How Can Something be Simultaneously Depressing & Uplifting? Read On Lovely People To Find Out!

I find it quite amusing that, as I write this, I’m rolling my weary right ankle and popping another anti-inflammatory into my mouth. I mean, here I am preaching to all and sundry the benefits of smacking our feet and legs into concrete and asphalt routinely under the guise of ‘healthy living’, and yet quite often of late I quite frequently wake up hobbling around like a wizard-esque extra from a Peter Jackson film!

I guess the long and the short of it, is that we are all aware of what is necessary to ‘healthily’ punish our bodies….but the inconvenience of matters such as ‘warming up’, ‘stretching’ or ‘rest’ can sometimes fall on deaf ears…especially if the instruction is coming from a pair of lips 1 ½ inches south!

But this is another blog, for another time….

What I’m writing about specifically though, is something I’ve been pondering about for a little while. In fact, I was thinking about it as I tried in vain to catch (to no avail) a very wily runner who (eventually) beat me last night in a 10km race. I’m referring to something athletes of almost every code and type thinks about constantly; the incessant question that rings out louder with every step traveled  or rep completed. The question is;

“How long will it be until I reach my absolute peak, and the inevitable decline in performance begins?”

Without dwelling too much on this, it will happen. The pure fact is, some of us will lose interest, become injured, or simply will lose physical strength and ability. There simply aren’t that many 80 year-olds running onto football fields, fly-kicking UFC fighters, or running sub 2hr10min marathons!

Sadly old father time is wearily tapping his Garmin GPS watch with a raised eyebrow with every step I take. My time is drawing closer to the end with every minute.

But wait! Before you give up your current sport and decide to take up Cliff-diving or unassisted-bridge-bungee jumping, there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

It happened a few minutes after I finished last night, while I hugged my parents and tried to avoid a wild storm that overtook everyone else unfortunate enough to be still running.

(FYI there was ACTUALLY a ridiculously vicious storm, this is no metaphor….at least on my behalf…I can’t categorically vouch for any not-so-benevolent-omnipresent being, or beings?.....I digress)

I watched a much younger; and very, very talented runner come in 3^rd place and I realised that tonight….tonight, I had the mental grit and toughness that only comes from a little bit more age.

I’m not naïve to say this elevates me over this (or any runner)….that runner has beaten me in the past, quite easily, and he WILL beat me in the future (he’s an amazing runner to watch that’s for sure). Like a fine wine, he will only get better…which is very scary!

But my point is, we a creatures made up of life experiences! These experiences make us stronger and give us memories to draw upon when life gets tough. We build resolve from them and when the unthinkable is possible, we use them to draw strength!

And best of all…..this is what keeps us feeling young. We have found the holy-grail and the time machine for feeling young, without the embarrassment of buying gold chains, convertible cars, hair-plugs and Ed Hardy t-shirts!  

Until the next morning of course, when the hangover of stiff joints brings us very much into the present!

But we wouldn’t have it any other way…..would we?

(Time to start stretching!)

Happy Running/Exercising!

Clay

Sexy Beast! Maybe runners can be ‘sexy’?

The fact that you clicked on this blog, given the title, says so much about you as a reader already.

The fact that I would resort to that, as a title, probably says more.

Regardless, FIRST! After 10 days of periodic usage of the (supposedly) MIGHTY BEETROOT SUPPLEMENT I’m here to blow the lid off preconceptions about the vegetable like never before!

For this ‘expose’ to have the true effect I’m aiming for you may need to prepare your mind in order to get into a position where you ACTUALLY CARE about your intake of beetroot. This is especially apparent as I can’t quite conjure the sensationalism and tabloid journalism of ‘A Current Affair’, ‘Today Tonight’ or ‘Fox News’.

Beetroot is misunderstood. Beetroot is a novelty to you, nothing more than occasional burger filler (for Australians) and iconically Irish; for whatever that is worth? Are you angry yet? Furious? Passionate about Beetroot having it's time in the sun?

...Good. 

Now, I’ll begin.

Readers of my previous post will realise that I’ve been taking a recommended dosage of Beet juice prior to every run (training and race) in order to ascertain personally whether the proposed benefits of doing so will increase my nitrate levels and benefit my overall muscle strength and endurance (particularly over workouts around the 30 minute mark…..probably handy for a 10km runner!!!!).

For the layman….I wanted to see if drinking Beetroot juice will turn me into the Incredible Hulk.

Initially the most obvious result of drinking this prior to a workout session was the immediate distaste of the juice. It’s quite gross, and that’s really hard to work through; anyone suggesting that a liquefied version of a vegetable with no added sugar or sweetening agent will taste like anything other than pure excrement has quite a future in politics.

This issue is compounded somewhat initially with the occasional ‘burp’ mid run, which brings back the flavour. I’ve tried differing the times between consumption and running but this seems to have little effect. Thankfully, my body has gotten ‘used’ to it…so that really isn’t an issue anymore.

Also, I shudder to say this, I’ve actually gotten used to the flavour! Please note….I’m not sipping Beet Juice with a Cab Sav and plate of Blue-vein Cheese anytime soon….but I can stomach it with much less tantrum throwing and “here comes the airplane!” manoeuvres (quite embarrassing when you’re doing it to yourself).

