Ptarmigan and Bottle Peaks and Speed Training Health Benefits

Ptarmigan and Bottle Peaks and Speed Training Health Benefits


Did Ptarmigan and Bottle Peaks this morning. Really hot today, as predicted. There is also a thick haze in the air from fires in Oregon and Montana. You can see the difference in visibility by comparing today's photos from earlier this year when I did the same set of peaks. I improved my time by a little, which was good despite feeling the 3,600' descent on my legs - guess I'm not fully recovered yet from Saturday's race. I did the ~13 miles run in 2:49 today.

In a recent article, it looks like speed training can provide some of the same benefits to one's health as long distance or endurance training.  The authors found that interval training can induce similar or even superior physiological adaptations in healthy individuals as endurance training. The main purpose behind this study was to see if those who could not spend hours running in the woods could gain similar benefits by doing high intensity interval training, and the answer is yes. So, just like another study that showed speed workouts can help boost endurance running performance and health, here is another one that indicates speed or interval training is beneficial. As I've said before, I'm never going to be a speed runner, but it is good to know that if you don't have the time to put in a long distance run, doing some speed work will still be beneficial to your overall running health and performance. This is particularly encouraging for those who travel a lot as it may be hard to do long runs while on the road, but it is relatively easy to do some speed or interval training no matter where you are.

 Byers and Bills Peaks

 Looking at the Gore Range - lots of haze...

 The Valley and the Divide

Nice sweaty brim on Bottle Peak

Deadhorse Hill Climb and Neurogenesis

Deadhorse Hill Climb and Neurogenesis


Did the Deadhorse hill climb this morning. Ian Torrence has been posting some great workout articles on iRunFar and I treat the Deadhorse climb sorta like he describes the Mountain Climb workout. 4.5 miles up from 9,000 to 10,700 at a constant, semi-fast pace. Then turn around and try and keep a fast(ish) pace back down. I did the 9.1 mile run in 1:20:43 today.

Yesterday I posted a brief note on how running and exercise can possibly be considered a drug in terms of psychophysiological affects. In another study out today, running also seems to trigger hippocampal synthesis of dihydrotestosterone and increases adult hippocampal neurogenesis via androgenenic mediation. What that means, when you get beyond the scientific jargon, is that running and exercise helps create new neural connections in the hippocampus. The hippocampus plays an important role in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, as well as spatial navigation. Basically, running and exercise helps keep the mind fresh, allows one to incorporate information into their long-term memory, and improves their spatial navigation abilities. So, when you come back from a nice run in the woods or mountains, feeling fresh and clear in your thoughts, perhaps it is because the run helped move memories from your short-term memory to your long-term memory, allowing for that fresh, clear mind sensation. Just a thought, but perhaps there is something to that old saying about how taking a run clears one's head.

Running is a Drug

Running is a Drug


Quick lap on the 12K loop: Twin Bridges, Ice Hill, Tunnel Hill, Upper Chickadee, Blue Sky, Twin Bridges. Time was 1:13. No residual issues from Saturday's race. Thinking back, I went into the race a bit dehydrated and could have used about 400 more calories during the race, but the main issue was the heat. Living in WP we don't get a lot of chances to train in heat (although this summer has been hot), and that will be something I will have to figure out. Good thing the heat season is pretty much over, and I don't have to worry about heat issues until next year.

A new study just published posits that not only is exercise or running good for you, but in fact can act like a psychoactive drug. As the authors note: "Special attention must be paid to the psychological effects of exercise. These are so powerful that we would like to propose that exercise may be considered as a psychoactive drug. In moderate doses, it causes very pronounced relaxing effects on the majority of the population, but some persons may even become addicted to exercise." I would have to agree. In fact, I published an article back in 2004 that discussed psychophysiological aspects of ultrarunning and some of the various "altered states of consciousness" that can arise. These altered states follow similar neurological and psychological pathways in the body and brain as many psychoactive drugs (peyote, datura, ayahuasca, etc.). So, it comes are no real surprise that others are postulating that exercise can act similarly, including some of the various negative associations such as addiction. I don't know if I would say I am "addicted", but along with my daily coffee and beer, I need (perhaps not the best word) my daily exercise.

