Fall Fitness

The long days of summer are fading, but that does not mean your health and fitness needs to fade as well.   From an exercise standpoint, there are plenty of things you can continue doing this fall to maintain your summer fitness gains.  In addition to exercise, two other things play an equally important role in maintaining optimal fitness and they are balanced nutrition and adequate sleep.   Just imagine if we could do just those three things consistently how much better we would feel every day. 

#1 Regular Exercise – The benefits of exercise are to numerous to list. There are so many great ways to get exercise especially living along the Front Range.  I would encourage you to have a variety of activities to choose from.  Variety is the spice of life and participating in different forms of exercise is a great way to cross train and help keep overuse injuries down.  With the weather changing, you may need to take some of your exercise indoors, or just get some better gear to handle the cooler weather.  Either way, you need to keep moving regardless of the temperature.  Exercise is probably one of the best ways to change your mood.  Think about it, when was the last time you finished a workout and felt depressed, or grumpy?  Yes, you may be tired, but it is a good tired that in turn may help you with #3 below.  Whether you exercise by yourself or with a group just be consistent in trying to get some movement each and every day.

#2 Balanced Nutrition – Similar to sleep, everyone is going to have their own specific needs depending on age, level of activity or trying to lose, maintain or gain weight.  A balanced diet of foods is fuel for optimal mental and physical energy.  Here is a simple thing to do that just requires a little bit of discipline.  Find out what you are really eating every day by keeping a food journal.    Try the journal for three days and write down everything you eat & drink.  This can be a big eye opener for a lot of people in terms of how much or little they are eating as well as the quality in food choices.  Often times, just the act of keeping a food journal will help you make better food choices.   From this you will have a better idea on what foods you may need to add to your diet as well as those that may need to be consumed in more moderation or eliminated to maintain a healthy body composition.

#3 Adequate Sleep – Our own personal energy level could be one of our most valuable resources and sleep plays a big role in this.  With adequate sleep you have a much better chance of success with #1 and #2 above, so make it a priority.  People have different sleep requirements, so the key is finding out what yours are and then doing your best to get those zzz’s.  Some people do fine on 6-7 hours a night, others need 8+ and teenagers can never seem to get enough.  Proper sleep allows our bodies to rejuvenate and recover from the day’s activities

We all have 24 hours each day, no more, no less.  Make the choice to get a little exercise each and every day.  This combined with balanced nutrition and adequate sleep is a great recipe for maintaining a healthy mind & body! 

Make it a great week of training,

Coach Eric

Run drills then hit the trails!

Fall color along I-70 Vail, CO

Fall is a great time of year to get out on the trails for more XC running.  This also means that if you have been running mostly on the roads with flat, level surfaces, your ankles and muscles of the lower leg may need a little tuning up. Here are some basic running drills that you can incorporate into any run as part of warm up, during the run or cool down.

Have a GREAT Monday and hope you're making the most of your day.

Coach Eric

Have a plan... Race your race

On October 12th, athletes from around the world will be stepping up to race at the IM World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.  For some it will be a return to the Big Island of Hawaii, others there first attempt on the course that Julie Moss put on the map back in 1982 (See the video )

But what makes this race and the days leading up to it just a bit different from any other IM?  Well there are a number of things but two stick out in my mind, the competition and the course.

Competition - You have the best of the best in 2013 bringing their "A" game ready to challenge their bodies and minds.  As athletes start rolling into town (well flying), the energy starts to build.  The morning swims down at the pier get more crowded as swimmers start getting used to the ocean conditions and race week there usually is a boat serving coffee about 400M off the pier.  Out on the Queen K athletes are putting in their final miles/km doing, tempo work, seeing how the bike handles in gusty cross winds, headwinds, tailwinds and making sure all systems are in working order after being put back together.  Along Ali' Drive runners scurry about and make new friends while striking up a conversation at the aid stations put out for training.  It is easy to get psyched out as so many fit and fast bodies are zooming all over the place and you feel the urge to push a little hard.  Now is not the time for that.  Stick to your plan and don't go chasing down some uber cyclist, or keep pace with someone on Ali'i.  Save it for race day!

