The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-345 – Wilson Horrell – Lift Heavy Run Long
(Audio: link)
[audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4345.mp3]
Link epi4345.mp3
MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks – http://www.marathonbq.com/qualify-for-the-boston-marathon-in-14-weeks/
Hello my friends and welcome to episode 4-345 of the RunRunLive Podcast. We’ve got a full agenda for today – so I won’t babble on too much. I’ve got an interview for you with Wilson Horrell from lift heavy-run-long who has a fascinating and educational back story.
I had done an interview with Josh LaJunie who is an ultra running vegan from New Orleans – but I messed up the recording and I figured we just had a vegan last episode. The eat vegan on $4 a day got a lot of feedback. Some folks were very enthusiastic about Ellen’s message, some were less enthusiastic and wanted me to balance that out with some fat-adaptive athletes. Which I will at some point.
My personal opinion is that nutrition is quite specific to the individual and you need to find what works for you. That process may involve some coaching but keep an open mind. As athletes we have the added wrinkle of our performance to think about.
I’m also going to treat you to my Eagle Creek Marathon race report, but true to form it came out so long that’s all I’m going to be able to fit into this episode. So I’ll put the interview up front and the race report on the back and we’ll call it a day!
Since I’m pretty sure I’m going to run long I’ll cut my comments short.
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Just a quick sentiment …
On Plateaus…https://runrunlive.com/on-plateaus
One of the interesting asides in the book I read last week about memory was a short bit on what to do when you practice something but hit a plateau. I think we all know this works. Initially when you learn a new discipline, whether an exercise routine or really, anything new it your learning follows the same basic arc.
Initially it’s hard and you learn slowly. Then you hit a stretch of rapid improvement. Eventually you plateau. And then you’re stuck. You push harder, you practice more hours, but you’re stuck.
The example they use is typing. Most typists get to a certain point and don’t get any faster. They get to the ‘good enough’ plateau.
How do you get unstuck? How do you get through the plateau?
Science shows 3 things that you can do, or at least try. Mindset, discomfort and approach. .”
The first one is mindset. When you reach that ‘good-enough’ plateau you self-talk yourself into being as good as you’re going to get. Your mind says, “Well, since I’m not getting better anymore I must be at the top end of my ability.” Like everything else once we let our minds tell that story, we internalize it and it manifests.
Like your parents and coaches always told you “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way you’re right!” You have to fix your mindset. The people who break through performance plateaus essentially don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
I’ll give you an example from my book on how to qualify for the Boston marathon. When I talk to runners about running a qualifying time they will invariably say “I could never do that!” I always ask a dumb question – “Why not?” If you reframe your mindset then the question becomes “How do I?” instead of “I can’t” – sometimes it’s as simple as making that mental switch.
The next that has proved to be effective in breaking through plateaus is to force yourself you’re your discomfort zone. In the typing example this would mean forcing yourself to type at a faster rate even though you are making more mistakes. Even if you fail a lot – you assume the higher level of performance and hang in there until the plateau is broken.
The key here is you have to really push to spend time in a place where you will most certainly fail consistently at first. Embracing the failure is part of the key to breaking the plateau. Starting at a higher level of performance and sticking with it until you catch up is the other part. Both are very uncomfortable.
The marathon qualification example is to start with the training paces you need to run to qualify. Even though at first you won’t be able to maintain them. It will hurt and you will fail. If you stick with it you can find a new level of performance.
Getting yourself to perform above the comfort zone (plateau) works hand in hand with the mindset of believing you can do it.
Lastly, when you think you can do it, and you force yourself out of your comfort zone into the failure zone you will be forced to find new approaches. In a sense you can’t operate at that level and it forces you to abandon your existing approach and try approaches that support that higher level of performance.
You will find the consistent areas where you are making mistakes – the failure points. Just like lowering the water level reveals the rocks, upping your forced performance reveals your weaknesses. Then you can devise focused practice to fix these failure points and enable the new level. It’s a virtuous cycle.
When you get to the point of re-evaluating your approach a coach or an expert can be a big plus. They have seen those mistake patterns before and can help you fix them faster.
In the typing example, maybe you find that when you speed up you consistently miss the ‘b’ key or the semi-colon. You can devise exercises that focus on those. Or maybe switch to a Dvorak keyboard layout to totally change the approach.
In the qualification example forcing yourself to run those faster-than-comfortable 1600 repeats will reveal flaws in your form and mechanics. A coach might quickly help you fix it. Either way you’ll quickly realize you can’t run on your heels and hold those paces.
There you go – simple way to break through a plateau. Give it a try.
On with the show.
Section one –
Voices of reason – the conversation
Wilson “BeefCake” Horrell
Hey Chris,
My name is Wilson Horrell, sometimes referred to as “Beefcake”, and I am a 39 year old, married, father of 2 children (ages 10 & 7). I am a raging drug addict and alcoholic, who after years of living and unhealthy life and blowing through a $2 million dollar windfall, found running, CrossFit, and people to be my new addiction, as I sobered up and began the process of picking up the pieces.
