Tag Archive for gear

The Triathlon Rx | October 11, 2011
5 comments

Tried it Tuesday // How do you ROLL?

Between personal training, athletic training, spin instructing, coaching, leading running clinics, and just being involved in the running and triathlon community, I’ve gotten quite a few questions over the years about recovery tools. And not just from runners and triathletes, but also swimmers, divers, basketball players, hockey players…. we don’t discriminate!! There are two categories that come to my mind when I think recovery: options that are FREE options (ice, ice baths, tennis balls [practically free], recruiting the boyfriend for a massage*, etc.), and those that are NOT FREE (professional sports massage [sorry honey, you're not a pro], compression gear, nutritional supplements, etc.).

One product in the non-free category I’m sure just about everyone is familiar with: the ROLLER.

Or the massager. Or the massage-roller. There are so many different options on the market now and they’re so widely available, that the question has gone from “What is a foam roller?” to ”What type of roller is the best?” You’d almost have to try them all to know…

… and luckily, I’ve had the opportunity to do pretty much just that. I’ve tried rollers that feel soft, rollers that feel hard, rollers that elicit tears, and rollers that really don’t feel like they’re doing a ⠙⠈⠍⠝ thing. (Side note: It’s somewhat pathetic/amusing the amount of this stuff I have in my house. Some day – when the student loans are paid off – I will dedicate a room to this crazy thing we call exercise. Until then, the QRoo and trainer belong in the living room, and the pull-up bar goes in the kitchen doorway.) ;)

Back on track… BRIEFLY: this is essentially the poor-man’s massage. Using these tools helps stretch muscles and tendons, as well as assists in breaking up scar tissue and soft tissue adhesions (muscle tissue stuck together). Just as with stretching, there is a difference between hurts-so-good and SOB!-that-wasn’t-supposed-to-happen. It’s important to differentiate between a moderate and healthy discomfort, and discomfort that can lead to an injury.

It was difficult to decide how to organize this – from favorite to least favorite? From hard to soft? Most expensive to least expensive? I’m not sure if there’s a method to the madness, but I think I’m going with the “originals” to the newer products. Maybe.

1. Pro-Tec Athletics Foam Roller

  • 6″ x 35″ – $29.95**
  • 6″ x 18″ – $24.95** – nice for traveling)
  • High Density
  • Comes with an instruction manual… in case you couldn’t figure it out?
  • What I consider the “standard” or “traditional” foam roller – no bells or whistles, but it gets the job done. This is the type of foam roller you will find in most gyms, health clubs, and PT clinics. At first this was all I needed, but now that I use them so frequently, it feels like it’s not doing much. Great if you’re extremely tight or just breaking yourself into rolling.
  • From Pro-Tec: “The Pro-Tec foam roller is a great tool for stretching, promoting flexibility and myofascial release! It can help alleviate muscle and soft tissue tightness of the upper and lower back, IT band, hamstring, adductors, upper arm, and much more!”
  • Pro-Tec Athletic’s Website

2. Performtex Textured EVA Foam Roller

  • Very similar to a traditional foam roller, but with small textured bumps along the whole surface for “added stability and deeper trigger point activation.”
  • Just personal opinion – I feel like this gets a bit deeper into my muscles than the standard, non-textured foam roller. Makes sense of course, but you wouldn’t think it would make that much of a difference. It does!!
  • 6″ x 36″ – $39.00**
  • From Performtex: “Looks badass.” Yes. Yes it does!
  • ***As a side note… Performtex makes wonderful kinesio tape. They’re working on putting together “how-to” videos which (I believe!) will be available from their facebook page.
  • Performtex’s website.

3. Rumble Roller

  • 5″ x 12″ – $44.95**
  • 6″ x 31″ – $69.95**
  • Not for the faint of heart – the surface of this bad boy will work you over like a physical therapist… with a desire to make you squirm.
  • OK – maybe that’s a little intense. I actually have to break into it though, by using a traditional foam roller first, and working into the Rumble Roller next. Either this means I’m super tight (true), or the Rumble Roller gets into deep tissue (also true.)
  • Available in “original density” or “extra firm”. I have the original blue, and I’d say it takes a champ to handle the Extra Firm. Consider that a challenge! ;)
  • People ask me about this and want to try it out ALL THE TIME. So much so that I had to write my name and phone number on it, in case it “accidentally” walked off.
  • Rumble Roller’s Website

4. The Stick

  • Available in three different levels of firmness – firm, standard, and flexible.
  • Firm: Big stick (30″ – $53.95) , Stiff Stick (24″ – $47.95), and Sprinter Stick (19″ – $34.95)
  • Standard: Power Stick (27″ – $47.95), Original Body Stick (24″ – $42.50), Travel Stick (29″ – $27.50)
  • Flexible: Flex Stick (26″ – $42.50), Marathon Stick (20″ – $31.95), Hybrid Stick (23″ – $44.95)
  • Available at most marathon or big race expos, and online.
  • They have a fun “Stick Selector” tool on Products page that helps you pick out which product might be best for you. They told me I’m best suited for the Travel Stick or the Marathon stick. Whattya know… I have both!!
  • The Stick’s Website.

