Running 101 - Understanding Energy Sources

Energy source

Having a basic understanding of the energy source that the body uses during long runs will help understands the basic behind long distance running fueling.

Carbohydrate / Fat

As the muscle contracts energy is provided to support the action. The body has different sources of energy: glycogen, carbohydrate, fat and protein. The difference between each source is how difficult  is to convert it from its state into energy to be supplied to the muscle.

From a “complexity” point of view, glycogen conversion to energy is more straightforward than carbohydrate, and these two than fat.

On the other hand, the availability of stored energy as fat is higher than carbohydrates.

From a long distance running point of view we focus on carbohydrates and fat.

In addition, it is important to understand that all these sources are used “simultaneously” and depending on the exercise intensity, duration and training one may be used more than the rest.

Below you can see an extract from O'NEIL, T. et al. (2001) Indoor Rowing Training Guide. Concept 2 Ltd where he highlights how the energy source change with intensity and the duration of exercise.

Key points from this table:

-          If you want to lose weight, you have to run slow

-          Training for performance (high effort levels) and training to lose weight at the same time is not possible, you need to decide what is your training goal

Disclaimer: As expressed on the blog description I used this media to summarize my research on subjects of personal interest. By no means I claim that the information shared is expert advice on every subject but my own personal conclusion after reading / listening those that claim to be experts.

 

Running 101 - Hydration

This posting provides basic information for determining your proper hydration needs and strategy. As with all running related recommendations there are no fixed rules; everything depends on each individual athlete.

Before introducing recommendations on running hydration, it is important to remember:

1. It is unwise to seek weight loss through body fluid loss.
2. Hydration needs are dependent on each person’s specific physiology, weather conditions, and training intensity and duration.
3. While we are all familiar with the concept of dehydration, hyponatremia is the other side of the coin. Too much liquid ingestion can cause an electrolyte imbalance, creating a life threatening condition.

DEHYDRATION

Dehydration is the loss of fluids and salts essential to maintain normal body function. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluids than it takes in.

HYPONATREMIA

1. Over ingestion of liquid can cause hyponatremia. This risk increases in novice runners whose marathon time is over 4 hours. Novice runners are prone to ingest more liquid than faster runners, and their slower speed facilitates liquid ingestion.
2. Time- or distance-based approaches to hydration (drink x amount of liquid per hour / every ten miles) does not considers the specific condition of your run or your hydration status when you start exercise.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATION

a) If you are a novice runner: Aim to minimize weight loss (1-3% of body weight) during a bout of exercise your exercise

1. In the recommended readings, you can find the USTAF guidelines for calculating your suggested liquid ingestion based on sweat rate
2. Most recommendations aim at zero weight loss from body fluid during a race or training session; this implies same weight before and after racing or training. However, not all body fluid lost impacts dehydration. The body “combusts” carbohydrates and in the process produces water. This water evaporates through sweat causing acceptable weight loss.

b) If you are an experienced runner, learn to drink according to your thirst

1. The main objective is to drink as your body “requests” fluids through your thirst (ad libitum). In the past the recommendation has been to drink before thirst appeared or drink as much as you can

A key part of your training is to understand your hydration needs, but in order to hydrate you need to have access to liquid.  So, we recommend that you carry your own liquids when you run.

Additional sources
Podcast:

• Interview with Dr. Tim Noakes: Hydration, The Role of the Brain in Racing, and His Latest Findings on Carbohydrates for Runners

Recommended reading:

• Proper Hydration for Distance Running- Identifying Individual Fluid Needs – A USA TRACK & FIELD Advisory
• IMMDA ADVISORY STATEMENT ON GUIDELINES FOR FLUID REPLACEMENT DURING MARATHON RUNNING Written by Tim Noakes MBChB, MD, FACSM
•    Opposite to general belief, there are no reported cases of dehydration causing death (Marathoners Warned About Too Much Water ,NYT October 20, 2005)
• Experts debate dehydration finding in Chicago Marathon death

Disclaimer: As expressed on the blog description I used this media to summarize my research on subjects of interests. By no means I claim that the information shared is expert advice on every subject but my own personal conclusion after reading / listening those that claim to be experts.

Would You Rather be Revolutionary or Evolutionary? - Jeff Stibel - Harvard Business Review

Revolutionary and Evolutionay innovations are required in business, the second one cannot happen without the first one.
This is a short article reviewing both kinds and putting things in perspective. It is interesting the take on some of Apple products, while many consider the iphone or iTunes revolutionary, I agree with the writter when he considers them as evolutionay innovaitons.

Would You Rather be Revolutionary or Evolutionary? - Jeff Stibel - Harvard Business Review

Disruptive Innovation: Strategic Advantage or Distraction

It is difficult to read a book on business strategy that does not make a strong remark about the need for companies to innovate.
Innovation, either in the form of new products, services or business model is identified as a key source of sustainable competitive advantage.

However, innovation comes in different flavors and unless you have a clear objective, it may turn into a black hole of resources with no clear return on investment.

