Saturday, September 27, 2014

Motivated to Excel


In chapter 10 of his book 'Behind the Stare' (2012, Deeds Publishing) author Geoff Procter talks about the broad range of training devices that are available to athletes today - things like power meters, heart rate monitors, and altitude tents that let cyclists and runners simulate the thin air of high elevations.

He also notes that the most underrated key to becoming the best athlete that you can be is simply motivation - something that can't be purchased.

"You have to execute," says Procter. "You have to get out the door and you have to hurt even when no one’s watching."

Executing the training plan as designed and pushing yourself through hard workouts without a daily audience is something that is internal and can't be bought.

This self-motivated drive to excel is what separates casual participants from serious contenders in almost every sport, and is what enables individuals with less-than-optimal genetic ability to accomplish athletic feats that more genetically-talented people sometimes don't achieve.

If you examined the heart rate data from many people's workouts, you would see that most of their workout time day after day is in HR zone 2 and possibly the lower part of zone 3 ( approximately 60-75% of maximum heart rate).

This effort range is fun, very moderate related to intensity and is easy enough that you can carry on a conversation while working out.

You might also notice that (based on their social media posts) these casual recreational athletes focus on distance covered or time spent exercising instead of the intensity level maintained during a workout.

In contrast, although the top competitive athletes may spend up to 80% of their workout time in the 'endurance zone', it's the other 20% spent doing much harder workouts that separates the serious contenders from casual participants.

These athletes have the interval motivation to go really hard when their training plan calls for intensity.

 In the book, Procter also gives two examples of athletes whose motivation to excel resulted in extraordinary accomplishments in their sport. 

Lance Armstrong, his issues with performance-enhancing drugs not withstanding, was a professional cyclist who set new standards related to the following 'periodized' training plans.

He followed carefully-structured training plans that progressively enabled him to achieve higher and higher levels of race-specific fitness, timed to peak perfectly for key races such as the Tour de France.

His workouts included both long easy miles and brutally painful sessions such as long uphill intervals at or above his maximum sustainable heart rate on steep high mountain roads.

Procter also cited professional cyclocross racer and World Champion Sven Nys as an example of someone who has the motivation to 'do the hard efforts.'

He described on one workout that Nys does on a 3-4 minute forest circuit that includes an almost-unridable very steep climb up a sandy ravine.

"The first time we came here years ago, Sven couldn’t make it up," said his coach Paul Van den Bosch. "Now, he’s doing these explosions every week."

"When we’re training hard I have him do five laps at around 3:50 per lap, then four laps at 3:40, then three laps at 3:35, then two laps at 3:30 and then one lap flat out."

The coach also noted that when he instructed Nys to do one more lap at a very hard pace, Nys did the final hard lap at maximum effort - and then did one more 'final' lap at the same brutal pace.

The next time that you compete in a cycling or running event, think about where you may have seen the people who are on the podium that day receiving awards after the race.

Chances are they're the same people you saw doing a hard solo run, hammering fast through the State Park trails on a mountain bike, or doing painful interval repeats up a hill on a road bike.

Remember - winning athletes are those who get out the door and hurt when no one’s watching.


Upcoming Events
Oct 4: Shannon Pink Ribbon Run, tinyurl.com/pygg67j
Oct 11: Goodyear Race for Celebration, roadlizards.org
Oct 11: Christoval Vineyards Half Marathon, runintexas.com/christoval
Oct 18: Heart Walk 5K, roadlizards.org
Oct 19: West Texas Half Marathon and 5K, westtexashalf.com/
Oct 25: Armydillo 10K, roadlizards.org/events/armydillow-10k-run/
Nov 1: 30K of the Dinosaur trail race, roadlizards.org
Nov 1: Six Hours of the Dinosaur mountain bike race, angelobike.org/6hour-dinosaur


Monday, September 22, 2014

Hidden Gems



Last week's article about the fitness venues around Lake Nasworthy (http://bcullins.blogspot.com/2014/09/lake-areas-need-improvements.html) generated several questions about the Nature Preserve Trail on Spillway Road and the adjacent Spillway Park open space at the end of Spillway Road.

Compared to the other parks and open space around Lake Nasworthy, these two areas get very little usage.  That may be because many people don't know where they are located or what the areas offer for casual cyclists, hikers, runners or walkers.

Even though these areas are off the beaten path compared to locations like the swim beach and the KOA loop, they are hidden gems and offer some natural amenities that heavier-used areas just don't provide.

The Nature Preserve Trail is a scenic one-mile loop that begins at a small parking area on Spillway road. To get there, go south on Knickerbocker Blvd past the airport and then turn right onto Spillway Road just before the Twin Buttes dam.  Follow Spillway for two miles to the Nature Trail parking lot which will be on your right.

Prior to heading out onto the Nature Trail, you may want to stop at the San Angelo Nature Center at Lake Nasworthy (cosatx.us/departments-services/nature-center) and pick up a trail map.

These maps include notations related to the numbered markers on the trail that identify different plants, trees and points of interest and representations of the different animal tracks that you might commonly see along the route such as those for deer, raccoon, nutria, roadrunners and opossum.

At about the 1/2 mile point on the trail, you have the option of turning left onto a short side path that goes across a small wooden bridge to the edge of the lake. From the water's edge, you can look across to Middle Concho Park and also see the old bridge pilings that once carried the Santa Fe Railroad across the river prior to Twin Buttes Reservoir being built.

The Nature Trail is a nice short hike for the family, an interesting side loop if you're doing a run along Spillway Road and is also a great place to take younger kids for a 'mountain bike' outing.

A second area to bike/hike/run or walk your dog that can also be accessed from the Nature Trail parking area is the open space commonly referred to as Spillway Park.

This triangular open meadow area is located on the north side of the Middle Concho River channel at the end of Spillway Road. There's a double pipe fence gate across the road about 70 yards past the Nature Trail with bike/pedestrian openings on the left edge of the gates.

Start your tour of Spillway Park by following the old paved road as it heads north toward the Twin Buttes spillway.

At the end of the pavement, you can look out over the water of the spillway channel or veer to the right onto a dirt track that continues along the edge of the water and eventually back to the double pipe gates on Spillway Road.

One complete loop around the open space is about a mile with all of the terrain being flat to gently rolling.

Combine the Nature Trail and Spillway Park loops and you'll enjoy just over two miles of peaceful and scenic outdoor exercise with no cars and very few people to disturb the quiet and peace.

No cars, very few people and scenic vistas might make for a better workout than the hot pavement and traffic around the swim beach or on the KOA loop.

Remember - the Nature Trail and Spillway Park are scenic off-the-beaten-path areas to bike, hike or run.

Upcoming Events
Sept 20: Color Up 5K, colorup5k.com/san-angelo
Sept 27: High Sky Foster Run, roadlizards.org/events/high-sky-foster-run/
Sept 27: Mason Lions Club 5/10K Run, tinyurl.com/nzl5q2r
Oct 4: Shannon Pink Ribbon Run, tinyurl.com/pygg67j
Oct 11: Goodyear Race for Celebration, roadlizards.org
Oct 11: Christoval Vineyards Half Marathon, runintexas.com/christoval
Oct 18: Heart Walk 5K, roadlizards.org
Oct 19: West Texas Half Marathon and 5K, westtexashalf.com/
Oct 25: Armydillo 10K, roadlizards.org/events/armydillow-10k-run/
Nov 1: 30K of the Dinosaur trail race, roadlizards.org
Nov 1: Six Hours of the Dinosaur mountain bike race, angelobike.org/6hour-dinosaur

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