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Four Ways To Get Freaking Huge

Time To Get Swole

Man, do I have some magical, mystical, mass building advice for you today. But I know – you’re extremely skeptical. You’re waiting for the bullcrap; to be let down by some cool sounding training system with overly complicated mumbo jumbo, and exercises that suck.

Sorry, no fail for you today.

I don’t hand out fail. I’m not pushing an agenda. You want to get big fast, then do the following.

1 – Stay with a Simple Routine

Listen, you have been searching for the ultimate routine for years. In fact, you spend more time reading about routines then performing routines. And each week you switch routines. I’ve found it, this week I’m making the change to blah, blah, blah and will grow!

Fail!

Enough with this foolishness. I’m about to carpet bomb your fantasies, so you have been warned. Brace yourself. Here goes…it doesn’t matter what routine you use. Yes, you heard me right. Doggcrapp, Max Stim, Dogg Stim, Max Crapp…whatever. Just pick something and stick with it. And make sure the routine isn’t complicated. You don’t need complicated.

A simple routine focuses on progression of weight using basic heavy compound lifts including:

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Bench Press
• A form of the Overhead Press

E. T. C.

If you find that your routine has you doing giant sets, drop sets, or focusing on the dreaded mind-muscle connection, run like the wind. And worse yet, if it contains too many isolation movements…well…FAIL. You don’t need training techniques or isolation movements, you need to:

2 – Lift Heavy Ass Weights

Lift heavy ass weight. Heavy ass weight makes muscles grow. Heavy ass weight can be in any rep range, because it is heavy ass weight and is kicking your balls seven ways to Sunday.

What rep range should I use? FAIL! It doesn’t matter – Lift heavy ass weights!

What should my rep speed be? FAIL! It doesn’t matter – Lift heavy ass weights!

Should I do cable crossovers before or after flyes, and should incline bench be performed with a 22 degree angle, or a 24 degree angle? FAIL! It doesn’t matter – Lift heavy ass weights!

What split is the most effective for mass? FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!

GO LIFT HEAVY ASS WEIGHTS!

But I don’t want to lift heavy! So and so says that squats are bad for your knees, and my mom is afraid and wants me to take up knitting.

Both so and so, and your mom (no offense to moms) can barely lift a roll of toilet paper to wipe their own asses. If you want to look like your mom, listen to the training advice of your mom. If you want to pack on muscle, lift heavy ass weight!

The end!

3 – Stop Bitching and Get Your Ass to the Gym!

I’m tired.

My toe hurts.

My right nut seems small today, maybe I shouldn’t train.

Want to know how to fail? I mean epic fail? Continue to make excuses, and avoid going to the gym. Want to know how to succeed? Gird up your balls, shut the hell up, and get your ass to the gym, 52 weeks a year. The end.

This isn’t complicated.

Of course your left nut hurts! You’re lifting weights. Lifting heavy ass weights will hurt from time to time. Pain is part of the equation. We aren’t collecting bottle caps here, Charles.

4 – Forget Your Damned Abs and Eat!

I want a six pack!

Bud, if you think you can pack on muscle and carve out a six pack in the same month, you need to lay off the crack pipe.

This just in…if you want muscle, you need to eat big. If you want to be a 220 mass monster, but only weigh 120, you need to start eating like you weigh 220 pounds.

How long should I bulk before I cut? FAIL! Eat until people at the gym start asking you where you get your steroids from. Then, and only then can you start cutting.

Should my bulk be dirty or clean? FAIL! Grab a shovel and get to gettin’.

Whole milk has fat! Almonds have fat! I can’t eat fat! FAIL! Listen, drinking whole milk and lifting heavy ass weights equals muscle mass.

Final Thoughts

1. Lift heavy ass weight using heavy ass compound lifts.
2. Eat big.
3. Never miss a workout.
4. Stick with a basic routine.

Follow these 4 rules for two years and you will dramatically change your body. The end.

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Pham Woodbridge

I’m feeling about the farthest from “swole” as you could possibly get right now. Apparently surgery + crutches + 9ish weeks off turns skeletal muscle into mushed peas. Who knew?

[OK that was a gross analogy. I'm never going to want pea soup again.]

I suppose I should post a PT update and such soon, but long story short I’m still on one crutch, still gimping, and damn this thing is taking its sweet time! X-rays last week (images to come once I can convince the disc to open on a Mac) showed that the bone healing is “on track” according to my doctor, and I suppose I should take his word over my own impatient timeline.

