#005SS Sleep Is Your Superpower
Everyone seems to be talking about the impact of their poor sleep. This is a regular topic at our track workouts. It turns out that getting older does affect the quality of sleep, so you have a handy excuse for complaining.
However, you can make it better! Does this require self-regulation and attention to detail? Yes, just like track workouts require an effort, and living your life successfully requires attention to detail. If you accept that premise, you would be inclined to agree that sleeping well is another success in your life’s positive direction.
Now you are thinking: OK, what do you suggest? I am going to give you a process, not because I am a sleep expert, but instead because I listen to the best experts, and so can you.
The best-selling author of Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker, PhD, made a persuasive TED talk illustrating why we should care about sleep. If you need motivation, click on the YouTube link to the “sleep is your superpower” talk below. It’s only 19 minutes long.
TED Talk: Sleep Is Your Superpower – Matthew Walker, PhD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MuIMqhT8DM
But wait – there’s more! Below is a six-part series of podcasts in which Dr. Andrew Huberman hosts Dr. Walker for a comprehensive display of remarkable knowledge about the power and science of sleep. For some, perhaps, this is the mental equivalent of uphill running, but for me it was immersive and fascinating. It changed my sleep habits for the better in demonstrable fashion.
Yes, it’s 14-plus hours of attentive listening. That’s a small price tag for an education from two renowned neuroscientists. Find the time if you want real knowledge of the magic of sleep and how to make yours better!
The links below will take you to the YouTube versions. These lectures are also available in audio format from various podcast channels, such as Apple Podcasts. I listened to much of this material over headphones in a relaxed eyes-closed position.
YouTube podcasts: Andrew Huberman PhD + Matt Walker PhD
Episode 1 – The Biology of Sleep and Your Unique Sleep Needs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OBCwiPPfEU
Episode 2 – Protocols to Improve Your Sleep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvPGfcAgk9Y
Episode 3 – How to Structure Your Sleep, Use Naps, and Time Caffeine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F_RBc1akC8
Episode 4 – Using Sleep to Improve Learning, Creativity and Memory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9KrZd_-ge0
Episode 5 – Improve Sleep to Boost Mood & Emotional Regulation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_SrHS8FvMM
Episode 6 – The Science of Dreams, Nightmares and Lucid Dreaming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy4rJcYmtUM
--Coach Rick Riddle
However, you can make it better! Does this require self-regulation and attention to detail? Yes, just like track workouts require an effort, and living your life successfully requires attention to detail. If you accept that premise, you would be inclined to agree that sleeping well is another success in your life’s positive direction.
Now you are thinking: OK, what do you suggest? I am going to give you a process, not because I am a sleep expert, but instead because I listen to the best experts, and so can you.
The best-selling author of Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker, PhD, made a persuasive TED talk illustrating why we should care about sleep. If you need motivation, click on the YouTube link to the “sleep is your superpower” talk below. It’s only 19 minutes long.
TED Talk: Sleep Is Your Superpower – Matthew Walker, PhD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MuIMqhT8DM
But wait – there’s more! Below is a six-part series of podcasts in which Dr. Andrew Huberman hosts Dr. Walker for a comprehensive display of remarkable knowledge about the power and science of sleep. For some, perhaps, this is the mental equivalent of uphill running, but for me it was immersive and fascinating. It changed my sleep habits for the better in demonstrable fashion.
Yes, it’s 14-plus hours of attentive listening. That’s a small price tag for an education from two renowned neuroscientists. Find the time if you want real knowledge of the magic of sleep and how to make yours better!
The links below will take you to the YouTube versions. These lectures are also available in audio format from various podcast channels, such as Apple Podcasts. I listened to much of this material over headphones in a relaxed eyes-closed position.
