Sean Hehir Wins Dublin City Marathon 2013

In respect to Sean and Dick Hooper (his coach), I won't go into the "secrets" of Sean's preparation. In reality, there is no secret. This photo only begins to tell the story of how much time, planning, training, thinking, and treatments went into winning this race. 6.30am and 6.30pm training double days for months on end. Even a collision with a cyclist at mile 24 didn't stop him for victory. 

This time last year I started to work with Sean. Weekly, sometimes twice weekly treatments of deep tissue massage and traditional Chinese acupuncture with regular hydro ice baths. In the year leading up to this race, Sean had made a senior Irish team for the European Cross Country championships, he improved his PB over the Half Marathon to 65.11 and has won every road race he toed the line to bar 1 through Ireland. Pretty impressive year. 

This single race alone was one of the most proudest moments in my working career. To get to know Sean personally throughout this year, I see the meticulous planning in which he does everything. From his own job as a Primary School Teacher, to his training. Everything is 100%. 

Finally, everyone who has been in with me over the last few months, I was delighted to receive the texts from each and every one of you to say you have either improved your PB or for the first timers, that you have exceeded your predicted time. I'm a very happy therapist today, and it's days like this that I can say that this is why I love what I am doing. From the winner of the race to a 6 hour finisher. Yous both have something in common. Yous both worry the same amount in the lead up to this race!! 

Here's to another year worth of training!

Evan

Chicken & Lemongrass

Chicken with Lemongrass

Cooking Time - 15-20 mins 

Ingredients (single meal)

•1 lemongrass per person

•Chilli (depends on how spicy you want it. I used a full mild chilli)

•Coconut Oil

•1/2 an onion per person

•1/2 an inch of ginger1 chicken breast per person (diced)

•1 tablespoon per person of Honey/Palm sugar or because I have hypoglycaemia I used XyloBrit (natural sweetener)

•1 tablespoon per person of fish sauce

•1 serving of rice. Brown preferably but it doesn't taste nice so the next best in terms of a low GI diet would be basmati rice.

•Squeeze of lemon 

•Optional Veg

•Put on rice and cook as instructed. (12mins ish)

•Put chilli, onion, ginger and lemongrass into a food processor, along with a tiny bit of water to make a paste.

•Put coconut oil into the wok. Once smoking put in the paste for 3-4 mins and reduce heat. 

•Put in chicken, fish sauce, honey (or whatever sweetener you like)  into wok for about 4 minutes and add in lemon juice.

•If it looks very dry then add in a small amount of water. 

•For Veg I put mange tout and chopped peppers and put them in last minute just to heat up.

Illiotibial Band Syndrome (ITBs)

Illiotibial Band (ITB)

Where Is It?

The ITB runs along the lateral aspect of the femur from the hip to the outside of the knee. 

What Is It?

It is a long fibrous band that helps stabilisation of the muscles and bone while in activity.

So now that you know where it is and what it does, I'm going to talk a little bit about why it gets tight or injured, and how come its a reoccurring problem. 

What I have found is that people who are highly susceptible to having ITBS (the S is for syndrome) are; 

Over Pronators 

Glute weakness

Hip flexor shortness (people who sit down for most of the day)

Women (due to a wider pelvis)

Weak VMO (vastus medialus oblique. The tear drop shape muscle on the inside and above the knee)

People with bunions

(Notice the collapse of his knee and creating a problem with his foot. His foot isn't hugely effected, but because running is a repetitive action, it can cause problems down the line)

Most of the above are found in conjunction with one another when having ITB problems. 

Let me explain why each point above contributes to problems in the area.

The ITB is basically a tendon of the TFL muscle (Tensor Facia Lata). The function of the TFL is to flex the hip and also plays a role in internal rotation of the femur. This means it helps twist the femur so your knees are facing one another.

When the TFL gets tight, along with the other hip flexor muscles, it creates too much inward twist, leaving the leg to collapse at the knee when landing. When this occurs, it forces the foot to over pronate. Finally, when the foot over pronates over a long period of time, a bunion can form because of the amount of torsion being put on the medial muscles and bones of the foot. When this happens it over works the ITB which tightens the band. When the band gets tight, the band will rub over a boney prominent when the leg bends at 30 degrees, which then makes the attachment inflamed.

