Try to do more of those on a daily or weekly basis. Every minute will add up.

Modalities to encourage recovery:

• Sleep. The more the better. Get whatever you can. And then try and get some more.

• Active recovery. Gentle, low intensity movement to increase circulation. Walks, light spins, yoga.

• Passive therapy. Manual therapy including massage and self massage, acupuncture, chiropractic etc all help the body restore itself.

• Contrasting hot/cold – 5 mins alternating between each and help through increasing circulation without adding mechanical stress. Use hot/cold packs to encourage circulation in specific areas. I love my wood sauna for recovery days. Oh ya.

• Feel good things. What makes you happy? What decreases your stress? What feels therapeutic to you? Do more of those things every day and every week. A sense of well-being can only help to decrease your stress and improve your recovery/adaptation.

The magic formula for finding the perfect training-stress combination is an elusive, dynamic, ever changing balance that varies from person to person, year to year, month to month, week to week and even day to day. It is a delicate cocktail, a fine line and a lifelong study requiring patience, persistence and curiosity. Ultimately it means listening to your body, respecting it's wishes and responding to it's needs, regardless of what your training schedule says or what YOU want to do.  Recovery IS training. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that;)

Signs that you need more recovery:

• Feeling exhausted or overwhelmed

• Muscle soreness for more than 48 hours

• ‘Pain’ - small aches or niggles that last more than a few days

• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping for much more than normal but never feeling rested

• Irritability

• Lethargy / Loss of motivation / Loss of JOY.

• Can’t maintain target pace for intensity sessions. Once you drop 10% below the target pace- the intervals are over for the day. Finish with Z1 and save it for next time.

• Can’t maintain target intensity for training sessions.  Easy workouts still feel ‘too hard’ when you lower intensity.

La Sportiva Jackel 2 GTX: From FOVEO Courtenay, BC; Running Gear, Shoe Review

La Sportiva Jackel 2 GTX Waterproof Trail Running Shoe Review

By Sarah Seads, Mind & Body Running Coach, Kinesiologist and Clinical Hypnotherapist.

Wow Wow, Yes Yes!! I do sure love these GTX trail running shoes!

Derek Kauffman, of Foveo Running in the Comox Valley, on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada invited me to take these new GTX versions of the Jackel 2 Trail Running Shoe from La Sportiva, for a test run. And man, am I so happy I did so!! Here is my personal experience and review.

Note: Here are a few things that you may wish to ponder before purchasing your next pair of running shoes:

1. Why am I shopping for these shoes? Be specific and be honest with your intentions and ensure you look ahead to see what type of running precisely you will be doing while in your next pair of shoes. Is it to be a trail only experience? Or are you heading for the open road? Or will you be running a mix or both?

2. Who do you want to support with your running gear purchase - is it possible for the money in your pocket, that you are ready to exchange for running footwear, to stay within your community??

3. What do you love about your relationship with running - close your eyes and remember your highest experience with running…. This could be a past experience, a future idea, or something you have seen online that someone else was participating in. What is occurring in this real or imagined scene that creates appreciation? Enjoy this experience and feelings of appreciation for a few moments…. Next, take this envisioning experience with you so you can pull it out “of your back pocket” and fill yourself with these feelings while you are shopping!! Let your powerful subconscious body & mind help you choose the right shoe for you by focusing on the highest experience possible as your outcome. Merging intuition with reason is the best way to make the highest investment for your running future!

4. Listen to your feet! Well, listen to your body :). Take a test run in the shoes and do not compromise in comfort. Trust your initial feel and compare many different varieties to get a clearer idea of what shoe fits you.

La Sportiva Jackel 2 GTX Waterproof Trail Running Shoe Review

By Sarah Seads, Mind & Body Running Coach, Kinesiologist and Clinical Hypnotherapist.

The La Sportiva Jackel 2 GTX Trail Running Shoes are awesome.

Over the past two months, I have worn these trail runners on 90% of my runs.

I have had a chance to run these shoes in all sorts of conditions including heat, cool and cold, rain and even one day in the snow!! It is really fun to run in these GTX shoes in both rain and snow because, well, your feet stay dry, but there’s more. For some reason wearing these shoes just increases my levels of joy when I think about going for a run in the rain. I think, “This is going to be fun!”, because my feet are gonna be dry lol. And if you aren’t looking forward to going for a run, it gives you that little extra jolt of enthusiasm. After two months the novelty still perks me up!! I call that a thumbs up bonus.

The only disadvantage to these water resistant shoes, would be wading through streams or rivers that are deeper than the than the shoe itself. Then you are carrying sacks of water, which stay wet. But so far, I've avoided that mishap.

I haven't worn these in the summer yet, but there have been some really warm days this fall, and so far my feet have been very comfortable and not overly hot.

I tend to get cold easily, so in really temps I actually really do like having the extra barrier to keep my feet that little bit warmer.

Typically waterproof shoes can be feel stiff and bulky but these actually feel quite flexible. I can notice a bit more stiffness than a non waterproof shoe. With a plush sock that sense is really negligible and I feel that it is definitely worth it to keep your feet dry.

The best part? Running in the snow! My feet are warm and dry!

Womens La Sportiva Jackel 2 GTX

Mens La Sportiva Jackel 2 GTX

The Grip

The grip in mud, dirt and loose surface material is amazing. I love the tread on these shoes for technical, wet, muddy and snow conditions. It's on the monster truck side of things and I really really love a good outsole with solid tread for muddy and technical or snowy terrain.

Personally? I like to be able to just not even think about my traction and bomb down the hills without thinking about sliding. The Jackel 2 GTX shoes have allowed me to do just that!

Grip

Monster Grip 👍🏻👍🏻

The Fit

These shoes are just a bit wider, in both the forefoot and heel cup, than most shoes that I've worn.

I have a fairly neutral width foot.

There's a bit of overlap in the fabric when I pull them tight, so that they fit the width of my foot. So it does work for me, but it would be a little adjustment for some feet.

That being said, someone with a wide foot would really, really like these because I know it can be a pain to find wider shoes in a range of options.

Stack & Drop

I personally like the stack height and drop. Not bad at all. The stack is pretty minimal and not too much. So, I would say the height, at 22-29, it's middle of the road and a wide range of runners should feel pretty happy in these, height wise. When it comes to heel to toe difference, or drop, these shoes do not have “high heels” that are going to get in the way ;) At 7mm, heel to toe, the drop works for people who haven’t progressed to zero drop shoes, so there's no real “break in” or adjustment period which is a bonus for runners ready to hit the ground, running:).

Specs

UPPER: Recycled Sandwich Mesh / Recycled Laces / Breathable Mono-burr Nylon inserts / No-Sew Thermo-adhesive TPU Reinforcements / TPU Toe Cap
LINING: Gore-Tex® Invisible Fit w/ Gore-Flex® / Abrasion Resistant Micro-fiber
INSOLE: Ortholite® Hybrid with 5% recycled rubber + 15% production waste foam
MIDSOLE: Compression Molded EVA w/ Infinitoo™ PU Inserts / 1.5mm Dual-Density Compressed EVA Rock-Guard
SOLE: FriXion® XT 2.0 w/ Impact Brake System™ / FLEX Inserts / 3.5mm Lugs
CUSHIONING: EVA: 35A & 32A (heel/forefoot) / Infinitoo™ PU Inserts: 30A (heel/forefoot)
DROP: 7mm
FIT: Wide

Womens Specifics
SIZES: 36 - 43 (half sizes)
WEIGHT: 8.9 oz / 255 g

Mens Specifics

SIZES: 38 - 48.5 (half sizes)
WEIGHT: 10.7 oz / 305 g

All in all I give the Jackel 2 GTX trail running shoes a 5 out of 5 on the trail run star-o-meter!

