Peak Performance

Since 1996 and after having read Covert Bailey’s seminal book Fit or Fat, I have generally adhered to a running program for the physical and mental health benefits as opposed to the competitive lure of the sport. This is has been my daily moment of Zen. I remember the exact day I achieved my first runners high. It was a beautiful June sunny day in downtown Buffalo, and I was running along the waterfront. Although, there have been a few periods when I lost discipline and did not run regularly with the most recent hiatus of 2014-2016.   

During this period, I, like most of us, rationalized why I did not need to run: family responsibilities, demanding work schedule, and community engagement responsibilities. In May of 2016, I had a wellness physical that bulldozed my rationalizations into the proverbial pit of self-defeatist thinking. In less than two years of an extremely sedentary lifestyle with a stressful job as the topper, I had gained 30 pounds (on a 5'10" frame which is to say no bueno), had high blood pressure (150/87), a resting heart rate close to 100 and was frequently having trouble sleeping. During this period, I was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, which was a difficulty to overcome trying to communicate with people while half my face was pained and paralyzed). In short, my quality of life was poor, and I had no one to blame but the half paralyzed face looking back at me in the mirror.

A physical, it seems, can be a real gut punch of reality. In taking a personal inventory and being honest with myself (about time!), my lack of running motivation was as much about a self-induced loss of passion for the sport as it was about being disciplined to dedicate daily time to it. Simply stated, effortlessness is the mother of aimlessness. Historically, my running program was almost exclusively a neighborhood program and required little thought or preparation. I would throw on my New Balance and head out the front door for a run. After 18-ish years of little variation, the thrill was gone, and I need to find a way to recapture the passion. 

After the physical/wake up call, it was clear I needed to get moving again, and I also had the realization that I was not picking up a running program as a 20 year old. To avoid injury, I would need to ramp up the program purposefully and methodically. I began with weekend run/walks on the shade-drenched trails of the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Over the next two years, I re-dedicated myself to running but instead of a steady routine of neighborhood runs, I made running a destination adventure whether it be around town, vacation destinations, or on business travel. (For friends in Kansas City, I highly recommend the book Hiking in Kansas City by Eddy and Ballentine.)

On whim while on a fast break vacation to Denver, the friend I was visiting and I decided to go to Red Rocks Amphitheater and run the 2.45 miles length-wise from the bottom of the venue to the top. Red Rocks is at 6,600 feet, and I barely made it with a time/mile of 11:45. But, the experience awoke a desire to push the limits of my endurance and run at altitude as an organizing principle for my running program. Preparing for trips to run at altitude became my daily workout motivation. There is a unique sense of accomplishment and thrill in completing a run at altitude, especially if you do not live at altitude. Over the past year, I have completed runs at 5,400, 5,800, 6,200, 6,600, and 6.900 feet with the goal of running 2 miles in under 10 minutes/mile at 10,000+ by end of 2020.

Since June 2018, I started to realize breakthroughs in my running. I am back to running 3 miles continuously at a pace less than 10 minutes per mile, four times a week. Most importantly, I have lost almost all of the sedentary weight, have a BP of 117/78 and have a resting heart rate of 45! Now, one of life's little rewards is going for my annual physical. Almost always, the check-in nurse, upon my weigh-in, gives me a well-intended lecture about being in better shape (relative to the meaningless height:weight ratio) by eating better and getting some exercise. (Context note: I will never be accused of having a cross country athlete's body type so judging the book by its cover is not totally unfair in these instances.) Then, we head to the exam room where my vitals are taken. Upon seeing my vitals and running them twice for validity, I ask the nurse if they are now generally comfortable with my fitness level to which they always reply with a sheepish grin, "your fitness level is a surprise".

The life lessons learned through this journey are: 1) You can always redefine yourself if you're willing to put in the work; 2) A burning and curated passion in one area of your life percolate through all others; 3) Having a sense of well being and feeling good about yourself is the foundation to be a kind and empathetic person others can rely. 4) In running as with life, you are competing only against yourself to be the best version of you. 5) A goal without a plan is just a wish.

As the topper, the science of exercise is beginning to understand that outdoor exercise is superior to indoor for overall health and wellness. As it turns out, running in nature is a mental and physical accelerator for the benefits of any workout and is of evolutionary importance to humans. 

Humans living in landscapes that lack trees or other natural features undergo patterns of social, psychological and physical breakdown that are strikingly similar to those observed in other animals that have been deprived of their natural habitat, Kuo said. (Frances Kuo, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,February 19, 2009, Science Suggests Access To Nature Is Essential To Human Health)

The study found that most trials showed an improvement in mental well-being: compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalisation, increased energy and positive engagement, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat the activity at a later date. (The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, February 5, 2011, Benefits of outdoor exercise confirmed)

 But there seem to be other, more ineffable advantages to getting outside to work out. In a number of recent studies, volunteers have been asked to go for two walks for the same time or distance — one inside, usually on a treadmill or around a track, the other outdoors. In virtually all of the studies, the volunteers reported enjoying the outside activity more and, on subsequent psychological tests, scored significantly higher on measures of vitality, enthusiasm, pleasure and self-esteem and lower on tension, depression and fatigue after they walked outside. (Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times, February 21, 2013, The Benefits of Exercising Outdoors)

Exertion at high altitude is more difficult than at sea level because of the reduced partial pressure of oxygen as elevation rises, impairing the oxygenation of blood flowing through the lungs and ultimately resulting in a diminished oxygen supply to working muscles. Studies by the Federation of Sport at Altitude have shown that the lack of oxygen above 10,000 feet translates to 25-40% less muscle power. To compensate, the heart works harder to maintain the same pace. (Adam W. Chase, Runner’s World, July 1, 2002, Altitude Running: A Breathtaking Experience

In closing, play the long game and find passions that bring joy. Our time here is limited; don’t waste it by accepting things as they are. Stand tall. We only get one shot at the pursuit happiness. Here's to yours.