Quirks of the Human Body

Three days ago I went on a run through our village. The Rochester area has set a record this year with the number of days over 80 degrees. Typically the dew point has also been high, from low 60's to upper 70's, which makes exercise uncomfortable. I suffer greatly in this weather, finding it hard to breathe and sweating excessively, to the point that going more than three miles is futile.

This day the temperature was 81 and dew point 61. My run was a downhill route for a mile, then flat, and ending with some small uphills/inclines/flat over the last 1.4 miles. Jan biked along with me. I felt okay at the start, not great but my legs were willing to move. The first mile seemed like a decent pace, but was actually 30+ seconds slower than normal. The flat section along the canal was worse, 45 seconds off my normal easy run pace. Then we began climbing a bit and my struggle was worse, over a minute off normal pace and not feeling easy.

I made it home exhausted and drank at least half a gallon of water over next couple of hours. After showering I put my pj's on and did no further exercising (it was only 6pm).

Yesterday I didn't feel great, could have easily bagged the run, but wanted to get in a few miles to add to my weekly total. I drove to the canal to run on a totally flat surface. It was the same 81 degrees and 61 dew point. After about five minutes I felt pretty good. My first mile was a decent pace and I began thinking this day might go okay. My legs and breathing got better the further I ran. Instead of my planned simple three miles I extended it to four. I did an out and back route and on the way back did 12x45 seconds hard, 15 seconds easy. My pace for the last two miles was 35-40 seconds/mile faster than usual.

Why the difference? Same temperatures, same dew point. My body actually felt more sore leading into the the second run than the first. This is why racing is so hard. I never know which body is going to show up on race morning. If you have an answer please let me know. I would like to be able to predict my performance better.

Common Swimming Myths Explained

From Triathlete.com;

1. Freestyle is the only stroke triathletes need to know.
Freestyle is the fastest and most efficient stroke, so it will be used most of the time when completing a long-distance swim. However, every triathlete should have a “safety” stroke to use when they are tired, need to find the buoys or clear their goggles in a race. Plus, learning other strokes works different muscles and keeps things interesting.
I generally do only freestyle. In a pool I might try up to 200 backstroke.

2. You’re supposed to hold your breath underwater.
Holding your breath causes a buildup of carbon dioxide and promotes a gasping feeling. Instead, constantly exhale a steady stream of bubbles out of your nose and mouth when your face is in the water between inhales.

3. If you always race in a wetsuit, it’s OK to always train with a pull buoy.
Over-training with a pull buoy will never allow you to learn how to balance your body in the water. Instead, do drills targeted on floating and arching your back to keep your body horizontal along the surface of the water.
I use a pull buoy much more than I should. With sinking legs it's tough to get in the distance I need without the buoy.
4. Triathletes shouldn’t bother with kicking drills.
Quite the contrary: The kick is very important for initiating core rotation and balance for the entire body. Triathletes should practice kicking, at a low cadence, to create a stronger and more efficient stroke with their upper body.
I don't do much with kicking drills since I can barely move 10 yards with a kickboard.
 
5. Swimming continuous laps without rest is an efficient use of training time.
Stroking nonstop through countless, mindless laps isn’t maximizing pool time—it’s wasting it. Every length of the pool should have a purpose that will improve technique, endurance, speed or breathing efficiency. Start each workout with a structured plan targeting specific goals to really make it count.
Sometimes I do this just to practice going long, as much for mental as physical practice. 

 

6. Bilateral breathing is only important for competitive swimmers.
Breathing on both sides is more important for triathletes than pool swimmers—especially in open water. The conditions can change at a moment’s notice: wind direction, waves and chop, blinding sunlight, etc.
I practice breathing styles a lot, just for the reasons mentioned.

Exercise and Your Brain

Ever wonder if one type of exercise effects a certain part of your brain more than another? Research shows that aerobic exercise, weight training, yoga and HIIT all stimulate separate sections of the brain.

  Read the complete article here; "New Finding: Different Types of Exercise Affects Different Parts of Your Brain". Worried about memory loss? Aerobic exercise is your best bet. "The hippocampus shrinks as we get older, leading to the typical struggles with memory. But aerobic exercise not only prevents this loss — it reverses it, slowing the effects of getting older. Voelcker-Rehage has found that the brain requires less energy to complete certain tasks after exercise. “We would say that points to the fact that the brain is more efficient,” she says. “It works more like a young brain.”

So keep lifting, running, and doing other forms of movement! Don't stop no matter what age you may be. 

Source: ConsciousLifeNews.com