Make next season your Best yet

Like a number of athletes right now your season maybe winding down - getting in a few last minute events to extend the summer. We have a number of athletes focused on big 'A' events in Kona, Clearwater, Hungary and the NYC Marathon but most are just about done. So now is a good time to start to review how your season has gone, what's worked well and what you need to do differently, to make those performance gains that you want next season.

For those of you that have ever done any form of performance coaching you may be familiar with the "GROW" model, but if not, it's a simple way of giving yourself some self coaching around your own performance development. Let me explain how it works.

G = Goal. What events or performance targets are you going to set yourself next year? Are you going to work on that swim stroke that has been holding you back? Maybe you need to improve your FTP (functional threshold power) on the bike to PB on the bike split? Some of us are more motivated by a big race or a new country to visit that has an exciting race attached. Whatever it is, we want to find something that is going to get us motivated. Something to get out of bed on a cold January morning to go and swim laps in the pool or hit 'another' turbo session with the required gusto! What is it that’s going to light the fire under your bed and get you focused for a winter of consistent work?

R = Reality. How has this year gone? Did you achieve the goals you set out to achieve or somewhere along the line fall short? What was it that caused you to achieve that result good or not so good? What were you really pleased with? What did you feel could have gone better? Getting to the 'Reality' of the situation is all about being really honest about what you have achieved and getting 'real' about your expectations. I.e. if you are still considering that sub 9 IM consider the implications and consequences. Have you got 12-20 hours per week to put in? If not then you may want to reconsider. This is about setting yourself up for success not failure.

O = Options. This is where we start to kick around the ideas and shape up the things that we could do - where we look at what's possible. If I’m going to try to make the GB team, which would be the best qualifying race? How might I go about improving my swimming? What resources are available to me? These are all great questions to help explore what you are going to focus upon.

And finally W = Will. This is often the most revealing part, as it asks us to consider how motivated we are to do the things we need to do to succeed. For example, if we have considered going to race a 70.3 in Europe, how motivating is that for us? If you were rating it on a scale of 1-10, would it be a 9 or a 3/4? What does the score we give it say about that as a possible option for us? If we did score it as a 9, what might make it a 10 or what are the next steps to make it happen? If we can find some season goals that are truly motivating, making the space and energy in our life to achieve them becomes a whole lot easier.

Take some time out over the next few weeks and sit down with your GROW headings and ask yourself some of the questions I’ve listed here. Getting a clear view of where you are headed and what you find motivating, will sustain you through your Winter Training and provide a great platform for your progress next year.

ED's Exploits - Testing Times

The sad death of Peter Tindley of CC Weymouth, in our open 50 mile time trial made me think long and hard about Time Trialing. At heart I am a “tester”. Probably because I have won a few time trials, its easy to like something you are successful at. More and more though, I have felt uncomfortable about the roads we race on and the danger from traffic. Historically, Time Trials started very early in the morning to avoid the police, it was illegal to race on public highways, that’s why riders also wore predominantly black kit, imagine going out on the roads these days trying not to be seen!?.

When racing became legal, the early starts were kept to avoid traffic but that was more than 50 years ago. These days, even on a Sunday morning at 07.30am there are quite a few cars about. Why do we race on dual carriageways? Why do we race on roads I would not dream of training on? Why are we obsessed with standard distances? Why are helmets not compulsory? Alas, I only have questions with no answers. I even promote an open Time Trial for my club, on a dual carriageway course, that makes me part of the problem! It’s a relief when everybody comes back safely, I can tell you.

It seems that Peter’s tragic death was due to rider error, so it could have happened anywhere, it could happen out training today. At least on dual carriageways there is room for motorists to avoid cyclists. Some of the lanes I regularly ride are very narrow with blind corners, horse riders, tractors etc. It could happen popping up the shop to get the paper. It’s known as the race of truth, its pure, honest sport, there is no luck in testing, and the strongest man wins. So it’s ok then? Again I offer no answers. There have been four fatalities in Time Trials this season alone, which is a high number for a “minority sport”. No doubt four people have been killed in traffic accidents today. So we accept the risks and try to minimize them I guess.