Mt. Werner 50K Report

Mt. Werner 50K Report


Saturday was the first annual Mt. Werner Classic 50K trail race at Steamboat Springs. After my first two ultras, I have been working on my fueling and getting down the entire "racing" thing. Although my time was a bit longer then at the North Fork 50K, I believe my overall performance was better.

The course is a really tough course (harder then the Sage Burner or North Fork), with basically 4 sections: the long 8.5 mile climb up Mt. Werner to the top of the mountain, a beautiful rolling 8 mile section that stays at about 10,000', the return along the same 8 mile section, and then the long 8 mile downhill all the way back down to the base of the mountain. The day started cool, but quickly got hot, with temps. reaching past 90 on the mountain. I went out at my own pace, which was just behind the lead pack of 10 or so, and kept that pace for most of the climb and out to Long Lake. I was in 11th place by the time I got back to the top of the mountain, but lost 4 spots on the long downhill. I've been working on running faster on downhills, and did better, but as I descended down the 4,000' the temps quickly rose and I developed a mild version of heat stroke, which slowed me down. I was passed by two guys about 2 miles out of the finish, which was disappointing, but by then the heat stroke had me running at a much slower pace. I finished 15th, with a time of 5:56. After the race, I had issues keeping anything down for about an hour, but once I got in the small creek/man-made stream at the base of the resort, I quickly recovered.

The course is really beautiful, with sections of lush aspen forest, open alpine meadows, and thick pine groves. The aid stations were well stocked, and the volunteers were great. Overall a really fun race. The heat stroke surprised me, but with temps in the 90s and no shade or clouds on the lower part of the course, I guess it was to be expected. I did much better on my fueling, but could still have used about 400 extra calories. Still, for my 3rd ultra (and 5th race ever), I am pleased with my placement and performance. I know I can continue to improve, and will keep working on ironing out all of the kinks. There is still a lot to learn about "racing" compared to just a long day in the mountains.

Improve Running Speed by Cutting Off Circulation to Your Legs

Improve Running Speed by Cutting Off Circulation to Your Legs


Funny title, but is there any truth to it? A new study, published today looks at that question. Entitled "Effect of Ischemic Preconditioning on Lactate Accumulation and Running Performance", the study looked at the use of ischemic preconditioning on running performance in 5k time trials. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is an experimental technique for producing resistance to the loss of blood supply, and thus oxygen, to tissues of many types. If the blood supply to an organ or a tissue is impaired for a short time (usually less than five minutes) and then restored two or more times so that blood flow is resumed, the downstream cells (those below the cut-off point) of the tissue or the organ are robustly protected from a final ischemic (loss of blood) insult. In the case of this study, the researchers performed bilateral leg occlusion (they blocked the blood to the legs) and then had the runners perform some running intervals followed by a 5k.

According to previous studies, the protective effect of ischemic preconditioning has two windows of protection. The first lasts between 4–6 hours and has been named classical or early preconditioning. The second window begins at 24 hours lasting up to 72 hours post the ischaemia and reperfusion stimulus. The study published today looked at the effects of classical or early preconditioning, and what effects they found. The control group did not show any running performance (of course), but the runners receiving the IPC improved their 5k times by 34 seconds! Yes, 34 seconds. That is an incredible time improvement for a 5k. By repeatedly cutting off the blood to the legs, and then allowing them to recover, the leg muscles were better able to deal with the final lactate accumulation that took place during the 5k. In essence, the leg muscles became temporarily more efficient at processing oxygen and in putting off lactate accumulation, something every runner can benefit from.

The study is preliminary, and I am sure there will be more concerning IPC and running, but the preliminary results seem promising, if not interesting. How one would go about performing this technique either pre-race or simply as part of their training is up in the air. However, I think it is remarkable that one can potentially drop 30+ seconds off their time over the course of a 5k using this technique. Furthermore, what does this mean for longer distances? The "second window" of protection in using ICP lasts between 24 and 72 hours. Is it possible to somehow use ICP a day before a race and speed up your time? It might be. The science is still out, but it sure is interesting.