Smart Athlete Training

Sleep - Leaving Money on the Table ? (A Checklist)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:02:00 +0000

Sleep has always been a place I struggled personally. A busy mind seems to be associated with poor sleep based on my own interactions with clients and, at least, anecdotal reports and stories around some of the best minds in history.

Sleep Quality is always an area I try and make some changes with new clients and keep ongoing clients thinking about how to improve/maintain there good sleep patterns to enhance health and performance.

While it is tempting to turn to prescription or OTC medications and herbals for assistance with improving the main complaints or components of sleep studies show only small benefits to targeted use of drugs/herbals but huge benefit from behavioral interventions. Most studies deal mainly with two components for rating sleep: Sleep Onset Latency/time to fall asleep (SOL) and Wakefulness After Sleep Onset/Restlessness (WASO).

The below link to a governmental meta-analysis (a collaborative report based on all research done) shows ~0-1% improvements with use of medications with at least some component of risk in terms of side effects. Conversely, behavior interventions are strongly associated with 10%+ improvement in markers of sleep and minimal/no side effects. The best part is that adjusting behavior is FREE and SAFE

Relaxation therapy & cognitive/behavioral therapy effective in management of chronic insomnia
" Cognitive/behavioral therapy has been recognized as a valid and successful treatment approach for insomnia. Cognitive/behavioral therapy can include any combination of sleep restriction, sleep hygiene, stimulus control, paradoxical intention, and cognitive restructuring. Many of these commonly used clinical tools have not undergone rigorous testing to determine their efficacy and long-term safety. The efficacy of these treatments has been evaluated in some studies,^4,19 but differences in the definition of insomnia and outcome measures make it difficult to compare study results."

A Basic checklist to improve sleep or see if sleep hygiene/routine is affecting your health/performance is:
- finish eating 2hrs before sleep
- off of screens 2hrs before sleep (yes your smart phone has a screen!)
- bedroom is pitch black even during day time with no electronics, lights and ideally no wireless signals ** this is HUGE and commonly skipped ... don't skip ***
- no animals, kids etc. in room and keep sheets/blankets well laundered and room dusted
- dim house lights in 2hrs before sleep
- avoid any stressful conversation / entertainment / decisions
- Avoid Caffeine after 12pm
- Journal on paper all thoughts, events of day past and anything to be done in future with exact details for when/how you will deal with it so there is less thought during sleep onset period.
- Attend at least a month of meditative yoga or actual meditation class to aid relaxation and quieting of mind.
*after a few weeks of adherence you can tinker with variables above to see what you can 'get away with'

Give it a try and let me know how you roll ... what works for you ?

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How Much do We Need to Do? ( Thoughts on Training for Biking )

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:26:00 +0000

How Much Do We Need to Do ?

"I'll Just work hard and I will achieve my goals": I have always been a fan of working hard and steady, that is no secret. There is, however, limitation to this approach to reaching goals and moving ahead in our lives.
1) Firstly, we need to consider what we want to accomplish ... we may get to a weight loss goal or a certain result in racing by working hard but would we achieve better by taking stock of what exactly our goals are and what that means in our training ?

2) Secondly ... [ Read the rest of this article and many more by signing up HERE for the Smart Athlete Newsletter]

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Omega 3:6 ratio not best way to assess fat sources?

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:08:00 +0000

This meta study suggests initially that looking at omega 3 in fat sources may be better then the ratio of omega 3:6 as commonly thought.

It does not discuss the value in minimizing Omega 6 (seed oils, frying, processed foods and nuts)

A good strategy may be to reduce the Omega 6 consumed via all sources (even nuts and cooking with high heat/olive oil) while focusing on fats such as coconut oil, fatty fish, avocado and olive oil.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/17045070/

IT Band Issues - Should You Have Duck Feet ?

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:56:00 +0000

IT Band Issues (or duck feet!) By Mobility Wod

http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/01/episode-361365-pathomechanics-and-it-band-hell.html

This is a super post, one of the best he has done.

Your arches need not be collapsing completely, you need not be duck foot ... proper mechanics are possible

Many 'active folks' have issues associated with this.

The main message is that the IT Band is not a muscle. You can roll it and get a bit of improvement in sliding surfaces but nothing else. We need to be thinking above and below the band to improve the pain we are having in hip, knee, ankles. Basic idea is get a ball and roll the front of your hip, your butt cheek (glute) and then work on hip extension (ie. lunge stretch/couch stretch) and your ankle range of motion. Let me know where I can help !

