Surviving Ultra

Because DFL is still an accomplishment

Tag: health

  • AthleanX Monster Maker Month 1

    Adding Macrofactor to my training has been a game changer in that I see myself being able to reach a level of leanness that has eluded me in the past.  While I met my initial weight loss goals using Macrofactor and the Max Shred program I think it will be possible to continue on and increase my speed and decrease the effort it requires to cover an ultra distance by dropping a few more pounds.  While it’s a slight setback in running progressions, I’m trying to take a long term view of how I can best reach my goal and improving my strength to bodyweight ratio will definitely be a large step in the right direction. 

    I therefore decided to keep doing enough running and hiking to maintain my ability to complete a 50K at my current ability level and focus instead on getting a bit leaner before scaling up to a 50 miler attempt. I tend to find weight loss easier when my priority shifts to strength and thus was seeking a more lifting centric training block.  I settled on AthleanX’s Monster Maker program for several reasons.  The program is based on the conjugate training method and, while total body focused, it allows you to choose a muscle group you would like to prioritize for a little extra love.  I chose the back focus.  The muscles of the back and posterior chain are critical to maintaining proper posture as a race progresses and are a muscle group that most could stand to focus on a little more.  My idea is to use the duration of the program to lose some additional weight while making myself more durable for when I start scaling up the mileage later in the year. 

    I’m in the final week of Month 1 and really enjoying the program.  I’ve never done a program with an Anterior/Posterior split before but am finding that I really like it.  I’ve also really liked the dynamic lower days which contain speed work and other movements designed to build explosive power.  I’m looking forward to the next 2 months and coming out of this block with a more favorable strength to bodyweight ratio. 

  • Max Shred Month 2

    Over the course of the summer I decided to run the AthleanX Max Shred program as a compliment to all of the hiking and other outdoor activities I find myself involved in and have been combining that with use of the Macrofactor app to lean out a bit.  So far, the pair has been a great combination. I’ve managed to shed a few pounds and I’ve noticed work capacity improvements from trying to complete the program at alarm level 4.  More importantly, with the use of the Macrofactor app, I’ve been able to drop weight at a rate that I am able to preserve muscle at and actually think I may have even made some gains from the large number of inverted rows present in the program so far. 

    Month 2 nicely builds on the foundation laid out in month 1, but pushes you harder by adding a second lift to each day’s workout and changing from 3 to 4 strength training workouts.  It’s a nice way to progressively add difficulty to the program.   The hundreds of reps of bodyweight squats and jumping exercises that are programmed each week have also been a great way to enhance muscular endurance in the legs. 

    I’m getting ready to close out month 2 and move onto month 3, which ups the difficulty again, by replacing the bodyweight movements entirely with lifting based circuits.  I really like the way the program has phased in an increased amount of lifting starting from just bodyweight in week 1 and then having the user perform one lift per workout in weeks 2-4.  In weeks 5-8 it progresses to 2 lifts per workout, and finally in weeks 9-12 is composed entirely of lifting in a circuit-based fashion.  For an experienced lifter the bodyweight elements provide a nice break for the joints and tendons while still getting results and for a novice it’s a nice way to gradually ease into lifting.  A great program so far.

  • Macrofactor

    One of the things I encountered over the course of my last two training blocks is that the additional running really upped my appetite and I suspect I was at times over compensating in the calories I was consuming as I gained a few pounds.  While some of that weight was additional muscle mass from the max strength days in both the Tactical Barbell Base Build and the MTI Max Strength + 6 Mile Run programs (my lifts went up a bit in both) not all of it was.  Furthermore, my speed and endurance would probably benefit from a bit of a cut, but in cutting I’d like to ensure that my macros are on point to minimize any muscle loss. 

    In order to achieve this, I decided to give the app Macrofactor a try.  When you first set it up you fill out a questionnaire that it uses to estimate your TDEE and from there you “weigh-in” periodically to track your progress.  Based on your weight changes it learns how your metabolism works and updates your TDEE.  Your learned TDEE is than viewed in the context of a cut, bulk, or maintain goal and the app gives you a breakdown of the macros and calories you should be consuming to meet that goal.  It readjusts these targets every week to account for any changes to your TDEE. I like the way it calculates a trend weight for these calculations that smooths out the noise seen in scale weights from the daily weigh-ins. 

    I’ve been using the app for a couple of weeks now and seems to be working well.  Logging food is less painful than I thought it would be and the act of logging alone I have found extremely informative and beneficial.  Seeing the nutritional breakdown of certain foods has definitely helped to pinpoint some unexpected areas for improvement and I find seeing the numbers makes me more likely to hold myself accountable when I’m pondering that extra cookie. 

    The recommendations on calorie intake seems to be in a sustainable range as well and performance has not suffered when following their recommendations so far. I’ve also managed to drop about a pound (trend weight) in my first two weeks of using the app.  I think this app was a great find and I’m looking forward to using it keep nutrition in line to support my strength and endurance goals. 

