Christopher McDougall: Are we born to run? on TED

https://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_mcdougall_are_we_born_to_run?language=en

Altra Superior Trail Shoe Review

I've run about 100km with my new Altra Superiors. I'm pretty happy with them. They're super comfortable, light and zero drop.

One of the reasons that I bought them was because I was getting really bad calf strain issues with my Merrel trail gloves. The reason is because I tend to protect my knees (I've had serious issues in the past), and hence I tend to land forefoot to maximise impact absorption. Because of this I've been getting really sore calves and have had some muscle tears that have taken me "out of the running" for weeks. Because the Altras have a bit of cushioning, I feel more confident landing flatter (mid-foot). I'm getting less calf strain and this has translated to more frequent and longer runs.

Fit

The fit is super comfortable, like a pair of Ugg Boots. They have a wide toe box, that any minimal runner accustomed to. I bought a size bigger than usual as recommended by Altra, and the length is perfect. However the mid-foot is cut for a Hobbit foot and not a slim Elf foot like mine. This means I have to pull the laces really tight in the front, which doesn't really work because the lace tension gradually equalises as I run. I could feel a blister starting to form on the ball of my foot. Eventually I added another inner sole and this worked really well to take up the extra space. It means the sole is even more cushioned which I don't mind, since these shoes are meant to be my less-minimal option.

Usage and Durability
I bought these shoes with adventure racing in mind. I wanted a zero drop shoe with a bit of stiffness for the mountain bike leg. The removable rock plate serves this purpose perfectly. I've taken it out for now because the shoe is nice and flexible without it. I also wanted a regular running shoe to use as a road/trail cross-training shoe. All the reviews I read said it was great for this and indeed they are, except for one thing. The Black part of the sole is softer than the green material and I think it won't wear well on the road. Time will tell. Other than that, they are comfortable on the road and the wedges grip well on the trail.

Pros:

·         Super Comfortable, wide toe box.

·         Zero drop

·         Just enough cushioning but still flexible

·         Removable rock plate.

·         Green shoes are cool!

Cons:

·         Wide mid-foot fit

·         Possibly not durable sole.

Static Apnea training and a new PB

I've enrolled for a freediving course, so I'm trying some of the training exercises from the manual before the course starts. In doing so, I managed to increase my static Apnea PB to 3:54 min (previous was 3:36). The process of building up to it gradually, meant it was a much more enjoyable experience and a good half hour meditation.

CO2 static apnea (dry)

Increase high CO2 tolerance

Split	Phase	Time
1	Breath-up	2:00
2	Breath hold	1:00
3	Breath-up	1:45
4	Breath hold	1:00
5	Breath-up	1:30
6	Breath hold	1:00
7	Breath-up	1:15
8	Breath hold	2:00
9	Breath-up	1:00
10	Breath hold	2:00
11	Breath-up	0:45
12	Breath hold	2:00
13	Recover	0:30
10	Breath hold	2:00
11	Breath-up	0:15
12	Breath hold	2:00

O2 static apnea (dry)

Increase low O2 tolerance.

Split	Phase	Time	Avg HR
1	Breath-up	02:05.3	75
2	Breath hold	01:45.6	82
3	Breath-up	02:02.0	75
4	Breath hold	02:08.2	74
5	Breath-up	02:02.4	74
6	Breath hold	02:17.8	74
7	Breath-up	02:05.7	77
8	Breath hold	02:47.0	76
9	Breath-up	02:07.9	75
10	Breath hold	02:48.2	75
11	Breath-up	02:02.4	79
12	Breath hold	03:53.9	73
13	Recover	02:53.6	75
Summary		31:00.0	75

Static Apnea (Breath Holding) Experiments

"How long can I hold my breath?", is the question. Here are my test results:

Attempt 1	55 sec. Got panicky and was surprised how short it was.
Attempt 2	2 min. Spend time relaxing and deep breathing before.
Attempt 3	2:30 min. Did some internet research on techniques
Attempt 4	3:36 min. No alcohol for a week, a day’s rest since excessing. It was an extremely intense and somewhat unpleasant experience. My fingers started tingling at about 3 min. By the end my fore arms where numb and aching.
Attempt 5	3:54 min. Final breath hold after completing CO2 and O2 tables http://goo.gl/tG3Yl

Room to improve? Certainly, I mean, experienced freedivers go for 5 to 8 min. It seems a bit daunting though. As far as I understand I need to do:

1. Meditate before starting and get heart rate down to at least 60 bpm before starting. In my last attempt I started at 80 bpm which is quite high, and dropped to 40 by the end of the 3:36 min.
2. Do dynamic apnea training. Swimming  drills while holding my breath. e.g. Underwater lengths, freestyle breathing every 9th stroke. 5 dolphin kick per 1 breast stroke breath.
3. Static apnea exercises. http://goo.gl/tG3Yl
4. Strengthen diaphragm to enable greater long volume.
5. Learn to pack - a technique for swallowing additional air into the lungs.
6. Go on a freediving course.

Related: About freediving

Proposed Speed bumps in centennial park!!!

