I’ve heard this before, specifically for marathon running: walk thru the water stops, walk once a mile, etc.

But it never really made sense to me. If you’re RACING, why the heck would you walk!?!

It wasn’t until Christopher McDougal put it in the context of the ultra-runners that it finally made sense. If you’re running a 135 mile race, why kill yourself on a steep incline? Just walk it - and save your energy for another battle. The goal is the finish line. Stop trying to be so manly. Think long term.

OK. I get it.

Then I tried it.

I’m turning over a new leaf. I’m giving up my speed demon days for endurance events. So I’ve been hitting the trails the last few weekends - leaving the watch at home, and just having fun.

This past weekend, I hit a super hilly trail section in town and decided to try the walking thing. Whenever I found my breathing getting out of control, I’d walk for a short while. Whenever a steep hill was blasting me, I walked up the remainder of it.

Come to find out, the walking is a remarkable recovery method - that actually happens quite quickly. Within 15 to 30 seconds of walking, I felt refreshed and ready to go again.

I didn’t feel like a wimp, or less manly - I actually felt smart! Because I knew I was going to be out there a long time, why blow all my energy on a monster hill 5 minutes into the run.

By walking less than a handful of times, I was able to run longer than I normally would have - and I enjoyed it a hell of a lot more.

I’m sold.

I think with this strategy, I’ll be able to run more rugged miles each week and go much farther on my long days.

I’ll keep you posted.

Another great info graphic.

Fascinating: Scientists wrapped up their first global census of sea life today, documenting an underwater world that turns out to be livelier and more connected than they thought it would be when they began the project 10 years ago.

I stumbled upon these great notes from Steve Dam - in a LinkedIn running group.

Thought I share it with you.

Vibram Five Fingers for Running?

With out a doubt, shoe manufactures have made and marketed their shoes for one reason, to sell shoes. There is very little research to back up that all the pads, shocks, and arch supports actually prevent injury. Majority of the evidence actually supports the opposite. I used to have a great deal of back pain when I run but now run in the VFF and love them!

The foot is composed of 28 bones and 55 articulations! It is impossible to determine what is happening at all the various joints by doing a subjective gait analysis. You truly HAVE to examine it one joint at a time. At the very least you need to analyze, Talocrual, Subtalar, and Mid Tarsal joints, the first ray and the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint.

First of all you have to understand that pronation/supination applies to the entire body, not just the feet. Pronation is a collapsing of the body and is our body’s shock absorption,. Essentially the entire body is controlling the “collapsing” through eccentric muscle control; this creates storage of elastic energy which translates into propulsion (or the elastic recoil).

If anyone ever asks if you are a “pronator” or “supinator”, it is really a silly question, b/c in reality we do both and both are essential for proper mechanics. The key is the ability to control pronation via our muscles. This includes not the just the foot and ankle muscles but the muscles up the chain such as in the hip. We need both to have shock absorption and also to have propulsion.

It is also essential to understand that when the foot hits the ground, it is passive motion. The foot does not initiate movement, it only reacts to influences from the body above AND the ground (or footwear!) below.

The body is an amazing compensator. If someone is an “overpronator” as so many people are “diagnosed”, very often it is due to lack of eccentric control of hip pronation. So for example, weak glutes, could create a “chain” reaction all the way down to the foot creating a “collapsed” foot. Now you put an orthotic in there or shoes w/ arch support, you now took away the body’s ability to compensate. This could potentially “fix” their plantar fascitis but will now beat up the hip, lumbar spine, etc.

What we do with Muscle Activation Techniques is go through a joint by joint range of motion exam, determine where the body has limited range of motion and then use this information to determine what muscles may be inhibited. When there is a weakness, the body protects with tightness. Treat the weakness (the cause) and the tightness (symptom) will usually go a way assuming no structural limitation.

I have worked in Physical Therapy, as an assistant to orthopedic surgeons and I have seen every treatment and trick in the book. MAT is an amazing evaluation and treatment tool.

Related more to shoes, we have helped so many people who have had years of foot, knee, hip, and/or back pain in large part by transitioning out of their orthotics/high arch support to more minimalist style shoes. It was a process of going up the chain and getting muscles working properly throughout so they had adequate controlled range of motion, decreased their compensatory patterns, and in essence go them back into the best alignment will allow without any external support.

From a LinkedIn group post by Steve Dam, President at Activation Fitness, Inc.: http://www.activationfitness.com/

I know what I’ll be doing this weekend!

Interesting read.

  I was at the gym this afternoon when a brief commotion broke out - and I can’t stop thinking about it. For many reasons.

