ElevateMe goes to White Rock!
July 15, 2010 by brenna · Leave a Comment
Just a quick blog here to celebrate my first major training day. This past Wednesday, I took a ride from Vancouver to White Rock, and then back to Surrey, for a total of 75 km. I took a rest over night at a friend’s place and made the ride back to Vancouver the next morning. For a total of approximately 125 km in two days, this training ride was able to give me a pretty good idea of what I’m going to be up against this summer.
But more than just “training”, it was a beautiful ride too. In fact, the route I take is one of my all time favourite bike rides that I have only had the joy of taking two times before this last trip. The scenery is so incredible, which really helps to keep motivated and feeling positive for miles and miles of highway that seem to stretch on forever: From Vancouver, I took the Kent Avenue bike route going East along the North side of the Fraser river. I connected with Marine Drive and rode it all the way to New Westminster, veering onto Front Street for a portion of the ride. From there, I crossed the Patullo Bridge into Surrey, and rode along the King George Highway until reaching White Rock. This is a surprisingly fantastic highway to ride, as cars are extremely courteous and there is an awesome shoulder for cyclists.
All in all, it was a successful ride, and I am feeling more confident about my physical capacity for the long biking days – and epic hills – that lay ahead of me.
Oh yes, and I was saving my ElevateMe bar until I arrived on the beach, just so I could take a picture of it with the giant white rock (do you know how hard that is?!) Honestly, nothing tastes so satisfying like an ElevateMe treat unless it’s an ElevateMe treat after an extraordinary amount of cycling!! Happy riding 
A Day at the Beach
July 12, 2010 by brenna · Leave a Comment
Summer is finally here – YES, it’s even here in Vancouver! The sun is out, dogs are running in the parks, it seems everyone is happy, and life seems swell all around.
* Cue dreamy music *
Aaah, it would just be so wonderful to spend a whole day lying on the beach doing nothing at all…….
**** !!!!!!! ****
With only one month until I leave for my trip, there is no time to procrastinate – let alone spend a whole day at the beach! It is time to get serious about training! In the past few weeks, I have been working on increasing the number of kilometers I ride each day. I am also making sure to practice riding both in the warm sun and while carrying extra weight on my bike in order to prepare for those factors that are sure to affect my performance when I am on tour.
But wait… the beach is pretty warm, and I’m pretty sure the stairs leading down to Wreck Beach would be of some benefit to my calves and thighs, no? I think so!
Yesterday, finding more than a few hours between yoga classes, I decided to take advantage of this extra time and squeeze a few extra kilometers into my day. Starting at Kerrisdale Community Center, I rode all the way up Marine Drive and down to Wreck Beach on the UBC Campus. It was such a gorgeous route, and very little traffic made for peaceful riding. Since I hadn’t had lunch yet, the wild raspberries and salmon berries along side of the road made for an extra-delicious boost of energy!
11 km later, I arrived at (the top of) the beach, and worked my way down the steeply 473 stairs to the ocean. This was my first visit to Wreck since last summer, and after throwing off my shoes and sinking my feet into that warm sand, I knew it had been too long! I was hot as a habenero and so immediately made my way down to the water. As soon as I my feet touched the tide, my whole body was re-energized. I couldn’t resist; I threw off all of my clothes and went straight into the water!
Weeeeeeeeeeee!
Best…training day… ever.
After I had my moment, I wrapped myself up in my only dry piece of clothing, and laid in the sun, waiting for it to dry me. With just enough time to ride to yoga and have a bite to eat before hand, it was time to head back up to my bike.
Oh yeah… those stairs!
Alllllllll the way back up those infamous Wreck Beach stairs I went, needless to say much slower and less enthusiastically than when I was coming down. A chocolate acai berry brownie ElevateMe! Bar gave me just enough energy to ride the 10 km back to Kitsilano. After having some dinner at Whole Foods Market– make that a LOT of dinner – I taught my two evening yoga classes at Yogacara Studio. The 12 km, generally uphill trek home was the last bit of biking I was able to squeeze in before the end of the day. Needless to say, I had a great sleep!
