In a constantly changing "flavor the of the week" enviornment around nutritional performance enhancers, tea seems to withstand the test of time. Regardless of the magazine issue or dietary trend of the month, tea always works its way into the equation. For this week, I asked Randee Bloom (thanks for the guest contribution!!), an RN and tea collector/enthusiast why this is the case. Here is what she had to say:
Intense exercise or everyday normal function requires the replacement of vital nutrients and fluids. The careful selection of which dietary sources to consume and when is critical to restoration and performance. Endurance athletes are especially concerned with selecting foods and beverages that pack a punch by offering multiple benefits; such as both hydration and nutrients. Tea, the most consumed beverage in the world after water, may be a good choice.
All natural tea, including the white, green, and black varieties begins life from the same plant. It is the manufacturing process, including fermentation, which results in the different amounts of available nutrients. Because green tea is unfermented or not oxidized (the leaves are instead steamed) it does not undergo the process known to eliminate or severely reduce the naturally occurring polyphenols, including the most common and powerful, flavonoids. Compounds such as flavonoids have received considerable attention by healthcare providers and researchers as potentially offering anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-fungal, and even anti-viral properties. Research around the globe on animals and humans has and continues to be conducted to isolate specific benefits.
Focusing upon endurance exercise, no conclusive benefits have been reported:One research study tested green tea’s potential to improve endurance during exercise. The controlled study measured the running times to exhaustion in mice. Findings reported in the American Journal of Physiology in 2006 revealed that those animals fed green tea extract (“GTE”) had higher running times to exhaustion and higher muscle glycogen contents as compared with the exercised but not GTE-fed group. That said, no such findings have been replicated in humans. In a study published in 2010 in the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, multiple respiratory and circulatory measurements of nine endurance-trained men were taken before, during and after exercise. Those who consumed GTE did not demonstrate performance or energy metabolism improvement. Unfortunately, the sports-science community seems to be at a mouse roadblock, for the time being anyways.
Green tea’s affect on fat oxidation:
One area of green tea’s potential benefit to all individuals, including those highly trained and seeking maximal metabolic function, is fat oxidation. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008 found that young healthy men who consumed the equivalent of 3 ½ cups of green tea prior to their cycling measured higher fat oxidation rates, a measurement of how fat is broken down. Researchers suggested that green tea creates higher concentrations of noradrenaline, thereby stimulating fat metabolism which in turn is transported to the muscle providing fuel during exercise. This could be particularly beneficial for longer-course endurance athletes, who often race distances that deplete carbohydrate stores and require burning fat as fuel. In non-race situations, green-tea could be a helpful tool in achieving a particular body composition, by stimulating the burning of fat before during training sessions. That said, take caution (and see articles of the week) when attempting what have become known as “starvation workouts,” which while thought to increase fat-burning, may have minimal benefit and could be detrimental to training and fitness progression.
Green tea’s nutritional benefits:Rather obvious but possibly overlooked, green tea offers certain benefits as a daily fluid because of what it does not contain. Compared with common beverages of choice, green tea has relatively low levels of caffeine (certainly markedly lower than coffee, black tea, and traditional cola soft drinks). As a natural plant-based food, green tea offers a significant combination of vitamins, including more Vitamin C than black or oolong varieties. And maybe most notably, green tea contains many necessary minerals and compounds known as antioxidants. Research has demonstrated that the antioxidants in green tea are powerful enough to slow the oxidative damage to cells, possibly blocking the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol and improving artery function. Studies have suggested green tea drinkers reduce their risk of stroke and coronary artery disease. However, the FDA has rejected manufactures’ requests to permit labeling the beverage as “heart-healthy.” Few harmful effects have been reported following green tea consumption in otherwise healthy adults. In addition to these more general health benefits, anti-oxidants found in green tea may have a powerful effect on reducing the byproducts (e.g., crap released in the body during intense training and recovery) of oxidative stress endurance athletes place on their bodies.
