How My Warm-Up Saves My Ass (Literally)

A little while ago, I was browsing the interwebs, and I stumbled on this article: "When the Diagnosis is 'Dead-Butt Syndrome'".  After the obligatory giggle, I read through author Jen Miller's account of being diagnosed with gluteus medius tendinosis, sometimes referred to as "dead-butt syndrome."  With or without the -osis (indicating an inflammation of the tendon sheath) attached to it, gluteus medius weakness is absurdly common in endurance athletes - particularly those who do only one sport, and especially in runners.  The third paragraph nails it: "It's a symptom related to what running experts hammer at: the need for cross-training and strength training."

Which brings me back to the Hyannis races that went on last weekend.  Prior to the race, I was doing a dynamic warm-up.  I find that I am always the only person doing this, and I get a lot of funny looks (it's okay, I'm used to that).  Some people "warm-up," of course, by static stretching and running around a bunch to get the blood flowing and practice their stride.  As far as neuromuscular facilitation, or movement preparation, or functional movement warm-ups, though, it is non-existent.  One experienced runner commented, "Um... you make me feel like I should be doing something.  I don't warm up.  I just run."  Another wandered by while I was doing body-weight squats and said, "The real challenge is to see if you can still do those after the race!" (Result: I could, though not without some grimacing).

There has been increasing coverage in the general media about the dangers of specialization, especially in children, and how doing one thing all the time can lead to very serious injuries.  Runners for some reason think they are immune to this, and I have yet to understand why because they are plagued with injuries. Now, I am new to this whole "being a runner" thing, so maybe I just haven't drank the Kool-Aid yet.  However, my background is in athletics, injury, biomechanics and sport training.  I would never assume to know everything about anything, but I've had a pretty solid success rate at both preventing and treating injuries in many clients. The ultimate test, though, is with myself.  How many self-proclaimed experts do we know who don't actually practice what they preach?  Heck, I'm guilty from time-to-time (Ice cream before bed?  Yes please!)!  But, on this front, I'm one of the best - the only injuries I've ever sustained were spraining each ankle once, and both were because I fell down a flight of stairs (yes, each ankle once, fell down stairs on two separate occasions... because you can't strength-train the "klutzy" out of your DNA).  I have never sustained a major competition- or training-related injury (though I *have* sustained a "lack of training" injury in my two bulging lumbar discs... more on that some other time).

How do I do it?  What magic elixir am I taking??  It must be L-glutamine, right?  Or glucosamine?  Or protein shakes?  Or maybe I just don't train that hard - that must be it, right?

Wrong!  Though I may not be running marathons right now, guess what?  You don't have to be training for a marathon to get hurt... but you knew that.

The best part is, it's simple - and I'll give it to you right here.  I am currently training for both running and cycling events.  I run three days a week at steady mileage to maintain the gains I've made, but I don't need to increase right now because I am not training for a farther distance than I've yet achieved.  I bike three days a week at varying, progressively longer distances.  These activities overlap on one day, so I train 5 days a week with two for "rest," but that is an active rest - these are days when I am working both jobs and just don't have time to get a run or bike in, but since one job is at a gym, I am able to do a few basic movements for recovery.

With all that time for training, it sounds like there's not a lot of time for that all-important cross-training I've been harping about, right?  And that's where the warm-up comes in.  One part Renegade Training, another part Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, I spend between 15 and 40 minutes (depending on the day and the activity) getting my body ready for what I'm about to do.  The major takeaway here: nearly all these exercises emphasize hamstring development and the "turning on" of the gluteal muscle group.  Why does this matter?  I'll tell you in another blog.  For now, the components of my warm-up:

*  Foam Roller - Don't leave home without it!!  I spend between 20-30 seconds each on my glutes, hamstrings, thoracic spine, IT bands, hip flexors/quads and adductors.

*  Posterior chain activation and core strength - Variations of bridges, tables, planks and Supermans (with a few push-ups thrown in) to get my core activated and ready to stabilize my hips, pelvis and back during my bike/run.

*  Dynamic ROM (range of motion) - Split squats, lateral and transverse lunges, as well as single-leg body-weight Romanian deadlifts and body-weight sumo squat "stretches."

*  Movement Prep - Walking lunge progressions, skips, butt-kicks.

For more specific info, hit me up with questions.  Happy Training!!