TRX Workout for Snowshoe Racers

After getting beat up at the Feel Good Farm Snowshoe race last week, I realized that there is more to snowshoe racing than just basic conditioning. I was vastly out of condition to even attempt that race, but there was something else still missing if I wanted to put my best effort into racing. The downhills were a bit scary due to lack of balance and stability and there is a different kind of strength needed when running over snow than is needed for road or easy trail running. I was happy to find this TRX Snow Sports Fourplex Workout. It may not be necessarily geared for snowshoe racers, but it certainly seems to fit the bill. The TRX is a pretty cool and useful fitness tool with unending possibilities. Douglass Burke, the director of athlete conditioning at Sugar Bowl Ski Academy leads you through the moves which are explained further here.



Here is a video on how the best racing snowshoes, Dion Showshoes, are made.

A Conversation with Fitness Expert Jonathan Ross

This week I had the privilege of having a phone conversation with  fitness trainer Jonathan Ross. Jonathon is a multiple award winning fitness trainer who most recently won the 2010 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year. He has a blog for Discovery Health called The Everyday Fitness Blog and is the author of the just released book Abs Revealed.

If you are curious how I got to talk to Jonathan, it came about in a very serendipitous way. I happened to be on Facebook a couple of Sundays ago, when a post came up from the people at TRX Suspension Training Systems. It mentioned that the first three people who correctly answered three questions would win some TRX swag. It was a trivia contest celebrating the book release of Jonathan Ross's "Abs Revealed". It also mentioned that one of the first three respondents would win a phone conversation with Jonathan Ross. I ended up being the second person to answer the questions (you had to be quick) and later was notified that I won the phone conversation too.

I immediately ordered the book so I would have it before the phone call and checked out some of Jonathan's videos online. I have and love my TRX suspension trainer, but I am very much a beginner at using it despite having 4 of the TRX DVDs. The TRX Pendulum was the first I found and it is a really good one.



This is one of the videos from the "Abs Revealed" book, which is the first book to include exercises for the TRX Suspension Trainer. Jonathan got in email contact with me and we set up a time for the call. He also wanted to know if I had a couple of questions in mind to send his way. Being a long time distance runner with all sorts of functional and biomechanical issues, I quickly gave him an overview and sent him a link to my blog. I looked forward to the phone call, but wasn't sure how it would go. Would he be a trainer who was anti-running (particularly for someone like me with so many issues) or would he just go through the motions during the call to fulfill his obligations? I would have been pleased just to have him answer a couple of questions from his book.

I was pleasantly surprised when he got on the phone and was very complimentary on my willingness to pursue my own fitness goals despite my issues and on how much I had done on my own. He had actually read my blog to find out about my issues and how to best answer my questions and give me the best advice possible. Without seeing me in person, he thought it would be hard to see all that was going on in my body, but he did put together a few exercises beforehand that he thought would help me out to get back to running which is the activity I love to do. Jonathan began describing and explaining three exercises in particular. I found his explanations clear and I was able to visualize exactly what he was saying, even though two of the exercises were unlike anything I have encountered before, and I have done a lot of research and reading on all sorts of exercises. I was writing notes like crazy as he talked as I realized that I was hearing some real creative and applicable advice. The exercises were designed to address some of my asymmetries and imbalance issues and I immediately saw the rationale and thinking behind each exercise. The time went by quickly, but it seemed like I was on the phone for hours, because Jonathan gave me so much detailed information. My brain was popping by the end and I was very tired from just all the great things I was hearing and trying to capture. Let me just say, Jonathan Ross it a true professional. He gave me more that 100% of his time and his advice was creative (not some rehash of the same old movements) and sensible. He was also extremely motivational and complimentary and made me believe again that I was on the right track and doing the right things in trying to get my body to behave again. If you go to Jonathan Ross's AionFitness website, you will see that Aion comes from the Greek word meaning age and eternity. He explains:

I believe that fitness is a life long pursuit of living to your maximum physical potential. I will teach you to enjoy movement and physical activity, and to use your body like it was meant to be used.

