TheAthletesLawyer

Coach Todd Katz of Hammer Down Cross Fit training in Chantilly Virginia putting people through their paces !

Recently my bride and I were invited to try out our friend Todd Katz’s “Hammer down cross fit” training program at his home.  As an athlete who likes interval training sessions and respects the incredible results of English mile champion Sebastian Coe, who mixed calisthenics with explosive movements and continuous movement, I was keen to see what Hammer Down Cross Fit was all about.  Todd had told me that Cross Fit can help with sports injury prevention, posture and core strength – all good things for this triathlon trial lawyer.

En route to a race in Southern Florida, we came across this Cross Fit studio !

Several friends have been training through the winter with Katz, who is an exceptional runner and competes in long distance road races.  First of all, it was cold.  Hard core cold.  Don’t take off your mittens cold, as we lifted dumbbells, did push ups, sit ups and other exercises outdoors on a frigid morning.  There was some running also involved, and the “regulars” seemed to feed off the energy and each other.  Todd recorded repetitions, tines and PRs and most looked like they were having fun.  My wife’s favorite part was the hot coffee afterwards.  I liked snack time.  Todd now has a permanent INDOOR location in Chantilly, and many videos showing you the exercise routines.  So, if you want something different, give Cross Fit a try !  Call Todd and visit his Chantilly fitness studio and see if what Cross Fit training has for you,

Dr. Dowling is shown giving ART treatment to competitor (& Maccabiah Gold Medal Winner after the ITU Dextro Triathlon in Washington, D.C.

“Active Release Technique” or “ART” is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Doug Landau has had ART treatment before and after races and found it to be beneficial, especially with regard to iliotibial band (”IT Band”) pain and hamstring tightness after hard multi sport training.

Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee Read the rest of this entry »

Rehab to Racing (”R2R”) announces

OPEN WATER SWIMMING AT MILLBROOK QUARRY

Beginning Sunday May 17, 2009, 2:30-4:30PM

Supervised open water swim opportunity for Northern Virginia Triathletes and long distance swimmers. Learn techniques to help you in open water triathlons and swimming races. These sessions can really give you a “leg up” on your competition and help you feel more “at home” in the lake, river, pond and ocean swims that host multi-sport events. Better to learn in a legal setting than have to learn to do the “perp walk” later ! (See post on “Illegal swimming can land you in hot water”

Measured and marked swim course with buoys. Wetsuits and visible swim caps required. $25 per session.

Planned swim dates: May 17, 31; June 14, 28; July 12, 19; (later dates TBD)

Contact the Coaches at Rehab to Racing at openwaterswim@rehabtoracing.com and information at Tickets and information available at R2R

TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau is asked, “Why do the majority of Triathlon fatalities occur during the swim portion of the race, when competitors are still fresh, and are not at risk for overheating or orthopedic injury ?” Statistically, almost all the fatalities reported in multi-sport events in the United States have been from the often frantic, frenetic open water swim portion of the race. Doug Landau has had anxiety attacks from coming into freezing cold water in several events early in his career, but now employs several strategies to deal with this difficulty. Swimmers can’t easily signal for help or slow down to rest during swimming as they can in the biking or running parts of a triathlon, said Dr. Kevin Harris, a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Harris led a study at an American College of Cardiology conference in Florida. The Minneapolis institute’s foundation sponsored the work and tracks athlete-related sudden deaths in a national registry. Dr. Harris, who also has competed in these events, noted that rescuers may have trouble spotting someone in danger in a crowd of competitors in the lakes, rivers and oceans where these events typically are held.

Of the 14 deaths identified, 13 occurred during swimming; the other was a bike crash. Autopsies on six of the victims showed that four had underlying heart problems. Two others had normal-looking hearts, but they may have suffered a fatal heart rhythm problem, Harris said. A search of the Minneapolis registry and the Internet found four other triathlon-related deaths from 2006 through 2008 beyond those that occurred in the officially sanctioned events. “While not a large risk, this is not an inconsequential number,” Harris said. Herndon Reston sports injury lawyer Doug Landau recommends reading tomorrow’s post, with doctors’ recommendations for preparing and safety.

Following up on the news stories about fatal injuries to multi-sport athletes this Fall, the AP carried a story about a new medical study. Swim-bike-run triathlons pose at least twice the risk of sudden death as marathons do, according to this first study of these competitions. Understand that “twice the risk,” statistically speaking, may still involve very small numbers or percentages of the endurance sports population, according to Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau. In other words, according to Herndon Reston injury lawyer Landau, 15 deaths out of one million long distance race participants is twice as many, statistically, as 8 out of the same number of athletes (elites, age groupers and “weekend warriors”). Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for a flat course upon which to test her now found running speed, charity runner Rebecca Landau found a race on the famous Eagleman Half Ironman Triathlon course. The Dorchester YMCA Half-Marathon in Cambridge Maryland raises money for programs supporting strong kids, strong families, and a strong community. In addition, this new event advertised “Environmentally Sensitive Awards and Premiums” ! While a bit long for TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau, as he prefers sprint distances, his wife and eldest daughter seem to enjoy the steady pace and scenery of the longer events. In preparation for today’s run, Miss Landau ran a 10km. in Alexandria, the Blacksburg Classic 10 miler and the Shamrock half marathon in Virginia Beach.