Thanks for reading! Have you worn the Jackel 2s in waterproof or regular model? If so, what did you think of them? I would love to hear a bit a bout your experience!

Looking for other, high level gear reviews and test runs? Let me know what you would like to hear about!!

XO,

Sarah

💋

My Cacao + Race Experiment

Cacao! Oh my great love that I didn’t know I needed until I found it in 2021! What a dream ‘she’, this sacred plant known as Mama Cacao in ceremonial circles, has been to me. Assisting in the healing of my physical and emotional being. Launching my Spiritual practices. Assisting with my focusing, attention, meditation, communication and heart health.

I had a ‘synchronistic’ encounter, thanks to my Teacher Ksenia Brief in her Conscious Social Media Mastermind Circle, in March of 2021 and she has been an important part of my life ever since.

I drink and meditate with Ceremonial Grade Cacao nearly every day. I consume this Sacred Plant each time for different reasons: be it for reflecting, introspecting, 1:1 and group connecting, channelling higher Intuitive Guidance through my deep Theta Meditations, focusing, organizing, calming myself, centering, training, racing etc. Ceremonial Cacao is my highest priority plant ally that benefits every aspect of my physical, emotional and mental health! I love cacao! Please dive deeper if you feel called to in this extended blog post here! And you can read along to find out just how WILD I have gotten in my use of this plant (in my Athletics!).

Back in 2021 I had no idea what cacao even was! And perhaps like you, assumed it was just ‘chocolate’. If this is you - feel free to read my overview post on the who what why and how of all things Cacao - All About Ceremonial Cacao.

Next up! A brand NEW adventure, in the spirit of experimentation, I used cacao to improve my endurance, overall health and well-being, which resulted, I do believe, in marked improvements in performance for my sport - trail and ultra running. Fast forward to now and you could say I am a cacao pusher of sorts ;) lol! Only because it has had SUCH a positive, subtle, yet so transformative power in my life. YOU might also see these changes if you feel called to experiment with this and other intuitive plants to support your training, racing, health and life!

Once I was utilizing the medicine of cacao for my rituals and daily meditations it was time to play with her in the trails. What I mean was, I understood this plant had been used by the ancient Mayan’s to travel great distances overland. So why wouldn’t it fuel my sport? I had been guided to fast, using the plant for morning mediations, then not eating until after my mid to afternoon day runs. In the end, after months of continuous use, it seemed my body had been forced to adapt to more fat oxidative performance. By inadvertently using the compounds of this near pure and quite high in vegetable fat plant, my body had switched to fat utilization vs sugar burning to fund it’s playground and maximize energy efficiency (carbohydrate sparing) during the long runs and day to day activities as well. I found I was much more capable of long sustained low to even moderate intense paced running without the need to replenish using gels or snacks. I was running 3 or 4 hours without needing a snack! Add to that my intense use of Pranayama to expand my lung volume and breathing capacity and voila! More adaptation without excessive training found me adept and adapt with much less training and effort than I had experienced in the past.

Add to this the slow release fuel source and you just don't need to supplement with too much above and beyond the basics. So, when I found myself preparing to pack for my last 100 mile run in the summer of 2022 I was pretty certain that cacao would be a part of that. I asked my good friend Kim Senechal to assist me as part of her ‘crewing duties’ and she obliged! Making cacao for me to drink at two separate stages in this 100 mile journey. I thought the cacao would just bring me pleasure, comfort, when the going got tough. But I felt great most of the day and although the thought of cacao did boost my mood, it was the steady stream of fluid endurance fat and my adaptation which seemed to come online to assist me in overcoming the ‘big one’ - and my ongoing ultra race nemesis - the “HB” or heart burn (if you’ve been following me, you know the one!!). Turns out stress reduction through Pranayama, self regulation, meditation AND … CACAO, I believe, can decrease your need to manipulate the bodies over adaptive response to manage the signs of heart burn - namely PAIN and severe burning in the chest. When heightened sensitivity responses decreases, so do the signs and symptoms that give heart burn it’s name. By dually alleviating the excessive stress activation through breath work, hypnosis and meditation, combined with a liquid only ++ Cacao at intervals diet in the race, I did not have a single sign, for the first time in over 10 years of racing ultras, of pain related to acid reflux / heart burn!! It was amazing! Everything came together - but it sure was nice to keep my system moving at light speed, without the need to digest packets of food or gels etc. Just some cacao, lot’s of water and tailwind for sugar and electrolytes. It was a blast!

If you would like to try your hand at experimenting with this and other plants here is what I suggest:

Start slowly - consider this a project, with variables and you don’t want to go overboard, and do too much too fast. Take the time you need and keep track of your variables and results.

Know your sourcing - NOT ALL Cacao is created equally! noooooooo! Be sure to check out my previous blog post to learn what makes true ceremonial level cacao different from the rest - with links to purchase your own cacao from my very favourite of brands.

Be curious and stay open minded! Using your intuition can lead you to places you never knew could exist! This requires open minded and explorative self ness:)

Have fun, keep a diary, know your sources, and trust your intuition for doses and plant sources that could take you to your next level experience and performance!

Sarah,

xo

Motivation for Sport & Life!

Key Training Principle: Periodization

You’ve got stoke! You’ve got 10 races on your radar! You’ve got new sneakers! Woot!

Now…

What’s your plan?

Goals, dreams, passion, energy, good looking sneakers, excitement...all key ingredients in creation of performance and success!  But...what is the best recipe?  What are the steps to take, the moves to make and the cues of when to make them?  A training plan is like a recipe for your goals.  Without one, you are left flying by the seat of your pants, with a loaf of bread that didn't rise and wondering where it all went wrong;) Some questions for ya…

• Have you started training for a goal with enthusiasm, only to quickly feel the wheels come off and lose your focus and motivation?

• Are you unsure if you are doing the right training type, amount, intensity and frequency to reach your goal?

• Do you bounce around between ideas and plans, making things up as you go?

• Do you get injured, burnt out or frustrated with lack of results?
  
  These are all very common symptoms of training without a sound plan.  They are also, very easily overcome.  Enter the science of this key Training Principle: Periodization!

As always, take my advice with a grain of salt…be FOCUSED on the goal but FLEXIBLE with the route from A to B… Periodization seems ‘rigid’ at first glance, but really it can be extremely flexible and should be, in fact, dynamic, in order to accommodate for individual needs, life changes, progressions and life in general. Use the science of Periodization with the ART of Coaching and you can make beautiful things happen! Take the following into consideration when planning your season with the ultimate goal of peaking in the best shape possible to rock your most important event (s) of the year, every year.

Training Principle: Periodization

A periodized Annual Training Plan (ATP ) has specific phases, is personalized and follows key training principles.  The goal of an ATP is to maximize performance in time for peak events and allow the body to adapt most efficiently. 

3 main phases or Macrocycles:

• Preparatory (3-6 mos) 1/3 General and 2/3 Specific. AKA Base Period. Goal: general fitness progressing to sport specific training. Laying the foundation/base to prepare for higher intensity workouts later on. Typically focused on higher volume, lower intensity. General preparatory phase should primarily include aerobic training, muscular endurance/strength for muscles that are involved in your activity and corrective exercises for muscular imbalances. Be patient, keep in Zone 1 or low intensity training for most of your workouts during this phase so that your body will have time to adapt and build a big aerobic base. The bigger the base, the higher (speed/power) you will be able to build later on. Specific preparatory phase includes progressive strength (hill training & functional strength training) and speed & power (zone 3 & 5 interval) workouts. The closer to your event, the more specific, and typically more intense, your workouts should be. 