In summary, as a highly available, inexpensive, and delicious beverage, green tea appears to be a safe, even smart choice, for seeking hydration. Few cautions are offered for green tea drinkers, especially noting the relatively limited amount of caffeine compared with that usually measured in black tea. However, claims that actual physiological changes can be obtained which benefit either exercise endurance or overall cardiovascular, muscular, or hematological changes have yet to be documented. It appears that the complexity of this plant and the interactions of multifaceted human biological processes challenge the study of green tea’s potential. The isolation of either a single component or a recommended dosage for optimum health or performance remains hard to find. Further studies are sure to follow, but for the time being, it seems like Green Tea is likely to help, and not do harm; something many (more expensive and highly marketed) supplements can’t necessarily say.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Art and Science in Endurance Sports
Endurance sports are generally numbers driven. At the highest-level, performance at races is judged by the most honest broker of all -- time. To me, that’s a large part of the growing draw to endurance sports; in a world filled with so much subjectivity (just ask any management position at big company what it means for them to do a good job, and odds are, it won’t be a simple explanation), endurance athletics provide us with an increasingly rare ability to set a goal and measure it against an objective criteria. If the goal was a 3-hour marathon, there is no wondering if you did a good job or not. You either ran sub-3, or you didn’t. For better or worse, there just aren’t that many other areas in life where you can test yourself in such a pure way. So, against that backdrop, I would say racing with time as a gauge is a good thing.
Then there is training. Whether it is pace zones, distance, heart-rate, or wattage, workouts tend to be both driven by and measured by a proliferating amount of numbers on a screen. This provides an enormous benefit, using bio-feedback to ensure that our hard days are hard (not a problem for most endurance athletes) and that our easy days are easy (usually a much tougher challenge for endurance athletes). Numbers based training also lets us to measure progress and can highlight problems as they arise, allowing athletes [and their coaches] to make adjustments to training in real time. Personally, I train using pace and heart-rate, and if I could afford a power-meter, I would train using wattage too. I’m a big believer in making informed decisions in all things, and my training is no different. Data is great.
Next comes nutrition and recovery. Not that long ago, “calories in, calories out” was a fine guiding principle; now it is no longer good enough. Not only do we measure nutrients; carbs, proteins, and fats; but also sub-types of nutrients (energy gels are now branding themselves as having the right mix of glucose, fructose, and maltodextrin) and the timing of when we eat them (simple carbs right before and after workouts, good fats and proteins throughout the rest of the day). This type of nutritional information arose out of a lot of hard-science and an entire fleet of PhDs, and on balance, it’s pretty accurate, and it’s hard to argue that it can’t help improve performance and health. Same goes with recovery; new IPhone apps can tell you how many hours you spent in REM, and for under $70 at Costco, you can take home a scale that reads your weight, BMI, body-fat percentage, and hydration levels.
I could go on forever, but by now the point should be pretty clear. As endurance athletes (especially those of us that are more serious) we don’t just engage in a sport, but an entire lifestyle, and one that can gravitate toward being pretty numbers driven. Personally, I think all of this science is a good thing, but we cannot forget about the critical importance of art in the endurance athlete’s lifestyle. The rationale is pretty simple:
1. Population-based data (e.g., the ideal weight and body-comp for a male marathon runner) is based on a bell-curve. The smallest minority of people comprise the median/average, and the great majority (of us) fall somewhere along the tails. As a matter of fact, it is our individual scatteredness around the center that creates such a recommended number. To that end, becoming hell-bent on achieving such recommendations is a bad idea, since odds are, that recommendation isn’t fit for you as an individual. Use it as a guide or starting point, but know yourself, listen to your body, and figure out where along the curve you [as an individual] lie. Then zero-in on your “ideal point.” This is true for all population based science; it certainly defines a neighborhood you want to be in, but that’s it.
2. Individual data (e.g., heart-rate zones) is also somewhat based on averages. You may know your training zones like the back of your hand, but how does your last night’s sleep impact your heart-rate, or the argument you had with your boyfriend, or the stressful project at work, or the cup of coffee you had with lunch…Over time, these metrics (whether it’s heart-rate, pace, or power) paint a great picture of where we should be for each workout; but, on any given day, they can actually be detrimental to the success of a workout. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that we have this personalized bio-feedback, but even it can be deceiving at times.
For these reasons, I suggest relying on art (or feel, touch, Zen…whatever you want to call it) to support and work in unison with science. Neglecting science can lead us down an extremely unstructured and dangerous path to poor training, racing, and health….but neglecting art can too.
I’ve noticed amongst peers in the sport(s) that a lot of people are becoming more and more comfortable with science, but a much rarer few is even aware of, let alone focused on the importance of art. And it’s not easy. When the Garmin says 7:10 or 149bpm, you know exactly where you’re at. But, what about when the body starts to feel lethargic all the time? Or you realize that little things throughout the rest of the day are bothering you more than they should? Being in touch with that side of the lifestyle, and then being able to make tweaks based on that feedback, can be a much greater challenge, but one that I believe separates good from great training and racing (and also good from great coaching, for those of you that work with or are considering a coach).