Reader Qs:

I know the majority of you guys are triathletes/runners, but how many of you push the weights? What is your favorite strength exercise? There were many years when I was too preoccupied with mileage to make time for strength, but after working with a variety of coaches, I’ve developed a little crush.

-E

But THAT is personal life. THIS [blog] is what I’m willing to share on the internet life. Therefore I’m going to move on… to my brand new baby:

Finis SwiMP3.2G

For Christmas in 2009 I was given the NuDolphin mp3 player to help dull the pain encourage more frequent swimming.  Two years later it finally bit the bullet. Now at first thought, two years might not seem like a long time for the life of an mp3 player. But lets face it: electronics + submersion in water = just not meant to be. I was happy with the two years I got out of the NuDolphin. One thing I wasn’t ever completely happy with was the headphones. The seal between the ear canal and the headphones would stay in tact for 5 minutes max before water would get in my ears and POOF! the music was gone. This problem is what initially lead me to the Finis SwiMP3 player…

Instead of in-ear headphones, Finis uses “bone conduction audio transmission” to send the music from your mp3 player (affixed to your goggles straps), through your temporal bones, and into your ears. (Into your brain? I don’t really know… it kind of blows my mind.) The user manual says this 2G mp3 player can hold about 500 songs (which is more than I’ll ever need) and lasts for up to 8 hours of play on a full charge. The USB plug is built directly into the player so you don’t have to worry about losing any cords, and trasnferring songs is as simple as a drag and drop on your desktop. The SwiMP3 is compatible with both Macs and PCs, and supports MP3 and WMA files.

The most frequent complaints from customer reviews were a) that it’s “expensive”, b) the sound is “thin”, and c) the device will “wear out.”

My counters to all three of the aforementioned points are that a) Expensive is a relative term. I payed $145 + tax for my Finis SwiMP3 at Pure Blue swim shop in Plymoth, MN. For 500 stored songs, an infinitely more enjoyable swimming experience, and a notable increase in swimming frequency when I swim with music, $145 seems quite a reasonable price to pay. b) The sound is much clearer when using silicone ear plugs. These do not come with the device, but cost under 5 bucks. ($4.95 for a pack of 6 from SwimOutlet.) c) True dat… it might “wear out.” See above: electronics + water = not meant to be. HOWEVER, I have read fantastic thing about the customer service from Finis, and I trust that if they’re as good as the reviews say, I’ll have no problems.

I have been in the pool much more frequently now that my activities are limited to swim / bike/ halfass upper body lift. I’m starting to SLOWLY build on an elliptical (we’re talking a whopping 5 – 10 minutes… but pimpin here), but honestly swimming is the only thing that doesn’t cause any ‘hurt’. And as my scientific research has demonstrated, my total swim volume is directly correlated to the amount of available entertainment. Variety in the workout = more swimming. Hot lane buddy = more swimming. And of course, good tunes = more swimming. P < 0.05… or something.

Reader Qs:

Are you a swimmer? Triathletes: mandatory, doggy paddle at a minimum. Runners: beneficial, great cross training! Are you tech’ed out, or do you keep it pure? There are a few other items I’ve been interested in… the tempo trainer, the Speedo fingerwatch lap counter, etc. Do you have any thoughts on/experiences with these?

You can find all other reviews under the PRODUCT REVIEWS tab at the top of the page, or by following this link. Be happy, be healthy, and press on!

-E

*My SwiMP3 was a personal purchase, and this review was not funded, encouraged, or persuaded by Finis in any way, shape, or form.

None the less, stay tuned for a product review this coming TUESDAY (yes – it is written, saved, and scheduled)! A couple clues:

• The company name sounds like it should be based somewhere in a country on the Baltic Sea, but in reality they’re from Cali.
• The company name actually means ‘the end’ or ‘grand finale’ in Latin.
• Their products have been featured in Men’s Journal, Triathlete, Lava, TriBomb, NY Times, and City Living, just to name a few.

I have a feeling a bunch of people are going to get it with the first two clues… the last one was an attempt to throw you off.

And while we’re waiting for Tuesday, I wanted to share this infographic with you guys. A more PG version of the game “Never Have I Ever” so affectionately played with ten fingers and… yep. You should be able to open it in a new window for full size!

A couple of things surprised me, but I’m thinking this has more to do with the population sampled than the average american public.

Reader Qs: Did anything stand out to you? Did you ever play Never Have I Ever?

