PEDs and Secret Weapons?

For those who occasionally visit this blog, you’re likely aware of the intriguing adventure I’m pursuing here in 2017. The goal is to see how close I can come, at the age of 50+, to matching the fastest times I’ve ever run (from the mile up to the marathon distances). Our son was chatting with his girlfriend’s family yesterday about the goal and recent race results and they had two responses. The first was encouraging and is the reason I’m making this public in the first place (“that’s pretty cool – we’re over 50 too – maybe there’s still progress to be made“).  The second was funny (“he must be on PEDs“). At the same time, it got me thinking… I’m just a regular guy. No special talents (look at my high school times – you won’t be impressed). I’m simply willing to work my tail off and implement some crazy stuff along the way to see if it helps.

Over the years, I’ve integrated a decent list of consistent “crazy stuff” into my life that seems to be making a difference. If my goal with this is to encourage others to join the journey, why not share them all? So here is my current list of crazy stuff, which we’ll call PEDs (Performance Enhancing Devices) and Secret Weapons so it sounds better. None of these involve sponsorship agreements – they’re just what I’ve found works and hope they’ll be helpful to you as well.

In no particular order, here are the top 21…

1. Intervals  –  we get out what we put in, and we don’t get faster by always running slowly
2. Iron – not the nutrient – the Iron sharpens Iron –  the friends who push, pull and model optimum performance at any age
3. Blender – post workout smoothie has everything to start the day out right
4. Blender (part II) – make larger smoothie in AM and save extra cup for an afternoon snack
5. Beets (and Kale/Spinach) included in that blender concoction
6. Caffeine limited to twice/week to set up key training sessions/races
7. Protein before bed (small serving – research says it matters)
8. As close to 8 hrs of sleep as possible. It’s the closest thing to a legal PED that exists!
9. Ear plugs –  in reference to the above, these make a difference with both our kids and our neighborhood dogs 🙂
10. BreathRight strips – not kidding. I don’t wear them for workouts, but can finally breath through nose while sleeping after 50 years!
11. Treadmill – love it. No – it’s not a beautiful trail run, but with Colorado winters, it guarantees perfect workout regardless
12. TRX – started using this 18 months ago and it’s still the “core” of my routine
13. Two (or more) pair of shoes provides variety for the body as the mileage builds
14. Plyometrics – added these recently. Muscles aren’t the same at 50 as at 20. Plyometrics help provide partial bridge between the two
15. Roller (balance) Board – credit Steve Magness for idea – use it in office whenever on phone to strengthen foot/ankle
16. Hypersphere – new recovery toy that’s impressed me so far
17. Afternoon snack – handful of cashews/almonds & 1-2 small squares of (real – 90%) dark chocolate
18. R3 Foot Roller – w/ high arches and history of foot issues, this is easy to use at desk
19. Zero Runner (Octane Fitness) – great way to add 15-20 “miles” per week to run schedule with zero pounding
20. Personalized nutrient analysis – so many supplements and everyone’s different. So I do blood test annually and then dial in needs
21. Suzanna – my bride of 24 years is a constant encourager and sounding board. None of this happens without her! (sorry – she’s not available).

So there you have it. 21 Secret Weapons heading into this new #ExperimentOfOne. Would love to hear about yours at Results@CatalystCoachingInstitute.com and maybe we can add to this list!