Human Performance Development

26/11/2021

As satisfying as finally scratching an inaccessible chronic itch, 'Track' returned to our lives with a bang last night as Victorian Milers Club once again delivered the best-organised Middle Distance racing in Australia.

438 entries with 72/66 Women and 124/176 Men for the 800 and 3,000, respectively, created a packed night at Box Hill Athletic Club. Excitement was palpable as, for many, this was their first race since last summer or even the year before.

Four members of the Human Performance Development squad toed the start line.

First off the mark was Navid Rashid [52] ( #1211) wearing the Doncaster Athletic Club gold and green in Event 01 - the Men's L heat of the 800-m at 18:00. The last twelve months have been Navid's first venture into track racing after many years as a Masters Ski athlete followed by a turn at Powerlifting, both of which he competed for Australia. Dropping 25kg so far and investing the time to patiently transform his body to a new sport, and one involving impact, Naviid's goal was around 2:40. Running from Lane 8, the excitement of the race led to an overly fast start of about 18s for the first 100m - a rookie mistake we've all made - followed by about 74s for 400 and finishing with 2:45.54 for seventh place (of ten). Every race is a learning experience, and we look forward to his next hit out on Saturday at AVSL.

Watch Navid's race here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9hZAbuox-4&t=586s

Next up was Simon Glendenning [44] ( #2311) flying the Sandringham Athletic Club black and green in Event 10 - the Men's F 800m heat at 18:43. A former Cyclist and Triathlete, the 2020-2021 summer was Simon's first foray into Track. He showed his potential by running 52.94s for 400, 2:03.1 for 800m and took out the Victorian Masters Athletics 800m crown in the 40-44 age group. Joining our squad in May this year, Simon opened his season with 2:04.58 for 2nd (of 11). Boxed in between 300-400, we loved watching Simon kick home in the final lap and are excited for the rest of his season.

Watch Simon's race here:
https://youtu.be/Y9hZAbuox-4?t=2422

Penultimate, both event for the evening and running for our squad, was Lydia Rinaudo [39] ( #1314) in Event 29, the Women's 3,000-m A race. After a huge week on the farm seeing the birth of lambs, chickens, guinea pigs and more and exhausting nights trying to keep one of the lambs alive, Lydia bravely decided to see how she went despite her physical and mental exhaustion. Her first ever Milers race and only third ever MD track race (the first were in Rounds 1 and 2 of this year's AVSL), Lydia hoped to run anywhere between 10:30 and 10:00. With the pace hot early, Lydia ticked off ~80's and was well on her way to a low 10 minute finish before unfortunately having to withdraw around 1900m with a calf injury. Motivated and extremely diligent, we know Lydia will be straight onto her S&C and rehab and we wish her a speedy recovery.

Watch Lydia's race here:
https://youtu.be/Y9hZAbuox-4?t=11801

Last up for was Alastair Christy [24] ( #1951) in the evening's closing event, the Men's A 3,000-m at 21:43. Wearing Doncaster Athletic Club's colours, Al stuck to our race plan and settled in at ~66's, gradually moving up the field as the race progressed. Al's consistent work over the last six months really came together and in the final minutes he was able to drop a few laps around 63-61s to cross the line in 8:14.23 for 9th (of 19) - a whopping 15.66s PB. A fantastic result and a great hit out on his way to his 10K goal at the Melbourne Marathon festival.

Watch Alastair's race here:
https://youtu.be/Y9hZAbuox-4?t=12598

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DAC = Doncaster Athletic Club
SAN = Sandringham Athletic Club

For FULL RESULTS, please see the Athletics Victoria Results Hub at
https://athsvic.resultshub.com.au/ #

For COMPLETE VIDEO COVERAGE please see Victorian Milers Club's YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5NWIyYiFIyOQI3_BO6OOOw/playlists

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

09/06/2021

Emerging from the cave

Life can be hard at the best of times. 2020 and 2021 have been far from the best and we and our families have all faced unprecedented challenges.

