Red Hook, NY - We are competing in a curious time. It seems as if the higher echelons of our sport are competing against the traditional paths. While one of our harriers going pro is still the outlier, our top female harrier this year is coming off of homeschooling through her middle school years. In addition, our top male harrier has been competing for the club team Rolling Thunder since he was eight years old. And finally, the state's next rising talent, has been running CYO meets for years, coached by her father.
So does this mean that High School coaching is dead? Not even close. But it does raise some questions. Questions that have been raised before, when another Home Schooled athlete was the talk of the town. In 2005, Josh McDougal captured just about all the long distance state records, culminating with a 8:48.11 for the 3200y, and a 14:07.55 for an on-track 5000m run. Now almost ten years later, the questions come back.
In 2005, one parent set out to answer those questions, submitting to TullyRunners an article entitled, "Josh McDougal is a Perfect Example of What is Wrong With High School Track." The parent's name was John Raucci, a father with two son's running for Red Hook High School. Over the next season, we will be re-releasing his original articles, which almost a decade later, prove fascinating. You can note, that some of the ideas are a bit dated, but some of the things are spot on, before they came to be the accepted standard. I hope you enjoy the article as much as we have.
Josh McDougal is a Perfect Example of What is Wrong With High School Track
by John Raucci
I was at the Albany First Night Run where my two sons Joe and Dave ran. After the race, two Bethlehem High cross country and track graduates, Pat Shaffer and Evan Savage, came up to me and started conversing. Both were injured and unable to run in their freshman year of college throughout Cross Country and now into their Indoor Track seasons. Pat, at that time, told me something that went through me like a knife. He said, "Josh McDougal is the perfect example of what is wrong with High School Track". I assumed he meant that, the High School system by which we train and compete, is flawed and ends up in the destruction of many kids' careers - especially the more elite runners. I train the kids at Red Hook and some from Rhinebeck in the off-season, and I have been doing so for the past 5 years, and I knew that Pat was correct. Now, Josh is beating people who were ahead of him two and three years ago by 2+ minutes. Recently, he defeated Alan Webb and came within seconds of Tim Broe in a nationally acclaimed 4K race. He has been relatively injury free although not entirely, but far better than the non-home-schooled kids. He seems to improve gracefully whereas many others seem to grapple with injury and/or settle for small performance gains. That at least appears to be the trend.
I decided that night that I must write this article as an offering to all runners, coaches, and parents of runners in New York. The purpose of this article is to make us conscious of issues that are at the moment a blip on the screen - those issues that I believe lay behind Pat's statement. This article is not written in conjunction with anyone else including Josh, nor is it endorsed by anyone at the moment. It is simply a compilation of my own thoughts, experience, and research over the past five years. Long distance runners are of a special breed. They work hard, and receive little recognition.
I live an hour south of Albany. On the three local news stations, there are consistent and daily videotape highlights of football and basketball. It took the Saratoga girls to win a National Cross Country Championship to squeeze out 10 seconds on the Nightly News - the only 10 seconds devoted to running that I saw all Fall. How much work did it take to win that championship? How many hours day and night, winter and summer, did those girls train on those lonely upstate roads? I bet one could not count the investment, the dedication. If such athletes cannot be given recognition at least in relation to their effort, I believe they should be given good information, the kind of information that will help them reach their potential. It is in that spirit that I write this article.
As I see it, there are five problems with the way we train our runners, not only in New York, but also throughout the nation. None of the five are easy to correct because running, like so much else, is encumbered by cultural standards that not only impede progress, but also lead us to sickness and injury. The five problems thrive because of our culture. In any case, bringing the five to light is a first step to health and realization of potential. The five are as follows: the problem of running shoes, the problem of breathing, the problem of anaerobic activity, the problem of nutrition, and the problem of mind/body integration.
