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| February 28, 2010 | | Christmas in February and other musings | | Who says Christmas can't come early? Here is my big news that I was waiting to share. I have entered into a sponsorship relationship with NormaTec Sports (http://www.normatecsports.com) and I couldn't be happier about being a guiney pig for them.
It seems that they have all the world class athletes that they need (check out their website - it is truly a who's who list of all stars from every sport - yes including the LANCE) and they need some background on how an average joe responds to their protocols. That is where I fit in.
NormaTec, loves the volume of training that I do and the ambitious race schedule and while they know what their product does for Chrissie and Crowie, they wanted to see if their protocols have a positive effect on a 42 year old semi sane man.
So after a long ride last week, I came home and found a plain wrapped box with a simple logo - I immediately opened it and oh yeah - to my delight, there were the magic boots pictured below.
 
Here is a shot of Crowie using the boots. I hope they make me fast like him - LOL.
Here I am posing in my magic boots. They are seriously amazing. If you want to give them a try give me a shout and I will definitely hook you up.
Here is some background on the product:
The NormaTec MVP ("Most Valuable Pump") Sports Medicine Technology was created from the successful collaboration of physicians and athletes.
Dr. Laura F. Jacobs, a rehabilitation physician and PhD bioengineer, founded NormaTec after seeing the extraordinary need for effective treatment modalities for circulation compromised by disease, surgery, radiation treatment, and trauma. She developed and patented the NormaTec PCD (Pneumatic Compression Device) for diabetic wounds that don't heal, lymphedema after breast cancer, and other serious medical conditions. After much proven success with these patients, NormaTec extended its focus to the Sports Medicine community.
Unlike the simple intermittent compression devices which have been around for decades, the NormaTec MVP, like its medical cousin the NormaTec PCD, mimics normal physiology to help athletes recover rapidly after workouts, injury and surgery. Although static external compression through wraps and compression garments has been used for years, the NormaTec MVP's physiologically-based dynamic compression profoundly improves circulation and alleviates symptoms.
The NormaTec MVP has become the treatment modality of choice for athletic trainers around the country. Top Pro and College teams, the U.S. Navy SEALS, the Garmin-Chipotle Pro Cycling team, and other serious athletes seeking the best recovery tool are among those already incorporating the MVP into their daily protocols.
O.K. I will certainly share more and more as it relates to the protocols that NormaTec has me try and how they effect my recovery but for now here is a review of last week. All in all, another solid week. The weeks are starting to stack up and that makes me one very very happy camper. I am roughly 5 months from my next Ironman and I am so ready to start the process. The base is built (albeit I am not sure how solid that base is with the knee injury) and I am ready to get fit. I am at my lowest base weight ever -172 pounds; thus, I am very excited to see where I will be on race day. My guess - 159!!!!
This past week, I ran twice for 2 hours on the Alter-G. Once at 85% for an hour and a half with a thirty minute kicker at 90 percent and the second time for an hour at 85% with an hour at 90% for a kicker. This coming week, I get to run a couple of times at 100% body weight. I just cannot express how grateful I am for the work that Nate Koch, Wolfgang Oswald, and Nate Snell from Endurance Rehab have put into my recovery. Without them I would be on the coach eating bon bons and approaching 250 pounds. Also major props to the Alter-G. What technology!!!! It literally keeps you going when it seems impossible for you to do so. Great stuff!!!
This past weekend, I rode with Appolo Ohno for a big loop of the Valley. Oops, I mean Kenny Steil. Kenny is a dead ringer for Appolo and he might have the same VO2 max. Look out for Kenny this year. The guy is an absolute beast on the bike and the run. I look for him to grab a Kona slot in the always competitive 25-29 age group. I love his company and his enthusiasm for the sport. Also, there is absolutely no one more read or knowledgeable about the bike and nutrition than Kenny. I am super glad he is a strong part of Tri-Scottsdale.
Above is a shot of me and Kenny at the top of nine mile hill just moments after he lit me up!!!
Ah - the things that I am doing to recover and return to the sport that I love. Last week, I had the third installment of prolotherapy. Here is more on that:
The Role of Prolotherapy in Cartilage Growth.
Prolotherapy involves the injection of substances, such as hypertonic dextrose, sodium morrhuate (extract of cod liver oil), various minerals, Sarapin (extract of the pitcher plant), and various other substances, which act by stimulating the structures to repair. (The actual substances injected depend on the individual case and the physician.) The current theory of cartilage regeneration is that this irritation acts in the same mechanism as above in inducing the chondrocytes into the chondroblastic stage of development capable of proliferation and repair. The numerous patients, who had no cartilage or were set for hip/knee replacements who never needed them because of Prolotherapy, support this fact.
Can It Be Proven That Prolotherapy Regenerates Knee Cartilage?
It is impossible to do a double-blind study on Prolotherapy because even an injection of sterile water under the skin has a beneficial therapeutic effect. Even if no injection was given on one side, as the control, sticking a needle into a painful area is known to have a beneficial effect (this treatment is called acupuncture). It is very difficult to prove using a traditional scientific model, that Prolotherapy cures chronic pain, sports injuries, and regenerates cartilage tissue.
One doctor trying to validate the treatment of Prolotherapy is K. Dean Reeves, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist, in private practice in Kansas City, Kansas. He has just completed three double-blind studies on using 10 percent dextrose versus water injections on finger/thumb arthritis, knee arthritis, and anterior cruciate ligament injured knees. Injections were given every two months of dextrose or water. After three injections, all patients were given the dextrose proliferant for three more injections. In the knee studies, only one intra-articular (inside the joint) injection was given per knee at each session. As of this writing, the x-ray readings at one year had just been completed. In the finger/thumb arthritis study there was a 53 percent improvement in pain, and eight degrees of improvement in flexibility. In the knee arthritis study there was a 44 percent improvement in pain, 63 percent improvement in swelling, and a 14-degree improvement in flexibility. There was an 85 percent reduction in knee buckling episodes. The loss of cartilage not seen on x-rays by one year and bone spur measurements showed improvement. Of interest was the fact that those without cartilage did nearly as well. In the knee laxity (ACL) study, pain improved 27.5 percent, swelling by 51 percent, and knee buckling episodes by 54 percent. X-ray studies at one year showed improvement in two measures of bone spur and near-significant improvements in thickness of cartilage in the knee. One should remember that this study involved just one knee injection per session and articular cartilage growth was seen. Typically in actual practice, a person with laxity in the knee ligaments may get 20 injections per visit. Dr. Reeves summarized the findings as "...these double-blind studies with objective and measurable endpoints all show that simple injection of arthritic fingers or knees, or knees with ACL laxity, with non-inflammatory levels of osmotic stimulants can bring about favorable responses in pain, flexibility, and x-ray findings."
Supplements:
In addition to the above, the docs have me taking about everything in the book to try and regenrate the cartlige. I cannot express just how bad some of these pills taste. It literally takes about ten minutes each day to suck these beasts down. Some of these are huge.
Thanks for checking in. It seems I will have much to share during the coming weeks.
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