Rosser Chiropractic

So, bike racing is a little unpredictable to say the least. Each race the process gets a little more refined. Packing, preparation, travel, warm-up, etc. (This says nothing of the training time involved…) I went into this year’s Crosstoberfest feeling very good and really wanted to see what I had in me. In addition to arriving in time to register and pre-ride the course, I got a great position on the front of the line for the start. Whistle blows, and we’re off! I held in the top 5-6 spots for most of the race and started feeling like this was going to be a great result for me. But, fate wouldn’t have it. I’m really not superstitious, but about 10 seconds after thinking that, I heard the quick hiss of a deflating front tire. My front tire. I’d just made up two spots and was in 4th, but… that really didn’t matter in that instant. As they say, “That’s bike racing!”

Once I stopped feeling grumpy and robbed, the feeling of pride and excitement jumped in, because I knew deep down that I’d gotten a taste of what it’s like to be up at the front of a race like that. Too bad it felt so good… Here’s a video link put together by a teammate. I’m in the first bit of the video and the rest showcases the people who actually finished their races. 🙂

We had 42 riders out today for our meet the team ride. Included in the group were some of our new and renewing sponsors for 2010. Among them, representing our new title sponsor for 2010, Olympia Orthopaedic Associate’s own, Dr. Thomas Helpenstell. Eric Forsythe, Certified Athletic Trainer from Providence Physical Therapy, and Dr. Adam Cramer from Adam Cramer D.D.S. & Associates, were also among the riders. Joy Ride, our team’s home bike shop, was well represented by Derik Archibald, sporting his dashing “orangesicle” wheels. Rosser Chiropractic renewed it’s sponsorship for a third year strong. It was a great day to reconnect with teammates, meet new riders, and get our heads set towards 2010.

Saturday, September 26: The Valley Athletic Club (9:30 departure, 2-hour ride in Olympia)

Location: The Valley Athletic Club, 4833 Tumwater Valley Dr SE, Olympia WA 98506
www.cbcracing.org
Contacts: Dan Donahue dnjdonahue [at] mac [dot] com
Michelle Kautzmann mtkkautzmann [at] yahoo [dot] com

The Valley Athletic Club/CBC racing is a regional race team that supports year round road, track, and cyclocross racing for members. An aggressive approach to gaining sponsorship enables us to give members maximum benefit toward their racing success. One primary goal this coming year is to continue to grow our developmental program, which guides new riders in understanding and implementing race strategy and developing bike handling techniques. For 2010 we look forward to expanding our team at all levels and disciplines. Come join us for an introductory ride on September 26.

Many of my friends and patients know that I’ve been training for the cyclocross season which starts now and goes through December (in the USA) and January (in Europe.) Most of them are familiar with mountain bike racing or road racing but haven’t heard of cyclocross. I usually start by smiling, because the concept is so funny. You take a modified road bike, with skinny knobby tires on it and race off-road. Oh, you also have to jump over obstacles, and run up hills. It can be quite muddy… Well, a video is worth a thousand words. Here’s a video showing some of the skills involved with this unique discipline of cycling. BTW, as you are watching, look for the tall skinny guy in a white uniform. He’s one of my heros, Ryan Trebon.

Just today, Chuck White brought in some trophies from his weekend of motocross racing. After winning 5 out of the 6 races he entered, he brought home a 1st place award for a series in one class and a 3rd place award for a series in another class! Incredible job, Chuck! I’m very proud to be part of your team! Take a look at some pictures and results of his incredible year on his
profile.

During the past week, I’ve seen lots of interest popping up in all sorts of places (including an email from my mother) about a new study by Timothy Tyler, P.T. that looks at the use of simple eccentric exercises for tennis elbow. Eccentric exercises are performed when the muscle is stretched while contracting. The simple exercise used in this study and the equipment used to perform them can be found on this video.

I’ve been teaching an exercise using hand weights to apply similar forces to the muscles for a few years, but I’d like to try this as it seems to be a bit simpler to perform. Also, the results that they found were impressive with 81% improvement of symptoms over a very short period of time (two months.) Exercise frequency is 3 sets daily of 5-15 repetitions.

One of my teammates passed this along to me and then I got several other forwards of it from various parts of the country. Proof that the web is viral, especially for something this funny. Hope you enjoy this video… (I think it was filmed in Portland, OR)

At long last, we’re having a party at the office, and it’s for a great cause. This fall I’m going to be riding my bicycle in a fundraising event for Multiple Sclerosis (MS 150). We need your support! Attend the party or donate online. Please help support us in this mission.

We’ll be showing The Triplets of Belleville and making smoothies on a bike powered blender! Who wouldn’t give money for that! Help us raise money for the fight against MS.

Event Info: August 27, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. (doors @ 7:00 p.m.) Donations will be accepted, LARGE and small.

:::EVENT FLYER:::

Can’t come but still want to donate? Visit our MS 150 page.

More than a couple of times as a kid, I was stubborn to come in for shelter during a lightning storm. I just came across some useful tips for those of us who ride in lightning prone areas. Here are some tips to limit your 1 in 3000 chance of being struck in your lifetime by lightning, specifically for cyclists:

1. Obey the “30/30” rule. When lightning is seen, count the time until thunder is heard. If it’s 30 seconds or less, seek shelter immediately. Storms can move at 50 mph (80 kph). Stay protected for 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder because lightning can occur 10 miles (16 km) from the storm center.

2. Get inside. The safest places are a substantial building or a car with a metal roof. As the National Weather Service advises, “When thunder roars, go indoors.”

3. Get down. If you’re caught in the open, get into a ravine or ditch. If there are none and bolts are hitting all around, get away from your bike and make yourself small by squatting on the balls of your feet or kneeling with your toes touching the ground. Experts say this posture may prevent lighting from passing through your heart. Get down right now if a thunderstorm is near and you feel your hair stand on end.

4. Avoid lone trees and isolated stands of trees. Low bushes are safer shelter.

5. Avoid metal objects. This includes fences, guardrails and especially anything tall such as flagpoles and power stanchions. It also includes your bicycle. Even carbon bikes still have some metal.

** Reposted from roadbikerider.com

The amount of calories that Tour de France riders have to eat is fairly staggering. Somewhere in the ballpark of 5000 to 6000 calories per day… and they still lose weight due to the stressful three-week effort. There are lots of ways to get those calories, and some are better than others. In an interview with Alan Lim of Garmin-Slipstream I found some insight into what his team is doing to make sure that the team riders are getting the chance to be as healthy as possible during the challenges of the Tour de France. Here’s what I gleaned from the article:

~Hire a team chef to prepare foods with fresh ingredients every day in a super-clean kitchen environment

~Choose foods that improve vitamin and mineral absorption (he cites pineapple)

~Choose foods that are high in antioxidants such as blueberries and cherries

~Choose protein sources like lean chicken and some red meat

~Almond butter is a more nutitious choice than peanut butter (I’d add that raw is better than roasted…)

~Most importantly, choose foods that are not inflammatory to the body. This will aid in recovery, digestion, and healing.

~Aim for a daily diet that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free

To me, this is great information and a great example that this team sets for all athletes. As a group, athletes get pegged as being “carb junkies,” avoiding foods with higher nutrition available.