Vertical Emphasis

View from the top of Liberty Bowl, North Cascades

In almost every endurance sport (swimming being the most obvious exclusion), a gain in elevation occurs over the course of an event or adventure. In some cases even, ascending in altitude is the sole purpose; hill climbs have become quite popular in running, cross-country skiing and cycling alike. But aside from competition we can learn and benefit a tremendous amount from training with lots of vertical ascent in our schedule.

Incorporating hills into your weekly routine accomplishes several things. First, and perhaps most important, is the strength component. Either as a skier, runner or cyclist, you're pushing uphill with powerful big mover muscles that aren't otherwise being loaded in a similar fashion on gentler terrain. For running, there's an explosive component. Even ultra-marathon distance runners will appreciate the benefit of Type-IIA (fast-twitch aerobic) muscle fibers, which assist in the power generation needed to spring off each step, against gravity, up a trail. As a Nordic ski racer, uphills not only the strength akin to running, but also a strength in stability and core to drive the gliding leg against gravity and then to plant the foot and set the wax.


Over the past few years my coach Scott has incorporated some innovative uphill training ideas into my own schedule. Most notable amongst these are weighted uphill ski walks or hiking. The principle is simple enough: find a steep climb and load a pack with 5-10% of body weight with water. The additional load will exert a greater stress on your working muscles without over-taxing the aerobic system. This means that you will feel a strong fatigue in your legs long before your breathing passes an aerobic threshold (nose-breathing). The bonus in carrying water (using milk jugs is easiest, and easiest to measure in weight) is that you can empty the jugs out at the top of the climb and descend unweighted.

Another option: ski touring. The spring is a great season to get some variable strength training into the schedule, and skinning up mountainsides takes the cake. The load which comes from driving boot, ski, and body weight + pack up a 10%+ grade is unrivaled for training benefit. Plus you get some incredible views and some sweet corn to carve on the way down.

Take-home message? Head uphill!

Sunflower!

Washington pass opened today, marking the unofficial start of summer. On my journey up valley after work I saw numerous motor homes that had made their way over. MVSTA's stellar Sunflower marathon and relay event also marks the change of seasons. Before moving to the Methow, I liked the race, but now that I live here, I absolutely love it. The course now starts just a short walk from home in Mazama, and meanders through the wonderful varied micro-climates down to Twisp. Two years ago there was a nice tail wind, and if that past couple of days is any indicator, Saturday's race will be a speedy one.

The calm before the calf-cramping storm. Thanks, Kristen Smith, for capturing it.

This year Sam, Brian Gregg and I are running a team as: Goat's Beard/Methow Endurance, partnering with the exciting new mountain shop in Mazama. Thanks, Goat's Beard! They are opening on Saturday and have a great selection of goods, including my favorite running shoe, the Scott T2C.

Remember your electrolytes! Cramping is not fun, and it will increase your recovery time as well. Massage, however, decreases recovery time.

To kick of the summer racing season, I'm offering a discount this weekend. Mention this blog and get $5 off a 60 minute massage. Happy running!

Spring Racing

A few weeks back, Alison and I journeyed to the rainy side of the mountains to run the 12km Squak Mtn trail race in Issaquah, WA. For me it marked the first "destination" running race I have competed in, and for Alison it was the shortest race she's run in years. We both were excited about the event; Alison's training has been progressing really well over the last several months and she has started to incorporate some significant strength and intensity into the regimen. For me, I was just hoping to run well on the dregs of the racing season, barely two weeks past.

The course isn't tame; mostly on trail and some FS roads, it climbs for nearly six miles in a not-so-gentle fashion until topping out on Squak. After a short teaser descent it climbs again for a piece before finally letting you into the honest downhill portion to the finish. My plan was to race the uphill and take it easy going down, while simultaneously trying to hold Alison off on the downhill. I wasn't sure of the field, but had a thought that I might be alone on the climb. As it happened, a Seattle stair-running champion named Kevin Crossman was also in the race and he and I paced each other the whole way up the climb. He managed to gap me by about twenty seconds as we topped out and from there it was over; I'm no downhill runner. I almost lost my 2nd place too, when I took a wrong turn about twenty meters from the finish and went down a FS road to the main highway and then had to sprint back, costing me about a minute and a half. I made it to the line just ahead of 3rd place.

Alison's race was a true reflection of the training she's been doing; aside from one badass woman that gapped the field right at the beginning, Alison held her own the entire way, outpacing everyone else on both the uphill and (of course) the downhill. This is a huge accomplishment for her physiology, and a real sign that the more structured, comprehensive preparation she's been doing is paying off.