I must have missed the first few seconds of it - but what I caught was this.

Guy A took some equipment Guy B was using. Guy A probably asked to use it and some miscommunication took place. Guy B says something, Guy A throws equipment toward Guy B.

Guy B gets pissed and starts yelling at Guy A, saying things like, “Don’t disrespect this equipment, don’t disrespect me…” A little over the top - but his use of “Sir” a number of times clearly put him in some sort of soldier mode.

This caught Guy A a little off guard, and he quickly backed off and the situation was resolved - after Guy B said aggressively, “I was in Iraq - serving this country!” There seemed to be no acceptable comeback to that.

More on that later.

After Guy A leaves, Guy B is clearly annoyed, disheveled, unnerved, etc. by the episode. He circled his equipment a few times, clearly agitated. Then quickly and decisively, as if something clicked in his head, got down on one knee and said a quick prayer. He then popped back up, clearly in a right frame of mind and continued on with his workout.

It was impressive to watch Guy B struggle with his anger and whatever other emotions were toying with him at the time. I don’t know what clicked in his head to make him stop, say the prayer, and move on - but I couldn’t take my eyes off the guy.

And now I can’t stop thinking about it.

For starters, there is a great lesson here. When you find yourself agitated or unnerved in someway - stop and take a minute. Clear your head. Remember who are are and who you want to be.

I can only imagine what Guy B said in that prayer - perhaps it was something like, “God, give me the strength to be a peaceful man” or “God, give me the strength to control my anger.” Whatever it was it worked. And when he rose, he was a changed man.

I often find myself letting anger and emotions get the best of me. Next time that happens, I’m going to remember Guy B - and take a moment. Because I don’t want to be that guy, and neither does he.

Secondly, I really hate calling this person Guy B. I really wanted to go up to him and 1) thank him for his service to this county and 2) ask him how he was able to check himself and what he prayed for.

I really didn’t want Guy A to think I was thanking Guy B for standing up to him - because both were in the wrong. Don’t need a huge, hulking man I see at the gym all the time pissed at me!

In retrospect, that is something I should never worry about. If you are behaving in a way that supports what you stand for, then no one’s anger should ever bother you. I’m still trying to figure that out, but getting there.

I guess what bothered me as well, was Guy B’s playing of the “Iraq” card.

I’ll never understand what it must be like, coming back from an environment like that, then carrying on like the rest of us.

I can see how he would want to be respected and how he must be conflicted with emotions I’ll never be close to.

Hopefully Guy B will in the gym again when I’m there (this was the firs time I has seen him.)

If that’s the case, I’ll introduce myself, thank him for his service, and ask him if he needs anything - because I sense there is some need in him.

I’ll keep you posted.

  Focus on what you CAN do, and the can’t will soon disappear.

Recently I suffered a minor sports injury that prevented me from doing many things. OK, most things.

I couldn’t do sit-ups, I couldn’t lift weights, I couldn’t run. I couldn’t exercise in the ways I liked. I was bummed to say the least.

Feeling that I couldn’t do anything, I threw in the towel and decided to do nothing.

And that’s where I went completely wrong.

For a few weeks, I did nothing - except eat more than I should have - and otherwise felt pretty sorry for myself.

Very quickly I realized I was going in reverse far faster than I could have thought. Seems like the older you get, the quicker you go to hell when you fall off the bandwagon.

After a nice leisurely bike ride with the family, I realized I could do SOME things. Like nice easy bike rides. So I started doing those more.

I could walk with my wife. I could hike with the family. I could watch what I eat - so when I could get back to full action, I wasn’t digging myself out of an enormous hole.

So I focused on what I could do - and I did them.

Soon enough, what I couldn’t do took a back seat.

And that’s when I got back to being me.

I know this is a common lesson - but it seems like was we easily forget.

Now that it’s on my mind more and more, I’m paying more attention to it in other areas of my life.

I can be quite empowering.

Focus on the can!

Great, inspiring word poster.

What I Stand For

Teaching.

Not necessarily classical classroom teaching, but yes, that too.

I stand for the sharing and giving of your knowledge to the world.

Teaching is a gift. It is a way of giving back.

It can be your legacy. A way to prove the existence.

It is mentoring.

It is a way to provide growth and movement forward.

Where I Draw the Line

When limits or barriers are placed on the teaching/sharing environment.

When teachers are muted, silenced or otherwise quieted or impaired from delivering their knowledge.

When a person of influence abuses that power.

When darkness is taught, instead of the light.

The Fight

Bring attention to what I stand for.

Provide an avenue or vehicle for sharing knowledge.