First Steps

On Friday, I ran 1.1 miles.  It took me 08:53.  Then I walked half a mile home.  When I was finished, I was shaking so bad I could hardly stretch.

And so, it begins.  I have closed the book on a lasting struggle with my health that started in the summer of 2009 and concluded with the removal of my gallbladder in March.  Along the way, I fought daily nausea and vomiting, a weakened immune system, the inability to ingest enough calories, sapped energy levels, a lack of focus, and ultimately, depression.  And yet during that time, I attempted two 150 mile rides to benefit multiple sclerosis research and treatment, ran a dozen 5K races and one 10K, did the Warrior Dash, and joined a flag football league.  I finally succumbed to the symptoms when they continued, unabated, to worsen, despite my best efforts on my own and with the medical community to fix them.

March 2012

September 2009

I have essentially been inactive for the past 5 months.  My endurance and strength have withered away.

As I write this, it's laughable how sore my butt and hamstrings are from the 1.1 miles I ran three days ago.  My body certainly hasn't forgotten how to run, but it also won't let *me* forget that we have made couch-sitting an Olympic sport over the past half-a-year.

Well, I'm back.  Take that, legs!  Couch, it's been real, but it's time for me to move on.

Speaking of which, I'm going to need these legs to help me a LOT over the next 8ish weeks.  Well before my surgery, before things got unbearable, I committed to the Cape Cod Getaway, which is a 150 mile bike ride that benefits the National MS Society (support me!).  As I mentioned above, I've attempted a similar ride twice while in Florida, but now I'm tasked with cruising down the Cape for two days, all the way to Provincetown.  Not only am I starting from zero in terms of fitness, but this ride will be much different from the ones before it.

Do you know what Massachusetts has that Florida doesn't (besides a temperate climate, great sports teams, and most of my family and friends)?  HILLS.

It should be interesting!  I've joined a team, Team Summit, which will beneficial in supporting me physically and mentally over the coming weeks.  You, dear reader, are more than welcome to join me on this journey, as well.  I'll be posting periodically, probably bitching about how sore I am, but here and there I'll try to get something funny in there and maybe a few "life lessons" ("Don't bike with your mouth open" and "Always assume cars are trying to hit you" are good ones to start with).

As always, feedback is appreciated.  Your dollars are also appreciated since I need $500 of them to even get to the starting line.  But, you know, no big deal :-)

Momentum trumps inertia... don't stop moving!

Orthotics Are Not an Evil Empire

Greetings, dear readers!  I'm here today to argue that orthotics, or stability in general, are not the evil entity they are made out to be.

First, some background and a few disclaimers.  Many years ago I worked as a Physical Therapy Aide in an outpatient orthopedic PT Clinic associated with a local hospital.  While I was there, I had the opportunity to be a part of the process of custom orthotic fabrication.  Orthotics can be made in a few different ways.  There are "cookie cutter" orthoses, which are created based on what people's feet generally look like, and can be bought at your local convenience store or sports store.  There are what I call "static custom orthotics," where a doctor or PT (usually a podiatrist) has you stand in a material that molds to the shape of your foot, and the orthotic is created out of this mold.  Finally, there are "dynamic custom orthotics," where a more comprehensive examination is carried out and includes leg length measurements, postural assessment and gait analysis, as well as a casting of the foot done by hand.  I assisted with dynamic custom orthotic fabrication, from sitting in on assessments to performing the foot casting.  Once this was complete, the Physical Therapist who performed the assessment would write up a comprehensive report, and would design an orthotic based on her findings.

Orthotics and stability shoes have been cast aside by the "progressive" athletic community in recent years.  The thinking goes that external stability provided by shoes and orthotics ensures that the body won't have to do the work itself, creating further intrinsic weakness in the foot, particularly in the arch of the foot.  Therefore, anytime the person is without this stability (say, in a different pair of shoes), they are unable to be this way for very long without risk of pain or injury.  They become, in essence, dependent on an external mechanism for stability their body should be able to provide.

