 Name: Daniel Brewer Age: 52 City/State: Seattle, WA Primary sport: Triathlon How many years in the sport: Four What Zeren PT and Performance services have you used? Performance Coaching and PT. Describe your athletic background and how you discovered your current sport? I grew up skateboarding. Football, track, and cross country in high school. Some running and cycling over the decades. Boxing for four years before turning to triathlon. What keeps you training and racing in your current sport? Overall fitness, but more so the quest to deliver my best performance. What are your go to Zeren PT exercise videos? I do a LOT of exercises so there’s no particular favorite. Having the visual is very helpful to do them properly. Do you have kids? Three boys, ages 25, 20, and 11.  How does having kids affect your training? The older two are out of the house so I really have one to look after on a daily basis. I’m fortunate to work for myself and have a lot of time to train, so most of the time I try to get sessions done during school hours. How do you balance it all? It’s not nearly as tough for me as it is for most triathletes given my very light work schedule. Balance for me is more about not constantly having triathlon on the brain; training, researching, planning, ect… In order to stay fresh through a long season I need to remind myself to let it go. It helps to have friends that get on my case. What tips and tricks do you have for other athletes who struggle to balance training with family? When I can I involve my kids in my training. My favorite is having one of my boys ride his bike while I run. The 11-year-old is at the right age where our speeds match up pretty well, and I enjoy the company since the vast majority of my training is solo. Bike trainers help a lot as well because I can be at home with my son while my wife is out and still get bike sessions in. What are your top tips for athletes, as it relates to staying happy, healthy and performing well? Having the right coach work with you is important to all three, and that might not be as easy as it sounds. Chris is the third tri coach I’ve had and he’s helped me get much further in tri than I thought I could go. As a Masters athlete (meaning old), the resistance training and drills that Chris has me doing have kept me training and racing without major injury. What works for one doesn’t work for all, but I’ve found training at higher intensities has helped me race much better. I’ve heard other older athletes say the same thing. So while you might embrace a polarized approach to your training schedule, you better throw down with that 20%!  How would you define athletic success as it relates to your personal journey? As long as I believe I can race faster I’ll keep at it in triathlon. So success for me is mostly delivering faster times and better race execution. Just last year it crystalized for me how much I enjoy and need the competitive aspect of the sport.
What's your favorite post-race meal, drink or food? Pizza, though my appetite is always weird after longer races. Just nothing that remotely tastes like sports drink. What key races do you have planned in 2018? I’m planning on doing Ironman St. George 70.3 as a lead in to Ironman Canada, where I hope to qualify for Kona. The outcome in Whistler will define the rest of my season. I love our local races near Seattle and hope to fit them in as well. We need to keep smaller races in business. What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years? Going to Kona has become my primary goal, which is a new thing. I’m curious now how far I can go with my current training, to see if I can be playing near the top of my age group even in the World Championships. At some point triathlon may fade in favor of something else. Maybe I’ll make my wife happy by putting some muscle on and trying my hand at some obstacle racing.
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 Name: Robinson Howell Age: 58 City/State: Mercer Island, Wa Primary sport: Running & Bicycling How many years in the sport: 3rd Year of Multi-sports racing. 38 years of running. What Zeren PT and Performance services have you used? Duathlon Coaching Describe your athletic background and how you discovered your current sport? Despite coming from a family of tennis players, growing up I was always attracted to running. During my junior year abroad in France I was bicycle commuting to school and read about a marathon that was to be held in the local town. So I had a month to train and I even persuaded my host family father to run the 10km using “Jogging” the french translation of Jim Fixx’s “Complete Book of Running” for training and nutritional tips. After finishing the marathon in just over 3 hours I was hooked and have run 24 marathons and over 50 half marathons since 1979. After I turned forty I started bicycling with my teenage son doing organized but non-competitive rides like RAMROD and STP. Three years ago I entered a couple of duathlons and enjoyed the challenge of incorporating two different sports into one training routine. What keeps you training and racing in your current sport? Multi-sport training affords balance to avoid over training in either element but still keep a fairly competitive level. I also still enjoy competing despite the challenges of logistics and learning curve of transitions and equipment considerations. What are your go to Zeren PT exercise videos? Vimeo and Youtube  Do you have kids? How does having kids affect your training? How do you balance it all? I have two children (31 and 26) and two grandchildren (2 1/2 and 6 months) who are currently living with us while their new home is being renovated. How does having kids affect your training? You sometimes get strange looks when you say you’re going to do a double workout bike-run brick. What tips and tricks do you have for other athletes who struggle to balance training with family? Socialize the workout schedule in terms of scheduling and nutrition and be flexible in fitting a workout or race in the calendar. When my children were very young I would run at lunch time at work, bike commute to work and do my long runs very early in the morning. How do you balance your training with your partner? Any tips or tricks for keeping your partner happy while you train to reach your personal goals? Socialize the upcoming calendar and try to fit in some fun race locations. And support their activities as they support yours!  What are your top tips for athletes, as it relates to staying happy, healthy and performing well? Consistency is the key and not over doing the time away training. In the summer it is easy to get your workout in before breakfast and it also helps with race day preparedness.
