okansas.blogspot.com
Occassional thoughts about orienteering


Tuesday, January 09, 2007

The science (or art?) of training?

 

From an article about the Canadian exercise scientist, orienteer, adventure racer, runner, etc., Mark Tarnopolsky:

"There's a real disconnect between my research and my training," he says, now in training for a winter triathlon and a winter adventure race.

"My training is more Zen."

He raves about how, from his Westdale home, he can instantly find great trails to run. He never wears a heart rate monitor and complains about a friend who convinced him to buy one.

He doesn't keep a training log, he doesn't follow a specific annual training plan, so he's basically the antithesis of what most coaches would want.

...

"I run based on how I feel, always in the woods, I always look for something that's aesthetic, something I enjoy," says Tarnopolsky, busy as a doctor, a researcher and an associate professor in medicine and pediatrics.


I guess you could summarize Tarnopolsky's quotes by saying that training (at least his training) is more art than science; more management than engineering.

Tarnopolsky was the surprise (for me) at last January's Hamilton Training Camp. His talk on nutrition was very interesting - a good mix of science and pratical advice.

By the way, you can read the entire article at the Hamilton Spectator. Thanks to Matthew for sending me the link.


Back to okansas.blogspot.com.

posted by Michael | 5:05 PM

1 comments


Comments:
There is probably nobody in the orienteering/adventure racing World that has the combined exercise science, muscle, nutrition etc. knowledge and race experience than Tarnopolsky.

He operates one of the World's top exercise, muscle and nutrition labs, cranking out over 20 top publications a year. When the World Cycling Champs were in Hamilton in 2003 it was his lab that hosted the nutrition symposium.

Based at McMaster University in Hamilton his lab is a stone's throw to some of the best orienteering and trail running in Ontario (and site of the 2006 NAOC Sprint Champs).

If I was a young and keen student interested in exercise physiology, nutrition, biochemistry, etc. but also wanted to do lots of training for orienteering or adventure racing or trail running then I'd be applying to do graduate work with Dr. Tarnopolsky.

I've been very lucky to have had Dr. Tarnopolsky as a training partner for over 20 years now.
 
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