It's now a little under 3 weeks until baby #3 is here. I've been trying to do as much with my 2 oldest as possible so they don't feel ignored. That is always a fear of mine when there are big changes in the family or our life. So my wife & I both have been making sure they are....spoiled:)
Today I took my son & daughter to the park to play. The park my daughter refers to as the choo-choo park. My daughter played with a set of twin girls for an hour and a half while my son and I played on the see-saw & I pushed him in the swing. Afterwards I took them to the baseball field and we flew a kite for the first time. My daughter was amazed, my son could have cared less about our kite:) Good times.
My babies are napping right now. Once they wake up I'll put them in the bike cart & I'll do a 2 hr bike with an hour in z-3.
September 28, 2009
September 25, 2009
I....must....hurt....you
Now that I'm done with the Redman Half Iron I'm in recovery mode. I'm waiting for my coach to give me the green light to start training again. He doesn't want to start hammering my body until I'm recovered enough to avoid injury. I'm waiting impatiently. I'm salivating in anticipation. I'm more focused than I've ever been.
In November 2007 I attempted the Silverman Iron distance triathlon. I failed. The Silverman has been my only DNF in 54 multisport races. A DNF is when a person quits or is pulled from a course. The only reason an athlete is pulled from a course is when they are to slow & don't meet the minimum cut off time.
On November 11th 2007 I was to slow. I DNF'ED. At mile 92 of the bike I found out I wasn't good enough, wasn't fast enough, wasn't strong enough.
Now it's payback time. I'm going back to that course & I'm going to destroy it.
I'm on track to weigh between 188-190 pounds by race day. The lightest I've ever raced at was 192 pounds at the Jay Benson triathlon in May 2008. I had the best race of my life. In triathlon skinny isn't a body type, it's a tactical necessity. I plan on this being the first race of a new era. One in which every race from here on out I'm no longer a Clyd. From this years Silverman on I'll be an age grouper.
This time on Nov 8th 2009 I plan on putting a hurting on that Silverman course, rather than that course hurting me.
Before the Silverman in 07 I told my Dad who was dieing of emphysema I was dedicating that race to him, & I never even crossed the finish line.
on November 11th 2007 I was going to run across the finish line of my first Ironman holding my 2 year old daughter. I never even made it to the finish line.
This time I know what kind of punishment the Silverman has to offer. This time I'm light, this time I'm physically & mentally prepared, this time I will cross that finish line with a great finishing time!
In November 2007 I attempted the Silverman Iron distance triathlon. I failed. The Silverman has been my only DNF in 54 multisport races. A DNF is when a person quits or is pulled from a course. The only reason an athlete is pulled from a course is when they are to slow & don't meet the minimum cut off time.
On November 11th 2007 I was to slow. I DNF'ED. At mile 92 of the bike I found out I wasn't good enough, wasn't fast enough, wasn't strong enough.
Now it's payback time. I'm going back to that course & I'm going to destroy it.
I'm on track to weigh between 188-190 pounds by race day. The lightest I've ever raced at was 192 pounds at the Jay Benson triathlon in May 2008. I had the best race of my life. In triathlon skinny isn't a body type, it's a tactical necessity. I plan on this being the first race of a new era. One in which every race from here on out I'm no longer a Clyd. From this years Silverman on I'll be an age grouper.
This time on Nov 8th 2009 I plan on putting a hurting on that Silverman course, rather than that course hurting me.
Before the Silverman in 07 I told my Dad who was dieing of emphysema I was dedicating that race to him, & I never even crossed the finish line.
on November 11th 2007 I was going to run across the finish line of my first Ironman holding my 2 year old daughter. I never even made it to the finish line.
This time I know what kind of punishment the Silverman has to offer. This time I'm light, this time I'm physically & mentally prepared, this time I will cross that finish line with a great finishing time!
September 22, 2009
recovering from a PR & a new coach
Well, I'm post Redman. I was excited about my new 70.3 PR of 5 hr 30 min. I never dreamed I'd be that fast at that distance, especially considering all the rain, standing water, and mud from flooding on the bike & run course. I realize the biggest reasons for my increased speed was my low body weight- low for me anyways, and great coaching.
