Curious from Lake Placid, NY

CAF, Pensive & Calm & Curious

It’s only a few short hours before the cannon blows of the 11th annual Ironman Lake Placid. My mom and I have been perched in the Maple Leaf Motel Inn since Monday preparing for race day. Thousands of other athletes occupy the town in anticipation of one of the largest Ironman events on the circuit. From what I hear, over 2,000 athletes will be starting at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 26th.

Lake Placid is a resort town located 2.5 hours south of Montreal in the State of New York. The Olympic Games were held here in 1932 and 1980. In fact, the finish line is set along the track of the Olympic Speed Skating Oval where Eric Heiden won his five Olympic gold medals. The swim takes place in Mirror Lake, a narrow and protected lake that runs parallel to the Village centre. Under the water is a cable that lines the IM swim course. If lucky enough to be close to the cable sighting is completely unnecessary. From what I hear, this cable is for the rowers that frequently train in Mirror Lake. It seems like sporting history and inspiration is at the heart of the event.

There have definitely been some adjustments in my approach to this race. My sense is these shifts happened organically and perhaps due to the fact that I’ll soon be starting my sixteenth Ironman. Feelings of excitement and thrill are rarely dulled despite my veteran status on a start line but this time a sense of curiosity for what the day will bring and a willingness to go with it. Of course, my plan is to execute a stellar race and give everything stored up inside but if something unforeseen comes my way, I am curious how things will play out. It could be anything from a crazy thunderstorm to running down the race leader. My emotions are very much “in check” and my mindset is one of confidence and ease. My job tomorrow is simply to execute my race and pay attention to the little signals, both internal and external.

I have fallen in love with Lake Placid, the lakes, the roads, the views, the sporting venues, and quaintness of our little motel. Race day already feels like it will be over too soon. It is my intention to soak up the experience as best as I can and finish strong, satisfied, and solid. I am as curious as the next guy to find out how things will unfold.

Stay Tuned.
C

The “Greats” of an Injury

Paul Cross & myself

The best part of overcoming an injury (in my case, stress fracture in foot) is feeling grateful for our healthy body and sensing renewed freedom from the restraints of constantly nursing the wound. It’s remarkable how much mental strength and emotion come into play when something in one’s body goes awry. Having had the odd injury in my past, I am well practiced at the many stages of coping with an injury: first comes raging denial which settles into anger then despair and maybe some regret, finally admittance and acceptance percolates, then as the rollercoaster settles in its station, surrender takes over that can, at times, feel like a relief. The key ingredient to coping, of course, is one’s creativity in designing an adaptation plan that mimics the activity you would otherwise be doing as an uninjured athlete. My creativity was at its height at about 4 weeks.

After listening to an Endurance Corner Podcast with Gordo Byrn and Bobbie McGee in which they discussed the many ways to build endurance for an endurance event like Ironman (an event which isn’t terribly fast but is long and lasts all day). Bobby McGee http://www.bobbymcgee.com/ commented that one doesn’t have to exclusively swim, bike and run to build endurance, especially in the base and pre-build phase of ones training. Hiking, trekking, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and mountain biking can all be great substitutes. He also believes that inserting a few “go-all-day” days in a year is a great way to build that non-stop engine. So, I decided to plan a “go-all-day” adventure. It started with an early swim of about 4km at an easy to solid pace, home for breakfast (whilst standing), quickly on my time trial bike for 5 hours at base effort, home to have a snack (whilst transitioning into hiking gear), hopped on my cyclo-cross bike with knapsack and runners for a short trip to the North Shore mountains for an intense 45 minute trek up the Grouse Grind trail, down the 6-minute tram (standing), hopped back on my cyclo-cross bike for the ride home where I, finally, crossed my imaginative finish line. I did it alone so I could be in the moment and mimic what it might feel like in my next Ironman. Looking back, it was both the mental deposit and physical output needed minus the actual running event.

At 5 weeks and 3 days, my foot allowed me to jog 10 minutes on the treadmill. Two days later my foot and I did 20 minutes at a ridiculously slow pace. Each day after the 6-week mark, my foot was willing to go a bit further and resistant to any insult.