-E

• You buy three seasons each of 30 Rock and House for trainer ride entertainment.
• The pool doesn’t seem as chilly as it used to, due to an extra subcutaneous layer of “insulation.”
• Another blogger “tags” you to answer random questions about yourself… and actually take the time to fill it out. Kind of like those long email forwards (apparently called “memes”?) you got in junior high. (That is if the internet was invented yet when you were in junior high )

My buddy Jamie tagged me, along with 10 other stud athletes, to play the game.  I think I’m supposed to include the “rules” to this little… and you’re supposed to copy/paste them too if you get tagged. Here we go!

1. Post these rules
2. Post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No saying “you are tagged if you are reading this.” You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Facts About Me

This is like doing ice breakers at a team meeting. “What is something no one would know about you unless you told them…”

1. I have three tattoos. One of which I share with my dad. The second I share with my sister, mom, and dad and the man upstairs. And running. (Though I’m the only one with it inked). The last one is strictly between myself and el señor.

2. When I was 16 I dropped $1000 on a dog, that I didn’t have permission to bring home. My mom fell in love in 2 hours. I learned a good lesson. [(That you can win your mother over with anything cocoa colored and adorable.) Kidding!!]

3. I subscribe to five magazines: Runner’s World, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Sports Illustrated, and Car & Driver.

4. My favorite color is orange. Someday I will have this bike:

(Someday I will also be missing a kidney…)

5. One of my favorite snacks is beef jerky. Bonus points if it’s bison.

6. I was a vegetarian, pretty darn close to vegan, for 8 years.

7. Although I was always in sports – cross country, track, swimming, gymnastics, softball, soccer, t-ball, and tennis – I also danced for over 10 years. (I don’t mean that to be offensive by not calling it a “sport” … I just put it more in the arts category.) I went on pointe when I was 9 years old.

8. I wear a size 2-3 kids shoe. See last statement of item 7.

9. My favorite day of the year is Easter!!

10. As someone pointed out to me today (and not the first time I’ve heard it)… I suck at slowing down. Slowing down my mind, slowing down decision making, slowing down my life/lifestyle. If only that held true with my S/B/R paces!!

11. If it weren’t for my iCal… I probably wouldn’t make it to the end of the day. Wish I was kidding!!

Jamie’s 11 questions… my answers:

1. What is your proudest accomplishment? I haven’t accomplished it yet…

2. What is your biggest regret? Moving to Boston, giving up my full ride scholarship that I couldn’t get back when I transferred home. Money stresses me the heck out.

3. What was your biggest fear as a child? Driving next to semi trucks and driving over bridges.

4. What is your biggest fear as an adult? Getting divorced

5. Your most embarrassing triathlon story, using exactly 11 words. Prevent nipping in professional race photos, especially if published in print.

6. What  is the one piece of advice you’d give the 10 year old version of yourself. Ooofda… that one cuts a little deep! There are a lot of things I would have tried to tell that younger-me, though I probably would have been  too stubborn to listen. The advice I would give is: you have all your life ahead of you to be a grown up, so don’t try and be one now. It’s not as fun as it looks.

7. What is the best meal that you’ve ever made yourself? Chicken enchiladas in the slow cooker! House smelled sooo good…

8. In or out? My belly button? Do I like going in or staying out? In to the first… both, depending on the mood, to the second.

9. What is your dream car? My “realistic” dream car is a Ford F150, king cab, short bed, bench seats, MAROON. My extremely non-realistic, non-attainable dream car is an Audi R8. Phantom black exterior, Nappa leather black with Luxor beige contrast interior, Bang & Olufsen sound system, and MMI navigation. Base MSRP $114,200, price as built $126,650. (I wasn’t kidding about Car & Driver.)

10. What is the fastest you’ve ever gone on a bike? Fastest pedaling speed? Or fastest down a hill? I’m happy if I hold 20 riding in the city, but I’ve seen

11. What is your least favorite part of triathlon training/racing? Honestly, I don’t have a “least favorite” part. Enough ‘milk has been spilled’ crying over missing running and the thought of not being able to run in the future that I will take what I can get and be happy about it. [Damn it!] If there needs to be a least favorite… it’s the five seconds leading up to and following jumping into the pool.

My 11 questions… and answers.

1. Where were you at in your life ten years ago? Where do you see yourself hope to be ten years from today?

2. If you could meet any one person in the world, who would it be? (Dead or alive.)

3. If you had to describe your life with a movie title, what would it be?

4. If you could be a professional in any sport for a week other than the one you already do, what sport would it be?

5. What does the title of your blog mean / where did it come from?

6. Your first kiss, in 5 words.

7. If you could go back in time and study anything different in school, or go down any other career path than the one you chose, what would it be?