My coach is having me take off until Friday, then we'll evaluate how I feel & start training for the Silverman half Iron which is schedualed for Nov 7th. The Silverman is a very hard course with lots of climbing. So low body weight at the Silverman will be even more important than it was for the Redman. I feel I can get to 190-195 by then, & 180-185 by the New year. If I can get to that weight I'm going to race all of 2010 as a 35-39 AG. Racing as an AG, & under 200 pounds for an entire year has always been one of my biggest goals in triathlon. Wish me luck!
I'm ahead in the South West Challenge series. The athlete closest to me in points is a guy named George Ferland. Apparently he's very fast. He's won the Clydesdale division in every race he's competed in the last 2 years. There are 2 races left for the season. Essentially what it boils down to is if he races in either one of the next 2 he will be champion. If He doesn't compete in either of the 2 remaining I win the series. I'll keep you informed.
After the Silverman I'm going to be looking for a new coach. I've been with the coach I have now since the summer of 06. Coach Pete is awesome and he has shown me what nearly perfect triathlon coaching is like. He's good. Very very good, & he knows how good he is. Consequently and understandably he is raising his prices at the new year. I just can't afford to keep him on. $ is the one & only reason I have to get another coach.
I've had bad coaches before. Nothing is more aggravating & disheartening. I had a feeling this was going to happen with Coach Pete, so I'd been keeping my eyes open for other coaches for awhile. If this happened I was planning on hiring a retired pro cyclist by the name of James Webster who coaching here in Alb. Then, after speaking with my current coach this weekend, he told me he has some coaches who have signed on to coach for his company who are outstanding. He also gave me a discount on the coaching he's giving me until the Silverman as an incentive to stay with Mile High Multisport coaching. I'm now unsure what I'll do. 50/50 I guess.
James Webster is a local coach. That's a plus. He made a living from being a pro endurance athlete, the knowledge he'd have to offer based on his life experiences in pro cycling would be priceless. He returns phone calls very quickly, the negative side of him is that the times I emailed him, he took a long time to respond or never responded at all. Although I must point out I wasn't his paying athlete, so a slow response is understandable to a point. The other negative side of James is that he & his triathlon club has a pretty serious blood feud going on with mine. My tiathlon team, the NM Outlaws have always been such a supportive & kind group of people, I am unwilling to leave the NM Outlaws. I doubt James would be willing to coach me if I refused to join his team & race for "the enemy".
I trust my current coach whole hearted. If he says the coaches he has working for him are good I believe him. He'll also be over seeing the coaches under him, so I'll still have Coach Pete there giving advise to my new coach, explaining my strengths & weaknesses & how best to deal with them. There is also the fact that I have some serious food issues that coach Pete has been very patient with. I'm unwilling to tolerate someone saying something stupid & inconsiderate like "just be more mindful about what your putting in your mouth".
For right now I don't know which way I'll go for a new coach. I'll keep you informed.
Thanks for tuning in.
My coach is having me take off until Friday, then we'll evaluate how I feel & start training for the Silverman half Iron which is schedualed for Nov 7th. The Silverman is a very hard course with lots of climbing. So low body weight at the Silverman will be even more important than it was for the Redman. I feel I can get to 190-195 by then, & 180-185 by the New year. If I can get to that weight I'm going to race all of 2010 as a 35-39 AG. Racing as an AG, & under 200 pounds for an entire year has always been one of my biggest goals in triathlon. Wish me luck!
I'm ahead in the South West Challenge series. The athlete closest to me in points is a guy named George Ferland. Apparently he's very fast. He's won the Clydesdale division in every race he's competed in the last 2 years. There are 2 races left for the season. Essentially what it boils down to is if he races in either one of the next 2 he will be champion. If He doesn't compete in either of the 2 remaining I win the series. I'll keep you informed.