In the next couple of paragraphs I will focus on product innovation.
Two clear different groups are used to classify product innovation: incremental vs disruptive.

There is common agreement into this classification:

- Incremental innovation on a product extends its life cycle and may add new features that will allow it to remain competitive in the market. Within the company product portfolio it may achieve sales growth slightly above company average for a couple of years.

- Disruptive innovation usually involves the introduction of a new product or service that provides access to a new segment, creates one or has such competitive advantage that turns competition obsolete. If successful it should deliver growth several times faster than company average and unless there is cannibalization on an older product line, it should all be incremental business.

If we look at the risk associated with the development of innovative products, incremental innovation poses lower risk as it is usually within the market space that the company already knows and uses resources that are within the company value network (third party engineering, suppliers, etc)

On the other hand, disruptive technology risks are more difficult to evaluate. It is general unclear if these innovative products will deliver the performance required, address market needs or be accepted by customers.

Being able to do an objective assessment of a new technology potential becomes critical in the way organizations judge and prioritize investments. But market research on disruptive products is very difficult to get and marketing organizations are not familiar or do not look through the correct lenses to understand the value created.
Much has been written on real options about financially assessing innovation, but unless your company has gone through the experience many times it is difficult to price the different possible outcomes. Furthermore, sales volume on this kind of technologies is difficult to quantify and the whole exercise loose credibility as a consequence.

So,

Should disruptive innovation come from within, should it be done in an organization isolated from the rest or should they be acquired?

For those that have been working in technology related companies will agree that is not enough to have good ideas. You need an organization in place to make it happen. Without the proper engineering, marketing and sales organization in place those ideas will never turn into dollars. On the other hand, as described in Innovator's Dilemma, disruptive technologies may require an independent organization to make it successful. Organizations that have been successful with certain technologies may steer a disruptive technology too hard into the wrong direction.

How do you handle the risk of disruptive technologies?

Everyday companies are created and destroyed in a competitive market environment. The market, through angel investors and venture capitals, funds efficiently this natural selection of new ideas. As financial theory goes, through a portfolio of disruptive technologies, investors diversified their risk.

But what happen with this risk if you try to drive radical innovation within your company. With limited resources there are so many projects that you can target.

Disruptive Innovation is an unquestionable source of long term growth. However, most of our organizations are not properly set to drive it from within. Management skills and capabilities to "execute" disruptive innovation is not the same as the one required for incremental innovations. Trying to execute a strategy without the right organization capabilities rearely deliver results.

Daniel

The disconnect between strategy and execution

This is an interesting article from another blog.
From my point of view it comes down to how much involvement have those that will eventually be responsible for execution. I keep seeing a disconnect between organization capabilities and strategic planning goals. You can set challenging goals in your strategy but if they are unattainable the organization will keep doing what it has always done.

The disconnect between strategy and execution

The Dow/Gold Ratio Will Decline Further

The Dow/Gold Ratio Will Decline Further

10 Things to remember before I start my own business

Excellent recomendations

1. Everything takes longer and costs more than you think. Everything.
2. Be positive. Always. It will get you through the worst of days and make everyone around you eager to work with you, buy from you or be around you.
3. This isn’t school or a 9-5 job. No one will tell you when to show up, what to do, what leads to call, when your assignment is due by and when the meeting is. You create your own future. If you survive the initial adjustment, you will emerge a more self-reliant and independent version of yourself and, no matter what the economic condition, no one can take that your ability to create something from nothing from you.
4. Who you are outside your business is who you are in your business. People don’t flick a switch and become different people when they leave their house to their business.
   Consider this carefully when you hire employees or partner with someone.
5. The only financial metric you need to know if you hate numbers- how much money is in the bank? If this increases month after month (assuming you are paying your taxes), don’t sweat the other numbers (a lesson equally applicable to personal finance).
6. Find a group of like-minded business owners to surround yourself with to exchange best practices, expand your network and, most of all, to overcome that prevailing sense of loneliness all owner-managers get from time to time.
7. Consultants make everything sound harder than it should and the internet make everything sound easier than it is. Be leery of someone who graduated from school and immediately became a consultant; it is like yearning to be a politician from a young age; do you really trust someone one wants to tell others what to do without necessarily having any experience to do or, more importantly, having to bear the responsibility for their decisions? If you are looking for a good mentor/advisor, find someone who failed a lot and then succeeded.
8. You can never spend too much on good employees. By spend, I don’t just mean money. I mean spending time, training and a bit of yourself with your employees.
9. The internet is the best and worst thing to happen to business. The internet has allowed business to open up new markets and expand a business’ reach on a low cost basis. The worst by making us forget one of the most important lessons in business: people buy from people. I have so many deals go sideways until the parties meet in a room and look the other person in the eye.
10. Being a business owner is addictive. Your income may be unpredictable, you have too many responsibilities, the hours are sometimes insane but giving that all up so you can work at a job doesn’t seem remotely an attractive option.