5. PVC Pipe.

  • If you want to talk about bad ass…
  • I don’t know if I can actually/safely recommend this. It hurts like a %!&@#. Be careful of the anterior tib, ITB, and TFL areas.
  • But hey… it’s affordable!!**
  • No, I’m not BSing you. We have multiple widths and densities of PVC pipe specifically for this purpose in our training room.
  • PVC’s Website.

These five different options only scratched the surface. There is a sweet product from Trigger Point Performance Therapy called The Grid that looks like an intermediate version of the Rumble Roller and the Textured EVA Roller. They also have a total Hip & Lower Back Kit that I have been eyeing forever and will be on my Christmas list (Photo at Left). I have never had issues with lower back pain until just a few months ago, and am still trying to figure out the root cause. All I can say is, I feel like I was trampled in Jumanji!!

Reader Qs:

How do YOU roll? Is it a regular part of your routine, or only when you’re feeling particularly tight? What is your favorite recovery tool?

-E

*Ladies (and gentlemen)… take note – that SHOULD be free.
**Prices may vary by retailer.
*** I promise Performtex didn’t ask me to plug their kinesio tape. Working in an athletic training room and working with several Division 1 teams, I’ve used a billion kinds of kinesio tape. I really, truly, 100% un-biasedly like Performtex’s tape the best!!

Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | September 6, 2011
4 comments

Excuses / Vital Sox Winner

It’s that time of year again…

I know – lame excuse for my absence. Pinky promise that it will not be a reoccurring trend.

I’m sure what you all REALLY want to know is who won the compression sleeves?? Drum roll please…..

KIM!! She blogs over at “Teta means Booby in Spanish” … aptly named from when she was training for Ironman Cozumel in 2009. Chica – please email me your address (drtrirunner at gmail dot com) and I will get them on their way to you asap!

That’s all I have time for now… CLASS in 10 min. Ugh.

-E

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | July 12, 2011
15 comments

Tried it Tuesday // Asics Sky Speed

A few weeks ago, my mom, aunt, and I held a yard sale to try and minimize the amount of stuff we had. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for nice things, mementos, and what not… but if there’s one thing that drives me nuts, it’s clutter. And the one area that was definitely becoming cluttered was my shoe shelf.

It’s one thing if you’re an elite runner, and you have a wall room of fame with every shoe you’ve ever run in, every medal you’ve ever won, and race photos from floor to ceiling. (Spirit of a Marathon…? Anyone??) But when you’re a “normal” runner, who goes through 3 to 4 pairs of shoes annually, and has been running since the age of 12, you probably don’t need to hold on to all of them. Yeah… I had a lot of shoes to clear out.

It’s wasn’t like an episode of Hoarders… a bunch of them I’ve donated to shoe reuse programs to get a discount on the new shoes. A particular two pairs had been thrown directly in the trash after mud-runs. One [semi-clean] expired pair is kept for walking, and another [not-as-clean] expired pair is kept for mowing the lawn. Just one pair – my very first ever pair of “real” running shoes – is being kept for memories sake. But all the rest of those still usable / no holes / not suitable for running / but still in decent shape running shoes? Time to move on.

Asics 21??s, a la 2008

Now I really wish I had taken a picture… There were probably 10 pairs of miniature Asics. One pair of New Balance, one pair of Nike, and two different Adidas. All with different colors, from different seasons, and different memories. As I set each pair, with their little $1 or $2 price tag, out on the driveway, I got to take a jog down memory lane…

  • my first half marathon
  • my first marathon
  • my PR marathon – the shoes I FORGOT at home the day before the marathon
  • the XC seasons I took All-City
  • the XC season that Asics were back-ordered, and I had to get an emergency different brand shoe the day before a meet…
  • … which shortly thereafter led to my first stress fracture
  • the shoes I was wearing when I found out about my hip fracture, and took that “last fateful run“
  • the shoes I was wearing for what will very likely be my last full marathon
  • my first triathlon
  • Ragnar Relay
  • the shoes I ran in when I studied in Spain
  • the shoes I ran in all over Puerto Rico

(Out with the old, in with the new. (L) Asics DS Trainer 14… 2009. (R) Asics 2140s I think… 2010.)