After the Silverman I'm going to be looking for a new coach. I've been with the coach I have now since the summer of 06. Coach Pete is awesome and he has shown me what nearly perfect triathlon coaching is like. He's good. Very very good, & he knows how good he is. Consequently and understandably he is raising his prices at the new year. I just can't afford to keep him on. $ is the one & only reason I have to get another coach.
I've had bad coaches before. Nothing is more aggravating & disheartening. I had a feeling this was going to happen with Coach Pete, so I'd been keeping my eyes open for other coaches for awhile. If this happened I was planning on hiring a retired pro cyclist by the name of James Webster who coaching here in Alb. Then, after speaking with my current coach this weekend, he told me he has some coaches who have signed on to coach for his company who are outstanding. He also gave me a discount on the coaching he's giving me until the Silverman as an incentive to stay with Mile High Multisport coaching. I'm now unsure what I'll do. 50/50 I guess.
James Webster is a local coach. That's a plus. He made a living from being a pro endurance athlete, the knowledge he'd have to offer based on his life experiences in pro cycling would be priceless. He returns phone calls very quickly, the negative side of him is that the times I emailed him, he took a long time to respond or never responded at all. Although I must point out I wasn't his paying athlete, so a slow response is understandable to a point. The other negative side of James is that he & his triathlon club has a pretty serious blood feud going on with mine. My tiathlon team, the NM Outlaws have always been such a supportive & kind group of people, I am unwilling to leave the NM Outlaws. I doubt James would be willing to coach me if I refused to join his team & race for "the enemy".
I trust my current coach whole hearted. If he says the coaches he has working for him are good I believe him. He'll also be over seeing the coaches under him, so I'll still have Coach Pete there giving advise to my new coach, explaining my strengths & weaknesses & how best to deal with them. There is also the fact that I have some serious food issues that coach Pete has been very patient with. I'm unwilling to tolerate someone saying something stupid & inconsiderate like "just be more mindful about what your putting in your mouth".
For right now I don't know which way I'll go for a new coach. I'll keep you informed.
Thanks for tuning in.
September 20, 2009
2009 Redman Half Iron & Halfmax Championships race report
I completed the Redman Half iron triathlon Saturday Sept 19th 2009. This was my fifth half iron race.
The Redman's race packet pickup was unorganized, chaotic, & took forever.
On race morning there was a %20 chance of rain. Shortly after I set up my transition area a torrential downpour started. within 20 minutes the transition area was filled with an inch of standing water. The rain had flooded the surrounding area so badly that the RD was contemplating making the race a swim/ run/ swim.
They ended up postponing the race 1.5 hrs. thankfully they still had the race as planned, just a bit late.
I swam the 1.2 miles feeling comfortable & much faster than I've ever swam in an open water mass start. My finishing swim time was 35 minutes 45 seconds. A PR of 8 minutes!
The transition area was very long & I was in the worse placing possible. About as far from the entrance & exit for both the run & bike a person could be.
Before the race start I had placed all my race equipment inside a water proof gym bag to prevent my race gear from getting wet. I was expecting a slower T-1 time from having to dig my cycling gear out of the bag. Surprisingly my transition time was relatively fast. 1 minute 46 seconds.
The 56 mile bike was a NIGHTMARE! The first 25-30 miles of streets had puddles of water at least on inch deep. There was a 100 foot section where the water was so deep the USAT officials had a mandatory dismount to walk our bike through the 16 inches of water that had flooded an intersection. I believe most RD's would have handled these conditions poorly by making knee jerk or imprper decisions. The Redman RD handled the situations & obsticles perfectly. Throughout the entire course the volunteers were AWSOME!
The Redman RD's exagerated, the bike course was not nearly as flat as they had claimed on the web. I rode a disk, and regretted it. I'd of been much faster on a pair of tri-spoke wheels. Of the 5 half's I've done both Soma & the 5430 has easier bike courses. It was pretty large rollers the whole way out & back, throw the free standing water into the equation & that led me to have a long & slow bike. I also bonked at mile 40. My bike time was 2 hrs 57 minutes.
I had another great T-2 time of 1 minute 54 seconds.
