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Wake Up and Take Control of Your Life.

Sep 24, 12

[pullquote style=”left” quote=”dark”]The term ‘stress’ refers to the response you have when facing circumstances that force you to act, change, or adjust in some way to maintain your footing, or to keep things balanced[/pullquote]

This is a fast moving world that we live in, where we want to fast forward our lives into overdrive and everything must be done Yesterday.

We abuse our bodies with processed food or on the other extreme; we feel the need to push our bodies beyond the limit through physical exercise. We bombard our minds with Facebook, text messages, twitter and Internet.

Believe it or not 62% of the population are stressed out!

What is Stress?

The term ‘stress’ refers to the response you have when facing circumstances that force you to act, change, or adjust in some way to maintain your footing, or to keep things balanced

Stress can manifest in many different forms

• Muscle  tightness
• Panic  attacks
• Rapid  breathing
• High  blood pressure
• Sleepless  nights
• Autoimmune  diseases – M.E, Fibromyalgia, I.B.S, Diabetes, Graves, + +
• Allergy  and Asthma
• Rheumatoid   arthritis
• Poor  posture/ backache.
• Lack  of self-confidence.

Stress management – The Yoga Way

Dating back over 5,000 years, Yoga is the oldest defined practice of self-development.  The word yoga means to unite therefore it encourages the body to work as one unit. There are many styles and intensities of yoga but Hatha yoga would be the style used in stress management.

• Hatha yoga is a combination of gentle physical stretches, becoming aware of the tension in the body, and learning how to release this tension.
• Controlled breathing techniques to allow more oxygen into the body bringing emotional stability and calmness.
• Meditation and Yoga Nidra trains the body and mind to switch off completely therefore allowing the body to recover, rejuvenate and encourages a sense of well being.

At the Loft Yoga Studio, Clonlara Co.Clare, I will be running my first Stress management course commencing on Tuesday Oct 2^nd at 8.30 pm The course will run for five weeks and is open to teenagers as well as both genders. Space is limited so it will be run on a first come basis.

Cost 50-euro. One Payment Only.

Paulette Egan 086 3183646

www.sportsyoga.ie

Info@sportsyoga.ie

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Can Yoga Replace Strength Training

Aug 16, 12

 Rodney Lee.    For many years now Athletes and Sports people have increased their focus on strength training with weight restistance , but have you ever thought of using your body weight as a form of strenght training. When you do yoga poses, Yee explains, “You’re putting your body in positions and orientations that you ultimately have to support with your muscles. so you are lifting weights.”

Rodney has written an excellent article on using Yoga for strength , follow link below.

http://life.gaiam.com/article/can-yoga-replace-strength-training

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Are Athletes Living and Training in Constant Overdrive?

Jul 29, 12

[pullquote style=”left” quote=”dark”]Most Athletes know that it essential to include “rest days” in their training program but many will still over train and feel guilty when they take a day off[/pullquote]

Elite Athletes will have recovery days build into their training but recreational athletes must juggle their training while maintaining a balance between work, family and fitness goals. . Competitive sports athletes can also have a fear of losing and may lack true faith in their own abilities. Learning deep relaxation is an invaluable tool to overcome this problem. deep relaxation is not achieved by sitting on a couch , nor can you force yourself to relax. What you are looking for is a state of being where tension is released from the body on a physical level and your mind completely switches off. Yoga Nidra is the name given to guided relaxation that I use in my E.A.P3 Program. This is an ancient practice that must be learned under an experienced teacher and the benefits of relaxation will increase with a regular practice. Yoga Nidra can be implemented into daily training sessions.

The advantage of this guided relaxation is to allow the athlete to consciously release tension from every muscle in their body and it also gives the person the opportunity to lie absolutely still.
One of the great benefits of Yoga Nidra is that it trains the body and mind to unite and not to be at odds with one another. Research has shown that fifteen minutes of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to four hours of normal sleeping. Yoga Nidra is an invaluable tool to all athletes and especially teams.

**There are two nervous systems in the human body: Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic.The Sympathetic nervous system is commonly know as  “The Fight or Flight” suitation.Here is a prime example of the fight or flight scenario.  Going back in historic times,people lived simple lives and the sympathetic nervous system would only become switched on when danger was near i.e. hunting wild animals. The hunter would feel a rush of adrenal, blood pressure would rise, breath rate would quicken and stress hormones would flood the body. When the danger was over, the parasympathetic would kick in and the hunter would relax, breath slows down and the adrenal rush is over. THE HUNTER CAN NOW LIVE A NORMAL RELAXED LIFE UNTIL THE NEXT SECENARIO ARISES.

