Sports Fitness and Nutrition

We've been gluten free for over a year now, and have been blessed with supportive family and friends who have taken it upon themselves to familiarize themselves with gluten free foods. In the past year we've met more and more people who are already familiar with the phrase "gluten free" as the celiac disease becomes more widely recognized and the gluten free diet has gone mainstream. Still, the majority of people we meet for the first time still have questions about what, exactly, it means to be gluten free. They're the same questions that we had when we started out, and I hope to at least start to answer some of those questions with this blog post.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and derivatives of these grains. (Oats are often included on the list of foods to avoid because of a high risk of cross-contamination with wheat). People with celiac disease or other gluten intolerances cannot properly digest gluten, causing potentially severe health problems. (In face, in the case of celiac sufferers, ingesting gluten causes an autoimmune response, where their bodies are actually attacking their intestines). The symptoms are similar to Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Read the Whole Article

Yes, this technology is out there. And it's been there for several years. Finis sells an MP3 player that works underwater and without the use of ear buds that can fall out during exercise. Dubbed the SwiMP3, the music-playing device works in an unconventional way. It uses conduction to transmit music through the bones of your face.

Run, Shakespeare, Run (and Bike and Swim)

In 2002, on a bet from a boss, I trained to complete a sprint triathlon. In the world of triathlons, this event was no Ironman. A half-Ironman race is referred to as a Tinman; I dubbed my race "The Paperboy". It consisted of a half-mile swim, a 12-mile bike ride, and a 5k run in mid-July.

The event is completed at break-neck speeds; hence it's classification as a sprint triathlon. Still, this was a race that required grueling hours of training and preparation. During that process, I dropped sixty pounds, mostly from training where I was least confident - the pool.

Three mornings a week, I pounded out laps for 45 to 60 minutes before going to work. Pushing yourself hard may provide its own adrenaline, but the hundreds of laps that I swam were tedious. I would solve math problems in my head just to keep from getting bored. If only I had known about the SwiMP3 during that time.

Bone Conduction Technology

The SwiMP3 works simply enough. The device (depending on which generation you have) connects to your swim goggles. Generation 1 (the model I now use) sits on the back of your head with a few basic buttons (previous/next, volume +/-, on/off) and has two small black wires about two inches in length that run to white plastic pads. Just slide these pads to a comfortable position and rest them on your cheekbones. The SwiMP3 doesn't just broadcast music loudly enough to travel by water to your ears, either. Think of smacking rocks together underwater when you were a kid. Not exactly hi-def stereo.

Playing the SwiMP3 when you're just standing in the pool creates an audio quality akin to someone who left an iPod playing on the table with the earphones out. You might recognize the song, but the lyrics are indistinct. I was skeptical when I tried the SwiMP3 because I didn't appreciate the missing ingredient - water.

Dip your head underwater and the SwiMP3 provides an entirely different experience. The water forms a thin barrier between the pad and the skin over your cheek, allowing the perfect vibration to pass to the bones of your face. (Don't worry, you can't feel anything). In turn, these vibrations make the music sound as if it's coming from inside your own head. This is crystal-clear surround sound. And if you're self-conscious because you rock out to The Spice Girls, fear not. People swimming in the same lane cannot hear your playlist.

Advantages Outweigh the Shortcomings

Because the SwiMP3 isn't connected to your torso or limbs, it's unobtrusive. And the SwiMP3 Generation 2 doubles the capacity of the original model (from 128 MB to 256 MB) while moving the controls to the sides of your face so that you don't have to reach to the back of your head to skip a song or increase the volume. Adding music and charging the device involves a simple USB connection to your computer and dragging the MP3 to the SwiMP3 folder, respectively. As for price, the Generation 2 sells for around $150, including goggles and swim cap. For such a music-playing device, the price is pretty reasonable.

While using my original SwiMP3 for several years now, I've noted only a few shortcomings. They're more inconveniences than serious flaws. First, the SwiMP3 doesn't allow for playlists. Instead, it plays songs in alphabetical order. By preceding the file names with numbers, however, you can get around this limitation. Still, it's a time-consuming task that requires re-numbering with each change you make. The battery life is acceptable; I can get 90 minutes when the device is fully charged. But 128 MB doesn't hold a lot of music compared to most iPods today. Then again, you won't be swimming laps for 18 straight days either.

If the pool is where you like to be and you've always wanted the chance to listen to music (or even an audio book) while swimming, I recommend the SwiMP3. This is one of the better workout equipment purchases I've made.

I was anxious to get underway. An ER nurse, whose husband went through this same process, said that I shouldn't wait too long. Her husband waited two months and then experienced issues with range of motion. My cast came off at the five-week mark and I hoped to get right to rehab.

Timing Proves Difficult

The rehab facility is my personal Cheers – everyone there knows my name (I do play rugby, after all). But it was booked for ten days before I could even get an initial consultation.

Luckily, Dr. O'Connor cleared me for the pool immediately. He wanted me in the pool 5-6 times per week while also completing physical therapy three times per week. Having 8-9 appointments per week might sound excessive, but after the limitations of recovery, being active was a dream. Up to this point, my workouts were relegated to either going around my neighborhood on crutches at a brisk pace, or using the rowing machine with my casted leg held in the air.