Fitness is about being able to do the activities you enjoy without feeling your body complaining to you or limiting you in any way.

Aion Fitness = Fitness for a Lifetime!

That is exactly what I want out of my fitness and running and I thank Jonathan for a super phone conversation full of great advice that fulfills my goals and helps me on my way to moving and running correctly again. Thanks also to the TRX folks for putting on the contest and giving me this opportuning to learn a little bit more of how to enjoy adn maximize my own fitness.

So what did Jonathan teach me? The first move was something simple called "toe raises". This is pertinent because I have hip problems and hip problems are often tied together with feet problems and I have those too. I am also adjusting to new orthotics due to a toe problem called Functional Hallux Limitis. My current hip problems that have put a stop to my running are probably due a lot to jumping into to using new insoles to correct the problem this summer. Within a couple weeks of using them, I had bumped my mileage up to an 85 mile week (including 52 miles in 3 straight days). I was correcting one problem, but starting a new one! The toe raises also help with balance and help to keep my arch from collapsing. The point is to sit or stand flat-footed (and barefoot)and lift up either the big toe or the four other toes. It sounds easy, but I found I couldn't even figure out how to lift up the big toes on their own. Try it, is it easy for you? I am slowly getting some control over the big toe, but it is hard to lift up and even get some toe awareness going. This is a great little exercise I can do anywhere.

The second is an exercise I am familiar with, but I am familiar with so many exercises it is hard to know which are the good ones to do for my own conditions and which are not that important. Because I run and move with the left side shifted ahead of my right side, Jonathan thought this would be good for me. Basically, you sit tall with a ball between your knees, hold your arms across your chest and rotate left to right for a set before rotating to the opposite side. This exercise works the obliques and I think is another easy and essential exercise to do, particularly when I even find it hard to turn around to look behind me when I run.

The third exercise is really great. Why didn't I think of this one? I think it will help my sore adductors as well as my wayward left leg with its instability. It is a standing internal and external rotation for each leg. You do it by standing facing forward on one leg and rotate the other leg across the body in front and moving around it  like the hand of a clockback toe-tapping the ground for balance as you go. If you stand on an "+" marked on the ground you can see your improvement as you go.

These are all great exercises that Jonathan picked out for my specific needs. I think they are really great and I am thrilled that he took the time to tailor the phone call to my needs. He also gave me some tips for using my orthotics, for using my TRX (do one legged exercises for the lower body) and a progression of very slow lunges where I am to work on the weight shifting from one leg to the other and back. This is all good stuff and I can see why Jonathan Ross is such an award winning trainer. He treats you with respect, is positive and affirming in his comments, and is creative in his approach to problem solving. I was not given cookie-cutter exercises, but the exercises were individualized to meet my needs.

His new book is called Abs Revealed and we didn't even talk about that. I am still reading through the book but it has solid advice on food and nutrition as well as a progression of exercises utilizing a variety of exercise tools like the TRX as well as Bosu and stability balls. Each exercise has positioning and technique explanations as well as performance tips. It is very readable and has color photographs on its big glossy pages. My advice is to get yourself a TRX Suspension Trainer. It is such a great tool for runners that is full of possibilities and if you want a good book on using the TRX to strengthen your core, this is definitely it. I have to get my running under control and then I can really work on getting some killer six-pack abs!!

In this video Jonathan Ross answers some questions about abs training and his book.

What is a Physiatrist???

Today I completed only my 3rd run of the month. I wasn't too happy with a doctor today, so I went for a run. The past two weekends, I dusted off my running shoes and went for one 8 mile run to just see if things are improving in my left hip. I haven't run much since the beginning of September (and have gained about 10 pounds-yikes!) and was hoping for a sign that things were getting better. Both runs started off great. My legs and hip felt fine, without the stiffness that I had in the left hip all summer. I was thinking I might be healed.

