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By Landice, September 9, 2010 10:00 am

by Lewis Elliot

There is no doubt that goal setting can help bring the most out of an individual regardless of the setting in which it is set.  For endurance sports, I believe reaching for the unobtainable result can often lead to your best performance.

One of the biggest contradictions I’ve seen with goal-setting is the idea that if you achieve your set “goal,” then you have succeeded.  This is all too simple, why not set an easy goal and once it’s achieved you’ll be happy?  The reason is, that goals are meant to be set to help us motivate, push, and in most cases achieve beyond our current level.   I believe in setting your goals high, maybe slightly beyond what you think is really possible.  Put a goal out there in a place you’re a little uncomfortable with, then dream big and go after it!

While going big and reaching for the seemingly impossible may garner your best result, it’s also important to realize that it can also cause you to fall painfully short.  Often times a more modest and secure approach will offer a more likely “good” finish.  This is an unfortunate reality of going BIG, and often times the fall-out after one of these shortcomings requires a lot of mental strength to move forward.  If this happens, then I feel the best idea is to rely on positive thought and persistence and look to the future. Once an event is done, it’s in the past, we need to learn as much as we can from it and mostly focus on what’s ahead.

Here is an example of how I use this goal-setting method.  In November of 2010 Ironman Arizona is coming back to Tempe.  My best finish ever at Ironman Arizona is an 8th place where I finished in a time of 8 hours and 53 minutes.  I believe that winning this November will require a sub 8:20 performance.  That’s over a half hour off of my best time at this event!  What’s my goal?  The same as it is every year, to win the event!  Why not race to go faster than my previous best?  Because I know that the only thing that will make me 100 percent happy will be winning.  We could list out one hundred reasons as to why I’d be more likely to do “well” with a more controlled or realistic approach, but I only need one reason to set my goal at winning.  The only way to satisfy my dream on the day, is to win.

Of course not everyone has a dream of winning their next race.  What I recommend is taking a little time and figure out what your personal dream is for your next running, cycling, triathlon, or other multisport endeavor.  Take that dream, see if there’s a way to mold it into something real, and make that your goal.  After you have or haven’t achieved your far-reaching goal, you will know that your pursuit of having giving 100% to your dream will leave you looking back more than satisfied.  Then revise the goal, repeat the preparation, and do it all over again.

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By Landice, September 8, 2010 9:26 am

by Thad McLaurin
“Runner Dude”

Runners tend to think it’s all about their lungs and their legs and while those are major aspects of running, that’s not all there is to running. A strong core and upper body is also needed to ensure powerful movement in the legs and in maintaining good running form. Youngsters in their 20s and early 30s tend to be involved in multiple activities–golf, tennis, soccer, softball, Frisbee football, volleyball, working out at the gym, etc. Because of this variety of activity, the upper body gets a good workout without the individual realizing they’re strengtheing their upper body and core. Then somewhere in our late 30s, 40s and 50s, due to work, family, just life in general, many of the activities fall by the wayside. Somehow many manage to hang-on to running. Maybe it’s because we can fit it in whenever. Maybe it keeps us sane. Maybe it’s because it’s cheap. But, over the years, that core and upper body fitness begin to wane. Don’t use it; you lose it. Probably wasn’t that obvious because as runners we tend to be lean. But lean doesn’t always mean fit. (Click more to see the video.) Continue reading 'Core strengthening workout'»

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By Landice, September 7, 2010 10:35 am

by Thad McLaurin
“Runner Dude”

As a runner, the focus of the upper-body workout should be to gain muscular endurance. So, go with lighter weights and higher repetitions. 10lbs to 15lbs dumbbells are sufficient for this workout. You can also use light or medium resistance bands or resistance tubes instead of dumbbells.

The workout consists of a 7-exercise circuit. Do each exercise (10-15 reps) one right after the other without taking a break. Once you’ve completed all 7 exercises, take a 1- to 2-minute rest; then repeat the circuit a second time. If you’re new to upper-body exercises, then begin with 10 repetitions. Each day add an additional rep until you get to 15 repetitions. Also, if upper-body exercise is new to you, begin with one cycle of the circuit for the first week. During Week 2, complete two cycles of the circuit. If you’re advanced, try three cycles of the circuit.

It’s fine to pair the upper-body circuit with the core workout on the same day. Try doing the core workout in the morning and the upper-body circuit in the evening. You can also rotate days. For example you could do the upper-body workout on M,W,F and do the core workout on T,TH,S. The great thing about circuit workouts is that they’re quick. You’ll have a strong core and upper body before you know it and you’ll start to see the benefits in your long runs too!