The majority of the 13.1 mile run course had flooded. There was at least a quarter inch of water on most of the course with an occasional low area being 4 or 5 inches deep.
I had bonked on the bike & didn't start feeling better again until mile 6 of the run. I was shocked at the half way mark of the run to see my time was only 53 minutes! Even with the bad run course condition & me having bonked I was on my way to a run PR. I started picking up the pace from mile 6 to mile 10. At mile 10 my hamstring started to cramp up so I tried switching my run style up. I ran more heel to toe which puts more of the stress on the quads & relieves it on the hams. That prevented my cramping in the hamstring from getting worse, but the cramping didn't go away. It was still there grinding away on the back of my leg.
At mile 11 my lower back started to seize up. I ran through the pain.
At mile 12.5 I saw another clydesdale 100 yards in front of me so I picked up the pace hoping to leave him in the dust. That was a mistake. Half way to running him down my quad & ham in my right leg cramped simultaneously & so badly I had to lay down right in the middle of the course. I laid there for about a minute trying to work the cramps out. Once they went away I got back up & tried to run as close to my pain threshold as possible without pushing so far as to cramp up again as badly
Somehow even with the water on the run course, the sporadic rain, & the horrible cramping I still PR'd the run by over two and a half minutes with a 1 hour 54 minute time.
I ended up having PR'd my half iron time with a 5 hour 30 minute 11 second race. I finished 8th total out of 28 Clydes & 273rd out of 750. I wonder what time I could of completed the race in if it wasn't for the poor conditions? I also realize that if I finished so well with those kinds of conditions I obviously had a great fitness level, so I'm looking foreword to CRUSHING the Silverman half in a 7 weeks. Without a doubt my coach is the bomb!
I must say I've never seem more aproachable & friendly RD's than the Redman's RD. I would do the Redman again, but only if they are NOT a part of the Halfmax series!.
The Halfmax National Championships promised to give out national awards for top 3 in each AG plus clyd's 39 & under, clyd's 40 plus, & same for the Athenas. They didn't. As a matter of a fact there was nothing there at all that that showed any hints the Halfmax being there or a part of anything at the REDMAN at all. There wasn't any awards, swag, or even any recognition from Halfmax. I believe the Halfmax is just a gimmick. Just a way someone has thought of to try & steal $ from athletes & race RD's. There's still no info posted anywhere on who finished in what place for the Halfmax National Championships. Only the rsults for the Redman. A felow Blooger triathlete went and complained to a Halfmax rep & the Halfmax rep said if she complained they would disqualify her! One of my biggest goals this year was to qualify for next years Halfmax National Championships. Now that I know what a shabby & untrustworthy organization they are I WONT race the Halfmax Championships even though I did end up qualifying by time. Dont get taken, ignore anything and all from this organization.
September 15, 2009
Cochiti swim, great support, & my dang weight issue!
Today I took my family to Cochiti lake. My wife & I had a picnic & played with our babies. After that I put on my wet suit & did some open water swimming. I felt fast & comfortable. Much more so than any other open water swim I've ever done. Part of that is I'm 27 pounds lighter than my normal race weight. I fit in my wet suit better so I don't feel like I'm being squeezed to death by a boa constrictor. The major reason I felt so comfortable in the water is I'm swimming consistently for the first time in my triathlon career. Imagine that!
I am dieing to find out how far it was from the shore line at the swim area, out to the buoy on the far left, following along the outside of the boat buoy's, until the far right shore line. If anyone knows please let me in on the secret.
I'm so very grateful for the support system I have in life & in triathlon. I've fallen off the diet wagon for the last 3 days. It started on my first full day of vacation. Celebration is a big food trigger for me. I'm sure excitement about my up coming race is also a huge contributing factor also.
On of the first motivators for me to stop overeating was today I drove to Alb & picked up my bike from JusMe. He cleaned & tuned up my bike. He even took off the race numbers I'd left on my bike from the last year of racing! As soon as I saw my tri-machine looking completely clean & ready to roll I got motivated to race! And who can race fat? Not me!
