Update on my triathlon training

I’ve been taking some time away from swimming and biking, but still doing some running. Mostly, I’ve been hitting the kettlbell pretty hard.

I bought a DVD about improving your VO2 max with the kettlebell snatch & this weekend I finally watched. Very interesting.

In a nutshell: You set a 2-second cadence with the kettlebell snatch, so one rep every two seconds. This amounts to essentially non-stop snatching.  You do 15 seconds of this with 15 seconds of rest. For 25 minutes.

Absolutely brutal. A Danish study showed that this was more effective than intense running or biking for increasing VO2 max. How will this affect my triathlon training? Well, hopefully it will increase my VO2 max. Stay tuned…

Interested in learning more? Well, kettlebell class just might be returning soon.

The very popular barefoot running article is now online

Those of you (over 1000!) who get our paper newsletter already have the barefoot running article from the June / July 2010 newsletter.

We sort of goofed and never managed to put it online. Well, here it is:

http://www.denverback.com/pdf/2010_July.pdf

For those of you who like to follow my training, I did a workout I picked up from top strength guru Mike Mahler’s facebook page. P90X is starting to seem a little too easy for me.

It looked a little something like this:

10 sets of 10 reps of the following (in giant-set formation):

  • Heavy Kettlebell Swings (72 pounder)
  • Dumbbell Presses (65’s)
  • Double Kettlebell Rows (62 pound KB’s)

‘Twas quite brutal. Look for Mike Mahler on Facebook, or go to  www.mikemahler.com

Ankle sprain / calf injury while training for the Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon

I had a patient call the office in a panic today.

She’s been training for her first marathon – the Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon. Today, during a 15-mile run she felt some calf and ankle pain.

“I found Dr. Hyman after doing a google search. Can he help?”

Well of course, the answer is yes. Using Active Release Technique here at Denver Chiropractic Center, I treat ankle and calf pain all of the time.

These issues usually arise from cumulative trauma – the normal damage that occurs from training. Basically, if an ankle and/or calf is unstable, forces are not  properly absorbed. This causes damage to soft tissues,scar tissue formation, and eventually painful dysfunction.

There are two ways to deal with this. 1. Call 303.300.0424 and make an appointment as soon as you notice symptoms. I have saved many a race at the last minute. Don’t let calf pain ruin your race.

2. Do some preventative stability work and prevent this from happening in the first place. I covered this in detail in my January 2010 patient newsletter. You can download it here:

http://www.denverback.com/pdf/2010_Jan.pdf

(If Brett Favre had this information, he wouldn’t be dealing with ankle problems right now. If you know him, go ahead and forward. I like to see guys (almost) as old as me do well in the NFL!)

Anyway, we have plenty of time to get this racer to the start line. No worries.

Happy training!

Getting ready for next season

Well, after three seasons of training for Xterra triathlons by myself, I’ve decided I don’t really know what the hell I’m doing. So I’ve begged my friends at Mile High Multisport (www.milehighmultisport.com) to coach me.

Lucky for me, Pete and Kathy Alfino agreed. So Kathy Alfino is going to serve as my coach. I can’t describe how excited I am.

After 3 years of finishing at the back of the pack (yes, I know that finishing is an accomplishment) it’s time to start moving up. So I’ll keep you posted in the ol’ blog about my progress. I’m planning on training through the off season so I can get better. I’m going to keep swimming, biking, and running all winter long.

Kathy Alfino qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, and she’s one of the main reasons my family and I have decided to go out there for the big race. As an official ART Ironman Provider (one of 2 in Denver) I’m looking forward to working on the athletes on the Big Island.

How will Meredith and I survive a 6-hour flight with the boys (ages 5,3,1)? That’s a damn good question.

I’ve been doing a little lifting in the interlude here. Did the P90x Shoulders and Arms workout today. I went kind light on the weights as I’ve been incredibly busy at work. Thanks for reading!!

By the way- Happy 3rd birthday to Jason!

L to R- Zachary, Meredith, Jason, Me, Andrew