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By Landice, August 26, 2010 10:00 am

by Dave Smith

Well, I apologize for being out of the Landice blog loop for a little while. My wife and I made the move back to northern Michigan a couple of weeks ago as that is where we are originally from and both our families reside up there. We both were very fortunate to find jobs and couldn’t turn down the opportunity to be back closer to family. We are finally all settled in and I have had a blast searching out the different lakes, roads and trails for swimming, riding, and running. There are hills after hills and they are already making me stronger!

Before we left for Michigan, I blogged a couple of times about different aspects of mental conditioning.  I’m going to continue on that path for the next few blogs.  Today we’ll cover hormones/how feelings dictate actions, emotional manipulation through action and attitude, and finally distraction, and selective attention.

We are all aware that feelings, for the most part, dictate our behaviors. When an athlete is feeling well, it is due to a hormonal balance, and the needs of the “real self” are met. When an athlete is not doing well, it wants to show on the outside. Unfortunately, this often times reveals potential weaknesses. More importantly, bad feelings can spawn a downward spiral of negative thinking and affect performance.  When I read this I think of splits in a race. If you are hitting your goal splits mile after mile you will likely stay motivated and encouraged to keep pushing the pace. You may even have a big breakout performance because seeing those splits may really excite you and allow you to do something you didn’t think you were capable of. The problem is, the direct opposite can happen. If you get a bad split of two you may allow it to get to your head and suddenly your race is over because your head and heart are no longer into it. This is one of the reasons I advocate not being overly concerned with always knowing your splits, and focusing more on how you feel and staying in the moment. I rarely ever race with a watch anymore as it tends to limit me more than anything. Continue reading 'Acting to Influence Success'»

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By Landice, August 20, 2010 10:00 am

Here’s a little Friday fun for us all. If you haven’t seen this music video before, it’s a must see.
Disclaimer: Don’t try this at home!

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By Thad McLaurin, August 18, 2010 10:00 am

Thad McLaurin

by Thad McLaurin
“Runner Dude”

My oldest child turned 19 this past weekend and I’m feeling kind of old. Of course my three kids (10, 15, and 19) consistently remind me that I’ll be half a century in 5 years. LOL! Kids gotta love em, right? The other day, my son (who is now taller than me) was counting the gray hairs sprouting on top of my head. I believe there are at least 19 (one for each year of his life). These white hairs all seem to be clumped on the crown of my head, just out of reach to easily pluck (believe me I’ve tried).

The other day I was getting my hair cut and the lady cutting my hair, said in a high-pitched voice, “Oh look everyone! An Angel Lick!” For a second I thought this lady had gone loopy and had see an angel figure in the hair that had fallen on the floor or something and wanted to take a picture of it to sell on eBay. But no, she was referring to the white hairs on the top of my head. She said when they clumped like that, it’s called an “Angel Lick.” Lucky me. Most people have a guardian angel. I just get licked by one.

I may be getting older, I guess we all are, but I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m definitely more fit than when I was in my 20s. I think it has to do with running. You know, people are spending thousands of dollars on Human Growth Hormone injections because that’s supposed to be the new fountain of youth. And, research has shown that HGH does help stop cell degeneration and destruction. Have you ever seen that ad with the guy in his 60s or 70s with the body like Arnold? Not sure if that picture’s doctored or not, but HGH is what he’s supposed to be taking. Well, I don’t want a body-builder body when I’m 70, but I do want to stay healthy and fit as I get older. Continue reading 'Don’t think there are benefits of running as you age? Think again!'»

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By Landice, August 16, 2010 2:00 am

In our last beginner fitness tip, Where’s your heart? we looked at the concept of heart rate based training and its application during the foundation phase of the annual training plan.  As previously stated, for the beginner runner, the safest and most effective means of determining appropriate pacing objectives during your treadmill based workouts is via the monitoring of your heart rate response.  One of the advantages of owning a Landice treadmill is the fact that you can effectively track your “HR” response via the wireless heart rate chest strap that is included with the majority of the Landice models.