YouTube podcasts: Andrew Huberman PhD + Matt Walker PhD
Episode 1 – The Biology of Sleep and Your Unique Sleep Needs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OBCwiPPfEU
Episode 2 – Protocols to Improve Your Sleep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvPGfcAgk9Y
Episode 3 – How to Structure Your Sleep, Use Naps, and Time Caffeine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F_RBc1akC8
Episode 4 – Using Sleep to Improve Learning, Creativity and Memory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9KrZd_-ge0
Episode 5 – Improve Sleep to Boost Mood & Emotional Regulation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_SrHS8FvMM
Episode 6 – The Science of Dreams, Nightmares and Lucid Dreaming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy4rJcYmtUM
--Coach Rick Riddle
#004SS The No. 1 Antidote to Aging -- from Big Think
I chose this video because it addresses the intricate subject of healthspan v lifespan. It’s a comprehensive topic presented in a simplified way.
You will learn about the valuable contribution of physical movement to the health of your brain and body. This information also acknowledges how our challenging workout schemes on the track are designed to make you a healthier and better you!
To watch “The No. 1 Antidote to Aging,” click here.
--Coach Rick Riddle
You will learn about the valuable contribution of physical movement to the health of your brain and body. This information also acknowledges how our challenging workout schemes on the track are designed to make you a healthier and better you!
To watch “The No. 1 Antidote to Aging,” click here.
--Coach Rick Riddle
#003SS The Norwegian Method
Looking for ways to improve sports performance often leads me into “sciency stuff” exploration. For example, from a current podcast interview I learned about Olav Aleksander Bu – the long moniker of a famed Norwegian triathlon coach and scientist. I have now listened to multiple hours of Olav Bu discussing the training techniques he uses in coaching two Norwegian world and Olympic champion triathletes.
Oh yes, it’s VERY sciency stuff! That’s OK, because I find it fascinating. If it’s not your cup of tea, no worries – I’m giving you two highlights on how his work can help you train for track and field events. There’s also a link to the full podcast so you can listen to him extensively if you wish. The depth of his knowledge and the broad scope of applications of his data is stunning. We should all have a brain of this capability.
Highlight 1 Data-gathering devices are available in a wearable form. There’s even a portable mask worn while running that provides VO2 max values. Data from these devices can be very useful when gauging your training performance and advancements.
I wear a Whoop device that gives me an abundance of data around the clock. Presently, Bonnie, Curtis, George and I are involved in a year-long training experiment. You have likely seen us chasing one another around the track in the past 3 months. Typically, we compare our pre-run HRV scores. What is HRV? That’s some homework for you. The first person to say “OK, but all four of you are nerds!” will be assigned to permanent gate duty. The second person will be punished more harshly. Anyway, we already know we’re nerdy.
Highlight 2 Bu’s research has revealed important data about the value of efficiency in movement, whether it’s sprinting, distance running, cycling, swimming, golf, and so on. Over and over, he provides data that supports this fact. Why is efficiency so important? Because inefficient movement or positions are a biomechanical and a biochemical drag on performance. Inefficiency always hurts and never helps, no matter your fitness level. Simple concept. Testing against multiple variables proves it beyond any doubt. I will be slipping this into my training conversations with you.
This video provides an insider look at the Norwegian laboratory, with many data-gathering devices and techniques necessary to modify an athlete’s training. To see the Norwegian laboratory in action, go here: The Norwegian Laboratory
For a longer conversation with the remarkable Olav Aleksander Bu, go here: Longer Conversation
--Coach Rick Riddle
Oh yes, it’s VERY sciency stuff! That’s OK, because I find it fascinating. If it’s not your cup of tea, no worries – I’m giving you two highlights on how his work can help you train for track and field events. There’s also a link to the full podcast so you can listen to him extensively if you wish. The depth of his knowledge and the broad scope of applications of his data is stunning. We should all have a brain of this capability.
Highlight 1 Data-gathering devices are available in a wearable form. There’s even a portable mask worn while running that provides VO2 max values. Data from these devices can be very useful when gauging your training performance and advancements.