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4 Quick Rules of Thumb for Bike Fit

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:30:00 +0000

These are not perfect rules but a good place to start if your bike fit doesn't seem right or you are having any sort of pain that isn't expected.

1) Bars Lower then Saddle ? Lower for road, higher for mtb

- Image from Bikefit.com

2) Saddle Tilt - slight tilt down (ie. just below horizontal)
- the more hilly your riding the more tilt you can get away with
***ie. mtb more downward tilt then road generally

Image from Bikefit.com

3) Saddle Fore-Aft = Remember your saddle height is changed when you move saddle forward or backward
= General goal starting spot is bottom of knee cap over pedal spindle
= also assess vertical line from tip of saddle versus vertical line through center of BB
* generally 2-4cm behind Center of BB

From Jim Langley http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bike_fit1seatheight.jpg

4) Saddle Height allow for full rotation with Heel on the Pedal (ie. unclipped), this provides a slight bend in most people once clipped in and ankle/foot is reintroduced to leg length/pedal stroke
- sitting in trainer can you put heels on pedal and do a full rotation with contact to pedals.
- flexibility may allow increasing slightly from here or require slight decrease from there if limited.

http://westannexnews.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/bike-fitting-proper-leg-extension-by-louise-morin.jpg

And if you can't get it figured out toss me an email and let's game play some solutions or get you in with Steve Neal for a Performance Bike fit !

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Paleo Diet Helps MS ... Great Ted Talk and Best Paleo Books to Get Started.

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Another example of Paleo or Evolutionary Nutritional and Lifestyle helping with autoimmune disease

(link to video here) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc&feature=share

Above = Dr. Wahls MD talks about managing her MS using the Paleo Diet.

If you want to learn more about the Paleo Diet Robb Wolf''s book is likely best place to start

The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet

For Those into Return on Investment or older males Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint is awesome:

The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation: A step-by-step, gene reprogramming action plan

Those into a littler looser approach, or those with families may find 'Everyday Paleo' to be a good resource:

Everyday Paleo

Are Pedal Stroke and Crank Length Influencing Your Results ?

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Two super articles on the ongoing and never answered pedal stroke debate. Regardless of Discipline your ability to pedal and the system you are putting energy should be part of your performance equation. But what parts of the system really matter ? Crank length, RPM, Pedal speed, pedal technique, push/pull all are in the equation but is there equal weight given to all these factors when determining how fast you reach your goal ?

http://cozybeehive.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-is-your-pedaling-style-and.html
- A friend mentioned the technique of taking an easy 'half' pedal stroke every 5 rotations as per Eddie Borysewicz super cyclists and 'old school' coaches. Basic idea being that if you could become efficient in this practice of resting 1 leg once every 5 pedal strokes and the other every other 5 pedal strokes (a 10 RPM cycle with 1 rest per leg per cycle) that you could potentially 'rest' for ~25%-33% of a 40km TT !
- There are obviously issues with becoming efficient at this and the technique is intended for flatter and steady road courses more then uphill, slow or stochastic efforts ... but these guys were fast !

http://www.plan2peak.com/files/32_article_JMartinCrankLengthPedalingTechnique.pdf
* great summaries of some research throughout article.
Basic conclusions:
- Crank length does not generally make much difference even at extremes in height : crank length (max .5%)
- Pedal speed and RPM seem to be much more important to economy and power production
- pushing down is much more efficient and powerful than pulling up
- a natural pedal stroke is more efficient then any intervention in pulling or pushing or spinning circles
- elite cyclists don't pull up more then untrained cyclists
- Elite cyclists become more efficient in producing power at higher RPM, becoming more fit, better fueled, recovering quicker and optimizing position etc. to maximize the "power they can produce" and reducing what they 'must produce'

So it seems that a Smart Athlete would do well to focus on getting comfortable on their bike (bike fit), working on pedaling at a variety of cadences (discipline determined somewhat) and optimizing their health-fitness. Tools to round out pedal stroke and enhance pulling up might represent time-money better spent learning to ride a bike well technically!!

What do you think ? Any other research or personal experience ?

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Interval and Testing Mini - Clinic This Past weekend -

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:35:00 +0000

Thanks to all the Smart Athletes and Family/Friends who came out to learn some Interval/Testing Strategies and gain an understanding why we do a certain test/interval.