Today, my calves “thank me”, and I feel just a little bit stronger and more prepared for my trip.
Now, if only every training day could include a dip in the ocean!
* Interested in learning more about my ride this summer? Check out my new webpage at http://themooncycle.webs.com, or join “The Moon Cycle” page on facebook. Happy riding to you!
Sarah Daitch Bio
July 4, 2010 by SarahD · Leave a Comment
I grew up on the tundra and boreal forests near communities in Canada’s Northwest Territories. I raced for the Canadian National Cross Country Ski Team in 2008-2009 and have competed at the 2007 Nordic World Championships.
As a member of the Esteem Team role model program, I encourage youth to pursue a healthy lifestyle and follow their dreams. I am now 28 years old, and following my own dream of representing Canada at the 2011 Nordic World Championship.
I am also an ambassador for the non-profit Fast and Female, which seeks to empower girls through sport, and work for the organization at events throughout the year.
Elevate Me in Europe
June 25, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Taper Time!
June 17, 2010 by Nicola · Leave a Comment
There are only 12 days left until I begin one of the biggest physical running challenges of my life. Just to refresh your memory, I am partaking in the Western States 100 mile endurance run, which is taking place on Saturday, June 26th, 2010. I will tow the line with 450 other runners in Squaw Valley, California.
The departure from Vancouver takes place Tuesday morning and with a mere 16 hours of driving later I will arrive at the cozy cabin my boyfriend, Peter, and I rented on Lake Tahoe (he is also doing the run). I always like to get to a destination at least 2 days before the race, which leaves just enough time to shake out the nervous energy and excitement that so naturally occurs before a big event.
I have been training for this race and this race alone since January. The thought of actually running a hundred miles didn’t really hit me until a week ago. And when it hit, it hit hard. All of a sudden I was really giddy and excited. Because I have never run this distance before I have no crazy expectations. Of course I have my own specific goals but I really have no idea what this experience is going to be like. There will be a lot of firsts for me- for example, running through the night with a headlamp, having a pacer (total stranger) run with me for the last 45 miles, running 60 more km than I ever have before, and eating for this length of time!
Of course there are things that I am really worried about. It is going to be hot in the canyons. People can lose a race if they don’t take care of themselves in the heat and if they fail to have properly heat trained. I have spent the last 4 days in the sauna (up to an hour and a half) and will continue to do so until the day I leave. The heat also makes you more prone to blisters because of the moisture and friction. A co-worker of mine had to walk the last 30km of the race last year because his blisters were so bad.
With all this considered it looks as though I have some more planning ahead of me. I have a small crew consisting of my mom (who is flying down) and my younger cousin Caitlin. Both have no prior crewing experience, and I am no help because I have never had a crew before nor have I crewed anyone for this distance. The day before the race however the race directors put on mini talks where the runner’s come to get their bibs etc. They have talks on blister/foot maintenance, how to crew, and nutrition and hydration etc. I am hoping to learn a little bit more there!
I also found a pacer on-line. What exactly is a pacer you ask? It is someone who runs with you and helps motivate you to keep going. In a race of this distance, it is expected that I will go through many highs and lows throughout the course of the day. The pacer helps to keep you focused and makes sure you’re eating and drinking according to plan.
I will post a link in the upcoming days to the website so that you can follow along live and track my progress throughout the race. Alright, time to go pack a lot of high protein elevate me bars for myself and my crew, to keep us all fuelled on the big day!!!
A Few of my Favorite Things
June 7, 2010 by brenna · Leave a Comment
On active days, I need to pay more attention to the kinds of foods I put into my body. Am I eating enough? What kinds of nutrients do I need after a training ride? What will provide sustainable energy without making me feel like I’ve just eaten a brick? Here is a list of a few of my favourite things to eat on training days….
1) Whole Foods Market bulk bins – Deciding what to get can be challenging, given the overwhelming variety of trail mixes, nuts and dried fruits available at Whole Foods. You can innie-minnie-miney-mo, of course, since you are bound to pick something delicious, but my favourite is a toss-up between Energy Nuggets, soy nuts, and any of their bulk granola. I try to remember to bring my reusable snack mix bag so I don’t have to use a new plastic one. You can buy these too at Whole Foods!