I wear a Whoop device that gives me an abundance of data around the clock. Presently, Bonnie, Curtis, George and I are involved in a year-long training experiment. You have likely seen us chasing one another around the track in the past 3 months. Typically, we compare our pre-run HRV scores. What is HRV? That’s some homework for you. The first person to say “OK, but all four of you are nerds!” will be assigned to permanent gate duty. The second person will be punished more harshly. Anyway, we already know we’re nerdy.
Highlight 2 Bu’s research has revealed important data about the value of efficiency in movement, whether it’s sprinting, distance running, cycling, swimming, golf, and so on. Over and over, he provides data that supports this fact. Why is efficiency so important? Because inefficient movement or positions are a biomechanical and a biochemical drag on performance. Inefficiency always hurts and never helps, no matter your fitness level. Simple concept. Testing against multiple variables proves it beyond any doubt. I will be slipping this into my training conversations with you.
This video provides an insider look at the Norwegian laboratory, with many data-gathering devices and techniques necessary to modify an athlete’s training. To see the Norwegian laboratory in action, go here: The Norwegian Laboratory
For a longer conversation with the remarkable Olav Aleksander Bu, go here: Longer Conversation
--Coach Rick Riddle
#002SS Build muscle to keep living the good life
How about a Sciency Stuff discussion from one of the world’s leading exercise physiologists? In this video (see link below), Andy Galpin discusses how to gain muscle. You might wonder why that’s so important. Or you may be thinking I’m not a bodybuilder.
Unfortunately, neglect of muscle development is evident among many aging Americans. The medical term for this decline is sarcopenia: an age-related, involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. It’s a major factor in increased frailty, falls and fractures that can lead to hospitalization, surgery, serious complications, and death.
The old saying “Use it or lose it” holds the key to fending off sarcopenia. Maintaining muscle mass and strength enables you to keep living your idea of the good life, whether it’s carrying an armload of fresh produce from the farmers market, hiking the hills of Sedona, or hoisting your golf bag from the trunk.
Andy describes key principles of muscle workouts. Here are several timing markers in the video for impatient viewers:
8:15 – Fast twitch fiber and its implications for aging well
17:15 – Strength and grandchildren
20:20 – Hopscotch, jump rope, running and triple extension
21:25 – Why Andy loves sprinting for seniors
--Coach Rick Riddle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH68Rik07FE
Unfortunately, neglect of muscle development is evident among many aging Americans. The medical term for this decline is sarcopenia: an age-related, involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. It’s a major factor in increased frailty, falls and fractures that can lead to hospitalization, surgery, serious complications, and death.
The old saying “Use it or lose it” holds the key to fending off sarcopenia. Maintaining muscle mass and strength enables you to keep living your idea of the good life, whether it’s carrying an armload of fresh produce from the farmers market, hiking the hills of Sedona, or hoisting your golf bag from the trunk.
Andy describes key principles of muscle workouts. Here are several timing markers in the video for impatient viewers:
8:15 – Fast twitch fiber and its implications for aging well
17:15 – Strength and grandchildren
20:20 – Hopscotch, jump rope, running and triple extension
21:25 – Why Andy loves sprinting for seniors
--Coach Rick Riddle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH68Rik07FE
#001SS Why to pay attention to your health span (and what happens if you don't)
This video (see link below) overflows with valuable information about increasing our health span. Conversely, it also highlights scary research statistics plus negative habits that can lead to frailty and shortened health span.
The video is condensed to 8.46 minutes from the original lengthy version. It features Peter Attia, MD, an acknowledged expert in longevity, being interviewed by Jordan Peterson. Both men have extensive backgrounds and leadership credentials in their respective fields. If you get a chance, look them up online.
--Coach Rick Riddle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c1GX_jCoOc
The video is condensed to 8.46 minutes from the original lengthy version. It features Peter Attia, MD, an acknowledged expert in longevity, being interviewed by Jordan Peterson. Both men have extensive backgrounds and leadership credentials in their respective fields. If you get a chance, look them up online.
--Coach Rick Riddle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c1GX_jCoOc