Following the Interval Mini - Clinic was a Stretching-SMR mini Clinic ! Go Slow and focus on above-below a given pain were some of the basic ideas we played with !

Remember you are not broken to start with and you can help yourself ... get on it !

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Great article summary on Going Gluten free and labeling concerns

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:47:00 +0000

There are many tweaks I encourage clients to try in their training , daily life routine, nutrition and even mental processes. Few tweaks have positive responses and results with basically anyone who really tries it. Even those that dabble in GF seem to see improvements. Reduced swelling ( 'poofyness'), better mental state ('fog lifted') and of course improved digestion seem to always result.

Many people 'return to the dark side' usually due to the social and psychological pulls for gluten consumption. If consuming doesn't put one in a fetal position then the fog/poofs/less then optimal digestion can be ignored and become the norm again. This might not be wrong but the fact that 'no one' sees poor results off gluten does beg the question of why we consume it ?

“Gluten Free” Labeling 101

Posted by Stephanie on Dec 22, 2011 in Celiac and Gluten-Free, General | 25 comments

Whether you’re new to the Paleo lifestyle or you’ve been following a Paleo lifestyle for years, the word “gluten” probably stirs up all sorts of bad images in your
head. If “gluten” is a new term for you, where have you been? Do not pass ‘Go’ and do not collect $200. All joking aside, even the most seasoned Paleo aficionados may think they know everything there is to know about gluten, but there are some interesting facts about this enemy that we should all take a step back and understand.

Read whole article
http://robbwolf.com/2011/12/22/gluten-free-labeling-101/

Christmas Burpees 2011 !

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Every Christmas Smart Athletes, clients , family and friends throw down a best time for 50 burpees !

Mine was 3:35 this year which I think means I'm getting less fit in terms of general fitness at least !

Best to you this season

Love to here your burpee adventures in comments

Peter

10 ways to get avoid getting Bored on the Trainer

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:33:00 +0000

The time of year is upon us ... yes indoor training for cycling is something many of engage in to keep our training specific to our summer goals. While the winter season is a great time to remain outside and engage in sports such as running, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, you may still find yourself staring at the wall, listening to a numbing hum of rubber on metal in the near future !

10 ways to make your time on the indoor trainer (or rollers or exercise bike)

1) Include spin ups / coordination / one leg / rpm play.
These can be great methods to improve your efficiency on the bike. By including one of the above drills every 5 or 10 min you have little chunks of time to get through!

Example: Spinups (10sec fast rpm, 10sec faster, 10sec fastest) in easy gear
high rpm = typically staying in wattage/rpe zone and pedaling at 110-120 rpm
one leg pedaling = pedaling with one leg

2) Heart Rate 'Games'
If you follow a zone based system why not play around moving your heart rate throughout the zone and mix up the intensity you are riding with ? This could be as simple as pedaling a few rpm faster and slower. You could make the jump to top of zone faster or very gradual. This could be done with wattage.

Example: do 2min at 100watts and 2min at 140watts if your endurance zone is 100-140watts

3) Have a Destinations / get to 30 min then ...
Outside we can ride to a certain place then turn around for motivation or to keep us out there we could do a big loop with no 'out'. Inside the fridge, bed, computer is likely less than 10seconds away. So doing 30-60min before you start intervals (fitness permitting) will likely get you to 90 or 120min without to much agony as the last part of workout is structured. Riding for duration of a movie / show / album or until a loved one gets home can provide the same external dictation of duration.

4) Take Breaks
While riding over 90 minutes indoors (if at all?) is really not required for most people, especially when you can go outside, there will be cases where it is desired, required or done. If we were outside, say in an awesome location like Ventura, California (link to experience this in 2012) we would definitely stop for a beverage on rides over 3 hours, perhaps even shorter ! So why not have a coffee break mid ride, obviously not for extended periods of time but even a 5min break to fill bottles helps break things up for the mind and the butt! (google Beer and Buritto concept by Coggan for more on stop duration).

5) The Late Friend / Class Concept
Could you have friends come over or join in the ride midway or towards end to keep you company or motivate the rest of the workout ? I have seen people ride an hour before a spin class for same reason.

6) Combo Sports or Bricks
Why not do your intervals or a 30min warm-up of coordination then go run / snowshoe etc and then return to finish on the trainer, perhaps with some more structured work or coordination. This start/finish on the bike is thought by some to help improve the specificity of the fitness you get from cross training. Obviously the sports you can do out your door may be limited but a 40min run mid ride makes a 90min workout pretty easy to swallow. Do make sure you set up your transition area to keep the

7) use your Television or other media
If you are going to watch a movie or TV show try doing intervals/coordination to commercial or certain phrases in movies/shows.

