The Athlete's Lawyer

Wearing approved helmets while horseback riding can reduce the incidence of head injury and brain trauma

While recently cleaning out the family basement, Doug Landau came across his sister’s horseback riding helmet. Considerably heavier than the Triathlon Trial Lawyer’s ‘aero” bike helmet, this piece of safety equipment was not designed for speed, but to protect his sister’s head if she were thrown from her horse. Horseback riding accidents can cause head injuries resulting in death or permanent residual defects. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, these riding injuries occur most frequently in riders younger than 21 years of age. Approximately 20% of injuries in young riders are to the central nervous system. The majority of these injuries are cerebral contusions, concussions, or skull fractures. Use of approved helmets has been associated with a Read the rest of this entry »

Doug Landau and training partners getting ready to do bike-run

MACCAs are a bike and run interval workout designed by Chris McCormack. Landau does them to get ready for the racing season. These are taxing “brick” workouts that help the TriathlonTriallawyer condition his leg muscles (and lungs !) for running immediately after cycling.  The Coaches at Rehab to Racing recommend the following protocol for Maccas: Read the rest of this entry »

Playground swing safety is important to Herndon Reston injury lawyer Doug Landau

Having been hit in the head by a swing, child injury lawyer Doug Landau recognizes the hazards posed by inattentiveness and poor playground design. The Loudoun, Leesburg and Fairfax injury lawyer has seen children get caught up in adjacent swings and strike metal support poles. To prevent injuries from impact with moving swings, swings should not be too close together or too close to support structures. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) offers consumers these playground safety tips from its Handbook for Public Playground Safety:

1. No more than two swing seats suspended in the same section of the support structure. Use the following clearances for to-fro swings:

* Horizontal distance between adjacent swing seats-at least 24 inches.
* Horizontal distance between swing seat and adjacent structural component-at least 30 inches.

2. No more than one tire swing suspended in the same section or bay of the support structure. Distance between the outer-most edge of a tire swing and the adjacent upright of the support structure should be at least 30 inches when the tire is swung to a position closest to the support structure.

3. No swings attached to multi-activity equipment.

4. No heavy animal swings with rigid metal framework.

Traveling to New Jersey for Mothers Day, Doug Landau managed to jump into the 28th running of the Tenafly JCC Rubin Run 10km, The JCC Rubin Run combined fitness and fun, with something for everyone! For the families that attended today’s near perfect day, there was a carnival, classes and brunch. The joyous and lively celebration was a showcase for the Rubin Run’s mission to actively enhance the lives of all those who pass through its door from elderly people whose age may present challenges to kids and teens looking for a place to practice sports and nurture their artistic skills. The rolling course wound through the lovely, wide streets of Tenafly, Englewood and Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau finished 12th out of over 200 finishers, averaging under 7 minutes per mile, according to the state of the art computer chip timing by CompuScore. After the race, Landau celebrated with family and friends.

Lisa Landau Carnoy is definitely faster than her brother, TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau; just ask them !

While Doug Landau races more than his siblings (and most sane people), in his opinion, his sister Lisa Landau Carnoy is the fastest runner.  She was a sprinter at Columbia University in New York City, and she has also run marathons and lots of distances in between.  She even ran the “5th Avenue Mile” and Houston Marathon races.  Mrs. Carnoy, a mother of 4, Health Care and Pharmaceutical specialist for Merrill Lynch and 2007 John Jay Award recipient, is trying to get her college team together to take part in the Millrose Games 4×400 Masters relay race !  Having just given birth to twins this winter, Lisa is looking fit and ready to kick her older brother’s butt !

Speaking of brothers, Doug’s younger brother Ken competed in cross country, track and field in New Jersey and then ran a half mile record at Colgate University.  While Ken races infrequently (i.e., when his brother forces him to go !), he is the fastest Landau on 2 feet in distances from 100-800 yards.  When they were teenagers, the Landau brothers ran the New York City marathon together, and raced all over New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Long Island.  Ken Landau even ran the Boston Marathon at age 14 and won the race up the Empire State Building while working for Apple Computer after college.  Whenever Doug Landau gets together with his family, he is in pretty fast company.

Doug Landau, his daughter and the Award-winning Madeira tennis coaches at the

“Play to win – NO customer tennis” said my daughter as we packed our gear for the annual Madeira School Parent Player Tennis matches.  Having never participated before, because of bad weather, business travel and sports injury, I did not know what to expect.  While the I  had watched the high school team play several matches, I had never seen the other parents’ nor had he any idea as to the skill levels.  I knew that several were regular club players, and there were a few “ringers” who had played beyond high school.
So, while I feel quite at home IN court, on the court, I am not as practiced as when I taught tennis back in the 1970s.  Since this was her senior year, and she had played both varsity tennis and soccer and wanted to end her sports career on a high note, I acquiesced.  We gave 100% and managed to win all of our matches except one, against one of the top singles players and her father.  After the matches were over, my daughter allowed as if she might deign to let me be her partner in a tennis tourney in the future.  In the mean time, I’m not quitting my day job !

