Foundation Training Basics

I do variations of The Founder just about daily as it is a great exercise for my hips and lower back and helps my body to learn to move better. Here Foundation Training founder Eric Goodman gives a brief look at some of the Foundation Training basic moves with professional surfer Lakey Peterson. The second exercise seems more to be for surfers, but directions for the squat, Founder, plank, and the 8-point plank are easy to follow.

You can find other posts on Foundation training here:

The Founder
How to Improve Core Strength: Foundation Exercises

Foundation Training 2 DVD Set - Fundamentals and Daily Workouts

Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence

2015 Year in Review

After running 4 miles in Kenya!

The good news about this year is that I started what I hope is a small running comeback at the end of 2015. My heart never strays far from my love for running, but I have developed one rule since my many painful attempts at coming back post hip surgery in 2011. That rule is to not run if it leaves me limping the next day or sore in my hip joint. Over the past two years, I keep making attempts and each attempt would end up with me limping and frustrated. In 2014, I only totaled 88 miles of running and this year the grand total was only 66 miles. I did hit two running goals this year. I ran a 7+ mile run on my old favorite route (I could do it, but ended up limping), but that was to get my mind set to run while I was in Kenya and I did do a 4 mile run through the Kenyan countryside in July. Other than that my running was going nowhere. That is until I came up with a new thought and plan. I wondered what would happen if I ran uphill on the treadmill? So a couple of weeks ago, I tried it out, setting the treadmill at 5% and then running. My stride is shorter and my cadence is slower going uphill and my joints don't take as much of a pounding. I found I could do two to four mile runs like this easily (but slowly) and for the past two weeks I did 1/3 of my mileage total for the year running two double digit weeks (11 miles and 10 miles). I get tight the day after these runs, but not in the hip joint so all is good. I hope to continue this uphill running while increasing the pace and lowering the elevation. I did do a four mile run outdoors last week that I survived according to my rules.

Who knows where this will lead? Might I do some snowshoe racing this winter, uphill mountain runs, Mt. Washington, regular 5ks? Another reason I am being more successful at this comeback attempt is I am learning which stretches, band distractions, and mobility drills work best on my hip and other misaligned parts of my body and when they work best.

The close finish with Jeff Caron at the Spring Classic

On the ElliptiGO front, I noticed last night that I needed 11 more miles to hit 6000 miles for the year. I just had a tooth extraction and implant under anesthesia earlier in the day, but I hopped on my ElliptiGO (on a trainer) and got those 11 miles in. That is 215 miles less than the previous year, but I did have two bouts with kidney stones and the past month I have been dealing with a tooth infection and those have slowed down some of my riding. I have totaled over 15,000 miles on my ElliptiGO in the 2 1/2 years I have owned it. Can I mention what a great machine it is!

I rode a total of 350 miles one week in August and did three century rides in September and won the ElliptiGO Spring Classic after having one of the most thrilling battles in all my years of racing! I have now won all three EllitpiGO races in New England over the past three years. It has been mentioned that this year's Spring Classic will have a new location and might be over the 1/2 marathon distance. This year I was also honored by ElliptiGO as one of their Riders of the Month (interview here). I love my ElliptiGO for allowing me to keep moving, training, and racing even though I can no longer run!

This year, I hope to have a great race at that new ElliptiGO Spring Classic, hit another 6000 ElliptiGO miles, get under 6 hours on my ElliptiGO for 100 miles, and to see where my running comeback takes me (my goal as of now is just to run over 10 miles/week for as long as I can without any hip problems and see what happens). I hope everyone else had a fulfilling 2015 no matter what your sport and for those fighting injuries: never give up!

Improving Hip Internal and External Rotation: Hip Mobility from Z-Health

If you sit a lot or have tight hip compressed hips, you might find that this hip mobility mobilization from Z-Health gives you more space in your hips and help get you out of pain of stiffness. I felt great after doing these the first time through, so they are spot on for me. The movement and rotations make it easier for you to find your tough spots and work on those carefully.