8) Try integrating with strength
At the simplest level why not jump off and do 10 burpees every 10min ? A more personalized strength or core routine may be preferable depending on your goals but also helps pass the time and divide things into manageable chunks.

9) Divide the workouts
While going long might be within your goals, many people benefit from increased potential for quality and motivation in double days (ie. 2 x 90min). This might be a 90min interval workout in the morning and 90min endurance outside on bike or cross-train in the pm. Typically leave 3 hours minimum between workouts to allow for recovery.

10) Take advantage of static situation (bike fit and testing)
I am always amazed that people do not play with their own bike fit and equiptment more inside. SInce we are seated almost the whole time inside it is important that bike fit is great. If the seat feels to high, mark it and lower it a milimeter or two.
A second advantage of the limited variables inside is the ability to do testing of some kind everyday if you want to. If you have at least heart rate and ability to set your bike up the same every day (ie. trainer tension / tire psi) then you can warm-up and increase your gear every 1-5 min and see where heart rate lies. More advanced users would incorporate Cadence, speed and wattage into this assessment for fewer variables in the Heart rate response and between days. Any test inside will be fairly repeatable so play with CP 3, 5, 20 and less intense tests like the Maf Test to keep track of your progress through the Winter and motivate yourself each day!

- do not = phone, Nintendo , text, Facebook , mindlessly pedal

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Question Via Email - Videos for Trainer Motivation ?

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:46:00 +0000

Hey Peter,

I want to download or purchase virtual spinning bike videos - endurance and interval training. Do you have any experience with these or have any suggestions ?

Hello and great question

Admittedly, I do not have a whole lot of ideas as I tend to focus more on having a goal during workout, such as sets/reps for cadence / durations / wattage / speeds / paces etc.

That said I understand the attraction to visual stuff for some people. This attraction likely depends how you learn or how you are motivated. I tend to prefer tactile or 'doing' based learning more then visual so I rarely watch things while on the trainer. I find watching TV actually quite tough in general! But that doesn't mean it is not the key to improving your enjoyment of indoor training.

Anyhow some suggestions:

1) ... ERG video is awesome, especially if you have a computrainer as the video interacts with the trainer to adjust for terrain / intervals. They have just released one featuring Myself, Matt Paziuk, and Mark / Eric Batty riding some awesome California Terrain. (*I make no money off of this production/promotion) ... there videos work without the computrainer as any video does.

2) Spinervals are quite popular , I have no knowledge of them.

3) there is a podcast called sufferfest that might be free ... definately look into podcasts and let me know what you find.

4) if you look on ebay/used sites/friends you should be able to find all the classic CTS videos (charmical) pretty cheap and I remember them being pretty solid workouts

5) look for a post in next 24hours at smartathlete.com on 'passing' time on the trainer . Remember before you invest heavily in videos that winter makes for great outdoor training too and that a few 30-60min sessions with focus can provide much benefit

6) don't forget standard cycling / tour videos too ... motivation and likely good visualization practice (ie. riding on terrain, in groups, under pressure)

Great 2012 Crank the Shield Prep Clinic Today at JoyRide Bike Park - Had a ton of Fun !

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 01:01:00 +0000

The First Crank the Shield Prep Course went off today at JoyRide 150 Bike Park in Markham Ontario

http://twitter.com/#!/soloistjr/status/140449201589993473/photo/1 Is a twitter update by Joyride Guru Mark Summers who Hosted the event !

Thanks to participants for coming in and trying some different ideas, I look forward to hearing more about your adventures as you approach Crank the Shield 2012 !

Topics Covered included:

- Testing Race specific Pace and general training with some thought to performance tracking

- Self Assessment before beginning the journey

- 2012 Course Preview and thoughts on needed preparation

- Common Issues in long mountain bike events and how to avoid

- Making your training plan = goal race, goal workouts, rest weeks, holidays and workout progressions

Provincial Championships - Smart Athletes Lay down the HAMMER !

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 01:03:00 +0000

This past weekend saw a huge cap to the Cyclocross season after a successful Nationals in the weeks prior

Bob took first and the ceremonial HAMMER !

Jared Stafford was just edged at the line by Evan McNeely. There battle is becoming EPIC !

