Evaluate And Act On It

I have been experiencing some niggles recently. Niggles are pains or nagging points of physical concerns. My sole was sore upon walking and I thought it was an impending case of plantar fasciitis – not good if it was the case for it cripples you for some time. Several of my friends including Coach had heel or sole issues. In severe cases, you may require medication, painful cortisone injections and even surgery. Tight Achilles Tendons can trigger off a spate of heel and sole-related injuries, so stretching and deep tissue massage are necessary preventive treatments.

As such, I sought my massage therapist, Danny (of Core Concepts) and he administered a strong dose of deep tissue massage on Monday: I had not visited him since Ironman Lanzarote and so my calves and ITBs hurt to some extent. Yesterday evening, I ran 21K comfortably in my Newton Gravity, although I may have lost some muscle tone due to the previous day's massage. This evening, I discovered that my sore sole could have been caused by a stiff part of my flip-flops; it nudged a soft part of my sole and manifested as sore heels.

Evaluating yourself for injury is an important part of your conditioning. Neglect certain parts of your training can lead to potential pains and injuries. Act immediately when the clues and cues are present. Procrastination may rob you of your hard-earned fitness when your mild injuries escalate into chronic injuries. Better safe than sorry. Evaluate your condition and respond appropriately.

Here is an article about a core part of our physical training that cannot be ignored.

Here is a very good interview by Teo Hui Koon with vertical runner extant and marathoner, Andrew Ngo. Be inspired!

Develop Your Core

My client was at the gym weight training his major muscles groups – useful for maintaining bone density and ensuring his lean tissue development. Ironman finisher and television’s ‘The Bachelor’ Dr Andy Baldwin wrote me that weight training, vitamin D and calcium were necessary for those athletes over-40 years if age. He followed this up with about 20 minutes treadmill running, and a core stability session. In the latter, he performed the Plank, Side Plank and static Lower Back Raise (akin to the Cobra Pose in yoga). I understand that he does his core stability work everyday, mainly using the Plank and one session of yoga every week; he has never receive rehabilitative prescription nor incurred a serious sports injury before. He learnt about core stability from his colleague.

My assessment is that his core strength is superb. His form is impeccable and he appreciates functional strength and stability. His lower flexibility is healthy and to be envied at his age. His disciplined approach to developing his core and translated gracefully into better mobility and a freer posture. In other words, he is likely to perform better physically in sports with less risk of injury. He still swims regularly and he is very confident about his competency in the water.

Likewise, you should consider developing your core competencies further. Competencies can lose their resilience through time unless we continue to beef up our skills. Instead of isolated skills, focus on integrated skill-sets. Like exercise, each set comprises several repetitions. Repetition is the way to learn, ensuring muscle memory and permanence, provide you practice the correct technique. Perfect practice makes perfect. Practise your skills occasionally to keep current and confident.