Part 1: If the Shoe Fits - Beware of It
Part 2: Hold Your Breath
Five years ago, my son David as an eighth-grader began running on the Red Hook Varsity. In his first track season, he developed pneumonia a month into the season. In his second year on the track team as a freshman, his body broke down midway into the track season, and his performances worsened dramatically as the season proceeded. In seeking answers as to why David was having difficulty in track, I was told that very simply, he was a victim of overtraining. That might have made sense except for the fact that Coach Rafferty, by his own admission, tended towards undertraining - an idea I would come more to appreciate as time went on. As I pressed further, the trail led to a strange place. I concluded that David was breathing improperly. The problem there was that David's method of breathing was essentially no different than anyone else's - through the mouth, and into the upper chest for the most part, and about 45 breaths per minute in a competitive race. Yet, I became certain that that was the problem. Needless to say, my conclusion drew little support from any within the running community here, and it got me a lot of funny looks.
There is nothing more natural than breathing, so much so that we do not think about it. And, when we have been breathing a certain way for a long time, we prefer not to think about it. Yet, as a society, we tend to breathe incorrectly, and nowhere is this more pronounced, and with clearly negative consequences, than in the arena of Track and Field.
If we observe a newborn, we notice that breathing occurs deeply, and in and out through the nose. If we observe the animal kingdom, we see that likewise breathing occurs in and out through the nose. Even mighty racehorses that run like the wind breathe through the nose. If there is anything striking about the creation, it lies in the fact that all created entities are unique, that there is no duplication. Even as we teach, no two snowflakes are alike. This could not be truer in the case of the nose and the mouth. Each is designed uniquely in order to fulfill a task or tasks. The nose is designed for breathing. That is not at all the case with the mouth. The nose prepares the air for the lungs. If it is cold outside, it warms the air, if it is dry, it humidifies the air and all vice versa, whatever it takes to make a smooth entry into the lungs. The nose even has a set of turbines, which push the air into the diaphragm portion of the lungs. The mouth is certainly capable of taking air in, but completely incapable of behaving with any sort of efficiency when it comes to respiration. Because mouth breathing appears to work, we do not give it any thought, but I believe this is a major cause of illness for runners, and of a clear linkage to muscle, tendon, and bone injury.
Any good study of physiology will promote nasal breathing and discourage mouth breathing. In Ukraine, a man by the name of Doctor Buyteko did a variety of significant studies from the mid-sixties onwards related to asthma. He discovered that asthma and its symptoms could be eradicated through proper breathing. He considered proper breathing to be in and out through the nose, and taking place at a slow rate. By teaching this type of breathing, he was able to eliminate the need for asthma drugs, and his treatment became accepted throughout all of Russia.
Connected with Buyteko's study was a detailed investigation of the significance of carbon dioxide. He understood CO2 to be the chief component of all energy production within the human body, and even more vital than oxygen for purposes of energy transformations. (In America, CO2 is thought of as a waste product). Subsequent research confirms without a doubt that Buteyko's conclusions over CO2 were sound, as noted especially by eminent physiologist Ray Peat. When we run long and hard here in America, we are often obsessed with the need to take in oxygen, and at the same time, oblivious to the fact that any rapid intake of oxygen depletes the carbon dioxide reserves we possess within, thus bringing energy production to a halt (stopping us in our tracks). Breathing in and out through the mouth causes us to take in heaps of oxygen but at the same time blow out huge amounts of carbon dioxide. Oxygen is plentiful in the air, so we can take in vast quantities without difficulty. However, CO2 is manufactured by our bodies, and when we breathe heavily through the mouth, we eliminate it faster than we can produce it, leaving our bodies and its blood vessels saturated with oxygen. This is the typical state of a High School long distance runner especially towards the latter part of a race. When blood vessels contain oxygen with just traces of carbon dioxide, the oxygen cannot enter into the tissues. It clings to the blood. That is why heavy breathing is powerless to restore us to a steady state.
In and of itself, heavy breathing in and out through the mouth contributes immensely to perpetuating the state of fatigue, which ultimately requires that we just shut everything down. When we breathe in and out through the nose, we take in small amounts of oxygen, and let out small amounts of carbon dioxide, all of which helps the body to retain balance (the nostrils are obviously quite small). When we run hard, we never need near the amount of oxygen we think we need. We are used to taking in a lot of oxygen, but we are in fact better off without it. If there's one thing we do need more of, it is balance, and for that we need oxygen and carbon dioxide levels to correspond with one another, never for one to eliminate the other.