2) ElevateMe! Matcha Green Tea with Cranberries bar – Green tea, cranberries, ElevateMe… need I say more? This is by far my favourite energy bar flavor from ElevateMe. I like that it’s already divided in to three pieces, so I can break off a square and go if I need a quick burst of energy. Sometimes I’ll break off a square or two to have as dessert after a post-training dinner.
3) Emergen-C Immune Defence 1000mg vitamin C pack – There’s something really satisfying about drinking vitamin water. As I drink one, I can imagine all of the vitamins permeating right into my body to provide immediate energy and enthusiasm. Emergen-C packs provide the same satisfaction, but without any weird additives or artificial sweeteners. I can boost my immune system (which is always a concern of mine) with this formula that includes 1000mg vitamin C, enhanced zinc, vitamins A and D, and extracts from hibiscus and elderberry. Better yet, I can skip the plastic bottle and save money with this alternative to vitamin water!
4) Buttercup Squash, aka Kabocha Squash – Because it’s pretty heavy, I usually have this for breakfast a few hours before I begin my day. It is rich, sweet, filling and provides healthy carbohydrates for sustainable energy. I keep it pretty simple: steam or bake for approximately 10-20 minutes, or until soft, and serve with salt and pepper. ¾ cup of this cooked delight is provides 30 calories, 70% of your vitamin A and 7 carbohydrates. Save the seeds to toast as a snack for later!
5) Apples and Bananas – Both are simple and easy to eat (sometimes I eat em as I ride!). Apples have an uncountable number of health benefits (check out http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well/nutrition/15-health-benefits-of-eating-apples), and since they are mainly carbohydrates and water they make for a perfectly balanced energy snack. Bananas are rich in potassium, and as we all know, after a good sweaty workout, it is important to replenish the various electrolytes of the body, one of which is potassium. Bananas are super easy to carry in a backpack without worrying about a mess (just don’t put it at the bottom!) and, like most fruits, are easily digestible so you can eat them before or during a training session. Try tossing a peeled banana in the freezer for an ice-cream-like treat on hot summer days!
The Grand Canyon Experience: Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim
June 3, 2010 by Alison · Leave a Comment
The title is just what it implies, running or hiking in the mighty Grand Canyon is an experience, one not to be missed. Most ultra runner’s call it the R2R2R, meaning, you run from Either Rim (north or south) over to the opposite rim (direction depending on where you start) and back again. The total distance of the journey itself: 50 miles.
I have read blogs and seen pictures of friends partaking in this grand adventure. This run quickly became a ‘must do’ and I thought, what better year to run it than the year I train for Western States 100. Peter (my running partner) and I flew into Vegas from Bellingham, rented a car, and drove to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Elevate Me nutrition bars in tow!
There are 3 key ways in which this run perfectly prepares a runner for a 100 miler that takes place in California in late June, (1) Heat (2) Elevation change (3) Time on feet (distance/time)..
Western States 100 is going to be hot; there is no doubt about it. Some years are hotter than others but it is routinely at or around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the temperature in the Grand Canyon reached only 90 degrees Fahrenheit, this was way hotter than any temps I have experienced in Vancouver thus far. As well, I will not likely experience temps this hot before the race. Although I was not in the heat long enough to acclimatize, I have an idea of what to expect come race day, which plays a huge part for me mentally.
Western States has over 40,000 feet of elevation change, which is A LOT. Come race day, if you are not prepared, the constant climbing and descending will not only burn out your quads, it will send your hamstrings screaming towards the sidelines. However, there are no sidelines in ultra running, there are only DNF’s (did not finish). I need to prepare my body to handle the leg pounding from the long descents and the fatigue from the punishing hill climbs. The Grand Canyon, in all its glory, offers both, twice! We began by getting on the 5am shuttle bus which had us running by 5:30am. We started at the South Kaibab Trail and immediately descended 7 miles down towards the Canyon. The terrain in the Canyon was amazing and the flowers were stunning. The rock, and all its layers, is unlike anything I have ever seen. The layers tell a brief story of time and evolution. I loved how the trail traversed along the Bright Angel Creek, which offered up a nice breeze as we ran along it. We quickly started up the climb to the top of the North Rim. It took us a couple hours to reach the top but the mighty view was worth it. We filled our packs with water and carried on back down the hill.