8. What would choose for your last meal?

9. If you could stay one age for the rest of your life, a la Tuck Everlasting, how old would you be?

10. What is the race at the top of your bucket list?

11. Describe your ideal day:

Apparently Jamie and I have a bunch of the same amigos… cause he tagged a lot of the same people I would have! So I will tag 11 new people… You’re it!

2. Jennifer & Jason – Going Long… Together
3. Steve – Steve In A Speedo
4. Jon – SwiCycloRun
5. Holly – The Cooper Fam
6. Derek – To Be Determined
7. Betsy – Earning My M-Dot
8. Jon Vick – Jon Vick
9. Amy – Amy’s Running Around
10. Julia – Go Big Green
11. Adam – The Boring Runner

Annnnd that brings this getting-to-know-you meeting to a close. Happy Thursday! [Edit: yes... it was Thursday when I started this!]

-E

• isn’t it past your bedtime?
• you’re going to turn into a werewolf if we don’t get you home!
• what time do you turn into a pumpkin?

Cute.

But is all this turning in early actually doing me any good? How much does it really affect us? Surely we each have unique amounts of sleep we need, and it changes throughout the course of our lives… but does a few hours here and there really make a difference? What about “sleep debt” – something I thought I could try to “earn” my way out of by catching a few extra hours later in the week – does that really work?

True story amigos… I don’t know!

BUT I got this sweet infographic from my old running buddy DAVE. (Old meaning former, when I + He used to run. He’s my age.) He’s currently living the sweet life in Chicago working as an Information Architect at SapientNitro, and also running/racing for our local St. Paul Run N’ Fun team! You can click on the image to get the full size and read that tiny text…

[edit: I don't know how PC buttons work, but two finger touch-click it (right click?), and open it in a new window.]

… but what I really want is to know is the Reader Q of the day:

How much do you sleep?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

You can bet that this isn’t the end to this subject. At the present time I have 4 different PubMed windows open in the background. Got some reading material for tomorrow’s bike ride! I will report back.

-E

[If you're new to Friday Confessionals, you can check the 101, or pretend that you did and just know that there are no rules - anything goes. No judging!!]

1. Worked out in Uggs…

I got to the gym around 5:45am, rearin’ n ready to go. Pulled my shorts out of the bag, put em on. Pulled my tank out of the bag, put it on. Slipped the Uggs off and pulled out the Sky Speeds… ⠋ ⠥ ⠉ ⠅!!!! (Should I also confess to swearing in braille?) My Asics were sitting happily on their shelf in the closet at home, warm, dry, and sweat-free. So I did what any stubborn redhead sensible young lady would do and worked out in the only shoes I had… the Uggs.

Kid you not, I got an awkward stare from every single person I had to walk (/crutch) past. Their facial expressions said something like AYFKM?!? (Go ahead. Urban Dictionary.) What I really wanted was a sign to hold up saying IT WAS A MISTAKE!! FORGOT SHOES AT HOME!! I DO NOT THINK IT’S CUTE TO WORKOUT IN LAMB BOOTS!! Instead, I swallowed my pride and made my way to the arm ergometer. After 40 minutes of a slow and excruciating death (with nary a drop of sweat), I switched to the recumbent bike for the remaining 20. This time I decided just-socks was the better option, at which point THREE people (in twenty minutes!) asked me where are your shoes? One of whom was wearing Vibrams. I forgot em’ at the sheep farm homie… don’t worry about it.

2. I can only last 20 minutes…

 On my bike, that is. If someone can scientifically explain to me WHY riding your own bike on a trainer feels 20x harder than riding outdoors, or riding a spin bike, or riding a stationary bike, I would greatly appreciate it. Once I got clearance from the doc to get on the bike, I thought it would be smarter to ride my own bike on the trainer since the geometry would be the right fit.

tic tic tic – 20 minutes later

Either my fitness has tanked, or… yep. Even in the easiest gear it took MAJOR effort to make it to 20 minutes on the QRoo. Frustrated and determined not to quit, I replaced it in it’s rightful home (expensive living room artwork here!!) and got on the stationary bike. Whattya know. 40 minutes later and I felt like I had “worked” the muscles, but not like I was run over by a bus. Riddle me that, Batman….