How would you define athletic success as it relates to your personal journey? Having worked in various I.T. jobs for thirty years I found that training has helped me reduce stress levels and manage my time better. And I know that it has been good from the perspective of being a good role model for my children. What's your favorite post-race meal, drink or food? Roast Chicken with roast potatoes and a glass of Zinfandel or Malbec. What key races do you have planned in 2017? Duathlon Age Group Nationals in Bend (ended up finishing 6th...on a road bike). Seafair and Columbia Tri Festival. What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years? I’d like to compete in Duathlon Age Group Nationals and qualify for a World Championship event. Also I’ve run a marathon every decade so that’s on my list when I turn 60 in 2019. Hopefully I can stay under 3 hours.   Name: Liz Makofsky Age: 43 City/State: Sammamish, WA Primary sport: Triathlon How many years in the sport: 5 What Zeren PT and Performance services have you used? I started seeing Chris for physical therapy then hired him as my triathlon coach shortly after being discharged from physical therapy. Describe your athletic background and how you discovered your current sport? My dad ran competitively throughout my childhood and ultimately got into triathlon, so I was exposed to triathlon at an early age. I ran cross country in high school then ran very intermittently until my mid 30s. At that point, I started to run more regularly, but was sidelined with numerous injuries including knee surgery. I completed a couple of sprint triathlons as a way of incorporating some cross training, but didn’t stick with it. A couple of years later, my husband and I went to Kona to watch a friend compete in the Ironman World Championships. We went back to watch the following year as well. Inspired by all the athletes and curious how the human body can tackle 140.6 miles in one day, I signed up for and completed Ironman Coeur D’alene that following year. What keeps you training and racing in your current sport? I like to push my body to see how much stronger and faster I can get. I’m motivated by seeing progress, even in training and I actually prefer to train than to race. I’ve met some of my closest friends through training and I love traveling with them and my family to destination races. What are your go to Zeren PT exercise videos? I do whatever exercises Chris puts on my schedule. I tend to add to his list if I’m feeling a niggle or weakness somewhere. So if my neck or shoulders are bothering me, I do single leg shoulder extensions (sometimes raising onto my toes) and marching with a band (w’s). So I start almost all strength sessions with simple marching. I have discovered that Chris’ hip airplane drill helps me as does the marching matrix and lateral side step with a band above my knees. And, Chris once showed me an exercise that he called the hip thruster. He didn’t know until now, but I like to do that one frequently. I do it at home with my shoulders on a stability ball, black band above my knees and a homemade slosh beam across my low abdomen. It’s a good one!  Do you have kids? Yes, two boys -- 10 ½ and 13...very 13. :) How does having kids affect your training? How do you balance it all? I feel fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom which affords me the time during the weekdays to get my training done while the boys are at school. The weekends tend to be a little more tricky. My husband, Steve, also trains for triathlons so we frequently trade off. One of us might get up and out the door early on the weekends while the other hangs with the boys. Then we swap in the late morning or early afternoon. I think that Steve and I both are pretty flexible on when and how we get our training done, as long as it happens. Actually, Steve is much more flexible than I am. Somehow, we make it work. Our boys have been incredibly patient and good sports about supporting us, so a lot of credit should go to them as well. They do get bored watching the races, but at least they tend to get cool (and warm!) vacations out of the deal. What advice do you have for other athletes who struggle to balance training with family? It can be challenging and each family dynamic and schedule is very different. Communication and flexibility with timing workouts to work into a family’s schedule are critical. Sometimes life happens and I have to change my training plan to accommodate my family. I’m not always happy about it, but going with the flow is what enables me to be able to keep training and racing. How do you balance your training with your partner? Any tips or tricks for keeping your partner happy while you train to reach your personal goals? Steve makes this very easy for me as he is incredibly supportive. As I mentioned above, we trade off workout times on the weekends and try to remain flexible as life happens. Sometimes we both feel selfish taking so much time for ourselves and away from “family time”. I try to make sure to stay on top of my responsibilities, chores, and the little requests that are important to Steve and the boys so they are happy while I am away.  What are your top tips for athletes, as it relates to staying happy, healthy and performing well? Hmmmm. I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer this one as I’m really still learning. For me, remaining consistent with my training seems to keep me strong and injury-free. I try to communicate to Chris ahead of time when I’m traveling or if I have a particularly stressful time. He is able to program shorter workouts that are appropriate to where I am. Even if I don’t want to hit the treadmill on a trip to Disney, I’ve found that I not only maintain my fitness better, but I tend to get less stiff and achey. Even more important, I can pick up my training right where I left off before the trip or modification without missing a beat.