#2 The course itself.  Ocean swim...This may seem trivial to some, but can freak others out who have never swam in a body of water where you can see everything and the current or swells are moving your body all over the place.  One minute you're headed for the Royal Kona, the next out to sea towards Maui.  For 8 years I lived, trained and coached in Kona and was fortunate to race their 3 x with a PR of 10:06 in 2010.  I have seen some pretty windy days out on the bike and that combined with the heat and humidity can humble even the most hardened athlete.  That is why you have to have a plan to manage not only the race, but particularly the bike segment (50+% of your day) and stick to that plan.  Should the winds decide to crank it up aka headwind from Kawaihae or Waikoloa all the way back to town, you must let go of any pre conceived notion of a time you are trying to achieve, otherwise you will bury yourself for the run.  Accept the fact that you can be riding in the single digits when going up any of the rollers if Madame Pele is blowing hard.  The Run is tough in any IM distance race, but running on a paved road in the middle of a lava field during the second 1/2 of the run will really test your limits both mentally and physically.

Kona is a special place to race no question about it.  Whether your racing Kona or doing your first triathlon, Have a plan... Race your race!

Make it a great week of training.
Coach Eric

Wanna get faster...."Take a Walk"

Calling ALL athletes.... Do your Easy... EASY and your Hard... HARD!

So simple, yet so effective.  Some of my best ideas have come while walking, (this post and others) because it allows me to slow down and get in tune with what I need for my mind & body.   But how is walking going to help me get faster?

At work, a short, 3- 5 minute walk to get up from the computer or just stretch the legs out is a great way to get refocused.  This length of walk is also a great way to start and finish a run or any workout in the gym.  Try using walks in the 20-30 minute range on a day of no swim, bike, run, core strength, etc... as a way to just loosen up a bit, aid in the recovery process and quite your mind because you are not working out in your chosen sport(s)

Remember training is recovery based.  Can't tell you how many athletes I have seen over the years that are stuck in the middle with performance and often injury prone.  Active rest, recovery workouts, zone 1, whatever name you want to give it, it must be EASY! Otherwise, when it is time for endurance, tempo, threshold, VO2, Zone 5ab or C, Anaerobic, etc... you will be compromised in these sessions and struggle to meet the training objectives of the workout.  Allow yourself the time to go easy when called for, so you can maximize your training time and adapt to the harder training sessions.

Finally, Taking a walk allows me the time to reflect on what I have accomplished both personally and professionally.  A time to set my intensions & desires for what I want to accomplish in the future.  A time to just practice present moment awareness and embrace where I am at right now!

If you have questions on setting up structured rest and specific training plans, please contact me at eric@coachericneilsen.com

Make it a great week of training and try taking a walk if you do not already incorporate that into your day!

Coach Eric

Swim Technique 101 & the Vasa Ergometer

Let's see... does anyone want to improve technique, reduce injuries and swim faster?  Try incorporating some of these basic swimming principals in the video below during your next swim.  (Video is about 5 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY1rmt7OcyQ&feature=youtu.be

These simple focus points can be included in warm up, part of a main set or cool down. By breaking the stroke down into components, it helps you identify not only your strengths, but your weaknesses.  Is my entry to wide, too narrow?  Am I setting a good catch or dropping my elbow?  Is my recovery relaxed? Sometimes just focussing on one of these can help reset your swimming stroke and help you find balance in the water.  Repetition through deliberate practice while training in the pool or on the Vasa Ergometer will help you maximize your time spent training. 

For more questions on how I may be able to hep you with your swimming, please contact me at eric@coachericneilsen.com

Make it a great week of training.
Coach Eric

Re-Post "The Stick before a Run or Ride"

Make the time for a proper warm up before your workouts.  Here is a video I had posted earlier this year on a short, effective warm up for the legs using "The Stick"

Also, starting a 10 Week program this Wednesday designed to improve your running efficiency and run a fast mile in Mid-November.  More info, please contact me at eric@coachericneilsen.com

Make it a great week,

Coach Eric

Work the Core

Photo: Bill Greentree

I was reviewing some articles the other day and came across a good one on "The Core", how it is used when running and some simple exercises you can implement.

When you have a moment, check it out The Core

Happy Labor Day and make it a great week.

Coach Eric