56: Kona Tips, Amenorrhea, Tempo Runs

Juggling work-life balance can be a real three-ring circus, which Lauren & Jesse know first hand. Led by listener questions, the Work, Play, Love Podcast is all about sports, biz, and family. [ASK YOUR QUESTION]

56: Tips For Racing Kona, Amenorrhea, Dealing With Disappointment, Tempo Runs

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Description:

After a short hiatus, Lauren and Jesse are BACK in action. Hey, it’s summertime y’know? A family getaway filled with play was in order and sets the tone for a sport-filled show. From how to handle niggling injuries during your training season to amenorrhea as a young athlete, and from preparing for Kona to dealing with disappointment when you’re new to a sport, Lauren and Jesse offer advice, tips, and insight to folks at many different stages in their athletic journeys..

What’s goin’ on?!!

School is back in session and Lauren and Jesse are fresh back from dropping Jude off for his first day of first grade. They talk about the differences between this year’s drop-off and last year’s first-day meltdown. Then the WPL duo talks about Rebecca’s Private Idaho, where they both got to enjoy some awesome time with family and in sport. Jesse talks about what it was like to compete in the middle-distance gravel race (which he won, y’all!), and he also shares the sticky situation that happened when Lauren got behind the wheel on the ride home. Lastly, Lauren talks about an upcoming Wilder Lab.

Don’t forget about Work Play Love, Live! In Bend, OR at FootZone Bend. If you’re in town, head over to the store to be a part of the live audience and hear Lauren and Jesse have a veritable “clash of the pods” with Another Mother Runner. The show is set for 7PM Pacific on Tuesday, September 10, 2019, and will be broadcast on some social channel that remains to be seen. Tune in and enjoy!

Tasty Bites

15:00 - What are your current Netflix watches?

Jesse and Lauren admit that they don’t have a lot goin’ on in the TV department these days. Lauren’s not feelin’ TV, although she would watch Outlander with Jesse if he could get past the “cheesy-romance” look of the show.

Jesse, on the other hand, is looking for a great comedy to watch while he does his PT exercises. It’s gotta be funny and about 30m long. Send recommendations y’all! Until then, he’ll be holding his own with: Ballers, Succession, and reruns of Parks and Rec or The Office.

17:37 - Also what are your favorite movie genres? 

Comedies, Sports flicks, Drama, Historical Drama. Sometimes super-hero movies, although Lauren is less apt to enjoy them.

18:02 - How should I integrate strength training into triathlon and running training?

Start with a glorified PT program 20-30 minutes 2-3 times a week. Focus on bridges, side planks, and other foundational movements that help you improve core and pelvic stability. You can do some slightly more advanced movements as you progress, but start with a program like this to avoid injury and set the rest of your training up for success.  

20:08 - What are the differences between the Compete and Believe Training Journals and what is in each of them?

The Compete Training Journal and the Believe Training Journal are identical in structure. They are both 12 months of training logs with a weekly training-log layout, and they’re broken up into 4-5 week “months.” You write in your own dates, goals, training and reflections. Each month there’s a new chapter about a particular topic, and this is where the journals differ. The Believe journal has chapters about physical training, mental training, body image, nutrition, recovery and more. The Compete journal chapters offer takes on specific nuances about racing and getting the best out of yourself. Learn more about the journals and buy them here!

21:54 - Is Picky Bars packaging biodegradable or environmentally friendly? Are there any plans to offer packaging that is kinder to the environment?

Picky Bars packaging is not biodegradable nor made with recyclable materials. We’ve done a number of things to make Picky Bars packaging as environmentally friendly as possible. Picky Bars packaging is as thin as the FDA will allow, which means fewer materials during their production. We also do our best to order as much as we can afford for each shipment, meaning we are reducing shipping and packaging waste where we’re able. Lastly? You can TerraCycle Picky Bars (and other energy-bar) packaging with TerraCycle.

27:10 - Why do weird little niggles and pains and quasi-injuries always appear during the taper?!?! We hear ya and feel ya! Jesse and Lauren commiserate about the fact that issues tend to crop up ahead of race time. They talk about their own experiences and suggest that they usually race anyway and the niggling pains generally go away during the race. Some of it may be in your head. Since you’re paying closer attention to your body, you may be more sensitive to issues. But it could also just have to do with your pushing your body really hard ahead of your races.  