My advice is to schedule appointments before you are cleared. If, for some reason, your physician decides to delay your trip to rehab, you can cancel them. If I had the chance to do this over again, I would have scheduled rehab for the day after my follow-up. At the time of the casting, Dr. O'Connor had indicated that he planned to be aggressive.

Getting Started with Aqua Therapy

For me, aqua therapy meant walking in a pool. That was all I was allowed to do until the five-week mark, when I could try walking on my own (in the boot). Thankfully, I was also cleared to do laps after I finished 20-25 minutes of walking in chest-deep water. Initially, swimming proved to be painful whereas walking did not, save for the occasional crackling in my ankle (my bet is from lack of use.) Laps did get easier as I kept at them, hoping not to lose what cardio fitness I had.

The Grind of Physical Therapy

If there is one activity that can humble a person recovering from an injury, it has to be physical therapy. I think this must be more so the case if you're an athlete. My legs have been uncommonly strong my entire life. I even sported the nickname "Quadzilla" when I played college rugby.

So it's a reality check when you can't do even the simplest and lightest of motions in rehab. It's also a reminder that everyone starts somewhere. Any physical activity is a starting point. No one gets stronger and fitter staring at a screen. I refuse to have any reaction but to embrace this challenge and stay positive. If my time living in China taught me anything, it was how a negative Chi (life energy) can slow healing. Being aware of frustrations is important in developing a plan to get the best of them.

Swelling and Stubbornness

For me, swelling was still a serious problem - and more serious than I realized. My toes looked relatively normal, so I assumed that I was doing okay. When the physical therapist measured the circumference of my ankle and calf, however, she found serious swelling and atrophy, respectively. This led to 20 minutes per session of ice along with electrostimulation, which uses electrical current to force muscle contraction and move fluid away from the area of swelling.

The most reasonable cause for my condition was that I had retuned to regular life as much as I could, refusing to slow down or reduce hours at work. That's because I am stubborn goat. Getting voltage pushed through my leg was the penance I had to pay. Thankfully, it's not painful.

Rehab with Revenge

If you have not discovered CrossFit training and are interested in adding strength, speed, endurance, and explosiveness in extremely intense/short duration workouts (25-45 minutes), then you need to check it out. One of my buddies turned me onto it after transforming himself into a sculpted (but not bulky) beast. The reason I bring this up is that according to physiologists who work for this company, getting back on the horse as soon as possible is the key to strengthening your body against further injury.

In their "Rehab with Revenge" video lecture series, there was even a discussion of something known as latent bisymmetrical strengthening. For some reason, when someone works out a healthy limb, the other one also gets stronger even if it isn't used. This is more clearly seen in the legs than the arms, but it is true for all four limbs.

Personally, this was an important aspect of regaining health and one of the reasons I believe that I'm ahead of schedule with healing. Stationary life is the antithesis of health. As long as your body can handle it and you stay within the parameters allowed by your physician, working-out has been proven to speed recovery, at least in my case. According to many sources, it also reduces the likelihood of depression, which can be common when anyone cannot engage in activities that he or she enjoys.

So get up and get after it! While your body will eventually heal itself, it will do it a lot faster if you help it by working out.

Related Readings (please note that hyperlinks will not work until future blogs are posted):

Part 1 - My Achilles Heel - Achilles Tendon Rupture
Part 2 - To Cut or Not To Cut? Not Even a Question!
Part 3 - Sew Happy Together
Part 4 - Casting Call
Part 5 - The Process of Getting a Handicapped Parking Permit
Part 6 - The Orthopedic Boot(y) Call
Part 7 - I'm Going to Rehab
Part 8 - Preparing for the Breast Cancer Run
Part 9 - Results from the Breast Cancer Run

Resources:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-exercise/MH00043

www.crossfit.com

Previous parts of this series have examined various forms of dance: ballet, jazz, and pointe (Part 2); tap, clogging, and Irish step (Part 3); and ballroom dancing (Part 4). Now it's time to see if maybe one of these is for you! And if you think that "engineers don't dance," I invite you to read (or re-read) Part 1 of this series.

Stop the Stereotype

Engineers and other technical people are often stereotyped as anti-social or having poor people skills. So get out there and stop that silly thought! Colleges and universities like Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have some of the best ballroom dance teams around. Why? It's because of the students' discipline, drive, and dedication to practice.

Personally, I've "converted" three very "nerdy" and "dorky" males (no offense if you're reading this, guys) into excellent dancers. The one who played musical instruments picked up the rhythm the most easily because he was already trained in the musicality; however, all three were able to start dancing in college for the first time without any prior experience.

Try Something New

Each form of dance has its advantages, but all offer exercise and excitement. Whether you're 22 or 82, dance is a wonderful thing to try when you want something new. There is a place for all levels and abilities - and always room for improvement.

