So here goes with my first blog entry. Funnily enough, this inaugural post goes against my stated intent of sticking with injury prevention topics vs. aspects of training. However this is a good example of "blog-quality" material and why I started this in the first place.
I heard of a crazy training plan today that I had to share. I've been working with an Olympic caliber biathlete (skate skiing and shooting) for the past several months. He is working with a coach named Jay T. Kearney, Ph.D., a former Olympian himself and who also works with Carmichael Training. He has devised a plan that could purportedly raise one's max VO2 by 50%. If true, this is an astounding number!
The plan basically entails several week blocks of six days a week of intensity training. I am being deliberately vague because: 1. I don't know the exact details yet myself 2. This is a pretty new concept that goes against conventional wisdom, and 3. This is probably not appropriate for most of us.
The point I wanted to make is that apparently your max VO2 isn't as set in stone as we've been told. This makes sense to me. Over the years I've come to realize that there are other physical (and mental) attributes that are more malleable than we've been led to believe. I've spent the past three years working to change my running form, culminating in running the Pineland Farms Trail Challenge in Vibrams (essentially bare-foot- more on this later.) I had an awesome time at the race and have finally reached the point where running has become a real joy again.
However when the after-glow of the race subsided and I was looking at my (slightly below) MOP time, I decided that my next goal is to get faster. I'm tired of being passed by people with horrible form! So today's info came at just the right time for me: can't say that I'll be doing six days a week of intensity training, but its nice to know there is hope of getting faster.