Luckily, I have lots of photos to remind me of these [mostly] wonderful moments… so by getting rid of the shoes I’m only sharing a little bit of what I love with someone else. :D On the second day of the sale, a neighbor lady stopped by who works with Mano a Mano – a non-profit organization that partners with Bolivian communities to improve health and well-being. Of all the shoes that were still left, I was more than happy to donate them to Mano a Mano to help support their mission. (We were also able to give a few winter jackets, and I got to unload TWO pairs of crutches, a walking boot, an air cast, and a wrist splint. Wooohh!!) It made me feel really good at the end of the day to know what we donated was going to be put to good use.

So now that the athletic-shoe stash has gone from 20+ to less than I can count on one hand… what am I running in?

You probably have heard by now – I have Asics tattooed on my heart. (Metaphor mom… don’t worry. No new ink.) Matter of fact… do an Asics search on my blog and you’ll get three full pages of results. For a long time, I ran in the 21xx series. But after becoming a little more efficient, and a little faster, I decided it was a touch too much shoe. I moved over to the DS Trainer, which I loved. And still do! (I mean… you care about something for so long, it’s not like I just have an “off switch” and can forget about you overnight.) ;) But finally – after so many years – I think I’ve found “the one”…

Asics DS Sky Speed

(Not to be confused with the Hyper Speed, which is pretty sweet racing flat.)

The Asics Sky Speed is a neutral shoe, and considered a “race-inspired” training flat. The women’s SS weighs in at 7.9 oz, while the men’s weighs in at 9.8 oz. (Hahaa… big-footed suckas!!) ((Kidding. Totally kidding.))

The Asics DS Sky Speed is in the same family as the DS trainer, and shares many common features. Both the SS and the DST have the Impact Guidance System (I.G.S.®), Guidance Line™, Propulsion Trusstic®, Gender Specific Space Trusstic System®, Biomorphic Fit ® upper, and asymmetrical lacing.

The biggest differences between the two shoes are that while the DST has a touch of support, the SS is neutral. The SS is more flexible. The SS is slightly lighter than the DST (0.6 oz difference for las mujeres, 0.2 oz difference for los hombres). And the upper on the SS is more minimal. (More minimal…? It’s less.) Put simply, the SS is essentially the old (around version 14) DST, without a medial post.

To summarize my thoughts on the Sky Speed: I love it. I love the way it hugs my foot through the midsole. I love the minimal-ness of the upper, because really, what does the upper do for you anyways besides add unnecessary weight? For my style of running, I think it provides just the right “amount of shoe” under my foot.

If you a wide foot, or need an extra-roomy toe box, I would say this shoe is not for you. If you are looking for a shoe as minimal as the NB Minimus, or even the Brooks Green Silence, then I think you’d say the SS is “too much.”

HOWEVER… if you are looking for a comfy, neutral, flexible, light weight trainer (and you like neon), then you have a winner!!

Reader Qs:

  • Have you found that one true love – the shoe that has always worked for you, time and time again?
  • Do you bounce around from brand to brand? Or have one brand for flats, one for trainers, one for spikes, etc.? Or are you loyal to one brand and one brand only?
  • What shoe are you currently running in? What do you think about it?
  • I have not tried the Asics Speed Star… but if anyone else has, I would really love to hear your take on it!! How does it compare to the DST or the SS?  (I know… DS Trainer, DS Sky Speed, Hyper Speed, and Speed Star. All very confusing/very clever.)

That’s all I got for you today! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer (except for the 18 readers I have in Australia, 8 in Malaysia, 5 in Singapore, all the rest in the southern hemisphere who are currently enjoying WINTER. Jeeez I love Google Analytics!!) and enjoying life. :)

-E

p.s. If you’re at all interested in donating, volunteering, or simply learning more about Mano a Mano, please check out their website HERE!

p.s.s. Legal disclaimer!! This post was in no way compensated for, persuaded by, or influenced by Asics America. All reviews and opinions in this post are based on my own experiences with the above mentioned shoes, which were purchased at my own expense.
Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | March 8, 2011
8 comments

Tried It Tuesday // Craft Active Mittens

Circulation isn’t exactly my forte. Coming out of the water in just about any tri and you can be sure I’ll have numb toes. I’ve been in tears coming in from a winter run because the blood trying to get back into my fingertips is so painful. And I don’t think I can just blame living in Minnesota and our cold temperatures either, because it happens at -20° below windchill and it has happened at 10° above. Short run… long run… it doesn’t seem to discriminate. So is it me? Or is it my gear? A combination of the two?

ME: To be fair, I am a very temperature sensitive person. I either seem to be super hot when no one else is, or freezing and wrapped in a blanket when no one else is. Although when it comes to running in the winter, more often than not all my running buddies will be just fine and I’m borderline frostbite on the extremities.