The more we are threatened, the more we regress to our base needs. If you believe in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, our most primal requirements are Physiological (air, water, food, shelter, warmth) followed by Safety, Love and Belonging, and Esteem. Other needs follow but the theory states we are only capable of pursuing them when our primary needs are met - the base of our pyramid of needs, if you will.

How does this play out in lockdown conditions? Blocked off from our social connections; unable to visit the places we love; cold, wet winter weather with minimal sunlight. Everything is harder. How do we cope? We withdraw. We seek physiological and emotional comfort: Eating more, staying warm inside, finding distraction and temporary satisfaction in the amusement of Netflix binges... It is easy to miss a training session, in turn making it easier to miss the second and maybe a third. Before we know it, the thing we loved now seems too challenging, depressing in its harsh exposure of the fitness we have lost.

How do we climb out of our "comfort cave"?

We help each other. We reach out. We make a social commitment to get out TODAY, irrespective of the weather. We've done it before and we can do it again. We make a call or send a message and check in with each other. When possible, we meet in person, we reconnect. Is it an effort to emerge from our comfort cave? Yes. Is it worth the reward? Definitely!

If you would like to become a part of and be supported by our squad (they're a pretty awesome bunch of people), whether in person or remotely, send us a message.

Cheers,

Mike

27/11/2020

5 Steps to Train in Extreme Heat

* * * WEATHER WARNING * * *

Extreme weather predicted across Australia, with a record-breaking heatwave to hit the continent this week. Temperatures in some towns may exceed 50°C, though Melbourne should fare relatively better. A few degrees increase in temperature can have a huge impact on your ability to complete a session, and definitely affects your recovery.

We cannot control the weather (an External factor) for races with a set date and start time, but when it comes to training we can plan ahead and be smart.

5 KEY THINGS to make the most of your training and be safe during a heatwave:

1. CHECK THE FORECAST EVERY DAY.
Predictions change daily: stay atop them and continually adjust your plans;

2. PLAN AHEAD:
- Train in the coolest part of each day;
- If those changes mean two sessions are too close together, change one to be easy. An additional recovery session or day in a week won't hurt you while overdoing it in the heat will;
- consider changing the day of your key sessions if the following day will be cooler.

3. HYDRATE
Extreme weather is brutal. Our bodies must cool down which uses a lot of water. Plan your rehydration. Prepare drinks and sources of water to splash.

4. SLIP, SLOP, SLAP
UV and cancer is no joke and is nearly always Extreme during a heatwave. Slip on a shirt, slop on the sunscreen, and slap on a hat.

5. CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
If steps 1 through 4 aren't practical for you for any reason, find an indoor training option. If necessary, use a Cross-Training alternative.

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If you're fortunate enough to have a coach, COMMUNICATE with them as far in advance as possible about your plans and options. When it comes to training in the heat, some coaches have the expertise to make adjustments specific to your physiology - ensuring you don't waste valuable training days. We have many tricks up our sleeves to ensure you make the most of your investment in training and have fun. Train smart, not hard. Body. Mind. Science.

If you'd like a coach, call Mike now to discuss achieving your goals, together. Mobile 0422 148 736.


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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-28/first-heatwave-of-australian-summer-2020/12928746

IMAGE: Flickr: Michael Coghlan

15/11/2020

* * * RACE RESULTS * * *

We're super happy with the results from our squad's race event over the weekend. PB's and SB's were abundant after the work people put in during Melbourne's lockdown.

A long-term runner, over the past few years Rob felt that he just kept slowing down. The further into his forties he reached, the harder it all became. Joining us around March aged 46 in around 44-minute shape, Rob dreamed of being able to break 40 mins. Sadly, he only experienced a few group sessions before Covid restrictions meant we all had to train solo. He put in consistent work over the coming months and made some big strides towards his goal. This weekend the squad came together to help him achieve sub 40, with Alastair kindly pacing and Caleb, Campbell, Renato and Russell joining them for the distance. After staying together for the first 9,900 metres, there may have been a little competition in the final 100m. Navid ran with the lads for 4K before kicking off to close 5K in 19:45 and break 20 minutes for the first time - a 45s improvement over his PB in September and an 11 minute improvement in just shy of twelve months. Having had a reduced training load for a couple of months with intense demands at work and elsewhere, Brendan helped out Navid for the 5K.

