Ironman training has saved my life several times, in addition to keeping my peripheral arterial disease (PAD) at bay, essentially saving my feet from eventual imputation. In 2010, I was diagnosed with a large abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) as a result of weird symptoms in my fourth Lake Placid Ironman race. This wasn't good news, but having medical training, as a veterinary pathologist, I made had some changes made ... Read more
It is well known that we have four main balance systems, (1) semi-circular canals of the inner ear, (2) somatic sense, what we feel in our body, (3) vision, locking onto a fixed object, and (4) the thousands of mechanoreceptors on the soles of our feet. HOWEVER, in the same way we rarely think of the liver as a major center of the immune system, we rarely think of core (pelvis and more) strength in relation to ... Read more
Once your body learns something, even when neglected for years, it remembers. It remembers mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I found this while reapplying water running to my ongoing peripheral arterial disease (PAD) marathon and Ironman training, to spare my feet on long training runs. https://youtu.be/DVgzPzoxVmg Water running is a great tool for endurance run conditioning later in ... Read more
Just watching how you turn as you walk will teach you a great deal about the role of your hips in body movement, and how to focus there for solutions to certain aches and pains, including so-called plantar fasciitis, and so-called iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). https://youtu.be/AfyMB--Bcpk Yep, those danged hip rotators, all twelve of them (and most certainly more), cause all sorts of mayhem, so keep them ... Read more
Vision blinds us? I awake, again, to a nice warm cat on my feet, a large warm dog huddled up to my side, and a wood stove needing attention. What's new! Boy, Willbe, Cat and I would freeze pretty quickly in our tiny house without this little wood stove. I go outside, one step away, to a world that is quiet and dark, with Orion's belt overhead. I've enjoyed my morning tea, two cups, several hours ago. I step ... Read more
How does one train? For Ironman? You train your body, you train your mind, you train your spirit, you train your ass off. For Aging? You train your body, you train your mind, you train your spirit, you train your withering ass off. While writing the second edition of my book on how to prepare for aging, under a new title, "How to Train for Aging, the Ultimate Endurance Sport," it occurred to me that one ... Read more
I know it sounds weird, but if you have tight calves, stretching your hamstrings works better than a roller or using all those crazy calf stretching gizmos. Trust me! https://youtu.be/cArWgQXoktc I know, I said hip flexor instead of lateral hip rotator for the piriformis stretch. I guess I was distracted. Why did the music go on after the images? So you'll be encouraged to relax, chill out. Never force ... Read more
Ironman With Vascular Disease Completing an Ironman with peripheral vascular disease, plus an aortic aneurysm stent graft, is a bit of a puzzle. I love puzzles - OQS time. After a poor performance at the Maine Marathon, due to intense foot pain, I'm revisiting the challenge of running with limited blood flow to my feet. Especially my right foot - stenosis of branches of the popliteal artery. By the way: ... Read more
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