Tristan scored a second in 30-40 Category and a Personal Best race

Huge Weekend Guys , All your dedication paid off

http://www.ontariocycling.org/race-report-provincial-championships-cyclo-cross/

Try it for 30 Days ...

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:02:00 +0000

The concept of 30 day Challenges is not new, its quite common with diets and several religions use a few weeks or months to appreciate things more, respect heritage and create new habits. The concept of setting new habits, such as training/eating smart, is something within everyone's power. It just takes a choice each day to put one foot in front of the other and to do something for YOU!

This video is worth a watch if you have been trying to make change in your life or if you are just open to adventure !

What are you trying for 30days ? Let me know what your thinking !

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Decaf your Tea bags on your own ! (avoid chemicals, extra cost, loss of Antioxidants)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:56:00 +0000

The Chemistry behind Caffeine allows for a simple at home or in restaurant trick to get your tea while MINIMIZING the caffeine. This can be a great help for those who avoid caffeine, or for when out at a restaurant and looking for a warm drink in the evening or on a stressful day you are looking to avoid caffeine.

There are several approaches to decaffeinating teas. The simplest is to cover the tea bag with hot water and let it soak for 30-60 seconds since most of caffeine is released into the water in that time. This method relies on the fact that the first 'soak' will be the most caffeinated. This method and timing works best with Black tea , Green tea tends to take 3-6minutes to become >60% decaffeinated.

Fall fact tests for Smart Athletes

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:02:00 +0000

Steve Neal at CrossfitOrangeville.com has been performing fact tests for years. With the new addition of respiratory analysis the ability of the testing to show what system is limiting performance is improved greatly .

-measuring Forced vital capacity (biggest breath)

- setting up gadgets and explaining the test

Just a pin prick for lactate analysis

Fitting Training into a Busy Life Does Not have to be a Struggle

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:39:00 +0000

Work, Training and Life they do not have to be a struggle.
They Really Do not.

I want to show you how many Smart Athletes have gotten on top of their Life Stress and Schedules

A typical day in a busy Athlete's life, that might seem tame compared to your daily adventure?
7am Wake - Breakfast
8am Drive to work
9-5pm - Work
5-6pm Drive Home
6pm Dinner
10pm Sleep
.... where does training fit ?

The simple fact is our time under stress has extended and we need to start considering athletes schedules on and off the bike to produce the best results.

Many Smart Athletes have found Success by focusing on:
- a few key workouts by shifting their work load to 4 / 5 days of the week
- Shorter focused workouts during the week and the odd Long workout as required on weekends.
- Arranging for a later start a few days a week to train before work or at lunch.
- Focusing on the other elements that create performance and are potentially easier to fit into the schedule including Respiratory Training, Injury Resistance, Stress management, Technical Skill, Tactical Skill, Nutrition and cross training.
- Most off all by keeping their coach up to date Clients are able to maximize the time they have , without overdoing the amount of stress they have in their lives.

Testimonials
"I recently switched coaches and have been pleased with my experience with Peter. His workouts, both on and off the bike, are refreshing and have reignited my motivation. His attention to workout details and response to my questions has been terrific and prompt. He provides encouragement and thoughtful advice that has helped me deal with unforeseen set backs and the daily challenges of training in a busy life." RK Mas Ex. MTB

"The group pre-rides were a positive experience for me this season especially at venues i have not raced at before. Riding the course with a few other athletes lead by you was definitely beneficial in terms of exposing sections of the course to pay close attention to and look at different lines which i would have missed on my own."
M.F. University Student, Expert/elite mtb and Marathon mtb

"Coaching was timely, flexible, and specific to me. Group sessions with group of your clients were excellent, more of those please."

T.S.

"Many thanks on your coaching and support this season. Life is good."
Je.S. - Elite MTB / Full Time Career

I recently recorded a series of videos to help Mountain Bikers start thinking about the technical aspects of the sport – Please check out the whole series to get an idea of some of the ideas you may benefit from!

3 Myths of Endurance Training and Coaching

#1: You must ride a ton - In fact, it depends who you are and what your goals are. Many people perform well on 5 hours or less a week.

#2: You need to do it yourself - In fact, an attentive coach can spot issues in your technical skill, training practices, life schedule and fitness that may save you time, money and frustration. If you have a plan designed for you and your life AND someone watching your success and energy multiplies and is focused on your performance ... Not motivating yourself !

