Archive for January, 2011

Back on track

Posted: January 26, 2011 in CrossFit, Injuries
Tags: ,
0

This past week and a half has been filled with 2 a days, running intervals in the pool with CF WOD’s in the evening. Notable CrossFit workouts included “Elizabeth” (21-15-9 power cleans, ring dips @ 135) in 4:40, 3RM Romanian deadlifts at 365, and another WOD of 3 rounds of 10 deadlifts @ 1.25% BW (205), 10 2 pood kettlebell swings and 10 burpies. We only had 1 1/2 pood bells so it ended up being 13 swings instead of 10. I ended up going 3:35 or thereabouts. Total gasser, felt great. Tuesday morning I pulled on the C2, 5x1min with 2min recovery, starting at 435 watts and finishing at 475 to 500 watts for the last intervals.

While in the pool, my favorite interval was 12x1min all out efforts holding the side. Immediately upon finishing, sprint 25m across the pool and rest the remainder of the minute. The first time doing this workout, I thought of the scenario of how the lifeguard, a 16yr old 100lb high school girl, would possibly pull me off the bottom of the pool should I sink to the bottom. The next few times it got easier and easier until I got to the point where I was hitting around 20s per 25m sprint, feeling very relaxed and in control. Swimming became fun! Realizing I may become a fish if I kept up this progress, I knew I had to get back on the track asap….

So, feeling good, I did just that. Tuesday, I headed to the track and spun the wheels for 6x400m @ 65s with 1min rest. Having rowed the 5x1min hard intervals that morning, I was happy with how I felt and how the hip held up. Actually, it felt so good I went out today for 4omin feeling fine the entire time.

So what changed? Just jumping in the pool alone wouldn’t have “loosened” up the medial glute that would literally lock up within 20min. What I did find, after numerous appointments addressing the medial glute and affecting areas around, was a huge mass of just below hamstring/above the knee where the IT band connects. A couple sessions addressing it alleviated all symptoms, amazing. We always hear the term, “look up stream and look downstream” for injuries. This one was another learning experience!

Back on the track Friday!

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

 

Postural Alignment and The Runner

Posted: January 16, 2011 in CrossFit
Tags: , , ,
1

“You run like you sit in chair” said the elderly gentleman with a thick Russian accent. “Have you ever had videotape of you running?” For a split second, I had no idea how to answer that question. Knowing his point before he finished making it made it difficult to answer. Yes, I had but at the same time I knew he was telling me I looked like shit. I was on the track running 200m repeats. I only got through 6 and the medial glute again clamped down on me.

Come to find out his name is Remi Korchemny and he has worked with such athletes such as Christi Gaines and Dwaine Chambers (former 100m WR holder.) In my book, any older man with a heavy Russian accent is automatically legit. His card said, “Honorable Coach of Ukraine” as if I needed anymore proof. We plan on meeting next Thursday.

I videotape a lot of athletes running and it’s amazing to see their progress from beginning to end. Unfortunately as a coach/athlete, I don’t get the chance to get analyzed myself which is an obvious huge gap in my training. I also know my main weakness is hip flexibility. While hip function and overall power has improved with CrossFit (squats, kb swings, deadlifts, etc.) all the running continues to cause over extension of the lower back.

One of the biggest problems I find with all runners is not just lack of hip mobility, it’s also the extreme curve of the thoracic cavity (Figure B above). Running for long periods of time pulls the upper body forward and down, causing the lower lumbar curve to have to compensate in return, thus pulling the hips out of alignment (ie over extension). This will in turn cause a host of faults in the running athlete from breaking at the hips to heel striking. This is also one of the reasons why having a strong core to support the runner for long periods of time is crucial to spine stability. Having a strong core is more than just situps. Knee’s to elbows, toe’s to bars, kipping pullups, OH squats, clean and jerk and hollow rocks are just some of the ways to establish excellent “core connectivity”. Core connectivity is just another way of saying you are able to apply that core strength to your extremities.

However, all the core strength in the world won’t help if you’re wound up like one of those balsa wood airplanes with the rubber band motor. High hip torque situations, such as top end running or snatching, are too great to overcome. You’ll see a great example of over extension at track meets in the last 100m of almost any race. Every athlete is digging down deep to give their final burst of speed to the finish. The proverbial bear has jumped on their back and form has more or less gone to hell.

Unfortunately for me, it looks like my indoor season is going to be bagged. I’m going to get in the pool until I can get this thing sorted out while trying to relax and not rush. In the mean time, lots of stretching, Yoga and deep tissue massage with Erica are on the agenda!

