City Coach | Coach Cane's Blog

Back to the Track

Every year, one of my favorite training programs is our JackRabbit track program in Red Hook. It's a great way to improve your speed and form, and I get to harrass you along the way. 

We run on Tuesdays at 6:45p from April 24-June 26, then take a break and start another ten week session. If you're training for triathlons, or anything from 5k to marathon distance running races, we can help. Registration is through the JackRabbit website.

Planning Your Race Calendar

I'll be at the Union Square JackRabbit shop tonight at 6:30 to discuss planning your season. Come on by to say hi and talk training. Here's the event description from JRab.

Do you have multiple races this season? Is your half-marathon training conflicting with your Olympic tri program? Learn how to intergrate multiple races into your training schedule so you're performing your best on the day that matters the most. Join Jonathan Cane, CityCoach founder, as he helps you avoid the pitfalls that can derail any season.

Proposed Changes for Prospect Park

As most local runners and riders have probably heard by now, there are plans for major changes in Prospect Park. Under the proposed reconfiguration, cars will be restricted to one lane during the time in the park. Bikes will be restricted to one lane at all times, and pedestrians will have use of the former recreation lanes shared by cyclists and runners. 

Even when cars are not allowed in the park, cyclists will be restricted to the single lane, with the outer lane only for official vehicles "temporary passing" by cyclists. Overall, this is a major step in the right direction. It limits the space used by cars, which is an improvement. It has consistent use of each lane, and the ability for clearer markings and less confusion. Certainly it would be better to get cars out entirely, but I understand that it's a political hot potato, and that the Borough President is a buffoon who champions the use of cars. 

Still, I have some concerns.  Reducing the bike lane from 23 feet to 10 feet during times that cars are out will effectively eliminate pack riding in the park. Perhaps that's not a bad thing, but it's noteworthy. I also worry about the lack of a "buffer" between the cars and bikes. There's one in place between the bikes and runners, which is understandable. But the car lane has been narrowed, and I worry about the safety of riders. (There is a 3-foot shoulder to the right of the cars. That could be used as a buffer if it were placed on the cars' left, but there are concerns about cars swerving to avoid drains which are on the right of the road.)

And apparently there has been no mention of the dangerous and illegal speeds that cars routinely drive in the park. Though the NY Daily News found it appropriate to do a full page story about some cyclists exceeding the speed limit, they have not seemed as interested in the habits of drivers. One would think that if cyclists on 20 pound bikes occasionally speeding by a few MPH is newsworthy, that the 99% of drivers speeding would also merit a full page story, complete with absurd and inflammatory headline. One would be wrong, but here's what the Park Slope Neighbors radar study found:

Fielded Thursday, February 23, 2012, 5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Conditions: Partly cloudy, dusk, 50 degrees fahrenheit
Park Drive Speed Limit: 25 MPH

Average speed: 38.7 MPH

Median speed: 39 MPH

% Above 25 MPH Speed Limit: 99%

% Above 30 MPH: 94.9%

% Above 40 MPH: 45.6%

Top Recorded Speed: 53 MPH

Sample size: 195 vehicles

Certainly there's more to be done in terms of changing policy, perception and enforcement, but this proposal is clearly a step in the right direction.

Mr. Manners Says

Those of you who know me, realize that I am lazy and that I value proper manners. As such, I'm recycling an article that I wrote several years ago for Metro Sports Magazine. In it, I examined proper athletic etiquette. Of all the things I've written, this article generated the most emails, and I've also seen it posted in a couple of gyms. Go figure. 

I'll follow up with a few "Dear Mr. Manners" submissions in the near future as well.  

Whether it’s in the gym, the pool or the road, nothing can spoil a great workout like an obnoxious oaf who ignores the basic rules of sports etiquette. Unfortunately, many of these regulations aren’t posted or announced when you’re new to a sport. So, here are some tips in order to ensure that you’re not the aforementioned offending oaf.

IN THE CLUB

In the fitness world, you’d be surprised how many basics that go without saying actually do need to be said. Jeff Glowatz, Fitness Manager for a major metropolitan Police Department has seen it all. “Nothing surprises me anymore. You can’t take anything for granted. I’ve actually had to tell people that they need to wash their clothes before they work out.” In a gym, sweat is acceptable. Fermented, day-old sweat is not, so never re-wear soiled workout clothes. And while you’re at it, make sure to wear deodorant - especially if you’re sporting a sleeveless top to show off those buffed arms you’ve been working on. Lastly, take it easy with the perfume and cologne. If you slap on the Aqua Velva, the poor slob who’s breathing heavily on the treadmill next to you will be overwhelmed by the scent. Plus, even if you spring for the good stuff, the combination of a previously nice, subtle scent mixed with sweat often results in an offensive blend.

A few other “common courtesy” items that aren’t so common after all can really infuriate the staff and other members at the gym. An old adage in the weight room is “strong enough to lift it, strong enough to put it away”, yet visit any gym and you’ll likely find it littered with dumbbells, plates and other heavy metal within minutes of opening. Leaving weights on the floor is inconsiderate and unsafe. Listen to your mom and pick up after yourself. In that same vein, mom certainly wouldn’t approve of your leaving a puddle of sweat for the poor slob who has to follow you onto the treadmill or bench. Most gyms will provide you with a towel, or at least paper towels that you can use to wipe down the equipment.