Miss Landau, soon to be a graduate of the Virginia Tech School of Architecture, managed 8:20/mile for 8 miles, and finished with a kick and a smile. Mrs. Landau finished the Dorchester race in two hours, and according to Charm City Run results, Herndon Reston sports lawyer Doug Landau finished in 1:25:30 for 10th overall, 2nd in his age group, out of about 160 finishers. While the course was probably short, it was well marked, with friendly volunteers who bravely withstood the wind, rain and cold. Rather than hang around for awards, the Landau trio bolted for the hotel pool, where Miss Landau’s easy jogging in cool, deep water, followed by a stint in the hot tub, reduced everyone’s soreness, stiffness and made the drive to Virginia more comfortable. The cool water is known to reduce inflammation, and with proper post-race nutrition during the 20 minutes following intense exercise (i.e., water, minerals, carbohydrates and protein replacement for damaged muscles, ligaments and tendons), Landau notes much “delayed onset muscle soreness” and post run stiffness can be reduced.

“Any time an injured athlete can make use of the “down time” to work on weaknesses; improve their minds, or expand their opportunities, it is a good thing,” according to Herndon and Reston Virginia Sports Injury Lawyer Doug Landau. “This is so because no matter how good a lawyer I may be, I can never get them back the time they have lost. I cannot turn back the clock.”

The TriathlonTrialLawyer was responding to a USA Today 3/13/09 Sports Section article about a top professional whose Tennis “Injury allowed her to pursue dream.” This young woman pursued her studies while off the tour nursing an injury. Landau admired her tenacity and ability to direct her energy and focus into improving her mind while her body healed. That way, after her career as a professional athlete is over, she will have the ability to transition into the workforce and not have to rely on, and live off, her tennis earnings. Virginia Sports Injury Lawyer Doug Landau learned this lesson early on, as he became proficient at stringing tennis rackets while a student at the All American Sports Academy. Landau could earn money even when he was injured and could not play or teach tennis, by stringing rackets and repairing grips

Luckily, Doug Landau races for fun and to raise money for charities. As an amateur athlete, the “Triathlon Trial Lawyer” has on several occasions won prize money, which he has donated to charities, teams and schools. The Herndon and Reston Virginia injury and Social Security Disability lawyer has accumulated an impressive t-shirt collection as the result of racing all over the world. Visitors to the Landau Law Shop in Herndon are offered items from the office’s “overflow cabinet” and shirts, water bottles and other goodies are sent to young clients all over the country. Sports injury lawyer Doug Landau has also donated unused race clothing to local schools (for smocks, tie-dying projects and car washes), as his drawers at home have reached, to quote Mrs. Landau, “critical mass.”

Here TheAthletesLawyer is shown with a check he won in a Dutchess County (New York) Road Runners 10 mile race while in Connecticut as a chaperone for his son’s high school dance and after party. Landau, who went to the race with a faculty member who was also a prize winner, donated the check to The Hotchkiss School Athletic Boosters, where he was on the Alumni Board of Directors.

One positive aspect of representing competitive and recreational athletes is that they tend to heal from traumatic injury quickly and completely. When Virginia Sports Injury Lawyer Doug Landau is asked “Why are athletes’ flesh wounds, like dog bites, not stitched up right away ?” he notes that sports medicine doctors are aware that their patients run the risk of infection. Bikers who “wipe out” on the road often have severe “road rash.” Oil, dirt, grease and other contaminants can get under the skin, scabs and healing flesh and present opportunity for infection. Just as with dog attack bite wounds, emergency room doctors will not stitch the injury site, so that the saliva, hair and other contaminants from the animal will not get trapped under the skin and cause infection and sepsis.

In cases of bleeding injuries on artificial turf, the rubber and other man-made materials can get trapped under the skin and cause adverse reactions and infection. Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau runs barefoot in the warmer weather, and has gotten material imbedded in his feet and ankle that have become infected. Likewise, most sports injuries occur not when the skin is clean, pristine and newly washed, but where there is sweat (with uric acid, which causes its acrid smell as time passes), grime, spilled sports drinks, dirt, dust, and even bodily fluids from other participants (ever been in a “scrum,” football “pileup” or amateur wrestling or boxing match ?). By leaving the wounds “open” or unstitched, and covered by gauze with antibiotics, doctors can monitor the healing process and prevent infectious agents from delaying the athlete’s recovery or making the injury worse by subcutaneous infection.

The 2009 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Center in Landover Maryland attracted some of the world’s top masters athletes, including at least 12 Olympians and 58 reigning world record holders according to the Cool Running site. With the theme of lifetime fitness, the meet is open to all athletes 30 and up. The oldest competitor is 95. TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau had the opportunity to compete in the 45-49 age group.

Nearly 1,000 athletes – a record for the USA Masters Indoor Championships since the meet’s 1974 beginnings and the most for any masters indoor meet ever in North America – will compete. The MD-DC-VA area is home to an unusually large number of masters athletes, and the Herndon Reston Virginia area injury and disability lawyer Doug Landau ran as a long-time member of the D. C. Road Runners Club (DCRRC). Shown to the left are Julie Hayden from the Athena Track Club and D.C. area photographer and race correspondent George Banker.