Gu and Gatorade and PowerBars have long been quick energy fixes for endurance athletes. For a couple bucks a pop, you can energize yourself with some maltodextrin in it's various forms for a good 45 minutes until the calories are burned and you pop another gel or sip some more drink or take another chewy bite of a vanilla crisp energy bar. All of those energy sources are great products for endurance sports, but they hold little water to a much more cost-effective source of energy: WORDS.
Words are free and when used in the right way, can energize someone much better than maltodextrin. You don't even have to re-say them every 45 minutes to an hour.
When you are at the Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon in Wilmington this weekend, or the City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh, remember to not just cheer for those athletes during the race, but speak words of encouragement before their difficult endeavor and speak words of recognition after the amazing feat of athleticism they have just accomplished.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 - DURHAM, NC - Endurance Magazine, the premier regional resource for healthy lifestyles, has been awarded the 2008 National Award for Editorial Excellence from the Association of Running Publications. Out of 34 regional publications across the country, North Carolina-based Endurance Magazine and its editorial staff, led by Managing Editor Joe Nuss, was recognized for its perpetually creative and inspiring editorial and production style. Complemented by world-class photography by Tamara Lackey Photography, and innovative visual design by 8dot Graphics (both based in North Carolina), Endurance Magazine breaks through traditional health and fitness content paradigms by connecting real-world lifestyles with real-world people who take on extraordinary challenges. "Our mix of immediately useful content and life-enriching personal connections helps us reach out to new readers with each issue" says Publisher and founder Steve Lackey. "Over the years we have found our creative niche and have been able to inspire and motivate all types of people across our region. As more people learn about Endurance Magazine from beyond North Carolina, our subscription requests from other states have grown".
When asked what makes Endurance Magazine so popular with such a broad audience, Nuss explains, "Endurance Magazine is blessed with an amazing community of people willing to share their own passionate narratives about endurance sports. Our emphasis on storytelling, design and photography, with the sport itself as merely a backdrop, enables us to explore the universally relevant themes of physical and emotional triumph in attempt to bring together everyone from elite athletes to those that have never before laced up a pair of running shoes (but think they might want to some day)."
In only his second year running ultras,
Bandwidth.com CEO
David Morken finished the
Wasatch 100 (miles) in 26 hours and 51 minutes. Finishing this torturous run is remarkable for anyone -- David managed to cross the finish in 22nd place (out of 241) - and this is someone who trains at sea level while most others are at altitude all year. After bonking in his first try in 2007 (hypontremia symptoms after the temperature dropped dramatically overnight), David came back with even more focus and had an amazing experience in 2008. Note: David is not only CEO of his company, but is also a father of 6 children (all under the age of 18). He keeps it all together with a calmness and intensity that is unmatched (and he gets a LOT of help from his family and friends). Congratulations, David - you are a true inspiration -- looking forward to watching you and the Bandwidth.com team tackle the 2009 Race Across America (RAAM)!
Track Charlie as he runs across America.
Charlie is blogging each day and is even keeping us updated via Twitter (just get an account and you can follow him there) http://www.twitter.com/.
A few months ago I wrote about swimming an entire 60 minute workout without goggles - just opened my eyes in the pool and embraced the freedom of swimming without goggles - until I got out and realized the chlorine had melted away half of my contact lenses (not recommended as I had a headache for two days). Still, I was pretty impressed with myself for sucking it up and getting through the ‘adversity' of that particular workout.
I was reminded of this when I saw Michael Phelps win gold at this year's Olympics in his premier event - the 200 meter butterfly. He could not have looked less satisfied - tossing his cap and goggles onto the deck as if they were not worthy of being in the pool. Turns out, upon entering the pool his goggles filled up with water and stayed that way for the entire event. For just over 1 minute and 51 seconds he crushed all challengers - essentially with his eyes closed.
