Archive for December, 2007

18
Dec

GS&R: Goal Setting and Review

By BernieR 0 Comments
Categories: Running

I guess with anything that you are planning seriously, you’re going to need to set some sort of goal(s) as well as be able to review what you’ve done to find out where you’ve potentially gone wrong.  Doing this will help you with the “fine-tuning” of your progress.  You can use this for more than the aspect of running or any other workout plan.  You can use this for your job, your party arrangements, your grocery list, etc.  Here’s how it works and it’s pretty straight forward.

1.  Set your primary goal (ten weeks out)
2.  Set your plan to get to that goal.  If possible work backwards from that date
3.  Keep track of daily your progress.  The more detailed it is the more fine tuned you can make your training.  If you are an experienced runner, then I recommend the more detailed version.  I also recommend that if you are just beginning you start of as detailed as you feel comfortable with but do go overboard because it can be somewhat overwhelming.  Also keep in mind that as you workout, you will find out what information you need to log and what you don’t.  You’ll be fine-tuning your data as well over the coming weeks.
4.  From your daily progress, at least once  a week, graph the following information:

A.  Date / Daily Distance (Beginner and up)
B.  Date / Weekly Distance (Beginner and up)
C.  Date / Weight (Beginner and up)
D.  Minutes / Mile Pace (Intermediate and up)

The obvious thing is to set realistic goals.  Since we are talking about running we’ll stick with that.  I recommend that you set one final goal for a race, a target pace, a target weight, etc. for at least ten weeks out.  Anything too soon may cause injury and frustration.  The hard part about this is to forecast what you want to do and how to get there.  All in all, you have to remember that you’re going to have to think about progress but also remembering to rest when you need to rest.  Even for experienced runners, you will still need to set your goals ten weeks out but your progress may not be as radical as someone who’s not as experienced.  Experienced runners are going to be “fine-tuning” their already “tuned” running agenda.

Reviewing is always the easy part.  You know if you’ve done good or not so good.  However, it’s always good to put it down on paper.  This way you can not only chart your progress but you can adjust your workouts and goals as time progresses to meet your overall goal(s).  Graphs are great and if you’re not using them, start!  Some heart-rate monitors come with software so it will chart your progress for you.  If not, then keep it simple and chart your progress on a daily basis, even if you take the day off.  There are several ways to chart your progress depending on your experience level.  Seeing your daily progress may not show very much improvement.  However, once you’ve seen your progress over a weeks and months time, you will find that you may be making more headway that you originally thought.

The key to your GS&R is that you have to do it on a daily basis.  You are committed to your goal and you will show your commitment by working out and keeping a log of your progress.  The cliche; “hindsight is 20/20″ could not be more true and it’s what’s going to help you, not only as a runner but hopefully help you in other aspects of your life.

09
Dec

Weight-Loss: How It Will Make You a Better Runner

By BernieR 0 Comments
Categories: Running

Training your body to become more efficient.

Running for weight-loss is somewhat of a catch-twenty-two.  Running is a harsh sport.  No question about it.  Your joints, ligaments, muscles, bone structure and internal organs all take a beating.  The heavier you are the harsher the impact.  However, you are also training your body to adjust and cope with the impact.  The difficult part is to not go beyond your body’s limits but still push yourself enough to burn calories and build up your body’s awareness to change and adapt.  Most people though, do not hit that limit unless pushed by a professional trainer.  Most of us, including me, quit before our body’s limit.

I’ve preached time and time again that you should invest in a heart rate monitor.  This is a key factor to help determine what level your body is training at.  The following is a “general guideline” and does not meet the attributes of every runner out there. 

40%-60% is your fat burning zone
61%-80% is an aerobic zone
81%-99% is an anaerobic zone

Generally speaking it’s very difficult to get to 100% or more of your max heart rate.  Chances are you will quit before reaching this zone.  Fat burning zone is exactly that, you are in a zone of a workout where you are burning or in the process of burning fatty calories.  Aerobic is where you are conditioning your heart as well as burning fat.  Anaerobic is where you are using more energy than what you body can produce.  Again, these are all Laymen’s Terms and it goes much deeper than that.

Now here’s the cool part.  As you are working out in a zone for a period of time, you are still continuing to burn calories even after you’ve stopped working out.  So if you spend an hour in an aerobic state, you will continue to burn calories for some time after that (that time will vary according to your conditioning).  So it is at that time shortly after you workout, that you need to take in fluids and food to replenish your system.  This is also a time where you are most susceptible to outside influences such as colds, flu strands and so on.  Eating to replenish your system helps prevent those outside influences.  Diet is also essential for weight loss, but that will be covered later.

There is also a general rule to losing weight that involves frequency.  This is usually broken down to how many times a week you are running.  This general rule is working out three times a week will help you maintain your weight, but not necessarily lose your weight.  Plan on at least four workouts, in a row during your week, before a rest day to help lose your weight. 

07
Dec

2008 F1 Team Speculations: Part 3

By BernieR 0 Comments
Categories: Motorsports

Now that we have all of that out of the way, I’d like to think that Ferrari and Kimi are going to have another Championship Winning performing season.  Having said that, I really think that Louis Hamilton will be there at the top giving everyone a run for their money and a potential spoiler for the Driver’s Title.  However, with the way that McLaren have their driver lineup, I don’t see them taking the Constructors’ Title.   Alonso’s results will deeply depend on who he picks for a drive.  Most of the top teams already have a good lineup and have already signed their drivers for 2008.   My surprise of the season though will have to come from Honda.  With Ross Brawn now on the payroll the team will start to get it right.  However, they will greatly improve, they will not be as high as I would like for the teams to be competitive; not yet anyway.  My other surprise of the season will have to come from Red Bull and Toro Rosso.  I bring up these two teams because of the driver lineup and how they will be able to drive with the lack of traction control.  I think the hunt for third through sixth place will be tight.  I also think that Force India will have to go through some major teething issues before they can step up to the ranks of the higher teams.  I will give them props for being out there.  They are the predicted worse of the best teams in F1.  I also feel that Toyota has yet to improve on the car and the driver lineup.  The removal of Ralf Schumacher is an improvement for the team, but the available replacements are getting to be limited on choices.