At this juncture it brings me great joy to say that, of the (reportedly) minimal% of consumers who have experienced a ‘discolouration’ of their urine, I have been lucky enough to be one! Whilst initially feeling like I was leaking strange ‘blood coloured’ pee, when I came to terms with the change, and whilst this is a MASSIVE OVERSHARE; it felt pretty cool to control my own ‘Darth Vaderesque Light Saber’.

Er-herm!…..moving on…

Performance wise, the results so far are somewhat inconclusive. I’ve had about 6 training sessions with the Beet, some where I performed and recovered well, others where I was normal. Nothing overwhelmingly ‘hulkesque’ regardless. In terms of the two races I’ve run with the supplement, both have been successful (1^st on a 10km Brisbane Road Race, 3^rd in the State QLD 10,000mt track championships), however my time and performance was equal, and even slightly underwhelming in both.

Perhaps these events could be attributed to the limited time I have used the product, or simply the fact that as an elite(esque) athlete, my body is already efficient in creating nitrites (from the nitrates for those of you following at home) so any effect would be marginal.

Regardless I will continue, and update you again soon. I would like to also try some other products too, and gain feedback from anyone else using Beetroot juice. So if you do use, or know someone who does, drop me an email at: funky_clay@hotmail.com

In between then and now, enjoy your running,

Or at the very least high-five someone who ran today!

(just be sure to give them notice…High-five related injuries are on the rise…I saw it on ‘Today Tonight’!)

Safe travels,

Clay

Hard to Beet! The DISGUSTING Experiment that could change the way you eat+drink FOREVER!!!!!!

Scientists! aren't they just the greatest?!!!!

When you consider all of the radical things they have collectively done to enrich our everyday lives, it’s hard not to look to them as the ‘messiahs’ of easy living (ooooh controversy! see what I did there?). 

Ok, at this juncture it is probably worth noting that ‘Athletically’ some ‘boffin’ created the logic behind those performance enhancing ‘Power Bands’; although I suspect this was little more than a rubber manufacturer with an oversupply, an evil laugh and a pencil thin moustache!

I’ll give you a pass Science.  

So…..on the whole, stacked up against all the positivity that comes from inventions like ‘light bulbs’, ‘Shazaam’ and ‘The Wheel’, Science on the whole, still holds a fair bit of street cred.

With this in mind it was understandable that, recently, when I had a close friend come up to me telling me that (as a professional coach) his athletes have taken to supplementing their diet with the latest ‘Scientific breakthrough’ from the Australian Institute of Sport, my ears pricked up.

The ‘supplement’ itself sounds intriguing enough;

It’s Beetroot Juice and the mere idea has all of the hallmarks of a fad; Upon initial analysis the whole idea is seemingly odd; unappetizing and obscure enough to promote (with thinly veiled ‘scientific findings’) and market to the masses.

In short, it seems like a perfect way to ‘scam’ easy money, and sell a whole lot of beetroots!

Not surprisingly, I was skeptical to say the least, but I certainly trusted my friend. What a dilemma!

So, I decided to do what every discerning health-conscious person would do, instead of visiting a doctor, or nutritionist, or dietitian, or any expert at all. I went to the net.

From what I can ascertain, the potential benefits of taking beetroot supplements are;

* Lowering of Blood Pressure,

* Increase in Stamina, and

* Better muscle efficiency (particularly for non-elite athletes)

The basic science in this comes from the very high levels of nitrate found in the Beetroot, which is then converted (in your body) to nitrite, then nitric-oxide. The Nitric-oxide supposedly widens your blood vessels, which leads to an increased blood flow, which enables more oxygen rich blood to get to fatiguing muscles. Basically the theory is that drinking a designated amount of Beetroot juice will make your body more efficient, and potentially turn you into a superhero of sorts (without the need for secret identities or spandex, unless that’s your ‘thing’.)

Added to these findings were reports that research studies have recorded such improvements in efficiency ranging all the way up as high as 16%! (The variables of the research, participants, conditions, etc. are a whole other matter!).

Perhaps the most logical conclusion is that these improvements can be attributed to the placebo effect rather than this mysteriously, unappetizing ‘wonder vege’? This is even more understandable when you consider (in regards to running races particularly) no race/competition is the same; variables can come from the weather, course conditions, your mood, the food you eat, your competitors, etc., etc., etc.!

With this in mind, I've decided to take science into my own hands, by consuming regulated doses of Beetroot extract (in the manner and quantity stipulated on the product packaging). In addition to this I plan on monitoring my own personal reactions to the substance, as well as my performance over the course of a month.

Specifically, I shall take 5ml (mixed into 500ml of water) at least 30minutes prior to every race and training session.

My predictions prior to tasting the concoction is that I may need to have an ash tray on hand to lick to get the taste out! 

In regards to performance improvements, I’m trying to remain impartial.

This should be interesting!

Hold your nose! We’re going in!

(Happy running!)

Clay

UPDATE: Since the writing of this article, I’m delighted to say I survived my first ‘dose’ of extract. I will investigate the product and method of use in the future post. However, I did run a ‘race’ with the substance in my system with no noticeable effects (performance-wise), other than a couple of uncomfortable burps midrace and the disturbingly ‘beetrooty’ taste (but who would predict that?!).

With only one dose taken, I will report more as my consumption continues!

It is early days….however, so far nothing overly impressive!