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

Double down on the MWOD

Posted: January 11, 2011 in CrossFit, Injuries
Tags: , , , ,
0

What ended up being the start of my best week of training ended with the medial glute revisiting me, locking down.

Tuesday’s workout on the track was 2x1000m @ 2:30 pace, followed by 2 rounds of 5oom, 300m, 200m all @ 62s pace then finished off with 1x1000m @ 2:30 again. Finally 4x200m @ 27-28.

I went 2:24′s(through the 800m) for the 1000′s and 60s pace for the breakdowns. I felt like I was jogging! I got through 2 of the last 200m’s @ 27. and shut it down. Even though my fitness is showing well, the hip just wouldn’t loosen up.

To make matters worse, in an effort to get it to release a bit (by engaging the glutes) I tweaked the vastus intermedius on my warm up set of 2×10 squats! Damn it! Paul at Penninsula Rolfing squeezed me in and got the hip to loosen up a lot. Thank you Paul! It was enough that I was able to at least get on the track for some strides on Friday.

So what the hell is going on? When looking at the athlete’s injury, every good physiologist/therapist will take an integrated approach. Kelly and Paul are a case in point. One trip to Kelly Starrett pin-pointed the overall problem: over-extension. Just standing in place it was apparent my hips were being pulled out. We see it with athletes doing push press overhead or in a kettlebell swing where the thoracic-lumbar junction hinges in high torque situations. Another high torque situtation would be running at top end speed. The combination of my workouts as well as standing for long periods of time adds up. Having a strong core certainly helps prevent over-extension but only so much. In my case, the hips were so tight that no amount of core strength is going to keep them in a neutral position.

Over the next couple days I’m told to hit the hips hard and especially utilize this Mobility WOD episode. Running hard is one thing, stretching hard is another.

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon

C is for Crushing it…

Posted: January 1, 2011 in CrossFit
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

What an awesome week it has been. Not just on the training front but with the family as well. Lots of sleep and the chance to get away to Tahoe for a few days of r&r was much needed.

After an awesome Christmas in the city, we packed the family up on Sunday and headed to Tahoe. They’ve had lots of snow already this season so while Jillian and her brother went boarding, I strapped on snow shoes to play Baehr Grills in the woods. I didn’t have the “emergency twinkie” (nor Will Ferrell there to eat it) but had an awesome time exploring the trails around Spooner Lake. I always imagine what I would do in situations if a bear or a mountain lion jumped on my back or something… and then I remembered bears are hibernating right now, which cut the “animals that can attack Brendon in the woods” by 50%. That made me feel nice. Running in snow shoes @ 6000′ was also nice and a great way to vary up the training. Fitness carried over very well as I really didn’t feel any shortness of breath from altitude.

Tuesday I was without a track that wasn’t covered in snow, so in lieu of 6x150m intervals I did 6x100m hill sprints.

Wednesday we were back on the road early fighting a huge snow storm that had already dropped 8in on the ground. I didn’t get on the track until 4pm in cold and very windy conditions. Gusts coming down the homestretch were 20-25mph, which made running 12x400m w/ 1min  rest very challenging. The workout called for the first 6 @ 70 then 2.5 min rest, then 6 @ 68. I went 65, 66, 67, 67, 67, 68 then 65, 64, 66, 66, 67, 65. Considering traveling all day in the car and the crappy conditions, I felt good about it. I know that workout will be totally different in the coming months as fitness improves. When you can hit 60′s for all 12, you know you’re ready to run fast.

Friday was the hip was a bit tight so I was a little nervous for 800m repeats. The workout called for 2 rounds of 230, 226, 222 with 2min between. I went 227, 226, 220, 228, 226, 220. I followed up with 3x200m @ 26.4, 27.1, 26.4. The last 200m repeats I felt very strong despite a long workout. It was a an awesome feeling, something I’ve been missing all season.

Our New Year’s Day workout was “Murph” with Tim Dymmel and the CrossFit Palo Alto crew. I love this workout! We had a great crew show up to represent for CFSM as well. I believe my best time is 30 minutes or just under which I did at CrossFit Atlanta 2 years ago.

“Murph” in honor of Navy Seal Michael Murphy

1 mile run
100 pullups
200 pushups
300 squats
1 mile run

Today was a lot of fun and despite the hip again getting a little tight at the end, I went 32:08. Even though I wanted to do another easy run to get the lead out of the legs, I didn’t want to risk the hip tightening anymore.

Next workout is Tuesday. Tomorrow will be easy recovery, Monday most likely a CFE wod.

Happy New Year!

Never Let It Rest,
Brendon