• Competitive (2-5 mos) AKA Build Period: with pre-competition and competition (peak) phases. Goal: improving performance and preparing to peak for main competition. Pre-competition phase will include the most specific training of your ATP. Fine tuning form, technique, speed. Typically decreased volume but increased intensity. Ideal to use other, less important events to practice race/competition skills. Includes Taper cycle prior to main event. 

• Transition (up to 1 mos): Mental and physical recovery and regeneration with rest and non-specific fitness.

Mesocycles: 

• 2-5 weeks. Most common are 4 week cycles.

• Progressive overload followed by unloading/recovery weeks (ie 3 weeks progressive, 1 week recovery) . May focus on strength, endurance, speed, power, flexibility etc. 

Microcycles: 

• 7 days 

• Co-ordinate physical training with other aspects (mental, nutrition, sleep, stress management, time, rest, recovery etc). Design depends on macrocycle/phase of training plan.

GETTING STARTED:  Designing your own Annual Training Plan (ATP): 

• It all starts with a dream.  Set SMART Goals/Events and list them in order of importance A, B, or C. 

• Identify ‘Where you are Now’..using fitness testing results and identifying 'LF' (Limiting Factors) from last season.  What do you need to improve the most?  What is holding you back?

• Determine what you need to do to get to your goal. Overall fitness and skill requirements for your event & a personalized plan to address your  Limiting Factors. 

• Identify your annual schedule for phases of your ATP. 

 Using a Calendar by working backwards from your goal event. You must include weeks for Tapering then you will see how much time you have to fit in your training phases. Begin with Preparatory General or 'Base' Training (aerobic endurance and muscular endurance (Z3) stability and flexibility), then move to Preparatory Specific or 'Build' Training and add strength work (hills, high intensity resistance), finishing with speed (upper intensity zones) and power (explosive movements) as you get closer and closer to your event. Typically moving from High Volume/Low intensity to Low Volume/High Intensity shift over course of plan. **NOTE: Ultra Endurance Athletes such as Ironman athletes or Ultramarathon runners actually complete this periodization in reverse- so that they will peak with higher volume training which is specific to their event.  Include training time dedicated to your Limiting Factors all year round.

• Plan your Mesocycles (months) in each phase. 

• Break down your first month of weekly Microcycles including building and recovery weeks.

• GO! And be ready to adapt along the way as ATPs are very dynamic!

Overwhelmed? I don’t blame you! Building training plans isn’t for everyone, and you are likely best off leaving this task to the pro’s if it isn’t your passion. Coaches enjoy season planning and personally creating training plans is one of my favourite things to do so just give me a shout over at ELM if you need a hand:)

Sarah x

How to Become an Efficient (and Fast!) Runner

Image: Karen McKinnon Photography

Whether it is your first 10k, faster 21k or an ultra adventure, the key to your success in endurance training and racing is not simply adding more miles.  Nope.  The key, to moving faster and further without as much fatigue is training your body to become:

ef·fi·cient

əˈfiSHənt/

adjective

adjective: efficient

(especially of a system or machine) achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.

That 'system or machine' is your body, 'maximum productivity' is your pace and 'wasted effort' is your work output.  Smart endurance training is focused on transforming the body into an efficient, economical machine with the goal of travelling further and faster without as much effort.  Smart training is simple, requires little to no equipment and yields massive results in exchange for a little time. Yet the majority of athletes spend pretty much 0% of their training hours working on efficiency training, convinced that the only way to improve is to add more miles and more hours to their weekly schedule.  Break away from old habits and expand your potential by embracing smart training this year.  Once you experience the wonderful sensation of moving with less effort, you will never again underestimate the power of efficiency. 

Whether your sport is running, cycling, skiing, swimming, hiking or anything in between, there are skills, drills and techniques that can (and will) improve your performance.  Any skill based sport includes training time for technique - skills and drills.  So why do runners think they don't need to do the same?  Many people believe that running doesn't require any skill.  HA!  I'm here to tell you that just aint so.  Running (like all movement based activities) is made up of a series of skills.  And just because you can do it, doesn't mean you are doing it efficiently.  

Let's compare running to swimming for a moment.  A few years ago I learned how to swim for the first time, as an adult.  I showed up at my lesson, jumped in the pool and nearly created a tidal wave with my terrible, inefficient, novice technique.  I used up so much energy (trying to survive) that my heart rate went through the roof and I was quickly exhausted.  I had to hold onto the side of the pool half way down the lane because I was so out of breathe!  So what do you think the coach did with me?  Do you think she said:  "Let's add some more laps of that.  Let's see more of that terrible technique!  You should swim like that 5 days per week."    Eeeesh!  I would have drowned, quit or gotten injured trying to make a go of it.  Nope. Of course she didn't say any of those things.  She identified my inefficient movements and helped me correct my technique with skills, drills and video analysis.  It took time, 4 months.  It took consistency, 2-3 days per week.  But I learned to swim and completed my first triathlon that spring:).  
And so...stop flailing around in the pool, trying to get faster by doing more laps of inefficient technique!  You get what you train and if you have inefficiencies (AKA energy leaks) you are only making them stronger by adding more miles and more time to your runs.  Let's change that;) 

Exercises To Improve Running Efficiency

Get Smart with Technique Training 

Efficient technique, is one that allows you to propel yourself forward with less energy.  It is smoother, more co-ordinated and with less wasted movements.  Regardless of the activity, when we move efficiently, we move faster without using as much energy- and as a result we experience less fatigue.  There is no perfect running technique.  But there are some key movement patterns that have been shown to decrease energy expenditure and improve running economy.  Some aspects of technique can be improved DURING your runs, but others must be addressed outside of your runs (ie corrective exercises for muscular imbalances).  Get started this week with one (or all!) of these simple but very effective exercises.  Remember...perfect practice makes perfect. You must complete the techniques frequently, over the long term and correctly to see the results you seek.  But- the great news is, the changes are permanent and you can maintain them simply by practicing your new, efficient technique!  Give your body a chance to adapt...stick with it! 

1. 170-190 steps per minute cadence.  Recent research shows that endurance runners (that's you, unless you are a sprinter) decrease vertical loading force and up and down movement when they run with a cadence anywhere between 170-190spm.  If you don't change anything else, just do this one thing.  Get a metronome app on your phone and teach yourself to run to the beat of 170spm or more.  It will completely transform your running.  Nail this first, before you worry about anything else.  It is a very powerful technique.  New runners tend to run at a much slower cadence, keeping their feet on the ground much longer and increasing the load on their bodies.  A significantly longer 'ground contact time' creates a huge energy suck, as the body spends more energy moving up and down and absorbs more force than necessary.  

2.  Relax.  Relax your hands, shake out your arms, drop your shoulders, smooth out your face and stop doing that death grip thing when you are running.  Relax the muscles you don't need for running and save that energy for the muscles that need it!  More relaxed runners are more efficient runners.  Practice taking nice long exhalations, shake out your arms and think 'relaxed' effort during your runs.  Watch that speed increase;).

3.  Forward Motion. Our goal is to travel forward when we run, and excessive rotation of the torso and arms can work against us.  Practice swinging your arms forward and back, as if on hinges, relaxed but focused on driving the elbows back.  Channel your energy forward and save the side to side work for speed skating.  For some people, the forward and backward arm swing is very challenging and cannot simply be changed during a run.  If you work on a computer or with your arms out front for the majority of your day, you will develop muscular imbalances that change your posture and encourage cross body arm swings and torso rotation.  This is where corrective exercise comes in to play- you need to strengthen the upper back and lengthen the short, tight muscles of the chest and shoulders.

