Category Archives: Articles

Rock Star Triathlete Articles

Off Season Swimming

Swim Drills

The off-season should be your favorite time of year to get into the pool and work on your stroke. If you have technical elements that need attention, the early off-season is the perfect time to work on them. Check your ego at the door and swim slowly. That’s right, drop a lane or two at your masters workout and give yourself permission to swim slowly on your own. Following are drills that will make you more efficient come springtime if you’re willing to make the investment now. If you want to make significant improvement, get in the water as often as you can. Aim for 4-6 swims each week if you want to make major changes. Even a 20 minute session will be helpful.

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Winter Hydration

Winter Hydration

Cold weather is upon us and as you begin to bundle up for your outdoor exercise please make sure you don’t become dehydrated! You might think – dehydration, in cold weather, really? Yes – really. Basically, you do not feel as thirsty as the temperatures drop. So when you don’t feel thirsty you won’t consume as much fluids which will then cause dehydration. Continue reading →

Raynauds Syndrome, Cold Hands and Feet in Winter Training by John Post, MD

And I love to live so pleasantly,

Live this life of luxury,

Lazing on a summer afternoon.

In the summer time,….

The Kinks

Ah summertime, for many of us it’s only a memory. The arrival of winter has brought with it a host of training challenges. The cold, shorter days, more competition for pool access, the kids back in school, did I mention the cold? And how we meet these challenges tells us a lot about our seriousness in the sport. (In last weeks post, Arthritis part 3, I talked about the committment and life changes made by Farrokh Bulsara who transformed himself into Freddie Mercury . ” I guess the question is…are you willing to make the types of sacrifices Freddie made to achieve your goals?”)

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Studies Display the Effectiveness Of Ice Baths

Long a practice of elites, post-run ice baths have come under a bit of–mixed metaphor alert!–fire lately, on two grounds: that regularly taking ice baths blunts some of the desired effects of training, and that there’s little evidence to support proponents’ claims that they speed recovery.

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Drinking Alcohol The Straight Up Facts

Drinking alcohol is part of almost any adult celebration. The holiday season is filled with parties featuring a variety of flavored drinks, beer and football seems to be as tightly connected as shoes and shoelaces, and most other adult celebrations that come to mind include some amount of drinking. Though not everyone partakes in these adult beverages, two-thirds of Americans drink alcohol, and for those who drink, they average four drinks per week. Not surprisingly, beer is the most common alcoholic beverage, slightly ahead of wine. Continue reading →

Ibuprofen. Not For Daily Use! by John Post, MD

“I’d take any risk to tie back the hands of time.”

Too Much Time On My Hands, Styx

“Prophylactic” or daily use of Ibuprofen by triathletes is not without risk.

Why am I the last one to find out about things? Why didn’t I know that in some circles upwards of half of the endurance athletic community takes ibuprofen nearly every day? I did a podcast recently where this was one of the items we discussed as some triathletes, known in marketing circles as early adopters, seek to diminish post exercise muscle soreness with this drug. A review of the literature will not consistently support the position that exercise induced muscle soreness is indeed reduced with NSAID therapy (nor that it’s desirable.) Continue reading →

Arthritis, Part Three by John Post, MD

Supper time at the old triathletes home

Making it to Kona (written on the Big Island)

“And another one’s gone, and another one’s gone, and another one bites the dust, heh heh.” You know who sang these words. But, earlier in his career, singer Farrokh Bulsara (you now know him as Freddie Mercury) was going nowhere in a band called Sour Milk Sea. He took a look at his past, present and unpromising future, and made the changes he felt were required to reach the top. I guess the question is…are you willing to make the sacrifices Freddie made to get here? But first, answer these three questions: Continue reading →

Knee Arthritis Part Two, Pain by John Post, MD

Bob Scott

” ‘Bill I believe this is killing me!’ as the smile ran away from his face.” Billy Joel

This is the second in a series of three pieces on arthritis. We hear so much about arthritis, “degenerative change” but it’s causes are not always well understood. Those who have it know one thing – it hurts!

Although there are approximately 100 different varieties of arthritis, many accompanying other disease processes you’ve heard of like Lupus or Lyme Disease, Osteoarthritis is by far the most common. We think of it as an old persons problem (old being a relative term in triathlon – just ask Bob Scott (above), Kona course record holder with a 12:59 when he was 70!) Continue reading →

Road Rash, Torn Up Skin, What To Do by John Post, MD

“Ain’t no doubt about it we were doubly blessed, ’cause we were barely 17 and barely dressed.” Meat Loaf, Bat out of Hell

Possibly without intending, Meat Loaf was describing the amount of protection one gets from cycling clothing when you hit the asphalt. Barely dressed. But, you look good doing it. Right?

What would you think if this were your elbow? You crashed hard, went to the local urgent care and got sewn up…but things went down hill quickly when you started to develop a fever. Then, rather than having less pain as time passed it only increased. And then you started to sweat. Heck, you’re a veteran. You served 5 years as an instructor at the Naval Nuclear Power School, you can handle this. Why, it’s just a cut, right? Continue reading →

Enjoying Your Off Season

This time of year is all about change.

Summer is well and truly behind us and we are now deep into autumn with winter on the horizon. The racing season is pretty much done with the last one or two big races about to take place. I love this time of year as it signals a break from the demands of training and racing along with the excitement and planning for next year.

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