Move and Groove #9 - Adapt
"Head, heart, hustle" - the words of my friend, Thomas Moyer, MBA, MSF , were in my head, egging me on.
10 miles done, 9.5 to go, it was New Year's Eve, the last day of a 31-day experiment in adaptation. I was exhausted but I knew I was going to make it. 99% chance of completion.
I heard about the 496 challenge while watching the Rich Roll podcast with Sean Conway - you run 1 km for each day of the month, so 1 km on the 1st, 2 km on the 2nd, and so on up to 31 km on the 31st, all adding up to 496 km (about 308 miles). I like quirky challenges like this. I decided on a whim to do it. It was November 30th which gave me a full December attempt. I gave myself a 30% chance of completion and promised to bail if any injuries occurred.
For 31 days I ran. I ran on the treadmill, on the beach, in the mountains, and on the streets. I became a runner. My body changed dramatically. I tested adaptation and recovery techniques. I learned a lot. Here are some of the learnings (see the long form here for more details):
My recovery process was the following:
I learned that I needed an hour of recovery for every two hours of performance. If I didn't get this hour, then I would start the next day with more soreness and less strength. It was very clear how effective the recovery was with each morning's run.
Neuroscience Nugget: Our ability to improve performance in physical, cognitive or emotional systems is through adaptation. If we increase the stress we put on these systems and then recover, we adapt to higher levels of performance (Selye et al., 1976). However, it's crucial to strike the right balance. Excessive stress, insufficient recovery, or chronic stress can lead to long-term consequences. Chronic stress has been linked to a range of health issues, including increased risk of cardiovascular disease, impaired memory and cognition, and weakened immune function (McEwen et al., 1998). So, while pushing our boundaries is essential for growth, let's remember to prioritize the recovery phase to reap the full benefits.
Pep Talk: As this new week unfolds, embrace the power of adaptation to achieve new capacity and capabilities. If you are working on something cognitively draining for several hours, it is important to balance that with an appropriate amount of cognitive recovery. Instead of just thinking about performing, take your recovery seriously and notice how it affects how you feel and how you perform.
Go for a walk, stare at a tree - do something without a lot of cognitive stimulation to recover well!
领英推荐
Keep moving, keep grooving, and see you next Monday! ??
Be well,
Eric
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P.S. Enjoy these free resources and learn more:
Congrats on completing the challenge! I'm so impressed. I ran Disneyland 10k this weekend without training... I had so much fun but still paying for it.
Stryker Neurosurgical
1 年Awesome, Eric! Congratulations on completing the challenge! I love this!