Now days, humans tend to sit down for the majority of the day. Because of this, our hip flexors get shortened (not tight. That's something I will talk about later) and our gluteus get stretched. Meaning, the glute cant do its action correctly when running, which is to externally rotate then femur and extend the hip. This leads to too big of a differentiation between the two opposing muscle groups. Resulting in an inward rotation of the femur like I said earlier. This is one of the reasons why ITBs is one of the main injuries I see at the clinic.

There needs to be a balance between the hip flexors/internal rotators and the gluteus for the leg to land and take off efficiently. 

A way to test at home is to carry out follow exercise. 

Lunge forward. Notice if the lead leg wants to be pulled medially inwards. 

A) good

B) bad

In the next picture, you will see a runner who has problems with his ITB and his knee. The tendons have become tight and inflamed, which has caused a clicking noise as he flexes his leg. This is due to the repetitive action of running incorrectly.

As you can see his knee collapses as he lands, his foot over pronates, and when he takes off his leg wants to flick out which is a clever way for the body to compensate for its opposing differentiations. 

So. Is it correct footwear or fixing the muscles? I think both. You need to fix the underlying problem that causes the inefficiency. 

1) lengthen the hip flexors. 

2) strengthen the gluteus 

3) work on the flexibility of the ITB

4) get the balance of strength from opposing muscle 

I won't give out strengthen exercises for this as its a complex injury. If you start doing exercises that isn't individualised to you, you might be causing more of a problem rather then fixing it.

My main advice would be to not do too much too soon. This will heighten any inefficiency/underlying problem.

Nike Flyknit Trainer 1+ Review

What Type Of Runner Am I?
Forefoot and tent to land on the lateral aspect of the shoe and take off in a neutral position.

Intro
The name Flyknit is because its light and knitted. Once its "knitted" it is then moulded into one piece of fabric. By using this technique, it reduces weight and you can definitely feel that. This colour way is volt and black but it comes in lots of different colours.
This shoe shouldn't be confused with the Flyknit Lunar Trainer 1+. The difference is it has a Lunar sole.

Impression
Don't judge the look of these and take them for being flimsy. I was very surprised with how sturdy the mid sole and the fabric is on these. The technology in the shoe has been developed over the last 4 years. Similarly Adidas have a near exact model called the PrimeKnit which was released after Nikes FlyKnit.
When I first put the shoe on, I wanted to go on a run. I did a bit of a stride in them and had to stop myself from running.

I got the FlyKnit Racer before the Trainer. In weight there isn't much difference when you hold them in both hands.
Trainer - 8.4oz
Racer - 5.6oz

Technology
The FlyKnit technology has helped the shoe shed weight in areas that don't need weight. The Flywire technology helps to secure the feet when the laces are tied, which leaves the shoe feeling snug around the feet. In my previous review of the Zoom Elite 6, the Flywire didn't help me much due to my narrow foot.
What is very cool about the FlyKnit technology is when you put the shoe over steam and then put your feel into the shoe, the FlyKnit technology actually moulds to your feet. Gimmick or not, that's cool.

For Which Type Of Runner
I'm not a heel striker, and I don't think these would suit a heel striker due to the width of the heel.
The heel counter itself is lower then a normal shoe, which helps from the heel counter rubbing off the Achilles, which can sometimes cause Achilles irritation.
I feel myself reaching to these for my everyday shoe for running. They are extremely comfortable.

I think this shoe could be used as a transition shoe for those wanting move down in cushioning from a more traditional option. If you don't want to move down in cushion then use the Flyknit Trainer (not the racer) for race days or faster paced runs.

Cons
Price!!! These come in at a whopping €163. However, I haven't felt a shoe like this, and it's made from the best material on the market.


Weight - 8.4 ounces
Size Fit - Like a sock.
Foot Mechanics - Neutral
Technology - Flywire, FlyKnit, Nike +
Cushion - Nike Zoom

Rating
9/10. I'm taking 1 mark off for price. €163 is very expensive.

Top Photo - Out Side
Bottom Photo - Inside

Nike Zoom Elite 6+ Review

Nike Zoom Elite 6+ (Mens)

What Type Of Runner Am I?
I land mid to forefoot and more on my forefoot and lateral aspect of my foot.