For further insight on this topic, check out the articles of the week. Most notably, the Slowtwitch interview with Matt Dixon, the Ryan Hall series, and conversation on the pros and cons of training with metrics.
Then there is training. Whether it is pace zones, distance, heart-rate, or wattage, workouts tend to be both driven by and measured by a proliferating amount of numbers on a screen. This provides an enormous benefit, using bio-feedback to ensure that our hard days are hard (not a problem for most endurance athletes) and that our easy days are easy (usually a much tougher challenge for endurance athletes). Numbers based training also lets us to measure progress and can highlight problems as they arise, allowing athletes [and their coaches] to make adjustments to training in real time. Personally, I train using pace and heart-rate, and if I could afford a power-meter, I would train using wattage too. I’m a big believer in making informed decisions in all things, and my training is no different. Data is great.
Next comes nutrition and recovery. Not that long ago, “calories in, calories out” was a fine guiding principle; now it is no longer good enough. Not only do we measure nutrients; carbs, proteins, and fats; but also sub-types of nutrients (energy gels are now branding themselves as having the right mix of glucose, fructose, and maltodextrin) and the timing of when we eat them (simple carbs right before and after workouts, good fats and proteins throughout the rest of the day). This type of nutritional information arose out of a lot of hard-science and an entire fleet of PhDs, and on balance, it’s pretty accurate, and it’s hard to argue that it can’t help improve performance and health. Same goes with recovery; new IPhone apps can tell you how many hours you spent in REM, and for under $70 at Costco, you can take home a scale that reads your weight, BMI, body-fat percentage, and hydration levels.
I could go on forever, but by now the point should be pretty clear. As endurance athletes (especially those of us that are more serious) we don’t just engage in a sport, but an entire lifestyle, and one that can gravitate toward being pretty numbers driven. Personally, I think all of this science is a good thing, but we cannot forget about the critical importance of art in the endurance athlete’s lifestyle. The rationale is pretty simple:
1. Population-based data (e.g., the ideal weight and body-comp for a male marathon runner) is based on a bell-curve. The smallest minority of people comprise the median/average, and the great majority (of us) fall somewhere along the tails. As a matter of fact, it is our individual scatteredness around the center that creates such a recommended number. To that end, becoming hell-bent on achieving such recommendations is a bad idea, since odds are, that recommendation isn’t fit for you as an individual. Use it as a guide or starting point, but know yourself, listen to your body, and figure out where along the curve you [as an individual] lie. Then zero-in on your “ideal point.” This is true for all population based science; it certainly defines a neighborhood you want to be in, but that’s it.
2. Individual data (e.g., heart-rate zones) is also somewhat based on averages. You may know your training zones like the back of your hand, but how does your last night’s sleep impact your heart-rate, or the argument you had with your boyfriend, or the stressful project at work, or the cup of coffee you had with lunch…Over time, these metrics (whether it’s heart-rate, pace, or power) paint a great picture of where we should be for each workout; but, on any given day, they can actually be detrimental to the success of a workout. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that we have this personalized bio-feedback, but even it can be deceiving at times.
For these reasons, I suggest relying on art (or feel, touch, Zen…whatever you want to call it) to support and work in unison with science. Neglecting science can lead us down an extremely unstructured and dangerous path to poor training, racing, and health….but neglecting art can too.
I’ve noticed amongst peers in the sport(s) that a lot of people are becoming more and more comfortable with science, but a much rarer few is even aware of, let alone focused on the importance of art. And it’s not easy. When the Garmin says 7:10 or 149bpm, you know exactly where you’re at. But, what about when the body starts to feel lethargic all the time? Or you realize that little things throughout the rest of the day are bothering you more than they should? Being in touch with that side of the lifestyle, and then being able to make tweaks based on that feedback, can be a much greater challenge, but one that I believe separates good from great training and racing (and also good from great coaching, for those of you that work with or are considering a coach).
For further insight on this topic, check out the articles of the week. Most notably, the Slowtwitch interview with Matt Dixon, the Ryan Hall series, and conversation on the pros and cons of training with metrics.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Introducing Greater > Than Endurance
Over the past year, the balance of postings on my old blog was split pretty evenly between topical (e.g., approaches to training) and personal (e.g., race reports). I’ve realized that there is much more interest in the former than the latter. I’m still convinced most of my races are legendary...in my own mind anyways...