GEAR: I don’t know what to tell you… I’ve tried everything! (Or so I thought.) Gloves. Mittens. Gloves with a wind-shell mitten on top. Ski mittens that make me look like I’m running with oven mitts. (Hey… I never tried oven mitts! Maybe I gave up too soon.)

One thing that does for sure work is the sweet little invention called “Lil Hotties” … elsewhere known as Hot Hands. They’re mostly used for ice fishing/hunting/etc., but stick a pair inside your mittens and without a doubt your fingers will be toasty. However, each pair is only usable once, meaning it’s not a very cost effective solution to buy a pair for every winter run. (Funny side note – when I was a kid I thought these were made from gun powder. Maybe because my grandpa used them hunting? :P )

ENTER: Craft Active Mittens

If you’ve never heard an angel sing, put these on and go outside for a run when it’s below zero and the wind is making it feel like -25°. Return home (/to car) and whip off mitten to grab for key. Suddenly, thoughts will be zooming through your mind at a speed faster than you’ve ever run a mile, sounding something like:

Wait. My fingers are bending… [checking to make sure they’re not broken.] I can actually feel the key in my pocket. [Pinches arm to make sure not dreaming. Turns the key and goes inside.] WAIT. Where is the blood rush? And why are they pink!?! [Touches fingers to face to make sure this is not an illusion. No, they’re real. Runs to find wife/husband/children/dog and grabs one of them by the arm.] LOOK!! [Holding up mobile, fully innervated and functioning hands and fingers.] THEY WORK! [Met with stares of confusion. But by this point, you don’t care. You’re already pulling your mittens back on to go out for another mile.]

Or something very similar. I can’t even just chalk this review up to being dramatic – they honestly change my attitude when going out for a run. This has been a long and cold winter here in Minnesota, and truthfully I was becoming a bit of a fair weather runner. Not any more!! Craft’s motto is “Where Athlete Meets Atmosphere” and they definitely provide products that meet that expectation.

[Legal disclosure: Oh wait, I don’t need one. I bought these mittens with mi propio dinero and no one asked me to review them. What now FTC guidelines? ;) ]

I know many of you outside the state of MN are thinking, um, a little late for the warmest ever mitten review, dontcha think? (Only being that you are from outside MN, you might not have “dontcha.”) However, winter is far from over here in our little corner of the North, so I won’t be packing these away just yet. Also, the end of a season is a fantastic time to stock up on gear –winter apparel goes on sale so stores can get their spring lines out. And [unfortunately] it’s not like winter is going to go away for good, so by stocking up at the end of the season you save money AND you’re prepared for that early storm next year.

If you’re a Twin Cities local and are thinking where can I get a pair of those?! Or any other winter items you want to stock up on (Craft? Sugoi? Mizuno? Got it!!) shoot me a comment or an email and I’ll hook you up with a good deal. :D

drtrirunner [at] gmail [dot] com

Reader Qs:

What do you use for mittens/gloves? (I know there are some of you in tropical conditions (read: 30° +) that have no use for such items. One word: jealousy.) Do you run outside or indoors in the winter, or both? Do you have a cutoff point where it’s just “too cold”?

Be happy, be warm, and catch ya in a couple of days!

-E

Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | February 3, 2011
6 comments

Thoughts on a Thursday // Feb. 3rd, 2011

Only three of them, and then I gotta jet (/bounce/skedaddle/run(but I’m not)).

1. GIVEAWAY!!

Open until Monday, February 7th at midnight. Don’t wait until then. Go. Enter. It. Now.

2. ATP

These guys did a really good job. And the song has been stuck in my head all morning. ♪ Krebs makin CO2 and oxy oxidatin… why you think they call it cellular respiration ♪

3. HIPPOCRACY

I’m going to be trying out a new (to me) product… and reviewing it… and there may or may not be some retractions of previously made thoughts/statements. I know a ton of people who love em’, and an equal number of people who think ‘those guys’ are out of their minds…

Adios,
-E

Category: Thoughts on a Thursday | Tags: , ,
The Triathlon Rx | January 11, 2011
8 comments

Tried It Tuesday // CHICKED

I have absolutely no problem getting behind a company that I love and promoting the heck out of them. Cross my heart and hope to die – you’ll still get a 100% honest review. But if you don’t hear me saying anything bad, that’s because this girl has nothing bad to say!

Being honest: of all the different Tried It Tuesday’s and product reviews I’ve done in a past… this one is going to be hard to beat in the future. Really hard.