4.  Run like a Ninja.  Rather than tell you how to place your feet on the ground or what part of the foot to land on, I will simply tell you to 'run like a ninja'.  The key to efficient running technique is decreasing the impact and staying light on our feet.  Ninja's are stealth, smooth and very quiet.  That is your goal as an efficient runner. Imagine sneaking quietly through the house...and trying not to wake anyone up.  Light and quiet.  The best way to learn to run like a ninja is to take off your shoes...  Yup.  Read on. 

5. Go Barefoot.  No, not all the time, people!  Just for your drills lol.  Running barefoot is a game changer for many people in the running technique department.  Shoes (especially the ones with big, fat squishy, cushy, high heeled out soles) interfere with our bodies proprioceptive feedback- we can't feel the ground or the impact of our foot strikes with a thick layer of squish between our feet and the ground.  Research shows that even though we cannot feel the impact when we wear thick cushioned shoes, it is still there...AND... the impact is actually greater than it is when we run in less cushioned shoes (to a point)!  Once we remove our shoes (or run in a more minimally cushioned shoe that allows us to feel the ground) our brain immediately tells our body to run with a more 'biomechanically protective' technique- because it hurts, otherwise.  

Here is your homework for this one: 

During 1-3 runs this week, jog down to your local track or tennis court (clean, hard surface) then take off your shoes and socks and run for a minute or two.  You don't want to do too much more than that, otherwise your feet will take a beating.  You can build up to 5 minutes or even longer, if you are on a softer surface for your feet, such as a grass field.  The goal is not to become a barefoot runner (unless that is your thing, of course;).  The goal is to learn how your body would run naturally, that is, without shoes...and then work on replicating that in your favourite sneaks.  If there are changes to be made,  your body will modify your technique pretty quickly, in order to protect you from excessive impact (aka pain).  A small number of people may not have the level of proprioceptive feedback to notice the impact while running barefoot.  If you are still landing heavy during this drill, then please run 'like a ninja' in this case, to avoid destroying your feet!  The most common changes that people notice with this drill are: higher cadence, lighter / quieter foot strikes, weight shifted forward under the foot, elimination of excessive heel striking, less up and down movement (bouncing).  All of these changes are considered biomechanically protective behaviors - and they will improve your running economy while decreasing the load you are placing on your body.  Cool stuff!  

6.  Do your ABC's.  Improve your co-ordination (get smooth) by breaking down and practicing specific phases of your running.  Once you break down your technique, you will notice the less co-ordinated aspects of your running gait- they will feel twitchy, clunky, heavy, 'dumb' or just plain unco-ordinated!  Practice your ABC's during a few runs each and every week, as part of your warm up.  Start slowly, until you develop smooth technique so that your body can learn the correct patterns first.  Speed will come! Work at a pace that allows for excellent technique- you get what you practice;)  

Review the A's (All Drives), B's (Don't Kick Your Butt, Kicks) and C's (Circle Drills) with a video and step by step instructions, right here.

7.  Train Your Power Points.  Have you heard of the 4 Power Points AKA 4 Drives?  If not, you are missing out on some serious power!  The 4 Drives are key movements that power our bodies forward while we are running.  Strengthen these drives and you will find yourself running faster without as much fatigue, before you know it.  The 4 Drives are best practiced on a hill as you will be able to connect with them much better, but you can also use them to crank up your pace during speed work and when you need a boost.  These movements TAKE energy, but the body responds to them by rebuilding stronger over time.  Think of these as specific strength training exercises for your running form and practice them in intervals, every time you encounter a hill.  Use one at a time, until you master them all.  And like always, train your weaknesses and race your strengths.

1. Arm Drive- drive elbow back and down

2. Push Off- push the earth away with the ball of the foot and leave the ground from tip toe to get full ankle joint extension.

3. Knee Drive- take the power from the push off and drive the knee forward and upward on the angle of the hill.  Imagine you are 'kicking the butt' of the person in front of you!

4. Hip Drive - lead with the hips to get full hip extension and tap into the power house of the body your glutes!  Failing to achieve full hip extension is a great loss- lead with the hips and engage those glutes.

8.  Get Stable.  Many runners lose a massive amount of energy to excessive up and down movement as a result of weak pelvic stabilizer muscles.  The typical culprit is weak glute medius muscles which can get lazy in a seated lifestyle.  If you sit at work or school or spend part of your day driving, you are at risk of gluteal amnesia (yah, it's a real thing and I see it every day;). Sitting is very hard on the body.  Sitting for hours every day, stretches out and weakens the glutes while simultaneously shortening the hip flexor muscles in the front of the hip.  Stretching the hip flexors can help, but lasting changes usually only come from strengthening the posterior and lateral muscles of the hip and correcting the imbalance.  Get started with the following stability exercises 3-5 days per week, 10-20 repetitions, 1-3 sets.  Stick with it until you reach the maximum number of reps, then progress to the next level.  Progress through the levels as you are able to master each with good form and a strong glute connection.

Glute Bridge - hip extension. Lie on your back, knees bent, with feet hip width apart and squeeze an imaginary coin between your cheeks and lift your hips up off the floor.  Keep core active, tuck tailbone under at the top and finish with a good glute squeeze.  Do not let hamstrings, quads or your back muscles kick in and take over- stop, breathe and get those glutes back to work.  Lower and repeat.  

• Level 2: Hold the squeeze for up to 60 seconds.  

• Level 3: Shift your weight from one leg to the other until you are strong enough to hold all of your weight on one leg without dropping through the pelvis or firing the hamstrings or quads.  

• Level 4: Go to single leg lefts!  

• https://elmhealth.com/videos/2017/3/17/glute-bridge-progressions

External Hip Rotation - clamshell.  Lie on your side, with your head, shoulders, hips and feet against a wall, to maintain alignment.  Knee's bent to 90 degrees, head aligned with spine and just enough space for the palm of your hand to fit behind your low back and the wall.  Set your core by activating your low abs and maintain this connection throughout the exercise to prevent your hips and spine from rotating so that you can isolate the hip.  Belly in, squeeze the cheeks and externally rotate the top hip, lifting the knee and opening from the back of the hip, like a hinge.  Rotate the top hip forward slightly to prevent the body from rolling back.  Exhale as you lift and engage the glute...once the lungs are empty, inhale and return to the start.  Reset and repeat!  Try to lock yourself into the postion to make it harder for the hip muscles.  

• Level 2: Add a light resistance band!  

• Level 3: Perform seated with band.  

• Level 4: Progress to dynamic external rotation - lateral band walks, band resisted glute bridges, deadlifts and squats etc.  

• Join Team ELM Online for full video access!

Hip Abduction - side leg raise.  Same as above- lock your self in by using a wall while you are first learning to isolate and engage the hip muscles.  This time, you are working on the outer hip muscles by lifting a straight leg up - heel sliding up the wall behind you.  Keep that core stable and that space behind your low back small, by engaging the low abdominals.  

• Level 2: Side Plank position, on elbow, with bottom knee bent.

• Level 3: Side Plank position with bottom leg straight

• Level 4: Progress to standing variations- band resisted or cable resisted side leg raises.

• Join Team ELM Online for full video access!

9.  Get Strong.  There are SO many great strength exercises to build a stronger running body!  Including strength training 2-3 days per week, 5-12 repetitions and 2-3 sets will not only improve your running technique but it will also make you stronger up and down hills and under fatigue, more resilient to overuse injuries, improve your body composition and metabolic rate (hello muscle tone, goodbye body fat), improve your balance and even have a positive effect on your aerobic fitness.  What's not to love?  Choose exercises that are compound and use multiple muscle groups as well as those that get you on one leg and replicating components of the running phases. A routine to get you started is:

• Box Squat (get low) with Kettlebell or Barbell

• Pull Ups or Lat Pull Down

• Walking Lunges with Dumbells

• Seated Row or Standing Cable Row

• Deadlift or Single Leg Deadlift with barbell or Kettlebell

• Overhead shoulder press with dumbells 

• Ab Roll Out or Hanging Knee Tucks/Toes to the Bar

• Back Extensions or Supermans  

• Join Team ELM Online for full video access!