How would you define athletic success as it relates to your personal journey? I constantly set little goals throughout training and racing and meeting each one is a success. That said, I’m constantly setting the bar higher for myself and trying to push for more. I usually acknowledge an accomplishment and have a new goal set almost simultaneously. I’m not sure if that is good or bad. :) What's your favorite post-race meal, drink or food? Mexican food. I love chips and guacamole! What key races do you have planned in 2017? Right now I’m only signed up for Santa Rosa 70.3. I’m also eyeing Ohio 70.3 and possibly Los Cabos 70.3 or another fall race. What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years? I am focusing on half iron distance races and trying to get faster. I would love to qualify for worlds (South Africa?!! Nice?!! Location, location, location!), but have a lot of work to do to make that happen. This video demonstration provides a simple variation of the mountain climber drill using the Redcord suspension system with a bit of run spin. I like this drill and routinely prescribe it for the following reasons.
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Written by Joel Sattgast, DPT
When it comes to smart, strong, and consistent training, the winter months often prove challenging for a variety of reasons. The days are shorter, sunlight is scarce, and, if you reside in the pacific northwest, finding a window where it's not raining can prove difficult, if not impossible. Adding injury or setbacks from a season that did not go according to plan is the final ingredient in a terrible recipe, and the ultimate reminder that perhaps you have found yourself in the doldrums of training.
It's times like these when athletes need to behave like a thermostat rather than a thermometer. The difference is stark. A thermostat automatically regulates the environment by preventing large fluctuations in temperature. In contrast, a thermometer is at the mercy of the environment and prone to marked swings. In essence, a thermostat relies on information from the environment to generate an appropriate output, whereas a thermometer directly reflects the state of the environment. To foster peak athletic performance, consistent training and sound decision making are a must. It's therefore essential to adjust to the ebb and flow of life through making minor adjustments on daily basis. Of all the athletes we coach, the happiest and most successful ones in sport as well as in life behave in a manner similar to a thermostat. Be the thermostat!
When it comes to smart, strong, and consistent training, the winter months often prove challenging for a variety of reasons. The days are shorter, sunlight is scarce, and, if you reside in the pacific northwest, finding a window where it's not raining can prove difficult, if not impossible. Adding injury or setbacks from a season that did not go according to plan is the final ingredient in a terrible recipe, and the ultimate reminder that perhaps you have found yourself in the doldrums of training.
It's times like these when athletes need to behave like a thermostat rather than a thermometer. The difference is stark. A thermostat automatically regulates the environment by preventing large fluctuations in temperature. In contrast, a thermometer is at the mercy of the environment and prone to marked swings. In essence, a thermostat relies on information from the environment to generate an appropriate output, whereas a thermometer directly reflects the state of the environment. To foster peak athletic performance, consistent training and sound decision making are a must. It's therefore essential to adjust to the ebb and flow of life through making minor adjustments on daily basis. Of all the athletes we coach, the happiest and most successful ones in sport as well as in life behave in a manner similar to a thermostat. Be the thermostat!
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Running is a skill that demands rhythm and timing, and typically a considerable amount of practice (for most people) for proficiency's sake. While I assure you that there are no easy ways to "hack running," there are some simple cues and considerations that medical and rehabilitation professionals should be aware of when it comes to working with recreational runners.
 | When it comes to retraining one's running gait, one of the simplest interventions is to have the runner increase their step rate by 5-10%. Although increasing one's cadence will not necessarily make you a better runner, and is by no means a panacea to address common running related injuries (RRIs), it does yield a myriad of benefits. Increasing one's cadence should be considered in the context of a runner presenting with patellofemoral pain and iliotibial band syndrome, or to reduce moments at the level of the hips in the frontal & transverse planes. Ultimately, if you think a runner's problem stems from overstriding, consider having them turn their feet over faster. |
 | Next time you find yourself at the gym, take a moment to walk by the row of treadmills and make a note of the spectrum of sounds people make when contacting the ground/belt with their feet. Some folks will sound like they are landing on pillows, while others may sound like they are taking part in an elephant stampede. One of the simplest and most effective cues that I often use in addressing one's running gait is to "land like a ninja." We must not forget, however, that the faster you run, the harder you hit the ground. At day's end, however, it's overstriking that gets recreational runners into trouble. |
 | Sometimes, having runners simply take their shoes and socks off can be a great way to enrich the sensory experience of running while reducing the vertical loading rate at impact. Before entertaining such an idea, however, one must take the time to screen the runner's feet to ensure that there are no open wounds that are at risk of becoming infected. Additionally, considering that folks tend to adopt a forefoot strike pattern, which biases the load to the forefoot and calf muscle complex, exercise caution against putting runners barefoot, who have a history of calf strains, metatarsal stress fractures, or dealing with a reactive achilles tendinopathy. |
If you want to learn more information about running healthy as well as some of the exercises that we routinely prescribe to runners, check out our recent e-book. As my friend Ryan Debell told me, "Your e-book is an awesome resource and evergreen product."
