THREE on finding success by factoring in your body's genetics
THREE is a lifestyle community for triathletes, by triathletes. In this bi-weekly newsletter, we share training insights, curated articles and videos, new gear and tech. THREE's mission is to help triathletes thrive on and off the course. Will you join us?
Joe Maloy | 2016 U.S. Olympic Triathlete and Co-founder, THREE
• DON’T SKIP THE STRETCH In our last edition, our TRAIN section focused on the importance of strength training, in addition to swimming, cycling and running. Since this edition is a continuation, this week we’re focusing on the gains you can get from stretching. Sure, it’s easy to look at the clock and decide that you only have time to squeeze your run in, but not your warm-up or post-run stretch, or maybe you’ve ruled out stretching altogether because you’ve heard that it’s better for runners to have a certain level of tension. Women’s Running recently reported on why you shouldn’t cut corners when it comes to incorporating stretching into your running routine.
• FOAM ROLLING TO FLEXIBILITY Foam rolling can also be a valuable part of a healthy runner’s warmup and cooldown routine, according to this month in Runner’s World. RW published a quick guide on how to use a foam roller to warm up before your run and cool down after.
• WHEN TO STOP STRENGTH TRAINING (BEFORE A RACE) Even as we’ve advocated for endurance athletes to incorporate stretching and strength training into their workout routines, Outside Online wants to make sure athletes also know when to stop strength training, specifically ahead of a race. As we emerge from a year of hibernation and start to figure out our spring and summer race schedules, the magazine’s Sweat Science column references a new study in the journal Sports and asks the question, “How and when do you taper your strength training routine?”
• THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON RUNNING With gyms and pools closed on and off for a solid part of the past year, there’s a good chance running has helped you sustain your physical and mental health over the past year. Triathlete Magazine recently resurfaced an article that looks at the neuroscience of running’s calming effects—and how to enhance them.
• MAINTAINING MENTAL FLEXIBILITY While running is seen as a sport that can help with mental health, Canadian Running recently looked at the concept of mental flexibility, which it describes as “the ability to disengage from one task and respond to another, or to think about multiple concepts at the same time.” Why is this important in sport? “Mental flexibility is a skill that the best athletes in the world possess, and it can make you an overall better, more resilient runner.”
• A DAY IN THE LIFE OF TEAM CHARLES-BARCLAY While there’s no such thing as a routine ‘day in the life’ of a professional athlete, there’s a lot to respect and enjoy by watching what one single day looks like. Lucy and Reece Charles-Barclay recently published a YouTube video that opens a window into what their lives are like. In this video they give a look at their nutrition, swim and track sessions, and their setup for a Zwift Pro race.
Cyclist acknowledges there’s more wind to contend with on Fuerteventura when compared to “its cousins Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote,” but as this photo slideshow demonstrates, the sights are worth it.
HOW TO USE WHAT YOU’VE GOT
The THREE Letter by Joe Maloy
2016 U.S. Olympic Triathlete, THREE Co-Founder and Editor-at-Large
Has it really been two weeks since our last edition? It seems like just the other day that I wrote about genetics and how it can shape one’s athletic strengths and weaknesses. Even though some of this is common sense, it’s fun to think about the miracle that is the human body. We share so much in common, yet we’re each a different combination of genes. Last edition’s topic can be summarized: “Part #1, Genetics: What You’re Born With.” This week’s sequel is “Part #2, Genetics: How to Use What You’ve Got!”
Every one of us has a miraculous combination of genetic code that’s our unique recipe for life. Still, we may think of our genetics as something that’s not quite good enough for everything we want to achieve. Last edition explained that genetics determine your individual proportions of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers. Some of the differences are outlined here:
Understanding the strengths and limitations of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers, reflect on your past athletic wins and losses. They don’t have to be actual wins or losses, but ask yourself, “When or where did I do something that really made me shine? What strengths did I utilize to make that happen?” What athletic challenges have come naturally to you, and where have you struggled?
I never felt like I was a good athlete until I reached middle school. I remember being picked last for kickball and grade school gym basketball games, but then I ran a 1-mile time trial in 5:22. I was in 5th grade and recorded the fastest time of any student from 5th through 8th grade. I thought, “Hm, I suck at basketball, baseball, kickball, wiffle ball, and a whole bunch of other stuff, but that mile was pretty darn good.” My older self remembers that moment as the first time I gained self-awareness about my athletic strengths. Prior to that realization that I was good at something, I just thought I wasn’t very good at sports. Every one of us is an athlete; we just have to be persistent enough to keep searching for our talents.
Endurance sports came naturally to my abundance of slow twitch muscle fibers. I continued to struggle in sports that asked for speed, but I started putting myself into events and challenges that better showcased my skills. Since each of us has a different muscle profile, each of us is going to find athletic challenges relatively easier or harder. What comes easy to some may be hard to someone else. Athletes with more slow twitch muscle fibers will struggle to compete in workouts that train speed. Athletes with more fast twitch muscle might underperform in “long” sets or events.
Fortunately, success in endurance sport requires a combination of speed and endurance, so most of us have the genetic ingredients to achieve some level of success. Not all of us will race in the Olympics, but odds are your potential to improve is greater than you think. Achieving greater self-awareness of your strengths by understanding this concept of different muscle types will give you insight for more targeted training. For example, I include much more speed training in my endurance exercise program than many of my competitors. I do sprints with a parachute in the pool, frequently do 1:00-5:00 efforts on the bike, and love running hill sprints. While I still need long aerobic sessions to maintain my endurance, my speed is a greater weakness, so it demands more attention in training.
When we specifically identify our strengths, we better understand what’s holding us back. Shake hands with your athletic limiters—get to know them. We all have bad days or bad sessions, but think of your previous experiences as a whole. Where do you outperform expectations? Where do you underperform? When you know where you struggle, you can address it with training. Progress depends on our adaptations to discomfort, yet too often we gravitate towards physical and emotional comfort. If you want to take your performance to the next level, you need to be thankful for your strengths and thankful that you know your limitations.
Joe Maloy 2016 U.S. Olympic Triathlete, Co-Founder and Editor-at-Large
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
This week’s THREE Things to Know celebrates a return to racing. Last weekend we saw Jan Frodeno dominate Challenge Miami, cheered on by second place Lionel Sanders. Further north in Sarasota, USA Triathlon reports that Olympic hopeful Kevin McDowell and up-and-coming elite triathlete Gina Sereno claimed gold medals Saturday at the Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon Elite Cup while five members of the Toyota U.S. Paratriathlon National Team had gold-medal performances. And there’s good news for age-group athletes: USAT has announced that Age Group National Championships will return this August.
All of this positive race news has us feeling like a spring renewal is in the air. So get stretching and into a positive mindset. We look forward to seeing you on a starting line soon.