2008 will be revolutionary year with the removal of traction control; the implementation of a new ECU and potentially slick tires (this may be delayed a year).  Driving styles will improve but I also think that there will be more accidents.  Mistake recovery will be more dramatic but with everyone will be driving to the limits or higher, gaps will open and close at incredible rates.  I’m not sure pure passing will be as often as opponent mistakes causing the passing, will be as often and as spectacular as they have in the past (Kimi Raikkonen passing everyone in the field at Suzuka in 2005).  I think we will see the purest of drivers show their true abilities and those who have entrusted the lifestyle of traction control will falter down the ranks.  2008 will be a great year, good or bad, it will be great.

06
Dec

2008 F1 Team Speculations: Part 2

By BernieR 0 Comments
Categories: Motorsports

Now onto the nitty-gritty.  Who is going where?  In my opinion, this is going to be the key factors on which teams will be successful for the 2008 year.  Furthermore, I think that the integrity of the term “under contract” has been breached and can almost now be looked upon as a “guideline” than “rule”. 

There are still many seats that have not been filled for the coming season.  Force India, formerly known as Spyker Ferrari, has yet to decide its driving lineup.  Looking for some second rate drivers to prevent them from going over budget and to go through some teething issues for their debut year.  Rumors have it as G. Fisichella and R. Schumacher are to name a couple of drivers that are applying for the teams. McLaren are not quick to find a replacement for Alonso’s position, but I really believe that De La Rosa needs to step up to the plate and become an F1 seated driver.  He’s tested for McLaren for several years now, however, when he replaced J.P. Montoya at the end of 2006 and on other occasions, De La Rosa exceeded his team’s expectations.  He may not be the fastest guy out there but he has the speed and consistency to help McLaren get into the constructors championship fight. 

Alonso… Oh Alonso, where are you going to go?  Speculations are that he’s looking for a one year deal before making a decision to go to a team that he feels comfortable going to and staying.  We know that the following teams are not going to be replacing their drivers or removing drivers to get Alonso a seat.  Ferrari, the drivers’ and constructors’ champions, are going to stay with Raikkonen and Masa.  Red Bull have already re-signed Coulthart and Webber.  Scudaria Toro Rosso just re-signed Sebastian Vettel and signed Sebastian Bourdias.  BMW are staying with Kubica and Neidfeld.  That leaves many teams that have either one or two openings.  Williams is strong in keeping Rosberg but still have one opening.  At this time I’m not sure if Honda have fully re-signed Button and Barrichello and Renault have not disclosed on what to do with Kovelinen now that Fisichella is testing at Force India.  The problem is that Alonso my want too much money and he may only want the one year contract. 

Toyota and Super Aguri have yet to declare drivers, but they’ve been conducting testing to see where to go.  Potentially, there could be some swapping around of drivers that are associated with one another to put Alonso in a higher category team.  An example of this would be to move Barrichello to Super Aguri (Honda related) to make room for Alonso.  Also, if Renault want Alonso back, they could use Briatore to move Mark Webber (he’s Webber’s manager) around to give that one year at Red Bull before coming back over to Renault.  This could be good for Webber if he could somehow get into a forefront team like McLaren or Williams. 

So there we have it for right now.  As I said before these are all just speculations, but I think that it will be an interesting 2008 year none-the-less because of all the sporting changes.

05
Dec

2008 F1 Team Speculations: Part 1

By BernieR 0 Comments
Categories: Motorsports

Well it looks like thing are really getting shaken up for 2008.  New rules and regulations are getting underway and testing has begun.  However, there are some other issues that need to be addressed.  But before we go there, let’s get up to speed on what we know so far. 

Right now it looks as though slick tires are back on the grid over a several year hiatus.  This has been controversial ever since the newer “grooved” tires have been introduced.  The reason for the initial tire change had to do with slowing the cars down because they were going to fast.  It was also questionable that slicks where not as safe in the event of wet/damp conditions.  On the other hand though, slicks have always been faster… or have they?  Mechanical grip is for sure improved with tire grip however, I don’t know if aerodynamics had had a better part in that with using the grooves as air stabilizers.  I’m not an expert so… I’ll leave it at that.

Another key feature is one that is actually going away; traction control.  This is the big one that most of the drivers are concerned with.  Kim Raikkonen was quoted on Autosport,  “If I had to drive the same Ferrari I had in Brazil, then I would probably have stayed on vacation,” Raikkonen told Gazzetta dello Sport. “  With with all the new electronics, you have to be here. I can’t deny I’m happy to be back behind the wheel.”  In an effort to slow the cars down more and to make for more passing along with driver errors, traction control is being removed to make the sport more exciting.  It’s also a concern that it will make the sport more dangerous.  The loss of traction control will allow for more accidents according to some drivers.

ECU changes are also being mandated by the FIA.  Team McLaren and Microsoft are working with the FIA to have a standardized ECU to be used throughout the teams.  This is something that needs to be looked farther into because the tuning software must not be favored to the McLaren team.  Again, I’m sure the FIA is going to keep a close eye on this.