The other big help was a great guy & blogger was in town for work. I got to hang with him, talk triathlon, & even watch an episode of The biggest Loser. While here he talked to me about triathlon racing & our issues with weight. He helped me realize I'll never be cured. I can't be perfect ALL of the time. But I can be perfect %85 of the time. I was beginning to feel after 3 days all was lost & I was on the downward slide. But like JusMe says,"it's not a road without some bumps along the way".
I'm bound to get knocked on my butt on from time to time. That doesn't make my journey to becoming an ultra-thin, ultra endurance triathlete a failure. & failing at accomplishing that goal wouldn't even make me a failure. I'm a success at what's most important to me, being a follower of Christ, a father, & a husband. 10 years ago I wouldn't have thought I could be worth 2 shakes of a dogs tail at any of those things. But I am.
Giving up on my weight loss goal would mean I had stopped trying. & I don't believe I have any quit in me. I'm a stubborn, hard working, dedicated man in all things. Diet just seems to be the one area I'm going to have to get up & dust myself off from most often. & tomorrow I'm going to do just that. For tomorrow I WILL be a success. I will be back on the wagon. I will eventually fall off again. I know that, but I will continue to get up as many times as it takes to succeed at becoming the triathlete I so desperately desire to be.... a thin one.
I am dieing to find out how far it was from the shore line at the swim area, out to the buoy on the far left, following along the outside of the boat buoy's, until the far right shore line. If anyone knows please let me in on the secret.
I'm so very grateful for the support system I have in life & in triathlon. I've fallen off the diet wagon for the last 3 days. It started on my first full day of vacation. Celebration is a big food trigger for me. I'm sure excitement about my up coming race is also a huge contributing factor also.
On of the first motivators for me to stop overeating was today I drove to Alb & picked up my bike from JusMe. He cleaned & tuned up my bike. He even took off the race numbers I'd left on my bike from the last year of racing! As soon as I saw my tri-machine looking completely clean & ready to roll I got motivated to race! And who can race fat? Not me!
The other big help was a great guy & blogger was in town for work. I got to hang with him, talk triathlon, & even watch an episode of The biggest Loser. While here he talked to me about triathlon racing & our issues with weight. He helped me realize I'll never be cured. I can't be perfect ALL of the time. But I can be perfect %85 of the time. I was beginning to feel after 3 days all was lost & I was on the downward slide. But like JusMe says,"it's not a road without some bumps along the way".
I'm bound to get knocked on my butt on from time to time. That doesn't make my journey to becoming an ultra-thin, ultra endurance triathlete a failure. & failing at accomplishing that goal wouldn't even make me a failure. I'm a success at what's most important to me, being a follower of Christ, a father, & a husband. 10 years ago I wouldn't have thought I could be worth 2 shakes of a dogs tail at any of those things. But I am.
Giving up on my weight loss goal would mean I had stopped trying. & I don't believe I have any quit in me. I'm a stubborn, hard working, dedicated man in all things. Diet just seems to be the one area I'm going to have to get up & dust myself off from most often. & tomorrow I'm going to do just that. For tomorrow I WILL be a success. I will be back on the wagon. I will eventually fall off again. I know that, but I will continue to get up as many times as it takes to succeed at becoming the triathlete I so desperately desire to be.... a thin one.
September 10, 2009
A great wife, great triathlons, & a kicking boy
Last week I did a 1000 yard Time Trial & shattered my old PR. My previous best was around 17:30. I swam a 14:39 last week. I'll be wearing a wet suit during my upcoming race, which makes a person more buoyant & fast. I'm expecting to break my half Iron swim PR by 5 minutes.
Like I said in previous posts, I'm in full blown taper mode & rearing to race! I feel good & have been averaging a weight between 200-204 pounds. Wish me luck!
New news! My buddy won't be able to utilize his Silverman Half Iron Slot, so he gave it to me! My cousin Chris & I are going to race the Silverman Half triathlon together. The Silverman is Nov 8th. I suspect I'll be weighing approximately 190 pounds by then. The lowest I've EVER raced before was 192, & I was SMOKING FAST at that race! I plan on weighing less than that at the Silverman. & I will no longer be a Clydesdale!
