Anthem Turkey Day 5k

After going 1st and 3rd in this race in its inaugural year, 2008, my Riptide Multisports teammates and I headed the Broomfield, Colorado again this year in hopes of sweeping the top steps of the podium and the prize money. This was to no avail as this year's field was stacked with names such as Michael Aish, Chris Siemers (though hampered by the turkey costume he had to wear after losing a darts tournament), Ewen North, Joseph Ekuoim, and others. To my surprise the field allowed me to stretch a short lead through mile one before I was joined by New Zealand Olympian Michael Aish. After trading surges and the lead on the up hill portion of the course Mike pulled away for good leaving me to hold off his fast closing, turkey costume wearing, college teammate Chris Siemers. Crossing the tape the top three (Aish - 14:34, myself - 14:49, and Siemers - 14:57) broke my course record from the previous year of 15:07. Riptide with a strong presence placing 2nd, 5th, 6th, 14th, and 19th. Congrats to the Dan, Jordan, Matt, and Cyrus on a solid days work!

Panicking Poultry 5k

Cold win at Boulder Running Company's pre-Thanksgiving race. With the snow becoming mud the road race turned cross-country and the level of fun escalated. Coming off of two weeks of anaerobic work the legs felt snappy and strong the first indications that Lab Rat Experiment #1 my just be a viable formula. Today's time 15:48, not blazing but plenty fast for the conditions.

Lab Rat Official Experiment #1

Lab Rat, that's me. The constant need for me to ask why? and what if? finally got the better of me. Since it is hardly fair to ask my athletes to volunteer to have their training schedules act as informal physiology experiments, I volunteered myself. I would put to test training protocols, new workouts, core training, diet, and even equipment choices to the test in my personal training and racing and then keep the good and toss the bad. In this way my athletes get the best combinations that fit their personal goals and physiology and I satisfy my inquisitive mind. Let the eperiments begin!

Lab Experiment #1: The infusion of anerobic training blocks into the base phase of training

Questions: The base phase of training has typically been know as the time of year where endurance athletes harden the bodies and minds with countless miles with the theory that the bigger the base the taller the peak. Two questions come to mind with this age old theory. 1. What is the cost to our neuromuscular fast twitch muscle development when it is ignored for 3-4 months each year? I mean good luck running 15 minutes for 5k or even a 2:30 for a marathon if you can't run a 4:30 mile. Case in point Dathen Ritzenhiem (3:42.9 1500m) and Ryan Hall (3:42.7 1500m) both sub 4 minute milers and both 2:10 or better marathoners. Speed kills, even in distance running. 2. Would there be a great determent to areobic base training if time was taken to insert anaerobic training into the this phase of the training cycle?

Test Protocol: 4 weeks progressive aerobic base build followed by two weeks anaerobic focused training. The anaerobic phase will include short interval between 15 seconds and 5 minutes at efforts between 80-100% of maximal effort. This 6 week cycle is designed to be repeated throughout the base cycle with the first week of aerobic serving training a recovery week. I will report back on the results after a cycle or two to determine if the training design is not only feasible but also effective in building base aerobic fitness while maintaining efficiency of the anaerobic energy system and neuromuscular type 2 A and B fibers.