I started running 5k’s as an effort to stop smoking and lose some weight. I found a community of trail runners who welcomed, not only me as a person, but were also open to my slow pace. My love of the trail came about immediately, as I enjoyed the lack of pounding that the soft dirt placed on my over-sized body. I heard about Lift Heavy Run Long’s 50mile &400 Deadlift club. I set my sights on this, and ran various distances until this goal was achieved. Since I started on my fitness journey in 2013, I have participated in numerous CrossFit events, some obstacle races, a couple of marathons, a handful of 50k’s, and a 50-miler last November. I am registered for the Tour D’ Spirit 24-Hour Race in Memphis, TN on Sept 30-Oct. 1
I am an incredibly average runner, as well as average athlete. I enjoy the endurance sports, as I like spending long periods of time in introspection. I like the slower paced events, and enjoy listening to the internal struggle that exists between the body and the brain.
I do not take for granted the role that people in the running community, combined with the CrossFit community, played in saving my life, and providing me with happiness. I became a partner in Lift Heavy Run Long, LLC last December because I wanted a challenge and purpose. Our goal is to build as large and strong of a community as possible for those who enjoy an active lifestyle. We want to encourage the people in the fitness community, but also welcome the people who are struggling to make the decision to change their life through fitness. I know first-hand, how scary and intimidating it can be to sign up for that first race, or first fitness class. We want to help people who are struggling to take that first step.
I love positivity, and I love being inspired. I have found that running and lifting provides a multitude of opportunities to connect with other people and be of service.
I have a blog, which started as fitness journal, but has since turned into an almost daily rambling of all of the craziness that goes through my oddly designed brain. Von and I also started a podcast, where we are trying to find some of the world’s most inspirational people, who are leading lives of fulfillment through following their bliss.
Back Squat 325lbs
Push Press 250lbs
Front Squat 240lbs
Deadlift 415lbs
Fastest 5k 26:20
Fastest 10k 54:36
Sylamore 50K 2015. Finished Dead Last, but was robbed of this title because they grouped the final three of us in alphabetical order 10:22
Stanky Creek 50K 2015 7:30
Tunnel Hill 50miler 14:52 Didn’t finish dead last, but with enough perseverance, I can get there.
Section two
Eagle Creek Trail Marathon – https://runrunlive.com/running-through-the-woods-in-indy
Outro
Well my friends you pulled the one arm bandit’s handle, hit the progressive jackpot, won the car and wheelbarrows full of shiny golden coins that are at the end of Episode 4-345 of the RunRunLive Podcast. (Really had to work that one didn’t I?)
I’ll keep this quick. I’ve got a lot of projects going on in parallel this month.
Next up is the Wapack Trail race on September 4th. I expect some of you to come up and run this with me. Or just come up and volunteer. It’s an out-and-back course so you can do as much or as little as you like.
Then in September I’ll be doing that Spartan race and if all goes well I’ll be interviewing Joe the owner for the next episode.
Then I’ll be gunning for the Portland Marathon in October with coach – which actually has some significance because I am aging up another 10 minutes for my Boston Qualification time for 2018.
Then of course we have to decide if we’re going to do the Groton Marathon at Christmas again. This would be our fourth outing and I was thinking about opening it up to the 50-staters and the Marathon Maniacs.
In the meantime I’m working on my next book and speaking project. And, oh yeah, working full time, traveling and now that my kids are out of college, seeing if we can fix up the house, consolidate our finances and, what the heck, work on my marriage.
In order to support this swarm of ill-conceived projects I’m going to have to get healthy and find some creative time. So I’ve kicked off a project in August to get healthy. This includes cleaning up my nutrition, no more alcohol and getting up a 5:00AM every day. I’m two days into it.
I’m going to make a short video every day when I get up to document it and I’ll see if I can get those up on my YouTube Channel ‘cyktrussell’and on the RunRunLive website. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to see my burry-eyed, discombobulated 5AM apparition, but I’m doing it for accountability.
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When I was hanging out with my sister Lou this weekend she was telling me about a crime data study she had seen. Basically all the crime data for cities is publically available so institutions have taken to turning the methods of big data loose on it to see if they can learn anything.
It seems one of the things they found, not unexpectedly, was that certain areas of the cities were hot zones for crime. But they also saw something that they couldn’t explain. Within these hot spots were small bubbles that were crime free. There were oases of peace in the worst parts of the city.
When they looked to see why and what caused these bubbles they consistently found that it was due to one person in that neighborhood. That person ran a gym or a business and kept the kids off the street. That single person created a clearing for peace to manifest.
One person made that happen.
One person made a difference in their neighborhood.
One person created a bubble of love in the rip tide of hate.
You can be that person.
Be the person your dog thinks you are and I’ll see you out there.
MarathonBQ – How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 Weeks – http://www.marathonbq.com/qualify-for-the-boston-marathon-in-14-weeks/