Tag Archives: running

Performing in Competition as Well as in Practice

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biggest-wave-surfThe picture on the left is of Garrett McNamara setting the world record for the biggest wave surfed.

It reminded me of a mental hurdle I often come up against when competing. I’ll try to describe it first with an example of practice vs competition…

Practice Example

I’m not a good runner, but I like to use running as an example because it’s a purer form of mental struggle than grappling (where the struggle involves a lot more factors). Right now my best mile time is probably hovering just below 6 minutes. So if I went out to the track for a cardio workout and told myself to run the fastest mile I can, I would probably run a 5:40 minute mile. I would probably hit a wall at 800m and would have to fight to keep the same pace for the last two laps. This is always tough, but I always enjoy the hell out of it.

Competition Example

Now put another runner next to me on that same track, and call it an official race. The winner gets a gold medal, the loser a silver medal. I know his best mile time is 5:40. He is a strong starter, but doesn’t have a kick at the end, meaning he will probably run in front of me most of the race. There’s a small crowd of people around. I’ve been posting on Facebook for months how excited I am about this race.

My job is to push myself in the same exact way as I have in practice and ignore the fact that I’m falling behind at first. It takes a tremendous amount of will to run the 5:40 mile for me in my current shape. In fact what it takes is to focus on one step at a time and meditate over the pain in the lungs and legs. What competition does is it forces me to start thinking about the race a whole: “Oh shit, I’m falling behind. I have to speed up. I’m really exhausted. I don’t think I can hold this pace for 3 more minutes. And so on…” Of course, in reality, just as I have done many times in practice, I can hold the pace for the next 3 minutes no problem. But the prospect of 3 more minutes can sometimes break me. It can break anyone if you don’t practice silencing those thoughts. The solution is to focus on the moment and forget about time, forget about the opponent, and run NOT the fastest I can, but the SAME EXACT WAY as I have in practice many many times before.

Grappling Competition

I bring all this up because I often find myself not attacking aggressively off the bat in a competition match. I like to get a takedown, and that sometimes requires a scramble war that can last a long time against a good opponent. Moreover, when I do take my opponent down, I’ll attack the guard pass way too casually. But in practice (in times when I’m going 100%) I have no problem going very aggressive off the bat. I get excited when it’s a battle against someone with a similar skill level, because I believe I can wear down my training partner with pressure and relentless passing. Even if I’m wrong, I always have fun giving it my all in trying to do it. I don’t watch the clock. I’m not worried about running out of gas. I’m much more “in the moment” like a little kid playing his favorite game. Even the times when I’m taken to that place where I have trouble breathing because the pace has been so intense, it’s still fun as hell.

There are time when you want to strategically pace yourself in competition. That’s good, but you should never do it because you’re scared of running out of gas. When I step on the mat and I believe my best strategy against the current opponent is to go all out right away, I want to do just that, as I would in practice. It’s easy to say, hard to do, especially for a guy like me who spends most of the day staring at math equations or C++ code.

Injuries Before Major Competitions

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It seems that jiu jitsu and judo athletes get injured at a higher rate closer to major competitions. Partly, this is just a matter of misperception, since what probably happens is that athletes complain about their injuries more publicly leading up to tournaments. This is because they are more disappointed at the possibility of their injury preventing them from competing. And in the modern day and age, when you’re disappointed, you turn to Facebook ;-)

However, there’s probably some reality to this observation as well. For example, in a  attempt to improve my cardio, I have started doing more sprints, hills, and steps than I would ever do before. I turned up the intensity on this cardio-training as well. As a result, a few slips ups here and there have led to little issues with my knees, lower back, ankles, and toes. Any of those little tweaks could’ve been major injuries with some small likelihood.

It seems that the solution is to be very smart about how I turn up the training. I don’t push myself into new things when I’m exhausted, and I don’t try stuff that my muscles are not ready for. For example, I haven’t been doing Olympic lifts, and while they are a great heart-rate-raising exercise, this is not a good time to get back into doing them.

