Acclimate: to adapt to a new temperature, altitude, climate, environment, or situation
(Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2013)

As we begin to adapt to new situations and/ or circumstances, it is probable our performances will improve. The acclimatization process can be critical for all athletes alike, including you or I. Studies indicate there are positive differences in performance when athletes are properly prepared for competition. Preparation may include conditioning the athlete in a particular climate, altitude, terrain, at a certain speed, for a certain distance, in a particular arena, or for a particular opponent. Regardless, the adaptation typically does not happen overnight. According to most research, the acclimatization process can take anywhere from 7 days to several weeks, with an average of 7-14 days. This is the length of time our bodies need in order to adapt and perform optimally.

A fitting example would be an individual (such as you or I) looking to run a 5K morning race through the streets of San Francisco in the month of January. Here’s what we know:

• The race is a about 1.5 months away
• The distance is 3.11 miles (5 km)
• The terrain will be pavement (probably uneven) and with hills
• The weather will be cold (mid to low 40s) & the air damp from moisture

Knowing this, the acclimatization process might include training at a distance of 3-4 miles and incorporating routes with variances in grade. In order to condition their legs for greater impact, this individual will consider choosing routes with harder surfaces such as pavement. Routes along the city streets and/ or neighborhood may provide the best preparation for impact conditioning, as well as the visual preparation for continuous changes in terrain (i.e. potholes, curbs, debris, etc.). For an early morning race, weather may be a factor. Therefore, it’s important for this individual to condition their body to waking up & performing in the earlier hours of the morning. In addition, workouts will need to be gradually brought outdoors in order to be exposed to the cold, damp air. Distance training should start well over a month prior to the race. Depending upon the condition of the individual, they may want to incorporate additional methods of acclimatization within the 2-3 weeks prior to their event.

Acclimatization can be applied to numerous settings aside from just running. Looking to join a summer tennis league? Matches can last up to hours in the heat, requiring constant bursts of energy. By getting out to the courts and practicing as the weather begins warming up you’ll gradually condition your body’s cooling mechanisms & improve energy efficiency. Preparing for an upcoming MMA fight in Reno, NV? For a San Jose native, going from less than 400 ft. to over 4,000 ft. in elevation will certainly be a factor of performance worth considering. By arriving 1-2 weeks earlier & gradually incorporating more demanding bouts of training you’ll notice an improvement in oxygen efficiency from increases in blood volume. Planning on joining an indoor basketball league? Games can be played at a fast pace, requiring moderate-to-advanced levels of agility, coordination, & reaction skills. By practicing agility & reaction drills on your own time, as well as attending pre-season team practices chances are, you’ll have improved your body’s neuromuscular coordination resulting in faster reaction times, improved accuracy, and greater movement efficiency. These are just a few of the many examples where acclimating our bodies can be a significant factor in improving our overall performance.

As we prepare to begin the New Year, many of us will be setting our sights on new fitness & performance goals. Instead of waiting until the last minute to prepare, or worse yet, failing to prepare at all, make it a point to start early. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” –Benjamin Franklin

Interested in learning more? We invite you to contact us to learn more about how acclimatization may help improve your next performance.

Fall is a really beautiful season and should be appreciated in nature. In order to truly observe Fall’s greatness you’ll need to head outside of the city. If you’re unsure of where to go here's a few places you can run, hike, bike, and explore. 

 If you’re in San Jose you should check out Almaden Quicksilver County Park and Santa Teresa County Park. Almaden Quicksilver County Park used to be a mining town and you can still see some of the remains of the buildings. There are quite a few trails to choose from and they all link together so you can either long or short loops. Santa Teresa County Park has one of the coolest single trails around, Rocky Ridge Trail. It a cool trail to hike up or down, and use extreme caution if you're biking. There are a bunch of other trails and most of them offer up some amazing views of San Jose. The park is rather exposed, not a lot of tree coverage, so pick a clear Fall day to check it out.

If you live close to Sunnyvale/ Cupertino area there are not enough good things you can say about Rancho San Antonio. This park has it all, an amazing trail system with trails of varying lengths and difficulty levels, open fields, tennis courts, and a small farm. On the weekend mornings throughout the year this place can get packed, but make it on the trails and you’ll see why there are so many folks there. Not a lot of cycling can be done here, so bring your hiking or trail running shoes and have fun!