Lavinia's group set off at 5:20/K with the intention to see how they felt at that pace. Things slowly wound up with a great result over the 10K distance for both Sheila and Lavinia, with the former running her second fastest ever 10K and the latter achieving an unofficial Australian record in the Women's 75-79 age-group by 3s. Katherine ran with them for 3K and achieved her fastest time since 2014, while Tamara jumped in and out to help the girls as needed. This was the first time the four girls had met as Katherine, Sheila and Tamara only recently joined the squad.

Congratulations to all!
(And, a massive thank-you to Alastair for pacing)

Our first run together post-lockdown was followed by brunch and a long-needed and well-deserved social catch-up.

We're looking forward to training together over the coming months and reaping the benefits of group work :)

--- 10 K ---

38:59 _ 68.75 AG (33) _ Renato Manias (SB)

39:00 _ 69.10 AG (17) _ Caleb McLennan (PB)
(PB by 30s from 39:30 in 2019-07)

39:02 _ 75.70 AG (48) _ Campbell McLennan (SB)
(AG-PB remains 39:00 from 2019-07)

39:05 _ 74.37 AG (46) _ Rob Shellie (PB)
(PB by 57s from 40:02 in 2015-06)

39:07 _ 68.30 AG (22) _ Alastair Christy*^ (PACING)
(PB remains 30:24 from 2020-06)

39:30 _ 70.17 AG (40) _ Russell Clowes* (SB)
(PB remains 34:37 from 2019-07)

50:39 _ 63.47 AG (44) _ Sheila Alati* (SB)
(PB remains 50:00 from 2019)

51:28 _ 97.99 AG (77) _ Lavinia Petrie* (PB in AG)
(Unofficial AUS Record by 3s)


--- 5 K ---

19:45 _ 75.15 AG (51) _ Navid Rashid (PB)
(PB by 45s from 2020-09)

20:10 _ 67.02 AG (38) _ Brendan Cullen* (RFI)


--- 3 K ---

16:06 _ 58.62 AG (47) _ Katherine Johnson (PB)
(PB by 30s from 16:36 in 2014-11)


--- RETURN FROM INJURY or ILLNESS (RFI) ---

2K + extra _ (32) _ Tamara Hutchins*

01/11/2020

Motivation and Drive are related, yet very different. Even when unmotivated we can be Driven.

30/10/2020

* * * * * * MOVIE NIGHT * * * * * *

What's there to do on a Friday night with social gathering restrictions? Watch running movies, of course!

Controversial. Audacious. Innovative. Captivating.

On 6 May 2017, Eliud Kipchoge, Lelisa Desisa and Zersenay Tadese attempted to break the two-hour marathon barrier. At this attempt in Monza, Italy, Eliud ran the fastest marathon in history at two hours and 25 seconds. Breaking2 is the film covering the innovation and science involved in the attempt, which birthed the highly-desired and much-debated Nike ZoomX Vaporfly 4%.

https://www.nike.com/au/running/breaking2

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BREAKING 2 - FULL RACE ATTEMPT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26Vhcxatsms

Eliud Kipchoge began his journey to break the 2-hour marathon barrier with Nike two years ago. On 12 October 2019 he did it in 1:59:40.

26/10/2020

* * * TRAIL UPDATE * * *

Whether you're a die-hard mountain biker or want some of the best and most enjoyable cross-training around in one of Melbourne's best places to ride, you'll be excited to hear that Lysterfield MTB has just announced even more trails are now reopened. These include:

Lower Buckle
Upper Buckle
Middle
Follow Me
Buckle Down
Dog Pound
Farm Trail
Lil Shawty

Latest Trail Reports and Conditions are always available at
https://www.lysterfieldmtb.com/trail-conditions

Please consider supporting Lysterfield MTB (Lysterfield District Trail Riders) as they organise and undertake all the maintenance of Lysterfield's MTB trail network. Without them, we wouldn't have this great place to ride.

