“I’m bored,” my son often says. He uses it as a justification for distraction. Boredom is bad, he thinks, so something external should be sought so the boredom can end. But the mind is a muscle. And boredom can make it stronger [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Default_mode_

In 2005, I went with three friends to get our first VO2 max tests. I didn’t know what the results meant. But fourteen years later, that first test is a good benchmark, and I can make some unfortunate conclusions. When compared to two more tests that bracket six years

Between 2005 and 2010, I focused on sport climbing. I redpointed 13c and flashed 12c. A key part of my progress was avoiding 5.11. When I was sport climbing, I learned a lot from my friends Jay Audenart and Simon Villeneuve [https://www.instagram.com/p/BoUKvTvDUQl/]. Simon in

I recently discovered that my treadmill doesn’t report its actual speed. At first, I was disappointed. Then I calibrated the machine and found that it under-reports its speed. Phew! The other day at the gym, I warmed up on a treadmill that I had used many times in the

When I “fill the bowl”, life is too jam-packed. Everything in the bowl competes for space. When the unexpected happens, the important things suffer. The solution? Don’t fill the bowl. — Most mornings, I eat eggs with lentils, bruschetta, and hot sauce. This morning was no different, but all our

Last month, I started using a Whoop. I hoped that it would guide me toward better recovery. Unfortunately, the Whoop's activity tracking is too inaccurate and imprecise to be of much use. I sent it back for a refund.

This morning was my second workout with a Whoop on my wrist. In both cases, Whoop’s data is inaccurate and grossly overstates the intensity of the workouts. I recorded both sessions with the Whoop and a Garmin Fenix 2 with an HRM-Run chest strap. The workout was a recovery

In early 2018, I bought a treadmill. Training on a treadmill sounds horrible to most–and for long, steady sessions it is–but for high-intensity training, it’s perfect. Yesterday, I wrote about the big impact that gradient has on climb rates. While writing, I looked online for an angle-to-gradient

When using climb rates as benchmarks, make sure that the grade of the terrain during tests is consistent. Small variations in gradient will create big differences in climb rates and misleading results between tests. I often use a treadmill as part of my warm-up for strength sessions in the gym.

I loved The Matrix. In my favorite scene [https://youtu.be/OBxMsUxXcXU], Neo straps himself to an archaic dentist’s chair. He’s learning martial arts by “downloading” them into his brain. Once installed, he can use them in the digital world. To make the downloads, Neo’s colleague plugs

The chance of any plan going according to plan is zero. But the chance of arriving at an unknown destination without a map is also zero. Reality unfolds somewhere in the middle. For the 2018/2019 season, I did an analysis of where I’m at and what I need

Training endurance is like building a sand castle. You need sand and water, the sense not to overdo it, and the expertise to make something great. * Basic endurance is like piling dry sand. It can’t be shaped, just piled higher. For every inch of height, it takes a greater

When I woke up this morning, I knew that I needed to change my training plan. My Training Peaks [http://www.trainingpeaks.com] metrics are positive, but my reality is far different. My TSB [https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/applying-the-numbers-part-3-training-stress-balance/] is near zero, but I’m tired. I should be

When I first started skimo racing, I started races way too fast. The gun would go off, and I’d bolt forward. I’d feel great for about 60 seconds and then as if I was running through molasses. I’d have to slow way down. With that kind of

The race season is over. Caffeine season has begun. In my training, I often do fasted, caffeinated runs first thing in the morning. Fasted sessions are one method of depletion training. Starting a training session with low glycogen stores stimulates aerobic adaptations in slow-twitch muscle fiber. Adding caffeine to a

I’ve had a high anaerobic threshold for the past several years. Six weeks ago, I followed some bad advice and did way too much intensity for my fiber type. I almost blew up. I had one race during that period, and I finished several minutes behind my usual cohort.

When I first started skimo racing, I planned on easing myself into it. I planned on doing things only when I felt ready. Caution has its advantages, but perhaps not with learning. — At the beginning of December, I raced in the Vert 180 [http://vert180.blogspot.ca/] for the first

Last week, I went skiing with my friend Jordy, a competitive freeride coach. He teaches younglings how to throw themselves down very steep terrain and to do it quickly and in control. I put Jordy on skimo skis [https://www.fischersports.com/ca_en/alpattack-16402], so that he could see