There are venues out there where you can try any style of dance that you want. Studios hold group lessons for reasonable rates, or you can get private lessons if you have the time and money to put into it. Either way, getting the exercise will be great for your body without being too intense (unless you want it to be). Plus, dance is relaxing for your mind.

I hope this series has been enlightening, and that I have inspired some of you to get out there to see if dancing is right for you. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the next Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers.

Whether or not dance is something that you enjoy, I hope that it has become of greater interest. Now when you go to the ballet, watch "Dancing with the Stars," or see a commercial for Riverdance, you'll appreciate the biomechanics behind the dance and appreciate the human body for the phenomenon that it is. And as always, happy dancing!

It had been five weeks to the day since I'd ruptured my Achilles tendon. Now I crutched into the doctor's office to have my cast removed, and to get an assessment about how I was healing.

Shrek vs. The Mummy

Being in a cast for three weeks in July had been a mildly unpleasant experience. The back of my leg caused very little pain, but I did experience mass inflammation from the trauma and from sitting with my feet under a desk for ten-hour shifts. At the end of the day, my sister dubbed my massively swollen toes "Shrek toes". (I will save you all the horror of that picture.)

Because of the inflammation, I spent many nights in the recliner with my foot elevated. The fiberglass cast kept me from being able to ice the area much; however, if it was elevated above my heart for four or five hours, a great decrease in inflammation and pain in my foot became noticeable. In the morning, I often had "mummy toes" because the swelling had gone down so much (my foot looked withered and wrinkled). The inflammation also caused chafing along the left edge of my foot, which has probably been the most painful part of this whole process (besides the curb trip).

Cast Away or Recast?

I was hoping to be on my feet in regular shoes by the week before Labor Day so that I could have a whole week of unimpeded summer. If I had to be put back in a cast, it would mean that I'd be orthopedic booting it back into the school year.

I ended up with mixed news.

Dr. O'Connor was very happy with how everything looked. I passed the Thompson Test again, and he called for what is known as a Cam Walking Boot. This sounded promising. Usually, with an injury like this, the physician inserts wedges under the foot for support and gradually removes them. I had enough flexibility in my foot and calf (I credit this to a steady regimen of flexing my toes upwards and downwards while watching TV, but this may have nothing to do with it), so that wedges were not needed and I could start in the neutral position (90°) immediately.

The Cam Walking Boot is like a ski boot with a slightly curved bottom. It has two cloth sleeves that Velcro over the lower leg, ankle, and foot, and then five straps that seal the hard plastic shell around the leg. Finally, to ensure that the fit is tailored to the owner, there is an air pump and valve in the front, making it reminiscent of the early 1990s Reebok Pump basketball shoes. (This can be seen at the top of the boot in the form of the gray circle.) Once I understood the ins and outs of the boot, it was time for the less than desirable news.

Not So Fast, There, Gimpy McGee

Furiously, I worked out the math in my head to determine when in August I would be free of everything. But to no avail. Dr. O'Connor stressed that we weren't out of the woods yet. Then he described the next seven weeks of my life:

• Week 1: 10% body weight with two crutches
• Week 2: 25% body weight with two crutches
• Week 3: 50% body weight with two crutches
• Week 4: 75% body weight with one crutch
• Weeks 5 -7: 100% body weight with just the boot

In other predictable but disappointing news, there was the report that I was still at least two months away from riding my motorcycle. On the bonus front, however, Dr. O'Connor seemed to think that I would be able to run in this year's Breast Cancer Run, which is scheduled for early October, as long as I was diligent about my rehab schedule.

This race is especially important to me since my mother is recovering from breast cancer this summer. The event is only a 5k but it will be interesting to see how I can do since I will have gone three straight months without even being able to walk, much less run. Plus, I'll only have about three weeks to get in running shape.

I'm Going to Rehab

I've always been a goal-oriented person, so making the Breast Cancer Run as a target is necessary for me. My rehabilitation schedule would be rigorous. I was to be in physical therapy three times per week for eight weeks to start. I was also to be in the pool five to six times per week, walking in chest-deep water for fifteen to twenty minutes and progressing as I could tolerate it. Setting up nine workouts a week will be more regular training than my body has had since I was training for a triathlon in 2002.

Maybe this gets me back in the swing for general fitness, as well. Can a traumatic injury actually improve your health? With the Breast Cancer Run firmly in my sights, it looks like we'll find out!

Related Readings (please note that hyperlinks will not work until future blogs are posted):

Part 1 - My Achilles Heel - Achilles Tendon Rupture
Part 2 - To Cut or Not To Cut? Not Even a Question!
Part 3 - Sew Happy Together
Part 4 - Casting Call
Part 5 - The Process of Getting a Handicapped Parking Permit
Part 6 - The Orthopedic Boot(y) Call
Part 7 - I'm Going to Rehab
Part 8 - Preparing for the Breast Cancer Run
Part 9 - Results from the Breast Cancer Run

Resources:

http://www.dme-direct.com/cam-walker-boots-boot-orthopedic-medical-fracture-walkers/

http://www.komenneny.org/details.html

http://www.rankopedia.com/CandidatePix/538.gif

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/timewasters/shrek.jpg