I’m starting to think about MdS as a restful vacation with a bit running thrown in. I’m not underestimating the desert...
Withheld information and Dr. Noakes podcast
LizaYesterday on the group run at Eisenhower, Tony said he’d been listening to the podcasts on Ben Greenfield’s website. He said the nutrition ones were pretty interesting and useful. I decided they’d be good background noise for all the squats and core work I had scheduled today. The first podcast that came up was actually an interview with Dr. Tim Noakes of Lore of Running fame among many other accomplishments in exercise and sports science. The podcast is great — especially if you like South African accents. Start 32:45 into it for the beginning of the interview with Noakes — unless you want to hear Mr. Greenfield answer questions about non-alcoholic beer and amenorrhea in an American accent.
I’d never heard of the Central Governor Model before. (Darn you again history degree!) Were you all familiar with this notion that your perceptions of fatigue while running are generated by the brain to ensure its supply of oxygenated blood — and not a reflection of muscle exhaustion? Basically fatigue is not a physical phenomenon; It’s an emotion. Thus, the focus of training is to make the brain believe that it can do more. And intensity, rather than volume, is the key to achieving that.
Why didn’t you people tell me about all this? What other information are you holding back? Sheesh.
I’ve listened to the podcast four times now to make sure I have it straight — and because I like South African accents (any foreign accent really). I also found a book called Brain Training for Runners by Matt Fitzgerald that Noakes describes as “of seminal importance.” Have you all read it already? I’m itching to stay up late reading it. But I’ve got to get a twenty-minute talk together for the Alamo Running Buddies. They’ve kindly invited me to talk about my experiences running tomorrow night. I’ve never done such a thing and I’m not sure the best way to approach it. I’m thinking “try to elicit a lot of laughter” might be the right tack. I’ll let you know.
Oh, and Greenfield’s nutrition podcasts are really interesting.
Sleep log: 6 hours (Boo!)
Run log: 8 miles, 1:20-ish hours
Food log:
Lisa
Oh I wish I could hear your twenty minute talk Liza. Maybe you could video tape it?
lizahoward
I’ll see what Eliot can do & e-mail the video to you if it turns out — and I don’t sound look too goofy.
kerry
O come on! We all want to see it. YouTube?
lizahoward
I will see if Eliot can work any magic — like making me appear tall and articulate. If so, I’ll put it up.
Clea
If you liked that interview check out marathontalk.com. They do a HUGE interview with Tim Noakes. It’s a super good podcast too, and a lot of the interviews are just excellent.
lizahoward
Thanks Clea! That’s great. Can’t wait to check it out. I hope your weekend is starting off well.
Sarah
I’ve been listening to Greenfield’s nutrition podcasts too. So far I’ve decided to not give blood, take a magnesium supplement, and not eat so much pb&j even though I’m not sure how that is going to happen. I’ll have to check out Noakes podcast. You said it was on Ben Greenfield’s website or is it on itunes?
lizahoward
Click the word “podcast” in the post and it’ll take you to the Noakes interview.
And, I know! with all the magnesium talk. I want to look into it further because I don’t want to take supplements, but it sounds like I should be driving to the store to get some right now.
Mark
I second the “Marathon Talk” podcast. They did an excellent interview with Tim Noakes, and I also loved the two-parter they did with Bruce Fordyce (another South African and multiple-times winner of the Comrades ultramarathon)
lizahoward
Can’t wait to hear both. Taking Asa to his first soccer practice right now.
Larry
I am so screwed when Olga reads this post and realizes “fatigue is not a physical phenomenon; It’s an emotion.”. My last excuse will no longer be valid. ;o)
lizahoward
Very sorry about that. 🙂
I kept telling myself that my legs didn’t actually feel like lead when I was running hill repeats at Bandera on Saturday. Liza’s Brain: “Whatever, dude. Try to pretend some burning pain isn’t there now.”
Olga
This is exactly what I thought about on my morning run. After reading this post. Every front-runner used the technique of picking up the pace when the tiredness sets in.
No excuses:)
lizahoward
I’m talking to myself a lot during the hard bits of runs now though. Sadly, out loud too.