One year out of every 5 my cousin & I are in the same Age Group. This is one of those years, & since I will no longer be a Clyd, he & I will be in the same wave start for the Silverman. That makes for a pretty exciting race component! By no means am I expecting to have a finishing time anywhere near his, he's a natural triathlete. But it will definitely make the race more fun & challenging!
Let me break something down here, let me explain to you how amazing & supportive a wife I have. Sept 19th is the Redman Half Iron in Oklahoma city Ok. That's 4 weeks before my son, baby #3 is due. The Silverman half Iron in Las Vegas, Nevada is Nov 8th, 3 weeks after my son is due. That my wife is willing to let me leave her for a race with an unborn child & 2 toddlers is mind boggling to me! What she'll be going through will be much more difficult during each of those 2 triathlon trips than ANY Half Iron I could attempt! I thank the Lord for her every day.
I work nights, & every morning when I crawl into bed my unborn son and I play for half an hour or so. When I lay in bed next to my wife I lay my hand on her stomach he'll start kicking, kneeing, & elbowing my hand, I'll poke him back. Yesterday morning for the first time I felt him push against my hand with his hand.... I felt my boys hand for the first time! It was very exciting & touching for me.
Again, I'd like to point out what an amazing wife I have. I lay down to sleep at 6:30am and my boy & I poke at each other for half an hour through her stomach. She patiently puts up with our rough housing with each other until one or both of us boys falls asleep.
My unborn son knows the difference between my touch & anyone else. He only plays like that when he feels my hand. If my wife puts anyone else hands in the same spot on her stomach my son won't play with them like he does me:) My boy & I have already developed a bond & trust. I love being a Dad!
Like I said in previous posts, I'm in full blown taper mode & rearing to race! I feel good & have been averaging a weight between 200-204 pounds. Wish me luck!
New news! My buddy won't be able to utilize his Silverman Half Iron Slot, so he gave it to me! My cousin Chris & I are going to race the Silverman Half triathlon together. The Silverman is Nov 8th. I suspect I'll be weighing approximately 190 pounds by then. The lowest I've EVER raced before was 192, & I was SMOKING FAST at that race! I plan on weighing less than that at the Silverman. & I will no longer be a Clydesdale!
One year out of every 5 my cousin & I are in the same Age Group. This is one of those years, & since I will no longer be a Clyd, he & I will be in the same wave start for the Silverman. That makes for a pretty exciting race component! By no means am I expecting to have a finishing time anywhere near his, he's a natural triathlete. But it will definitely make the race more fun & challenging!
Let me break something down here, let me explain to you how amazing & supportive a wife I have. Sept 19th is the Redman Half Iron in Oklahoma city Ok. That's 4 weeks before my son, baby #3 is due. The Silverman half Iron in Las Vegas, Nevada is Nov 8th, 3 weeks after my son is due. That my wife is willing to let me leave her for a race with an unborn child & 2 toddlers is mind boggling to me! What she'll be going through will be much more difficult during each of those 2 triathlon trips than ANY Half Iron I could attempt! I thank the Lord for her every day.
I work nights, & every morning when I crawl into bed my unborn son and I play for half an hour or so. When I lay in bed next to my wife I lay my hand on her stomach he'll start kicking, kneeing, & elbowing my hand, I'll poke him back. Yesterday morning for the first time I felt him push against my hand with his hand.... I felt my boys hand for the first time! It was very exciting & touching for me.
Again, I'd like to point out what an amazing wife I have. I lay down to sleep at 6:30am and my boy & I poke at each other for half an hour through her stomach. She patiently puts up with our rough housing with each other until one or both of us boys falls asleep.
My unborn son knows the difference between my touch & anyone else. He only plays like that when he feels my hand. If my wife puts anyone else hands in the same spot on her stomach my son won't play with them like he does me:) My boy & I have already developed a bond & trust. I love being a Dad!