Also, I should mention “mental injuries”. It’s important not to burn out. I have to work a lot every day (as most of us do), and turning up training in any way can certainly be destructive to my motivation to compete. There is about 9 days left before Worlds, and I have certainly felt a few moments where I’m sick of jiu jitsu. It’s a fine line to walk. I have to remember that I have no chance of winning unless I step on the mat on May 31 truly excited to compete. If I’m too stressed, dreading it (in a negative way), and just want it to be over with, I might win a couple matches, but I will not be able to beat the tougher guys.

To beat the best of a big division, I have to really want it, and for that I have to remain injury-free, both physically and mentally.

Now, back to work… I have so much left to finish today… Sigh.

Get Sleep Not Rest

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Michael Arnstein is an ultrarunner (runs ultramarathons and longer distances) and like most ultrarunners is a facinating person to read, listen to, and learn from. Here is a good lecture from him on some details of why he runs, his diet, his motivation, his routine, etc:

There are a lot of things mentioned in this video that I’d like to comment on at a later time, but there is one thing he said that really struck me. Michael said that his main challenge in his running life and the most important part is getting enough sleep. He said that if he gets 10 hours of sleep the night before a run, he can run any distance without a problem.

He drew a distinction between rest and sleep. He said that a lot of runners tend to taper before a race. Tapering is reducing the training mileage as you approach the race, so your body is sufficiently recovered and well rested. He suggests that this is a crappy alternative for simply getting a full night’s sleep night after night, and most importantly the night before a race. You may agree or disagree with that idea, but one thing is for sure, most of us recreational athletes do not get enough sleep, and I would venture to guess that most professional athletes do not get enough sleep either, especially before a big competition.

That served as a reminder that I need to take sleep, not rest, more seriously. And also, if I know that I have to wake up at 6am for a tournament next weekend, I better be waking up at 6am for many consecutive days before then.

Anyway, I’m officially declaring to myself as a goal that I’m going to get at least 6 hours of sleep every night for the month of May, and shoot for 8 hours as often as possible. You should do the same.

The Value of Boring Old School Roadwork

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Circuit training is popular these days in preparing for judo, bjj, mma, etc. You basically pick 3-5 exercises and repeat them in a circuit at high intensity, taking timed short breaks in between. The goal (in terms of time and intensity) is to simulate a competition match. I’m a big proponent of this kind of strength and conditioning, because it’s fun. A lot of programs are effective, but not all are effective and fun. The variety of circuit training makes it fun.

Same goes for simple interval training on the track. It’s quick. It gets the job done. And in a sick kind of way it’s “fun” as well.

Okay, now to the topic of this post…

The term “roadwork” is something I’ve heard boxers (and no one else) use to refer to the old school jogging of 3 to 5 miles done early in the morning by many great and not-so-great boxers of the past. It’s boring as hell, but that’s why it’s good. I feel like in all the craziness of kettlebells, ropes, hammers, tires, etc, people might forget to train patience as well, in the quiet of the road where you are left alone with your thoughts.

From my conversations with people, the reason roadwork has been and still is popular is because so many people did it in the past and in the movies. That might seem like a ridiculous reason to continue doing it, but not to me. To me, I just think of guys like Rocky Marciano that religiously did 7+ miles per day, and dominated many 15 round fights.  Not to mention the wrestling greats such as Dan Gable.

There is something to be said about building not just the kind of toughness that gets you through an intense workout, but the kind of toughness that gets you through a long boring workout day after day after day. This prepares you mentally not just for the years of brutal training, but for the long tournament days where you may wait hours between matches.

Rain and Other Excuses

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I’ve been running to afternoon training and back. I did it when it was below freezing. I did it when the wind was beating up my face with dirt bits it picked up from the ground. No problem.

Rain is the new challenge. I’ve ran in a drizzle before many times and arrived damp. That’s no problem. But when it’s pouring, it’s a different “experience”. Something about the feeling of a wet blanket attached to your body is a real pain in the a**, even on a quick 1-2 mile run.

The nice thing about rain though is it makes you question your approach to life. It makes you question why you give a damn about being wet or why it even feels unpleasant for your clothes to be soaking wet. Monkeys and lions have been sitting in puddles of mud in torrential downpours for thousands of years. I would be hard pressed to provide any good evidence of why I’m any better than those two. It is true that I have read Nietzsche, but to most creatures in the jungle that makes me even less worthy of respect.