29:04 - Jesse, any thoughts on returning to compete at Ironman Wales in 2020?

Jesse would love that! Ironman Wales is really epic. Really fun. Really community oriented. And really hard. If that sounds like it’s up your alley, you should absolutely check it out. As for Jesse competing…as of now, it’s not likely.

Meat & Potatoes

29:58 - I got my first-time-ever Kona slot! What is Jesse's top 7 "pro tips" for racing IronMan Hawaii?

1. Have fun! Don’t let the craziness of Kona take you out of yourself—enjoy that you’re there.
2. Train in the heat if you can. This can be done on a trainer indoors.
3. Practice your hydration and nutrition strategy—really understand what and how much you need to replace when you’re out their biking and running in the heat.
4. Pace yourself.
5. Get an açai bowl at the little stand there.
6. Get a poké bowl at Poké Shack.
7. Don’t overthink things—do all of the fun pre-race activities like the underpants run.

37:27 - I am a high school runner who struggles with amenorrhea. I know Lauren briefly mentioned that she struggled with the same issues earlier on in her life. How was she able to overcome amenorrhea and what does she recommend for young athletes who are told that the only way to overcome it is to take a break from running?

Amenorrhea is a serious sign that there is a disconnect with your training and/or, more likely, your nutrition. If you miss a period, and especially if you miss multiple periods, you should consult a doctor. Nutrition expert Dr. Clyde Wilson has some good resources about this and advised Lauren that amenorrhea is generally a fat-intake issue. When you don’t have enough—and the right kind of—fatty acids in your diet alongside an intense training schedule, you can experience amenorrhea. Lauren upped her avocado intake, ate more healthy nuts and olive oil, and it helped. The important thing is to consult with a professional and listen to folks who specialize in sports and nutrition. Check out some additional resources below.

• Stacy Sims: Roar
• Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook
• Article about hormones, athletes, and amenorrhea
• Clyde Wilson’s website (outdated)

41:52 - Do you have any advice for how to recover from a string of disappointing races? And do you have any advice on disentangling self-worth from race performance?

This can be a common issue for athletes and folks who struggle with perfectionism. And because running is such a quantifiable, data-filled sport, it can be easy to measure and judge yourself frequently. Here are some tips from Lauren and Jesse on how to take it easier on yourself so you can enjoy racing rather than feeling persistently bummed over “poor” performances.

• Step back, zoom out, and identify a different story about running—like building self confidence and finding a new community—so you can focus less on numbers and PRs
• Approach races with tiered goals: what is an acceptable day? What is a good day? And what is a great day? Because running outcomes will always vary, this can set you up for higher probability of success.
• Know that people value you for things outside of running and try to reflect on that.
• Working with a therapist can be awesome for issues like this! 

50:28 - Do you have any mental or physical tips on getting better at tempo runs?

Tempo training can totally be tough, especially for middle distance or fast-twitch athletes. One of the reasons is that they’re taking their threshold pace too fast. Here are some things you can do to improve your tempo workouts if they’re giving you trouble:

1. The “Lane 8” tempo. Get in the furthest-out lane on the track. Go up to the 8-lane stagger. Start there. Run what you *want* your tempo pace to be for a 400 meter. When you hit the “finish line,” switch to a shuffle/jog between the finish line and the stagger. When you hit the stagger, run your tempo for another 400. Do that for 8 laps, or 2 miles.
2. Try mile repeats at tempo pace with 1 minute rest. When that starts to feel comfortable, switch to 30 second rest. Then try 2x 2 miles with a rest.
3. Create small cues for yourself that breaks the workout up into smaller segments, like switching a Picky Bar from one pocket to the next after each mile so that you feel like you’re in a different phase of your workout.

Follow-Ups

48:27 - Listeners follow up about the importance of doing those dreaded PT exercises every. dang. day. They also write in to talk about aging and injury, aging and weight loss, and just aging and being active in general. And lastly, a user writes in to share some thoughts on climate change and how they think about communicating it to their youngster.

As always, submit your work/play/love question at pickybars.com/workplaylove - Thanks for listening!

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