Lastly, if you wear headphones while you workout, remember that the rest of us can hear you if you sing along. Every gym has one aspiring Destiny’s Child member who sings out loud (and usually off key). At first it’s amusing, but eventually it’s just plain annoying. Save it for karaoke night, and keep it to yourself in the gym.

A DAY AT THE RACES

One of the great things about running races is that anyone is welcomed. If you’re a middle-of-the-packer, or even a slow runner, most times you can do the same race as elite runners. Still – just because you’re on the same road as them, doesn’t mean that you should line up next to them. The widely accepted procedure is that faster runners start at the front, and slower runners at the back. Forcing the speed demons to weave around you during the first few hundred yards because you want the glory of leading a race for five seconds, or because you want to get a photo op for the local paper is a major no-no. With the wide use of chip timing at most races, there’s no reason to cheat your way up to the front. Sure, there’s always a little gamesmanship and the 8-minute milers usually line up in the area marked off for the 7-minute milers, but don’t get crazy. Be fair, and line up appropriately. 

GET WET

Swimming can be one of the most relaxing forms of exercise, and at first glance there’s really not much that can go wrong – just go from one end of the pool to the other and come back – right?  The problem arises when swimmers fail to observe a couple of simple rules of decorum. 

Perhaps your kindergarten teacher was also a swimmer, because everything you need to know can be summarized in those brilliant words of wisdom, “share, share, that’s fair.”  Most folks are fine if they need to split a lane with one other swimmer, but introduce a third variable into the equation, and suddenly that spirit of cooperation disappears faster than you can say “flip turn”. While John Stewart is not a kindergarten teacher, he is a popular New York swim coach who offers advice on how to share. “Circle swimming [a counterclockwise rotation that allows three or more swimmers to share a lane] is quite simple, and shouldn’t hamper your workout. Stay to the right as you swim, veer left as you approach the wall, and leave the middle open for passing. Faster swimmers have the right-of-way, so if you’re being overtaken, stay to the right but don’t stop swimming. If you need to rest, hold onto the wall at the right side, so as to not impede the progress of the others.” If you were an only child and don’t like to share, you should aim for off-peak hours, but (unless pool rules dictate otherwise) it’s never acceptable to refuse to circle swim.

The other big peeve among swimmers is others who ignore the classifications for the lanes. In case you’re wondering, no one cares about those flirty indiscretions the last time you had too many cocktails at the office party. That big sign that says “FAST LANE” refers to the speed of your swimming – not your social life. If you can’t keep up, move to another lane.

One last tip – no matter how much chlorine is in the water – it’s never acceptable to spit, pee or otherwise share any other bodily fluids in the pool.

Keep these guidelines in mind and you’ll make friends everywhere you exercise.

No Hollywood Pt. 2 (this time with a British accent)

Last week I posted a video from the Chicago Marathon in which a premature celebration quite possibly changed the outcome of the race. Here's an example where a runner's arrogance clearly cost him the race. Run through the line folks. Through the line. 

No Hollywood

Every once in a while I give the "No Hollywood" speech to out athletes. I like to remind them to run hard through the finish line and save the hooting and hollering. Do it to respect the competition, and do it to make sure you have your best finish. 

If you doubt the possible consequences, look no further than the finish of the 2007 Chicago Marathon. And from the other perspective, remember this race the next time you think you're beaten.

The Secret Is.....

 

... there's no secret. 

 

After a recent team workout in which she was in attendance, one of my favorite runners (we'll call her Runner X) asked me how Runner Y got "so friggin' fast". I tactfully responded "She got faster by running. A lot. Nothing too fancy - just a lot of hours on the roads and trails. No shortcuts." Of course Runner Y's improvement from a 4:20 marathon in her 2010 debut to a 3:05 by NYC in 2010 is remarkable, but her method of improvement is remarkably simple. 

The innocent query was actually quite typical of one I get quite often. I think that some people want me to tell them that the secret is Zumba for Runners, or Boot Camp for Runners, only running three times a week, a nutritional supplement, or something else cutting edge, trendy or clever. The truth is that if you want to be come a better runner, your best strategy is usually Running for Runners. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big advocate of some strength training to complement an endurance program, I like an occasional yoga class, and many runners benefit from some form of cross training in lieu of running when they're injured or in need of an easy day. But for a healthy runner trying to get faster, those things need to complement - not replace - running. 

Back in the day, Mark Allen - who is arguably the greatest triathlete ever - was (understandably) a big advocate of cross training. Yet even Mr. Allen hung up the bike and goggles when trying to qualify for the Olympic Marathon team. When push came to shove, he realized that the best way to become a better runner was to run more. 

