Training for Life: Lactate Threshold, Prophet of Freedom and Movement Screening

The weather did not evoke feelings of spring last month at the Chambersburg Half Marathon (above) but conditions were as good as could be hoped for on a tough, hilly course. I placed fourth in the men's Masters (over 40) with a time of 1:28:16. Our longevity medicine event at Fountainhead Country Club was a huge success. It was great to see so many people come out and show their interest in pursuing health!

Quote of the month:

Quidquid aetatis retro est mors tenet.

"Whatever part of life is behind us, death holds."

?

That's my translation of a line from Seneca's first letter to Lucilius in his Epistulae Morales. I started reading from Seneca's Selected Letters for my current foreign language learning. Last year was Italian, this year, it's back to the ancients. If you're looking for an English translation, there is a Penguin Classic version. I thought his first letter, which focuses on the passage of time, had an interesting conception of death/time as encapsulated in the above quote.

?

What I'm reading:

Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, by David Blight

Winner of the pulitzer prize for history, this is quite a massive tome. I'm listening to the audiobook, which clocks in at about 38 hours of listening. The geography touches on a number of familiar scenes. Some places I expected (Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, New York, Harper's Ferry). Other places I did not (Ireland, Chambersburg, Dominican Republic). I learned that Douglass spent a great deal of time in England and Ireland. He also briefly stopped in Chambersburg, PA to meet with John Brown in advance of Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry. (In the Chambersburg meeting, Douglass informed Brown that he would not be partaking in the ill-fated adventure.) I also was surprised to learn that Douglass was part of a delegation sent to Hispaniola after the Civil War to assess the annexation of Santo Domingo (today's Dominican Republic).

?

What I'm measuring:

Lactate threshold

I went down to DC to do a lactate threshold test at GWU's performance lab. Lactate is a preferred fuel but the accompanying hydrogen ions are responsible for the burn we feel of intense exercise. Testing lactate threshold involves pricking your finger every five minutes while doing a workout of increasing intensity either to failure or until your blood lactate level rises beyond a certain level (threshold). Not the most pleasant test. (But I'm happy to report my lactate hit double digits and they concluded the test before I gave up running.)

Elite athletes are better able to utilize and clear lactate and thus can maintain high pace or power for a longer time that mere mortals. Highly sedentary individuals may even have elevated lactate at rest. For a full treatment of the subject, see this blog by a leading researcher in the field.? I was a bit more sore going into the test than I would have wanted, having just raced a half marathon two days before. But lactate threshold can be variable, so I took the paces as ballpark numbers:

How I'm training:

The Boston Marathon is less than two weeks away. This week I'm skiing (not my usual race prep strategy but that's how the timing worked out?this year), then one last week of tapering, hopefully with some additional oxygen-carrying capacity from spending a week at altitude.

?

I read a review that indicated that iron supplementation could enhance the erythropoietic (red blood cell making) response to altitude even in athletes starting out with normal iron levels. I started supplementing but couldn't tolerate going up to the doses used in the paper (200 mg daily), but I can manage 25-50 mg daily.

?

I'm also using a breath trainer, which essentially provides resistance to air flow, with a goal of increasing the strength of the muscles of respiration. It's hard to tell if this is increasing my lung capacity, inspiratory strength or expiratory strength or if it's just a learning effect of using the device. I looked into devices that actually simulate the partial pressure of oxygen at altitude but found them cost-prohibitive. You could also train breath with resistance for almost no cost by practicing breathing through a straw.

?

I have completed 87 days of fasting from alcohol, with 13 days to go until the marathon. I'm looking forward to enjoying a beer after all this, but am glad I was not tempted to impair my ability to recover during the high mileage weeks of marathon training.

?

I feel good going into this race, but in honest self-assessment I conclude that I'm slower than I was for my last marathon. It's sometimes hard to reconcile all the mental resilience training (and physical training!) I've done with a realistic assessment of my physiology and fitness. It's also hard for me to go into any race without aiming for a personal record! But for this one, although I won't rule out running a PR, my target pace is a range skewed slower than PR. The training is (almost) done, it's time to enjoy the moment.

On the blog:

In the realms of longevity and sports performance, injury can derail the pursuit of optimal physical condition. Athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and even those engaging in routine physical activities are vulnerable to strains, sprains, and more severe injuries. Niggling pains can erode quality of life and impair one’s ability to train.? Movement quality is an underappreciated but crucial aspect of recovering from a setback and bullet-proofing your body against future injury. ?Read the full post here.

What I'm listening to:

Take My Breath, by The Weeknd

This was, for me, an underappreciated Weeknd song. The trance-like vibe is good for work outs, and almost reminds me of a Rocky montage (picture Stallone driving his car during the There's No Easy Way Out montage in Rocky IV). The Weeknd's vocals are far superior to Robert Tepper's however. At times (such as in I Feel It Coming) it even feels like listening to Michael Jackson, but without the guilt.

?

Upcoming events: ??

April 15, 2024 - The 128th Boston Marathon. Targeted as my marquis event of the year. This is upon us! Patriot Day! Hurrah!

?

July 28, 2024 - Fort Ritchie Triathlon. Last year I did this as my first ever triathlon. I haven't signed up yet for this year's event. I figure I will at least get my bike on the road and swim some laps in the pool before committing. I've done neither since my shoulder surgery in November...

?

August 10, 2024 - Captain Bill Gallagher 10-Mile Island Run. This Sea Isle City, NJ classic involves 7 miles on sand at 5 pm, necessitating recalibration of one's goal pace and a dose of humility.