Some “great” did, however, come out of this little hiccup. For one, I befriended a few new gals who were also injured. We’d meet at Kits pool to stride through the water on our way to nowhere in dream-like slow motion. I was quickly reminded that proper technique (with or without a floatation belt) is crucial when water running. If the body is not upright and poised while producing a powerful stride and arm swings, the running muscles will not be recruited. All to often water runners fall forward, collapse at the hips, and use the hands to move forward. This technique resembles breaststroking instead of running. While I am far from an expert, and don’t wish to become one, I picked up a few tips from my water running buddies that had great technique and had me working up a sweat in no time.

Another “great” from my downtime was the motivation I had to work on my run form and efficiency and start a run specific core routine. It was no decision for me to hired Paul Cross, http://www.crossathleticconsulting.com/ as the master behind this new focus. Why did I wait so long to do this? Paul’s approach to running form is inspired by Bobby McGee (as mentioned above), a Boulder-based running coaching I follow and admire. Bobby has helped many athletes become world class runners and surpass their running goals. Say no more, sign me up!

It only took 30 seconds for Paul to see we had some work to do after he assigned me my first drill which he says would “…dramatically improve my running” - SKIPPING! Not like the days of elementary school but rather like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. With two feet and quick rebounds off the floor. This drill (aka: coordination test) posed a problem – I could hardly get to 15 seconds…my feet didn’t rebound, they stuck. With Paul’s guidance and observations (aka: encouragement and patience), I worked up to 45 seconds by our second session together. My timing and the elasticity in my calves was improving, and I was almost ready to go head to head with Mohammad Ali. My neighbor tells me 4 minutes of skipping is equal to 1 mile of running…I was sold.

My run specific core routine progressed from skipping to glut activation, hip drive strength, posture alignment, and trunk stability was tailored to my weaknesses. Paul even had me agree to diligently incorporate three stretches into the program.

Once my foot was healed, Paul took me to a track for a drills and striders program. Much like our gym encounters, it was quickly evident that this program was really going to help my run performance. After all the running books, videos and articles I have read about running form, every drill Paul introduced was unique (and totally logical) and every move I made was prompted with his cues and coaching until integration was apparent. After a few sessions, my running form has improved dramatically and leaves me only excited to practice the drills and striders more and more. In truth, however, my ability to make change in my form was really only because of doing one-on-one sessions under the skillful eye of Coach PC. Now, I want everyone who loves running to work with Paul so they too can benefit from his expertise. I have no doubt these sessions would elevate their experience of running to new heights.

The final “great” (that I will share) as a result of my injury was how the shift in my racing schedule taught me openness for change. For many weeks in May and June, there was no point in scheduling a race since the time to heal my foot was unknown. It sounds pitiful to even suggest this could cause angst within but in fact it does and it did. While I love to train for sport, I love even more to train for a purpose. For months, I had been preparing for a goal and all of sudden it was removed without a new one to take its place. To be honest, I became a bit obsessed with researching possibilities. I was looking at every race in July: France, Switzerland, Germany, Lake Placid, and the UK. My friends and family had to endure daily phone calls to weigh the options of selecting one race over another.

Once healed and after much thought and indecision, I decided on Ironman Lake Placid, which takes place in the State of New York just two hours from my hometown, Montreal. The trip was booked. New energy could be directed towards this fast approach event.

Since that decision everything has been on fast forward including the decision to sign up for a tune up half ironman race on July 12th – the Vancouver Subaru Half Ironman http://www.lifesport.ca/ . The skilled team of Lance Watson, Paul Regensburg, and John Bothello hosted their third annual Half Ironman on a glorious Vancouver day. The race attracted a superb field of pros and enthusiastic age groupers. I had the pleasure of dining with Christine Cogger (3rd in sprint) and Marie-Anne Prevost (2nd in sprint) from Whistler the night before, sleeping in my own bed, riding on familiar roads, and rejoicing with real friends. A few spectators even commented on my great running form. I didn’t have Paul’s business cards on me but I hope they all read this entry.

Jasper Blake http://www.jasperblake.com/ and I shared the 3rd placed spot on the podium. Jordan Rapp http://www.blog.rappstar.com/ and Magali Tisseyre took home the title while Steve Kilshaw http://www.stevofiveo.blogspot.com/ and Bree Wee http://www.breeweehawaii.blogspot.com/ finished in second place. It was a pleasure to be in the company of such great athletes and instill confidence for double the distance in only a couple short weeks time. More exciting was to witness and congratulate so many of my training buddies place in their division. If I didn’t say it enough on race day, I hope Lifesport continues to host quality local events for our triathlon community.

