Endurance...defined... a few times

Endurance training is a process.... Think of the word itself.... ENDURANCE. We don't 'play' endurance. We 'build' it! So you have to both respect yourself and trust the process. If you don't, you just won't make it...

So I will line out what I think is easiest to hardest to understand about endurance. As you read through this, think about where your knowledge starts and stops about what endurance actually is from all angles and what it's going to take to build yours. You might already know it all which is great!

So what does it mean? Here are some definitions that I prefer:

Endurance: also called Sufferance, Stamina, Resilience, or Durability

Endurance: the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity

Endurance: The capacity of something to last or to withstand wear and tear.

And I especially like this great synonym: Staying Power!

It says: "Continuous Effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential"

You can really call it whatever you want (since we live in America and can make up whatever reality we can possibly dream of, call it what we want and then demand others to view it the same way), but the simple fact is that it takes time for everyone. Nothing really frustrates me more than people who 'commit' to something and don't follow through with it. This happens so much when people, for example, enter a marathon or an Ironman event they have not prepared for or don't even have enough time to prepare for. It does so much more damage to the body and causes injury and/or burnout. The 2 major threats to athletics and/or health. If somebody has a heart attack at a marathon, the media says, 'happened while running, therefore running must be bad for us'. Yes it is that skewed but we already knew that right?

Someone once told me that years seem to go by faster as we age because each year becomes a smaller percentage of time we have been alive. My son (who has no real concept of time) thinks that a year takes forever. I on the other hand, feel my life speeding by at a ridiculous pace trying to keep up. And I have heard plenty of people who have been around the block a few times (you know who you are) say " where the crap did the last 20 years go?"

Building Endurance follows a similar pattern.

In the beginning... Those short runs, rides or swims seem LOOONG! It does not hurt in a good way just yet, you can't breathe, and you wonder why you contemplated such a thing... And, just like the young age of a child, you get bored and may be ready to move on to the next thing shortly after you have begun. Some people quit, drop out, don't finish, blah, blah. Call it what you want... I call it WEAK!

Just as we teach children patience and persistence(if there is such a thing), so should we remember those values ourselves when pursuing such enduring events. Stick with it for more than a year or two and you will see what amazing things can happen to your mind and body.What once was hard, is no longer as hard. Place a stimulus and watch the adaptation happen...OWN YOUR BODY!

If you just so happen to persist in this endurance game, this crazy phenomenon called ADAPTATION occurs. You can call it progress! ( I'll get into progression some other time). And years of meaningful and mostly healthy behaviors go by and you wake up one day with too many fricken dryfit t-shirts, hats, socks and water bottles than you know what to do with and you don't want to throw them away since you have such fond and painful memories attached to each. 

Right?

We all build 'endurance' or 'staying power'. But what type of endurance? How powerful can you stay and for how long? It's all measurable nowadays.
I'm pretty sure it takes quite some time to 'BUILD' endurance. Sure, you can go run a marathon in 6-8 months, but go talk to someone who has been "endurance training" for 20+ years. Their perception of a race is a little different. Their cause has either changed or solidified. Their body looks a little different than other's their age. Their lifestyle includes running as a weekly volume. Now go talk to someone who has been doing the same for 1-5 years. you will hear a completely different understanding of endurance.
One of the coolest aspects of the Endurance world is that it does not discriminate. All ages, shapes, sizes and abilities seem to come together to test their endurance against each other. And everyone gets to 'play'!

So what is the objective of endurance training then?

The objective of endurance training is to develop the energy production systems to meet the demands of the event.

(each distance has it's own energy requirements and is specific to each individual)
Some of you may be asking, "what the crap is an energy production system and how can I get me one of those"?
Well guess what.... We all have energy production systems built in and ready to go. I would say that one of the primary causes for failure in the endurance realm is a lack of understanding the Energy Systems of the body and how to train them. If you want me to elaborate on the energy systems I will some other time...

Next is the question... What types of endurance are there?

• Aerobic Endurance
• Anaerobic Endurance
• Strength Endurance
• Speed Endurance

Which type of endurance do you have or lack?

I do have to say that ALL types of endurance must have a SOLID aerobic foundation to fully maximize the situation...