CHICKED APPAREL:

The ladies behind You Got Chicked – Jennifer Martin and Gretchen Heim – are two powerful women. One a Physical Therapist, one an Art Director, both athletes, both very driven, and both very inspiring. The idea all began when one of the ladies’ cousin had to play on a males university team (because there wasn’t a team for women). She was chicking all the guys! One night designs were drawn up at a cabin… and shortly thereafter, You Just Got Chicked was born.

For those of you that are local, so is CHICKED! If your not local, don’t worry! Orders are being shipped all over the country, across the oceans, and empowering ladies all over the world. (I’m not kidding – you can find someone sporting the CHICKED apparel in Barcelona, Mexico City, England, Vancouver and more!) If you do happen to be local to the Twin Cities and want to try any of the items on to decide what you like the best (caution: it will likely be all of the items…) you can find the CHICKED apparel at Gear Running Store in Edina.

Gear Running Store // 4406 France Avenue South // Edina, MN 55410 // 952.926.2645

That’s all the necessary information about the company. My opinion might not be “necessary”, but it’s always nice to see the products on a real person/in use/in real life. How many times have you gotten a present from the UPS man, opened it up, and thought $#!&. That’s not what it looked like online….


Chicking all of MSP airport, Chicago, and Nebraska. ;) Sorry for the cell phone picture – I wasn’t trying to wake up sleepy people on the airplane with my flash!

LS Black

SS White – Men’s

The pants are probably my favorite. If you haven’t met me in real life, you might not know that 87% of my wardrobe consists of “athletic” apparel. (Example: the above airplane photo.. I’m wearing my CHICKED tights, my Green Silence running shoes, my HTFU sweatshirt from back in my Boston days, and have my U of MN athletics backpack as my carry-on.)

LIKES: (I felt the need to tattoo my emotions… “Like” wasn’t strong enough of a word. [That is supposed to be a heart...])

1 // TECH.

Dear Races, I know it is not always within the budget to print on tech material. But I am running out of things to do with all these cotton shirts. That are quite honestly extra large for a “small”…

Sincerely, Dr. T.R.

2 // SIZING. As mentioned above, yes, unisex sizing (and shape) is great for saving money in the budget. But I do actually enjoy clothing that fits my body. XSW should stand for extra small – women’s. Not Extra Short and Wide. The ladies behind CHICKED were very aware of this issue, and I will say that items fit true to size. Currently, pants are printed on NIKE, and shirts are printed on NEW BALANCE, so if you know your size in those brands you’re good. Or again, if you’re local to the Twin Cities, you can try the items on at Gear Running Store to be sure.

3 // The message. If you’ve been here at Dr.TR for a while, you should know I’m all about empowering women. (Please come back for Thoughts on a Thursday this week for a little more on that matter…) The You Just Got Chicked apparel is not just for the elite “panty” running ladies at the front of the pack. “Getting Chicked” means being passed by a stronger woman athlete. “Traditionally” the phrase is referring to passing a guy, but you’re definitely “chicking” other ladies too. And no matter how slow you think you are, there is ALWAYS someone slower. So yes – you will always have “chicked” at least one person.

The CHICKED ladies also donate a portion of their proceeds to the Women’s Funding Network which works with over 165 networks and organizations empowering women around the world. Yep… they’re kinda a big deal.

DISLIKES: (Haha I know… my tattoo skills are mad. You can hire me any time.) There is really nothing negative I have to say. But

1 // No tank tops. YET! (I am one of those either SUPERhot or SUPERcold people, and for working out indoors, I wish I could have the tank tops now. I am also one of those notsopatient people, so I wish I could have the tank tops now. ;) They will be ready for SUMMER for sure.)

2 // What about the señores of the world? Are we just going to leave them out of the fun? (Nope…. see last photo above!)

THE BOTTOM LINE…

I. ❤. This. Stuff. And I hope you do too. You can buy all of their items online (under the BUY GEAR!! tab ;) ) or at Gear Running Store in Edina, MN. Keepin’ it simple with only two options. Oh wait… maybe a 3rd. Keep checkin in here on Dr. TriRunner and you could win your own CHICKED goodies!!

Reader Qs: What do you think of the CHICKED apparel? Anything you’d change? Any styles/cuts of clothes you’d like to see? I know they’d love any and all feedback!

And with that my friends… I am OUT. Ciao.

-E

Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | December 28, 2010
8 comments

Tried it Tuesday: CSN REVIEW

A while ago, my buddies at CSN offered to let me review a couple items for them! With my move and finals week, I am just now getting around to UNPACKING the products and trying them out! Which means…. REVIEW TIME! Oh how convenient. It’s a Tuesday. A TRIED IT Tuesday!