Since having my injury, I am the ultimate sympathetic ear to anyone I meet whose health isn’t 100%. Words are unavailable to express the mental battle of being “down” when being “up” is the norm. What always brings me back to earth is a quick reminder that one must surrender to the signals of dis-ease (niggles or outright pain) and that this too shall pass. When it does pass, we will be, without a doubt, stronger, humbled, and grateful for the new day.

More from Lake Placid.

C

Cold Feet, By Adam Janke

Take care of your feet in the winter too! By Adam Janke
Most of us have learned to look after our feet during the running season. We go to the local running store and get the best shoes we can. We make sure to replace our shoes every six to twelve months. We use off-the-shelf (OTS) insoles or even custom orthotics if poor biomechanics warrant. But when winter comes around we forget all about it. Why?
Well, it’s not that easy finding the right biomechanical tools for the job when it comes to winter footwear and equipment. This tends to wreck our enjoyment and performance in winter sport. Winter activities that involve weight-bearing and movement similar to running, walking, or hiking such as snowshoeing, snowshoe running, alpine touring, and classic styled cross-country skiing require the same attention to biomechanics. Lesser weight-bearing activities such as hockey, skating, downhill skiing, skate skiing, snowboarding, or anything that involves gliding or downhill gravitational inertia creates different biomechanics but can still offer major discomfort and poor performance if foot biomechanics are ignored.

So what exactly is biomechanics and how does it apply to you? The term is thrown around regularly and loosely in the professional and recreational sporting world and depending on whom you’re dealing with it can mean a wide variety of things. Biomechanics as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is “the mechanics of biological and especially muscular activity (as in locomotion and exercise) . . ..” At the most basic level biomechanics can be defined as the evaluation of sporting technique (e.g., running biomechanics, swim stroke technique, etc.). For the purposes of this article, biomechanics will refer to your skeletal, ligamentous, musculotendinous, and myofascial anatomy and movement tendencies due to this anatomy from a lower limb weight-bearing perspective. Put simply, what happens to the joint and soft-tissue structures in and around your feet, ankles, lower legs, knees, upper legs, and hips when you stand or move?

Why does it matter? Numerous overuse injuries of the lower limbs have been connected to a biomechanical tendency present in a large portion of the population, excessive pronation of the foot, Plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, shin pain, patellofemoral pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and other overuse injuries can all be linked to abnormal foot and lower limb biomechanics, depending on the individual. Three effective methods of treating and correcting lower limb biomechanics are choosing proper footwear for your given foot type, using off-the-shelf (OTS) insoles, and, at the most specific level, using custom foot orthotics. These methods are all designed to control excessive foot pronation, commonly referred to as “collapsing arches,” “falling arches,” or, more appropriately, overpronation. It is important to understand that simply correcting the position of the feet and lower limbs is seldom the only solution to addressing a person’s biomechanical needs. There are numerous other variables that must be addressed through the treatment methods of chiropractors, physiotherapists, and registered massage therapists, depending on the individual.

If during the warmer months you require a specific shoe or shoe type that helps stabilize or control your foot, or you use some form of OTS insole in your shoes, or you wear custom foot orthotics for your day-to-day life and activities, then chances are you need similar support or control for your winter sports and activities as well. Not everyone needs some form of insole or orthotic for winter activities, but if you generally need some biomechanical help in the summer, you probably need it in the winter.

Assess the basic structural characteristics of winter sports footwear:
Q: Does the winter shoe or boot possess a strong heel cup or heel counter?
A: Knock on the back of the heel. If it makes a knocking sound, it passes.
Q: Does the winter shoe or boot have a straight last?
A: Look down the length of the shoe for a straight heel to toe alignment.
Q: Is the winter shoe or boot torsionally strong in the mid-foot?
A: If the shoe or boot does not bend, flex, or twist easily at the point immediately under the arch, it passes.
Q: Does this apply to all winter footwear?
A: No. It doesn’t apply to skates, cross-country ski boots, DH/AT/telemark ski boots, or snowboarding boots. For these, pay close attention to fit, lower-limb symptoms of biomechanical deficiency, and address with OTS insoles or see a specialist such as a certified pedorthist.

Adam Janke is a certified pedorthist and owner of Active Orthopaedic. He can be reached at adam@activeorthopaedic.com.