1. How did you get involved with triathlon? I sort of tripped into triathlon sideways. I came from a swimming background. I swam in college for Stanford University and represented the USA on the National Team at the Pan Pacific Games in 1989, the Goodwill Games in 1990 and the Pan American Games in 1991....
Sprinting either in track or sport requires rapid, high force muscle contractions across the lower body. If the forces utilized during the acceleration phase of running are greater than the capacity of the muscle to absorb these forces injuries can occur. Hamstring strains in this population of runners are common due to the rapid shortening...
Strength and muscle hypertrophy (growth) are two separate benefits of strength training. In some participants these occur together, but in other participants (age, sex, training status, nutrition) strength gains often occur without significant increases in muscle size. This is an important point for individuals who refrain from weight training due to fear of “bulking up”...
Many of our outdated theories on why individuals have muscle and joint pain have been questioned and disproven by more recent research studies. One example includes the association between running and future knee osteoarthritis. Instead of confirming the old theory based on the wear and tear hypothesis moderate running has been shown to have a...
Plyometrics have been utilized in late stage Physical Therapy and strength and conditioning programs for decades. These jumping and bounding movements are initially attributed to the Russian track and field coach Verkhoshanski in the 1960s as shock or jump training. The term plyometrics is attributed to Purdue University track and field coach Fred Wilt in...
If you’ve been to physical therapy you may have asked yourself the question, what exercises do I do when to be the most productive with my time and effort? I often find myself having this conversation with patients in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics and I wanted to share a framework...
Empowering Boulder and Lafayette’s Active Community with One-on-One, Evidence-Based Sports Performance Training Mend Colorado, a locally owned physical therapy and performance clinic serving Boulder and Lafayette, has launched a revamped Sports Performance Training page. Unlike generic group fitness or personal training, Mend Colorado’s sports performance program is led exclusively by board-certified Doctors of Physical Therapy....
If you are wondering whether physical therapy actually works, you are not alone. Many people in Boulder ask this after experiencing rushed visits or generic care that did not solve the real problem. At Mend Colorado, we see this question every day. The short answer is yes, physical therapy works when it is delivered with...
Why to perform static stretching AFTER running: The ability of an individual to reach maximal performance in distance running is determined by VO2 Max (the body’s ability to utilize oxygen), lactate threshold, and running economy. Running economy is determined by the oxygen cost to perform a given aerobic activity a sub maximum level. Similar to...
The rate of running related injuries ranges from 19-85% with the majority of these runners do not return to prior levels of running (van Gent et al. 2007). Poor running mechanics and abnormal loading patterns have been documented as risk factors for future injury and can perpetuate current injuries. A recent review article highlighted the...
