After Much Anticipation...the G-trainer!

Hello again!

After having been postponed for some time (i.e. procrastination) I can finally share with all of you the Anti-Gravity Treadmill, also known as the G-trainer. Located at Darwin Fogt's Evolution Physical Therapy in Playa Vista, CA, this machine does wonders for anyone and everyone. Included in this blog are pictures and videos. I apologize ahead of time for the echo-y audio on the first video...I'm no Scorsese!

One thing I failed to ask Darwin in the intro video was exactly what the G-trainer does! In a nutshell, it applies pressure inside the bubble which in effect lifts you up, thus minimizing your body weight. In other words, it allows you to have the same type of cardio workout you would otherwise receive on a regular run, but with a decreased amount of impact, because you are only running at a percentage of your body weight.

Onto the good stuff...

Darwin Fogt, MPT, President of Evolution Physical Therapy



I began using it because I had an excruciatingly painful patella tendinitis issue. In order to keep my running fitness up without further aggravating my patella, I would run workouts on the g-trainer at 65% my body weight. Slowly over a three month period, I increased my body weight to a point where I could restart my regular outdoor run training. I liked the g-trainer so much that I decided to incorporate it into my weekly training regimen as a precautionary measure. Now I use it twice a week – once for a medium paced run, and once for a hard effort run, both at 90% my body weight. As a result, I can thankfully say I have been injury-free since I started using this amazing machine a year ago!

G-trainer Prior to Inflation





G-trainer After Inflation





G-trainer in Motion



I wound up having a great session on the g-trainer. A ten minute warm-up at 6:15 pace, a ten minute push at 5:00 pace and then ramped it up to 4:45 pace for another ten minute push, immediately following the previous one. I ended with a ten minute warm down, slowly decreasing my speed while gradually bringing my body weight back up to 100% (from 90%).

Anyone interested in fighting back injuries while at the same time maximizing fitness, would be a fool not to try the g-trainer. At Evolution Physical Therapy, it's merely $30 for a 25 minute session and $60 for 55 minutes. Not a bad bargain considering the price tag for one of these puppies is $75K!!

I apologize again for taking so long to post about the g-trainer but good things come to those who wait, right???

Thanks for checking in!

Talk soon.

-H

First Pre-season BRICK

My 2010 season opener in Vine del Mar, Chile is just around the corner (Jan. 10) and I’m slowly starting to get back into race mode. I’m excited!

This morning was the first BRICK of the pre-season and for those that are unfamiliar with the term, BRICK, it normally refers to two consecutive workouts consisting of biking and running (in that order).

I rode my usual Thursday morning La Grange group ride around the Riviera Country Club in Santa Monica. About 25 miles, plenty of hills and good competitive biking got me jazzed up for my run right off the bike.

The run was roughly 4.5 miles in length and I was supposed to do 5 x 1 minute pick-ups at my 10k race pace. Going into it, I didn’t really know what to expect because one, I hadn’t done a BRICK since July and two, I hadn’t really been focusing on running speed as of late. To my surprise, I completed the two loops around the Brentwood Country Club in 26 minutes, averaging 5:45 per mile. I felt really relaxed and my pick-ups were smooth.

I am very pleased with the first BRICK of the pre-season, especially since my body has responded positively following the workout. Hopefully it will be a good predictor of things to come…

Tomorrow, the much anticipated G-trainer workout!

Thanks for checking in!

Talk soon.

-H

Another 4-workout Day...

If you recall the last time I blogged about my 4-workout day, it was a new thing on my schedule and I figured it would be something I’d revisit every once in a while. Apparently, my coach had other ideas…

In my schedule, a 4-workout day being unusual is now a thing of the past. Instead, it is something that I frequent 2, 3, even 4 times a week! The good thing though (if there is anything good that comes out of a schedule consisting of multiple 4-workout days per week) is that in the sport of triathlon, there are myriads of options as far as training is concerned. When I used to run at UCLA, often times, our training weeks consisted of running, running, and more running. Occasionally we would throw in some speed work on the track, but for the most part the training was predominantly focused on logging mileage. In triathlon training, as I’m sure you fellow triathletes will agree, you have the opportunity to mix it up as little or as much as you like.

Today’s workout consisted of 2 swims (yes I’m still in gill-growing mode), a 60 minute weight lifting session, and a 7-mile quasi-tempo run on my secret weapon the anti-gravity treadmill, also known as the g-trainer. By the way, I swear I had intended to document my workout on the g-trainer for all of you but completely spaced and forgot my camera at home! I’m back on the g-trainer on Friday and will happily report to you all, I promise.

The swimming went well, no major hiccups, except of course the hundreds of yards of butterfly thrown right into the middle of the workouts! Immediately following my swim, I headed for my lift session on campus at UCLA. Pretty straight forward, it consisted of a combination of injury prevention exercises, lower body, upper body, and core. The core being the longest portion of my lift session, completely kicked my butt, but as in any sport, the key to success is a strong mid-section!

After my lift session, I got a quick bite to eat and headed off to my g-trainer session at Evolution Physical Therapy in Playa Vista. I first have to say I love that machine! 40 minutes, 7 miles, 85-90% my bodyweight, and most of all, feeling great! I don’t want to dive into too much detail about this special contraption, because I want to save the good stuff for Friday! But I will say it is something that will be a part of my weekly training regimen indefinitely!

Check back Friday for a full write-up, pictures, and video! Thanks!

Talk soon.

-H

LA Tri Club "Speedster" Award

Hello All!

I should have written this sooner but my schedule has been incredibly hectic lately so I apologize!

Last Saturday I attended the LA Tri Club Year End Party (YEP) and it was a ton of fun! Getting a chance to reconnect with all my fellow LA Tri Club-ians, if I can say that, was supremely enjoyable. Triathletes can clearly have fun as well!

For me, the highlight of the night however was receiving the coveted "Speedster" award. Personally, it was the perfect ending to an incredible first season of triathlons and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Even to be nominated in such a category was a real treat and it is simply an honor and a privilege to accept this award.

I'm going to cut myself off before this sounds anything more like a generic acceptance speech, but I want to thank you all again for the support, it truly means a lot. The way I see it, you keep giving me the support and I'll keep giving you the results!

Thanks again. Talk soon

-H