Unfortunately in today’s world, we live in constant overdrive and the Parasympathetic ( Calm, quite, relaxed , stress release, enjoying the moment system )is switched  off permanently.

 Compare an athlete to the hunter, both striving to be successful – the difference being, the hunter knows how to unwind when the fight is over, but athletes do not…. When an athlete or team practices Yoga Nidra they form a synergy within the team. They  will move forward and succeed but they must take one step back to move two steps forward…

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4 Weeks To Go… Colin Griffin shares his high altitude training in Sierra Nevada

Jul 16, 12

With just 4 weeks to go until my race at the Olympics, I am into the final week of my altitude training camp in the Sierra Nevada in Spain. Training is going well and everything is on track.

I made a brief visit home last weekend to compete in the National Senior Championships in Dublin, where I won my first ever national senior track title over 10km. I only confirmed my participation late in the week as I was in the middle of a very big block of training and I wanted to make sure my training was under control and would not be compromised. Any extra fatigue or doubt and I would have stayed in Spain. One I decided to go home and compete, my plan was just a steady effort to hold 4.10 per km over 10km. I flew in Saturday evening and back out Monday afternoon. I also wanted to go through the feel of race day and get technical feedback. Basically it was a 10km tempo effort at my 20km race pace. My heart rates were slightly lower than what I would race at over 20k. I felt good physiologically, but technically a little ropey which is understandable considering I was far from fresh. You can watch the video here from Flotrack Ireland

I had the whole race videoed by my S&C coach John Cleary and looked at it afterwards using Dartfish software. I had felt blocked around my right hip area and that came across on the video. When treated by AAI physio Emma Gallivan after the race, she also noticed my right hip joint capsule was restricted and my right SI joint blocked, which she worked on to mobilise. With Emma and John, we revised a few exercises in my Prehab program to ensure I’m hitting the weak areas. It is best discover these problems now 5 weeks out from the Olympics and take corrective action rather than later.

On Monday morning I had a blood test in the Mater Hospital just to make sure everything was in order particularly my iron status while at altitude. After that I headed out for a 25km session in the Phoenix Park where the weather was horrible and I got soaked right through. I then had lunch and spent a few hours with Clare before flying back to Spain for the final 10 days of my altitude training camp.

Here in Spain I’ve been able to link up with Rob, Brendan, Laura and Olive who are training at a lower altitude in Guadix with Liam O’Reilly there to help. Liam has been out there for 4 weeks providing technical support, drinks for key sessions and massage. I would drive the 60 min journey down to Guadix three times a week for one or two key endurance sessions and one technique session. It’s just about the right balance between living at higher altitude which suits me and having company and support for training.

Also up here in the Sierra Nevada were the Triathlon Ireland elite squad including Aileen Morrison, Conor Murphy, Niamh O’Sullivan and Noel Collins along with their coach Chris Jones and their support team. Cyclists Caroline Ryan and David McCann are also here. It was good to have other Irish athletes out here for company and their support team including their physio and physiologist have been helpful to me also. When you look at how a multi endurance-sport training camp like that can be organised and supported and a few sports like athletics, triathlon, cycling and swimming can all benefit from shared personnel and resources; it makes it more cost effective. It doesn’t take a genius to organise a supported camp like this. Just somebody who can lead, plan and communicate.

It is unfortunate in Olympic year that High Performance training camps previously organised and supported by Athletics Ireland, which included a spring altitude training camp as well as a warm weather training camp, were this year scrapped and not replaced with any other support because they were claimed not to be ‘functional’. Camps like these could not be more functional, where athletes are in a squad environment and have access to physio/massage support, coaching and technical support and much more on a daily basis. Last year at the last altitude training camp with High Performance support where we were in South Africa, Laura Reynolds and Brendan Boyce were brought on board for the first time to train with myself, Rob, Jamie and Olive. Within 12 months they both have Olympic A standards and are going to the Olympics. So convince me that camps like these are not functional? Rant over for now!

I’m back from Spain next week where I will spend 12 days in the Altitude House in Limerick before heading across to London on July 30th. The clock is ticking down.