These are my third pair of Zoom Elite and I am happy with the upgrades that Nike have made in the 6. I found they have a bit more support for the runner with a higher arch. A smoother transition from mid-foot to toe off was also noticeable thanks to the three quarter length crash pad and Nike Zoom unit in the forefoot.
There is carbon rubber on the heel crash pad and the lateral (outside) forefoot for more traction on different surfaces, which helps in the Irish weather.
For a non minimalist or racer type shoe I found it light.
I like them for easy to mid paced runs but don't feel aggressive enough for faster paced tempo runs.

Cons
I found the new Zoom Elite 6 a bit wider then it's predecessor, with a much wider toe box. I have a narrow foot, so it would be more suited to a wider footed runner.
I didn't like some of the material on the lateral aspect ever so slightly rubbing off my baby toe. Saying that, I'm being hypercritical.
I found them a bit too stiff on the mid foot while running faster paced runs.

Recommended For?
Neutral to over pronators.

Weight - 9.7oz
Size Fit - Medium width, but wide toe box. (I have a narrow foot)
Foot Mechanics - Neutral, but I found they have support for a high arch.
Technology - Flywire and Nike+ (syncs your distance and pace to your iPhone/iPod from a pod in the mid sole)
Cushion - Phylon foam and Zoom Air

Rating
Overall - 7/10.
I deducted points from a personal preference. Too wide for my foot even with Flywire on the mid foot, too much room in the toe box. Final point was for them being a bit too stiff through the sole.


Top Photo - Outside View
Bottom Photo - Inside View

A Quick Insight Into Cortisone & PRP Injections

Before i start, i will give a brief description of what an injury is, and the stages involved. The first event during injury is bleeding followed by tissue regeneration.
There are three distinct stages of tissue regeneration. These include:
Inflammation
Proliferation (multiplication) of cells
Tissue remodelling

Plasma Rich Protein (PRP)
This is a relatively new treatment. It was made famous by Hines Ward, when he used to it to play in the Super Bowl. To break it down, PRP is an injection of protein. The uses of PRP are for soft tissue, tendon/ligaments, or bursas. Probably the most common injury that PRP is used for is Tennis Elbow. While the average platelet count in a normal human being is about 200,000/mm, the amount in a standard platelet concentrate used for PRP is about 1,000,000/mm or more.
PRP is collected by drawing a 20-60 cc volume of blood, then concentrating it. The total volume of fluid containing the platelets is approximately 5cc. In the following 7 days the plasma in the PRP start the growth factor.
During the process, a tenotomy (which is multiple holes) in the injured tendon or bursa (fluid filled sacs) needs to be done prior to introduction of the PRP.
20% of patients needs a repeated PRP treatment if there is no improvement after 4 weeks. Another important fact is any anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs should be avoided 4 weeks prior to PRP treatment as they reduce the affects.
The cost of a PRP treatment ranges in price, however i have noticed that you will need to pay a few hundred for a treatment.

Cortisone
Cortisone is a natural substance that is produced by the body. It is used when there is any inflammation accuring in the body. There is little side affects while admistrating cortisone. Even a small dose can get rid of the inflammation.
However, lab studies have shown that high concentrations of cortisone or repetitive use of the medication can lead to damage of the tissues in the body. This may lead to softening of the cartilage in joints or weakening of the tendons. There is also certain tendons that a prone to rupturing with the use of cortisone, like the achilles tendon.

So if it was a case of getting either of these injections? I would favour a PRP injection. Unless it was the night before an Olympic final, and it was a case of doing the race or not then I would use Cortisone.

Before either injection, you should explore other avenues as to why was the injury caused. Was it from a biomechanical difference, or an overuse injury that can be helped my proper manual treatments and a individualised strength and conditioning program.

Oregon Track Club Elite x STC x Flagstaff

My last day here in Flagstaff with OTC Elite. I have been welcomed by everyone in the group. I would like to thank each athlete up here and to both coaches, Mark Rowland and Mark Rinker.
This training camp was a successful one and I feel very privileged to be a part of such a professional group and I'm looking forward to the outcome of the product.
It hasn't felt like work up here over the last month, and I have only realised that I had one day off in the 31 days.

It's time to return to Ireland and torture the Irish athletes for the next few months before I head off for the summer.

*On a side note, every therapist seems to have some sort of nickname. I have been christened "Heaven" by Sally Kipyego. Nothing to do with my "healing hands" it's more to do with the fact she though my name was Heaven. So from here on in I will only responded to the name Heaven!!!!!

#BeastMode
Ev