Looking for day away from the area, head out to Santa Cruz's Wilder Ranch State Park. This place is awesome! Located along Highway 1 you get a little bit of everything. With one side along the ocean you can check out the coast and stop by the Wilder Ranch. If you cut through the Ranch under the Highway there is a huge trail system that you can hike, run, or bike. Some of the trails can really take you out there so make sure you have a trail map before you venture out. Since it’s along the coast it’ll be a bit colder but don’t let that stop you from going, it’s definitely worth it.

Here are a few of the parks you’ll find us at this Fall. If you have some others that you would like to share post them in the comments section!

Start any training program with Kaizen Fitness and we’ll grab a foam roller and get to work. After one exercise with a foam roller individuals will wonder what this self inflicted torture deceive is actually doing. Rightfully so, foam rolling or self-myofascial release does come with a certain amount of discomfort, but it aids greatly in correcting muscular imbalances and inflexibility. The discomforts that one experiences when they hit a “trigger point” or “knot” are adhesions in the muscle tissue. These adhesions affect the muscles ability to lengthen and, in turn, generate force. When a muscle is inflexible it will decrease the range of motion around a joint and prevents the body from functioning at an optimal level. 

The foam roller applies pressure on these trigger points or knots breaking up the adhesions and helps release the muscle tissues. As the adhesions break up it will make the muscle more pliable allowing it to lengthen more efficiently. Once a muscle group has been “rolled out” it will respond more favorable to static stretching and other lengthening techniques. When muscles are no longer shorted they reach the proper length-tension relationship allowing muscle to generate more force. Some of the other benefits including increased blood flow, improving posture, and injury prevention.

There are different types of rollers. There are basic foam rollers, PVC pipe with foam outer layer, lacrosse balls, tennis ball, medicine balls, etc. Picking the right one for you is going to depend on your experience with self-myofascial techniques. Beginners want to choose a roller that on the softer side and intermediate to advanced will want something more dense. For more control hitting a “trigger point” or smaller muscle you’ll want to try a ball rather than a roller.

Foam rolling is a great way to the body functioning properly and optimally. Don’t let the discomfort keep you from staying on top of your foam rolling exercises. If you want more information about foam rolling or what areas you should be rolling out get in touch with us today.   

On the 4th, I decided to go for an afternoon bike ride. It was around 90 degrees and in the sun it felt like it was 110 degrees. As I rode up Kings Mountain Road I found myself constantly reaching for my water bottles. I felt like I was dying of thirst and by about half way up both my bottles were empty! I struggled to get up that hill and had to stop a couple of times to cool down. At the top I was saved by two young ladies and their lemonade stand! Feeling the effects of dehydration and the consistently high temperatures it seemed like the right time to post some info on the matter.

Here are some quick tips to avoid dehydration, and some links with extra information at the end. 

1. Hydrate the night before an event, an intense, or long training session. It’s a good idea to eat some foods with high water content as well.

2. Drink before you feel thirsty during your workout.

3. Mix a sports drink with your water. If your training session will last longer than an hour you will want to replenish your electrolytes.  

4. Drink about 16 ounces of water when you get up in the morning. You lose water while you sleep.

5. Avoid over hydration. Don’t drink a liter of water right before you work out, or drink a liter right before you go to bed. Drink water consistently throughout the day.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/hydration-key-to-exercise-success

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=7084

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/dehydration/hic_avoiding_dehydration.aspx

Congratulations to our Kaizen Warriors that participated in the Gladiator Rock ‘n Run on Saturday. Ya’ll did a fantastic job! Here’s a quick run down of what went down at Joseph D. Grant Park. We had some amazing weather on Saturday and the course delivered as advertised with challenging obstacles and plenty of mud.

Right out of the starting gates we faced an uphill battle that would continue until we were ¾ of the way through. These hills racked up 2 votes for most challenging part. At the top of the first of climb we faced a mystery obstacle identical to one included in our last preparation session, the tire lunge walk. As a team, we looked like we knew what we were doing. Great job ladies and gents!