Sorry we don't have any pictures; here's a link to the race site photographer: http://stevesandersphotography.com/p772674826/h19a00fc6#h19a00fc6

Get out and race!

Springtime in the Valley

I look forward to spring all winter. Don't get me wrong, I love that we have four distinct seasons, but winter is my least favorite, despite its white beauty and my winterphilic fiance and dog. With a bit of time between clients and my running class, I took the opportunity to do some work outside and fully soak in the suddenly summerlike weather that has graced us the past few days.

The balsam root are coming into bloom, the hillsides are greening, and the trails are snowfree (well at least some). We're getting excited to put in some longer training runs, and share our favorites at the spring camp. Details are coming together, including shwag. To sweeten the deal, we're now offering a $25 discount if you bring a friend. Everything is more fun with friends, especially training! We also have options for taking part in part of the weekend; let us know if you're interested.

Nikki isn't sure about the warmer weather, but she loves the longer runs. Happy spring!

The Importance of Shoes - A Brief Tutorial

I'm sure most people reading this blog are at least aware of the new barefoot running movement, catapulted to the mainstream by Christopher McDougall's book "Born to Run", about a tribe of barefooters in Mexico. What is most compelling, and encouraging, about this resurgence of interest in running is an equally prominent rise in awareness of proper footwear. And, while much of this will probably be review for ya'll, I'd like to take a moment and plug good footwear and why it's so important.

Our bodies are incredible structures. Women are beautiful, men are hunky, and babies smell good. But moreover, many parts of our anatomy have undergone significant evolution to be IDEAL in performing their roles throughout the course of our lives. Let's hone in on the foot:Now, look at the "arch" of the foot. The calcaneus bone (your heel) provides the rear anchor point and your phalanges (toes) flexibly provide the front. In between are no less than three articulations (joints) which can flex and stabilize throughout movement. Just like a bridge, the foot is meant to take the load in the middle of its structure, and to then dissipate that load across the length of the sole.

Now, take a look at many popular shoes, especially the lesser brands of sport shoes. There is a tremendous amount of foam and cushion in the rear of the foot, which encourages (or numbs) the striking of the foot at the heel. Similarly, the midfoot portion of these shoes often has a large degree of dense foam to absorb any amount of lateral movement, known as eversion or inversion (or pronation/supination). The danger of these highly padded areas arises by eliminating your body's line of communication from the foot to the brain. Just as an ungloved hand can more precisely determine the shape, feel, and temperature of an object than a gloved hand, an unshod foot is more adept at identifying the surface it trods upon.

Now, this is not to say you all should become barefoot runners. Much technique and patience is required to deftly and, in an injury-free manner, run barefoot for any length of time. But what we are emphasizing is utilizing footwear which COMPLEMENTS your foot's actions, rather than dull it. This means (in general) less of the cushioned and "motion control" styles, and more of the "neutral" conformation.

**Important note**: These recommendations should be paired with careful consideration and perhaps even consultation with a physical therapist or running coach. Improper technique combined with low-profile footwear can indeed result in injury, just as slicing tomatoes with a sharp knife and no technique can result in loss of digits.

We of Methow Endurance are firm endorsers of Scott Footwear. The running line of shoes in this US-born company are predominantly neutral, with appropriate and accurately-placed foam portions along the sole of the foot. Their T2C model (shown below) is a great road running model; we use it for our mid-distance runs on pavement and hard-packed dirt, and for recovery runs. The E-Ride Grip is a phenomenal trail shoe, with a specially-designed "e-ride" structure which encourages proper foot strike while keeping the sole closer to the ground for better technique. Explore these shoes and other models at Scott Shoes' website.

Scott's T2C (above; men's version shown)
Scott's E-Ride Grip (men's version shown)

Feel free to contact Methow Endurance with any questions you have about footwear and technique, and be sure to sign up for either our seasonal clinic on running at Winthrop Physical Therapy, or for one of our specialty weekend camps this May (women only) or June (both genders!).

Run with Ease!

Join me in learning to run more relaxed and minimize injury. Working in conjunction with your body's natural inclinations, I will show you through technique work, video analysis, running specific drills, and core strength, how to bring more ease to this lifelong sport.  This is NOT a fast run group. No prior running experience is needed to gain from this. All levels are encouraged to join, though to maximize personal attention and ensure proper form, class size is limited to 12.


Classes will be held at Winthrop Fitness on the following Mondays: April 16, 23, and 30 from 5:30-6:30pm. The cost is $45 for all three classes. Call Winthrop Fitness to sign up: 509. 996. 8234.

Welcome!

Welcome to Methow Endurance! Here on this website we aim to keep you informed on all our camps, clinics and events as they happy through the year. Stay tuned here and on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MethowEndurance) for the latest updates!