500 km in 40 days - Code Yellow - Geoff (12 Apr 2011 - 21 May 2011)

500 km in 40 days - Code Yellow - Geoff (Tue 12 Apr 2011 - Sun 21 May 2011)

As Gav told me a long time ago:

The BIGGER the BASE, the HIGHER the PEAK.

Joanne, Gav and Geoff - Senior A Mixed 500m World Champions - Thank You Gav - Racice/Prague - Sat 29 Aug 2009 (picasa)

Will reiterate Billy's (my OC6 Coach) words from our 400km in 40 days Challenge in January 2011..

For-40 Achievements by Billy ..

Congrats to all those that took on the For-40 Challenge!

Whether you made the full 400km or not here's how working towards it would have transformed your body over the last 40 days...

You would have increased the number of capillaries in your paddling muscles. More oxygen rich blood can now reach the muscle fibres to see you paddling harder for longer... awesome!

The density of mitochondria would have increased in your paddling muscles . These little babies use oxygen to break down glucose and fats to create the energy that fires your muscles. The more you have the faster you can paddle for longer ... yeah!

You would increased the number of enzymes available to breakdown fats. The more of these you have the better you are able to use fat as fuel source and conserve precious sugars for passing other crews, catching runs and big finishes... you gotta love that!

You would have improved your muscular efficiency. Through repetition your brain now better coordinates all your paddling muscles so they work smoothly and seamlessly together. This minimises energy use to see you paddling harder for longer... and looking good too!

The number of red blood cells and hemoglobin would have increased. This sees your blood now have a greater oxygen- carrying capability.The more oxygen in the blood, the more blood to your paddling muscles, the harder you can paddle for longer... wow!

Thanks Billy for this great initative. The 400 km in 40 days was definitely what I needed for where I was at the beginning of January 2011.

Have to feel good about all the changes that are happening in our bodies as we move into the Blue and Red cycles of the first Meso Cycle.

Keep on Paddling. Win the Workout

Thank you - Geoff, Marty, Norm, Christian, Todd and Billy - Had just done a successful Individual Time Trial for Prague that morning at Penrith - just made it to the start and we had a great race all things considered. - State Titles OC6 Long Course - Ettalong - Sat 09 May 2009 (picasa)

Winning the Workout by Vern Gambetta (Thu 18 Nov 2010)

Winning the Workout by Vern Gambetta (Thu 18 Nov 2010)
The above is a short video Vern put up on Youtube on 18 Nov 2010. He talks about the importance of Winning the Workout, a term he first heard at a conference.

He expands upon Winning the Workout here.

Some more background from the following post ..

Win the Workout by Vern Gambetta (01 Sep 2006)

I must admit when I first heard Wayne Goldsmith, an Australian sports scientist, speak about this I was a bit put off.

My thought was how can focus on winning the workout and still have something left for competition?

The more I thought about it the more sense it made.

Before I can ever think about winning in competition I must win the workouts consistently.

It is a mindset that each athlete must bring to every training session.

It is a convergence of psychology and physiology that accumulates over time.

An athlete who is confident in their preparation is an athlete who has a chance in competition.

To win the workout it must meet the following criteria:

• The workout must be completed with concentration on the task at hand.



• The workout must be done with the effort required, nothing less. This should be a given.



• The workout must be done with intensity. Effort does not equal intensity



• The drills and exercises must be done precision and quality



• Finally the athlete has to be accountable for their performance during training.

Three Steps to Athletic Achievement by Vern Gambetta (Tue 23 May 2011)

Three Steps to Athletic Achievement by Vern Gambetta (Tue 23 May 2011)
Vern shares his ideas on what it takes to grow as an athlete in order to be able to achieve at the highest levels. Vern seeks and encourages our feedback. A great podcast - the first of hopefully many more to come.

What is a workout? Rob Rowland-Smith - Jeremey Rolleston (Feb 2011)

In his book A Life that Counts, Jeremy Rolleston introduces us to trainer Rob Rowland-Smith. A bit of searching on the Internet and you will find Rob as the SandhillWarrior on Twitter. He certainly impressed Jeremy (as well as me - see here) with his inspirational words and quotes. On pages 136 and 137 of his book, Jeremy quotes Rob's long version of What is a Workout (the short version appeared here a few days ago) as follows:

Here’s a quote by inspirational trainer Rob Rowland-Smith. He wrote it in the context of a workout, but for me, it epitomises the journey, process and outcomes of a committed and disciplined life. I placed it on the front page of my Olympic training folder so I’d read it often, and most times, I read it before I worked out so I’d be better able to discipline myself and work hard enough to achieve what I wanted to achieve during that training session:

"What is a workout?

A workout is 25% perspiration and 75% determination.

Stated another way, it is one part physical exertion and three parts self-discipline.

Doing it is easy once you get started.

A workout makes you better today than you were yesterday.

It strengthens the body, relaxes the mind and toughens the spirit.

When you workout regularly, your problems diminish and your confidence grows.

A workout is a personal triumph over laziness and procrastination.

It is the badge of a winner – the mark of an organised, goal-oriented person who has taken charge of his or her destiny.

A workout is a wise use of time and an investment in excellence.

It is a way of preparing for life's challenges and proving to yourself that you have what it takes to do what is necessary.

A workout is a key that helps unlock the door to opportunity and success.

Hidden within each of us is an extraordinary force.

Physical and mental fitness are triggers that can release it.

A workout is a form of rebirth.

When you finish a good workout, you don’t simply feel better ... you feel better about yourself."

Rob completes this with the following words:

To follow your dreams takes commitment ... and this means discipline.

Some great words here and they will certainly help me focus on what is needed when working towards a Dream.

When you workout regularly, your problems diminish and your confidence grows. - Jenny and Deb Cooper stroking with George sweeping - DBNSW 2008 Development Squad - Blackwattle Bay / Sydney (Sun 26 Oct 2008)
When you finish a good workout, you don’t simply feel better ... you feel better about yourself." - DBNSW 2008 Development Squad - Blackwattle Bay / Sydney (Sun 26 Oct 2008)

What is a Workout? - Sandhill Warrior (Tue 13 Oct 2009

What is a Workout?

It is a way of preparing for life’s challenges & proving to yourself that you have what it takes to do what is necessary.

SandhillWarrior (Rob Rowland-Smith) - (Tue 13 Oct 2009)

A snippet from a longer quote (posted here soon) by Rob Rowland-Smith (a) (the Sandhill Warrior) in Jeremy Rolleston's (e) book, A Life that Counts (e)

Australia 2011 Premier Mixed - 2km Turns Workout - Sydney (Sat 23 Apr 2011)