From there the trail seemed to go straight up until we got the Arctic Plunge which brought some sweet relief until we had to put our heads under water, brain freeze! Back on the trail we made our way to another mystery station, cinder block burpees. This didn't slow anybody down just gave us a chance to warm back up. After some more ups and downs along the trail we made it to the rope climb. The obstacle that seemed generate the most anxiety leading up the race and after notched 2 votes for the most challenging station. Everybody rang the bell, some with got help from our leader Rick, who climbed up half way to provide a shoulder or head to step on.

After the rope we made our way over some walls, carried rice for Buddha, made our way up and down some more hills. We crawled through some mud that would leave us covered for the rest of the course. We made it in and out of a dumpster and onto the last ¼ of the race.  There were 4 obstacles packed in the last little bit. We traversed the monkey bars, which got my vote for most difficult because it took off one of calluses on my right hand. Then the team challenge of carrying a telephone pole around some cones. Climbed a twenty foot cargo net rolled over the top and made our way back down. We attacked the Beast (a near vertical wall with ropes to assist) full force with muddy shoes. Once we got over the wall it was a hop, skip, and jump over some fire where we finished as a team. 

Congrats to the Kaizen Warriors that Committed, Crushed and Conquered Gladiator Rock ‘n Run this weekend. Special thanks to those who helped us prepare and encouraged us during our training. We hope next time you’ll join us! You can start your obstacle course prep this Saturday at our FREE weekend workout at River Glen Park in San Jose. Sign up on the upcoming events page and we’ll see you out there this weekend!

Thank you for coming out to our last Gladiator Rock ‘N Run training session. Once again the weekend workout was designed to prepare the Kaizen Warriors for the event coming up this Saturday. The challenge course on Saturday looked more like an obstacle race itself than preparation for one. We included some of most difficult exercises yet, the rope climb and the cliff hanger pull-up.

The rope climb wasn't very long but the strength required covering that short distance was great. Without knots in the rope and the way we had to attach the rope to the bars made it difficult to use your legs leaving most of the work to be done with the arms and back. Everybody did a great job at this station utilizing different techniques to get to the top.

The cliff hanger pull-up proved to be a challenging exercise for most. It could have been because it was another hard upper body exercise stuck in the middle of a big workout. It also seems like there were some issues getting set-up properly. Getting a foot in the band and still being able to pull-up and around it caused some issues. With some assistance and instruction everyone preformed very well at this station. 

Again, thank you for coming out to this awesome group workout and hope you enjoyed yourself.  No group workout this weekend because we’ll be out participating in the Gladiator Rock ‘N Run! The following weekend we’ll be back at River Glen Park for two consecutive weekend workouts. Check out the Upcoming Events Page to sign up.

A high-five goes out to all of you who joined us on Sunday. Our second weekend workout designed around the Gladiator Rock n’ Run, and everybody did a fantastic job!

It looks like there are at least 3 events where we’ll be crawling through or under something. Unfortunately, we couldn't recreate the mud that we’ll undoubtedly encounter, but our low crawl station got us down low. Everybody did a great job getting under the ropes, so we will be flying through/under those obstacles.

Here’s the link to the event page if you want to check out what’s in store:
http://www.gladiatorrocknrun.com/event_june_15-16.html

The speed ladder transitions will help us get our knees up for the Terrible Tires and out of the mud if its as muddy as advertised. We carried bags around cones like Buddha’s Burden. One of the bags was probably close to 40lbs, but getting used to running or walking with an object that will be helpful when it comes to that obstacle.

Of course there are some obstacles that we are unable to recreate in a workout but you can at home. For example, the Polar Bear Plunge, a quick dip in a pool of ice and water. Fill up your bath tub with some ice and water and jump on in! Not a bad idea for after next week’s group workout, which will be on Saturday June 8th @ 8:00am at River Glen Park in San Jose. For those of you training for the Gladiator Rock n’ Run come get one more group workout in before the event, and if you're not doing the event, join us for an awesome weekend workout! See you on Saturday!

Thank you for coming out to the last group workout. Here’s what you missed if you were not able to make it.

In addition to the fantastic view and amazing weather we put in some serious work. It was a session designed with the Gladiator Rock n’ Run in mind. We jogged from the meeting up point to the top of the hill, the distance was short but the challenging gradient made up for it. After a brief stretch we got into the heart of the workout, hill repeats with calisthenics at the top and bottom. This high intensity interval workout kept our heart rates up and our legs burning. There was little rest to be had at the top or bottom with our choice of push-ups, dead-lifts, bridges, and crunches to be performed on the ground (no mats). We got to get a little dirty or covered in fox-tails depending on where you chose to lay down.