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Mike Jones has reached the half way mark on his solo kayaking trip around Ireland

Jun 29, 12

Slyne head is yet another of the major tidal gates on this trip miss the tide and it not a pleasant place to be.  I woke from my tented slumber early to make sure I could make a clean get away.  I had spotted a small channel inside the rocks the previous evening which would allow me to cut the corner and stay out of the worst of the tide.

As I cleared the small rocky outcrop which was sheltering the beach I was confronted with Atlantic swell rushing in as it rose up in the shallow water creating steep ramps over which I had to paddle to break free of the shore and get lined up for the narrow passage through the rocks, I lined up to cut the corner and surfing the swell in I picked a line between the shoals and with a final surge i was in calm water.  A gentle breeze on my back I slipped through and around towards Mannin Bay and began to pick my way across the bay staying clear of the minefield of rocks which guard the bay.

Once I passed Cleggan and made my way towards Inisbofin I was pleased to be back in a familiar part of the country, or so I thought.  The next section of the Galway and Mayo coast is where I have spent many days and nights surfing, hiking and camping.  Strangely I found myself disorientated by the overlapping islands and headlands, it was then I realised this was an entirely new perspective and although I recognised some landmarks I had never navigated this coast by water.

I checked my bearings a few times and eventually began to trust the map and compass and made my way north inside the shelter of Inisbofin and Inisturk passing the entrance of Kilary harbour and the steep slopes of Connachts highest mountain Mwellrea.

With a seal for company I picked up the tide off Carrownisky where I learned to kayak surf many moons ago and shot up the coast towards Clare Island, my planned destination for the night.  As began to cross Clew bay I began to consider my options for the following day.  Achill sound would require precise timing to get teh tides right and an early start would be in order, something around 04:30 should do it.  Or if I pushed on another 5 miles to Achill Beg I would get an extra 90minutes in bed, easy decision really.

Luck on my side I passed the harbour on Clare Island and picked up the ebb tide on a mirror flat sea and made the crossing much faster than expected.  I knew from the satellite images that there was a beach and possible camp site to the east of Achill beg but as I had made such good time I decided to push on another 500m to the main land and pulled up on a rocky strand.  Hauling up the boat I went about the familiar routine and set up camp in the rabbit infested sand dunes.

Achill sound is probably the most significant tide gate on the entire journey and with flows of up to 8knts you will be waiting a while if you get the timning wrong, get it right and it is free miles and big smiles.  After forcing myself to resist the temptation to turn over and snooze after the alarm I was up and off again to catch the last of the flood tide up the sound.  I jumped on the train and off I went, effortless paddling on a grey wet morning.

As I approached the bridge in Achill sound the flow slackened and I slowly made my way up and under the bridge tackling a strong current to pass under.  I pulled into the shore on the slip and decided I would wait for the tide to turn, only an hour or so and then it would be back on the train and out the gap.  I think I last 5 minutes before the cold began to take hold, first my hands then my feet and then it began to creep under my layers to my body.  Not willingto stand around adn with no shelter from the conditions I decided I would be warmer fighting it out at 2knts on the water.  I would only have to fight the breeze for a short while then the tide would be with me and I would be flying, wrong!  I battled the head wind and the last of the flood tide for much of the sound making little or no head way for nearly 2 hours, eating into my average speed and putting my hopes of making Ballyglass in jeopardy.  Finally after a back breaking struggle in the rain I made the Bulls mouth and the tide shot me out and then it was full steam ahead for Blacksod point and the Belmullet peninsula, Ballyglass was back on as a possibility, but I would need to catch some help from the tide or the breeze once around the corner.

Across the shallow reef at low tide and around the southern tip of the peninsula I had the tide and was gliding effortlessly, a light cross wind but otherwise flat seas and a clear view up the sandy beaches on the Atlantic shores of Belmullet.  Then the boat speed slowed, glancing at the chart I was confused, the tide is flooding and should be in my favour running north, but no it was against me.  It must be an eddy or counter current, I will move inshore to get some relief, then the wind back and bang into my face, another struggle ensued.

