See BamaDave Run (and Lift)

[Kevin Littler]

Originally Posted by cappuccino

Kev--yeah, that was a typo

Doesn't matter if it wasn't a typo - I went back and looked at the pictures, and thought to myself "holy crap, I do have girly legs!"

I too had by tib ant flickering through. It was like... "Yes take the shot now...no wait, wait, wait, yes now! now! now!".
The key is to reduce the dominance of this muscle in controlling stability and balance. It's main purpose in gait is to lift the toes during swing through, and eccentrically to control the speed the forefoot hits the ground after initial contact of the foot on the ground.

[Kevin Littler]

Dave, this issue is potentially correctable both with orthotics and/or corrective exercise. My preference is to start with corrective exercise (maybe because that's my area?!?), but I usually feel that if you start with orthotics that put your foot into proper alignment then your muscles may not see the need to be active and so your body will learn to become dependant on the orthotic.

Corrective exercise is hard to prescribe in this forum, mainly because I don't have a complete handle on exactly what is happening at your foot (I wouldn't call your ankle/foot 'typical' ), and when I am assessing this I usually do in a 3-dimensional setting, while also examing dynamic positions. Also, another thing I would look for is hindfoot position from behind, and single leg calf raise from behind. These would tell me what the static position of the hind foot bones are in, and how well tibialis posterior is working.

Did you check the APTA website for sports PTs in your area? Also, I really respect UConnJulie's input to these forum's. She may be able to give advice not only for the condition but for the best approach to finding a PT skilled in these areas.

Also, I can run your photos past the podiatrists at work if you want?

[BamaDave]

Kevin,

Thanks for all of your help in this 2-dimensional setting! I'll snap some photos of my weird feet from behind.

I did find a sports PT on that website you linked, who is also a CSCS, so he sounds like a good candidate if I have to go to one. I think I will try to find a podiatrist and get evaluated in three-dimensions, since I will need a prescription from a doc for PT anyway. I could get evaluated at the running store where they do biomechanical analysis, but I'm a little concerned, since their motivation will be to sell me a pair of shoes.

I don't want to keep taking up so much of your time, but I'm all for having my modeling portfolio run by your docs if that doesn't bother them. The more info I am armed with, the better.

I'll PM Julie and see how weird she thinks I am! Thanks again!!!

[BamaDave]

NEWSFLASH: I was able to get an appointment at 1pm TODAY with a podiatrist two blocks from my office who is a runner!

[BamaDave]

So, I saw the doc, and he basically said I have weird feet and prescribed orthotics. He believes the high sloping arch I have causes the hindfoot pronation, etc. I specifically asked whether there were therapeutic exercises that I should do to correct the problem, and he said that it is a structural thing. So, when these come in, I will try them out and see what happens. Of course, I'll continue the mobility exercises, foam rolling, etc. and anything else that may be good for this annoying problem!! I appreciate everyone's input in this.

[finboy]

Dave,

I'm coming into the discussion rather late. How did your doctor fit you for the orthotics? Sitting on a table with feet up or standing on some type of flexible material for a few minutes while your feet make their impression?

When I had problems with plantar fasciitis, an orthopedist prescribed orthotics for me (flat feet, pronation, don't remember all the problems although 'my left foot' was described as 'a mess'). At any rate, he had me sit on a table and he took plaster casts of my feet and three weeks later I had a fairly rigid set of orthotics. Later on, someone told me that you should be fit for orthotics while STANDING UP...duh! And, if you plan to use them for running, they should be made from a more flexible material. So, I ended up paying $250 for a woman from Boulder, CO to fit me with flexible running orthotics. They have been worth the money.

Just FYI....
-Scott

[Kevin Littler]

Awesome Dave. I'm glad you've managed to find someone competent to see to your foot. I sincerely hope that by fixing the biomechanics you get on top of the knee pain.

How did you get on with the stretches? Don't be dismayed if you have trouble getting them right - they are probably the most complicated stretches I give for any condition, but usually have the luxury of instantaneous feedback, hands-on facilitation etc.

And don't worry about the time...I'll class it as 'professional development', as I've learnt about the differences between face to face vs. online consulting.

Kev

[BamaDave]

Scott,

Thanks for the input on the foot impressions. Actually, the nurse who took mine had me sit in a chair while I put my feet onto the impression material, and then she put force on my knees/thighs to actually have my feet sink down into the stuff. I hope that works out okay - it certainly makes more sense to me to have someone stand. This is a podiatry group with a doctor (different from mine) who was recommended by someone in the local track club... plus my wife has been there previously... so I hope they are good and their nurses know what they are doing. It's such a crapshoot with docs.

Kevin, I think I did okay with the stretches. They do require some contortions, especially the one on the floor!! Are there any signals to let me know I am doing the stretch correctly? I have never felt much with the conventional standing "ballerina" ITB stretch, aside from some knee pain after I released the stretch.

I did PM Julie, BTW. She thought I should work on glute firing, which I believe I have been with the dynamic leg routine from Lisa~.

Thanks again for letting me be your online consulting guinea pig patient!

[Kevin Littler]

I'm starting to think Julie is my alter-ego. Yep, glute activity is essential(this is what will help stabilise your pelvis). I rarely see people with ITB problems or patello-femoral pain that do not have dysfunctional glutes.

As for the stretches, you should feel it stretching the lower part of the ITB ie just outside the knee-cap. The floor one is my favourite. If someone doesn't feel a stretch as indicated it is usually a problem of pelvis positioning - either losing the posterior pelvic tilt, losing contact bewtween the floor and the side of the lumabr spine, or rotating the spine (ie pelvis and shoulders not square with each other).