10.  Get Lean. Extra mass can = Extra work.  Carrying significant levels of extra fat increases the oxygen demand on the body.  Read more about the what, why and how of using Nutrition to change your Body Composition here.

11.  Shed Shoe Weight.  Running shoes increase oxygen consumption.  0.7-1% per 100g of weight (that is a lot!)- if you were a 4:15 marathoner that would translate into shaving approximately 15-20 minutes off of your time (minimal vs traditional footwear)!  Heavy running shoes can definitely effect your performance by making you less efficient!  If you have happy feet and calves (no foot or calf injuries) and you want to get faster, run in the lightest shoe that your body feels happy in.  Too minimal and the numbers sway the other way, however, so be sure to test the waters and transition into more minimal footwear slowly and gradually over time to allow your body to adapt and decrease the risk of lower limb injuries.  Read more about the role of footwear in relation to running injuries here.

There are many different ways to improve your efficiency as a runner (and any discipline for that matter!).  The best way to do it...is to DO IT, however!  So, get to work and commit to including at least one or more of these techniques into your running program this week.  You can do it!  Let me know if I can help:)

Cheers,

Sarah x

Coaching: Downhill Running Techniques

Image: Hilary Ann Photography

My favourite part of trail runs are the long, continuous, steep descents and I can’t get enough of them! I run uphill so that I get to play on the way down. With practice I am sure you will learn to love the downs too!

What goes up must come down and it is a huge advantage to embrace the descent as a trail runner!  Improving your downhill running confidence will not only improve your speed but also decrease your risk of injury and increase your stoke factor in the trails.  There is nothing like being able to 'let go' and fly down a flowy descent with a big old smile on your face!  Our confidence on downhill terrain a product of our exposure, experience, agility and strength.  Practice your downhill techniques and ‘letting go’ when the terrain looks fun to you – do not push yourself to run fast down terrain that scares you and could risk injury.  Instead, expose yourself regularly to various types of downhill terrain, practicing your techniques at a controlled pace, and letting go once it looks FUN to you!  Over time, with exposure and practice, the hills will look less intimidating and your FUN zone will move to steeper and more technical pitches.  Take your time, practice, be safe and enjoy:)

Just as uphill running requires different techniques for different grades, running downhill changes with the terrain.  Here are a few types of downhill running:

1.  When it is crazy steep it is time to get dirty and use your hands!  When you are forced to slow to a walk because of drops, slippery slopes or extremely steep terrain don't be afraid to use your hands.  Get low by bending your knees and hips, grab rocks, roots, trees and shrubs to help you move quickly through technical sections.  Move like a monkey in the trees using your hands- and you will not only move quickly but safely through tough terrain.  Turn your feet sideways, to increase your braking surface area – never point your ‘rockets’ straight down a loose, slippery slope or you will go for a ride.

2. On moderate to steep technical grades you will need to run smarter in order to manage your descent safely.  You will need to check your speed by 'braking' before you get into trouble and out of control. Sit back on your heels and bend your knees and hips slightly to check your speed.  The more you want to break, the further you want to sit back.  Look ahead and plan your 'line' rather than looking directly in front of your feet.  Glancing ahead to see what is coming will allow you to anticipate the terrain and check your speed in advance.   Switchback on the trail if needed, or place your feet wide/on the outer edges of the trail to avoid the loose bits in the centre and to control your speed by pressing into the sides and banks of the trail.  Keep light on your feet as if dancing amongst the roots and rocks- never committing to full weight.  By staying light, you will move quickly and be able to react fast if the footing is not ideal. 

3. On easy grades that are not as technical the goal is to open it up and run!  When you are comfortable on a downhill grade (and it looks FUN!),  lean forward slightly to meet the angle of the terrain, land mid foot and keep a high turn over by focusing on picking your feet up off the ground as quickly as possible.  This will limit the braking forces required, decrease impact and increase your speed as you move forward faster with each next step.  Attack the downhills that you feel confident on!  Lean forward and let go because your heart rate is going to drop with the help of gravity and you can afford to push a bit harder. Open it up and let er rip once you feel safe to do so!

Happy Trails,

Sarah x

Zone Intensity Training

Part 2/2

Now that you have ready Part 1 in the Training Zones series, Amazing Energy Systems, and you now have an understanding of how the body creates and spends energy it is time to look at how you can tailor your training sessions to make these energy systems stronger...so that you can do all of your favourite things faster, longer and without as much fatigue!

Enter... Zone Training.

The purpose of Zone Training is to make the most efficient use of your training time by ensuring you are training the correct energy system at the right intensity and dose.  Zones are different levels of intensity and can be created based on heart rate, pace, power (bike) or perceived exertion.  Zone training will ensure that you are training with a purpose during each and every workout and getting the most bang for your training buck.  

Numbers and watches and gadgets and gizmos can be very helpful tools for your training toolbox.  When following accurate zones, training with pace, power or heart rate can help you stay at the correct intensity for the correct length of time, thereby helping you train the correct energy system for that workout. Numbers, however, can never be fully relied upon, as they are static, while you are a dynamic being.  Heart rate is very finicky and can be effected by fatigue, stress, caffeine, illness and more.  Pace zones can be meaningless when training on technical, undulating or mountainous terrain.  All zones can quickly become outdated as our training adaptations kick in, making us faster and stronger than our zones give us credit for.  Frequent zone testing sessions will minimize these errors, but they will always be part of the mix.  This is why learning to train with perceived exertion and honing your intuitive training ability is extremely important.  Learning your bodies signs and signals is the key to dynamic and effective intensity training. Intuitive training can take time to master, however, so using zone training can be a great way to help us learn what it 'feels like' when we are training at or close to each zone.  By using a HR monitor or GPS for pace, you can reflect on your perceived exertion and use these tools together to help you become a more intuitive athlete.  

Zone training helps athletes avoid the two biggest mistakes during training sessions:

• Training too hard during low intensity, aerobic workouts.

• Not training hard enough, during high intensity, anaerobic interval workouts.

You will remember from the Energy Systems post, that in order to transform your bodies aerobic energy system (for all events lasting more than 2.5 hours this is critical), you must train at a low enough intensity to stay below the aerobic threshold.  Most athletes push above this threshold (darn ego!) and they never reap the amazing benefits of aerobic training.  Same goes for those Anaerobic threshold workouts- most athletes don't push hard enough to get up to the lactate threshold and never realize the potential from these powerful workouts.

How to determine your Training Intensity Zones:

1.  Blood Lactate Testing: the gold standard.  This is the big daddy of zone prediction.  All other tests are measured against this method which takes actual lactate readings from your blood to calculate your training zones. 

2.  Lactate Threshold field tests.  Completing a LT field test, following specific protocols, can be very accurate.  The pro's are you can do them on your own anytime with little or no equipment.  The con's are ensuring you are able to push yourself hard enough to find your true LT.

How to complete a Lactate Threshold Field Test:

After a 15-20 minute warm up, complete a 30 minute time trial on a flat course, track or treadmill set to 1.5% incline (running) or on an indoor trainer with set gearing (biking).  Go as far as possible in 30 minutes.  After the first 10 minutes, start your heart rate monitor/select a new lap.  Record the Average Heart Rate for the final 20 minutes of the Time Trial (TT).  This is your Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR).  Record your 30 minute TT distance to determine your pace per km and to compare over time.  Cool down for at least 10 minutes at an easy pace.