After 15 minutes of continuous work we rested briefly as Rick prepped us for our last drill. After staggering the group 10 - 15 yards apart down the hill we performed hill sprint relays. Each person starting with the bottom sprinting to the next person to tag them and take their place on the hill with the individual at the top jogging back down to start the relay over again. After about 10 minutes of this there was a lot of us with our hands on our knees searching for some relief. All good things come to an end and when our time expired we gathered that the top of the hill to briefly cool down before walked down the hill we ran up to start.

All-in-all it was an awesome way to start a Sunday morning and wrap up a weekend. We hope that you’ll come join us for our next weekend group workout on Sunday June 2nd. The design once again will have the Gladiator Rock n’ Run in mind, but you don’t need to be doing the race to come out and join us for another amazing workout. For more details or to sign-up check out the upcoming events page.

Grab a snack before your next trip to the grocery store. We've all probably heard that we shouldn't go to the grocery store hungry because you'll end up shopping to satisfying your hunger at the moment. Here's a short post on NYTimes.com about a study that was done at Cornell University.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/really-never-go-grocery-shopping-on-an-empty-stomach/?ref=health

It takes hard work to reach your goals. With motivation and enthusiasm at a high level individuals are putting in the effort to get’er done! We love this attitude! However, as the summer approaches and race season gets underway, I wanted to raise some awareness about overtraining.   Overtraining can occur when an individual is training too frequently, at too high of an intensity, not getting sufficient rest, and making poor nutritional choices that can result in excessive fatigue, decrease in performance, injury, and illness. Overtraining is one term among others (burnout, staleness, chronic fatigue, etc.) to simply describe the overtraining syndrome. Overtraining syndrome follows a progression this is described by the follow continuum[1]: 
Overload stimulus -> Acute fatigue -> Overreaching-> Overtraining Syndrome

Based on that continuum overtraining come and go quickly or last for several months. Recognizing the symptoms early and taking the appropriate steps to recover will keep an individual for developing overtraining syndrome and/or an overuse injury caused by overtraining. A quick search online will provide you lists of the physiological, psychological, and performance symptoms to be aware of when you are exercising. Below are a few:

Physiological: Extreme fatigue, unwanted weight loss, unexpected decrease in body fat, hormone levels fluctuate, loss of strength

Psychological: Depression, lack of motivation, irritability, lack of enthusiasm

Performance: Inability to finish workouts, slowed recovery, inability to compete at normal level

To recover an individual will need to rest, hydrate properly, and eat high quality foods. Rest can not be stressed enough in regards to recovering. Your body needs a chance to adapt to the overload stimulus and will need nutrients from food and water to make this happen.

It’s always hard to take time off when you’re motivated. Two of the most likely culprits that contribute to an individual overtraining are a looming goal deadline or upcoming event/race. The fear of failing and the desire to do perform well can cause us to ignore obvious warning signs or symptoms of a growing problem. It isn't uncommon that an individual will think that the only way to achieve their goal or do well in a race is to continue to train rather that miss a training session. This is typically referred to as the “more is better” myth. Well, it’s better to take some time off then to end up injured or sick and be stuck on the sidelines.

Last year I was training for the Tough Mudder event in August and experienced an injury due to overtraining. Knowing that I would be running about 12 miles for the event I increased the distance, frequency, and intensity of my runs. I developed some mild Achilles Tendentious in my left leg, so I took a day or two off and RICEd(rest, ice, compression, elevation) it to reduce the inflammation. As I resumed training I began to experience the same pain and discomfort almost immediately, this time I tried taping it and cross-training but the damage had been done. I needed to take several weeks off in order to heal up in time to train for a few weeks before the event.  I had enough time to take up to a week off and focus on flexibility and strengthen other muscle groups. 

The intention post is not to discourage you from working hard and challenging yourself, but to recognize the symptoms of overtraining by listening to your body. There is nothing wrong with taking extra time off when you feel extremely tired, stressed out, or sore from your last training session. Stay healthy  injury free and strive for continuous improvement! 



[1] Thomas R. Baechle, EdD & Roger W. Earle, MA, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (Campaign: Human Kinetics, 2008)