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Croquet is Cool
I know not all people have played croquet . So few people have played croquet; in fact, that croquet may not even seem like a cool thing to do. It may seem like a nerdy, boring, or childish activity; a kids game. On the contrary, however, it is...
Prepare For Hockey Season With NHL Jerseys
Finally the hockey season is upon us once again and every fan
can feel alive again. I just love it so much and when the puck
drops I will be watching.
Is there really any better time in professional ice hockey than
the winter when the NHL...
Specialized Styles of Photography
Photography is an all encompassing term used for all types of image capture but there are in fact distinct variations in the manner in which photography is approached in different genres. Different genres of photography require a different style...
STRETCHING - Scientifically, The latest scientific studies and research findings.
STRETCHING - Scientifically
Without a doubt, the most common questions I'm asked is; "What's your view on the latest scientific studies and research findings in regards to stretching?"
The short answer is; "They all make for interesting...
The Wheel of Golf Success
Good sports coaches work on The Wheel of Success. There are four arcs to The Wheel of Success:
1. Hard Work makes people more Confident.
2. Confidence enables them to Win.
3. Winning is Enjoyable.
4. Enjoyment makes Hard Work easier.
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Pacing and Avoiding Performance Predictions
No athlete likes to be passed during a race. A natural reaction is speed up and attempt to keep pace with the person whose dust you are now eating, but in doing so you just got pulled out of your game and put into theirs. Most likely you have no idea of their performance potential, pacing, or strategy (if any). Multi-sport events often have a relay team category in which a single athlete will use up everything they have in the one leg. The point is, to be truly efficient and race your fastest you must know and race within your limits, not someone else’s. There is only one pace that is most efficient for you and a very fine line between it and over pacing. Proper pacing becomes especially important in distance races such as marathon and Iron Man distance. It is very easy to get caught in a moment and push too hard at the wrong time, only to pay for it later.
The scenario athlete who passed you could actually be slower and pacing themselves incorrectly, or a faster athlete who is going to eat your legs up and leave you flat. In either case, if you are at the top of your performance envelope chasing them will only slow you down. If you go anaerobic even for a short period of time you are going to have to recover, and recovery takes time. Anaerobic efforts are very fatiguing, especially if you are not trained at these intensities, or to repeat these intensities. It is important to know your performance potential and pace and train yourself accordingly. An athlete should get metabolically tested, or perform performance tests and race simulations to determine such heart rate intensities as lactate threshold and max VO2. These numbers are critical to proper pacing. Where you should be in relation to these heart rates will depend on your race and conditioning. Shorter sprint races may have you at or above LTHR if you are highly trained. Longer endurance races may be mainly at an aerobic level with brief periods above this zone.
Once you established your pacing parameters it is crucial to stay within them. A key element of this process is regularly collecting data as you race and adjusting your pace accordingly. There is a variety of data and methods of collection available to you. Some are more effective than others. A simple example is checking splits at each mile marker during a running race, and adjusting your pace based on your known potential. The best forms of data occur in real time such as heart rate, watts (cycling), or using a new GPS based pacing device. It should be habit to scan this data, and make adjustments if necessary, every few minutes or less.
In the same manner of thinking avoid race day placement predictions. If you achieved a seventh place finish in a race last year and your goal this season is to come in above fifth, you could be setting yourself up for failure even though you are considerably faster. You never know who is going to show up for a race; it could be the national champion. If you find yourself in 10th place and your goal was fifth it could take you out of the race mentally, even though you were setting a personal record. You never want to set objectives that are out of your control. Placement predictions fall into this category.
Racing should be well rehearsed and automatic. Try to leave nothing to chance and have specific performance objectives and parameters. This will also lower your level of anxiety and make you more focused on the process of racing instead of the outcome. The most successful athletes are the ones that know exactly what they have to do; and do it.
About the Author
Matt Russ has coached and trained athletes around the country and internationally. He currently holds licenses by USAT, USATF, and is an Expert level USAC coach. Matt has coached athletes for CTS (Carmichael Training Systems), is an Ultrafit Associate. Visit www.thesportfactory.com for more information.
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