How to Calculate Your Own Intensity Training Zones based on your Anaerobic (AKA LT) Field Test

One you have your LT data you can calculate your own 5 Zones using the following percentages of your LT heart rate and pace.  You can use this chart (or the “Wild Seads Coaching Training Zone Calculator” - spread sheet tool) to determine a 5 Training Zone method for your Heart Rate and Pace in conjunction with your RPE (See Rate of Perceived Exertion below)..

See the Wild Seads website for more detailed information in the form of manuals & event specific Training Plans.

Training Zones are calculated based on percentages of your Lactate Threshold Heart Rate or Pace (or Power for those using power meters on the bike).  Some methods use 5 zones and others use 6 or 7 which break down the zones further. Your zones change over time and are a result of your genetics and your training program.  It is important to complete LT testing on a regular basis, every 8-12 weeks, to ensure your zones are current.  

When training with Zones, always use RPE along with gadgets and digits to become intuitive in your familiarity with your self, your zones and your body - and please don't be a slave to the numbers.  Learn to listen to your body and adapt your training using your intuition AND your digits in tandem.

ZONE 1: Aerobic.  Feels like a 2-4/10 RPE.  The lower level of this zone is used for base aerobic training and recovery and feels very easy.  The upper level of this zone is for improving aerobic endurance and increasing the Aerobic Threshold (AT).  When you train just below this point you will develop your aerobic endurance base most effectively.  It feels comfortable and conversations are possible. By training at this zone you will increase your Aerobic Threshold and improve your performance in events lasting 2 hours and beyond.  “LSD” long slow duration pace 30-90mins+.  Should feel VERY easy.  No deep breathing, no burning legs.  Slow down if you are unsure. Be conservative!  Better to be too low than too high and miss out on the Z1 benefits.

ZONE 2: Tempo. Feels like a 5-6/10 RPE.  Some call this the junk zone- but not if you are training for middle distance events.  You aren't getting pure aerobic OR anaerobic benefits in this zone BUT you are training for the specific demands of events lasting approximately 2 hours.  Pace and breathing is moderate, a bit harder to hold a conversation.

ZONE 3: Lactate Threshold.  Feels like a 7-8/10 RPE.  The lower level of this zone is known as ‘sub threshold’ and feels as if you are reaching a one hour all out pace.  The upper level of this zone is known as ‘super threshold’ and feels moderately uncomfortable, with some mental focus required.  When you train within this zone you will bump up your Lactate/Anaerobic Threshold and increase your ability to sustain a faster endurance pace without becoming fatigued.  Training this threshold is often the key to improving performance in events lasting 1-3 hours.  Z3 training can be done as 'Steady State' (begin with 5minutes and build to 30) or  ‘Over Under’ intervals of working at the top of this zone (supra threshold) and then at the bottom (sub threshold) for a series of work:recovery intervals.  Hard pace.  Very challenging.  Heavy, but controlled breathing.  Burning legs at the top of this zone. Be aggressive!

ZONE 4: Feels like 9/10 RPE. Pace will be very hard but sustainable for 15-30 minutes at the lower level of this zone.  Train to improve Aerobic Capacity (VO2max) at the very top of this zone with intervals of 1- 6 minutes. *Note: Heart Rates are not an accurate way to monitor intensity in this training zone as the heart rate will not have time to raise to the zone level.

ZONE 5: Maximal exertion and Anaerobic Capacity/Power Training. Feels like 10/10 RPE.  Your max speed not only determines how you perform at events lasting 2-5 minutes long BUT IT ALSO can limit your other 2 thresholds- aerobic and anaerobic by squishing up all your zones.  Train this zone with maximum speed intervals lasting 30s-2 minutes tops.  Accelerate for 30s-2 minutes, recording the distance traveled.  Recover with double the time then repeat trying to match your original distance covered.  Start with 4 or 5 repeats and build up to 10 over time.  If you can do more than 10 you are not working nearly hard enough.  *Note: Heart Rates are not an accurate way to monitor intensity in this training zone as the heart rate will not have time to raise to the zone level.

Looking for a Training Plan to put those training zones to work for?  Check out my Self Directed Training Plans on the Training Peaks Store!

Train smart and have fun!

Cheers,

Sarah Seads

Amazing Energy Systems!

Part 1:2

Next up in this series : Zone Intensity Training & How You Can Create Your Own Training Zones!!

The human body is an amazing machine! We have multiple energy systems within our bodies that provide fuel for our activities so that we can run, spin, jump and play at a range of speeds and durations. Although we are always using a combination of energy systems to move our bodies, there are two main methods that your body uses to produce ATP (energy currency of the body!) Aerobic and Anaerobic. The actual processes involved to create energy so that we can move our bodies, are highly complex, but this overview will give you an idea of what your body is up to on those runs and rides;)

Aerobic: means “with oxygen”. This energy system fuels your lower intensity, long duration, endurance workouts. The lower the intensity and the longer duration, the more it becomes fueled by the aerobic energy system. While you are sitting there reading this you are primarily using your aerobic system. The aerobic system is efficient and at low intensities you can go on and on and on without running out of steam (in theory). The aerobic system is fueled primarily by fat and research tells us that, in theory, we have enough stored energy in the form of fat to run, on average, 26 consecutive marathons!

Anaerobic: without oxygen. This is your higher intensity, short duration, energy system and it is made up of two systems: Lactic and Alactic. Too fast and too intense for the aerobic system to keep up with your energy requirements, these system use glycogen (carbohydrates stored in muscle) and other substrates as their fuel source. These fuels are finite and produce by-products that will build up and leave you feeling fatigued with increased effort so that you can only maintain high intensities for a limited period of time. Activities lasting less than 10 seconds are fueled predominantly by the Anaerobic Alactic system, where those lasting 10-60seconds are Lactic system driven. Beyond this the percentage begins to shift to greater and greater support from the Aerobic system. With an effective training program, the body actually learns to process and use these bi-products to produce additional ATP (energy) so that you can tolerate higher intensities and longer durations of high intensity work.

More Terms:

Aerobic Threshold. AKA Top of Zone 1 in a 5 zone training intensity system. The point/pace at which the body shifts from near pure reliance on the Aerobic energy system as it requires additional support from the Anaerobic system. You get what you train, and when you spend significant time training below your aerobic threshold (Zone 1 upper limit), some amazing adaptations occur in your body! Consistent Zone 1 training results in: increasing capillary networks, improving the bloods oxygen carrying capacity, increasing mitochondrial activity (energy producing factories in our cells), improving fat utilization and much more. The more effectively you train your aerobic system (below Z1 intensity), the better your body will become at using fat as a fuel source, allowing your muscles to spare precious, limited glycogen for your endurance events. WOW!

If you are training for an endurance event lasting more than 2.5 hours, training your aerobic system correctly is critical for your performance. In fact, 80-90% of your weekly training time should be spent in this Zone, below your Aerobic Threshold (yes, you read that right, total up your minutes and avoid wasted training time above Z1 in the 'grey zone'). Unfortunately, many athletes train too fast and end up training at too hard of an intensity during their Z1 workouts and therefor they will never reap the powerful, transformative benefits of true aerobic training. It can be hard to relate running and riding slower with getting faster, I get it. But man oh man, when you feel how transformative aerobic training is for both your endurance AND endurance pace, you will be a convert. Note: BE CONSERVATIVE during Z1 training so that you don’t mistakenly run above your aerobic threshold. No heavy breathing, no burning legs, should feel ‘easy’. Run slower if you are unsure and train on your own to avoid pushing too hard. 2-4/10 for intensity on the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale.