September 06, 2009
ibuprofen
I got this off the NM Outlaws webpage. It's awsome info. Thought I'd share
Phys Ed: Does Ibuprofen Help or Hurt During Exercise?
By Gretchen ReynoldsDan Saelinger/Getty Images
Several years ago, David Nieman set out to study racers at the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile test of human stamina held annually in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. The race directors had asked Nieman, a well-regarded physiologist and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the North Carolina Research Campus, to look at the stresses that the race places on the bodies of participants. Nieman and the race authorities had anticipated that the rigorous distance and altitude would affect runners' immune systems and muscles, and they did. But one of Nieman's other findings surprised everyone.
After looking at racers' blood work, he determined that some of the ultramarathoners were supplying their own physiological stress, in tablet form. Those runners who'd popped over-the-counter ibuprofen pills before and during the race displayed significantly more inflammation and other markers of high immune system response afterward than the runners who hadn't taken anti-inflammatories. The ibuprofen users also showed signs of mild kidney impairment and, both before and after the race, of low-level endotoxemia, a condition in which bacteria leak from the colon into the bloodstream.
These findings were "disturbing," Nieman says, especially since "this wasn't a minority of the racers." Seven out of ten of the runners were using ibuprofen before and, in most cases, at regular intervals throughout the race, he says. "There was widespread use and very little understanding of the consequences."
Athletes at all levels and in a wide variety of sports swear by their painkillers. A study published earlier this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that, at the 2008 Ironman Triathlon in Brazil, almost 60 percent of the racers reported using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers (or NSAIDs, which include ibuprofen) at some point in the three months before the event, with almost half downing pills during the race itself. In another study, about 13 percent of participants in a 2002 marathon in New Zealand had popped NSAIDs before the race. A study of professional Italian soccer players found that 86 percent used anti-inflammatories during the 2002-2003 season.
A wider-ranging look at all of the legal substances prescribed to players during the 2002 and 2006 Men's World Cup tournaments worldwide found that more than half of these elite players were taking NSAIDS at least once during the tournament, with more than 10 percent using them before every match.
"For a lot of athletes, taking painkillers has become a ritual," says Stuart Warden, an assistant professor and director of physical therapy research at Indiana University, who has extensively studied the physiological impacts of the drugs. "They put on their uniform" or pull on their running shoes and pop a few Advil. "It's like candy" or Vitamin I, as some athletes refer to ibuprofen.
Why are so many active people swallowing so many painkillers?
One of the most common reasons cited by the triathletes in Brazil was "pain prevention." Similarly, when the Western States runners were polled, most told the researchers that "they thought ibuprofen would get them through the pain and discomfort of the race," Nieman says, "and would prevent soreness afterward." But the latest research into the physiological effects of ibuprofen and other NSAIDs suggests that the drugs in fact, have the opposite effect. In a number of studies conducted both in the field and in human performance laboratories in recent years, NSAIDs did not lessen people's perception of pain during activity or decrease muscle soreness later. "We had researchers at water stops" during the Western States event, Nieman says, asking the racers how the hours of exertion felt to them. "There was no difference between the runners using ibuprofen and those who weren't. So the painkillers were not useful for reducing pain" during the long race, he says, and afterward, the runners using ibuprofen reported having legs that were just as sore as those who hadn't used the drugs.
Moreover, Warden and other researchers have found that, in laboratory experiments on animal tissues, NSAIDs actually slowed the healing of injured muscles, tendons, ligament, and bones. "NSAIDs work by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins,"substances that are involved in pain and also in the creation of collagen, Warden says. Collagen is the building block of most tissues. So fewer prostaglandins mean less collagen, "which inhibits the healing of tissue and bone injuries," Warden says, including the micro-tears and other trauma to muscles and tissues that can occur after any strenuous workout or race.