The counterargument is that some people just naturally have flat feet or high arches, and this can lead to problems over time if not corrected.  Indeed, this can be true.  Those with high arches tend to carry their weight on the outsides of their feet, leading to knee pain and the potential for chronic ankle sprains.  True over-pronators also tend to experience anterior knee pain with activity.  Any time you have movement at the foot, it affects what happens at the joints further up the chain, so it's sensible to think that extremes in either direction (flat arch or high arch) could have a detrimental effect on the knees, hips and spine.

Again, though, shouldn't people be able to correct this on their own?  Like tightness and weakness, can't a little training work correct these issues - by strengthening the intrinsic muscles of the foot to support the arch in those with flat feet, for instance?

In most people, sure - but not in everybody.  The truth is, there are always going to be people on the extremes.  In the case of orthotics, some people are just not able to create the kind of support from their own body that you would like them to have, perhaps because they are overweight and their foot can't support the load, or because they have a previous injury, or because of the aging process.  For these people, an external form of support could be beneficial, and perhaps help them on the road toward a healthier life by allowing them to do things they otherwise wouldn't be able to do.

Orthotics and posted shoes get such a bad rap because those who don't really need them started to seek them out.  For example, say you are a runner.  Your hamstrings and calves are pretty tight, and you keep getting this pain in your hip.  You read up on hip pain, see that you have arches like the "pronator" picture, decide that you're over-pronating during your stride, and you seek out orthotics.  The podiatrist sees that you do in fact have flatter-than-normal arches, casts you in the standing position, and fabricates orthotics for your sneakers.  Meanwhile, he or she also prescribes a stability shoe with a good amount of heel cushioning to reduce impact forces.  Anywhere from $200 - $600 later, you're on your merry way.

Well, $25 could have gotten you a foam roller and 10 minutes a day could have gotten you some increased length in the muscles and tissues in your legs.  This person is the one who will spend hundreds of dollars on dietary supplements and performance enhancers (like protein shakes or glucosamine), but won't take the 15-20 minutes before a workout to correctly warm-up in a way that will prepare them for increased performance and decrease the chance of injury.  For this person, orthotics are a band-aid - or, worse, may even increase the chance of injury.

Both healthcare professionals and the patrons who seek their services are complicit in this overprescription of stability products.  It takes work to overcome bodily dysfunction, whether it be tightness, weakness or actual injury.  Many people want the "quick fix," and are willing to pay for it.  Unfortunately, it is not a cure-all.  Orthotics may be right for some people, but like anything, they certainly aren't right for everybody, and are possibly not right for most people.

Next post, I make an argument for why "minimalism" (which I will specifically define later) may be the right choice for most people.  Until then, go do some activities!! :-)

"Always Be Epic"

Epic [ep-ik] - adjective: 1. heroic; majestic; impressively great. 2. Of unusually great size or extent.

It is with that in mind that I introduce you to:

Alway Be Epic

What is the Epic Man?  I'll let them explain the details.  But, as a synopsis, two friends created a challenge that each refused to back down from.  Thousands of people run the Boston Marathon - but does anybody do it as part of a triathlon?  Enter, the Epic Man.  Now in its third year (and incarnation), Epic Man involves running, kayaking, swimming, cycling and, of course, eating and beer drinking.  The first year started one day before Marathon Monday and involved a kayak from Peaks Island off the coast of Maine, an overnight bike from Portland, ME to Hopkington, MA, and a running of the Boston Marathon.  Amazingly, it has only since grown and now benefits six separate charities.  

This year's adventure is one of... well, epic proportions, naturally.  In addition to the kayak/bike/run in New England, the Team (which has grown from the original two founders) will spend the weeks prior venturing to Milwaukee, biking to Chicago, giving a lecture in Albany and running through Manhattan in a path that spells the word, "EPIC," among other things.  The graphic below highlights the schedule, and you can read a detailed schedule on their website.  Did I mention they are also skydiving??

Check Please!