Who here would like some good news? 🙋‍♂️

We've just been told that even more trails are re-open for business! 🤩🥳👏

They are:

Lower Buckle
Upper Buckle
Middle
Follow Me
Buckle Down
Dog Pound
Farm Trail
Lil Shawty

Combined with the other trails that are open (State Mountain Bike, Aneurysm, Hug, Upper Blair Witch, Lower Blair Witch, Snipe, Granite), it now means you have an even larger selection of trails to ride! Red Gum and Hu***ng Hound are still closed until further notice.

Once again, a very big thank you to Parks Victoria team for clearing up the trail for all of us! 👏

Also, a big thank you to everyone that were patient and stayed off the closed trails! You rock! 👊

Last but not least, if you would like to support us and our trails, you can sign up to be a member of the club at https://www.lysterfieldmtb.com/memberships. You can also donate to the club through our website (https://www.lysterfieldmtb.com/, via PayPal).

How does becoming a member or donating help the club you ask? All monies raised goes back into the trail maintenance of the Lysterfield Park trail network, for future trail expansion advocacy and for our events. Our team of hard working volunteers would not be able to assist the park and keep the network at what it currently is or what it could be without memberships or donations.

We hope to see you out on the trails, taking into consideration any COVID 19 restrictions that may be in place for you. Be kind, and stay safe!

25/10/2020

* * * RECOVERY WEEK * * *

It's recovery week for most of our squad 😁

Recovery week is an incredibly important part of your performance development. Deloading (a different process for everyone) provides opportunity for muscles, tendons, and ligaments to not only recover, but to become stronger that they were (supercompensation). However, this only occurs when you provide the nutrients of the right type, amount, and timing, combined with an adequate recovery environment. In other words, you need to eat well and sleep lots, with a regular sleep schedule.

Optimising the recovery week sets you up for the best possible training block to come. You are in control here not only of your nutrition and sleep, but of the many one-percenters which add up to be significant. Gentle activity each day to promote blood flow to the tissue; realigning tissue as it repairs by performing your dynamic flexibility and mobility routines each day; staying on top of your strength training (also reduced loading during recovery week); ensuring you make space for mental downtime...

As always, communication is essential. Please ensure your TrainingPeaks and VisualCoaching are up to date, let me know of anything which may affect your training this week or during the upcoming block, and if you're struggling mentally with anything at all contact me to discuss. We're all here for each other.

Recovery week is something to look forward to - a bit of breathing room physically and mentally, and, with a little thought and effort, an opportunity for us to get our bodies in tip-top shape for the block to come. 👊

24/10/2020

* * * HEALTH * * *

What is the single best thing we can do for our health?

23 and 1/2 hours is a short video discussing the biggest return on investment we can make for our health.

It may be nine-years old, but in 2020 it is more pertinent than ever. A little dry, but definitely worth nine minutes of your time.

Will you find your 'thirty a day' this week?

Check out our new website http://www.reframehealthlab.com/ Follow Dr. Mike for new videos! http://twitter.com/docmikeevans A Doctor-Professor answers the old...

23/10/2020

* * * * * * MOVIE NIGHT * * * * * *

What's there to do on a Friday night in lockdown? Watch running movies, of course!

For those who haven't yet seen Man On A Mission, it's a fantastic little film about Irish priest Brother Colm O'Connell and his role in the rise of Kenyan athletics. Brother O'Connell is the coach of World Record holder David Rudisha, amongst many other Olympians and champions. This is his story.

VIMEO (original upload)
https://vimeo.com/33808532

YOUTUBE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmXN-kQZ04M

Full credit must be given to Jamie D'Alton, (co-Producer with Anne McLoughlin of the documentary) the original uploader of this video (in Vimeo file hosting ...