Many folks have looked at Runner Y's quick acension in the running world, or that of other impressive athletes, and tried to chalk it up to "good genetics". Doing so detracts from the hard work that she (and others like her) put in. (Certainly, picking the right parents is important to athletic success, but most of us have not maximized our potential). Runner X and others got better when they started running more.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that there's one right or wrong way to train, nor am I trying to offend anyone who uses other methods. (I usually make it pretty clear when I'm trying to offend someone.) There's not one right or wrong goal, and some athletes respond better to different types of training. Most of us are training and racing for "fun", rather than for sponsorhip or prize money. If you enjoy classes - take them. If you break down physically, or just don't enjoy high volume - then diversify. But if your goal is to become a better runner, running is a pretty good start. 

Hospital for Special Surgery: Strength Training for Triathletes

On Friday I was lucky enough to present at the Hospital for Special Surgery's "Treating the Multisport and Endurance Athlete" symposium. While I often speak about the ways that strength training can reduce the risk of unjury, the HSS audience was made up primarily of physical therapists, who are already quite aware of that. After all, they're the ones treating patients with the injuries that are caused by muscular weakness and imbalances. Instead, I focused on the performance enhancement angle. While there are still some coaches who argue against strength training for their endurance athletes, I'd humbly suggest that most runners, cyclists and triathletes can benefit from some (not much) time in the weight room, and that much of the resistance from my peers and colleagues who don't see the benefit is born out of a lack of understanding of the potential benefits as well as the best training methods. 

Here are a couple of key slides from the presentation.

In both cases, the runners showed improvement in running economy (the metabolic cost of going at a given speed) independent of any improvements in VO2 or lactate threshold. In other words, with the same oxygen consumption, the runners were moving faster after strength training than before. While at first glance it would also appear that exlposive training is of greater benefit, I would caution against reaching that conclusion based only on this data. In fact the difference in subjects - male vs. female, x-country runners vs. road runners - may have also accounted for the difference. What is clear is that both groups benefited from strength training.

These studies are particularly interesting as well. Cyclist who added strength training to their existing riding saw no improvement in time trial performance or time to exhaustion. Those who cut back on their riding did see an improvement. Since most riders decrease their mileage in the off-season, adding a resistance training program in the winter months seems like a perfect complement to the decreased saddle time. 

While nothing is going to replace the necessarily miles for runners, cyclist and triathletes, these studies are cause for optimism that strength training can be an effective supplement to keep endurance athletes healthy and get them faster. 

Introducing Woman Redefined

Because someone had to get the talent in the family, my sister Rachel has created the new website Woman Redefined. They're looking for submissions from women about athletics and fitness. Here's more about the site.

Woman Redefined began as a look at words commonly used to describe women. We wondered if words like “shallow,” “pushover” and “underhanded” couldn’t be used to our advantage. Our goal was to take negative terms and cast them in a positive and athletic light.

We decided to broaden the project to include stories of women who have redefined themselves in a way that is related to fitness, athleticism or the outdoors.

We hope that you like what you see. If you are a woman, we would love for you to share your story.

 

 

Gallowhat?

I woke this morning and planned on a happy and productive day. Then I opened my internet saw this in Men's Health Magazine:

Gain speed by walking

Add a walking break of 30 seconds to 2 minutes after each mile you run. This prevents muscle fatigue, says Jeff Galloway, an Olympian and the author of Running Until You're 100. "I typically see my runners drop at least 13 minutes from their marathon times because fatigue is so drastically reduced," says Galloway.

I know I've been down this road before, but since publications are still writing about Gallowalking, I'm still rebutting it. In the past I've quoted authorities like Pete Pfitzinger and others who point out the flaw in Galloway's theory from a scientific point of view. I've also pointed out the fraudulent nature of some of his claims. For instance, he tried to attribute one of Ronaldo da Costa's marathon victories to walking breaks. (In fact, what Mr. da Costa did was slow down at water stations.) 

Well, here's another attempt by Mr. Galloway to make up his own facts in order to support his flawed method. Galloway referred to the 2008 winner of the Sunburst Marathon and said "the winner of the Sunburst Marathon walked a few steps every two miles". Nice try, Jeff.

Here's the response from the winner himself.

"Just to set the record straight - I was the winner of the Sunburst Marathon mentioned by Jeff Galloway in the Runner's World interview. Galloway tried to use me to support his silly racing strategy by saying that I walked to in the race...For one thing, I ddn't walk. I came to a complete stop. For another thing - I would never take these breaks while I was actually trying to run a fast race. He mentioned that runners improve by 13 minutes! Funny that the Sunburst Marathon was 13 minutes slower than my best. (Maybe he got the directions on the 13 minute factor turned around

"I was using the race as a training run...I did run the race at 5:30 pace every 3 miles then stop and take a break after each set...The reason I did it that was was so I could recover from the run and continue on with my training that week. 

"All my best marathons from my PR of 2:18:30 to sub 2:30 were all RUN without stopping or walking."

Once again, Galloway tried to support his flawed theory with incorrect information. As I've said before, walking breaks are advisable for someone who is undertrained and will be unable to run the whole race. (See Tara Parker Pope of the NY Times, who originally called it the best strategy to run a faster marathon and then after her 7-hour marathon conceded that it was best suited for those who were undertrained.) But to suggest that it is the fastest way for a trained runner to complete a marathon is simply not true.