Some of you may have heard about the proposed changes to Centennial Park, others may not have yet..

Please take the time to read the proposal, it will have a huge impact on the way the park is used by cyclists. Please send an email to the Parklands Trust stating your concerns with the proposed measures and urging them to consider other options...

Here’s the link to the Centennial Park proposal:

http://www.centennialparklands.com.au/resources/consultation_projects/grand_drive_safety_improvement_project

Here’s a brief overview & exerts of what people have been including in protest letters etc 

The Parklands Trust are proposing changes to address safety concerns about pedestrian access to the children’s cycle track.

Changes include the addition of

·         A 20 km/h speed limit zone including white cross hatching to mark the zone

·         2 pedestrian crossings

·         2 speed humps

The Parklands Trust cite the following reasons for the work:

• Cyclists and Motorists building up speed downhill
• Pedestrians can't see cyclists beyond Randwick Gates
• Large Groups of Cyclists
• Car Parking is on the inner side of the road - so users need to cross the road to use the learners cycle track and picnic area.

While the Parklands is trying to make the situation safer for all, what they are proposing while well meaning, is at best ineffectual and at worst dangerous. The cyclist community is also very concerned about the safety of Centennial Park, however the proposals have not been thought through very well.

Cyclists are often treated with  disrespect on the roads so Centennial Park provides a rare & welcome environment for cyclists to ride away from traffic and in relative safety. It will have a dramatic impact on cyclist’s enjoyment and use of the park. Introduction of reduced cycle speeds and speed bumps will greatly hamper cyclists ability to cycle and train around the park unobstructed.

• Speed humps will be unpleasant at any speed and possibly dangerous to cyclists riding in groups - basically encouraging cyclists to leave the park and cycle on other roads.
• Reducing the speed limit will not slow riders down (if 30km/h does not work, why would 20km/h.) Why would you make every cyclist a law breaker for speeding?
• Installation of crossings -  not sure if they propose to work like normal crossings whereby every vehicle has to stop at the crossing. If this is the case it will make cycling very unpleasant and traffic buildup will be vast. The risk of more accidents will be very high due to confusion caused by pedestrian behaviour .
• Cross Hatch - not great to ride on road markings in the wet - again it might make some difference for the pedestrian, but it will be very dangerous to the cyclist applying brakes. Especially if we are stopping for pedestrians - as you know, riding on paint is slippery.

There could be other solutions which need to be investigated – for example…

• a rethinking of the vehicular traffic and parking solution throughout the park, perhaps provision of dedicated car parks close to the Randwick Gates & Robertson Road gates, & the removal of parking directly opposite the kids cycle track.
• enforcement of speed limits during peak times - radar and otherwise.
• Crossings that are operable during peak time - Weekends after 8am etc. Similar to school crossings.
• Relocation of kids cycle track to centre of park

….there are plenty more ideas out there which need to be presented to the Park Trust

Action – Send a letter

Cyclists are being urged to write a letter to protest the proposed measures & to urge them to consider other options.

Feedback should be sent before 5.00 pm, Friday 30 March 2012 by:

Email: info@centennialparklands.com.au

Post: Marked 'Grand Drive Safety Project' to Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust, Locked Bag 15, Paddington NSW 2021

Protest Ride

At 7.00am Thursday 29th of March there will be a protest ride in Centennial Park against these measures, 2 laps of the park. The local press and Clover Moore have been contacted, we expect a lot of interest in this event. So far over 300 cyclists have signed up via facebook

http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/255713227851529/257534777669374/

All Sydney cyclists are urged to participate!

About freediving

Freediving is something that has intrigued me for a while. Not that I intend to descend to impossible depths on one breath, but I do find the physiology and psychology of the sport interesting.  Let’s just say I’m dabbling in it. How do you increase lung capacity? How do you overcome the urge to breath? How do you reduce your heart rate? How do you attain a calm, meditative state while participating in a potentially dangerous activity?

My form of “freediving” is essentially dropping down to about 3m, holding some rocks on my lap and sitting there for about a minute. It's especially enjoyable when there are inquisitive fish hanging about. Passive breath holding and Pranayama is one part of “training” for this and it’s a good way of gauging your limits. I have managed to increase my time to 2min 30s through using some of the techniques in the links below. I’m still learning. 

I hope this sheds some light on a somewhat unusual obsession.

Some links:

http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Your-Lung-Capacity

Tim Ferris talks about what he learned from David Blaine:

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/10/30/how-to-hold-your-breath/

http://www.wikihow.com/Hold-Your-Breath-for-Long-Periods-of-Time

Pranayama Yoga practice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvtx62lUho0

Photos:
http://pinterest.com/antonkruger/free-dive/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/114536133164105123829/albums/5667139126754375073
http://goo.gl/byCSK

Here are some inspirational videos:

http://goo.gl/tmVju

http://goo.gl/GCI2

Interview with Patrick Sweeney

Here's an interesting interview with Patrick Sweeney who does similar training to me, only here does more and naturally performs better than me.

http://birthdayshoes.com/interview-with-patrick-sweeney-winner-of-the-palos-verdes-marathon