The average person would be quickly consumed by the negative vibe associated with something going wrong - especially at a time like this (an Olympic finals event). And I guess that is why people like Phelps are able to consistently perform at the level they do - they seem to have an uncanny ability to block out anything that is not moving them in a positive direction - they inherently, and seemingly proactively, eclipse any potential negative energy - at least for as long as they need to get to the finish.
I am sure this is the same type of positive consciousness that elite gymnasts dip into when they fall of the balance beam and then get up to continue executing severely complex techniques with perfection to complete their routine. It has always amazed me.
On August 24th we will kick off the 2008 Ramblin' Rose Women Only Triathlon Tour in Winston-Salem, NC. With over 50% of the participants being first timers, the value of embracing this positive mindset will be significant for all involved. And as anyone who has witnessed one of these events knows, there is plenty to go around as hundreds of mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers cross the finish line beaming with pride and accomplishment. This too, consistently amazes me. www.endurancemag.com/ramblinrose
For our cover story, Charlie Engle, along with his partner Marshall Ulrich, is about to embark on a mission that is certain to test his positive consciousness as they strive to cross the US from San Francisco to New York City in 45 days - on foot. Imagine what your perspective would be after running across the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range only to find, once on the other side, that you see nothing but desert as you start into Nevada - with 80% of the country still left to cross. Is it:
"Holy crap, I just ran across the Sierras! - I am awesome!" or perhaps,
"I'll never make it across this miserably endless desert".
Which way would you see it? [Their run starts on September 13th.] www.runningamerica08.com
Some would argue there is a collective energy - a collective consciousness - that exists for us all to tap into - that affects all of us. The more positive energy we put out there, the more there will be for each of us. Our Endurance Magazine Citizen team will be looking for some of that energy at the Duke Half Ironman (especially on the run portion) this month. If you have a moment on September 14th, feel free to send some our way.
Inspire. Perform. Endure.
-Steve
PS - Rule #63: Never pass up an opportunity to compare yourself, no matter how far-reaching, to the most decorated Olympian of all time.
A great article on the Outside Blog called Old, Drunk Man Lost at Sea was the inspiration for this inaugural edition of my weekly column -- Training With Hemingway. Check back every Wednesday to read about my current training for the Duke Half Ironman written in the style of the greatest writer ever!
My first installment is a cycling piece about the new group ride I attended in North Raleigh last night. When told the average pace was 20-21 mph, I should have known better... but unfortunately I have the spirit of Hemingway in me (minus the Mojitos).
Welcome to year SIX of Endurance Magazine!
After five full years, 60 issues, of cultivating a growing community of purposefully living fitness enthusiasts, we are thrilled to look ahead at all we have to do over the next five. It's what inspires us to do what we do. Over the years, we've strived to motivate, educate, and inspire readers to embrace the Endurance Lifestyle. Along the way, we have been introduced to some truly amazing people - world changers. From Scott Johnson, the Ironman triathlete who succeeded in being the first double-lung transplant to reach the finish line, to Spencer Lueders, the passionate philanthropist who sparked a cycling revolution across the region with his now nationally renowned 24 Hours of Booty ride, to Molly Barker, founder and inspirational leader of Girls on The Run, to Charlie Engle, the man who ran across the Sahara Desert bringing awareness for the need of clean drinking water across this most critical part of the world, to Winny Tonui, the native Kenyan who recently came to the US to become a professional runner, transcending cultural barriers and inspiring an adult population across her home village to live more healthfully. There are many many more (see them all on our soon to be released archives section online at endurancemag.com) and we showcase these people because they are exactly what we all love to find in ourselves: A sense of purpose, an awareness of self, and an attitude of possibility.
It was a great day - 55 degrees at sunrise in early December. The warmth was a welcomed change from last year’s 16 degrees on this same morning. And as the over 5000 runners crossed the start line at the 3rd annual Thunder Road Marathon in Charlotte not a cloud was in the sky.
