Go from average to epic with Dr. Don Rose

Dr. Don Rose is an endurance athlete and author of the new book, Average to Epic: A Mid-lifer’s Guide to Endurance Sports and Lifelong Fitness. This book serves as an introductory guide to a wide range of endurance sports and helps readers discover how to be successful as endurance athletes.

Dr. Rose discusses several guiding principles within the book, including:

1. Almost nothing is impossible
2. Understand your motivations
3. One person’s epic is another person’s easy workout
4. Enjoy and appreciate the journey
5. Think sustainable and long-term
6. Be prepared to examine your self-image
7. Have an attitude of gratitude
8. Don’t forget to give back

Dr. Rose encourages readers to do something bigger, or to adopt a big hairy audacious goal (BHAG). Think of something that you may think is impossible to do. BHAGs should be transformational, outrageous, outside your comfort zone, somewhat risky, time-based, and meaningful. They should also have a clear finish line, but with a long-term aspect.

Setting goals without a lot of experience can be frustrating. Dr. Rose encourages people to get some events under their belt to determine their starting point.

Dr. Rose also discusses his 10 truths of training, which define the essence of training that can be applied across many sports. These include:

1. Everybody and every body is different.
2. Know thy body.
3. Training is more art than science.
4. Know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.
5. Recovery, recovery, recovery.
6. Planning is important. Flexibility is part of reality.
7. Consistency is the key.
8. Find a training rhythm.
9. Avoid the middle ground.
10. Don’t use a workout as a measure of fitness gains or losses.

To learn more about Average to Epic: A Mid-lifer’s Guide to Endurance Sports and Lifelong Fitness or to connect with Don Rose, visit https://average2epic.com/.

Another episode you may enjoy:

Using maximum overload for superior performance with Jacques DeVore and Roy M. Wallack

Going too hard, too long with Lennard Zinn

Lennard Zinn is a professional frame builder, bike designer, and co-author of a new book entitled, The Haywire Heart. This new book examines the potential impact on the heart when pushing one’s self too hard during the course of exercise.

Though exercise is often viewed as a key to living a healthy life, research has indicated that we can actually go too far during exercise. At a certain point, there is potential for exercise-induced disease, especially concerning the heart.

A competitive cycler, Lennard explained that during one particular race, he noticed his heart rate was extremely high. He decided to get it checked out later in the day and was instructed to go to the ER. Though he was in denial for some time about the issues with his heart, he continued to train and race. Eventually these incidents became so frequent that he needed to stop.

Lennard was experiencing arrhythmias, which is an electrical problem of sorts with one’s heart, that causes an irregular or abnormal rhythm. Symptoms encompass a wide variety, ranging from a racing heart rate to general uneasiness. The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, which can present as a strange feeling in the chest or an erratic heartbeat. This can persist for hours or days and may require medical intervention. Anything that seems out of the ordinary should be evaluated by a medical professional.

To encourage heart health, Lennard recommends adding magnesium to one’s diet, as it is critical for the function of the heart. Other beneficial supplements include CoQ10, baby aspirin, hawthorn, L-carnitine taken with alpha-lipoic acid, and iodine.

To connect with Lennard Zinn or purchase The Haywire Heart, visit www.zinncycles.com.

Another episode you may enjoy

The tao of running | Gary Dudney