  • AthleanX Max Shred

    I’ve been a fan of AthleanX programs for a long time and have successfully run a number of them over the years in conjunction with ultra prep.  I tend to pick programs that have a mix of strength and conditioning training in them and will typically replace the general conditioning workouts with running, rucking, or hiking sessions as they are more sport specific. I’ve also been able to run them in the past with a few two-a-days mixed in here and there and still managed to recover well. 

    As such, I think an AthleanX program will be more suitable for me to run in conjunction with a summer full of exploration.  I still want to prioritize building my aerobic base, but will hold off on running another MTI program until I can give it the attention and focus required to perform well in the workouts and recover well from them.

    The AthleanX program I have chosen to run is Max Shred.  It’s a conditioning centric program that uses circuit training for the strength days mixed with a couple of conditioning workouts each week.  While not everyone benefits from the same exercise techniques to the same extent, circuit training is something that my body traditionally responds really well to. The strength circuits when run with minimal rest also turn out to be quite the cardio workout and will contribute to my aerobic and, probably even more so, anaerobic endurance.  I’m nearing the end of the first month of the program and have seen definite work capacity and endurance improvements.  I’m also finding myself starting to lean out a little more which will also help with my running speed.  Really enjoying the program and looking forward to seeing the further improvements I can make as the difficulty scales up in months 2 and 3. 

  • MTI Max Effort Strength + 6 Mile Run Finishing Thoughts

    I enjoyed the program and it worked as advertised in that I was able to make a modest improvement to my squat and maintain strength in my other lifts.  For the bench press, the reps were coming easier towards the end of the program and I’m at a point where I can do more reps with the same weight but probably not quite ready to add more weight to the bar yet.  I was also able to make improvements in my run times and my 10K time started to improve by the halfway point in the program.  The chassis integrity days were awesome and I found them a great way to train the core.

    The training was effective, but I admit that I did have to put a focus on proper recovery to perform well in the program and I had to keep my sleep and nutrition on point.  I often like to go hiking on the weekends and using a couple of rest days to hike and not just focus on recovery combined with the need to wake a bit earlier than usual for a few days did have me feeling a bit fatigued toward the end.  While this is not a fault of the program, it is a training consideration in terms of when to run a training block like this as training often has to be balanced with other activities. 

    I see myself using MTI programs again in the future, but given I have an active summer of adventures planned, I may modify my plan to run the MTI Max Effort Strength and Aerobic Capacity plan as a next step and opt for a training regimen that has a bit less intensity in it so I can better pair my training with other physical activities I enjoy without burning out.  Next steps will be laid out soon. 

  • Cross Training in Bad Weather

    I don’t mind running in the rain, the heat, the cold, or other less than optimal conditions outdoors as I enjoy being out in nature much more than thought of hammering away on a human hamster wheel. Nevertheless, there are some days where it is just not a great idea to run outside.  For me the criteria for establishing this is based on the risk of injury rather than comfort.  Is the terrain going to be too slippery from ice, is the visibility going to be so poor that I’m at increased risk of being hit by a car, has an outbreak of forest fires made the air quality too bad, etc? The biggest potential training set back I can think of would be to suffer an injury. 

    Thus, on the days that I’m scheduled to run but find myself having to stay indoors (or just in need of a break from running), the exercises I tend to turn to are as follows:

    1. Stair Climber – I’ve found this a great way to cross train for really steep ultras and is one of my go to cross training activities when preparing for hilly terrain.  An hour on the stair climber once or twice a month can be great prep for hiking up hills.
    2. Rowing – This is my go to when I want an activity that will keep working on my aerobic base, but I find myself in need of a break from the impact of running.  I love the total body nature of the workout and enjoy the core endurance aspects of it which can be beneficial in maintaining good form in the later stages of a race. Sometimes I will also use rowing as a way to add in an extra zone 2 workout for the week without significantly increasing the impact forces my body endures. 

    While I know others swear by cross training with a stationary bike, ellipticals, or other indoor options the stair climber and the rowing machine are the two modalities I find meet the two most important criteria for me of providing a benefit and being tolerable enough to stick with for the entire session.  I might even go as far as saying rowing is something that I find enjoyable.

  • MTI – Max Effort Strength + 6 Mile Run

    While I enjoyed the Tactical Barbell Base Building block, I have also long wanted to try a program from Mountain Tactical Institute (MTI).  MTI offers a plethora of different programs designed to meet a variety of different goals, including some running programs which scale to 50 miles.  As such, I could theoretically reach my strength and 50 mile distance goals using solely programs from MTI, which is what landed them on my radar of programs to consider.  Given I want to spend a few more weeks without any major increases to my miles per week (to ensure all knee issues remain behind me), it seemed like a good time to try one of their programs with a similar goal set to my prior base building block.

    The 6 week Max Effort Strength + 6 Mile Run program consists of 2 days of total body strength training combined with 3 days of running.  For this block I will be putting the rucking I used to improve my ability to climb hills aside and running on all 3 running days.  This will result in a small increase in running mileage for me.  More interestingly, the program incorporates some interval runs as well as zone 2 runs and I’m hoping the intervals provide some additional speed improvements for me.