3. Electrocuting my glutes…

Physical therapy has been going well. Exceptionally well since we brought out the electrodes!! Electrical stimulation, affectionately known as “stim”, has been used since 1791 shocking frogs in the laboratory. Its use in physical therapy and other athletic medicine settings is more recent… around the 1960s and 70s. (Never ever cite wikipedia!!)

Its use in reactivating the gluteus maximus however, at least at TRIA Orthopedic Center, is something I am delighted to set the precedent for. I’ve had big problems with my left glute ever since my first hip surgery in December of 2008, and my PT Ben and I decided enough was enough. Clamshells, side-lying hip abduction, bridges, fire hydrants… they weren’t doing squat. And I didn’t have the weight bearing ability to do squats or DLs. PT Julia, what are we missing?

So although PT Ben had never used stim on the glutes, we figured trying it couldn’t hurt. And by golly, I do think it’s starting to work! We have been combining Russian stim (which uses a slightly higher frequency) with the previously mentioned exercises, doing a 10 second on / 10 second off protocol. It is probably too early to call it a “success”, but I will say I haven’t been able to get that deep of a glute contraction in over 3 years.

“Hey Ben… can you take a picture of this? For the blog…”

Which reminds me, if you haven’t seen the YouTube video “Sh!t Triathletes Say” yet, I recommend you get on it. My buddy Steve posted it over at I Wanna Get Physical, and it is definitely worth a chuckle.

ALSO to check out if you feel so inclined: Exercise Physiology, Winter Edition on Groucho Sports, and a Workout for Super Bowl Sunday at Minnesota Tri News!

Reader Qs:

Do you have anything to confess this Friday? Share em.

-E

The end.

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22 x 23 Birthday Bucket

Likely you’ve seen someone or other make a “101 in 1001″ list… I think called the “Day Zero Project” but I don’t really know why. Well not too long ago, my Hawaiian amiga Mags made a 40 by 41 list – 40 things she wants to do before her 41st birthday. Which left me sitting on my couch thinking… I’m not getting any younger. Time is not going to slow down. And I will not end up as a crazy cat lady. (I’m allergic anyways… if worse comes to worse I’ll have a really big fish tank.) Time to do what I do best and get my Martha Stewart on make a list.

We won’t call this a “bucket list,” since I’m genuinely hoping I don’t die at 23, nomsayin? So we can call it a “birthday bucket.” There were quite a few things I eliminated from the list because they seemed “not important enough” to be included in my alloted 22. So I decided to make a bigger list. Eventually I’ll end up with my “101 in 1001″ … but for now, this is what I’m gonna do in the next 313 days.

The List*

• Be able to change the front/rear tire & tube in <5 min.
• Catch fish with Grandpa Ansie
• Get a new job
• Go camping
• Go out with someone I want to get to the 3rd date
• Go to a shooting range (and shoot!)
• Invest in a stock
• Learn how to make Grandma’s poppyseed küchen
• Learn how to make mom’s beef stew
• Learn all the new players on the Twins roster
• No meat for ALL of Lent
• Open water 2 mile swim race
• Read all of Corinthians
• Ride 3 centuries
• Ride a motorcycle
• Run around Calhoun
• Save $10 for each item I check off
• Speak Spanish with a stranger
• Start going to Connect at church
• Start my own nacimiento

[* If you're good at counting... you will note that the list is only 20 and not 22. The administration has exercised its' authority and selectively edited where inappropriate appropriate. ]

Some of these items are things that should be easily accomplished… starting the nacimiento takes all of one quick trip to E. Lake Street. Going to Connect (which, let’s be real, is really just a Christian singles group) only takes manning up and going, even if it means going solo. Others, like running around the lake and getting to that 3rd date, are things that should be easy but in reality might put up a fight. I already can check off one – getting a new job (!!) – which also means I need to put $10 into the ‘Mo Money’ jar…

So, mis amigos, this has been an entirely non-tri-related post. But I’ve had fun making the list [(it took multiple swim sessions of brain storming - only 20 days after I started making this...) haha I just made it tri-related!], and I’m looking forward to checkin’ things off one by one!

Reader Qs:

Do you have a bucket list? A birthday list? A must-do list? What is one thing you absolutely want to do before you … um … croak?

-E

In addition to The Triathlon Rx, I am also a writer for:

… where you can find me every Thursday, and

… where I post as often as I’m clever enough to come up with something good! (Kidding. Kinda…. )

Anywho, I try really hard not to double-dip. That is, post something both here and and also on another site I write for. However, I occasionally to suffer from transient monotony, and therefore once in a while you will see a double post. As in today…

(To see the original post, or check out my awesome Groucho Teammates, go HERE to check out the company!!)

