Wake up. Workout. Repeat. That was my jam for a number of years. It still is…to an extent. Working out feels good; it invigorates me, it strengthens me, and most days – it supplies much needed alone-time. But my workouts look quite different than they once did. My workouts used to consist of back-to-back cardio group classes because one just wasn’t enough. Double days, 3+ hour bike rides, and hitting the pavement one mile after the next were commonplace. Notice any themes here??? Endurance much?! I was logging A LOT of hours of cardio. Yes, I occasionally threw in some strength training and yoga but the consistent element was cardio. …
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ENDURANCE: Are You Built For It
Endurance Sports are understandably hard. They take a long time to get from the start to finish line. They require a considerable amount of training. AND, they take a toll on the body: joints, synovial fluid, muscle catabolism, adrenal fatigue, nutrient and hormone depletion all come in to play. That being said, there is huge psychological benefit to endurance training and racing. But the question begs asking; does endurance training, at least from the standpoint of physical consequences, love me? The answer: perhaps – sometimes. And others – not so much. The truth is not everyone is built for endurance training. At its most basic, endurance training is the act…
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Balance Between Under & Over Training…Why Rest Days Matter
Finding time to train can be a challenge for anyone. Finding time to train for an endurance sport is another ballgame, altogether! Endurance training, as it implies, requires more time – time under tension specifically, meaning you are exposing your body to environmental stress for a sustained period of time. Let’s be clear, training can be extremely healthy for an individual. However, training is still received by the body as a stressor and as such needs respective recovery. Recovery can come in many forms, be it muscle work, nutrition, and/or sleep and time off (rest days). Unfortunately, intensive muscle work often comes at an added expense and does not always…
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Irritated, hot and angry muscles and joints
Athletes are accustomed to tight and achy muscles. We accept inflammation and edema as an unavoidable consequence of the intensity and load of training we put our bodies through. But how much is too much? And what to do? First, let us define inflammation as the body’s response to and subsequent effort to eliminate what it identifies as ‘foreign’ invaders (i.e. food that one is sensitive to, offensive chemicals, pathogens etc.). Edema is swelling and fluid accumulation typically in response to a specific injury or inflammation. For years, the simple and easy to remember remedy, RICE – Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate – was prescribed for both inflammation and edema.…