    At first glance the program is higher in intensity than the Tactical Barbell block, using higher max percentages and shorter rest times on lifts, which makes the lifting portions more closely resemble the approach used in many of the strength programs I have done in past. I also really like how it integrates warm-up, core, and mobility exercise into each day’s workout.  Now it’s time to see how my body responds to the different intensity approach when paired with a structured running program (something I neglected for too long).

  • Base Building Finishing Thoughts

    I just finished the last workout of the Tactical Barbell base building phase and I really enjoyed the program.  It was a great way to get myself back onto a structured running program while still continuing to incorporate strength training into the mix. My per mile times have improved over the course of the two months and I think the program was ideal for building a foundation off of which to build on in future blocks.  After a couple of weeks of religiously incorporating the couch stretch and some of the other correctives, my knees are feeling better when running downhill too.  The program and the progress I made has helped me rediscover some of the passion that first got me into running many years ago and I am excited to start my next training block. 

    The most interesting discovery for me, however, was the two day a week Fighter strength template that the base building block makes use of.  It’s a minimalistic template that is designed to be submaximal in order to allow it to be paired with intense conditioning activities.  While minimalistic, however, it’s a template I can still see myself making slow but steady progress with.  While I haven’t retested my maxes yet, the RPE for the weights I was using definitely became easier than it was for the same weight before my base building phase.  While I admit that I did give into the temptation to add some accessory work in the form of dips and chin-ups on some of the workouts, I really liked the submaximal concept.  As miles per week levels begin in increase and the training gets harder to recover from a result, I think the Fighter template will be nice tool in my arsenal to maintain strength. Now onto my next training block which I will detail in my next post.

  • Running Correctives

    With any endurance sport there is always a risk for overuse injuries and injury prevention is critical as nothing will impact training for an event more than not being able to do it because of an injury. Doing a few thousand feet of downhills each week has the potential to become such an overuse injury for me.  I’ve been more conscious of my form and have tried to make a conscious effort to always maintain good posture and to lessen the amount I sit which has helped, but there is always room to do more. Because of my success with alleviating some issues after reading Deskbound, I decided to check out Ready to Run which is also by Kelly Starret.  It provides a series of 12 recommendations to help keep runners injury free and improve longevity in the sport.  Many of the recommendations are simple to implement such as drinking more electrolytes to improve hydration or wearing zero drop shoes while others touch on warm up and mobility routines to address common running problems.  While some recommendations I already touch on (e.g. the couch stretch), I have not been doing them with the daily frequency recommended in the book. 

    I’m going to start incorporating the recommendations in this book into my daily routine and finish out my last 2 weeks of the Tactical Barbell base building program. Once the base building phase wraps up, I intend to continue giving the recommendations in the book a try over the next couple of months but will probably put a temporary freeze on any major mileage increases until I give my body time to properly adjust to the downhill volume.  I will be picking a 10K or half marathon program with similar weekly mileages to what I am already doing and working on running those miles in an issue free manner.  I will be pairing this program with a strength program so I can continue to make improvements in that area as well. 

  • Burpee Ladders

    While trail running tends to be a largely aerobic activity and burpees can rapidly turn into an anaerobic one, being introduced to ultrarunning through Spartan races, you can’t help but form a love/hate relationship with the burpee.  Burpees feature prominently not only in Spartan inspired workouts, but also as penalties for failing an obstacle (although penalty loops have become more common in recent years).  Burpees have long been a staple of my training and burpee ladders in particular are a go to when looking for an intense HIIT workout. Burpees are something I find:

    1. Help build explosive power – The quick transitions between positions and the full body muscle engagement makes burpees a great way to train explosivity, which as a Spartan racer can help you power your way over an obstacle.  As a trail runner they can help you power your way up a particularly steep section of the trail.
    2. Mental Toughness – Burpees rapidly get challenging. Just like the ultra saying “run the first half with your legs, the second half with your mind”, completing a burpee ladder can often turn into a mental game.  They are a great way to prove to yourself that you can endure.
    3. Can be mixed with hill sprints  – Mixing alternating rounds of burpees and hill sprints forms a killer workout.  For example, do a set of burpees and then sprint up a hill, walk down, and repeat. 
    4. Can be done indoors with limited space – We all have days when we can’t go outside or get to a gym.  Burpees require no equipment and very limited space allowing for an intense workout almost anywhere.

    For some interesting ideas on burpee ladders and burpee variations I found the Jailhouse Strong book Josh Bryant and Adam benShea worthwhile.  I liked the different burpee ladder options that it offered such as the Baker’s Dozen and the Prisoner Burpee Challenge, but what I really liked is that it did not just provide the workout but target times for different levels of fitness.  While progress can always be assessed by I ran faster or I lifted more, sometimes it’s nice to see how your time stacks up against a standard as a goal of beating or exceeding a certain standard can be motivational.