We stopped to talk to a few people along the way and once they found out what we were doing, they told us we were “crazy”. I can’t even begin to count the amount of times we were told that. People take 3-5 days to do what we were doing. There is something satisfying about completing the journey in one day but on the flip side, it would be nice to just linger in the scenery, take it all in, and not just have it be a flash memory.
The heat had risen on the way back and because of that; taking in fuel became that much more challenging. The heat turns your stomach off and you have to push through or else you will not have the necessary amount of energy to continue on at the pace we were going. I was drinking a lot of water; I worried about taking in too much. Of course, I could tell by the salt crystals on my face and the minor swelling in my fingers that I should be taking in more. And I do.
Just before we started up the last big climb of the day, up Bright Angel Trail, we stopped at a little place called Phantom Ranch. They had a mini cafeteria type restaurant which served up the best Lemonade. We were 8 hours into our journey and nothing has ever tasted so good. The final climb seemed to go on forever. We were lucky in that it was pretty much entirely in the shade. As I looked up towards the top of the South Rim, an overwhelming feeling came over me, wondering how I was ever going to make it all the way to the top. We kept plugging away, and eventually we started to get closer and closer. There were many water stops along the way which broke up the trail nicely. We still had a lot of pep in our step because we were still passing people going up the climb.
Alas, we could see the top. I told Peter to slow down, as I wanted to savour this moment. I wanted to bask in the scenery as I knew it would be a while until I came back. The total journey took 11 hours. It was eleven of the most beautiful, wondrous, exhausting, and mentally challenging hours. The longest I have ever been out on my feet is 9 ½ hours, so this took the cake. We reached the car and I grabbed out my Elevate Me Organic Protein Bar. I asked myself if I would ever be back and the answer, without hesitation, DEFINETLY!
A lot of people questioned why we would go all the way to the Grand Canyon, simply to run. But, that is what I do, I run. Why not run in one of the most beautiful places in North America?
Now I ask you, please share what adventures you have been on lately? One’s that took your breathe away?
Nicola Gildersleeve
Athlete/ Ambassador
Cycler’s Confession
May 26, 2010 by brenna · Leave a Comment
As each day passes, I am that much closer to the cycling trip that will take me across Canada this summer. In fact, as of this writing, it is a mere 58 days until I leave! I am fully aware of the importance of training, but since the purpose of my ride is to raise money for a charity, I have been able to avoid thinking about the actual biking aspect by keeping busy with various fund raising projects and promotional events – until now! It is only in the past few weeks that I have really started to think about training, and I realize that for each day I sit around and think about it, I put off an entire day’s worth of preparing my body. Nonetheless, I am human, and I will be the first to admit:
There are some days I just don’t feel like biking - At all.
Now, biking isn’t just something I do for recreation. Like many folks in Vancouver, my bicycle is also my main method of transportation. Because I teach and work in various areas of the city, my average commute can range anywhere from 25 to 40 km per day. On a day off (which is a rarity), I will usually have to travel at least 10 km just to accomplish the simple errands of my daily life. In other words, there never really is a day where I am not required to be riding whatsoever.
However, on the days where I am only required to travel a short distance, I like to find ways to change up my fitness routine. To keep things “fresh”, while continuing to build the strength and endurance I require for my trip, I head to the park for a fun and energetic work-out.
Here is the circuit I created this week using the various play structures, paths and benches at my favourite park. Enjoy!
- Run to the park (5-10 minutes). Warms up body and gets cardiovascular system ready for work-out.
- Perform approximately 20 walking lunges (6 meters) along side of the community center: From standing with hands on the hips, step one foot approximately one meter ahead of the other, like you are taking a long stride, and bend both knees to a lunge. Your back knee should be about 2 inches from the ground, and your front knee does not go over your toes. Keep your upper body still. Works entire lower body and core.
