To Gluten or not to Gluten

Changes to me are always a good thing. They bring new adventures that I can gain new experiences and allow me to grow as an athlete and a person.  This year, I've had some major changes in my life from my living arrangements (first from the gf living with me, phoenix, flagstaff, and soon Europe), to training partners to coaching, and now to my diet.  I've always been a healthy eater during my season.  Off season is all about  fat, grease, sugar and booze (and not in that order).  But during my track season it's all strict moderations of whole grains, vegetable, protein, and fruit to keep my body firing it's fastest. 

That is until a month ago when I switched to a gluten free and dairy free diet.  What foods am I really missing out on...THE BEST KIND!!  No pasta, no breads, no cereal, no milk, no chocolate milk, no yogurt, no cheese no ice cream, no etc.  It involves reading every label and looking for specific ingredients.  I know, the dreaded question, WHY?  The theory behind this that the body can have intolerances to dairy and gluten. These intolerances cause inflammation in the body. So if my body has just done a workout and my muscle fibers are ripped up, inflamed and need repair,  it'll be trying to repair too much at once.  Yes, it's just a theory and there are studies are both ends, but I figure why take the chance.  

I now spend an extra 45 minutes in a grocery store staring at the ingredients listing and an extra $20/visit to switch my diet from:

Milk to Almond milk

whole wheat bread to gluten free bread or corn tortillas

Rice

Whole wheat pasta to rice pasta

Any cereal to gluten free cereal (chex), granola, oatmeal (yuk)

It's not the same taste at all, but I do feel less bloated after meals, and have shredded body fat.  It can get upsetting eating a burger with two lettuce pieces instead of buns with no cheese and making sure they don't use bread crumbs in the patty;  But a 1 second PB in my race last week is making it all worth it.

    

The Bird

So what's next...   This week has been nothing but feeling like crap and slow runs.  I'm back in Flagstaff slugging along my runs.  But it's whats expected.  I just pushed my body to a new level.  There's pros and cons to doing this.

PRO-- my body will get used to this new speed and I'll be able to get to it easier and push further next time.  The more and more you do something, the easier it gets

CON-- My body right now is flipping me off and has gone into a recovery state.  

The best thing for me to do is active rest.  Basically this means easy runs to let my muscles repair.  Tomorrow is the first workout of the week and it's pretty easy (Hopefully).  Saturday is back revving up the pace and back to the same old.

Thanks for all the emails and wall posts about my new PB.   Keep the fingers crossed thats it's just a stepping stone to me getting even faster.  I've got my goals set on the World Championships.  The time to run is 1:46.30.  

1:46.85

In a small suburb of Los Angeles, there's a small school call Occidental College.  Up to two years ago, this school has been known only to a the academically enriched as a smart kid school.  However, on Saturday May  21, 2011, "Oxy, Occidental" will be known in the track and field world as one of the top meets in North America.  Event after event was stacked with some top names.

The conditions were perfect and every race had a rabbit (pace runner) to keep things moving fast.  My race had a world class competitor from Australia, a couple fast American's, and the typical trio of fast Canadians I seem to race again and again.  I could describe the race, but I'l let you watch it first hand.  

I entered this race with a PB of 1:47.71 and left with a 1:46.85. HELLS YA!!!!!!!!!!!!  To qualify for the World Championships, I must run a 1:46.30 or faster.  I'm right there.  It's only May and I'm just starting to rev it up.

I'm the 10th runner on the start line in Orange.  You can't see too much, but enjoy.  The announcer says I'm leading but thats not me.   I finished 4th.

Watch more video of Occidental Oxy High Performance Meet 2011 on flotrack.org

Watch Live 7:30pm Pacific

I just found out the Oxy Meet will be broadcasting live on flotrack.  Check out me live this evening at 7:30pm Pacific Time.  I'm in the Orange singlet.
http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/238774-Oxy-High-Performance-Meet-2011/live

A complete coverage listing is on the website also.  There's some big names with some big times racing tonight.  Even if you know little about track, this meet will be impressive.

Run fast, turn left.

Redemption

One thing I love about racing is there are no second chances.  Yes, there are alway more races, but that specific race, there is only one.  There is no 2nd or 3rd attempt, or next play or shift to get another shot.  You get that race and that's it.  

But training's different.  You can't let one training session be the determinant of where you stand.  Thats why I was pumped to know the group was heading to Sedona, AZ for another session.  My last session there was me tightening up 50m before the line and the coach laughing at me.  