#3: Professional Coaching is too Expensive

This really depends on whether you are paying for professional and personalized help or not. A degree and certifications are worth something but what about actual results?

Does the value you get from a daily, goal focused plan warrant the price & do you get your desired results ?

How much do you spend on travel, equipment, special pills, videos a year ? What is your return on these items ... has that Aerodynamic Helmet put you on the podium yet? Have those magic Lactate Threshold Pills produced any difference in your testing or races ?

A good coaching relationship returns on your investment numerous times!
With Smart Athlete Web Coaching you get the following value !

- Weekly Email Exchange/Question (~$10 Value)

- Monthly Phone Call = ($50 Value)

- Basic Training Peaks account ($0)

- Training programmed in two week blocks with one monthly alteration included ($100 + $10 Value)

- Testing $175 +HST (Save $25+ per test)

- Steve Neal Performance Bike Fit Discounts to $175 (Save $25)

- Personal Session (ie. Pre-ride, Consult, skill session, supervised intervals) @ $75 (Save $25)

- Ongoing CLIENT ONLY BENEFITS including group rides, free pre-rides, strength clinics, paleo challenge forums, free online content, weekly newsletter ($Priceless)

Your investment of just $105 gets you $225+ in return per month, without any valuation for the results and knowledge you will receive !

Just one idea from one training resources may be the switch you need to reach your goals and results !

Your Investment is locked in. Even when the price rises (which it will shortly), you’ll be guaranteed the lock-in rate for as long as you want. Again, you can cancel anytime and there’s no contract.

… And remember, you are never locked-in and you can cancel anytime. No hassles and no questions asked.

Signup Now Risk Free and Securely through PayPal

Web Based Semi-Custom Coaching

Please Email me with any questions peterglassford@gmail.com

Jared Stafford Claims 2nd at 2011 Canadian National Cyclocross Championships

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:56:00 +0000

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Watch this now ! Mobility WOD texting ruins athletes (and people too)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:45:00 +0000

Bad posture all day then hop on your bike and have bad posture ... and why does your back hurt ?

Kelly at MobilityWOD has a great video pointing out how bad that posture is and how you might mitigate some of the bad positioning you are exposing yourself too.

It all adds up ... start helping yourself and ask for help if you can't !

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A Better Life though Kinesiology (What is Kinesiology?)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:42:00 +0000

What is Kinesiology ?
The Science of human movement, applying the latest research to improve the health and wellness of people in all settings and populations

Understanding how and why people move the way they do, the factors that limit and enhance our capacity to move and develop strategies to increase that capacity .

Kinesiology is a key piece of your health and wellness, disease prevention and treatment.

Kinesiologists complement the work done by other health-care professionals improving overall body health, composition and awareness using movement as medicine

The Ontario Ministry of Health States that "regular exercise can reduce the risk of death by 50%"

The Best way to stay at your peak and out of the hospital is avoid getting sick or hurt in the first place.

Preventing illness is better than treating it.

Who Can Benefit from Kinesiology ?

Because of Kinesiology, a 65-year old retired couple who like to golf in summer and ski in Winter can maintain their active lifestyle at a period in their lives when they have the most time to enjoy it !

Cancer patients use Kinesiology to reduce the nausea and fatigue related to chemotherapy treatments and post-treatments.

The 27-year-old laborer who broke his leg on the job uses Kinesiology to get back to work quicker

A 17 year old elite athlete with designs on an athletic scholarship turns to Kinesiology to maximize performance

What Can Kinesiology Do for You ?
Kinesiologists can help everyone from people suffering from chronic injury or disease, to those wanting to improve their overall physical health and well-being, to improving the performance of high-performance athletes.

Life expectancy is increasing and quality of life in our later years is becoming more and more important. Kinesiology will help you maintain your health, prevent injury and disease and improve your prospects for a healthy independent lifestyle.

A personal program developed by a Kinesiologist can help you get and stay fit, ensuring you are performing at an optimum level __ at your job, in your home or on the playing field

A Kinesiology program leads to healthier daily living; less disease and injury; faster recover; less pain and discomfort; healthier, safer workplaces; and improved work, sports and mental performance.

Read More about How Kinesiology has Helped Smart Athletes in TESTIMONIALS

The Content of this post came largely from Ontario Kinesiology Promotional Material

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Can Paleo Feed the World ? (Permaculture)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:51:00 +0000

This is a question I get asked in a variety of ways ranging from honest curiosity to furious, borderline threats.