Lactic Threshold aka Anaerobic Threshold. AKA Top of Zone 3 in a 5 zone training intensity system. A heads up that lactic acid has a bad wrap. Despite the rumours, it is not, in fact, lactic acid that creates fatigue in our muscles with sustained high intensity efforts. It is actually, hydrogen ions that create an acidic environment resulting in muscle fatigue. Lactate (it is not an acid) actually comes to the rescue and acts as a buffering agent to decrease this acidosis. As the effort increases, lactate floods the bloodstream to buffer the acidosis. Eventually, the production of hydrogen becomes greater than the bodies ability to process it and acidosis sets in. This is known as Lactate Threshold or Anaerobic Threshold, which correlates with an increased breathing rate, heart rate and burning sensation in the muscles. If this threshold level is exceeded, you will only be able to sustain the pace for a few minutes. Lactate Threshold usually correlates with the pace and average heart rate that you can sustain at hard effort for approximately one hour. 7-8+/10 on the RPE Scale.

VO2 MAX. This is the maximum amount, or volume, of oxygen that you can use at one time. We all have genetic potential/limitations but VO2max can be improved through training. Amazing adaptations occur in the cardiovascular system as the result of VO2max training, which contribute to a higher VO2max, speed at VO2max, improved endurance and the potential for a higher lactate threshold. WOW! 8-10/10.

Next up, let's chat about how to create and use Heart Rate, Pace and Power Training Zones!

Need a training plan to go along with all that new exercise physiology knowledge? I'm here for ya!  Check out my Self Directed Training Plans on the Training Peaks Store!

Train smart and have fun!

Cheers,

Sarah Seads

Top 3 Reasons Endurance Racers Fail to Cross the Finish Line and How to Avoid Them!

The more mistakes we make in a race, the more we learn...but that is a hard way to learn! It is much more enjoyable to learn from the mistakes of others;). After two decades of endurance racing, I have seen (and made) nearly every mistake in the book. And through all of them, the same 3 issues float to the top year after year in all disciplines of endurance racing.

The human body is an amazing machine.  With a strong driver at the wheel (mental strength-another topic!), it will literally keep moving forward for an infinite length of time so long as we support it optimally.  So, what do we need to do to achieve relentless forward progress?  Read on to learn the top 3 reasons racers fail to cross the finish line in endurance events and my tips to help you avoid them!  *Note: These tips apply to any endurance event- not just races- such as big day hikes, paddling adventures or any other event lasting more than 2 hours.

TOP 3 REASONS ENDURANCE RACERS FAIL TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

Absolutely anything can happen on race day and there are no guarantees, but there are few major ways you can blow your race experience. Don't fall prey to the most common endurance traps and you will increase your odds of success exponentially. These issues are big enough to end your race and torture you in the process but the solutions are so simple!

#1: Blowing Up.

Failure to pace appropriately is one of the top reasons racers fail to finish (or finish strong) in endurance events.  Starting too fast for the distance and your fitness is a recipe for disaster in the mid to later stages of endurance events.  Adrenaline and ego are a terrible combination for many racers and it takes discipline, logic and experience to overcome these influential tyrants. Your training will determine your race pace and you should know what pace/intensity you can compete at by the time you reach the start line. Follow your race plan and run your own race.Put your ego aside, respect the distance and 'let them go'. Many people get caught up in the sensation of being 'left behind' at the start of a race.  That's just ego and adrenaline talking.  You have no idea if other racers are pacing appropriately and you cannot control the fitness of others around you.  With optimal pacing for a strong finish, you will likely pass many jack rabbit starters as wounded soldiers later in the day! Here are some guidelines to help you with pacing for a strong finish, while you are learning more about your body:

• Race in Thirds. This is a must do strategy for new endurance athletes while you are learning how your body responds to new distances. In fact, all endurance athletes will benefit from using this strategy! This applies to kms of single day events and days of multi-day events as well. Don’t blow it all on the first day!

1. First 1/3, go slower than you want to. The pace should feel too easy. If you think you are going to slow, go slower lol;) Hold back and follow your pacing per km plan for guidance if need be- because adrenaline will try to trick you.  The easier you start, the stronger you will finish. I promise. Trust me on this one. It is going to be a long day/week.

2. Second 1/3 should feel just right, comfortable and steady- a pace you could imagine continuing for the duration of the race.

3. Final 1/3, should feel challenging-you are running an ultramarathon/riding a marathon/doing an ironman! Push yourself to hold this pace and even ramp up the intensity as the kms tick down-  and finish strong.  But DON'T lay down the hammer until you can hold it all the way to the end!

• No heavy breathing and no burning legs in the first 1/3 of the race other than short climbs (a few minutes). Unless you are an experienced endurance athlete and know your body inside and out while competing at the distance, this strategy is a must. Avoid pushing your body into anaerobic training zones- otherwise you will build up bi-products early on that create fatigue and slow or stop you in your tracks in the later stages of the race. If you still have juice in your legs in the final 1/3, then you can consider gradually ramping up your pace as you get closer to the finish line. But never never never push your pace into the red line in the early stages of an endurance race. It just doesn't work. This isn't a 10k or a half marathon. You need to stay aerobic and well under that red line to finish strong. Did I mention, it's going to be a long day?

• Push your strengths and pace your weaknesses on race day and you will race within your abilities and finish strong.

• Know the pace times you will need to make race cut offs- even if you don't think you will need them. Things happen. Plan B or Plan C may take effect and you may be working hard to make cut-offs. Know what pace you need to maintain in order to stay under the wire.

• Respect the distance

#2: Bonking.

Another top reason racers fail to cross the finish line (or finish strong) is failing to follow a strict nutrition plan.  The first hours of an endurance race are critical in regards to nutrition as you cannot make up missed fueling in the latter stages of the race.  We tend to not feel hungry during the first hours due to adrenaline and pre race fueling, so it is important to set and follow a schedule right from the start of the event.  In later stages, many people lose their appetite or feel nauseous and stop eating which is a disaster waiting to happen. Experimenting with a variety of foods and consistencies during training will prepare you to tackle your nutrition with 'plan b and c' during your event.  Practice eating on a schedule during your long training sessions and experiment with solids, semi-solids, liquids, sweet, salty etc.  Eat early, eat often, be strict about your fueling schedule and caloric intake per hour- but be flexible about your choices. If you 'don't feel like eating' you likely need to. Slow down, get your gut under control and get those calories in before pushing on.  Do not skip fueling times- get those calories/electrolytes in every hour.

• Follow your fuel/hydration guidelines-bring what you are used to and anything that you think you might crave. Sweet, salty, hard, soft, liquid, solid- variety. Stomach's can be fickle during endurance racing after hours of continuous movement, your taste buds may surprise you. Be open minded, browse aid station tables to see if a craving strikes you. 'What' you eat during an endurance race is much less important than 'when' you eat.  Get the required calories, electrolytes and water into your body, on schedule, in any form you can. Set a timer and NEVER skip or miss your scheduled time for fueling.  Eating and drinking early and often will keep you strong until the very end. Once you fall off track with your fueling schedule, the rest of your race can fall off the tracks.  The following guidelines are a starting point but need to be personalized for the athlete and conditions.  This is what training is for!  You are an experiment of 1.