So, with that said, it became evident that a rebranding was in order: the content will now be centered around discussions on issues important to all of us: the latest in training, nutrition, recovery, and the lifestyle of an endurance athlete. I’m still reserving the right to share a race report every now and then, but I’ll only do so if I feel that there are take-aways highly applicable to a wide audience. I will try to get my own new posts up at least every two weeks. But another new and exciting feature of the blog will always be updated regularly: see the upper right panel for links to the top five endurance training/racing articles of the week. I’m a total nerd about this stuff, and read it frequently, and while a lot of what I read is great, a lot isn’t…so I’ll do my best to act as a “filter” for the good reads. Even if my writing doesn’t excite you, hopefully some of these articles will…and the blog will still carry some value for you
What’s up with the new name and site address: Greater > Than is a philosophy that characterizes us as endurance athletes. It is about creating and “opting-in” to just manageable challenges that yield physical, mental, and spiritual growth. We push ourselves to uncomfortable places and challenge our respective limits so that we can be Greater > Than we were the day before. While the medals, Facebook status updates, and Twitter feeds are cool, you don’t last in endurance sports if that is what drives you. Rather, we live this stuff for the complexity it creates in our lives, the character and confidence it builds, and the deep-rooted community we get to share it all with. My aim is for this blog (even if in the smallest way) is to contribute to your personal pursuit of becoming Greater > Than.
The first post on the newly branded blog is all about integrating this stuff with other aspects of our lives. It’s crowd sourced, so 99% of it is in your own words, and I think the result is pretty damn insightful. Check it out below!
***Got to give credit where credit is due: I didn’t come up with Greater > Than, but my good friends Mark and Jon Sider did, when they launched an electrolyte replacement sports drink that has partnered with the best local running store (RunningFit) to sponsor an Endurance Racing team out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. I'm a big fan of the drink, and an even bigger fan of the philosophy.
So, with that said, it became evident that a rebranding was in order: the content will now be centered around discussions on issues important to all of us: the latest in training, nutrition, recovery, and the lifestyle of an endurance athlete. I’m still reserving the right to share a race report every now and then, but I’ll only do so if I feel that there are take-aways highly applicable to a wide audience. I will try to get my own new posts up at least every two weeks. But another new and exciting feature of the blog will always be updated regularly: see the upper right panel for links to the top five endurance training/racing articles of the week. I’m a total nerd about this stuff, and read it frequently, and while a lot of what I read is great, a lot isn’t…so I’ll do my best to act as a “filter” for the good reads. Even if my writing doesn’t excite you, hopefully some of these articles will…and the blog will still carry some value for you
What’s up with the new name and site address: Greater > Than is a philosophy that characterizes us as endurance athletes. It is about creating and “opting-in” to just manageable challenges that yield physical, mental, and spiritual growth. We push ourselves to uncomfortable places and challenge our respective limits so that we can be Greater > Than we were the day before. While the medals, Facebook status updates, and Twitter feeds are cool, you don’t last in endurance sports if that is what drives you. Rather, we live this stuff for the complexity it creates in our lives, the character and confidence it builds, and the deep-rooted community we get to share it all with. My aim is for this blog (even if in the smallest way) is to contribute to your personal pursuit of becoming Greater > Than.
The first post on the newly branded blog is all about integrating this stuff with other aspects of our lives. It’s crowd sourced, so 99% of it is in your own words, and I think the result is pretty damn insightful. Check it out below!
***Got to give credit where credit is due: I didn’t come up with Greater > Than, but my good friends Mark and Jon Sider did, when they launched an electrolyte replacement sports drink that has partnered with the best local running store (RunningFit) to sponsor an Endurance Racing team out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. I'm a big fan of the drink, and an even bigger fan of the philosophy.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Making Training Work: Thoughts from Near-Elites that are "Pro" at Something Other than Multisport
It’s fitting that I’m pulling this post together on a flight back to Detroit for a wedding in my girlfriend’s family…after a half-day of work…after a 4-hour brick workout that started around 4:30AM. I won’t have my bike in Michigan, nor the time for such a long training session, but it was a critical workout that had to get done, and it got done. I’ll still train this weekend, but nothing nearly that long, and the focus will be on family and friends, not my cadence while climbing.
