Happy New Year

It’s normally this time of year that change is on the horizon for a lot of us. More specifically with our training we look for ways to improve and learn from our mistakes. When looking for ways to improve these mistakes; don’t forget to commend yourself on things you did well this year. Change is sometimes neccessary, but don’t over...look the good decisions you have made as well!

Happy New Year
Coach Jason

Train Smart and Shovel Smart!

On any given day would you increase your long run or bike by 60 or 90min? Probably not right? Keep that in mind when shoveling today. Don't over due it by trying to shovel yourself out all in one sitting. Do it in 30min/30min Intervals or something similar. This way you can rest, refuel, and won't be as beat up do...ing it all in one shot!

Enjoy the snow!

Coach Jason

Long Hike/Run on Christmas Day

Don't get me wrong I love Christmas, but I'm just not 100% into it this year.  I'm sure once I give all my nieces and nephews their gifts, I will be much more in the Christmas spirit :)  This morning I wanted to get out of my parents house and just enjoy the Wissahicken Trails in PA.  I met with a friend and we Hiked/Ran the top trails for 2.5 Hours.  Mostly hiking with a 17/3min Interval.  I felt great though!  Hip was just a little sore,  but nothing to crazy and that my foam roller cold not handle! 

Baby steps in everything we do!

Merry Christmas!
Coach Jason 

Blood Work

So its always good to know that my blood work is excellent and the kidney is working great!  My Hgb is a little lower than I would like, but beggars cant be choosers.  Crazy thing is my bilirubin and liver tests are normal.  They have been reading very high the past few blood tests.  I know it has nothing to do with drinking, but I have not really drank that much the past few weeks.  I have been taking the DD (designated driver) approach, and the past few parties i have been to.  Now is not the time to get silly drunk every time i drink, although at times it seems like it would be the best thing ha ha.  

Lab Results:

Hgb 13.4

Creatinine 0.85

Going to hit the trainer for a 30min later today, followed by foam roller madness.  Also going to see the best soft tissue massage therapist in the area Todd Fluck for a tune up.  Check out Todd's site www.imtcare.com.  

Happy Training 

Coach Jason 

 

Surgery # 498 and Training Partner Needed

So I started today off with a small surgery.  Figured that would be a good way to get my training back in full swing!  Yes I’m kidding.  I had to have a internal suture removed from a previous surgery that was causing me pain while swimming.  Now I can’t swim for 1 week.  My biking and running is very minimal right now, due to sore hips, but taking things slower and the hips are not as bad.  I’m pretty sure the only reason I’m not broken is, because of my foam roller. 

Few weeks should be able to start riding and running with some folks, so I will be talking applications for training partners soon.  Requirements must be very slow like me :)  

Happy Training!

Coach Jason

For the Love of the Sport – Running

Injury has plagued my running career since the very beginning.  As stated in previous posts, its time for a change.  Despite years of trying and trying again, I never took a step back and took things slowly.  Before I pursue my running again, I need to stop beating a dead horse and take things slowly, even if it results in never running again.

Running is something I love to do. When I’m not training, due to injury, I tend not to be the happiest person. Many runners put pressure on themselves to achieve optimal fitness quickly.  Sometimes it’s this pressure that could lead to injury, and push the athlete further away from achieving their goals.

I’m done pressuring myself to achieve optimal fitness quickly, and taking it slowly one day at a time.  If you love something and it’s a huge part of your life then you have to do everything you can to hold on to it.  In my case it means taking the complete opposite approach that I have done in the past.  This time around applying less pressure will result in making better decisions with my training.  It also means doing the exact opposite of what I have done recently, and taking a step back.   Who knows, I may fail and continue to get injured.  In this case I may have to pursue another sport, I hear cage fighting is popular these days!  But even If I have to walk away I can walk away knowing I did everything I could to pursue my love of running with no regrets! 

Happy Training

Coach Jason

What the Medical Professionals Say

This will be a short post.  I want to give everyone a background on my medical history and what some medical professionals have to say on the matter.   Plain and simple I have not been blessed with the best genetics, but you have to work with what you got.  When I was fourteen I was diagnosed polycystic kidney disease.  Instead my typing up the degenerative process of that disease and how it lead to an eventual kidney transplant you can read a quick recap here: http://blog.nj.com/southjerseylife/2009/04/a_special_bond.html

Now I have also had extensive muscoskeletal injuries, specifically ITB and patella femoral syndrome.  These injuries lead to two knee surgeries a few years back.  I have been evaluated time and time again, and it seems a lot of my muscoskeletal problems are from my hips.  Below I have listed some quotes from two professionals that I very much highly respect and with their help will bring me back to my running ways.  Their quotes are there thoughts on my medical situation and suggestions.  Take away message, I have some work to do!

“Currently, you are trying to use your TFL to play the role of the hip abductors and external rotators. This translates into a gait that exhibits excessive hip adduction (you run with your knee collapsing in) and in knee external rotation (you run toed out). That pattern results in excessive shear forces in the medial compartment of your knees. When you run, focus more on getting your foot to point straight ahead.

You really need to get those glutes a lot stronger yet. I highly recommend doing some lateral cable column skaters (anchor a cable column cable to your waist with a belt and perform skate from side to side). This will be very hard for your glutes.

Basically, you need to spend some serious time:

1) improving the flexibility of your hip flexors (TFL and iliopsoas).
2) Improving the strength and recruitment of your hip abductors and external rotators”

Richard Willy, PT, MPT, OCS
BIOMS Doctoral Candidate
Department of Physical Therapy
University of Delaware

"In my opinion, your biggest challenge, and the primary limiting variable, has been the systemic barriers created by the polycystic kidney disease. Obviously, it has effected your posture, effected your strength and flexibility. But those variables can be improved with work and time"

"Keep up with your strengthening, flexibility, and postural training." 

Jeff Wood MPT, OCS 

Happy Training

Coach Jason

The longer you wait for your future, the shorter it will be...

I stumbled upon this quote the other day, and it really hit home in a number of ways.  Now as this can be applied to really any aspect of ones life, how can I apply it to my training? Plan and simple I have set some ambitious goals for myself, but with hard work and smart training it can be achieved.  Its time to sit down and start mapping out a outline of my training plan and get this party started. 

Happy Training

Coach Jason

Starting from Scratch Yet Again

I’m starting from scratch and taking another crack at writing a blog again. In my first attempt I failed miserably at maintaining the blog.  I also failed in returning to racing triathlons in the 2010 racing season.  Just like in the past, injury has plagued me again, and it could have been avoided.  I fell into the old saying “do as I say, not as I do”. 

When I lecture on topics such as periodization, structuring your training season, or injury prevention I often talk about the fast food mentality.  The fast food mentality is not being patient, and wanting something now.  When I returned to training I wanted to achieve fitness quickly, because I had set some ambitious goals for myself. We know from principles of physiology, that there are no short cuts or “fast food” approaches to achieving fitness quickly, because its not an over night process.

Thankfully someone very close to me gave me a simple piece of advice.  They reminded me that it was less than 2 years ago I was dying, and could not train at all.  Instead of worrying about being competitive I should be happy that I’m able to train and not sitting in a hospital bed.  The person that gave me the advice had a similar experience and was unable to train for a period of time.  Not to long after they returned to training, they began to race again. Their race results did not produce any personal records, but that did not matter to them.  After returning to racking they posted on their facebook status “I’m so happy to be back triahloning again”.  So its time for me to start from scratch, progress slowly, and regain my appreciation for simply being able to train, and maybe even able compete someday.  

Happy Training

Coach Jason