Tom Seabourne Ph.D
Page 1 of 2
Training
Cycle:
What is all of the buzz about micro, meso, and macro cycles? These are
fancy words for weekly, monthly and yearly training regimens. And all
of these training protocols combined are called periodization. Periodization
is the secret to increased fitness and maintaining your conditioning year-around,
maintains Joe Signorile, Ph.D., exercise scientist at the University of
Miami in Florida. Train differently depending on whether you are trying
to gain muscle or lose fat. Similarly, for different periods during the
year, consciously train harder or easier to get fitter or recover more
completely, suggests Dr. Signorile. Become scientific about your training
and watch your fitness skyrocket, says Signorile.
Marathon
Injuries:
What to Expect You might have guessed that male and female marathoners
incur different sorts of injuries and you would be correct according to
researchers from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Their study
published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine demonstrated that
male marathon runners have a higher risk of hamstring and calf problems,
while female runners have a higher risk of hip injury. They also found
that runners who had recently been ill were at greater risk for injury
during their marathon experience.
Steady
The Course:
It didn't matter whether Tom Seabourne cycled in 12 or 24-hour races,
his average speed always hovered around 20 miles per hour. In fact the
February 1993 issue of Sports Illustrated reported that Seabourne set
the 12-hour record covering a distance of 229 miles and then he set the
24-hour record with exactly double the mileage - 458 miles. This is not
surprising according to research published in the March 16th, 2000 issue
of Nature. Lead researcher Sandra Savaglio from the Space Telescope Science
Institute in Baltimore, MD discovered that runners who ran further than
1000 meters showed very little decline in their average speed no matter
the distance.
Michael
Johnson:
Were you slumped over, looking at your shoe laces, stumbling to the finish
line of your last race or training run? If your gait is interfering with
your stride, ask your partner to videotape you while you are running.
Then review the tape with a running coach or trainer, suggests John Atkins,
ATC, director of the Rehabilitation and Performance Center at the Steadman
Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colorado. Try running in an upright position with
your chest out and stomach in. Keep your elbows in close and relax your
arms and hands. Adjusting your foot-plant can alleviate ankle and foot
problems and improve your performance says Atkins.
Drafting
or Not:
Pedal behind another cyclist and you conserve 40 percent of your energy
according to Al Amado, Spinning Master Presenter in Houston, TX. But should
you draft another runner if you are pounding the pavement? It depends,
says Jack Daniels, cross country coach at the State University of New
York in Cortland. If you are running against a headwind, drafting can
help. But if you are afraid you will bump into the runner in front of
you, maybe you would feel more comfortable taking the lead, he says. And
if it is hot and humid, you may prefer to enjoy the slight breeze created
by your own draft contends Dr. Daniels.
Ankle
Sprain?
Are you prone to ankle sprains? Strengthen your peroneal muscles (the
muscles on the outside of your lower legs) and you're on your way to a
healthier running career according to Carol Frey, assistant clinical professor
at the University of California in Los Angeles. Improve your balance too.
Stand on one leg for one minute. Not too hard? Try balancing on one foot
with your eyes closed. Switch legs and repeat. If you are prone to ankle
sprains, wear an ankle brace only when you run on uneven ground so that
your ankle functions normally without the brace says Dr. Frey.
Muscle
Bound or Muscle Power?
Weight training is a powerful addition to your cycling and running program
according to Allen Jackson, assistant professor of kinesiology at the
University of North Texas in Denton. Pump iron during your pre and post
season to add power to your stride or stroke. Perform a maintenance program
during the season but never as a substitute for running or cycling. Although
the benefits of weight training for distance runners and cyclists are
minimal, hoisting weights does strengthen your muscles and tendons around
your joints and could help in preventing injuries says Dr. Jackson author
of Physical Activity for Health and Fitness (Human Kinetics, 1999).
You
Deserve A Break:
If your local weather forecast is "The Perfect Storm", or you feel nauseous
on time-trial day, take a day off, lessen your intensity or shorten your
workout. It is not one workout that matters, it is the weeks and months
of training that make a difference according to Larry North, owner of
Larry North's Total Fitness in Dallas, Texas. And do not become compulsive
about making up missed workouts or hitting your scheduled mileage. Easy
days and recovery workouts are as important to your running/cycling success
as your high intensity training, says North.
Stage
Fright?
Don't let pre-race butterflies snowball. Even the best and most experienced
cyclists and runners experience the jitters according to David Yukelson,
sports psychologist at the Pennsylvania State University in State College,
PA. Consider your pre-race pump an anticipated and necessary part of your
best performance. Rather than trying to cover up your anxiety, acknowledge
it. Then channel this tension into a laser-like focus by remembering that
you are ready to race. Warm up, take a deep breath, "see" yourself in
the zone, and go.
Side
Sticker?
The origin of the intolerable pain of a side stitch continues to bewilder
the medical community. The latest theory is that a side stitch may be
caused by stretched ligaments near your diaphragm says Paul Meriwether,
M.D. who owns a family practice in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. If this is true,
it would make sense not to eat or drink just before you stride out your
door so that you do not add weight to your stomach. If you experience
a side stitch, lean forward while contracting your abdominal muscles and
apply pressure into the painful area. Exhale through pursed lips (as if
you were whistling) while contracting your diaphragm to push out the air,
suggests Meriwether.
Eat
and Run:
A fascinating study reported in the March, 2000 issue of Medicine and
Science in Sports & Exercise demonstrated that if you are an ardent runner
you must eat to lose fat. Georgia State University researchers analyzed
world-class female runners' energy expenditure hour-by-hour during a typical
training day. Runners who did not eat enough to fuel their workouts had
lower metabolic rates and more body fat. Those who ate enough to cover
the cost of their caloric expenditure had less body fat. The lesson here
is that your body responds to food deprivation by storing fat. So keep
running and keep eating!
Water
or Sports Drink?
Have you ever noticed that when you drink plain water on your run or ride
that you have to take more bathroom breaks than if you sip a sports drink?
I have! "Sodium and carbohydrates can increase fluid absorption because
sodium is readily absorbed in the small intestines; thus these drinks
are more likely to enter the system than water alone, which would end
up in the bladder", says Ken Sparks and Dave Kuehls on page 104 of their
book, The Runners Book of Training Secrets. In addition, research by a
variety of sports drink companies suggest that the carbohydrates in their
products serve as an energy source during long runs and can help prevent
blood sugar levels from dropping.