On a brighter note, I finally got myself a win. A road race down in Dorset, yes it was a “Fish and Chipper” but it’s been more than three years and a win is a win, and I worked hard for it, honest. Hands off the bars, milking the applause from one man and his dog, pathetic, I know but still very exciting, all the same!

Had a guy come to see me with a torn hamstring, he is a football player and he trains once a week, yes once. He tells me that if there is a live match on the tele on training night, then half the team doesn’t turn up. Compare that with most runners, triathletes, cyclists, whose biggest problems seem to be overtraining. I tried to tell him that if he trained more, stretching, core work, endurance based stuff then perhaps he would get injured less (the training effect). I am not sure that he heard me, still he is a nice guy and the “hammy” is responding well. Moral; don’t feel guilty if you miss a training session, there are still people doing less than you!

Take care out there, see you up the road…
E D

A question of Philosophy...

When I was 16 my Dad told me that I was very fortunate as I had hit the pinnacle of all knowledge and from here on it was downhill - for every year that passed I would become more aware of how little I knew, until I'd reach a ripe old age and I would know absolutely nothing!

He was of course taking the mickey out of his cocky 16 year old son, who thought that the world revolved around him. As time has passed I have indeed become more aware of how little I know, just as Dad predicted. The more knowledge we learn, the more we become aware of how much more there is to learn.

So what have I learned this month? or maybe relearned, because that's the other thing about learning, unless we use the things we learn, we usually forget we ever learned them!

Well, there are two things I have relearned this month. The first is the power of "asking questions". This month I have had trips to both China and the US, facilitating training programmes which entails a lot of coaching. I was reminded of how easy it is to think you are asking coaching questions, when in fact you are making a statement that is disguised to look like a question. Why does this matter? For me, the heart of helping an athlete realise their potential is understanding what their key motivators are. That can't be done by advising them, or sharing my 'wisdom' with them, it can only be done by asking questions and listening carefully and in doing so, helping them engage with their 'real' motivations.

It's something I try hard to do - but sometimes my desire to help overwhelms me and like most humans, I go into my default position of seeing the world through my eyes and making suggestions that are typically routed in what might be great for me, but not the person I am are trying to help.

My other relearning this month is more philosophical in its nature. I was jet lagged and finding it difficult to sleep and as usual when this happens I have lots of thoughts running around my head. I was starting to beat myself up about a lack of consistency in my training and starting to make it mean more, than the need to get back into a more consistent training routine. When we lose sight of the bigger picture we can very quickly get things out of perspective. Sometimes its useful to reflect on the reasons we feel the way we do about a race, session or situation - are we simply making it mean something it isn't?

When I got home, a few days biking and running quickly helped me establish my equilibrium and training pattern, so that was easy for me to resolve. Sometimes the meanings we attach to a race or sport can be really helpful and sometimes not. If the meaning we attach to the things we do is down to us, its worth asking whether we are attaching the most helpful meaning for ourselves.

So I'll leave you with a coaching question to think about (and the answer is entirely your own!) "Is the meaning you are attaching to your race or training session helping or hindering you?" - and if it's the latter, explore what meaning would be more helpful and try that on for size.

ED's Exploits - It’s a Tough Job but someone has to do it!

Had an email from British Cycling a few weeks ago, would I be interested in a week’s work as a soigneur on a Para cyclists training camp in Lake Garda, Italy? And was I available?

Well what do you think? Of course I was interested, of course I was available. It got better; I could take a bike if I wanted. So I found myself in Riva Del Garda on the northern shore of the lake, mixing up energy drinks, driving a support car, a bit of massage and the best bit, getting some miles in, in the foothills of the Dolomites in 36º heat. Training in the morning and watching the Tour in the afternoon, like I said, it’s a tough job, but nobody believes me.