The School Run - A short film about running in Kenya

This is a fun and perfectly done short video called "The School Run" It shows a bunch of kids at a school in the Kenyan countryside staging a race over the terrain and obstacles they encounter along the way. It brings back many good memories of my trips to Kenya, That is how the kids have fun and this really shows their personalities! They love acting out things, but "ouch" to how they get medals for the winners. I brought an ElliptiGO bottle opener to give to the school I was working at this summer. You are always looking for a bottle opener there! I only wish more American kids still had the opportunity and desire to get outside and play like this!

Published on Mar 13, 2013

Three Kenyan school children rise to the challenge of emulating their National hero's by staging a steeplechase through a beautiful Kenya backdrop.

Filmed on location thanks to the work of the staff and children at the Tumaini Mission Centre - Jitegemea Schools.

Starring: Kevin Mutota, Patrick Mutsotso, David Ngugi, Joyce Wanjiru and Robinson Kinuthia

Music by:

Olima Anditi
http://rawmusicinternational.bandcamp...

James Nzomo
https://soundcloud.com/danieloerther/...

The music on this is great too!

Tibial Torsion or Tibial External Rotation?

Having been told through the years that I have tibial torsion in my left leg, I am not always in agreement with the doctors and therapists. Yes, there is something there and has been since I started running in high school that goes along with my femoral anteversion in that leg, but sometimes it is bit very pronounced and sometimes it looks horrible. Some of the photos of my leg twisting and compensating in the last 10-15 years of running I did where just crazy looking. Since my arthroscopic surgery in 2011, my running has been curtailed, but one thing that I notice is that some days I feel great (and that is when my lower leg is straightest) and other days I feel terrible and that is when my leg is rotated out a whole lot more and my knee gets really tight.

I had been doing some lunging stretches where you use your hands to rotate the tibia back as much as you can, but here is another similar move that I have been trying. It is hard to "feel" any movement, but it seems to help when things get messed up.

Meet the Arc: ElliptiGOs newest bike!

Here is the new and interesting ElliptiGO bike as unveiled this morning. It looks like I was pretty right in what the new ElliptiGO would be, but I am surprised with how cool it looks and am looking forward to ride reports. It is cheaper than their other models, but that means it is lighter and quieter and has a shorter more circular motion. It looks like it will be great for shorter rides and as an introductory bike for those who won't be putting in 200+ mile weeks. You can see ElliptiGOs page with photos, a video, and its comparison to the other ElliptiGO models here. I think this will sell like hotcakes!





One thing I noticed the other day is that Amazon now sells the EllitpiGO. I would rather GO through a dealer, but it is good place to read reviews. The Arc is not on Amazon.

ElliptiGO 8C - The World's First Outdoor Elliptical Bike (Green)

ElliptiGO 11R - The World's First Outdoor Elliptical Bike (Black)

ElliptiGO is coming out with a brand new model! And it is going to be different!

According to this tweet  ElliptiGO is coming out with a new version of its bike. It looks like it is still under wraps, but there are some clues in the photo that lets you know this is not the same ElliptiGO model that is sold today. I noticed right away that it doesn't seem to have the drive arms protruding above and beyond the rear wheel.

I am no expert on what ElliptiGO is going to unveil, but I have heard rumors and have had discussions and my guess is that it will have a  lower price point by having not as long a wheelbase and not as long a stride (or even the same motion), so it will have slower speeds. Maybe it will be a beginner or introductory machine for those who think an ElliptiGO is too expensive (and who may move up at a later time to the current models). Maybe it will be more a training or supplementary machine for those who won't GO as many miles, but could use one when injured or to cross train without so much of a commitment . I am very excited to see this as many people balk at purchasing an ElliptiGO due to its price. A lot of the cost of an ElliptiGO does come from its quality components and that long wheelbase is something that, I am told, adds greatly to the cost of the machine. It will he interesting to see what this is when it is revealed. If you want to know more, you can sign up here with ElliptiGO to be notified. It does say you have to wait a few more days, so it could be soon!

UPDATE
The new ElliptiGO has been unveiled. See my post for more information here:

One thing I noticed the other day is that Amazon now sells the EllitpiGO. I would rather GO through a dealer, but it is good place to read reviews. The Arc is not on Amazon.

ElliptiGO 8C - The World's First Outdoor Elliptical Bike (Green)

ElliptiGO 11R - The World's First Outdoor Elliptical Bike (Black)