At this week's Runners Roost Run Club run we had few rock star special guests on hand. Jessi Stensland, Pro Triathlete and founder of MovementU, and Benita Willis, one of the best Marathon runners in the world with a clocked 2:22. I finally got to meet Jessi! Her and I have a history of near misses but I've been a fan of hers for years now. She was a schoolmate at George Washington University of one of my former training partner Sarah Scholl who followed in similar foot steps. Whats with GWU grads starting a career as a pro triathlete and then starting their own fitness company? Fellow Blogger Kim Schwabenbauer is another one.
Jessi moved from CA to Boulder CO in 2010 after I did and I feel has been a huge accett to the CO running/fitness community. While out of work when I first moved here we were going to connect on a few rides and runs but then MovementU really started to take off and she was off traveling again.
The club run consisted of your choice between a 5mi or 5k loop. I ran a steller 5mi at 7:07 pace coming off a nasty mancold and achilles injury. Im happy with the run all things considered including colder temps and darkness (I seemed to have misplaced my headlamp). Post run Jessi was kind enough to supply refreshements from her new sponcer Razors Edge Wine.
After some post run libation we were treated with a movement prep session. Jessi brought along her bag of tricks which includes mini bands, and stretch rope from Core Performance; The Grid Foam Roller and the Hip and Lower Back kit from Trigger Point.
We went through a pre-race/workout warm up that touched on applying forces, balance, strength, corrective exercise, skill acquisition, and injury prevention. We got out the min bands and worked some internal and external hip rotaton. Then worked on engaging and expanding our core, hip/knees/ankle alignment with knee hugs. Then it was onto strength, elasticity and mobility with some form drill skips and stretches. Surprisingly got called out on a few things with my alignment. Granted its been a few months since doing those drills (and I really never should have stopped with them) but it was pointed out that I have a tendency to twist to my left side when planting my left foot. This is something I plan to work on during future drills (in front of the mirror if possible).
I like how she took a different point of view as a ES major, saying ok I know this stuff but I dont want to work with hurt people, I want to work from the other side and prevent injury. Time is performance in athletics, and lost time due to injury could very well be loss of potential.
It was a great session and learning experience; its motivating to know that you can always do things better. In this case, less then 20 mins of drills and conciously thinking about body positioning can lead to huge advantages during my activities. Loyal readers of my blog will find that I always strive to be an athlete first before a swimmer, biker, or runner. Stay tuned there may be other outings including Jessi and her gang of fitness misfits on the trails in Boulder sometime soon.
Movement Prep
No comments:
Post a Comment