Trimmer Square Glass Digital Bathroom Scale

Somehow… over the course of moving 4 times in 3 years I went from owning two bathroom scales to zero bathroom scales? I chose the Trimmer _____________ (yeah, that’s a mouthful of a name) for its simplicity: it tells you your weight, down to the two-tenths of a pound. None of this I’ll measure your body fat, water content, store it in my memory and tell you how far you’ve come crap. Just the basics. I also liked it’s glass plate and sleek simple design.

So for the actual review part of the review, it does everything it’s supposed to. CSN, as always, shipped it crazy fast and it was more padded and protected than a hockey goalie’s family jewels. (Oh wait… was that inappropriate?) MEANING… It came in a box. Inside another box. Marked FRAGILE. Filled with packing peanuts and air filled envelops for protection. Appreciated. :)

The only thing I don’t like about the scale is that BECAUSE it’s so nice and sleek and modern and SEE THROUGH… I stub my toe on in all the freaking time!! I guess it’s a fair trade off.

Stamina Doorway Trainer

Love. It.

Don’t love that I didn’t know the dimensions of my new doorway at my new house, and this doesn’t FIT in my new doorway! So I’ll be doin pull-ups in the kitchen! :D

This was an IKEA pull-up bar, as in you assemble it yourself. And assemble it myself I did. It took me less than 10 minutes – all the screws and tools were in the box – and I had it together in no time!

Two things I really love about this:

  1. You *don’t* screw anything into your door frame. As a renter, this is appreciated because landlords don’t like you drilling all over the place.
  2. The “doorway trainer” assists you with four different exercises: pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and tricep dips. The more things I can cover with one piece of equipment, the better. My living room is turning into a mini-gym. :)

My friend asked me: “why wouldn’t you just do push ups on the ground?” Well that’s a brilliant question Watson but here’s my issue – no matter how hard I try to correct my form, I always end up with my right arm further forward than my left arm. Sounds like this tiny trivial difference, but it works the muscles in different ways, and I can totally tell a difference! Using the bar forces you to have both arms in line… and hopefully will help me even out mis musculos. ;) (And yes… I will obviously still do push-ups on the floor.)

A big THANK YOU to CSN for providing me with these items!

Reader Qs: What is your favorite at-home workout (if you have one)? Do you shop online? Post-holidays… I definitely have a little extra cash burning in my wallet, and am SO tempted to make a couple of purchases I’ve been eyeing!! Something like THIS necklace, and the accompanying jacket! :)

See you later alligator! (Wow… where did that come from? 3rd grade?)

-E

Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: ,
The Triathlon Rx | November 20, 2010
11 comments

NEW KICKS!

Run Happy mis amigos! And have a lovely weekend.

-E

Category: Uncategorized | Tags:
The Triathlon Rx | October 26, 2010
28 comments

Tried It Tuesday: Arctic Ease

If you couldn’t tell from last week’s Friday Confessionals, the post you’re about to read is something I’m really excited about! It’s a combination of sports and medicine (♪ these area few of my favorite things ♪) and it feeds into my incessant need to try anything and everything COLD THERAPY. Oh yeah…. giveaway.

Let’s go.

Cryotherapy is the method of reducing pain or swelling with the use of ice or cold temperature. Cryo = involving or producing cold, especially “extreme” cold. From Greek kruos – ‘frost‘. For whatever reason, I think I must like this whole cold therapy concept, because I have tried just about EVERY product out there. This should come as a shock because in my book, the #2 worst feeling in the world (next to #1 – being lonely – haha!!) is being COLD!! Maybe cold therapy is different in that it serves a purpose, whereas standing on Hennepin Ave for an hour in -18° windchill to watch the Holidazzle does not.

Um… anyways. If you wander on over to the search bar on the right and type in the word “ice” you will see that I’ve experimented quite a bit. Actually, I think the search bar looks for “ice” in any part of a word, like nice or twice, so that’s an inaccurate representation. But for proof, there is definitely photo documentation from April 6th, 2008 of frozen corn ice packs. I’ve used frozen peas, a bag of frozen meatballs, frozen… water (ice cubes? really?), the dixie cup method, school lunch ice packs, and the mother of all, the ice bath.

Now, in my experimentation, I have faced two separate problems. 1) the source of kruos and its’ ability to remain cold, and 2) the method of transportation. Referring to the above image, you will see that I attempted the Hair Band method of affixation. While in a static, non-moving position, the Head Band works just fine. However, if you feel the need to move for any reason – run to answer the phone, get up to use the restroom, walking around the kitchen making dinner, etc. – your S.O.L.

