This Made Me Chuckle

Influential Blogs

Despite being fairly new to posting I have been an avid blogger for many years... well an avid blog-reader.
Here is a list of my most influential Triathlon related blogs and websites to date:

• http://www.joefrielsblog.com/ One triathlon coach to rule them all, everything on everything by Joe Friel. 
• http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way Sports psychology from an experienced endurance athlete.
• http://sweatscience.runnersworld.com/ By Alex Hutchinson, with links to real science journal articles, if you ever needed proof. 
• http://www.fuelyourpassiononline.blogspot.it/ The life and times of Pro Triathlete Kimberley Schwabenbauer
• http://thetriathletesguidetothegalaxy.blogspot.it/ Great athlete from my local Tri club, absolutely fantastic articles on the truth about certain diets and food for sportsmen.
• http://runningtimes.com/ Some articles here can be very informative
• http://simpleirontruth.com/  Nice ordinary blog
• http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/ Best way to keep up-to-date with the world of Triathlon
• http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/index.shtml Random running tips, I find a real gem every now and then 
• http://www.livestrong.com/man/fitness/ Armstrongs own brand, great source of information for sports and health

Road Map Art

Check out these eleven works of art made from road maps.
Linkout: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/122798

Key Turbo Trainer Drill... (I see what you did there)

Next time you are on the Turbo Trainer try this drill.

• Place a set of keys on the handle bars or frame so that they hang free. Pedal at a comfortable cadence around 80-100rpm. 
• Slowly raise your cadence higher and higher, until you hear the keys start to rattle or jingle. Then drop the cadence to a point just before they started to rattle, so they are not jingling any more.
• Hold this cadence for 3min, then settle back to your initial cadence. 
• Rest and Repeat

Rubix Cube Art

Artist Pete Fecteau creates 6m by 3m image from Rubix cubes.
Link out: http://petefecteau.com/2011/04/15/dream-big/

To Lean or Not to Lean...

Ever since I started running, one of the most basic techniques points I followed for running was the "Forward Lean". Many instructional videos and blogs, emphasize leaning forward slightly as you run as a key technique. The logic they apply is that it uses gravity to help you run faster, thinking carefully, on flat surface gravity can apply no horizontal force.
An article on Runners World (Link) , highlights that overlean can promote stitches, back ache and neck and shoulder pain.
SO why the lean? Well leaning forward helps enhance the use of your gluteal muscles (your bum), it fires a reflex in which throws your leg forward (as if you were falling forward, you put your leg forward to prevent face planting), some people say it helps reduce air resistance.
On a downhill it certainly would confer an advantage.
I tried fixing my lean using the advice below and noticed that running became far more comfortable, my shoulders and back less tight, I had indeed been over leaning.

So Lean or No Lean:

• If any lean at all it should come from the ankle joint, allowing the pelvis to be neutral. 
• The back should always be kept straight, never arched. 
• The best advice I can give is to stand tall and imagine a string is pulling you from the top of the head upwards like a puppet. 
• Take a deep breathe and stay relaxed, this promotes the correct upright posture you should be using. use this a reference
• Keep head in line with shoulders and hips
• Look forward and straight ahead, relaxed shoulders and neck

In Summary: No Lean, run tall proud and relaxed. Emphasize a slight forward lean when faced with incline and declines that aren't too shallow. 

Unreal Buildings by Victor Emrich

    Link here: Victor Emrich Gallery

Ice bath recovery, the truth.

Alright Guys, How’s it going?

So after a few years of cold showers after hard training, I decided today to finally do my research on whether ‘Ice Baths’ are actually doing me any good (about time really). My definition of an ice bath would be applying ice or cold water (less than 10 degrees Celsius) to an area such as tired cycling legs for 5min+. Here are the facts:

• MUSCLE DAMAGE; Ice baths do not repair muscle damage, scientific research shows that the levels of creatine kinase in blood (classic marker for muscle damage) were unchanged after ice bath treatment.
• INFLAMMATION; ice baths were shown to reduce the amount of inflammation in the subjects muscles.
• SORENESS; subjects perception of muscle soreness was reduced after ice bath treatment.(the theory is that it causes blood vessel restriction that flushes out most of the lactic acid)

So in SUMMARY:

Inflammation is an important part of your bodies coping method to dealing with stress and with hard training it plays an important role in your body’s ADAPTION to hard training. Reducing the inflammation, can hinder your body’s natural adaption process to hard training and thus hinder your improving performance.
However, the ice baths did reduce inflammation and perception of soreness, in essence speeding up recovery.
SO (this is the current advice that the English Institute of Sport is using):

DO NOT use ice baths during serious training, it will hinder your improvements. Use the methods described in my first post to aid recovery.
DO use ice baths during recovery weeks, in the weeks before races and during tapering weeks and of course in competition (multi event competition) for speedy recovery.

Hope that helped clear things up.

How to halve an apple with your bare hands...

Haven't got a knife handy; use your hands!

(Not sure about the 'impressing girls part', I will have to give it a try. Next time you see me out, I will be carrying a bag Granny Smiths ready to make a move.)

Welcome to Earth

Okay, after neglecting my blog for so long, inspired by bloggers all around me, I am back. First post, the post that rocks the most: A truly epic video to kick off an epic blogging season