Glancing at the chart and again at my watch and scanning the waters I would not figure what the tide was doing, why was it running south hindering me and where had this northerly wind come from, it was not forecast.  I battled against wind and tide for a short while before my ambition of Ballyglass was reduced to French port, a small harbour 5 or 6 miles to my north and should be achievable.  The fight grew tougher and I again slowed and as the pain in my shoulder began to shoot across my neck and the muscle in my back strained I again revised my ambition to the next headland, perhaps a mile ahead, fight an fight as I did it slowly grew closer and I gained some relief from wind and tide.  But it was too remote and a stop here would mean no chance of moving for at least 2 days with imminent gales on the cards.

I gather myself and decided I would push to another beach to the south of French port, close to a road and close to Belmullet town.  I rounded the spit of land and got back in the fight.  As I did I spotted a familiar jacket, orange fluorescent, could this be the local coast guard out to check up on my progress.  Not wanting to waste the opportunity I made for shore and like a guardian angel, Michael Hurst (Ballyglass Coast Guard) had come out to offer assistance.

We arranged a rendezvous on the far side of the bay where I could safely land and he could pull up a van.  I was delighted that I would have some local support as it had been a tough day on the back of 4 long hard days.  After a little confusion we met up on a beach and loaded up.  Probably the most interesting transfer yet, 18 foot kayak and a Transit van, see the picture to see how well it fit, or didn’t!

Back to Michaels house and we unloaded the boat in his garage.  He then invited me in where he had a spare bed and saved some diner for me.  It was most welcome to spend a night under a roof and with such great company.  The Hurst family were terrific hosts and we talked until late about my adventure so far and about Michael’s daughter Maria’s upcoming trip to Kilimanjaro.  I occupied their kitchen for much of the following day charging batteries, blogging and drinking tea.  After dinner I returned to beach to await the arrival of my 2 great friends, Donnchadh and Eamonn who were en-route from Dublin.  I have to extend my thanks to Michael, Lena, Maria, Michael and Ciara for welcoming me, a complete stranger, into their home a kind a generous gesture which I can hopefully repay someday.

Back on the beach I did not have to wait long for the lost boys to arrive.  We exchanged pleasantries as old friends do, set up camp and made for town, chips and a pint.  The following morning after a quick review I decided it was not suitable to paddle and we made for town to catch the rugby match, the less said about that the better.  Back to the beach, no improvement, back to town for food, back to the beach and the final verdict, no paddling today.  We chilled out for the evening enjoyed some drinks and recounted tales of old adventures we shared in far flung places.

We arose to calm seas and it was time to make a move.  The boys had kayaks and planned to join me for the first could of mile before taking a short cut and making it back to the beach.  I would like to say it was nice to have company on the water but as we were immediately separated we never did get to chat much but know there was somebody out with me was rather pleasant.  As we rounded the head and it was time for the lads to return they wished me luck and I was off on the road again.

I made for Erris head and was greeted with a fast flowing tide, kicking up steep waves and pulling me through the scattering of rocks awash with Atlantic swell.  It was just like be back on a river as I surged through carefully placing my paddle and guiding my boat through the waves.

Broadhaven bay was calm and allowed me a safe crossing, and then it was on towards the spectacular cliff coast of north Mayo.  I had planned to pull in at Porturlin but with time on my side I decided Belderg was within my reach so I pushed on.  As I arrived in Belderg harbour I bumped into the Killala Coast Guard boat which had come out to check up on me and after a short chat they wished me well and I made for land and to find a campsite.

At this stage it was in my mind that Donegal could be within reach so as I pulled in and was greeted my some local fishermen I set about making plans for a big move the following day.  I set up camp on the pier with no tent pegs just a couple of rocks to hold down the tent and after a few laughs with the locals it was off to bed, set for a big day the following morning.

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Colin Griffin trains in Sierra Nevada at High Altitude in Preparation for the Olympics.

Jun 22, 12

Final preparation for London

I’m here in the Sierra Nevada in Spain on an altitude training camp in preparation for the Olympic Games. Since my last blog after I achieved the qualifying time for London there has been lots happening and I’ve been kept very busy with all kinds of requests and engagements. The weeks have been flying by and it’s hard to believe we are now just 5 weeks away from the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. I’m glad to be getting away now so I can focus hard on these vital few weeks and not be distracted.