- Perform 10 bench dips. Sitting on the edge of a bench, place your hands on either side of your hips with the fingers pointing forward. Walk your legs away from the bench, either with knees bent and feet flat on the ground about hip distance apart (easier) or legs fully extended and heels on the ground with the legs together(harder). Slide your bum off of the bench and bend your elbows 90 degrees. Press your body back up. Make sure your arms stay parallel to eachother and don’t over-bend or hyper extend your elbows. Works back of arms.
- 4) Perform 10 bench push ups. Place your hands on the back of the bench a bit wider than shoulder distance apart. Walk the feet back until you are in a plank position. Bend the elbows like a push up, and straighten, without locking, the elbows back to a plank. Works biceps and chest.
- Hip exercises: Lean over and place your hands on the back of the bench. Ensure your spine is straight, and bend your knees if you need to. Lift your right leg directly out to the side and lower down. Repeat for 5 reps. Continuing with the right leg, take our right leg directly behind you. Lower down and repeat for 5 reps. Repeat on other side. Works hips and glutes.
- Repeat exercises 3, 4, and 5 for one or two more sets.
- Perform 20 walking lunges away from bench.
- Monkey lifts: At the play structure, hold onto the monkey bars and let your legs dangle below you. Without moving your upper body, bend your knees and lift your thighs towards your chest. For more of a challenge, keep legs straight, and lift legs 90 degrees straight ahead of your body. Repeat 10 times, for 2 or 3 sets, taking a 60 second break in between. Works abs and stretches arms.
- Stretching on the grass: Take 10-15 minutes to cool down and stretch. Make sure to stretch the arms, the legs, the hips and the chest and hold each stretch for 30 – 60 seconds.
- Light jog back home (5-10 minutes). Cools down the body.
* The suggestions given in the above article are not meant in any way to be taken as medical advice or in place of a physician’s course of treatment. Please consult your doctor before beginning a new fitness regimen, like yoga, and always respect the limitations of your own body!
* Interested in learning more about my ride this summer? Check out “The Moon Cycle” page on facebook, or email me at yogabee@live.ca
Heat and Running
May 14, 2010 by Nicola · Leave a Comment
The longest event of my life, Western States 100, is a mere 49 days away. On a day where there are going to be many uncertainties, there is one thing I know for sure, it is going to be hot! Year after year, I read stories about how the heat in Squaw Valley (California) was the one factor that ruined someone’s race. The heat affects so many different aspects of a persons performance- pace, hydration, ability to take in food (nausea), blisters, etc.
My boyfriend, who is also doing the race, has begun to heat train in a sauna. I have only been twice now. No, we don’t run in the sauna, nor do we even jog on the spot, we simply sit there and count down the minutes until we can get out! Oh ya, and we drink A LOT of water!
I have been a little sceptical in regards to when exactly we needed to start acclimatizing to the heat. It seemed a little odd to be starting 3 months out of competition when from what I have learned in university, it only takes 14 days to acclimatize to factors such as heat and altitude. I came across an article on heat training and running and I thought I would share some of it with you here:
How Heat Affects Running Performance (by Bryon Powell, irunfar.com)
There is little doubt that exercise performance is impaired in hot environments. While the effect of heat on performance varies with the sport (for example, less effect on cycling than running), there is a great deal of empirical data showing a link between ambient temperature and performance. Various authors have suggested performance impairments of between 1.6 and 3% in marathon times for every 10 degrees above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Below is an interesting table from a paper by Scot Montain and colleagues at the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine illustrates the relationship between elite marathoner finishing times and course temperature in the New York City Marathon.
New York City Marathon: Top Times vs Temperature (right)
How We Acclimate to Heat
If it is plasma that is the essential cooling component, is it possible to improve this problem by increasing our total plasma volume? Yes, and that is exactly what happens as we adapt to heat over time. Whether you acclimate naturally to higher temperatures over the course of a season, or in a heat chamber, the most significant change that occurs is an increase in plasma volume. Other things occur as well (such as changes in sweat sodium concentration, resting core temperature and heart rate), but plasma volume expansion is the key. After extensive acclimatization, plasma volume can have expanded by as much as 2 liters!