The painkillers also blunt the body's response to exercise at a deeper level. Normally, the stresses of exercise activate a particular molecular pathway that increases collagen, and leads, eventually, to creating denser bones and stronger tissues. If "you're taking ibuprofen before every workout, you lessen this training response," Warden says. Your bones don't thicken and your tissues don't strengthen as they should. They may be less able to withstand the next workout. In essence, the pills athletes take to reduce the chances that they'll feel sore may increase the odds that they'll wind up injured — and sore.
All of which has researchers concerned. Warden wrote in an editorial this year on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine that "there is no indication or rationale for the current prophylactic use of NSAIDs by athletes, and such ritual use represents misuse."
When, then, are ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory painkillers justified? "When you have inflammation and pain from an acute injury," Warden says. "In that situation, NSAIDs are very effective." But to take them "before every workout or match is a mistake."
September 05, 2009
The spoiled under 30 crowd
When I was a
kid, adults
used to bore
me to tears
with their
tedious
diatribes about
how hard
things were.
When they
were growing
up; what with
walking
Twenty-five
miles to school
every
morning....
Uphill...
Barefoot...
BOTH ways
Yadda, yadda, yadda
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of stuff like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!
But now that... I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.
You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a darn Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!
I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalogue!!
There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen!
Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take, like, a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!
Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our butts! Nowhere was safe!
There were no MP3's or Napsters! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the darn record store and shoplift it yourself!
Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished and the tape would come undone. Cause - that's how we rolled, dig?
We didn't have fancy stuff like CALLWAITING! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!
And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination! ! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever!
And you could never win.. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!
You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were out of luck when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your rear and walk over to the TV to change the channel! NO REMOTES!!!
There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rats!
And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove! Imagine that!
That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980or before!
Regards,
The Over 30 Crowd
September 03, 2009
my family in training
My daughter who will turn 4 later this month has really been getting the hang of riding her bike. Today I took her to ride in Santa Fe on a bike/run trail that follows the NM Rail Runner. She thought this was the neatest thing. I in turn was amazed that she rode almost 2 miles!!! Wow. That's a LONG ride for a 3 year old. I'm a VERY proud Daddy today.
As we were driving home I told her how proud I was & that she did absolutely AMAZING! Aparently this went straight to her head because she told me "I'm ready to race you Daddy. I'll beat you too."
Tomorrow I'm going to take her & our 2 bikes to the New Mexico Corrections Academy track where she & I will have our first race. I'm sure I'll look back at tomorrow fondly the rest of my life. I'm also pretty sure her statement that she can beat me in a bike race will come true, sooner than I'd like to imagine. Early teenage years perhaps? Earlier knowing her. My daughter truly is a natural athlete. She is leaps & bounds ahead of most kids (including the boys!) her age in all things needing any athleticism.
My son who just turned 2 is more like me. Athletics don't come naturally to him, but he has a determination level that's astounding to see. Sometimes when I'm at the house working out my kids will attempt to do what I am doing. Anything from crunches to lunges. My daughter has always been able to mimic whatever it is I'm doing quickly & with very little direction, then pump out reps using perfect form without much thought or effort. My son doesn't pick up the form nor is he able to do the exercises as easily as she did at the same age. But he'll stay trying to master it long after my daughter (who is 2 years his elder) has grown bored & wondered off.
Last week my son continued to do walking lunges up & down the house with me until he hit muscle failure. Unwilling to stop in-spite of hitting the wall he looked around for a solution. I then watched in amazement & pride as he walked over to the couch & continued doing lunges using his hands on the couch to help lift his fatigued little body, getting in those extra repetitions. I do love fatherhood. It is so rewarding to watch each of them develop their own little personalities & strengths.
My training for the Sept 19th Halfmax National Championships is going almost as well as my children's training;) I'm fluctuating between 202- 205 pounds which is a fast & powerful weight range for me. I'm now down to 17 days until race day. My nutrition is on the money & my taper is going GREAT! I'm mentally & physically prepared & motivated for for this race.
The Halfmax will be my 6th Half Iron distance triathlon in the last 4 years. I think I have it within my grasp to beat my personal best Half Iron time of 5hrs 36 minutes & change. Stay tuned to see how things go!
Thanks for reading.
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