Training Every Day Keeps the Doctor Away

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I remember hearing this on some Fightworks Podcast interview that training every day (or several times a day) is actually the best way to avoid injury.

I’m not going to try to defend the logic of that with some statement like “your body gets used to it”, except that I am, because it’s true, despite whatever common sense you may have about the matter.

I changed my training program to include a BJJ training session every day 12-1:30pm, no exceptions. I run (fast pace) to training (from work) and back. The running adds up to about 2.5 miles total for the day is a nice little addition to the training. The key difference has been the no exceptions part. Before I used to take off a day here and there, but that actually makes everything more difficult.

That training regimen is my core. Everything else is extra (a very important extra, but extra). Why have a core? I don’t know if my brain works different than others (it probably doesn’t), but if I do something everyday (especially at the same time every day), I get used to it much easier. It starts requiring a lot less motivation and mental energy. It’s just what I do at noon, I run and train BJJ. Stayed up all night programming? Doesn’t matter, BJJ at noon. Shoulder, finger, ankle, back hurt? Doesn’t matter, BJJ at noon. Egyptian people revolting against their government? Doesn’t matter, BJJ at noon.

I relax more, I learn more, I enjoy it more, and I’m never really sore. I mean the kind of sore where you’re mentally drained and just don’t want to move.

My shoulder is still in pain constantly during training but it’s getting better through physical therapy, ice, heat, and advil. Despite the unpleasantness of training with an injury, I still go, I still train hard, and I still love it. Except of course for the fact that I can’t do judo, wrestling, or any stand up yet. That part I hate.

Running with a Backpack

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From our middle school days of running late for the school bus, we’ve learned that it’s pretty damn hard to not look ridiculous running with a backpack.

While that is in fact true, I’ve recently discovered that I don’t give a damn what people think. Moreover, there are several tricks to running with a backpack that make running much easier and the result a bit less ridiculous looking.

First, you need a small backpack (e.g. hydration pack with the hydration part taken out) that can be tightened up and carry most of the weight high on your shoulders. Second, you need to run without moving your shoulders too much, which is good running form anyway. There are a few more tips in the video below from one of the toughest dudes on the planet, David Goggins.

I’ve recently started running to and from BJJ training. The long route is exactly one mile. I pack light. Just my gi (single weave), belt, empty water bottle, small towel, belt, knee pads. The backpack I use is the poorly named Camelbak Rim Runner. I took out the hydration container, and it fits everything nicely, and stays real tight (no movement). Today, I ran a 6:30 minute mile to practice in jeans, on busy city streets, slowing for a traffic light twice, and it felt easy. It serves as a great warm up, and on the way back it serves as my last challenge. I imagine I’m in the finals of a BJJ tournament and running an under 6 minute mile will win the gold. Being one for efficiency, it’s a hell of a good way to get cardio in every day on top of the afternoon BJJ session.

It makes me feel great, and I honestly don’t give a damn how I look doing it. I now run to training, I run to work, unless of course there’s too much rain or ice, but it would take a lot of either to stop me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcy6cRsXGvk

“Sleeping Half my Life”

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In casually searching for information about sleep, coffee, and hard training, I came across a 2007 NY Times Article that mentions the following facts about two endurance athletes.

“Deena Kastor, who won the London Marathon last year and set an American record, said she sleeps 10 hours at night and takes a two-hour nap every afternoon. Steven Spence, a marathoner who won a bronze medal at the 1991 world championships in Tokyo, had the same sleep habits when he was training.”

That’s 12 hours of sleep a day! Of course, these are elite-level athletes, but still I began to wonder how much sleep I need. Given how much work I have and how much I train, sleep has often suffered. I’ll find myself often staying up till 3, 4 am and waking up at 8 am. I’ll take naps throughout the day when I feel especially exhausted, which my work allows me to do (whether I work from home or go into the lab and sneak off to a couch for a quick power nap).

The question I started asking myself is should I make sleep a bigger priority. In other words, should I plan my day around sleep? Should I force myself to finish the absolute most important tasks before a hard deadline of (say) midnight?

There are no good answers here, because a lack of sleep doesn’t have a well-defined immediate effect on performance for me. Does it for anyone? So it’s a long learning process, much like every other aspect of life.