According to international standards, optimum breathing for a human being at rest is 6 breaths per minute. That's all. When breathing takes place at that rate, carbon dioxide is retained by the body in sufficient quantities, and human health is enhanced. My three sons were all diagnosed with asthma and given inhalers. When we studied the issue of correct breathing, we trained ourselves to breathe slowly, deeply into the diaphragm, and in and out through the nose. In a short time, we got rid of the inhalers, and never came at all close to having an attack of asthma.
While training, we would breathe about 15 breaths per minute, and try to carry that rate even into races. In the summer of 2002, the entire Red Hook cross country team switched to nasal breathing. It was very difficult to do and required a summer's training to effectively complete the transition. At the outset, all runners felt like they were suffocating, and had to slow their training paces significantly. Over time, everyone reported a sense of increased energy levels, and rapid recovery after hard workouts. That year, the team moved into the B class and made it to the States for the first time ever as a B class team. They finished eighth at the State Meet - the highest ever achieved in their school history. Last year, in 2004, remnants of that 2002 Cross Country team combined with two newcomers and formed a 4x8 team, which made it to the State Meet with a number one state ranking in the B Division. Breathing predominantly through the nose, that team was primed to challenge Lomong and Luka for the State Championship, when one runner came down with the flu. Red Hook, which led at first in the race, wound up with a third place finishing in 8:06, nevertheless breaking the prior school record by 17 seconds.
I do not report this to declare that nasal breathing, slowly and deeply into the diaphragm will create champions in the moment. In fact, it may slow the rate of one's ability to improve. This is certainly the belief of my son David that his progress has slowed after switching to nasal breathing, which he did after his freshman year. It certainly eliminates the possibility of fast starts in any race, because any initial rapid movement will put a nose breather into oxygen debt. Nevertheless, nasal breathing sets the stage for an overall pattern of good health thus providing for a future in the sport that might otherwise be cut short. David's health improved dramatically since he switched. He not only had no problem making it through subsequent track seasons, but missed only one day of school due to illness in the last three years, and that is unusual for a runner who trains 365 days a year. Neither he nor his brothers will ever again return to mouth breathing. Should they breathe through the mouth, they immediately come to sense a more rapid heart beat, increased levels of lactic acid (which build incredibly when oxygen cannot be released from blood to tissues), and an overall stress level which they have been able to avoid for the last three years.
I strongly recommend that everyone connected with the sport of running read John Douillard's "Mind, Body, and Sport". John, a former triathlete, and director of player development for the New Jersey Nets, practices Ayurvedic and Chiropractic sports medicine in Colorado. He has trained prominent athletes in a variety of sports. He is immensely concerned with the issue of breathing. In his book, he explains that it is through control of our breathing that we bring our minds and bodies together, an issue we will take up later. John explains that the body possesses the sympathetic nervous system, which is considered the fight or flight system preparing us to face emergencies, and the parasympathetic nervous system which allows the body to function normally and efficiently upon the basis of a calm and relaxed state of being.
Blood vessels associated with the sympathetic nervous system are located in the upper portion of the lungs, while those associated with the parasympathetic nervous system are found in the lower portion of the lungs. Thus, breathing through the mouth into the upper chest activates the sympathetic nervous system, and places the body into a stress mode. On the other hand, breathing through the nose into the lower portion of the lungs activates the parasympathetic nervous system and serves to bring calm to the body even in the midst of intense activity.
When the body is under stress, it is not only inefficient, but it gets into a pattern whereby the introduction of certain enzymes and chemical reactions are in effect tearing the body down. This is no problem if a stressful reaction to a true danger is called for as when we see a snake in the woods perhaps. Such dangers would occur only once in a while over the course of a lifetime. But, to be under stress (adrenaline rush) every time we go to the starting line is just out and out unhealthy. Racing is not a life and death situation.
Professional football players live an average of 56 years due in part to these adrenaline rushes they put themselves through with every practice and every game. The body is not built to treat every moment as if it were life and death. It will just break down. Through our breathing, we can train our bodies to relax, even in the midst of a race.