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Although the lion's share of the running gait takes place in the sagittal plane, we must always remember that running is a triplanar activity. Additionally, deficits in the frontal and transverse plane often play an important role in addressing common running related injuries among recreational distance runners. It's therefore important for rehab and fitness professionals to refine their exercise prescription related to challenging runners beyond the sagittal plane. To accomplish this, I thought it would be helpful to share a simple three way step exercise that I routinely use in working with both healthy and injured runners to prepare them for the performance demands of the sport. While there are many ways to progress or regress this exercise, Im simply demonstrating the baseline exercise. All you need is a step, cinderblock, or platform, and you are in business. Happy training!
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Photo Courtesy of Ben Wobker
Today marks our first day at Metier. Folks often ask me, "What is Metier?" Todd Hargrove summed it up best by stating, "It's like the lower east side of Manhattan meets REI." Add to that equation exceptional cycling, food, performance coaching, physiologic testing, group classes, and in house rehab services, and you will have a match. If you are ever in Seattle, please drop by for a coffee. In typical fashion, it would only be appropriate if I shared a couple exercise videos to celebrate the occasion.
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If there is one thing that I've learned when it comes to helping injured runners overcome pain and/or injury, it's that tips and tricks simply DO NOT work. If you really want to tackle the problem, and help injured runners return to healthy running, it's essential to take the time to understand the relative contribution of potential impairments or drivers to their problem. Every runner will have different needs, which can only be determined by collecting a comprehensive intake and thorough evaluation. Several of the factors that I consider when performing a consultation with an injured runner are as follows...
 | Perhaps one of the greatest mistakes that we can make as rehab professionals is to treat a runner, who is dealing with a pain problem, as if they have a tissue injury, when in fact they don't. Oftentimes, pain is more about sensitivity than it is true tissue injury. It is therefore critical to distinguish between the two if you hope to engender an optimal outcome. I'd also like to remind you that most runners are not chronic pain patients, but rather, highly motivated individuals, who have been mismanaged and are desperate to return to training to avoid an identity crisis. |
 | In certain cases, runners will present with legitimate tissue injuries. For example, if a runner strains their calf or hamstring, we must honor healing timeframes to avoid over stressing the site of repair while progressively loading them to adequately prepare them to withstand the performance demands of running. Failure to correctly identify and treat a runner presenting with a true tissue will only prolong one's recovery and perhaps worsen their condition. |
 | Understanding how to assess a joint is an important skill to master as a rehab professional. To highlight the importance of joint play, we need to look no further than a lateral ankle sprain, which is a common injury, that routinely goes untreated, and can lead to various sequelae. One of the residual effects of an ankle sprain is joint stiffness at the level of the talocrural joint, which can lead to a loss of ankle dorsiflexion and compensatory motion. Possessing the ability to assess and treat such an impairment is therefore critical to foster improved outcomes among runners. |
 | Never overlook equipment issues. Fortunately, when it comes to running there are relatively few equipment needs beyond shoes, socks, shorts, and a t-shirt or sports bra. Even then, not all of these items are necessary. In the event that you elect to wear shoes, make sure to take the time to screen them for potential defects or premature wear. As you can see from the this pic, the left shoe lacks symmetry. Imagine if a clinician did not correctly identify this defect and started blaming a runner's complaint on some other factor that had no bearing on the situation? |
 | If there is one thing that a recreational runner would benefit from, it's improving their comprehensive capacity. This is most easily accomplished through some basic resistance training, and taking runners out of the sagittal plane. The bottom line is that developing capacity is not only important when it comes to running, but also to get you through the day without issues. And please don't worry that you are going to bulk up from engaging in resistance training, as there is no evidence to suggest that this occurs. |
 | One of the first questions that I ask ALL runners seeking my services is, "What do you understand your problem to be?" I never cease to be amazed by the responses I get. In the vast majority of cases, runners have subscribed to misinformation that only serves to make their situation worse. By no means am I claiming to have all the answers, though there is a lot of credible evidence that we should apply to ensure that runners have the "least wrong" understanding of their situation. Some great examples of misinformation relate to footwear, pronation, and foot strike pattern. |
 | HABITS HABITS HABITS! This is the last and most important aspect to address in working with injured runners. Invariably training errors account for a large percentage of running related injuries. As the saying goes, "We live and die by our habits." The same applies to running. At day's end, adopting good decision making skills and healthy habits, particularly in the context of challenging times, lies at the heart of consistent and healthy running. |
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