Using a hair band or not, most icing is done while sitting down. Well that’s dandy – hopefully you’re elevating too like the doc’ told you. But sometimes the recommendation is to ice, oh, 5 times a day for example. Unless it’s your JOB to do recovery and ice on and off all day, chances are you need to be up and active, regardless of your little “inflammation”. I introduce to you…

ARCTIC EASE

While they don’t claim to give you back muscles like Mr. Lats over here… they provide a cold therapy wrap or pad that accomplishes BOTH of the two stated problems above. They STAY PUT and they STAY COLD! I was going to attempt to put all of my feelings for Arctic Ease into a concise and coherent paragraph, but my passion was just too strong. Thankfully, they did it for me!

Arctic Ease wraps and pads are an incredibly simple but effective alternative to traditional cold therapy. They absorb heat energy from the body to cool the covered area. The absorbed heat is then lost to evaporation, which allows for hours of targeted cold therapy. Arctic Ease is ready to use right out of the package — no refrigeration is necessary. And mobility isn’t limited since Arctic Ease conforms to the affected area without the need for clips or tape. Arctic Ease is reusable, odorless and environmentally friendly.

I wish I were exaggerating. Having a cold therapy fetish is not something I’d recommend you list on your resume. Or your match.com profile. But this stuff is GOOD! I wish I’d thought to take some action shots the several times I’ve used them, but whattya know I was out and about being active! No, not exactly resting or elevating, but icing AND compression in one! Score.

Best of all, you have a chance to try Arctic Ease. The cost? 15 seconds of your time to leave a comment with one of the following:

  1. What do you most frequently have to ice? I had to ice my groin/hip flexor after surgery. It wasn’t so much inconvenient as awkward. Definitely not something I’d try on the go with a leaking+melting bag of ice…
  2. Go to Arctic Ease’s website, and tell me something cool you learned! Other than what I’m contributing – The optimal temperature for effective cold therapy is above 59° F (15°C).*
  3. Tweet this giveaway OR mention it on your blog! You can just link it to http://drtrirunner.com since I think those ityURLs are tacky. :D Make sure you include @SperlyTriRunner if you’re tweeting so I can see it! (You don’t have to follow me, but you’re more than welcome to if you want!)

If you want more than one chance to win, make sure you comment for each item individually! The giveaway is open until ONE WEEK from right now. (Tuesday November 2nd, 6:50 pm CENTRAL)

And there you have it compadres! After reading my buddy Jaime’s post today… I know where he definitely will not be icing with these! (Please note that this link contains PG13 material.) That kid nearly broke my face from laughing so hard!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead, and if you live in Minnesota (or Chicago I hear?) you haven’t been BLOWN away!! 81 mph wind gusts says the Chicago AP. Psh…. adversity training. :D

-E

Category: Tried It Tuesday | Tags: , , ,
The Triathlon Rx | May 24, 2010
18 comments

[Hit by a] BRICK + Sof Sole Review

Wow. Major writers’ block with starting this post. Are you ever sitting there trying to think of some really creative intro – write like 5 different opening sentences out only to erase them all? Mmm, yep. That’s where I’m at. It’s all good though… justifying it because I’ve only had half my mug of coffee, and I’m doing intervals right at the moment (why yes, I do blog and workout at the same time occasionally…). “Working too hard” to think straight. ;)

Lucky for me, there are exactly two things I’m here to talk about today, and I have lots of pictures, so I don’t need as many words. Lucky for you, I also can’t come up with a creative title, so you know exactly what those two things are. 1) BRICK workouts. 2) Sof Sole Review. Ready? Set? Go.

♪ IT DON’T BRICK EVEN NOOOO ♪

Ugh… there I go trying to be all clever. Can’t help it. Sorry! Anywho… while you might think you know what a brick is…

in my vernacular that sort of brick would only be used in two settings. 1) Describing the ugly exterior of my (one month left!!) house, and 2) dropping one on the chick’s foot who came to the gym in a gold sequined 2 times 2 small bikini the other day. I don’t care if we’re outside – it’s a GYM my friend, not a strip club.

But that is clearly not the kind of BRICK I’m talking about… this is Dr.TriRunner after all. I was searching around for some sort of “very official” definition of a BRICK, but wasn’t finding anything of the .org sort. Didn’t your teachers tell you, you can’t source Wikipedia. But then I found a post about BRICK workouts on my girl Frayed Laces blog, and I realized – wait a minute, this girl IS .org. If you’ve never hit up Frayed Laces, and you are of the multi-sport mindset, you are missing out my friend. She’s got a race resume up the wazoo, she lives/trains/eats/sleeps/breathes Hawaii, and she is very legit. Amen.

So here is her rundown on what exactly is BRICK:

Today I had a very successful impromptu brick session. For those of you who aren’t hip to the lingo, a BRICK session is when you do back to back swim/bike or bike/run. It’s important to do bricks if you’re training for a triathlon because when you switch between sports your body uses different muscles, and you need to get used to the feeling. Until today, I had only done two bricks in my life, which made me very unprepared for the jello feeling when you switch from biking to running in a triathlon.