While I’ve written about finding “balance” before [http://bradstrainingupdate.blogspot.com/2011/02/balancing-training-with-other-things-in.html], the broader topic of making multisport training [and more generally, the lifestyle] work with other commitments is one that seems never to go away; constantly brought up on long group rides, in magazines, and recently, even in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Given the significance of and interest in this topic in our community, rather than giving additional thoughts of my own, I decided to take a “crowed source” approach. I asked over 30 near-elite [we aren’t talking weekend warriors, but athletes that constantly win their age-group and often find themselves on overall podiums] individuals that are “pro” at something other than multisport* how they make training at such a high level [often between 15-20 hours a week] work. The results, in their own words, are below. This is a long one, but probably the most insightful and useful stuff that has ever been up on this page. Go figure, it’s the one thing I didn’t write!
“I think it can be a very destructive sport and I’ve been aware of that from day one. I’ve always had my wife’s support. I’ve watched friends and training partners go from training, to sitting around, watching TV to jumping on Facebook, to having a stretch, then back to Facebook. That’s not how I spend my time. I think when you have other commitments, you need to be regimented, get things in order and get things done….I also always try to include my family in some way.”
“The balance is a lot of planning and communicating. But overall it comes down to the family understanding what I do. But also me understanding what I need to do…which is get up early a lot and get it done. Sleeping in and rolling out for a mid-morning bike ride on a weekend is unacceptable.”“I don’t golf, I don’t play poker, and I probably make $20K less than my full earnings potential. But I’m a hell of a lot healthier, wiser, happier, and a better example to my children for it.”
“It’s deciding how you want to spend your time. I am content with a mediocre social life and very few activities that don’t involve working out. The more you put into something the more you will get out, it works for training, relationships, and life. To put more in somewhere one usually has to take some out somewhere else.”
“I teach 6th grade, am getting my masters at night, have certain Teach for America obligations, a relationship, and train a lot. Everything is scheduled, and I try my best to stick to it. I also have a plan where I know what races to prioritize…I sync those up when the timing with everything else is right.”
“Quality over quantity. Use the trainer.”
“I have a very supportive and understanding husband, and I am constantly re-evaluating the balance of more training time to get faster and more competitive-and the importance of that. I would rather be an elite wife and mother than an elite athlete”
“I like to combine family outings with a workout. I will ride to my in-laws, meet the family in town.”
“It helps to have family that is supportive of the individual who is pursuing a multisport lifestyle, so they can operate in a more functional and progressive manner. Trying to balance graduate studies and doctoral internships, military training and deployments, and family life is a never-ending balancing act. I try to give the proper attention to each aspect of my life. It’s not easy, but as the time goes on you begin to realize how to fine-tune what aspects in your life need more attention, just like in multisport, when after a certain amount of time you begin to realize what aspects/disciplines of the sport you need to give more attention and fine-tuning to. We choose multisport because it pushes the mind and the body and allows us to feel the gift of life, in its most honest and natural state.”
“I have been EXTREMELY fortunate to be dating a girl that understands the dynamics of a competitive athlete, such as me. I have also been extremely successful in surrounding myself with people who both understand and admire what I do- and that's half the battle of making it work.”
“I do jeopardize other aspects of my life. My friends in the department constantly ask me if I want to go out for a pitcher or something on the weekends, but I always have to turn them down because I'm getting up early to roll on the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's just the kind of sacrifice that you have to make. You have to surround yourself with people who "get it", and the rest will take care of itself.”
“Planning and communication is key. At the start of every week, my wife knows when my workouts are, and if they don’t “work out,” then they are adjusted. Getting 15 hours in a week actually isn’t that tough at all, so long as you find the right 15 hours. That is a joint effort.”
“This sport is my Soma. You can get me at 70% 100% of the time, or 100% 95% of the time.”
“Yeah, it’s an addiction, but I see those that end their nights with 1-2 hours of TV on the couch just as addicted. And while mine may cost more now, when I hit 65, 70, it will cost a lot less”
“I’m not really sure how it works, to be honest. It would probably be easier to be a pro, but that’s just not realistic for me. It’s tough to be too good to do this casually, but not good enough to do it full time. But at the end of the day, even in monster weeks, finding 25 hours is feasible. Whether or not it will always be (I don’t yet have kids) I can’t say.”
I hope that you found this as thought-provoking and insightful as I did.
Until next time, Train hard, live hard!
*I include just one quote from a pro, which is the first one; I found it quite good.