So, why am I writing about these guys?  A few obvious reasons, and a few not-so-obvious reasons.  First, the most obvious: this is probably the coolest thing I have ever heard of.  Forget the Warrior Dash (which I am doing) or the Tough Mudder (maybe next year).  These guys blow that out of the water.  But, it's not about being better, or crazier, or harder than anything else.  It's about being EPIC, whatever that means to you.  I could never speak for the people who created this, but they write about inspiring others to "be epic" in their own right.  We used to have this cheesy saying in high school about "pushing (our) comfortable limits" in order to grow into a better person.  This is an embodiment of that.  It is also a lesson in overcoming obstacles that is played out in the training and execution of this event, as well as in the charities it supports.  Read about last minute changes to last years event due to the erupting volcano in Iceland, and then read the story of Josh, who was the recipient of the first Epic Wish, allowing him to have his own Epic adventure - you will be awed by both.

The not-so-obvious reason I am writing about this is that I have the pleasure of joining them for part of the adventure!!  As everyone is WELL aware, I have been training for the Zimmerman MS 150 from Miami to Key Largo, where I bike 150 miles to raise funds for the research and treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.  It takes place in mid-May, and since I am doing all of my training up north, I have been hard-pressed to find a good training ride to do before the MS Ride.  Enter, the Epic Man.

As part of the Portland to Hopkington overnight ride, waves of cyclists are going to join Epic Man on the Portland, ME to Portsmouth, NH leg of the journey (about 50 miles).  This portion is sponsored by Trek Portmouth, and you can join in the fun by contacting Olivia.  There isn't even a registration fee!!  When I spoke to Olivia, she asked that in lieu of a reg fee, a donation ($20 was suggested) be made to Team Trevor, which is the beneficiary of this part of the Epic Man.  I actually just took a break from writing this entry to make my donation.

I have been trying desperately to get as much cycling in as possible, but since it's now less than a month until this event, I have more motivation than ever.  I'm beyond excited to have a small part in something so amazing, and I hope you, dear reader, are able to join, support or party with Epic Man at some point in their weeks-long journey.  Be sure to check out their blog and Facebook page for updates, and I hope to see you at the beginning, end, or somewhere along the route!!

A Little Friday Inspiration!

For me, Fridays are the toughest days to get a workout in.  On Monday, it's the beginning of a new week - it's all out in front of you, and you know what to expect.  I have work these days, workouts these days, etc.  By the time Friday's run rolls around (I do a 10K every Friday), I've been up before dawn 5 days in a row with a 6th looming, as I train clients every Saturday morning.

It is with that in mind that I sit here, trying to motivate myself to hit the pavement.  Perhaps you're having the same trouble, too?  Whenever you read this, maybe you are procrastinating on something else you should be doing?  Don't get me wrong, I would love for you to read my blog!  But - save it for after your workout.

I stumbled on these two videos earlier this week, and today they are my motivation.  I would like to share them with you, and I hope you find that these move you, both emotionally and physically, they way they moved me.

The first is a video of Team Hoyt, made up of Dick Hoyt and his son, Rick.  There are no words in this video and there don't need to be.  Many of you may be familiar with this story, but for more info, feel free to go here and read up on them.  Team Hoyt was at the Hyannis Races that I did back in Feb.  Unfortunately, I did not see them while I was there, but I can only imagine what it must have been like given the big fat snowflakes that fell for most of the race.

And if that isn't inspiration enough (and I'm sure it is), I thought I'd add this in as a bonus.  Sister Madonna Buder, otherwise known as "The Iron Nun," recently came to my grad school Alma Mater, Barry University, to speak on her experiences as a triathlete.  Sister Buder turns 81 this July and just released a book about her experiences as an athlete.  It is next on my book list!

Have a happy, healthy, productive and enjoyable Friday!!

The Best Injury Treatment is Prevention

...and "Balance" is the best form of prevention.  Let me explain.

Chance are, you have heard maxim that is the title of this article before, along with pearls of wisdom like, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away!" and "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment!"  It is likely that all of us, on some level, know that preventing something bad (or injurious) from happening is far, far better than dealing with the aftermath.  This is why there are seatbelts, airbags and auto insurance, but we still require everyone to attend driving school and take a test to obtain a license.

Intuitively, we get this.  So why am I talking about it?  Because most of us are very, very bad at it when it comes to our own bodies.  This is especially true if we don't like something that is good for us, like healthy food or exercise.  We become very choosy about what we will and will not do in order to maintain health or improve performance.  This is why I know people who won't eat certain foods because they are bad for them, but are in the bars every weekend.  It's not that they're misinformed, it's just that they are willing to compromise on only so many things.  Think you don't know someone who does that?  Look in the mirror - we all do, in some fashion, and I will be the first to raise my hand and say I am guilty of drinking Diet Coke (lower calories, no high fructose corn syrup) but scarfing down far too much ice cream.

