Zen and the Art of Speedskating

I just got back from New York City this past weekend, celebrating my father-in-law’s 75th birthday, pictured to the right here are some of the most precious of natural resources that New York City produces. I am bringing them to feed to everyone on my speedskating team after practice today. Why? Well, cause they are my friends, and also here is a story to explain why food after practice is an absolute necessity:

The athletes are moving powerfully, there is pop to every motion and the technique is excellent. In the turns, on the straights, snap and power, they are uncomplainingly doing everything the coach is asking, putting 100% concentration & sweat into the practice, it’s a thing of beauty. The sport they are doing does not matter, it could be anything, the following is what matters;

Halfway through the practice, the coach calls the team over, and says: “ok, each of you describe what you will be doing in the 30 minutes after we are done here.” The athletes describe a whole range of things. Stretching, chatting, getting changed out of sweaty gear, talking on cel phones, driving home to be with family/getting back to work. Etc, etc, etc, etc.

The coach listens patiently, and then announces “ok, those of you who did not mention that they are properly eating within 30 minutes, you are not allowed to finish the workout today: get off the ice/field/track/etc, you might work hard here, but the workout does not make you faster, what makes you faster is the RECOVERY following the workout. By not refueling properly, and missing the carbohydrate window, you are ROBBING yourself of the benefit of all the excellent work you are putting in right here, right now. I am just making it 100% explicit that those who have bad recovery habits are not completing this workout, because what you have done to your own body, practice after practice, is skipped gaining some of the benefit from what we are doing here. Its just as if you were goofing & being disrespectful while everyone else is working hard, but you are disrespecting yourself, and that is almost worse.”

The athletes who are forced to leave complain, are ticked off, but the coach is firm, and they leave with a very important lesson learned.

This is an allegorical story, Boris & Rex did not do this, but I have always wanted to see a coach actually have the balls to sacrifice part of one workout to make a really strong point to their athletes (especially young athletes) who have horrible recovery habits. Years ago I went to a lecture by the nutritionist of the Denver Broncos, and she described how changing eating lifelong bad eating habits (both timing and content) made a huge difference for many football players who were simply used to hitting McDonalds about an hour and a half after getting off the field. This is why many pro and college teams now feed their athletes on a daily basis, US speedskating does, it lays out a whole spread for the National team. Nutrition is as important as ice time & coaching.

People might see me going fast, or tossing about big weight in the gym, but its really true that what MADE me fast, is bio-chemical recovery events taking place after the workout (repeated thousands of times through my lifetime). The workout creates the possibility to become something; proper recovery habits make it an actuality. Sleep, massage, a balance of food that matches your own needs, it is all part of the jigsaw puzzle that makes up someday having a race that fully reaches your potential. Working hard, focusing, having good technique, proper equipment, and wanting it bad are certainly undeniable pieces of the equation. But food is the most powerful drug available to any athlete, both in what you eat, and the timing involved. Check out the research you can find online, its all there. Its not rocket science, but most athletes don’t have a clue.

If your “workout” is not really over until you have recovered from it, and you are in serious training for a competitive event, then you are “always” working out in some respect. What a thought! Frightening, but true, this is probably why control freaks tends to do VERY well at grueling individual sports.

I am lucky enough that my body will often physically put me to sleep very rapidly following a workout if I don’t get food immediately, so I have no choice but to eat right away, or I might not make it home.

Nutrition is also highly personal, I don’t necessarily recommend bagels post workout, that’s a ton of pure carbs. It’s all about what works best for you individually & what kind of workout you are doing. I almost always drink a sports drink during the workout, and like clockwork, I step off the ice/bike, and I immediately drink an ensure + usually something else, banana, sandwich, I often have a pile of things like canned pineapple, Gatorades, & ensures in the trunk of my car, and munch through them when necessary. Research says you shouldn’t eat a huge meal immediately, just something, but that something really has to be fairly immediate & proper, or your body suffers.

Lest I sound “holier than thou” I certainly have weaknesses when it comes to food, as I never really analyzed the total ratios of what I eat in terms of protein/carbs/fat. Anecdotally I feel healthier eating a very carnivorous diet, but that is just my impression, not backed up by any facts, If I really care about every .1 of a second in my races, its time for me to do that. Also instead of just having a “sweet tooth” or two, I have inherited my mom’s “sweet tusks”

So I am publicly declaring here & today that I am swearing off refined sugar & starting my nutriton journal until I drop a few more pounds. Ah, beloved mountain dew, sweet orange scones & lovely krispy kremes, I shall meet you again someday, but no time soon…..

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