Running Coach

Jonathan at center, neither boy connected to his shadow.

With all the videos I take, I can study how various agility competitors run.  Most of us can't run!  We take small steps, don't lift our knees, don't swing our arms, don't lean forward, and we certainly never get airborn like the young atheletes in this photo.  There are a few exceptions, especially with the young girls, but very few. 

Since most of us have no occasion to run in our daily lives, who can blame us?  And we certainly don't get any coaching in this department in our agility classes.  I never see anybody warm up before their runs, so no wonder we see a lot of knee and back braces at every trial.  So I've been putting out the Universal Call for a running coach, meanwhile doing what I can to coach myself. 

In answer, this past Saturday I had occasion to attend my 14 year old grandson's cross country race in Baton Rouge, and filmed hundreds of teenagers running (next post).  As the still frame photo of Jonathan confirms, these kids definitely do get airborn.  I watched coaches warming up their teams with sprints, insisting upon waist-high knee lifts that result in more of a cycling rather than a scissors action of the legs, cross overs where the rear leg must lift high as it comes around front, and backwards sprints.  All these young atheletes have two feet off the ground at some point during their trajectory, resulting in less friction and them able to cover more ground.

1/2 # sandbags can be removed
to lower weight

I had already put it together that knee lifts are important, and to that end John bought me some Gold's Gym 2.5# adjustable ankle weights (Wal-Mart $6).  I have been walking around the house with 2# strapped to each ankle a few hours a day.  Gracious, 2# weighs a lot!  For the first week or so, they made my thighs and buttocks burn!  Now I hardly notice them.  You can buy a lot more expensive Re-Bok ankle weights off of amazon.com for $19, but these Gold Gym's do fine, adjust from 1/2# to 2.5# each,  and are comfortable enough.

I'm also practicing taking giant steps around the yard as I lift my knees.  It looks dorky but I can feel the stretch to my inner thigh.

Will all this make a difference in my speed around the course?  All I can do is wait and see.
Upwards and onward!

Travel First Aid - Hot and Cold Packs

At home I keep a large reusable Bed Buddy Back Wrap I can microwave for 1 minute anytime I need dry or moist heat, large enough to velcro around any body part.  I also keep a reusable soft gel ice pack in the freezer (plus a 2 lb. bag of frozen rice that coutours around any body part and holds the cold pretty well).  On the road is a different matter.  Most motels don't have freezers worth a damn in the best of rooms, some don't even have refrigerators or microwaves. My pop-up camper has no refrigerator. So, while still taking it easy with my calf and hip, I've been cruising the internet reading up on Hot and Cold Packs for my Travel First Aid Kit.  

Cold Packs: The throw-away cold packs vary in size from 4" x 6" to 6" x 9", operate by squeezing a water pack into one or another chemical for instant cold, are relatively cheap at about $.75 apiece. There are so many brands out there, I can't begin to name them all.  I can probably pick up a few at Walgreens.

Hot Packs:  Throw aways also available, brands too numerous to mention.

On the other hand, unless I'm actually driving down the highway or in an area without facilities (hiking, camping, at our agility field), I am always at a destination -- a motel or trial site, or a McDonalds, where I can just about count on being able to access hot tap water and ice.  So, I finally remembered my Mammy's, GrandMammy's, and Great GrandMammy's old Hot Water Bottle, with the wide mouth you can also fill with ice cubes. 

Wondering if they sell those any more, I looked them up and found several brands ranging from $7-10.  Voila!  I found my solution, and I'll keep one in the side pocket of my dogs' travel bag from now on.  I also have one of those chemical disposable Cold Packs in the First Aid Kit in the trunk of my car, where it has resided, unused, for nearly 9 years.

Hopefully, I won't ever need any of these items ever again, but hanging around at agility trials, there's bound to be some sports injuries that need nursing, mine or other peoples'. it's always good to be prepared.

Upwards and onward to research my next health issue -- High Cholesterol!