The Giro D´Italia is the hor d’oeuvre that whets the appetite, the Tour De France is the main course that is so good that you can have too much of it and The Vuelta Espana is the pudding that you don’t really want, can’t say no to and end up not finishing - after all you have to leave room for the Worlds in October. I thought it was a great Tour; it seemed to have a bit of everything, from the cobbles of Northern France to the stifling heat of the south and the rain and mist high in the Pyrenees. I felt they should have raced on stage 2; crashes happen to everyone even the big hitters, Cancellara was wrong to neutralize the stage. When Schleck unshipped his chain, Contador should have waited, perhaps he didn't because he was not confident he could beat the Luxembourger, he never looked in top form to me. Schleck, like Lampard in South Africa did not complain for too long though, you just have to get on with it, and that’s how it should be.

August is a strange month, racing since March can leave you “Demob Happy” come high summer. Thoughts turn to holidays and going for a swim in the sea without doing intervals, a bit of mountain biking with a pub stop, maybe a bit of trail running on virgin territory. Whatever you do, enjoy it, but keep one eye on the prize - September is stacked full of races and a win is only one race away!

I organized an open time trial for my cycling club, and although my name was on the entry details, it was all the people helping that made the event a success. It’s good to say thank you to marshals and people who make cups of tea, if they didn’t do it, we couldn’t do it.

Anyway, gotta get back to the tele, the tour may have finished, but the athletics season is in full swing.

See you up the Road.

E D


Eamonn Deane is a TrainingBible UK specialist in the field of sports massage. To find out more about his work, check out his new website at
www.sportsmassagebournemouth.co.uk

ED's Exploits - Forty Years of Hurt...

I worked as part of the massage team at the recent Weymouth 70.3 Triathlon, always good fun, hard work, but good fun. That sense of achievement is so evident, despite the fatigue that everyone is feeling. From “serious” triathletes to the 5 guys who made a promise to each other late on New Years Eve. Everybody had a story to tell and it is great to hear them all. In 1992, I think? I won the first Weymouth Half Ironman, unlike this year! It was a pretty grey day with a wind blowing and a chop on the water. I did not fancy it at all and there were questions being asked in my head that should not have been asked on race day. Coming out of the swim, I was 7 minutes down and ready to throw in the towel but somehow you just keep going, the wind that was my enemy in the swim, was now my friend on the bike, by the time I started the run there was only one person in front of me. I went on to win quite comfortably. Strange, several times, during the early part of that race, I wanted to “pack” I am not sure why I didn’t, I certainly wobbled a bit, I guess there is a lesson in there somewhere.

In “66” all I wanted to do was play football, in “70” all I wanted to do was play with girls, “74” and “78” we did not qualify, in love or in football. “82” we were not good enough, “86”the same but the hand of god did not help. In “90” we were good enough, but perhaps others were better? The less said about “94” the better and on it goes. Will I ever see England win the World Cup?

Another crash in a road race saw me escape with a few scratches but my rear wheel was a write off, at £600 a time, I can tell you that hurt!! So struggling for form and with low morale, I decided it was time for a break. A few days walking on the Dorset coastal path left me with a whole other load of aches and pains to worry about. I like long distance walking but do not do enough of it to become used to it (the training effect) and another thing, how come you struggle for 2 hours or so, ascending some rocky, barely there path and as you crest the summit, taking in the view, you are denied any feeling of satisfaction at your achievement - as there are already two old ladies sitting up there with a thermos!

Steve Way (Bournemouth ac) has been picked to represent England at the Toronto Marathon in September; the race includes an international team competition. Steve sees me regularly for massage treatment and I know how hard he trains. Less than 4 years ago, by his own admission, he was a couch potato, overweight and a smoker. No doubt Steve is a quality runner, but do not underestimate determination. Talent and application, a potent mix and probably one we all covet.

