Moving forwards, but not on the track
Door: Tjerk Zult
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Tjerk
23 April 2013 | Verenigd Koninkrijk, Newcastle upon Tyne
The first three weeks of testing and training for my study are successfully accomplished, so just another 12 weeks to go. The participants of the first group are in their third and last training week now, which means that they will be tested again next week. The strength training effect in all participants is magnificent and most of the participants already improved almost 100% in power. This big improvement could be evoked by my qualities as a strength and conditioning coach, but also the novelty of the task, and the negligible use of wrist flexor muscles (i.e., the muscles trained in my study) in daily life could be possible explanations. Unfortunately, my coaching qualities in the lab don’t have a positive influence on my track performance so far.
I already run two races, but the times were a bit embarrassing compared with my (maybe a bit too high) expectations. Was it chocking under pressure? Was it fatigue evoked by the trainings in the week(s) before the race? I still think that the weather was the major contributor to my bad sprint results. It’s very unlikely that rain, headwind, and low temperatures positively influence sprint performance, so I’m still convinced that better times will come. The guys from my office are already joking that they put my desk in the corridor if I’m not finishing top three next race, so I have something extra to work for now.
The races here in the UK are organized a bit differently compared with the Netherlands, but it works fine. Five minutes before the race the officials ask every athlete for his/her preferred heat and thereafter all athletes of one heat have to grasp blinded a number which corresponds with the lane you will run in. Another remarkable thing was that athletes bring their own starting blocks to the competition. I couldn’t understand why, but now I do. Some athletic clubs have no starting blocks, which was the case at my first competition, but fortunately I had the opportunity to borrow someone else his block. Next week’s will consist of training and lifting heavy weights and somewhere mid May I will try to race again. On Friday 3 May I will take part in a muscle biopsy study, so they will take some very small pieces of muscle out of my upper leg. It won’t affect my performance, I only have to take rest for a couple of days which is ideal for some supercompensation.
Beside testing, training, and athletics I did some sightseeing last Saturday. I went to the Angel of North, a big statue located close to Newcastle. The statue was nice, but the area around the statue was a bit disappointing. I expected a park with some beautiful nature, but the reality was two highroads separated by the statue. Afterwards I visited the Quayside where a man, called Tony the Fridge, was running for 24 hours with a 42 kg. fridge on his back. He was running for charity and he wants to show that normal people can do incredible things. It didn’t look really healthy, but respect for his performance.
Coming weekend two friend are coming over to experience what it is to be a Geordie. Tickets for Newcastle United FC – Liverpool FC are already sorted, so beside Krul and Anita St. James Park can welcome three other Dutch guys. I’m looking forward to an amazing weekend.
I keep you posted.
Cheers,
T-man
I already run two races, but the times were a bit embarrassing compared with my (maybe a bit too high) expectations. Was it chocking under pressure? Was it fatigue evoked by the trainings in the week(s) before the race? I still think that the weather was the major contributor to my bad sprint results. It’s very unlikely that rain, headwind, and low temperatures positively influence sprint performance, so I’m still convinced that better times will come. The guys from my office are already joking that they put my desk in the corridor if I’m not finishing top three next race, so I have something extra to work for now.
The races here in the UK are organized a bit differently compared with the Netherlands, but it works fine. Five minutes before the race the officials ask every athlete for his/her preferred heat and thereafter all athletes of one heat have to grasp blinded a number which corresponds with the lane you will run in. Another remarkable thing was that athletes bring their own starting blocks to the competition. I couldn’t understand why, but now I do. Some athletic clubs have no starting blocks, which was the case at my first competition, but fortunately I had the opportunity to borrow someone else his block. Next week’s will consist of training and lifting heavy weights and somewhere mid May I will try to race again. On Friday 3 May I will take part in a muscle biopsy study, so they will take some very small pieces of muscle out of my upper leg. It won’t affect my performance, I only have to take rest for a couple of days which is ideal for some supercompensation.
Beside testing, training, and athletics I did some sightseeing last Saturday. I went to the Angel of North, a big statue located close to Newcastle. The statue was nice, but the area around the statue was a bit disappointing. I expected a park with some beautiful nature, but the reality was two highroads separated by the statue. Afterwards I visited the Quayside where a man, called Tony the Fridge, was running for 24 hours with a 42 kg. fridge on his back. He was running for charity and he wants to show that normal people can do incredible things. It didn’t look really healthy, but respect for his performance.
Coming weekend two friend are coming over to experience what it is to be a Geordie. Tickets for Newcastle United FC – Liverpool FC are already sorted, so beside Krul and Anita St. James Park can welcome three other Dutch guys. I’m looking forward to an amazing weekend.
I keep you posted.
Cheers,
T-man
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23 April 2013 - 06:30
Sander:
Keep up the good work!
Good luck ;)
Sander -
23 April 2013 - 08:55
Sander S.:
Ha Tjerk, mooi verhaal weer, ik blijf ze volgen! Doet me denken aan die film waar een man met een koelkast door Ierland reist, was jij er toen ook bij toen we die bij mij hadden gekeken? Goed om te horen dat het goed gaat in ieder geval, binnenkort weer een mooie publicatie van Zult (et al.)? ;)
Succes daar en nog veel plezier in the mushroom haha!
Groeten,
Sander (een andere als die hierboven) -
23 April 2013 - 09:32
Laurens:
Het is toch wat dat je collega's je nu al moeten hebben met je wedstrijdresultaten. Heb je te vaak lopen opscheppen op je kantoor, of vinden ze het gewoon leuk om je zo nog wat extra druk op te leggen? ;-)
Maar ziet er goed allemaal verder! Ga zo door!
De groete,
Laurens
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23 April 2013 - 10:46
Wouter:
Klinkt goed man, gaaf!
Succes:) en veel plezier komend weekend bij de match, zonder Suarez gok ik zo! -
25 April 2013 - 00:16
Tjerk Zult:
Thanks guys! Opscheppen wil het niet noemen Laurens, maar het is meer een vorm van gezonde zelf overschatting (zoals wel vaker bij mij het geval is). Kan me geen film herinneren waar een man met een koelkast de hoofdrol speelt Sander, maar klinkt als een grappig verhaal. Begin mei verschijnt er waarschijnlijk een artikel waarvan ik 2de auteur ben, dus helaas geen Zult et al. dit keer :(
En 10 wedstrijden schorsing voor Suarez! Die gaan we dit seizoen dus niet meer in actie zien...
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