During the first 4 weeks of your build up, you’ll want to limit your HR to 80% of max during any of your workouts (click here to determine how to estimate your maximum heart rate) in order to allow your body ample time to adjust and to the new forms of stress its facing when undertaking a run specific training program.  Never forget this simple principle:  Effective training is nothing more than optimizing the balance between stress and recovery; hard training breaks the body down, and easier training allows it to adapt to the stress and grow stronger. Continue reading 'Aerobic Fartlek Session – Train your heart'»

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By Janda, August 12, 2010 10:00 am

I’ve been training for and competing in triathlons since 1995. Ever since catching the tri “bug” at age 19, it’s been my dream to host a triathlon of our own here in my home town of Gloucester, Massachusetts. That dream came to fruition last year and once again this past Sunday, as my city and I celebrated the 2nd annual Gloucester Fisherman Triathlon. It was a ton of hard work to pull the race off, but we did it, and enjoyed a spectacular turn out and some tremendous performances by the best pro/elite field to grace the New England sprint triathlon scene this year.

Helping to create and direct a triathlon is one of the most challenging endeavors I have ever faced. Logistically, you must cover all the bases and think of ways to avert all the things that could go wrong before over 800 athletes swim, bike and run throughout the streets of a fairly busy city such as Gloucester.

Being a long time athlete myself, my first and foremost concern for the event revolves around safely as the thought of a fellow athlete being injured on our course is something that makes me lose sleep at night. The myriad of emotions that you face leading up to, and following race day leaves you nothing short of exhausted. I often wondered why race directors complained of being sick post race, and now I know (I’m currently dealing with a nasty cold!).

The GFT serves as a fundraiser for the non-profit group I belong to: The Gloucester Fisherman Athletic Association. The GFAA consists of a group of volunteers who pool their collective resources to create events and fund raising drives that raise much needed funds here in Gloucester. These funds are used to offset the athletic “user fees” that our school system must impose upon its student-athletes due to budgetary cuts. The funds are also used to maintain and enhance the athletic fields & facilities that our student-athletes play and compete upon.

As a proud graduate of Gloucester High School and someone who benefited tremendously from my experiences as an athlete, I feel that it my obligation to help out the next generation of GHS athletes and saw the creation of the Gloucester Fisherman Triathlon as a chance to do just that.

It was once again a dream come true as I watched hundreds of athletes pour into Gloucester last weekend. Many of them showed up on Saturday to pre-register for the race, and I had the opportunity to lead a training clinic for many of the first timers in attendance who would soon embark on their first triathlon the next morning! I must admit that, due to the combination of fatigue and stress that I had to endure for the weeks leading into this race, I was nearly overtaken with emotion when I first greeted the group and began my talk. Although it may sound a bit corny, I felt incredibly proud of the fact that these people would soon call the GFT their FIRST EVER triathlon. I was also very grateful for their participation as they were directly helping the GFAA in their fund raising efforts by competing in the race.

Michelle and I were up bright (it was actually pitch black at 4:30 a.m.) and early Sunday morning and on the go all day; helping out on the course, running supplies around, directing athletes as they headed out and in on the bike, handing out awards… if you think that competing in a triathlon is hard, try organizing one!

We had some legendary names on hand and the Women’s race was won by none other than the 1995 Hawaii Ironman World Champion, Karen Smyers. Seeing Karen rip through the streets of downtown Gloucester was almost too good to be true. What made it even better was that she was joined by so many other great athletes like former U23 national champ Ethan Brown and about 100 of my friends and acquaintances from around town.

Check out the Gloucester Daily Times’ online edition for a story on the race and all of the great photography and video content that the good people at Good Morning Gloucester provided as well.

Well, that’s a wrap for the 2010 rendition of this year’s GFT. I’m looking forward to next year already!

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By Landice, August 11, 2010 10:57 am

Janda Ricci-Munn helped coordinate what is being called the most competitive sprint event in the Northeast, the Gloucester Fisherman Triathlon.

Congratulations to Janda for such a successful event, and to all the runners, the race even saw a new course record by John Babcock!

See full race results here.

Good Morning Gloucester was on the scene for the race. Check out their video recap, including interviews with triathletes and their fans!

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By Landice, August 9, 2010 11:00 am

Monitoring heart rate for beginners

For the beginner runner, the safest and most effective means of determining appropriate pacing objectives during your treadmill based workouts is via the monitoring of your heart rate response.  One of the advantages of owning a Landice treadmill is the fact that you can effectively track your “HR” response via the wireless HR chest strap that is included with the majority of the Landice models.  But why exactly is HR response so important and what does it mean?  Let’s dive a little deeper here.

Continue reading 'Where’s your heart?'»