I know it’s a little vulgar to blow ones own Vuvuzela but I expect you will forgive me. I have had a couple of articles printed recently in Triathlon plus Magazine and I am also taking on the weekly cycling column in the Bournemouth Echo. I certainly have no plans to give up racing (after all, I haven’t peaked yet!) but if one door does eventually closes there are plenty of other ones to open.

See you up the Road…

E D

Eamonn Deane is a TrainingBible UK specialist in the field of sports massage. To find out more about his work, check out his new website at
www.sportsmassagebournemouth.co.uk

Testing Times - 'Why cant I lose body fat?'

Its been a really busy month with athletes racing all over the country and abroad.
The Triathlon season is well underway, Summer is now threatening some good weather and the never ending football season continues with the World Cup.

The reason I mention football is that in the last few weeks I have been doing a lot more metabolic testing from outside of the world of swim, bike and run.
That includes professional footballers looking to head back into pre-season training to mum's that want to loose a few pounds and get back into shape. I have done hundreds of these type assessments and always enjoy them as it provides me with a window into what's been going on in their training and nutritional habits. Patterns start to emerge in the data, from which you can start to understand what they have been doing and why certain things are happening.
'I am training really hard and I don't seem to be able to lose any body fat.' was a comment made to me by a client this month and its something that comes up regularly at these assessments. This is a really important issue if you are an aspiring athlete or age grouper because there is a close correlation between lower levels of body fat and high levels of performance, much closer than body weight and performance.
For top level male marathon runners the average body fat is around 6%, in pro triathletes 7% and in sports like rowing and football 8/9%. Its also much better for your health to have lower levels of body fat, it cant have escaped our notice that obesity is linked to hundreds of illnesses. So why do so many of us find it so hard to lose body fat? Studies tell us there are a number of factors involved, here is what I have noticed and some of the advice that I am giving to clients that want to make changes.
The first assessment we look at is resting metabolic rates (RMR) this helps us understand how many calories a client needs to eat to maintain, gain or lose weight. So let's say my resting metabolic rate assessment suggests I need 2500 calories per day to maintain my body weight. Clearly if I exercise, burning a further 1000 calories my daily calorific requirement go up to to 3500 calories. If I eat less that 3500 calories over time I am going to start to loose weight, but this needs to be done cautiously and slowly to let your body adapt. Sometimes I have seen very low RMR calorie requirements(below 1000) and this is usually a sign that the person has gone on some type of fad diet or just is not eating enough. As counter intuitive as it seems sometimes you need to eat more to lose body fat. If we eat to little the body triggers a survival mechanism and starts to store fat, our bodies need a certain amount of ready carbohydrate to burn fat. This will also have a very negative effect on our ability to recover from workouts, we will be carrying fatigue over from sessiont to session and this can eventually end in illness or injury.

The assessment also tells us how efficient in percentage terms the body is at burning fat and carbohydrate (glycogen). Its no suprise that clients that find it harder to lose body fat tend to have a lower fat burning percentage and this means thier body is used to burning higher levels of carbohydrates, so fat stores are not being utilised, this even happens with endurance athletes. Carbohydrate is a faster fuel source for the body than fat, the more intensely we work the more the body turns to carbohydrate for its fuel. I have also noticed anecdotally that the less efficient carbohydrate burners report more hunger pangs, sweet cravings, swings in mood and reduced concentration. Not too suprising as burning high levels of carbohydrate is going to effect the blood sugar balance to a far greater extent.

As far as training is concerned if I see a low percentage of fat utilisation I usually find that translates to an under developed base level of fitness. For whatever reasons they have missed or skipped the base building fitness phase and are used to working at quite high intensities. This does not means to say they are unfit but they are limiting the level of absolute fitness and performance they can achieve without the level of efficiency a solid base can bring. This is normally confirmed when we do the second exercise based Vo2 assessment and we can see a big gap between the predominent fat burning heart rate zones and the clients higher carbohydrate burning anaerobic threshold.
Where I see this pattern emerge the usual advice I give to clients is simple, include back in the training programme longer lower level heart rate work outs and include some strength training to maintain muscle mass and encourage fat metabolism. Seems like a simple answer but the question I posed earlier is why do so many of us find it so hard to lose body fat? Apart from any nutritional issues (that I will come back to in the next post) The feedback I get back most regulaly from clients is 'I find it really hard to run or bike that slowly to keep my heart rate down' This is less likely to be a phyiological issue, this is more often than not a pattern of behaviour that has been developed through training with friends that get too competitive or just a preference to train at a level where 'If I dont train hard I don't feel as if I have done a workout'. Maybe this is where we need to place our focus if we are going to start to see some different results!

