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swim leg itu multisport world Championship

2017 ITU Long Course World Championship

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ITU Long Course World Championship

With the excitement of winning the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championship fueling my excitement to hit a start line again, I was pretty oblivious to some signs from my body leading up to (and in the days following) ITU Multisport Long Course World Championship.  I managed to completely ignore that I had shingles.  Cue the geriatric jokes right now that will go nicely with all of my talk about racing after 40.  LOL.  Sigh.

swim leg itu multisport world Championship

Photo credit Kevin Mackinnon

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running austin texas

2016 Ironman Austin 70.3

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Racing the Ironman Austin 70.3 Duathlon

I raced back to back race weekends of Ironman Miami and Ironman 70.3 Austin.  Dense fog on the lake in the morning in Austin resulted in a 90 minute delay to the race followed by a swim cancellation.  The race proceeded as a time trial duathlon of a 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run.

Melanie McQuaid riding Ironman Miami 70.3 bike course

Duathlon is bike plus run ? Wagner Araujo

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Managing your mind to nail taper week.

How To Nail Taper Week

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How to nail taper week and avoid common mistakes.

It is race week and all through Canada athletes are getting excited about one of their key races for the season.  Time to nail taper week.

Taper week brings with it some mental challenges that can lead to bad decision making before race day. Managing your body’s recovery, nutrition, and mental state before the race is the key to a good race.  There is no more actual work to be done.  I outline how to spot pitfalls of taper week that can derail your race.

Tapering for a big event comes with some good feelings, some bad feelings, and some challenges to your confidence.  There is a saying, “Athletics is 90% mental and the rest is in your head.”  That is true.  Let’s go over how to manage yourself during a taper so you arrive to the start line ready to express your best possible fitness. Read more

Broken Ankle Healing Using RICE and MEAT Therapy

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Promoting Broken Ankle Healing Using the RICE and MEAT Therapy Protocols

RICE is an acronym for REST, ICE, COMPRESSION and ELEVATION.  This mnemonic dates back to the 1970s when a doctor came up with this prescription for healing that became the standard protocol to treat acute injuries.

RICE is an acronym for REST, ICE, COMPRESSION and ELEVATION and MEAT is an acronym for MOVEMENT, EXERCISE, ANALGESICS and THERAPY

More recent medical opinions suggest that both rest and ice can delay healing rather than promote it.  Icing can reduce inflammation, and rest can promote joint rigidity, so movement without ice is suggested. The MEAT (MOVEMENT, EXERCISE, ANALGESICS and THERAPY) approach is considered particularly beneficial for ligament and tendon injuries.  This all gets confusing when you deal with a trimalleolar fracture that compromises both bones and ligaments.  What is the best approach if you have a combination of issues to resolve? Read more