I tried. I promise, I tried. Really, I did. I tried to keep politics out of the discussion. The last episode of the Rhubarb Report was politics-free. It is kind of like saying gluten-free or fat-free, only probably far healthier.
But you just can’t get away from it these days. When the reality TV series that is the Republican presidential debates produces countless sound bites, it can overwhelm the airwaves and the senses. In this election cycle, it seems to be getting more divisive, more bombastic, more insane, and more ridiculous. With that thought, I bring to you an all-politics Episode 33 of the Rhubarb Report. Sit back, relax, and enjoy that gluten and fat.
You are now 18 days away from the Austin Marathon. You might have the goal of getting a Boston Marathon qualifying time. You might have the goal of setting a new personal best time.
At this point in time, you have done virtually all the training. Hopefully, you have used some sound training resources. Maybe you have listened to my CGH podcast on Marathon Training (9/1/09) or you have read “RunSmart”. You are probably within days of starting the process of peaking for the big day.
All in all, you are now on the verge of game time and you are trying to make sure that you have all the pieces in place for that epic performance that you dream of every night.
But great training can be undermined by lousy pre-race preparation. With that in mind, here are my five keys to setting a personal best at the Austin Marathon.
March Madness just won’t feel the same without the Longhorns this year.
No, the teams haven’t been selected yet. According to my calendar, we are still 36 days from the Big 12 tournament, let alone the Big Dance itself. It’s only January, right?
I may be completely wrong, but I project the Longhorns for the NIT at best, if not an early departure to the off-season. The closest thing that the Horns have to a “signature” win is a victory over Temple – who then went on to beat (at the time) #5 Duke. Otherwise, the signature of this team is … well, 31 seconds.
The last 31 seconds of last night’s loss against Missouri summed up the whole season.
This is the 8th in a series of RunSmart videos. The series is on-going, with a new video released on a biweekly basis. These videos complement the material presented in the book “RunSmart: A Comprehensive Approach To Injury-Free Running”. The full series of videos can be found here. A transcription of the video will also be available with each post.
For those of you that are interested in a more interactive learning environment, consider attending a RunSmart Level One, Level Two, or Level Three program. Level One focuses on Principles, Level Two on Performance and Training Program Development, and Level Three on Physiotherapy and Running Injury Recovery. CCU credit for physical therapists is available for Level One (3.5 CCU), and is pending for the complete program (15 CCU). Further CCU details will follow as they are available. The next Level One program will be offered in Austin on February 25, 2012.
In this video, I will discuss arm motions. “Crisp arms” can be used to assist the propulsive phase of gait. Most runners tend to spend little effort on their arm position or motion, but arm motions can be a very important part of improved running mechanics.
I hope you enjoy the video series. If you would like me to address any specific aspect of the RunSmart approach, drop me an email or add a comment to this article.
Martin Luther King, Jr’s dream was – and is – the American Dream. And the roots of the American Dream can be found in the epic document that is the Declaration of Independence. If ever there was a work that had a profound cultural impact, the Declaration of Independence would be that work.
It amazes me how little people know – or perhaps even care – about the Declaration Of Independence or the Constitution. Unfortunately, many politicians use these important words out of context in order to get a good sound bite to gain a vote or two or 10,000.
With rights come responsibilities, and that has a direct impact on government and its ability to represent the people of this country effectively. The State Of The Union as we know it right now is simple: Democrats and Republicans alike are refusing to solve the problems of the people and the union, putting greater emphasis on their deeply-held beliefs about party politics and the economic impact with special interest groups.
It should come as no surprise to readers of this blog that I had quite a visceral response when I read the post “Visceral Manipulation Embraced By The APTA” on the website “Science-Based Medicine” (SBM).
Visceral manipulation. Really? C’mon APTA, are you serious? You are supposed to be the bastion of evidence-based physical therapy practice, ye of Vision 2020 and autonomy and evidence and access and ethics and …
Really? Please, say it ain’t so. Really?
If you think that you detect a bewildered look on my face, you are half right. It is bewildered and disappointed. Sadly, none of this surprises me anymore.
I am going to do something that I have rarely done in previous episodes of the Rhubarb Report. I know it might be hard to imagine, but I am going to avoid the topic of politics. Saturday’s upcoming Republican shindig in South Carolina doesn’t need any further media hype. If anything, life in the Republican party (and our upcoming national election) might actually have a little more clarity after Saturday. Or not. I can always be hopeful and optimistic at least.
Episode 32 of the Rhubarb Report will deal with a number of optimistic topics found in football and basketball over the past week:
1. Optimistic point number one: Tim Tebow leading the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl. Is Tebow truly a foundation upon which to build, or is this all a bad hallucination?
Up to 60% of runners will sustain an injury within any given year. Poor running mechanics, in conjunction with poor, ineffective and outdated training methods, can pose a significant injury risk. "RunSmart" was written to address these issues in the running community.
"Running Injuries: Etiology And Recovery- Based Treatment" (co-author Bridget Clark, PT) appears in the third edition and fourth editions of "Clinical Orthopaedic Rehabilitation: A Team Approach" by Charles Giangarra, MD and Robert C. Manske, PT.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.
Top 5 finalist in three categories: "Best Overall Blog", "Best PT Blog" and "Best Advocacy Blog".
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