The question/accusation usually goes along the lines of there isn't enough meat for everyone and where will we grow our grain?

While I am a firm believer that everyone needs to find their own nutritional strategy, the thought that ecologically founded farming, including meat (husbandry) is less sustainable then subsidized grains and genetically modified crops is problematic. Long term soil quality and ecological balance can not occur and does not occur with super productive crops and with artificial nutrients added in artificial fertilizers. There is a population boom going on that will cause food production challenges, but this is beyond the topic of deciding on our best method for producing food over the long term.

People like Joe Satlin ( www.polyfacefarms.com) and my local friend and grass-fed farmer Brad martin (http://echovalleygrassfedbeef.com/ ) in addition to Robb Wolf and the Liberty Garden concept have helped me to better isolate how and why the concept of paleo, or maybe a better term is ancestral health, is the best choice we have now. The best way I have heard to simplify the concept of beef vs. crops like corn for feeding people is a consideration of viable land for cropping vs. amount of grass land we could be using for animals of all types (foot hills, mountains, rolling land etc.)

From http://www.acresusa.com/toolbox/reprints/Sept10_Salatin.pdf

"Their genetically modified organism (GMO) paddy grows lots of rice.

The adjacent one, built on indigenous

methods, grows rice, tilapia in the water,

ducks that make meat and lay eggs, and

around the edges, prodigious bok choy

and arugula. But these Western linear,

reductionist, compartmentalized, fragmentized, systematized, parts-oriented

researchers don’t measure the ducks,

eggs, fish or edible greens. They went

to study rice. And the GMO rice,

in a chemical-ized paddy devoid

of any other life in or around it,

sure grows rice. Conclusion —

our side can’t feed the world"

With numerous health issues in humans and diseases in animals it is obvious the convential ways are not working

http://www.acresusa.com/toolbox/reprints/Sept10_Salatin.pdf

"[We] aren’t worried about mad

cow disease because we don’t feed dead

cows to cows. ’Tain’t natural.

We don’t worry about avian influenza

because our chickens are on pasture in

uncrowded conditions. We don’t worry

about erosion because we’re building soil.

And we don’t worry about feeding the

world because as we heal our farms and

landscape, we see everything get better"

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[Kinesiology] - Course Review Tim Hunt -Advanced Lumbo-pelvic and Lower Extremity Exercise ( 4 ideas you can try)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Great Course this past weekend. One of the best courses I have been in, including University Courses.

Open to Health Professionals, like Kinesiologists the course looked at Assessment, Stretching, Strengthening of the Lumbo Pelvic system (the Core as Hip and lower back basically) in addition to the lower body (knees and ankles).

Here is a quick look at a few points from the course that might help you.

A great anatomy review done with a focus on what you need to know to prescribe exercises, instead of getting every component of the body memorized, which tends to be the focus of many academic courses.

4 Points I Want to Share with You:
1) Low Back Pain - Learn to Activate the key 'Local' Stabilizers of the low back / Hip = Transverse Abdominus (TA) and Multifidus .

= TA wraps like a Belt around your Torso and blowing out through pursed lips tends to activate it. Work to be able to activate it (make the circumference around your belly button smaller)

= Multifidus is in the back - can be turned off on one or both sides functionally.
- Find by putting hands on back just above the two boney spots (PSIS) at back of your hip bone
- The muscle should be on either side of your spine 1-2 inches above these bony spots.
- standing straight, hands on the spot described above, step forward with one foot, should feel one side pop up .
- play around stepping forward and then standing straight and trying to get muscle to activate while standing still. One side may be harder then others.

2) Knee Cap tracking = Big thing is the Vastus Medialis Obliques (VMO - Inside quad muscle the the tear drop)
= Can you activate it in the first 20degrees of sitting/squatting or not ? This is what sets up the knee cap to track into its groove (ie. if your knees pop this could be your issue)
= This may also be related to Valgus knees ( Knees coming in on squat / pedal stroke / landing of jump)
= Try standing up straight and putting fingers on tear drop, try to contract (make the muscle stiff/jump out) Then slowly begin to bend knee. Stop where the tone in the muscle drops, keep playing till you can get to 20 degrees without losing tone.
** several other cool movements / exercises to fix this but above is easiest text explanation