This may explain why the fittest athletes adapt to heat stress more quickly than the less fit. One of the by-products of endurance training (especially at high intensities) is an increase in plasma volume. So just by training hard, you can derive some amount of heat acclimation. What about specifically training in a hot environment to improve performance in a hot race? There is extensive evidence that it is possible to improve our performance in hot environments by training in similar conditions prior to competition. Several studies have demonstrated performance improvements in terms of maximum work rate, perceived exertion, time to failure at submaximal work rates, and time to complete a specific distance.
In the last few paragraphs we’ve explored a bit about the effect of heat on performance (bad) and the effects of acclimation on this (good). The most meaningful physiological adaptation that occurs is an increase in plasma volume (a lot like adding more radiator fluid to a car). However, there are some other adaptations that occur – changes in sweat rate, changes in sweat sodium concentration and changes in core resting temperature, to name a few. The various adaptations occur with different amounts of acclimatization. Here’s a graphical representation of the times over which an athlete can gain these benefits:
A timeline of various heat acclimation adaptations (right).
Heat Acclimation Methods and Considerations
The work needed to achieve the benefits heat acclimation is reasonable. Most laboratory based heat acclimation protocols have athletes spend about 1 hour a day in a heat chamber for 7-10 days. Importantly, this needs to occur as close to the time of the competition as possible, as the adaptations conferred by acclimation decay rapidly without ongoing exposure. So there’s no point in spending 2 weeks in a heat chamber a month before the race – the effects will decay in 1-3 weeks.
As previously mentioned, the benefits of heat acclimation decay rapidly if you do not maintain heat exposure. Estimates vary, but it’s possible that you could lose half of the benefit in 10 days without ongoing heat exposure. This raises some logistical problems for athletes living in cold environments who are attempting to acclimate for a hot weather event. To benefit maximally from acclimatization, the heat training sessions should occur as close as possible to the event. That seems pretty straight forward. The problem is that acclimation is quite physically demanding, and most athletes attempt to taper in the week(s) prior to a big race. So, if you want to acclimatize optimally, it needs to occur during your taper – which may cause overtraining, or at least minimize the benefits of tapering.
As with all training, the more specific, the better. When it comes to heat acclimatization this means that your training climate should reflect the competition environment as closely as possible – the same temperatures as well as humidity. Why is humidity important? As anyone who has survived an East Coast summer knows, humidity makes it harder to lose heat via sweating. Training in a humid environment does confer some benefit it you are training for a dry, hot race, but not as much as training in a dry, hot chamber. Interestingly, there is better “transfer” of acclimation if you train in a dry, hot climate and then race in a humid, hot race than the other way round. So, as much as possible, match humidity and temperature of your acclimation phase to your race environment.
What about passive acclimation? That is, will sitting in a sauna at the YMCA get us ready for running in Death Valley? Essentially – a bit, but not much. Acclimatization is vastly greater (and more rapid) is you exercise during the heat exposure. Whether this is again the principle of specificity, or whether it is simply that core temperature rises faster with active acclimation (increased core temperature is probably the stimulus for the adaptations that occur) is not clear.
So, in my experience, heat acclimation based on well documented scientific principles can give athletes a significant performance enhancement in hot environments. However, it is important to recognize the effect of acclimation on the tapering period and to plan accordingly.
I was chatting with a friend last weekend as we were adventuring through the mountains in Squamish. She has run one of the hardest footraces on the planet, Badwater, where the temperatures reach somewhere in the 50’s. To acclimatize, she heat trained the 2 weeks leading up to the event. She started with 10 minutes and worked her way up to 2 hours. She didn’t move around in the sauna and she said by the end she was drinking 4L of water. She said the heat wasn’t a problem for her during the race. In the end, if you are doing a race in a hot climate, it is best to prepare yourself accordingly and try and mimic that environment as best you can before getting to the start line.
