Going Hard or Going Fast

January 31st, 2012 1:19pm - Posted By: Adam St. Pierre MS and Rob Pickels MS

 Going hard or going fast… you decide

Adam. St. Pierre, MS and Rob Pickels, MS

Interval training is an integral component of any training program. To compete at a high level you must do some high intensity workouts to prepare your body for the rigors of racing (especially if your training time is limited by other responsibilities like family, school, work, daylight, etc.). Many people fall into the trap of thinking that going hard, or elevating your heart rate, is the goal of an interval session; instead, the goal of interval workouts should be to go fast, not hard.

Envision this scenario… You are on the start line of your next race, be it a criterium, a 5km, or a marathon. The gun goes off and everybody takes off. You start doing jumping jacks. Your heart rate increases. You get your heart rate into the appropriate range for your race distance and hold it there. You are going hard, you ...

Read More...

Posted in: Coaching, Physiology

View / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +

The Importance of Posture

January 17th, 2012 3:58pm - Posted By: Adam St. Pierre

Lately in the running biomechanics lab we’ve seen a lot of “running” injuries that are directly related to posture. I put the word running in quotation marks to signify that these injuries, although manifested during running, are not caused by running. Running, which magnifies stress, is just the straw that broke the camel’s back.  Poor running posture can result in increased injury risk for your back, hips, knees, ankles, and feet! Additionally, each month, we fit many cyclists to address posture related issues.  A poor cycling posture can result in excessive pressure on the hands/arms/crotch, increased neck and back pain, as well as decrease power production and performance. Outside of the sports science lab, many of our physical therapy patients are seen for low back, shoulder, neck, arm and hand pain resulting from poor posture. 

I hope you are now open to the power of posture and are asking yourself, “what is good post ...

Read More...

Posted in: Biomechanics

View / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +