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How much of a performance is mental?

4/1/2011

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[this is a question I had fun fielding in 1996]

Q - Peter, you often hear that running is 100% mental but that doesn't make sense to me - so what do you think about this?

A - Obviously, making the decision to take up the pursuit in the first place and/or remaining motivated thereafter to persist in training are premeditated in nature. But as for what part the mental side plays in an actual performance, that's another issue, and one, that's interesting to quantify.

What we're talking about is to what extent does the mental state of the performer's mind affect performance. And when we talk about the mental state we're talking about the level of confidence, ability to remain focused, ability to maintain being highly motivated, ability to optimally control emotions, ability to remain alert and capable of execution , and so on.

These are undoubtedly extremely important determinants of performance. But to what extent? Let me take a stab at quantifying this by considering a couple of examples.

Let's first of all look at a fairly high level male miler. Let's assume at his best he's capable of a 4:00 minute mile. I've seen such runners toe the line in a terrible state of mind resulting in poor pacing, disinterest , or loss of heart and just plain giving up. But even in such situations and assuming that the runner completes the race, the final time might at the worse be only 10 seconds slower than his capability. Now 10 seconds as a per cent of 4:00, or 240 seconds, is about 4%.

A second example might be a 20:00, 5,000 meter runner. What might happen in the case of a lousy mental state? For fun, let's see what a 4% slowdown might result in:

20:00 x 1.04 = 20.8 minutes or 20 minutes + 48 seconds. I think 48 seconds over 5,000 meters makes common sense as a possible slowdown attributable to an undesirable state of mind.

I conclude that to perform at one's best you need your mental capability to be 100% and if it isn't, one's performance may be negatively affected as much as 4%.
 
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Dealing with Aches

4/1/2011

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Q- Hey Coach, I'm a woman who's falling apart .....First, my left calf got sore last week after a long run on snowy roads. And then, a few days later, my right hamstring started bothering me, and I don't remember doing anything to bother it..... It is high up (by my butt) on the left leg. Every once in awhile it goes into a spasm for a second. Otherwise, it doesn't hurt. My knee buckles for a second, then it's fine. And this morning I woke up with a slightly puffy knee. What would you suggest ? 

A - What do I suggest?!!! Lady, I suggest you STOP !!Time for a cleanup - for you are flirting with disaster anytime you run with any sort of discomfort. Why? Because the body is causing you biomechanical havoc in its noble effort to protect you from further damage.  

For example:  if you are walking barefoot and step on a sharp object (e.g., broken glass), without you even thinking about it, you will recoil, immediately pulling back your foot.

You see, our wonderfully designed bods do not like discomfort and our nervous system is "wired" to instruct our muscles to contract in ways to move our parts away from painful stimuli - and, did I say, without our even thinking about it.

As some pop singer says, you are "Born This Way"…for your own good and survival.

Anyway, here's the deal. If you are running along with a discomfort gotten from too much, too soon, or from an accident, muscles, in their protective pursuits, will start behaving (i.e., contracting) differently. And this can result in a novel use of the muscles, that over the course of many miles can result in muscle tightening and aches.

An important exercise physiology principle to have in mind:… Wait for it... If a muscle is asked to contract in a novel way, it often results in Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), developing about 36 to 48 hours. So you can see how a vicious cycle can ensue. [good article here]

So I say if you’re experiencing a continuation of soreness and/or the subsequent development of new aches, then STOP the running…. and cross train at a moderate effort level for at least 2 full days (pool running and swimming is my recommendation) until the pains subside, possibly include cold water or contrast baths [review articles here and here ], and make the next run an easy one of 20 to 30 min. to probe.   
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How to Pace a 5 km.

4/1/2011

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Q – How do you teach 5K runners to pace themselves from start to finish. Or what pace starting results in best 5K finish time?

A – Yep....many folks are like a beagle just let off the leash, adrenaline glands a wailing with the unique excitement associated with the crowds, the pomp and the pageantry at the many of the race start lines nowadays. Away they tear, with powerful strides, manufacturing copious amounts of carbon dioxide with every bound....tall and proud !! 

Then it happens... other natural laws starting imposing their particular rules and regulations.....mainly, a severe need to supply and use the adequate amounts of oxygen that  their magnificent running muscles are demanding for such intensity... but alas they cannot....and so they “turn in to pretzels” and fall far below their early pace and end up posting performances that are not doing themselves justice and feeling quite embarrassed...and  moping in a corner at the post race reception...... so common.

So what to do.

You need to train the runner’s intuitive clock....his or her sense of pace. They have to learn what effort levels are associated with particular paces (e.g., running 8:30 per km. is easy, while running 5:30 per km. is full out, and so on...) ...They have to learn pace: a skill that can definitely be trained.

And a recommended way to accomplish this is to introduce repeated opportunities for the athlete to practise specific paces. This is why interval training can be so beneficial, as the athlete, over and over again in a given workout session, runs interval distances (e.g., repeat 800 metres), timing each one. It’s a biofeedback bonanza!

Also, particular designs of interval workouts are an excellent tool in revealing what a reasonable goal pace should be. For example, whatever you can average for 5 x 1000 metres, taking a 2:00 recovery, gives a good indication of what the runner might best try (within 5 or 10 sec.) as a race pace.

Such sessions can of course be conducted on 400 metre tracks, where the runner/coach can easily monitor the pace, even at intermediate points while doing an interval. For example, if the runner is wishing to do 800 m. repeats in 4:00, then pace at every 200 m. (60 sec.) can be checked to see if a speed up or a slowdown is in order.

With the advent of Garmin watches and the accuracy of Google Earth (my preference) you can conveniently do the timed session on accurately measured roads which is especially advisable for anyone road racing.

If you want to get to Juilliard, PRACTISE ! 
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