But it's not just diet (which is only one part of healthy living).  When I speak about prevention, I'm talking about the things we can do to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle.  Here are a few things that will all help us be better, healthier, active adults.

*  Do the things you don't like.
    Most workouts will include some aspect of the following, with one probably being a main focus: mobility, stability, strength, and conditioning.  It is likely that you hate one of these things, or at least part of one of these things.  For me, it's the dynamic warm-up.  I'll foam roll all day, but after that I just want to get under the bar or out on my run or bike route.  So, why not just skip it?  PREVENTION!!  (Remember??)  If I skip the dynamic warm-up, my program is lacking a vital component.  The warm-up is what allows me to lift as well as I do or run without being injured, as I wrote about last week.  So, while I find it irritating, I know that it actually makes me a better lifter, runner and cyclist.

*  Do things that are hard.
    We do easy things all the time.  We do hard things a lot, too - I will not take that away from you.  But, when it comes to the gym, we need to make a commitment to the hard stuff.  I struggle with rotational stability.  I can hang clean with the best of them, but ask me to chop and lift and suddenly I'm a new fawn, all wobbly and soft.  Because it is hard for me to do, it's easy to skip it - but it being hard is precisely the reason I need to work on rotational strength more, not less.  It's hard because it is my weak spot, which means I am susceptible to energy leaks and injury.  Find what is hard for you and become a master at it.

*  Once in awhile, do something when you don't want to.
    This is a tough one.  If we are lucky, we are doing what we want to do for the majority of our waking hours, making the occasional push to do something unpleasant (but beneficial) a little easier.  If we aren't so lucky, we spend a lot of time (perhaps at work or in school) doing something we don't really want to be doing.  I am always reminded of the dad from the Calvin & Hobbes cartoon, who is constantly trying to get Calvin to do something he doesn't want to because, "...it builds character."  At the risk of sounding like a parent, that guy was onto something.  In fitness, we tend to do the things we enjoy doing.  I became a runner basically because I hated running.  Yes, that's counterintuitive.  I've been athletic and active my entire life, but I wanted a new challenge that fit into my current lifestyle - running fit the bill.  Sandwich one thing you don't like (say, Mountain Climbers) between some things you do like (front squats and Turkish Get-Ups, obviously) - you get the idea.  You will find there is a special satisfaction in completing something you're not thrilled about doing in the first place.

       Source.

*  Once in awhile, don't do something when you do want to.
    I put this in here as a reminder that recovery is important.  While for some of us the issue is not moving enough, for others the issue is slowing down.  Running through injury, lifting when sick, or just plain working out every day of the week without a break will only lead to breakdown in the end.  Go have fun!  Yes, working out can be fun.  Go do something else that is fun (Dear Red Sox, Please feel free to help me avoid injury by giving me tickets to a game a week so I have something fun to do other than working out.  Love, Me).  Speaking of fun...

*  Make a commitment... to doing something FUN.
    In reading through my list of the first four, it sounded a bit like a manifesto on how not to enjoy life!  Nobody wants to be forced to do something they don't like or that is hard all the time.  Likewise, we don't want to take away the things we enjoy.  That's why working activity into your life in ways that bring other forms of enjoyment is important.  I could run just to run - for the health benefits or whatever.  But, I run road races because I get further enjoyment out of the inner (and occasional outer) competition, the camaraderie of "we're all in this together" and the social aspect of having a post-race pint.  Beyond running, this activity brings me joy.  Do exercise and fun coexist in your life?

I opened the blog saying that balance is the best form of prevention.  Living a balanced life will enable you to stay healthy and realize your full potential.  Work and play.  Activity and rest.  Flexibility and strength.  Mobility and stability.  We need all of these things to be complete.