While I’ve written about finding “balance” before [http://bradstrainingupdate.blogspot.com/2011/02/balancing-training-with-other-things-in.html], the broader topic of making multisport training [and more generally, the lifestyle] work with other commitments is one that seems never to go away; constantly brought up on long group rides, in magazines, and recently, even in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Given the significance of and interest in this topic in our community, rather than giving additional thoughts of my own, I decided to take a “crowed source” approach. I asked over 30 near-elite [we aren’t talking weekend warriors, but athletes that constantly win their age-group and often find themselves on overall podiums] individuals that are “pro” at something other than multisport* how they make training at such a high level [often between 15-20 hours a week] work. The results, in their own words, are below. This is a long one, but probably the most insightful and useful stuff that has ever been up on this page. Go figure, it’s the one thing I didn’t write!
“I think it can be a very destructive sport and I’ve been aware of that from day one. I’ve always had my wife’s support. I’ve watched friends and training partners go from training, to sitting around, watching TV to jumping on Facebook, to having a stretch, then back to Facebook. That’s not how I spend my time. I think when you have other commitments, you need to be regimented, get things in order and get things done….I also always try to include my family in some way.”
“The balance is a lot of planning and communicating. But overall it comes down to the family understanding what I do. But also me understanding what I need to do…which is get up early a lot and get it done. Sleeping in and rolling out for a mid-morning bike ride on a weekend is unacceptable.”“I don’t golf, I don’t play poker, and I probably make $20K less than my full earnings potential. But I’m a hell of a lot healthier, wiser, happier, and a better example to my children for it.”
“It’s deciding how you want to spend your time. I am content with a mediocre social life and very few activities that don’t involve working out. The more you put into something the more you will get out, it works for training, relationships, and life. To put more in somewhere one usually has to take some out somewhere else.”
“I teach 6th grade, am getting my masters at night, have certain Teach for America obligations, a relationship, and train a lot. Everything is scheduled, and I try my best to stick to it. I also have a plan where I know what races to prioritize…I sync those up when the timing with everything else is right.”
“Quality over quantity. Use the trainer.”
“I have a very supportive and understanding husband, and I am constantly re-evaluating the balance of more training time to get faster and more competitive-and the importance of that. I would rather be an elite wife and mother than an elite athlete”
“I like to combine family outings with a workout. I will ride to my in-laws, meet the family in town.”
“It helps to have family that is supportive of the individual who is pursuing a multisport lifestyle, so they can operate in a more functional and progressive manner. Trying to balance graduate studies and doctoral internships, military training and deployments, and family life is a never-ending balancing act. I try to give the proper attention to each aspect of my life. It’s not easy, but as the time goes on you begin to realize how to fine-tune what aspects in your life need more attention, just like in multisport, when after a certain amount of time you begin to realize what aspects/disciplines of the sport you need to give more attention and fine-tuning to. We choose multisport because it pushes the mind and the body and allows us to feel the gift of life, in its most honest and natural state.”
“I have been EXTREMELY fortunate to be dating a girl that understands the dynamics of a competitive athlete, such as me. I have also been extremely successful in surrounding myself with people who both understand and admire what I do- and that's half the battle of making it work.”
“I do jeopardize other aspects of my life. My friends in the department constantly ask me if I want to go out for a pitcher or something on the weekends, but I always have to turn them down because I'm getting up early to roll on the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's just the kind of sacrifice that you have to make. You have to surround yourself with people who "get it", and the rest will take care of itself.”
“Planning and communication is key. At the start of every week, my wife knows when my workouts are, and if they don’t “work out,” then they are adjusted. Getting 15 hours in a week actually isn’t that tough at all, so long as you find the right 15 hours. That is a joint effort.”
“This sport is my Soma. You can get me at 70% 100% of the time, or 100% 95% of the time.”
“Yeah, it’s an addiction, but I see those that end their nights with 1-2 hours of TV on the couch just as addicted. And while mine may cost more now, when I hit 65, 70, it will cost a lot less”
“I’m not really sure how it works, to be honest. It would probably be easier to be a pro, but that’s just not realistic for me. It’s tough to be too good to do this casually, but not good enough to do it full time. But at the end of the day, even in monster weeks, finding 25 hours is feasible. Whether or not it will always be (I don’t yet have kids) I can’t say.”
I hope that you found this as thought-provoking and insightful as I did.
Until next time, Train hard, live hard!
*I include just one quote from a pro, which is the first one; I found it quite good.
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