You couldn’t help but feel terrific as you ran through the first mile – a pretty much downhill stretch that tempts you to go faster than you planned.
And for me, especially, since I have neglected to spend any real time training for the various longer distance events I’ve jumped into this season (Duke Half Ironman, City of Oaks Half Marathon, and now the Thunder Road Half Marathon), it would be prudent to stay the course and keep the pace easy – as planned.
Nine miles later, when pretty much all the people I knew on the course started to pass me (usually with a “Hey Steve, Looking Good!”), and I realize I am about to go from setting a new half-marathon PR to running the longest race of my life, I wished that I had dialed it in a bit during those tempting first few miles. But I just couldn’t do it. Such a perfect day and so much energy emitting from the herd of runners it was too hard NOT to embrace the love.
I paid for it over the last three miles of the race – admittedly even walking for a brief moment with no more than a mile to the finish. As I walked I could literally feel all that wonderful energy leaving my body and being absorbed by those who had paced themselves better. I was physically and mentally finished. Unable to focus on positive thoughts, I slowly meandered to the finish.
SILVER LINING
As with pretty much everything in life, after I shook the cloud of negativity, the upsides to the experience presented themselves.
First, by jumping out ahead of the majority of the field I maximized the number of marketing impressions my Endurance branded gear realized as I slowed and was passed. We even had a few clients call in this week right after the race who saw me on the course – coincidence?
Second, I bought a new pair of New Balance 1223’s at the expo the night before the race. They fit like a glove so I decided I didn’t need to worry about breaking them in (which is the traditional recommendation from most footwear experts). The previous chronic pains I had with my last pair of shoes all but vanished. Wearing the new 1223’s was actually therapeutic. I don’t think we’ll see New Balance claiming their shoes can actually cure chronic foot pain, but I am thrilled to have the comfort in my step that I had been missing for several months (I am wearing them now).
Third, it was the fastest 10 miles I’ve ever run! (stay tuned for more on the “Tarheel 10 Miler” on April 26th in Chapel Hill – we’re working in getting that one approved).
Finally, every day, I sit about 10 feet from one of the best coaches I the region – Thys Wind. I’ve never worked with a coach simply because I have such a hectic schedule (flexibility is a dangerous privilege). I wasn’t willing to commit to someone else’s training schedule because I didn’t want to let THEM down. This day I confirmed that the person I wasn’t willing to commit to was me. So, 2008 will be the year I see what I’m really made of. How fast can I go? It will be fun to find out. You can check out my blog on our new website to see how it’s going. [endurancemag.com]
If you’re having trouble shaking up your life, take a look at the events we showcase in our annual Triathlon Season Preview Guide. There is bound to be something that will give you some refreshed perspective.
Inspire. Perform. Endure
PS – Special thanks to Dr. Kevin Lyons of Beyond Wellness Chiropractic in Charlotte who tracked us down to let us know who hit our car in the public lot. Good karma is coming your way.
There's been a lot in the media lately about 'attraction' and how you have the power to deliver to yourself anything you desire. It's a tough concept to swallow. Especially when there's seemingly more and more to think about, never-ending decisions to be made, and, as you get older (or perhaps wiser), you have a growing sense of the lack of control you possess over the world around you. I've been thinking a lot about this and I have to say, as open-minded as I like to consider myself, I was pretty skeptical that I really had that much control over my world.
And I started to think about the times I've felt truly empowered, experienced, educated. These were the times I've pushed myself to try new things, travel to new places, to be a little scared, and sincerely listen to people who spoke languages I would never understand.
I was just thinking about the fact that it's been too long since I've reached out to something new and was making plans to do so when in walked Charlie Engle. The man who just two weeks earlier had led a team of three on a running expedition across the Sahara Desert. Wow. Talk about a sign. Needless to say, we all sat and listened to Charlie share his stories of endurance with the deepest attention. Like sponges absorbing every last drop of his experience, it was a true privilege just to listen to what he has attracted into his life.