  30-90grams of carbohydrate or 200-400calories per hour in any form

  1-3 cups of fluid per hour

  200-400mg sodium per hour 

• If you don't 'feel' like eating, it usually means you need to. And when you stop eating, the crazies can get in the way of reasoned thinking. Low blood sugar, exhaustion and mental fatigue can prevent you from making sound decisions which will then send your race further array. Not following your fuel plan (that means calories, water and electrolytes) can result in nausea...which can cause you to consume even less...which can eventually lead to additional stress on the system and vomiting...which leaves the body further depleted and potentially unable to rally. Do not drink plain water- be sure you have electrolytes (especially sodium) to go with it every hour to avoid diluting your body fluids and making the situation worse.

#3. Falling apart.

Self care is the glue that keeps an endurance athlete together. As soon as you notice something isn't quite right, stop and take care of it right away. Self care is how you stop small problems from becoming big issues or stop signs. Blisters, hot spots, wet feet, hunger, cramps, nausea the list goes on. These are the small things that can blow up into big things and end your day. Spending a few minutes taking care will save you many more minutes or hours of suffering later in the day. Stop, I promise it is worth it.

Taking the time to tend to little issues early on can prevent major show stoppers in the later miles. I call this Self Care and it really can make or break your day during endurance racing. Optimal fueling/hydration and pacing within your abilities are critical during endurance racing, but self care is the glue that holds it all together in the end.

Try to anticipate what 'could' go awry out there and put a plan in place to remedy each situation. Even if you have the perfect day, knowing you have a plan in place can bring much needed peace of mind on race day. As soon as you feel an ache in your leg, a pinch in your foot or a stone in your shoe...stop.  Stop and address all small issues so that they do not turn into big problems.  Taking a few moments for self care will always pay you back multiple times in the end.

RED FLAGS

• Blisters and Hot Spots - stop, assess and fix with clothing adjustments, tape/lubes etc

• Chafing - stop, assess and fix with clothing adjustments, lubes etc.

• Nausea- slow down, assess nutrition intake, correct, take ginger gravol

• Hunger - eat!

• Heartburn - medication, water

• Too hot - cool off!  Rivers, ice, cooling sleeves

• Too cold - warm up!  Gloves, hat, windbreaker

• Wet feet - change socks/shoes or apply cream

• Cramping - slow down, assess nutrition intake, correct

• Sleep monsters- caffeine!

• Low motivation - bag of tricks!

• Pain...HA!

Have you made any or all of these 3 mistakes?  You are not alone!  The goal is to avoid making them again!  Train hard but race smart and you will reach your endurance racing goals!

Cheers,

Sarah x

Key Training Principles: “Overtraining”

You have been rocking your workouts and adding extra training sessions to your week, just because you are feeling so damn great!  You almost feel invincible!  Now is the time to find out what you are capable of and push even further, harder and faster, right?

You have been doing all of your training sessions but you felt slower on your last couple of runs/rides.  Easy pace didn't feel easy and your heart rate is too high.  You couldn't get your speed up to target pace during your last couple of interval sessions.  You are training so hard but your performance is stale or getting worse.  Now is the time to push further, harder and faster, right?

You are beyond stressed out at work and home life is just as crazy right now.  You can't get to bed before midnight but you still have to get up early and do it all again tomorrow. You feel like you are burning the candle at both ends and man, now your throat is a bit sore. You missed your key workouts last week because of 'life' and exhaustion.  Now is the time to make up those workouts and push yourself to squeeze even more in, right?

Wrong!

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?  If you are human and training for an event to reach your goals, then I'll bet you can relate to at least one of them, in some way.  These are all examples of straddling the fine line between Overload and Overreaching, the gateway to Overtraining.  And when you find yourself on this fine line, you are in a very serious position.  Push beyond the limits of your body's adaptive capabilities and you risk diving into the serious condition known as Overtraining.  One thing is for certain, when you cross that line and don't back off to give your body the recovery time it needs to adapt, then your body will just go ahead and do it for you. 

Overload is a good thing. Challenging our body bit by bit over weeks and months and years, is how a good training plan works. Coupled with adequate recovery, progressive overload is the way that we adapt, grow stronger and nail those PRs.  And, ultimately, adaptation is the goal of any results based training plan.  

Overreaching is different.  This is the delicate place between overload and overtraining.  Overreaching can be a very good thing or a very bad thing.  Peak weeks, breakthrough workouts and setting PR's are all examples of Overreaching. These training sessions have a high risk/reward ratio.  Respond with adequate recovery between these sessions and the rewards are massive.  Failure to adhere to an optimal recovery plan between these sessions, however, and the risk is also massive.  Cross that line and enter the land of overtraining.

Overtraining: Also referred to as staleness or overstress. Overtraining is caused by a loss in the body’s adaptive capabilities. This can occur after chronic high-volume training or ‘too much too soon’, when the work/rest ratio is not sufficient to allow for adaptation. Remember, it is not just 'training' that contributes to 'too much too soon', but the accumulation of all sources of stress in our lives.  Stress is stress in the body and too much too soon may come from home, work, illness, poor nutrition, inadequate sleep, injury etc.  Failing to create the optimal balance between total stress and recovery sets the stage for Overtraining.

Some fatigue is a normal part of every training plan and you are not going to launch into Overtraining at the first sign of mild aches pains and fatigue.  There are normal signs of fatigue following a progressive overload training session- sleepy or tired for the rest of the day or the next day after a big endurance run or ride, tired or tight after a speed or hill work session, moderate muscle soreness for 24-48 hours after a breakthrough workout at the gym.  

How do you know if you are getting close to the line? The first sign that you are straddling the line between Overload and Overtraining is an increase in the duration, intensity or frequency of these normal training symptoms.  You shouldn't be bagged or sore for a week after your hard workouts.  And your symptoms should get better, not worse as the days go on.  Additional signs that you may be pushing your body's limits include frequent illness (why am getting sick so often?), injury (why do I keep getting these injuries?), excessive fatigue (why am I always so tired?), irritability (why am I emotional?), change in sleep (why can't I sleep?  or why am I sleeping for 10 hours and still tired when I wake up?) and the big one- decreasing performance.

Once you cross the line into Overtraining land it can be a long journey home.  

True Overtraining Syndrome is a comprehensive disruption of the body's systems and can require months to rebound from. Hormonal, neurological, musculoskeletal, mental/emotional imbalances need time to return to homeostasis.  The fatigue associated with overtraining is very different than that resulting from a hard workout and the body does not bounce back from this state with days or weeks of recovery. Once overtraining status has taken hold it can take months or even years to dissipate. Symptoms of Overtraining Syndrome include:

• Inability to sleep or excessive sleep 

• Loss of energy/lethargy/apathy  

• Loss of appetite or increased appetite

• Weight loss or gain 

• Chronic muscle soreness  

• Chronic fatigue 

• Frequent illness, injury, poor healing time

• Declining performance 

• Increased resting heart rate 

• Irritability 

• Depression 

• Anxiety

Everyone experiences different warning signs that they are pushing beyond their limits- but you can be sure they are always there. Overtraining does not happen overnight. That is the good news. When we listen to our body's feedback and respond to the early signs of breakdown, we will have plenty of time to modify our stress/recovery balance. But that is the trick. We must listen and we must respond by adding more recovery time and decreasing stress, in order to support our body and to allow it to adapt and grow stronger.  

Keep a journal of your training, note how you are feeling and respond to these changes and you will stay well ahead of any risk of Overtraining.  Identify and remove any unnecessary stressors that you can control, in your life.  Check your Ego at the door, and give your body the respect it deserves- it is an amazing machine, but you must work within your limits of adaptation.  Patience, persistence AND flexibility are the keys to reaching your fitness and performance goals feeling strong, healthy and stoked!

If you want support with your training and recovery so that you can rock your goals feeling healthy and stoked this year, I'd love to help!  Check out my Online Training Plans and let me know if you have any questions:). 

Happy Trails!

Sarah x