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A message from Ben:
Welcome to the Pacific Elite Fitness Newsletter!
Before you get started on this week's articles, I'd like to make two special announcements for any local triathletes or aspiring multi-sport athletes in the Spokane/Coeur D' Alene area:
- Indoor triathlon class begins September 30 in Liberty Lake, WA. E-mail me at elite@pacificfit.net, and I can get you signed up. Class is limited to 15 participants.
- Ironman Coeur D' Alene training camp begins in October (just 1 month away). Slots are filling up, so now is the time to reserve your spot. E-mail me at elite@pacificfit.net to get your spot.
Ben Greenfield
MS PE, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
It turns out that the key to longevity is not really a mystery. Two recent research studies have found that overweight individuals, and not just obese individuals, have a significant decrease in life expectancy.
The first study was published in the Annals of International Medicine. Average, non-smoking adults who happened to be overweight at age 40 lived three years less than those who weren't overweight. Those who were obese lived six to seven years less. The risk classification was the BMI (Body Mass Index). To calculate your personal BMI, do the following:
- Take your weight in pounds (i.e. 170 lbs).
- Take your height in inches (i.e. 68 inches) and multiply it by itself (68 * 68)
- Divide #1 by #2 (170/68*68)
- Multiply #3 by 703.
- #4 is your BMI.
If your BMI is 25 or higher, then you're overweight. If it is 30 or higher, then you're obese. This study had 3,400 participants and followed each participant until death, so it was highly significant.
What does this mean for you? If you're reading this article, and happen to be 40 years old or more, and you have a BMI of 25 or higher, then you are subtracting precious years from your life, your family, and your loved ones.
The second study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and found that black males who had a BMI of 45 or higher at age 20 would die 20 years earlier than those with normal weight, and white males who had a similar profile at age 20 would die 13 years earlier than those with normal weight. For women, these numbers were five years, and eight years, respectively.
What does this study mean for you? If you are observing poor eating patterns in your children or have kids who are struggling with weight, especially as they approach highschool and college years, then they are at risk to die, possibly even before you.
This is no laughing matter. Is it really worth the poor lifestyle choices that you blame on a hectic schedule, an unsupportive spouse, or lack of financial means to afford a gym membership or personal trainer? None of these are excuses. There is always a way to exercise and always a way to eat healthy. Let me know if I can help.
Until next time, train smart,
Ben Greenfield
M.S. PE, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
How to Absolutely Suck at Your Next Triathlon
For some of you, this article comes a bit too late. You've had a great season and it's too late to mess up in any more races. For others, you've still got time to bite the bullet and suck it up in your next event.
Ready for me to spill the beans on how to have a horrible race, and maybe even a PR (Personal Ruin)? Read on, O Ye of Low Self-Expectation.
- Don't warm up for your three sports. That's right. Forget to print the Mapquest directions, arrive at the race late, and have barely enough time to dip your toes in the water before the starting pistol fires (who am I kidding...does *anybody* use a firearm anymore to start a race?). Since a warm-up in each skill - running, bicycling, and swimming - will distribute blood flow for specific individual muscle requirements, allow for enhanced lactate buffering, and improve heart stroke volume and respiratory muscle elasticity, you want to completely avoid this step. Especially avoid any race pace accelerations, which remove any overnight staleness and heat the body's core temperature to necessary pre-race requirements. I suggest tucking a small pillow or hammock into your race bag. That way you can take a pre-race map, and awake to the sound of the other athletes churning into the water.
- Hold back on the swim start. Don't charge out into the water, fight for your space, and psyche-up mentally and physically for a fantastic, fast race. Instead, wade timidly into the water, ease yourself into race pace, then get kicked in the nose by multiple other slow starters as you try to weave your way through the crowd. A good method to achieve this objective is to tie two bricks to your feet with a small piece of twine, then remove the bricks at about the halfway point, when you finally feel like trying to swim fast.
- Never practice or attempt the "shoes-on-pedals" start. You'll never be able to do it anyway, right? Just fumble with your cleats for awhile, hope that you won't have to run any more than 2 feet before clipping in, and add 30-40 seconds to your transition time. As a matter of fact, don't practice swim-to-bike transitions at all in your training. There's so much more to worry about, and who cares about free time? You can just run 10 seconds faster for every mile to make up that lost time.
- Avoid the aero position at all costs. Stand on every hill and every pass, come out of aero for all your hydration and nutrition, and sit up for all the corners. No matter that the momentum transfer is an enormous waste of energy, and that wind tunnel tests have verified that the aero position is (shock!) the fastest. Besides, it's uncomfortable, your back hurts, and even though you plan on racing in triathlons for the next decade or so, that $100 biomechanical fitting fee just can't be worth it.
- See number 3. Also don't try "shoeless dismounts" coming off the bike. Even though this shaves precious seconds off your transition time, and makes you look like a rock-star, practicing this in a non-race situation might result in an inconvenient foot rash or maybe even crashing your bicycle in a grassy park while traveling at a neck-breaking 8 miles per hour. The same rule still applies - don't practice transitions, bricks, or any of the "logistical nightmarish activities" in your training. What a headache, anyways.
- Walk the first mile of the run. It feels comfy and nice. Nobody wants to endure that death march through the first 5000 feet or so, when those precious quads are still bombed from the bike. What is this, a race or something?
- Do not estimate your fuel and hydration needs, or take into consideration the fact that your body can assimilate 4.1-4.6 calories of carbohydrate per minute, and needs the equivalent of approximately 1 water bottle per hour, not to mention regular electrolyte dosing, and small amounts of protein and fats, as well as a pre-race meal with low-glycemic index carbohydrates and minimal fat and fiber. It is a pain to do, often requires a calculator, and may even necessitate a bit of pre-race planning and packing. Instead, see what yummy suprises are in your race swag bag, and eat these colorful morsels when you start to feel hungry on the bike. If you're not full, continue to eat, perhaps accepting the peanut butter and jelly sandwich another racer offers you as you stand by the side of the road, attempting to change a flat tire, which you've never attempted to do, but it can't be that difficult...
Until next time, train SMART,
Ben Greenfield
Summer is winding down. There are a plethora of athletic activities starting up. Jump on the bandwagon before it's too late, and join an indoor soccer league, a local softball team, a tennis club, or a master's swim team. Guess what? It's not the same as it was in high-school. Nobody cares if you can't play. Just announce that you're there for "a learning experience", and people will be happy to teach you. Have fun.
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