But about 1/2 mile into each run, the muscle or bone right on the inside crease of where my leg meets my pelvis would start hurting. The inner thigh muscle then would start tightening up. As I ran, the tightness would spread around the inside and then at about 4 miles my glutes would start tightening up like they did all summer. As I ran things would get tighter and tighter all around my hip. Saturday, I had no choice but to stop just 1/4 mile from my house, not because I was tired, but because it started shutting down on me. The next day, after both runs, I would have to fight all sorts of sore and stiff muscles (not running sore-but out of place sore).

After failing to complete two MRIs, I was to see an orthopedist this morning. I was looking forward to see what the next step would be. So much of my malfunctioning hip sounds like a labral tear (what they wanted to check out on an MRI), but I wasn't ruling out a stress fracture, or some other problem. I was expecting to be sent to Boston for an MRI (where they can put you out!) or maybe get a cortisone shot to see if that would help things.

The new doctor did a few tests of moving my joint around, measured leg lengths and then said that she didn't think I have a labral tear at all. She said she looked at the x-ray (which the previous doctor said showed nothing) and said that I have a little bit of arthritis. I always assumed "arthritis" is the "name" given to something that you are not sure of and that you don't want to treat. I guess that was the easy answer. She said I was good enough to run again. "Hello", I have been trying that and something is still wrong. If I could run every day, I most certainly would.

This was a ridiculous appointment, coupled with the fact that I was her first appointment of the day and it still started over 1/2 hour late. She said she would like to refer me to a Physiatrist. She wrote down 4 local names (which I can't even read it is so poorly written). I asked her if they worked with athletes and she said she wasn't sure, but she said I could research it myself if I wanted to find someone different. I don't know anything about physiatrists. It seems that a physiatist is a medical doctor who focuses in on rehabilitation (rather than surgery). They are like a physical therapist but with more training. They treat the whole body and not the symptoms with a lot of different approaches. It sounds good to me, but where do you find one that specializes in sports injuries and if it worked so good, why do I never hear runners talk about them? I see that they also work with accident victims, amputees, the elderly (almost there), and people with other needs so I am not sure that every one has the training, knowlege, insight, or desire to work with a runner that refuses to stop running. I am sure great ones are out there, but is that person nearby and how do I find him or her? I will be working on it, however. Hopefully, I can find someone real good!

So even though it was a lousy appointment and I think I was just gracefully "shown the door" I can only hope that I find the right physiatrist and find a way to figure out what is wrong with my hip and how to fix it!

I could have bought a nice television or an iPad or something really cool, but I got these instead so I better show them off!

On another note, I picked up my permanent orthotics last night (three weeks after getting them molded for my feet). Not only are they expensive (I think that is the most I have spent on any one item in a long time) but they seem really fragile. That could be good or it could be bad. They are the lightest orthotics I have ever had. I had a pair in the 80s and another in the 90s and they were like boats. The base is reduced in size compared to what I have had in the past and they are incredibly light. They feel like they are made out of chalk and that they could break or dissolve in a few days of use. It has a seemingly flimsy covering with the cutouts for my 1st MPT joint (to treat Functional Hallux Limitis). They are extremely light in my shoes and have a different feel than the generic FHL insoles that I have been using since the summer. I think the cutout for my joint is deeper and my feet roll differently in them.

One thing that I hope is that they may help my hip. I have wondered is if the "off the shelf" insoles might be helping my FLM, but at the same time hurting my hip. An angle or balancing point may shift my foot, leg, and eventually hip into a position that stresses my hip. While many things got better for me in my foot through the use of the insoles all summer, my hip seemed to get worse and worse.

As I ran in them today, I liked the feel of them in my shoes and apppreciated the lightness of them. I noticed my foot working a bit differently and I noticed that as I ran the tightness went from the inside of my hip to the front outside of my hip joint and that was new, as if I was using the joint in a different way. I have decided that I will try to run more, but for smaller distances (I ran 4 miles today) to keep my glutes from acting up and tightening. Maybe things will improve.