Nicola Gildersleeve
Athlete Ambassador
Optimizing Oxygen for Better Performance!
May 11, 2010 by brenna · Leave a Comment
As I write this, it is exactly 84 days until I leave. On July 22nd, I hop on my bicycle and begin a 2500 km eastward-bound journey from Vancouver, BC to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Each day that passes, I realize the growing need to get serious about training!
Although I am on my bike every single day of my life, and usually do no less than 25 km per day, I know it is necessary to do both distance- and incline- related training. My journey across this large landmass is sure to demand a much greater supply of energy and endurance than does my daily commute through the city; hence, it is time to get my butt in gear (in this case – quite literally!).
It is clear that I must prepare both my body and mind for the physical and mental obstacles or challenges that are sure to arise along the ride. As a yoga teacher (and student!) I have experienced the benefits of breathing, relaxing and increasing body awareness and am finding ways to incorporate these yoga techniques into my training.
In today’s blog, I will explain the importance of breath and how learning to breathe deeply can benefit your performance.
Importance of Breathing:
Simply put, in order to convert fuel into energy, muscles require oxygen. When oxygen is used in this way, it is called ‘aerobic (with oxygen) metabolism’ and it is the ideal process for the body to use during exercise. Any activity that demands a great deal of energy use will require a greater oxygen supply to enable this form of metabolism.
Sometimes, the body is unable to keep up with the demands for oxygen, and this is when ‘anaerobic (without oxygen) metabolism’ occurs. For example, in the first few minutes of exercise, when the body has not yet increased the heart rate or breath rate, the demands of oxygen temporarily exceed the supply. Lactic acid begins to form in the muscle as a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism. Ideally, enough oxygen is soon available, and the acid is removed from the system. However, if you continue to exercise strenuously, or over an extended period of time without rest, lactic acid will continue to accumulate and eventually the muscles will fatigue.
Learning to increase the availability of oxygen through proper breathing, therefore, should be an important aspect in any athlete’s training programme!
Breathing Techniques:
Full belly breathing:
Practice this exercise for 5 – 10 minutes every day during training. Do it at a regular time each, such as first thing in the morning, or immediately before bed, to help build it into your regular routine. Read through the instructions a few times before practising, or allow a friend to read them aloud to you as you close your eyes and follow.
Sit on the floor in a comfortable positon that enables you to have a straight and relaxed spine. If you need, sit in a chair, lean against a wall, or even enjoy this breathing exercise lying down (as long as you’re not tempted to drift asleep!). Take both hands onto the belly and allow the middle fingers to connect at the center. Close your eyes and begin to notice your breath. Notice where the body feels naturally open and relaxed, and where the breath is moving in the body. Is your breath moving more into the belly or into the chest? How does the inhale compare to the exhale in length and smoothness? With each consequent breath, allow the breath to slow down, and the inhale to become even with the exhale. If it is helpful, breathe in to a count of 4, and breathe out to a count of 4.
With the hands on the belly, begin to deepen the breath. As you inhale, feel the belly expanding as the middle fingers move away from each other. As you exhale, allow the belly to soften back as the fingers come back together. Inhale feeling expansion. Exhale feeling softness. Continue breathing like this for as long as feels comfortable.
If you are not used to deep breathing, you may become dizzy as the body takes in more oxygen. If this occurs, return to regular breathing. As with any new exercise, especially if you have any underlying conditions, please contact your physician to ensure that deep yoga breathing is a safe practice for your body!
Incorporating Breath During Training:
- Begin each training session with a few minutes of breathing to supply the muscles with an abundance of oxygen
- When challenged (riding to the top of a hill, sprinting the last few meters of your race, etc), focus on deep belly breathing
- Incorporate breathing into your pre- and post- session stretching. Breathe in deeply, and as you exhale, allow the body to deepen into the stretch. Be sure to hold each stretch long enough (at least 30 seconds, ideally 1-2 minutes) to allow the muscles to release.
- Complete each training session with a few minutes of breathing. This will help the body to remove any lactic acid build up that may have occurred during exercise.
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