I am not going to break down each one of these right now. Just know that whenever you leave out an entire component to anything, you will not reach your potential! So many of us 'just go run' or 'just go swim or ride'. There are so many different variables in a race to think about and fine tune... If you know me, I'm sure you have heard me say that you should not mindlessly train. ALWAYS be mindful when you exercise. Mainly to have a purpose for what you are doing to yourself that day. It all goes back to that word. SPECIFICITY...Work on what YOU need to work on. If you have are not as good at one of the sports of a triathlon... You should probably spend a little more time doing it. If for no other reason than to be more efficient.

I guess my main point here is to always continue. If you decide to take on endurance. Do so as a lifestyle improvement. Whether it be for better health, weight loss, recreation, accomplishment, to win or whatever hole it fills in your life... Continue... never give up or hold back.... The only way you can be sure not to win is to quit!!!

Coach Lee

When in Rome

'Rome was not built in a day' is such a cliche saying. But it is so relevant in this instant gratification world we live in.

As adults, we fail to take the time necessary to achieve the athletic potential we are capable of which usually results in injury and unmet goals. Just as it took quite a bit of time, effort and motivation to build the magnificent city of Rome, it takes so much motivation, time and effort to build an endurance machine out of the human body.
Just imagine if they tried to build Rome in one or two years...
Would it be possible?
How many shortcuts would have to be taken for that to happen?
And how quickly would it have fallen because of the lack of structural integrity?

Which one do you think has more structural integrity??

(I promise I will get to the point soon)
The simple fact is that you MUST lay the foundation before you build.
Now let's apply this to the body. Your heart... Important? Yes! The most important muscle in the body is the heart. Studies show that an individual who has not "properly" trained for a high volume race, such as a marathon, and decides to race anyway does more damage to the heart than a fricken heart attack.

Makes a lot of sense right? It's kind of like when they tell you not to take a brand new car immediately on a road trip because it may cause damage to the brand new engine. Brand new anything should not be over stressed. It needs to be "broken in" to some degree. So if you are new to fitness or endurance training or whatever, be careful when setting your goals. Know where you are physically before you take on something physical. (yea)

So this is why I like to categorize or compartmentalize, if you will, different levels of athletes. It helps to identify where and how to start building.
I believe we all have an inner athlete of some sort. The important part is knowing what kind of athlete you are. And, don't be offended, knowing your role as such.

So to finally come to my 1st main point. I identify three primary types of athletes. (please tell me if you disagree).
1) The Finisher
2) The Competitor
3) The Elite/Pro
These categories are kind of like a measuring stick. There are levels inside each category and I will elaborate more on each one in later posts. Which category are you in?

One of the most important quotes (to me) is "know thyself". The more you truly know who you are and what your potential is, the more you can bring this little word/concept called SPECIFICITY into your training...and life for that matter.

There are many principles of training, but specificity is at the center. We are not created equal in the endurance world. Each athlete requires specific manipulations to their training plan because of this little thing called life. Without specificity, what separates good from great? Talent or hard work? Both require specificity. The cool thing is that everyone starts with a foundation. How strong is yours?

Before they built one of the most amazing, longest standing cities in the world, they had a flat (maybe hilly) piece of dirt to build a foundation on. So the next time you are in Rome take a look at the ground. That's where the journey begins. Then look up and see what amazing potential someone saw on that piece of land and just imagine how much planning, commitment, time and hard work went into the process.

In conclusion and 2nd main point:
It's your body... You only get one... See the potential.. Make the plan...Build your foundation... Work hard.... And TRUST THE PROCESS!!!

Coach Lee

Intro to my blog

So I've been thinking about creating an endurance blog for a long time now. If any of you are like me, life is going by at an increasingly speedy pace, and time is something that can be limited, taken for granted, and lost to nonsense.
This blog is about endurance training in general. The ins and outs of every level athlete (I will explain my breakdown of an athlete in the next post). It is important to understand how to implement an endurance based lifestyle into a controlled yet chaotic reality. One of the largest threats to the endurance world is burn out. Doing too much...too fast.
I'm passionate about the progress people make in their journey towards endurance excellence. I am a very opinionated and scientifically minded person. I do not always practice what I preach because I firmly believe that no matter how scientific we can be, individual subjectivity is required to make progress toward any endurance related goal. Everyone's journey is different and I hope this blog will help guide each of you through your own journey.
Please ask as many questions as possible. I do believe there are such things as stupid questions. However, if you don't know the answer, you probably shouldn't guess.
Please debate... There is nothing better than a good debate as long as you are respectful of me and other readers

Coach lee