Leesburg, Loudoun and Fairfax bike injury lawyer Doug Landau performs post-race maintenance on his bicycle after the National Duathlon Championships

Jammed gears and rusted parts can cause a biker to crash.  And “crashing is not fun,” according to Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau.  If you ride at all frequently, you will ride your bike in the rain, mud and sand.  If you want to keep your bike running smoothly, take a moment after each ride and race to dry it off, clean it up and/or re-lubricate it.  Truth be told, Landau did not buy the his infamous bright yellow xTerra for bicycle maintenance purposes, rather his daughters picked it out because it was safe in the snow and ice to transport disabled clients to their Social Security and Workers Compensation hearings during inclement weather.  His wife appreciates the fact that he can throw his stinky race shoes on the roof rack, along with his dripping wetsuit.  But the ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. trial attorney also found that he can work on his bicycle after racing and riding.  Shown here after the USAT National Age Group Championships, Landau is shown applying grease to the chain of his racing bike.  If you can, take a few moments and clean your bike after every ride.  You will avoid wasted energy, permanent injury and potentially hurting others in the peloton or charity ride.  Click here for tips on cleaning your bike.

The NIRSCHL Sports Medicine Foundation is an Education and Research Foundation located inside the Beltway here in the DC Metro area. Many ABRAMS LANDAU clients have been treated at the Nirschl Orthopedic Center (“NOC”) and Doug Landau has crossed paths with the NOC physicians during his Sports Medicine graduate school studies and Continuing Medical Education (“CME”) through the American College of Sports Medicine (“ACSM”)

The Nirschl Sportsmedicine Education and Research Foundation is known for its research into the causes, prevention and treatment of orthopaedic disorders. The Foundation is a non-profit corporation established for scientific, educational, and charitable purposes. Its primary purposes are the development and support of ongoing educational and research programs in orthopaedic medicine, sports medicine, and joint reconstruction.

Founded in 1970, as one of the area’s top Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine clinics, Nirschl Orthopaedic Clinic was one of the first orthopaedic practices Read the rest of this entry »

DC Running Coach Michael Hamberger shows he's filled his pre-race carbohydrate storage capacity !

The pre-race meal can make or break a race. Top athletes like D. C. Running Coach Mike Hamberger make a point of scouting the local venue for good places to eat the night before the race. Hamberger and TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau shared a great Italian “pasta-loading meal” the night before the 2009 US National Duathlon Championships in Richmond. Landau noted that the young multisport star’s post race dietary habits, on the other hand, place him firmly in the “Junk Food Junkie” camp.

Pre-race nutrition, however, is no laughing matter. Going to a strange city or foreign country can wreak havoc on the most carefully planned training schedules. When stomach distress or food poisoning strike, they can lead an athlete’s world “to collapse,” to paraphrase US distance running star Read the rest of this entry »

Many of you have asked me about the following unique, low-cost events, which I have done and enjoyed (and which are coming up shortly !):

1. TERRAPIN MASTERS 1000/1650 YARD CHARITY MEET
Saturday, May 9, 2009, 12:00 PM (Warm-up at 11:15AM) That’s right swimmers, you get to sleep in ! In years past, “Worldgators” Saylor, Brannock, Rouad, “Doug the slug,” Marty, and others have gotten age group medals and “official times” at these longer distances. This unique indoor DISTANCE swimming event benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Usually indoor swim meets top out at the 500. But at the Terrapin Masters Meet, you can DOUBLE or even TRIPLE that distance and really show off the technique and endurance you have developed by attending Masters swim practices !
Details: Terrapin Masters Swim Meet at the Fairland Sports & Aquatic Complex, 13820 and 13950 Old Gunpowder Road, Laurel, MD 20707 (301-362-6060)
6 lane, 25 yard course, Separate Warm-up Lanes, Manual/Watch timers to be used

2. BIKE TO WORK DAY, Friday, May 15, 2009
Free t-shirts will be available for the first 7,000 registrants.
There is no registration fee for this Washington Area Bicyclist Association event, and there are “pit stops” throughout the DC-Metropolitan area. Registration for Bike to Work Day 2009 is now open! I have taken part in this fun, free Washington Area Bike Association event several times. You can ride your race bike, mountain bike, hybrid or borrow a set of wheels. Raffles will be held at each pit stop for prizes including commuter bags, bike locks, and bicycles. Plus, the bike shops manning the “pit stops” can tune up your bike, check out your ride and you can grab snacks to take to work !

3. DC Road Runners Club Annual 1 Hour Track Run
Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Sts. Stephen & Agnes School, Alexandria, VA

You want a “pace workout” ? You want to run “negative splits” ? You want a drink every 440 yards ? You don’t like hills ? You’re an Ironwoman who misses the track ? Then the DCRRC One Hour Track Run is the event for you. Plus, the DCRRC keeps impeccable records so you can see how many yards you can cover and what pace you can run for an hour to answer the question: “How many miles per hour can you run ?”

There are ALL levels of runners, from local running coaches to “newbies,” so don’t feel like this is only for the Michael Hambergers and Margie Shapiros of the world ! Last time I did this, I parked my Accelerade at the “pit stop” table manned by the high school volunteers, and was able to maintain a steady pace, heart rate (with some expected “cardiac drift) and hydration. The cost is only a couple of bucks, there’s no t-shirt, and the track is not too crowded. If you want to see if your running form “changes” or “fatigues” over time, you can even set up your video camera, like they do at Potomac River Running, along one of the straightaways, and let it run the entire race !