Saturday Morning workout, 

40m, 50m 60m  flys 

1x200m at 800m pace (25-26 seconds) 5minutes rest

300m (90 seconds rest) 500m   All at 800m pace.  10min recovery  6x120m

This workout is a variation of the 200m, 600m I did last week.  It looks so easy on paper but when you incorporate that little variation called altitude, it brings a whole new factor.  (Remember altitude means less oxygen which mean your body feels like a fat kid running for the first time)

The first 200m felt fast.  25.6.  I want to feel relaxed not fast.  It's okay, 5min recovery to shake it off.   6 guys step on the line for the 300.  The coach starts us and we're off.  39.6 seconds,  PERFECT!!  Now 90seconds rest.   Typically 90seconds is that just enough rest so where you've just caught your breath.  At altitude it's going when you're still deep breathing.  We start the 500, the layout again 3 partners in front then me.  The flashback of my wheezing attack hits me hard.  "Stay relaxed" I say to myself, "you got this".  I move the backstretch closing the gap on two of them.  Coming around the turn I get this boost from my body telling me it's time to go.  I pass one, but still have my eyes set on the other two.  We all reach the home straight away.  Each step getting closer to the front runners.  I get beside the number two and I suddenly hear breathing on my outside shoulder. Someone's closing on me I surge just past and we finish all finish one body length apart from one another.  65.7seconds (1:05.7).  I FINISHED THE WORKOUT!!!!  A big smile comes across my face and a confidence comes across me.  I'm back and feeling good. The simulator added up to a 1:45 which is the Olympic standard.   

Second chances are great eh...    

 Up next is a flight to LA for the Oxy Occidental meet.  Low key meet with lots of fast competition.

Beginning

Finally!! After a year of saying this is in the works, I've finally got this blog up and running.  So first and foremost, WELCOME TO MY SITE.  I will try and update this regularly on my season's progress.

Where to start, 

Let's start with right now.  The past two months I’ve been training with the Canadian middle distance High Performance centre, headed up by the worldly know middle distance coach, Wynn Gmitroski.    I have just undergone a crash coarse with the group experiencing a new outlook on the 800m.  The motto, all spikes all the time.  Minus my college career (where we raced every weekend), I've never trained in spikes this much.  But I feel good and I feel confident in myself and the training.  I’ve enjoyed my time so much that last minute I decided to follow them on their next training block to Flagstaff, AZ.   With a quick flight home to Toronto on Monday, then back to Arizona on Thursday, I'm back with the group.

For those who don't know Flagstaff, it has an altitude of just less than 7000ft or 2100m for my non-Americans.  I know what you’re thinking…what the f* does that mean? Higher altitude creates thinner air, which means less air resistance.  This is why sprinters, jumpers etc perform better at altitude.  For aerobic training, it means less oxygen. Basically, you feel like a fat kid just learning to jog. 

 On Saturday I found this out first hand.  The workout (all at 800m pace):

1x200m (25-26seconds)                 2minutes recovery 

1x600 (1:18-1:20seconds)               10minutes recovery 

6x200m                                         60seconds recovery

First 200m-25.6 seconds; perfect.  It felt smooth and relaxed. (Remember sprinting is easy).  Now it’s time for the 600m.  The two minutes recovery is up.  My breathing has just returned to a comfortable state.  The coach says go and we’re off.  There are 10 of us in the workout.  I’m following right behind two of my training partners.  We go through the first 200m in 25seconds, which is perfect for this.  Coming off the turn of the track, I decide it’s time to start working the backstretch and get close to the two in front.  350m in to the workout, the wheezing starts.  “Relax Kyle, control your body”, I say in my head.  I pass 400m in a 53.5 sec, and two guys blow right by me.  I hit 450m and my breathing sounds like a train. 3 more go by me.  I reach 550m and I step off the track, bend over and start dry heaving in between the wheezes.  Yup, Altitude training at its best!!  I spend the next 10 minutes repeating the same steps, stand up, walk, cough, kneel, and cough.  The 6x200m was all over the map ranging from 26-29.

I talked with Wynn (coach) post workout and he just laughed.  You know what, so did I.  This could discourage me but it didn’t.  I loved it, and I want more.  Tuesday has talk about an all out 600m, and I’m pumped for it. 

So for my people I train who say “Kyle it hurts to run, you don’t know what it feels like to start out.”  Yes, I do and I crave more.  This just means that when I get back I’m going to up my training with you all.