On a personal note, the last few weeks have been a bit of a roller-coaster in the lives of people I know.  Two untimely deaths have been met with a birth and a wedding - and with these events I have witnessed utter despair and unbounded joy.  In this moment I am thankful for the people I love and who love me, for the opportunities I have and create, and for the ability and drive to be better and move forward, however incrementally.  As my RoadID says, "Momentum trumps inertia."

I thought I'd leave you with another Calvin and Hobbes strip!

"Grown-ups play by justifying it as exercise and keep tabs by quantifying performance."  Source.

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!!

Running Gently, Part 2: I Get (a great finishing time) With a Little Help From My Friends!

I successfully completed my first 10K!!  I slogged through the snow, slush and ice to cross the finish line in a dead-out sprint for an official time of 55:21 (my goal was under 56 min).  The photo above gives you an idea of the weather (a wet snow fell the entire time)... ahh, racing in New England.  And you better believe there were people out there in shorts and tank tops!

I could not have run as well as I did, however, without the help of a seasoned marathoner who paced me for the first 5 miles, until our routes split.  The concept of pacing has been a difficult one for me, particularly over rolling hills where I want to charge up them, just to get them over with.  I use this approach in cycling a lot, but the difference is that you can't stop pedaling and coast for a bit when your feet are your wheels.  So, my "Run Sherpa" kept us around a 9-min pace, which she seemed to just know intuitively - something I don't quite understand but am thoroughly amazed by.  Practice, practice...

So, how was my form?  Did I "run gently?"  What does that even mean??

If you were trying to sneak up on somebody, how would you approach them?  Perhaps on the balls of your feet, carefully stepping to make as little noise as possible?  While good runners aren't exactly tip-toeing along, they are using the balls of their feet and their toes to drive them forward, and they are quiet.  Start listening when people run by you, or you are out running.  Is there a shuffle sound?  Does the shoe slap the ground (mine does, but I'm working on it...)?  Or is it nearly silent?  Gentle, and efficient, runners - even those who have not perfected that gazelle-like, beautiful form we all long for - are very quiet with each step.  Heel- or midfoot-striker, it will not matter.  They will breeze over the ground like they are floating.

Which brings me to the next aspect of gentle running: translation direction.  Most daily activities find us moving in some combination of the planes of movement, but in running, one of these should be dominant.  The goal of endurance running is simply to propel oneself straight forward in the most efficient way possible.  There is an important word in that sentence: forward.  Bipedal locomotion - walking and running forward - is what we have evolved to do.  And, yet, sometimes we are so bad at it!  It's almost as if we want to make it more complicated, or more exciting.  "It can't just be, 'Go forward,' can it?  There's gotta be more to it."  No, there isn't.

Why am I harping on this?  Because a huge tenet of running gently is running forward - NOT up-and-down.  I just watched some of the NFL Combine where I caught the linebackers doing the 40-yd dash.  Once these athletes were out of the starting gate, you could have put a roof an inch above their heads and they would never touch it.  When the goal is forward, up-and-down is wasted energy.  However, it is a common "coping mechanism" among novice distance runners.  My educated guess is that it's an unconscious way of pacing themselves.  Whereas fully forward motion might be too fast for the distance they are running, adding the "bounce" to their step is certainly going to slow them down - but it is also going to hemorrhage energy and possibly lead to injury.  This is a problem I am very familiar with.  As I mentioned previously, it is only recently that I have figured out a way to slow myself down without completely changing my biomechanics (smaller strides, increased frequency).  Prior to that, I was running with a sprinter's form and trying to keep a 10K pace, but I would fatigue after 2 miles because I was always running faster than I should have been.  And a long, long time ago, I was the bouncer - using my legs to absorb energy (and eat speed) by flexing my knees with each foot strike, making every step a poorly performed mini squat I would have to rebound from as I tried to continue forward.  No wonder I thought I wasn't built for this sport!

So, to run gently, we must 1) tread quietly, 2) pace ourselves with the right cadence and stride length for our body type and the distance we are running, and 3) go forward.

Pay attention to those three things on your next run (or while your athlete/client/friend/significant other/neighbor/stalking target is out for their run) and see what you come up with.  Do you run gently?

In the next few posts: How my warm-up saves my ass (literally); Prevention is the best injury treatment; Point/Counterpoint, where I argue with myself about orthotics and minimalism.  Stay tuned!