ED's Exploits - May 2010

It's only Rock & Roll - but I like it...!

I could waste hours watching cycling on the telly, the Giro d’Italia is on at the moment, the end of each stage is exciting as are the mountain climbs but why do I sit there watching the flat stages? Nothing happens for hours but I still find it hard to drag myself away! Professional Cycling is surely one of the hardest of sports and the guys in the peloton are among the fittest of athletes. A three week Grand Tour is a real test of strength, both physical and mental. I so want to believe they are drug free and, of course a lot are, most are? It’s a cleaner sport these days. However, there are cyclists who still cheat, as there are in other sports and there’s the rub, whenever there is a positive test on a cyclists, its big news. The rolling sports news programme on Sky features results for all sports and seems to enjoy breaking news of failed drugs tests by cyclists, but gives few actual race results (it does give more results now but that is more to do with plugging Team Sky, than providing information). How many golfers were tested at Wentworth this last weekend? As an amateur cyclist/triathlete I have been tested 3 times. Indeed, if random testers arrived, would they even be let into the clubhouse? How many premiership football players are tested, post match or in the off season? What about jockeys, rugby players, tennis players, cricketers or even darts players? I would think some cyclists are tested more often in a three week tour, than some athletes are tested in their whole careers. Of course nobody can deny, cycling has created a lot of its own problems and still has work to do, it would be nice, though, if all sports were treated the same. It’s probably no coincidence that it is the rich sports that are treated more fairly than others, as Mr. Dylan said, “Money doesn’t talk, it swears!!”

I took a call the other week from the Bournemouth International Centre -“could I come down and give some massage treatment to one of the artists who was performing that evening?” Not wanting to miss a bit of excitement on a Wednesday afternoon I got myself down there, (a very understanding client was happy to change her appointment for me.). It turned out to be the drummer from a rock group, with sore shins from constantly banging the pedal drum! He responded very well to some “Hands on Treatment” back stage. Two tickets for the show were provided, as were passes to the after show party. Sports massage is hardly rock & roll - but I’m waiting for the call to their world tour!

Here comes the Sun! Doesn’t the sun make it easier to train? The recent warm spell seems to motivate us more, which is odd because it’s still hard work. It’s just great being outside and we have waited long enough for it. The ice in the winter is a distant memory and spring was a disappointment too - however it is definitely here now. I try not to worry about the weather, never waste energy on things you have no control over, worry about the things you can control. Speaking of which, I got caught up in a crash in a road race recently. A touch of wheels caused 5 or 6 riders to come down; luckily I was not directly involved but ended up in the verge, just trying to avoid the carnage. Actually no one was hurt too bad, just a bit of gravel rash, it did however mean race over as the remains of the peloton disappeared up the road. Shame, as I could have won that race. (I say that about every race I crash in!)

My form is ok, nothing special, I need to find an edge, I am looking hard but the answer is staring me in the face and I know it - I am not training enough - I come up with reasons for my lack of fitness, but they are just excuses, work, time, family… The real reason is I’m just not putting in the hard work and deserve the form I’ve got. I like the simplicity of endurance sport but I like it more when I’m going well. Even this paragraph is an excuse, I need to train!

See you up the road…

E D

Eamonn Deane is a TrainingBible UK specialist in the field of sports massage. To find out more about his work, check out his new website at
www.sportsmassagebournemouth.co.uk