As a freshman at Marist, my older son Joe would breathe slowly into the diaphragm and through the nose. He always looked as if he were taking it easy. Sometimes while Joe raced, from the sidelines his teammates (and/or other spectators that support Marist) would tell him to breathe through his mouth and work hard. Had it been a year or so earlier, I might have been screaming at him myself. However, Joe was in fact working as hard as he could, but he looked so relaxed.
Within our society, it is quite difficult to understand how one may be giving it his all, yet appearing calm and peaceful. As time went on, Joe improved, as one would expect of a college runner despite appearances. What no one realized is that Joe trained himself over a number of years to make his gains through balance and relaxation rather than through stress. He is by no means a champion runner, but nevertheless a good runner, and he is extremely healthy, nor has he ever experienced a medical problem or major injury due to running.
What is most fascinating about Douillard is his sense of breathing efficiency. He teaches that if breathing were to be done correctly, we would automatically slow our breathing as the intensity of our activity picks up. In order words, the faster we run, the slower we breathe. This is because, the air, during intense activity, needs time to reach the lowest lobes of the lungs, and a more efficient exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide also requires more time. When we find ourselves panting, the heart is beating too fast, and the blood is rushing through our lungs. It's like a train flying through a station without giving time for passengers to get off or board. The heart should beat slowly, allowing the blood to move carefully through the lungs such that the exchange can take place fully and perfectly.
Douillard goes on to teach that anaerobic activity in and of itself is not only inefficient, but unnecessary for the most part. He understands it to be a learned activity whereby we have come to associate stress with improved performance. He trains his athletes simply to unlearn such an association and teach the body how it can do far more when relaxed than when under turmoil, and here he has a lot of physiological support. He also has a host of success with his clients as well as numerous testimonies from the world's greatest athletes who verify Douillard's research with only one difference. They refer to such stress-less performance as being "in the zone". For Douillard, being in the zone is not a quirk but rather the norm if we behave in a truly natural way. The key to being in the zone for Douillard begins with control of one's breathing. It concludes with the bringing together of the mind and the body, such that each works to fulfill the desire of the other.
I said earlier that improper breathing is linked to illness and injury. Simply speaking, when we
breathe improperly we damage the immune system. This makes us vulnerable to illness. Secondly, when we breathe improperly, we thrust enormous and needless stress upon the body such that the repair mechanisms in the body are either delayed or shut down, hence muscle, tendon, and ligament or bone injury.
Native American Indians, who would run endlessly, maintained nasal breathing in conjunction with their culture. Some tribes used a form tape to cover the mouths of children during sleep in order to enforce the habit of breathing through the nose. Other tribes taught their young to run long distances while holding a gulp of water in their mouths. Such a practice would make it so breathing could be done only through the nose. In addition, as the water remained in the mouth, it would gradually evaporate thus providing the body with a source of hydration. And not one Native American attended Harvard Medical School! Such practice undoubtedly contributed to the longevity of this activity among many tribes throughout the Americas.
Among the Red Hook runners, we sometimes took daily pulses. What I observed was after a hard workout or race day, a runner who breathed through the mouth would have a heart rate increase of 10 to 15 beats per minute from one day to the next. However, when breathing was undertaken through the nose, the rate of increase would amount to a mere one to four beats higher. I myself was shocked to witness this. Nevertheless, this is a hidden pearl for those who have ears to hear!
There is a medical term for the problem we are dealing with here. It is called hyperventilation, or overbreathing. According to Buteyko's research, hyperventilation is connected with almost every human illness conceivable. Runners commonly hyperventilate without giving it any thought, but it is like a slow poison that eats away at us over time.
I do not believe that Josh, breathes through the nose. But on the other hand, I have rarely seen him run a race without maintaining control of his breathing. In addition, as he was never subjected to the rigors of an Indoor and Outdoor High School Track Season, he could avoid the kind of heavy anaerobic training which thrusts one into the habit of rapid breathing. In other words, Josh's emphasis upon aerobic training allowed his body to accustom itself to a slower, fuller type of breathing which kept him better in balance, strengthened his immune system, and allowed his own muscle repair mechanisms to function more normally. There is nothing more central to running and life itself for that matter, than the issue of breathing. We all need to seriously study human respiration and no longer just take it for granted that we are all doing the right thing when we take in air.