3)ANKLE SPRAIN or tightness or weakness
- Typical Ankle sprain is inversion / sole moves inward
- Post injury need to get those muscles on the front of your shin that got stretched to activate and work within proper range of motion. (think about what proper range is ... more range not always better)
- use a band fixed to a pole to evert the foot (opposite to way you sprained - VIDEO)
- Do one leg balance with straight and bend knee ON THE GOUND - get back your Kinestetic Awareness.
- Once your solid there and pain free start doing 'star drills' by hoping around in circles on one foot, hitting 8 directions (points of star or hours on a clock face)

4) 1 Joint Moves = Cycling application
- A Joint should move on its own, without hip/back coming with it .
- Mobility Wod Is discussing this a lot right now too.
- What is the consequence of wonky positions and excessive movements x 1 zillion reps ?
- I plan to really focus on this with myself and clients on the bike over next few months
- How can we get closer to hip flexion/extension and knee flexion/extension with out compensation ?
- Compensation during pedaling comes at the Lower back (lumbar and Sacral spine)
- Compensation/poor tracking at the knee with weak VMO / Tight or just poor movement training
- Even higher up the spine and at the shoulder where we see a bouncing movement with each pedal stroke
- Can you separate your spinal movement in the pushup / dip ? (ie. Mobility wod Dip )
- Can you rotate your leg out with a bend knee without the spine and hips coming too ?
(ie. Watch the pelvis compensate here Vs. stay stable here with hydrants = is the exercise for your butt or your back ? Decide and stay honest to the goal)

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PS. If you have some issues that Kinesiology can help , let's get together and start targeting your time on your limiters ... no need to spend the winter developing bad movement patterns ( Personal Sessions )

The Course does not Suit me ... Fact or Fiction ? (The value of Play)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:59:00 +0000

I just did a post at TrainwithPeter.com on how Cross might help challenge some common perceptions of strengths/limiters ... or more generally what we can accomplish.

There is lots of hype out there , and has been for awhile, about 'dream it and you can do it' or 'we set our own limits' which does hold value to a degree. But how can we make this more practical or at least convince the practical brain that it can do something it believes it can't ?

The Answer is very simply to play.

play/plā/

Verb:

Engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.

Noun:

Activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, esp. by children.

If you CAN'T do something or WON"T do something will you do it in a race ? Likely not. But what if we take the result out and remove the practical component of our thought process ?

But if we go out and ease into a concept/skill we will have much better success. First alone playing with an idea (handstands? sprinting? Rear Wheel Lifts, Jumping). Then, before too long, taking the concept/skill to an an instructional session with a non-judgmental friend or coach where you can gain confidence you are doing things right and where you can best spend your time playing to improve. Then take that skill to a low-competitive group setting, followed by then a higher competition group or even low priority race to integrate the skill and expose yourself to success without a result. If we can disconnect from the end result (be in the now) we might very well trick ourselves into doing something we CAN'T or getting better at something we AREN'T good at .

3 Examples:
a) Rather then sprinting for a result ... why not go right a hilly course and sprint up each climb or to each town sign ? First on your own then phase in friends, then competitive friends then Race experiences. Throw a technical session in their early to make sure you can STAND UP (SEE TECH TUES VIDEO) and get the most out of your efforts.
b) Cornering - practice cornering for 20min after work, just go play around on grass, throw on some pads and play around with speeds and leaning the bike vs. turning the bars. (I have done this and seen success in the snow/mud with the right conditions too!)
c) Clearing obsticles - can you get a bike that is not your race bike and play around jumping, rear wheel lifting ? a couple logs in the back yard or local park and 20min before-after work might gain you minutes in next years racing, if not longer depending how many times you pinch flatted or went over the bars ? (Tech Tuesdays Clearing obsticles might help too)

Play with it and let me know how it goes !

I Always Appreciate Your Share on Facebook and Comments !

PS. If you want to get out and play , Smart Athlete Technical Sessions are a great way to get a little push to play with the things we don't like .

Another Podium and Personal Best Cx Weekend for Smart Athletes(October 25 2011) !

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Glassford) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:44:00 +0000

Photos by Jon Safka, CyclingPhotos.ca

JStaff ( check his blog ) scores a big win, in one of his strongest rides yet. Nationals is going to be a good race ! (Read Report Here)

Smart Athletes also scored a Near win (2nd) in the Master 1 race

2 Personal Bests in the Master 3 race for athletes new to cycling and/or Cyclocross racing

And Bob Scored an 11th and a 12th after running top 5 the whole race (a PB) in top level USA competition @ 2011 Downeast Cyclocross Weekend NECCS Round 9 .

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