I will be on the starting line of the Bay State Marthon on Sunday. I would like to see how far I can go before  the tightness sets in. Maybe I'll only get a few miles in. Maybe I will get a 1/2 marathon in. Who knows, maybe the orthotics will work and I can jog the whole 26.2 mile thing. I don't give it much of a chance, but if the hip doesn't hurt, it would be interesting to do a marathon after barely running the past month and a half! At least, I can cheer on my teammates out on the course once I do stop.

On a final note, I have used many different types of foam rollers, but I think I have found that best foam roller ever made. I have been using this for two weeks and it is quite a monster and can hit muscles in ways that a traditional foam roller cannot and it feels better than it looks as it can really isolate tight spots and trigger points.

I also got this book today. I am going to need something for my abs after all the weight I have gained after shifting from my favorite pastime (running) to my second favorite (eating ice cream). Actually, I have an opportunity to talk with the author, Jonathan Ross, on the phone next week and I want to be ready. He is one of the countries top trainers and I look forward to asking him about the use of the TRX as well as what insights he might have to fix my imbalances. Here is his website for his book "Abs Revealed".

                    

Rethinking the Boston Marathon

I guess I waited way too long, but I checked last week and the Gate City Strider's bus to the Boston Marathon is full. I knew it might fill up before I signed up, but I guess I was waiting to sign up before I wasted more money on the marathon without any idea if I could run it this year. I told myself I would sign up as soon as I could get in a long run of 13+ miles, something not too easy with the bad achilles that has limited my running. With all the physical therapy I have been doing the past two months, I didn't want to push more than I should and mess up the good stuff that I have been working on. The PROS for running Boston this year would be: I am registered, I should be fit enough to run (not race) with my current progress, and probably most important is that is is 10 years since the Nashua School department would not let me take a personal day to run the race, so I ran "The Last Shift" with race director Dave McGillivray. The CONS for not running this year: It could mess up the physical therapy I have been doing, I haven't done the training as of yet, and I don't want to figure out a way to get to the start. Unless I find another running club with a bus to the starting line or someone else who is driving to Hopkinton, I will probably do the smart thing (losing my $130 registration) and watch the race on television.

My running is going real well. I ran 38 miles last week: Mon. (PT) Tues. (Track: 3X a set a 400m, 400m 800m ran the 400's between 85-89 and the 800's between 2:55-3:00).Wed. (PT) Thurs-Sat (8 miles each day) Sun (10 miles-longest run this year). I continued playing with intermittent fasting. I did not eat a breakfast any day this week and on Saturday and Sunday I did not eat anything until dinner time. I have now done this for four weeks and I am going to have to wear my pants a size down (after moving up a month ago). I haven't weighed myself at all as I go by how I feel. So far it is a very easy system and I have no energy drops when running, in fact I feel better. Today also ended my last day of  physical theapy. I have been going twice a week to Select Physical Therapy in Nashua for two months and the results are fantastic and still coming in as my body adapts and changes. This has been the best therapy I have ever done for my running. It takes work, but it puts me in control of fixing my own body. I just needed the eyes and knowledge that I got from Jackie to set me on the right path. I would highly recommend her as a therapist for anyone in the Nashua area. I have tried so many different things to fix my stride and with this therapy I feel that I am finally headed in a positive direction.

Within hours of the end of physical therapy (although I will still be doing the exercises on my own)  a new exercise tool was brought to my house by UPS. I have been eyeing the TRX Suspension Trainer
for quite a while and finally ordered one last week. I needed a way to do some of the progressions of exercises in the Convict Conditioning book I have been using as well adapt and find new ways to work the muscles that physical therapy has exposed as my weak and unstable muscles. It looks like a lot of fun and I look forward to using it.

I am also looking forward to a great year of running straight and running strong!



I haven't tried these AURIAEarphones , but they claim to be made for runners Here is a link to a video explaining them from Competitor.com.