In addition to the swim -> bike, and bike -> run BRICKS, I also fully endorse a run -> swim, or run -> bike workout. No, that’s not the way you’ll hit it in a race, but like FL said, it’s all about  getting accustomed to Jello Syndrome. That being said, yesterday’s workout was of the run -> bike variety, and here is how it went down:

The morning started out questionably. I have new neighbors who are very much in the “Wooooh! It’s cool to play music at FULL BLAST at midnight when this is a party of TWO” mentality. However, I have gotten very comfortable with my ear plugs and Tylenol PM, so it wasn’t really a big issue. I’ve been short on sleep from working more dinner shifts lately though, so a little bit of “sleep debt” was definitely present.

Woke up, had some coffee, and set out to run. Full honesty (and you can probably say it with me by now… “because that’s all what I’m about here at Dr.TriRunner…”), Yesterday’s workout was supposed to be a long run of 15 miles. However, once I started running, I pretty quickly decided that 15 was not going to happen. My. Run. Felt. Like. CRAP. Key word being “felt” because apparently my times were just fine… I was running 7:30s which is pretty average for a run-o-the-mill run these days. But my muscles felt like something along the lines of beef jerky. Or Buffalo Jerky to be exact. Dry. Stiff. Eccch.

So I decided to call the run at two lakes instead of four (good God I love Minneapolis!), and hit the bike instead. I was not going to cheat on my time… but I know I wouldn’t have gotten anything beneficial out of 7 more miles of running.

Count em’! Harriet, Calhoun, Cedar, Isles. In my backyard. Sure you don’t want to move here Susan?

However, mother nature might have had other plans. That, or she was hinting that I needed a shower. Which I did. The sky looked something like this…

Which in Dr.TriRunner mind translates in to “I bet I can make it before it starts raining….” Only that photo may be slightly dramatic because a) I do not live in New York City, and b) it wasn’t a Day After Tomorrow type storm. Just a little water… and like I said, I needed a shower! So off with Rilo I went, and sure enough, at my halfway // turn around point, it started pouring. But rideable pouring I decided. Also nice, because it cleared everyone off of the paths and let me cruise home. :) A very successful BRICK, and my legs were definitely feeling much better/fresher riding than they did running! The “jerky” legs were gone!! I got home, changed out of my clothes in the shower because my whole backside was covered in spit-up sand, and was ready to go to Costco with my madre in less than 15 minutes!

Moral(s) of the story:

  • BRICK workouts do not only need to fall in the order that you would find it in a triathlon.
  • The more you practice the quick transitions, you do eventually get over Jello Syndrome. Or at least you get used to it.
  • Getting undressed in the shoer is 100% acceptable.

Sof Sole Product Review

Another site you should be regularly checking out is Erica’s blog I Run Because I Can. Not only because she has an awesome name, but she also routinely has these sweet giveaways… one of which I recently happened to win! Several days later, I returned home to find a nice little box on my doorstep with Sof Sole inserts and SOCKS!

While it mostly goes unmentioned on the blog, I have a slight sock obsession. And I’m also super particular about them… not all socks are created equally. So how did Sof Sole’s socks hold up?

Happy feet. Very happy feet. There’s a perfect balance of cushiness and foot-hugability. I’m big on my crew cut socks because a) unless it’s -30° and the middle of winter, anything else is too hot, and b) I don’t need any more crazy tan lines than the ones I already have. These stay up on your ankle, have a little extra compression around the arch, and are COMFFY to the max. Final grade? A.

As for the inserts… I was super excited to try them! As you will see below though…

We ran into some mechanical difficulties. There was absolutely no way that these bad boys were going to fit in my baby shoes. No. Way. Extra bummed because I’ve been given a Rx for orthotics howww many times due to my orthopedic issues, but my insurance that’s worth less than a dog turd but costs like it’s covered in gold won’t cover any.thang. Lame.

Not that inserts are a replacement for prescription orthotics, but something is for sure better than nothing. Luckily I have some great lady friends who would fit these inserts just perfectly, so I get to pay it forward and pass them on. :) So, sadly, no review on the inserts. But I can say they look cool!

And that my friends, is that. This “wordless” post has taken me two times too long to write, not to mention I promised I was only going to talk about these two thing! I do have some fun stuff in the mix – the race calendar is slowly building, a job opportunity is [hopefully] a’ knockin, and I’m MOVING to an awesome location with an awesome housemate. Pumped. :D

Take care!

-E

p.s. Adam thinks he has better sunscreen than me… hmph. I’ll know it when I WIN it. And don’t end up like a lobster. Or a greasy 5 year old with lemon juice in my eye. :D

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