During this stretch, to maintain the posterior pelvic tilt you need to be contracting your lower abs and your glutes.

[BamaDave]

How do I know when my glutes are nice and activated - when I have a huge ghetto bootay and I can't walk down the street without the ladies all gasping at my massively muscular posterior?? I can certainly confirm that my glutes are sore after every lower body workout I do, so I assume I must be doing something to them! I'll keep working on the floor stretch. I liked that one the best as well. I'm definitely ditching the weighted lunges from my lower body routine. I'll have to sub in some bodyweight unilateral stuff. I don't know why I did those with the barbell on Wednesday - I didn't feel much of anything from the ITB during the routine, but I have been feeling it for the past couple of days (mild, but worse than before that workout). DUMB!

---

FRI. 3.9.07
PM WORKOUT

COSGROVE'S UNDULATING PERIODIZATION PROGRAM PHASE II UPPER BODY - VERTICAL WORKOUT 2 PHASE 2 WEEK 2/ WKT 3

All sets = 5 sets of 6/ 30 sec rest between sets and supersets/ 311


A1. CLOSE GRIP CHINUPS: +20#: 6; 6; 6; 6; 5

A2. BB MILITARY PRESS: 110#: 6; 6; 6; 6; 6


B1. WIDE GRIP PULLUP: BW: 5+1; 4+2; 4+2; 4+2; 4+2

B2. DB ARNOLD PRESS: 35# e/h: 6; 6; 6; 6; 6


C1. EZ BAR CURL: 87#: 6; 82#: 6; 6; 4; 4

-- Another workout to try to guess reasonable loads for the exercises with the 30 sec. rest breaks. I went a little too low on the shoulder press exercises, especially the DB Arnold Presses. I knew I wouldn't be able to get through all of the chins and pullups with the short rest breaks. I was too heavy on the curls but didn't feel like breaking the workout rhythm a second time to lower the weight again and just did 4 reps for the final two sets.

[BamaDave]

SAT. 3.10.07
BIKE RIDE

DISTANCE: 10.35 miles
TIME: 56:54
AVE. SPEED: 10.9 mph

-- It was kinda toasty out there - well up into the 70's. I was sweatin' like a pig on the inclines, but got plenty of air conditioning whizzing downhill. No dogs bit me. A good day! I should be able to get in 20+ tomorrow morning.

[gobbla]

you'll know...you'll know. I always knew I didn't have an ass, but never made the connection until I did an exercise one day and was like "Holy hell! My ass is working, my ass is working!". It's kind of like the thin tummy's in BOM. Nothing, nothing, nothing, WHOA!

[kmwest]

So did the runner-podiatrist tell you to "stop running"? :p

Hope the orthotics help.

[BamaDave]

Thin tummies! I haven't thought about those in a long time. If you had done the squeeze cheeks part right, your ass would have been working a long time ago!

kmwest, I specifically requested a podiatrist who worked with runners, hoping he would get it. He spent way more time talking to me about races than my feet. LOL.

---

SUN. 3.11.07
BIKE RIDE

DISTANCE: 22.1 miles
TIME: 2:10:04
AVE. SPEED: 10.2 mph



-- This was my longest bike ride so far. It was very warm - if I had been running, I would have been a dehydrated disaster. It was also my first time biking up one of the steepest inclines in the area (starting ~ mile 8). The one before mile 10 is so steep that I had to walk the bike - first one I have needed to do that to make it up. Going up from 16-18 was really tough... my legs were completely over the pumping uphill thang. Overall, a great workout, and I definitely got my heart pumping... but not nearly as exhausting as running.

This is pretty funny - the speed data from the Forerunner. Not exactly a nice, evenly paced ride. LOL!

[kuri]

Glad to hear your getting some serious help Dave. Next step - reeducation to get you off running:p

Looked like you had a great ride. Nothing better then mild temps like that. We just rode home in arid mid 80 temps!

That is alot of chins/pullups. I'm curious as to why widegrip instead of dips or something else in that plane. Great job on the workout btw.

[BamaDave]

Originally Posted by kuri

Glad to hear your getting some serious help Dave. Next step - reeducation to get you off running:p

NEVER!!! I have too many race t-shirts in my wardrobe, and it would seem silly to wear them if I wasn't a runner anymore.

That is alot of chins/pullups. I'm curious as to why widegrip instead of dips or something else in that plane. Great job on the workout btw.

The workout calls for wide grip lat pulldowns, but I ain't got no pulley - so I subbed the wide grip pullups... even though I can't get through them all.

---

TUES. 3.13.07
PM WORKOUT

COSGROVE'S UNDULATING PERIODIZATION PROGRAM PHASE II
UPPER BODY - HORIZONTAL WORKOUT 3
PHASE WEEK 3/ WKT 1

A-C = 3 sets of 12; 301 tempo; 60 sec rest between sets and supersets
D= 3 sets of 12/321/60 sec rest

A1. REVERSE GRIP BENT OVER ROWS: 170#: 12; 12; 11

A2. BENCH PRESS: 165#: 11; 160#: 12; 8


B1. DB ROWS/ ELBOW OUT: 50#: 3x12 each side

B2. INCLINE DB PRESS/ PALMS IN: 50# e/h: 3x12


C. EZ BAR LYING TRICEPS EXTENSION: 52#: 12; 10; 10


D. DB SWISS BALL CRUNCHES: +80#: 3x12

-- I did okay picking the loads with this workout, except for Bench Press... got a little overambitious there for a sucky bench presser and collapsed on the third set. Actually I'd rather blow the last set than get 12 reps on all 3 sets and feel like I sandbagged it... but next time I can plan better.