Groucho Blogger Erika: Arctic Tundra

Well guys… I have some sad news for you.

It looks like Minnesota is going to get a winter after all… 

Unlike some of our cryophilic friends here at Groucho Sports, I would rather spend three months in a toaster oven than venture out into the sub-zero tundra of a true Minneapolis winter. Year after year, I ask myself why WHYY [insert man on knees shaking his hand towards heaven in rage] do I still live in this frozen state? But then after 3… 5… 7 months of cold… the snow eventually melts. Flowers sneak their little heads up through the ground. Easter – my favorite day of the year – comes and I find this transient sense of forgiveness for our state and its far-too-long season of frozen.

Given that we’ve been cut some slack this year – people running in shorts and biking outside in January – I felt it fair to turn down my degree of displeasure. So this winter, as my offering of thanks, I vow [/make] to do the following:

Though obviously not with my “good” bikes…

How fun would it be to come outside to ‘Mater on your windshield? Even more fun if you have a 4 year old. 

Reader Qs:

What do you do to make winter “more fun”? And how the duck do you keep your fingers warm!?!? If I had a box of Cocoa Puffs for every pair of gloves or mittens I’ve gone through to find “the one” …. I’d be coo coo, and drowning.

-E

Thought it might be a good idea to explain the changes you see around here!!

First things first: Why did the blog name change? 

If you’ve been around for a while, you know I was blogging over at Dr.TriRunner. When I bought that domain name, it was at a time in my life when I was pursuing medical school with the final goal of working as an MD in sports medicine. However, this funny thing called “life” happened… and eventually (through lots of job shadowing, research, and spending enough time as a patient in sports medicine) I realized that was not who I wanted to be! If you want a deeper explanation to that decision, feel free to shoot me an email, but long story short: over time I became aware that the life of an MD was not the life I had in mind for myself. This being the case, I felt (and had felt that way for a while) that Dr.TriRunner was no longer a proper fit for the name of my blog. But the thought of trying to change it was stressing me out!! All this website hosting/domains/subdomains/redirects thing is definitely not my forte.

LUCKLY, my beyondwonderful web hosting company, BlueHost, made the transition a piece of cake. Promise they’re not paying me to say this… but their customer service is the best I have ever experienced! (Sorry Zappos, I think even better than you.) They talked me through everything, and even taught me how to make a BACKUP!!! Something I have been wanting / needing to do for ages, but never could figure out how (despite all the “easy” tutorials online…).

So, that brings us to why “The Triathlon Rx?”

If you go way back in the archives… it’s pretty easy to tell I was strictly a runner. I might have played with a little cross training here and there, but running was my passion. It kept me grounded, it lit the fire, it helped me connect with God, helped me connect with others, allowed me to destress, allowed me to get excited… it sounds bad to say it, but it really was my life.

Until that last fateful run on September 27th, 2008. After my coach noticed I was limping and sent me for x-rays, I was put almost immediately into an MRI, a CT, and a meeting with two specialists: one in hips, and the other in tumors. Shortly thereafter I was on crutches, scheduled for surgery (#1), and diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia. Months of rehab followed – both physical and mental. Suddenly without the biggest constant in my life, I felt paralyzed by the uncertainties ahead. I felt like I had lost my identity.

It was in my first post-op meeting, after my doctor had given me a protocol for pool running and cross training, that he suggested the possibility of doing a triathlon. I had only ever participated in one before, and that was as part of a relay team. Obviously as the runner. But as I thought about my years on the Uptown Otters swim team, and my bike commuting to and from work, his words started to sink in. It was his perfect solution… his prescription… his compromise with my determination to stay an athlete and the medical need to put less impact on the neck of my femur. I started to think, Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad…

And as they say, the rest was history!! The prescription of triathlon has done more for me than I’m sure my doctor ever thought possible. Not only has it enabled me to remain an athlete, but it has connected me with such a wonderful community of people here in Minnesota, and even world wide! (HI JUANMA IN PR!) It has taught me life lessons (always carry that damn tube!). It has taught me [a little bit of] patience and discipline in training for three sports at one time, instead of always wanting to go all out in just one. Hah – it is even how I met the last two boyfriends!! This prescription has truly changed my life.

FROM

http://www.drtrirunner.com

TO

http://www.thetriathlonrx.com

Gracias, and will be back with more info about the transition soon!!

-E