I am staying at the Altitude Training Centre in the Sierra Nevada at an altitude of 2350m. The rest of the group including Rob, Olive, Laura, Brendan and Liam O’Reilly are in Guadix which is 50mins away by car at a lower altitude of 900m. For myself I prefer to live at higher altitude in order to maximise the benefits and I do some of my training up here in the Sierra Nevada and down in Guadix with the others. One small disruption is a tooth abscess I’ve had since last weekend. It was so bad last Sunday I had to go and see a dentist on weekend call and be put on painkillers and antibiotics for 5 days before getting a root canal treatment done. As I was travelling out here on Wednesday I arranged to have the root canal done in Guadix yesterday where they did the first part. It just meant I had to train easy in order to let the antibiotics work and not risk the infection spreading. You’d be surprised how much potential damage a tooth problem can cause to the whole body if left untreated.

One positive development in the past 2 weeks was fellow Leitrim athlete Laura Reynolds achieving the Olympic A Standard for the women’s 20km walk. I have been coaching Laura for the past 10 years since she first took up the sport. Like myself she had plenty of challenges and setbacks along the way in trying to qualify and it certainly challenged me as a coach! At 23 years of age her progress as a senior over 20km has been steady and consistent and for the past 2 years we knew that qualifying for London was a very real possibility. As someone who has acquired plenty of knowledge and experience at the highest level in the sport, it’s great to be able to put something back into the sport particularly in my own county. Anything I’ve done when I was younger, With the benefit of hindsight, Laura can do better. She has a strong work ethic and professional attitude to her training and she deserved nothing less than to nail that A standard, which she did by a minute. She will also compete on Aug 11th in London and with my race at 9am and her race at 5pm that evening, it will be a very challenging day and most certainly a proud day for Leitrim.

After last months World Cup, I took a 2 week active recovery phase. I basically trained as I felt without being confined to a routine. I did 30-45mins most days just to get out and even went for a run on some days. That way I was keeping up a basic level of fitness while also getting a mental and physical break. During those 2 weeks we had a spell of good weather which I took advantage of. I organised a barbecue in my house in Limerick and invited a few friends over as well as some of my Limerick-based support team who played their part in helping me qualify for London. I also spent a few days in Galway with my girlfriend and it was just great to switch off and enjoy the good weather and just relax on the beech. When I resumed full training at the end of May I was really motivated and refreshed and had not lost much fitness. With only a 12 week turnaround between the World Cup and the Olympics I couldn’t afford to lose too much fitness and spend a few weeks getting it back before I picking up where I left off.

In those last few weeks I had plenty of requests and invitations for various things. I paid a visit to my old National school in Ballinamore as well as the Girls National School where I received a huge welcome and lots of intelligent questions! I was invited by Shannon Development to launch a new set of walking trails in Limerick county. I had a few media interviews as well locally and nationally as well as photo shoots. Last Friday night I was invited over to London where some of the Leitrim community led by fellow Ballinamore man and good friend Paul D’Arcy organised a support night for my Olympic preparations. This was an idea Paul has had for the past 2 years and obviously I didn’t want to do anything until I had qualified. The event was held in The Jameson Bar in West Kensington which is owned also by fellow Ballinamore men Damien and Conor Smyth. There was a great turnout and I received huge support. It was great to catch up with my brother Ronan who’s been living in London for the past few years as well as friends from home who are living in London. I can only imagine what the support will be like during the Games itself with it being so close to home.

Over the next few weeks all the important base work will be carried out in preparation for my race. I have been using the altitude house in the University of Limerick for the past few weeks and will be back in there when I get back from the Sierra Nevada next month. It’s great that facility I campaigned strongly for and helped put in place can now play a major role in my Olympic preparation. The facility is certainly taking off with Olympic hopefuls in athletics, triathlon, cycling, swimming as well as Paula Radcliffe all using it! There is also the newly installed Altitude Gym at Delta Sports Dome in Limerick where my company The Altitude Centre Ireland is also based, that I have been using Limerick has become an altitude training hub with both altitude residential and training facilities on top of its already world class training facilities and sports science personnel. It has a strong case to become a multi-sport endurance high performance centre when it goes to tender soon. Over the coming weeks now that things have calmed down again and I have more control of my time, I will provide regular updates in the build-up to the Olympic Games. I hope to also do a few video blogs from Spain during some of my training sessions. Check out my Twitter page as well as my Facebook Fan Page for more regular updates. In the mean time it’s head down and hard work on the roads, track and gym to ensure I am fully prepared for the biggest race of my career in just over 7 weeks time.

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